Merry Christmas to all

 and to all a good year.

A sad day for Carole as her newest room neighbor fell early morning and broke her neck.  

A sad day for me as I learned of a former coworker having bile duct cancer that is inoperable and not responding to treatment.  

The older we get, sad news will come more often, but there will also be good news to celebrate, helping us endure the bad.

Chris's girlfriend, her grandbaby, son, and parents became ill suddenly, all tested positive.  He was exposed, and in turn, me.  Yes, they are vaxed, but not the baby.  

Hoping as this year ends, the second lacking adequate virus tests and more important antibody testing, we start 2022 with better control.  Is that even possible?

Bless you all.  Be safe.  

I'm downing a quart of orange sherbert.

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Ham it up

 Lots of cookies on a plate, cookies in a bag, cookies in a box, cookies on a tray.  Fancy, plain, colored, sprinkled, iced, rolled, flat, and shaped.  So I decided to make a tray of the Hawaiian sliders with ham and swiss for Carole's aides.  I've made the philly, Italian, meatball, but think this is the best.  Various recipes for the butter dressing, mine has more Worcestershire and no dijon.  They're ready to coat and put in the oven which I'll do tomorrow and send with Chris.  Fill in workers will be there for Christmas and there should be some left for them also.

I really want to try a pistachio shortbread recipe, not sure I will.  I have to make dinner for Chris, his son, their kids.  He expected to have that here.  Nope.  Making Johnny Marzetti casseroles tomorrow, can be made ahead, and Jess can stick them in the oven with garlic bread if she puts her damn phone down.  We'll have to drive out to see Carole.  Coming home for the day would not have worked.  She is sitting in a wheelchair but extensions are required because of the brace.  She's not ready for an afternoon out yet.  And "the girlfriend" that caused a reaction in the beginning, is covid positive as is her family.  No one is ill thank goodness, but still contagious.

It will be close to 60 degrees Saturday, but we started getting the white crap yesterday and it was really cold.  Odd that no snow settled on the repaired lawn area.

Answers to a few questions...

except for the latest from HL, my sparse trees had been purchased at various shops many years ago.

The battery candles are not the moving wick style which are also nice, all available on Amazon.  You can see a video of the ones I purchased here

and another seller here.  The Eywamage Store on Amazon has a variety of styles and sizes.  The moving wick comes flat and also shaped, a lot of options on Amazon.  I just searched for "Eywamage remote" to order extras so each recipient gets one.  Carole loves hers and the nurse saw it from the hall and came flying in to extinguish!

And now as I am finally seated and ready to finish Sprigs, the age old question of what thread to use when your choices are not showing.  White in the top left, called for in the bottom right.  Neither are noticeable but I think white is the better choice. 

Be well, deep breath, have a cookie.

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Winner

 Hi folks.  When I double checked number of emails and comments, I was off one.  So I had to go back and do it again, a little late!  The winner is JAN, the Jan that left the comment, not the email.  Thanks to all, had more email entries than comments for a total of 51.  Please email your address Jan and I will get this in the mail.

Some people think holiday decorating is a pain in the a**.

Does Dr. Zelenak look like he has a problem?

This was Mark's grandfather's, it's empty, and quite old.

Carol is better, they think the mid-night pain meds without food for several hours was the cause.  I'm taking her one of the candles with remote tomorrow, the extras have been shipped.  I think she will love this soft flickering candle.  I do!  

Have a good one!

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Nutella

Unfortunately, the cookie recipe for it cannot be located so I have a jar just sitting in the cupboard, all alone.  It does not get along with the peanut butter.  Since I am responsible for bringing it here and its loneliness, I have no choice but to console it.  One of the main reasons that the flowers on my leggings are becoming shrubs.

My husband thought it would be a good day for a quick trip to Hobby Lobby since I've mentioned it 1000 times in the last year.  Late to the party for Christmas items but can't pass up a clearance sale either.

And clear it was.

I bought a few Tim Holtz ephemera items at 40% off, and spotted a scrawny tree in one of ravaged aisles.  Mark insisted we get it because he knows me well enough, and said I will regret not doing so.  So glad he picked it while I stood at the checkout.  Ten bucks.  Sweet!!  My choices are to be gifts from nephews so I

 saved them some bucks.

Not much time to work on Sprig, but after being pleased with the spool's satin stitch, I caught the threads on the back somehow and they pulled enough to distort and stretch the linen.  Boogies from then on.  So I steamed the linen where it stretched and backstitched the outline one thread in from the edge.  This sort of supported my railroaded satin and I'm pleased with the result.  Finally.  Time to move on.

We had plans to visit Carole today and she called early, very sick.  Can't even keep her pills down, I told her to ask for Zofran.  May not work if it's a virus but hoping it offers some help.

Drawing tonight.

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And today is ....

Sorry again, and thanks Robin.  My brain has not caught up with the calendar and I changed the 10/21 to 12/21 (date of chart drawing). Sad thing is, it took a while to recognize why the date was wrong!!  

Two things to ask you.

1.  How much should the print design of your leggings distort before you need to go up a size?  Asking for a friend.

2.  Why does Fakebook state that no one can see who viewed their PROFILE when the question asked is can they see who viewed their POST?

Why do I ask?  Because months ago, a local person was asking for help, I visited their page to see the reason.  

I was shocked when I received messages from them through FB.  I did not leave a comment, like, or anything.  So how did they message me?  It seems the FB statement of members not having the ability to see who viewed their profile may be correct, but is intentionally deceiving.  If this is incorrect, explain it to me please.

I ordered battery candles that are very realistic (flickering flame, not moving flame) with a black wick, for a good price compared to shops.  Set of three, two are for gifts, didn't think about the single remote.  It can set the hours of use and time.  To my delight, Amazon also offers additional remotes.

I don't think Carole will be transported to home on Christmas and don't even want to get into the childish reason.  Love her to pieces, could smack the crap out of her at times.  So in addition to making dinner for the rest of us we will drive out there to spend time with her. 

Have a good Monday!

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You need a date

 Sorry.  The drawing for the berries chart will be Tuesday 12/21 at 8 pm.

Sherry that passed away was a blogger (http://bloginsherry.blogspot.com/) titled Inhale Life.  I have not been on Fakebook much in the last months but recently checked stitching posts and saw that she had heart surgery early summer and had passed away a few months after.

Kim showed the wonderful glass strawberry ornaments her husband gifted her, and I wanted to pass on a tip.  My arthritis is so bad in my right hand that I am dropping items often.  The last was a new large jar of mayo that broke when it hit the floor.  Not an easy clean up.  I've mentioned that Playtex Living gloves (I hoarded them years ago) swiped across any fabric/upholstery removes pet hair that you can't even see.  I still had it on and picked up the glass ornament I found on the only shop visit in over a year.  I am leery of  holding delicate or slippery items and the gloves offered a tacky hold that helped.  I may look odd (nothing new here) trimming a tree with yellow latex gloves but I won't be as afraid.  Hmmmm... wait ....

I just put a latex glove on, the boxed ones used in medical offices, worked like a charm!  Even better because of the tight fit.  Of course it doesn't improve my grip, but it does help the hold.

We vistited Volant PA, browsed shops I used to visit and found a few old ornaments, $3!!  There was a good selection of vintage.  It was nice to be inside a shop after so long.

Husband is golfing this afternoon, I plan to dust and sweep, browse bargains online.  I ordered a few extra of my favorite throw in case I need an extra gift.  From JCP (North Pole Trading ) they are so warm, so comfy, big enough to need the massive gift bag.   Carole asked for knee length loose shorts for therapy, hope they fit.

Have a great Sunday, be safe.

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