Happy New Year 2015...

It's the first day of the new year and I'm so looking forward to the 

next 365 days. I see many new and wonderful adventures ahead

for Handsome and me, and Tag will surely be along for the ride.

 I'm already in the studio today, completing a few projects that

went unfinished last year, and I'm making a list of the other 

UFOs that are waiting for my hand. What a great way to begin

a new year...doing what I love best, while my husband and pup

are in the other room watching football and relaxing at home.

The other thing I've already done is chosen my word for 2015.

Image from Desert Stream.net

Last year, I chose "Grace"...little knowing how the year would end. This year I have chosen "Joy". Mom (Grace) is surely smiling at my choice. She would love that I've chosen joy to follow the sorrow of her loss. I've chosen joy to guide me through the next year.

These definitions will guide me as I pursue joy in 2015...As a noun, joy means a feeling of great pleasure and happiness or a thing that causes joy. As a verb, joy is to experience great pleasure or delight.  

Could you even imagine a day that was filled only with pure joy? This is my ambition. As my blog header states, "Thoughts on a joyful and creative life". I will seek to find as much joy as I'm able in every single day. Then, I'll do my best to share that joy with you in my daily blog posts. 

Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year...

with many days filled with Joy

New Year's Eve - Counting Our Blessings...

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Can you believe how quickly 2014 has passed?

It's already the eve of the new year, and 2015 is only hours away!

We're on the final leg of our trip back to Florida, and as we finish up our drive today,

I want to stop to reflect on the blessings that have been bestowed on us in 2014.

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Handsome and I have our health and each other. 

Both of our sons are happy and healthy, as are their wives and our grandchildren.
We are able to travel - or stay home - as we choose.
We are surrounded by friends and family, near and far who bring us great joy.
Music fills our days and we can both follow our own creative muses.
Our lives are full and we realize just how blessed we both are.

For me, I would also like to add YOU to my list. After nearly six years of sharing my life with you, you still choose to return to see what Handsome, Tag and I are up to. For that I am immensely grateful. We'll will be taking it easy at home this evening, and we'll have each of you in our prayers.

So, here were are again, my dears. It's New Year's Eve 2015. Please take time to count your own blessings, great and small. If you're going out tonight, please be safe, and I'll see you in the new year. (wink)

Tuesdays With Tag - Southbound...

Hi, Everybody!

Once again, I'm comin' to you from "The Road".

Let's have a little flashback on my day, shall we?

This is how I spent most of it. I was in my favorite corner of the back seat

just mindin' my own business. I was (once again) disturbed by Mom's 

iPhone clickin' away. Man! Doesn't the woman have enough pictures of me

already without interrupting my nap? I suppose next she'll be sayin', "Smile!".

I couldn't take more of that, so I decided to stick my head in the corner.

"I vant to be alone" kept runnin' through my head.

Well, except for special stops so I could answer the call of nature, this was

how I spent my day. It's quite comfy actually. We always bring my own bed.

As the day was comin' to a close, Mom really wanted to share our view.

It was about 35º, which was a lot warmer than what we left in Wisconsin (12º).

It made the clouds really poufy and interesting. Add the sun droppin' toward the

horizon and it really was worth takin' a few photographs. This was over a marsh.

Within minutes, the sky was turnin' red.

This was the last shot over the Ohio River before the sun went down.

Dad drove over 5 million miles today. We were all ready to stop and feed me.

Our goal is to be home and tucked in well before the drinkin' and drivin' starts

on New Year's Eve.  I'm pretty sure we're gonna make that with time to spare.

See ya next week. 'til then...

"Wag Like Ya Mean It!"

Happy 30th, Husband...

Today marks the thirtieth year that Handsome and I have been married. On Friday, we gathered with our sons and their families to celebrate together. The restaurant was crazy busy, but we had a nice, long table with plenty of space for conversation and toasting.

Before leaving, we managed to corral our waitress for a quickly posed photograph to commemorate the evening, and I'm filled with love and happiness as I look at this latest family picture.

Before dinner, Handsome asked everyone to raise their glass and he recited these words in a toast to our marriage. 

 

I made the best decision of my life the day I accepted his proposal - and have been grateful for his love, strength and commitment every single day since. Here's to the next thirty, Husband. Happy Anniversary to us.

Sunday Scripture...

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They Remembered...

Hi, Everybody!

Christmas was all hustle and bustle and I thought it was best to just stay out of the way. Mom chirped at me and took pictures, but there was a lot of colored paper and bows flyin' around. My people were happy and that's always fun for me, too.

Then, I sniffed out a package that was labeled for ME! Inside were some Bully chewies (don't ask). I got one and it was delicious! Then, I got this great Christmas tree chew toy. 

You know what that means...a guy's gotta CHEW! Well, at least until the first white filling shows through. After that, Mom took it away from me so no one would see me completely gut it right then and there. She said I should at least wait until we get home before I wreck it! I figured it was best not to argue with her.

Christmas has come to an end for us this year, but we'll still hang around a bit for a few other celebrations. I'm gonna see some of my dog pals tonight and then we'll be headin' back home to Florida. I'll be back next week for my regular Tuesday post, but Mom will be back before then to chat.

