Happy, Happy Birthday to my old friend/quilty peep Gurney! And you know, that’s “old” as in we’ve known each other for a long time, not “old” as in advanced in age LOL. Poor Gurney, I have the hardest time remembering her birthday — it being the holiday time of year and all. We used to always have our friendship quilt group Christmas get-together (say that 5 times quickly!) right around her birthday and that would help me remember. But now, we don’t have that anymore and since I am getting old (as in advanced in age) it’s really hard for me to remember. Anyway, Gurney, I hope you’ve had the BEST of days!!! A special birthday for you this year — your first as a Grandma (marrying at 10 years of age makes you a very young grandma LOL) and with a second new grandchild on the way, what an exciting year you have ahead. My birthday wish for you is that you and hubby will come to your senses and move back to our fair city — this “see each other twice a year” state of affairs is for the birds. I miss you! My other birthday wish is that I hope you have a headache (in the best way), no matter how you got it LOL!!!
There’s been pitifully little crafting or holiday merry making going on around here. I feel like I’m in things-that-must-be-accomplished limbo and I can’t get on to the fun of holiday prep until they’re done. We spent ALL day on Saturday in leaf hell. We raked and mowed until we were half frozen. About 30 minutes before we would have been done, mother nature decided it would be fun to have a little snow storm. We tried to work our way through it for about 15 minutes, but once the snow started to accumulate, we abandoned ship. Have you ever mowed your lawn in the snow? Yeah, I’m sure you’re smarter than we are. Anyway, we got close enough to being done and now the leaves are just waiting to be picked up. In the meantime, I fully expect the wind to come along and blow them back all over the yard again. I figure abundant and troublesome leaves are mother nature’s way of making you thrilled that winter is here. It works for me — I do love winter!
And then on Sunday, I worked on a blurb book for a gift. What a lot of work that’s turning out to be. Their tools are fantastic, I’m just having a hard time figuring how I want the book laid out. Anyway, since there’s no real fun stuff to post about (not counting Gurney’s birthday), I’ll recommend some fun stuff of others:
- The Scottish Lamb has found a really fun knitter’s advent calendar.
- Like many of you, we’ve had the tradition of giving the children an ornament each year with the intention of sending them of into their adult lives with a collection of Christmas ornaments. I LOVE this fabulous ornament box and may have to think about making some after the holidays. This is the year I’ll separate TheFirstChild’s ornaments from ours so that he and SweetiePie can take them off into their new life together and they’ll need a fun container to accompany them. {Sniff}{Sniff}
- How cute is this hat??? I love it! Stay tuned, he promises to post a pattern when he gets time.
Nighty-Night!
XOXO,
Anna
Best birthday wishes to your friend, Gurney, and many happy returns of the day!
I am feeling a little bit the same as you. Our vacation has put me a little behind in preparing for the season. I have a few things to catch up on before I can really feel like bringing out all of the decorations. Hopefully by next week.
We had a little snow, but now it’s raining to beat the band. We’ve had the second most rainfall in our history! That’s saying a lot for this part of the world.
I hope your week is a pleasant one.
Take care, Anna.
Happy birthday to gurney!
We don’t have very many trees in our yard and fall is the only time I am happy about that! Raking up piles of leaves has never seemed like very much fun to me!
I am curious to see how your blurb book comes out!
Happy Birthday Wishes to friend Gurney!! What a lovely post for your friend – I know she will appreciate it!
As for your leaf hell, I feel for you. I know what it’s like,as I have the same thing, but it’s too wet and rainy here to do anything about it right now – I figure it makes good mulch, right?
Love all the cute things you’ve found online – all I can say is I’m glad I don’t knit!!
I want to make a blurb book of my first year of blogging – will that be easier do you think? I love the idea of you mowing the lawn in the snow – the kind of thing I would do! Lucy x
Well, Happy Birthday Gurney!! Enjoy :-)
The links are awesome, I wish I had time to learn to knit. I don’t even have enough time to quilt!!
Happy Birthday Gurney! (and I know exactly what you mean when you talk about “old” friends, particularly those what have moved away!)
Also – thanks for providing the fabulous links! I’ve bookmarked the advent calendar – can’t wait to see what comes up next…
Yep, sometimes it feel like a relief to have winter here, just so there’s no yard work to be done!!
The snowman hat is tooo cute!
Hello Anna also I adore the winter,the hat is really nice!The best wishes for your friend!Ciao ciao from Italy
Love the look of that snow!!
Happy Birthday to your friend Gurney.
Hi Anna,
I love the birthday cake hat. Did you make it?
When you mentioned ‘ornament box’ I was going to send you over to Ali Edward’s blog. Good thing I clicked on the hyperlink or I would have looked crazy… which I am at this time of the year. Do you have any idea where to get the acrylic albums that she’s using for her album. I started to take 25 days of photos… need a fun album.
Happy days,
Joni
Thanks for the birthday wishes Anna! What a special treat. And thank you to all those who left birthday wishes through your comments. I hope you don’t have to recapture your leaves! Yesterday was so windy here and you usually get it before we do! Your post about NYC made me want to go back! I need more ribbon! Great idea about the ornament box! I may have to do that for the grandbabies. My grandmother got us an ornament each year and she typed the date on a small piece of paper and glued it on the bottom of the ornament. I spend a long time while trimming the tree looking at each one and remembering her. She loved the holidays and we still carry on many of the traditions she passed down. Traditions are really just a way of remembering those who gave them to us!
Love,
Gurney
You need to do as your nephew Boo does. Just leave the leafs on the ground and the snow will cover them up. LOL!!! Actually he was debating on wether or not to buy a lawnmower until spring. He thought again snow would take care of the problem. LOL
Happy birthday to your friend Gurney!!
This is when I wish we lived in a place that has actual snow during winter. I know it can be a drag when you’re trying to mow. Well, if the wind doesn’t blow the leaf piles, maybe there’ll be enough snow that you’ve got the start of some snow hills there.
Happiest of Birthdays to Gurney! Love both the birthday hat and that cute snowman hat :)
Happy Birthday to your dear friend Gurney. What would we do without the friendship of special women in our lives. I know I would be lost :)
ISHY POO your Saturday did not look like a good time sister. Snow is much more fun to look at through a window where it’s cozy and warm. Maybe some big winds will blow through and send those leaves right into your neighbors yard.
Hugs – Karen
Happy birthday to Gurney too (what a strange name!)
I think mowing the lawn in the snow is definitely overdoing things.
Love the hat too!
Happy Birthday Gurney! We want snow over here (well in my garden anyway). Just think of the leaves as providing shelter and temporary homes for all those poor little creatures needing to hibernate with no other place to go this winter, do you get hedgehogs etc?
Kim x
I’m feeling your pain when racking leaves. Our old house had piles and piles to rack. Hubby finally bought a leaf mulcher (sp).
Ohhhh no…that reminds me I have to finish socks for daughter #1.
Oh, Anna, the very thing you talked about DID happen to our leaves–the wind came along and blew them all over the yard! And now they’re covered with SNOW! This is the ultimate leaf hell.
Happy (late) Birthday, Gurney!
XO