Cheers!

Here's wishing you and yours a happier and healthier new year.

Merry Christmas!

Feeling Helpless

It has been a rough 5 days for our country.   Feeling so sad and helpless has just drained me.   I can't imagine what those families in Newtown are going through.   Wanting to help but not knowing how, I ran across these websites for adding my name to the call for sensible gun control and more help for addressing mental health issues.


http://signon.org/sign/gun-control-now-1?source=s.em.mt&r_by=806044


https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/address-shortcomings-current-mental-health-system-prevent-risk-people-becoming-violent-offenders/3sRkLcj6

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/seriously-respectfully-and-quickly-work-end-violence-committed-assault-weapons/ZJQwY22g


The third component, as I see it, is requiring media responsibility in how violence is portrayed in movies, TV, video games, music and news programming.  I know that censorship is an ugly word, but the constant exposure to killing is even uglier.   And murdering our children is uglier yet.   Something has to change.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

Christmas in Kansas City!

Enjoy Your Families

It Has Arrived!

Fall arrived in Kansas City this morning--yay!    Favorite season of all...the morning walk was greeted with 52 degrees, a slight breeze and a wonderful fresh smell in the air.   It's time for that first batch of veggie chili.

Veggie Chili:    In a large Dutch oven saute in olive oil till soft one small chopped onion and a diced green bell pepper.   Add 2 cans well-drained green beans, 2 cans well-drained peas and 2 cans well-drained kidney beans.   Stir in 2 cans fire roasted diced tomatoes (or 4 cups chopped peeled tomatoes from the garden) and 2 T chili powder.   Simmer till all flavors are well-combined (about 30 minutes).   Serve with crackers.

Happy Birthday, Tasha Tudor

~August 28, 1915 -- June 18, 2008~

So Gorgeous!

I want this home!!!   It
could be located either in the Colorado Rockies or the Smokies in Tennessee!

Love This Soothing Living Room!

You Look Good For Your Age!

Happy Father's Day!

Saw this on Pinterest.    Love it!

Happy Mothers Day

Wishing all the moms out there in the blogosphere a wonderful Mothers Day!   

Trying Something New

Thought I would try blogging from the iPad...boy, is there a lot to learn. Is there an app for learning this app???

It's A Start

Yesterday my favorite Farmers Market opened for the season.   I so look forward to Farmers Market season!    And we are so lucky to have several in our area.   This one is in a small town called Parkville and the Missouri River is right nearby!   Though it is early in KC for veggies from the farm, I did pick up some carrots (from the farmer's hoop house) green onions, yummy asparagus and pretty radishes.   Just love those farm-fresh veggies.

In the next two or three weeks things should start to "bustle"!   Can't wait for those artisan folks to show up too.   One lady brings the best whole wheat rolls.   Another fellow brings the artisan pastas and (my hubby's personal favorite) the Mennonite ladies  bring their homemade pies and cinnamon rolls!   Yu--uummm.

Spring Is Springing?

After so many weeks of near-summer-like days in KC, this morning the furnace went back on!   As they say about the weather in Missouri, if you don't like it, stick around fifteen minutes!   

Talk about "growing out of your jeans"!

Been absent from these parts---again!    But my fickle heart has been spending lots of time over on Pinterest.    What a great time suck!  So fun to keep track of all the neat and wonderful things one spots on the internets.   It's like a gigantic shoebox full of photos, recipes, ideas, favorites...on and on.  Give it a try!

No Explanation Needed......

Happy Valentine's Day

I am a huge fan of Susan Branch's art----and her blog. This morning she started my day off right with this adorable vintage valentine:

So so sweet! May your day be filled with chocolate and roses and sweet love!

Toe In The Water

Well, well, well, doesn't that calendar just gallop right along! It hasn't really felt like Winter here in KC......yet. I have a feeling that is about to change. So...it seemed like time to get moving on some handwork. Mmmmm....fire in the fireplace, cup of Calm herbal tea, and yarn. Bring it, Mother Nature.

I decided to dust off the ole' crochet hooks and flip through some books for inspiration.

Of course, there were trillions more books and internet sites that I devoured. Blogger has been dealing fits with photo uploads this morning, though, so I'm just putting up a few. Have so fallen in love with the little amigurumi crocheted critters but haven't completed the polar bear I am working on. I think I'll have to go down to a smaller hook as it is coming out MUCH larger than I think it should be.

So I fiddled around with some other quicky projects to get the crochet rhythm goin': a Valentine coaster (and who doesn't need one of those???),

a fun crocheted hotpad,

a Valentine garland for the mantle,

and a stripy warm afghan! This blankie is so much fun to work on. Don't know any project that can be as soothing as a predictably repetitive and rhythmic crocheted afghan. I like that once the logistics are worked out in my mind, I can just crochet along without referring to a pattern.

2012

It's here! A new blank slate. Hoping to fill it up with healthier eating, more walking, actual blogging and--especially-- cherishing family and friends as they most definitely deserve to be cherished. Those are the top resolutions. Throw in some attention to long-neglected crafting (crocheting, quilting and embroidery), continued joy found in reading, experimenting more in cooking and trying each day to de-stress life (SIMPLIFY). That ought to be a start.....