Friday, December 30, 2011

Time is running out...

YAY!  I can't say that I'm sorry to see 2011 go at all.  I am so looking forward to a new year and a new start.
I realize I've been among the missing in action for the past few months.  A lot has happened and a lot has not happened- vbg.
I had the house on the market for 6 months -- it did not sell, which is okay with me, and it is now off the market.  I will be here another year or two.  I plan to relax, get some things done in the yard and the house and pretty much get back to living my life.  Here's my word for the new year:

Looking back over the past few months, I've had to replace the stove in the kitchen, a whole new furnace (and I have two in this house, so I'm hoping the second one hangs in there for a few more years!), had the driveway sealed (and it's a long driveway), bought a new car -- 2012 Ford Fusion - love it, had my dryer repaired just a couple of days ago, had a tree fall in my neighbor's yard that he thankfully cut up for me, but I think there's another one that I will have to have taken down -- at least an 80' oak tree that could land on his house if it fell; gave up my cleaning lady and found out I can in fact drive a riding lawn mower and save myself some money mowing my own yard -- oh yeah and bought a new to me used lawn tractor.  My plan for the new year is to be more frugal and more green -- I've closed off two bedrooms on the second floor so I don't have to heat them and I've started washing clothes in cold water.  It probably won't make a nickel's worth of difference and the water heater will probably die on me anyway -- but hey, frugal and green is a start!
The cleaning lady was a luxury I gave myself for the past year -- every other week and it was heavenly, but really, I can clean my house and it doesn't get that dirty anymore.

Another reason I'm happy to stay here for another year or two is I finally have my entire sewing studio in the basement.  My DSIL and nephew moved the big fabric cabinet to the basement for me on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  I love having it down here.
I still have a lot of organizing to do with it and the rest of the sewing stuff, but I love being able to come downstairs and pick up where I left off at either of my sewing machines or the longarm or just sitting and appliqueing.  I put up my design wall (a photographic stand with batting attached), and I have my cutting table and ironing board set up all the time too.  The whole time the house was on the market, I had to keep everything put away and neat. 
Anyway -- that's pretty much what's been happening the past few months and now I'm going to look forward to the new year.  I have lots of new year's resolutions, as usual,, but I'll only bore you with a few of them next time!

Gratitudes:
Family and friends that have "hung in there" with me.
My digital camera -- it was a gift from my daughter and family a few years ago and I hope to use it a lot more this year.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas!

I'll be back posting soon!