Valentine's Day

I found my camera battery charger. Woo hoo!
It was (get this)  by the keyboard, pretty sure Scott found it somewhere else and is just messing with me, LOL.

And he got me these for Valentine's Day. He is not a flower buying kinda guy or very romantic, so I was very surprised!  And happy. I love flowers. And I know they are not practical, but they are pretty and they make me smile. Not the best picture, but its full of red tulips, yellow daisies, yellow cushion mums, tiny white carnations, and that giant spider mum. 

February goals

1. Find that damn stupid camera battery charger. I always keep it in the computer desk drawer. 'Cept its not there. And not anywhere else I have looked. Found it and got a new camera too
2. Finish my afghan for my secret pal. She won't get it until Christmas, but I want to get it done.  done!
3. Add some fringe to a scarf and make a couple more for the someday-I-will-have-an-etsy shop.   no more scarves done
4. Get working on my son's Tshirt quilt. I need to get some more interfacing. I have all the interfacing ironed on, some squared up.
5. Exercise everyday, even if its just a short walk. some days were better that others 
6. Get my Christmas credit card bill paid off.  Our credit card # was stolen last week. The credit card company caught it right away, thank goodness! Some guy used it to buy a bunch of stuff from walmart.com and had the goodies shipped to his house. Here's your sign! Anyway, since we had to cancelled the card, I couldn't use it!  Not quite paid off, almost!
7. Not buy any fabric. Although the new Moda Posy is calling my name...little bunnies and little girls with their noses in books....You can see it HERE  and HERE.    I was pretty good. I picked up a few fat quarters of some novelty fabrics, and one yard of the Posy little girl print.

chocolate chip cookies

This is my new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. 
I figured I should post it here in case anyone else would want to try it. 
Honestly, I have it in my pinterst cookie board, but when I go to pinterest to find it...I get a little distracted. I am really posting it here so I can find it easier. 


Its from Loving from the Oven

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon.
3. *Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Cool completely?  Haha! I eat them warm, when the choc chips are still all gooey. Sometimes I add some Health Toffee bits too. Yum! 

We made them with white choc chips and dried cranberries at Christmas. 

*I never refrigerate the dough

Finishes

I finished a prayer shawl, dropped it off at church after work yesterday. I used Red Heart Love yarn in Boysenberry. Such a pretty color. Not sure if I like that yarn or not, its so thick. 
Would have finished another one, but ran short of yarn - will pick up another skein next time I get to walmart.  Using Lion Homespun Feista, its a 
Also finished a granny stripe afghan made in summer brights simply soft.  Love it! 

Sorry, no photos. I had my camera but the battery is dead and I have no idea where my charger is. 

The worst part about the dead camera is: I am missing the eagles!  We have at least 10 bald eagles soaring over our ridge every morning and afternoon. Glorious! 

saving

I so need to do this

 

Am I the only one?

Wandering around blogland and facebook  the last week, I can't help but notice how everyone has their Christmas stuff packed away already.

Am I the only one with my tree still up?

Drinking from the snowman mugs?

Rudolph and the Abominable Snowman still clinging to the back door? 

I like to keep Christmas around after December 26th. 

Yes, I am one of those people! And I love it.

(I also start listening to Christmas music right after Halloween, thank you pandora!)

The lights are still sparking every evening.

Probably will be for at least another week, maybe more. 

My tree is up so long it gets dusty. 

Old farm house, so its not really that long! 

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. 
Charles Dickens 

Welcome 2013

I bet it will be hard for me to write 2013, I never got used to writing 2012!

I, like just about everyone else, am ready for a new year - a fresh start and some resolutions. (Even though I think I have the same resolutions every year!)

• Get an etsy shop started with my daughter. She makes hats and I make scarves. 
• Keep crocheting. It is my prozac, its good for my soul.
• Figure out the constant ache in my hands. (could be all the crocheting, but I don't think so. I have been crocheting for 40 years, the pain is just the last few.) One person told me I should be tested for Lyme disease.  
• Learn to knit. Nothing fancy, just a straight line for a scarf or dishrag. I bought some needles and I planning on cozying up with youtube some day. 
• NO MORE SURGERIES!  Oh please God, I have had enough!  5 major surgeries in the last few years. 
• Write letters. Not emails, real snail mail letters and cards. 
• Declutter my house. I am not sure how to go about this. I am sentimental and like stuff; pretty dishes, anything polka dot, fuzzy warm blankets, old tablecloths, cows, gnomes, cookbooks. Now wonder I am in so much trouble!  
• Sew from my stash. 
• Make quilts for my family. My grandma made a quilt for Scott and I when we got married. Since my mom is gone, my kids, nieces, and nephews won't have that. A couple of them are already married, I will start with them! 
• Drink less diet pop, eat more vegetables, lose weight!
• Plan meals. 
• Take more pictures!

Gee, my list looks the same every year!