It's time to rest and enjoy our Wisconsin winter's sight.

From our family to yours, God Bless and Good Night.

It Was A Magical Day...

I'm back to tell you what a wonderful time Mom, Dad and I are havin' with our family! It was just my most favorite Christmas ever!

I had so much fun with our grandkids and their folks that I had a hard time behavin' myself. Mom took lots of pictures that we have to edit, but we're sharin' two of our favorite pictures today. The first one is of me with Mom and Dad. Can you tell I'm watchin' my kids here? There may have been snacks involved, too. I couldn't say for sure.

This one is another favorite...Mom and Dad with our three grandkids.

What more is there to say? It just doesn't get much better than this. Our little red-haired granddaughter loved the jammies she got from us so much that she wore them all day! We thought that was cute. After all, she was home all day and probably the most comfy of all of us. Grandma likes it when our grandkids like her jammies so much they don't want to take them off.

We hope all of you had a wonderful day yesterday. Of course, we're gonna continue to celebrate today and for the rest of the weekend...and you can count on seein' more pictures, too. Mom said somethin' about Boxin' Day today. I'm hopin' it doesn't have anythin' to do with gettin' punched! (She assured me it doesn't.) Just in case...I've gotta run!

Merry Christmas...

It's Christmas Eve...

Hi, Everybody!

It's me again. Aren't you glad to see me?

Well, it's Christmas Eve so I had to come back to tell you my secret.

Mom and Dad got all the presents wrapped and then, Mom said

she wanted me to pose like a little elf in front of some of them.

She got me an elf hat, too, but you can be happy she didn't share it

with you. I looked like a real dork wearin' it, so I said, "NO way!".

I was happy to smile, though. Mom said I look "cute handsome".

Well, here's the surprise part...

Mom and Dad decided that we should go to Wisconsin for Christmas!

So, we got in the car on Monday mornin' and drove to Chattanooga, 

Tennessee the first day, and drove all the way to Wisconsin yesterday!

Dad even let me be a co-pilot for a little while. I liked the view, too.

We drove over 800 (!) miles yesterday, and we stopped for walkie

 breaks, but I was startin' to ask "Are we there yet?" after a while.

We got really tired and were glad to finally get to our destination.

We're so excited, 'cuz we're gonna get to see our family for Christmas!

So, there you have it. Our big surprise! I'm so proud of myself for

not tellin' ahead of time. Mom said I'm really good at keepin' secrets.

Merry Christmas Eve, Everybody!

I hope Santa grants all your wishes, and that you have a great time

celebratin' the real reason for the season. (I don't mean presents, either!)

Tuesdays With Tag - Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh, My...

Hi, Everybody!

It's almost Christmas and Mom took me shoppin' to PetSupermarket!

(I love that place!)

There actually weren't any lions or tigers or bears, but Mom has been

watchin' the Wizard of Oz (she said it's her annual tradition), so I got confused.

 Heck! She's even been dancin' and singin' "Follow The Yellow Brick Road".

 She really lost me when she called me "her little munchkin", though! sigh

Anyway, I did see some critters. I saw ferrets...

and rabbits...

oh! and GIRLS!!!

You know how I love girls!

Although the ferret and I really hit it off, too!

Mom said I'm gonna be writin' more posts this week, so I don't want
to leave all the good lines here. I'll be back again in a day or so.
  It's all very excitin'.

For now, I can tell you Mom and Dad loaded up the truck (they
 said somethin' about a "sleigh") and I'm gonna see some very
 special people for Christmas!!! I'll tell you all about it, I promise. 

'til then...
"Wag Like Ya Mean It!"

By the way...I told Mom I need a new signature picture for 2015.

I was such a puppy in this picture! I'm gonna be FOUR, after all!

The Workshop Is Officially Closed...

I completed the table runner for our Christmas Eve hostess.

With that, the Workshop (studio) is closed for the holiday season.

You'll remember that the pattern I used is Mary's Cottage Quilts' 

"Glad Tidings Table Runner". I decided not to add the final 3" border, but

 it finished a very nice size at 47" x 21".  I love the subtle music theme, too.

I machine quilted this one on my Babylock Crescendo using Floriani rayon  thread. I hadn't used rayon for quilting before (only cotton for piecing), and I was quite pleased with the sheen the thread added to the overall quilting effect. All the gifts were wrapped and labeled over the weekend, and it's nearly time  for them to be on their way. Christmas Eve will be here before we know it. I'm taking the rest of the week off (from the studio), as we prepare for our holiday festivities. Tag will be here tomorrow to tell you about his weekend, and then he's volunteered to come back during the week to share some of his unique holiday spirit with you. 'Tis the season to be jolly, after all!

Sunday Scripture...

Jammies Done...

 I can't show full photos of the Grammie's Jammies than these bits

or I'll give away the surprises! Partial photos will have to do for now.

 

  I made the pants, and bought a coordinating top. The colors in the 

shirt really are in the pants. The blue is actually navy, and for some 

reason it shows brighter here than it does in my editing program.

 This set is flannel. I made the pants and a soft, sleeveless

 top, so I added a long-sleeved t-shirt as a warmer option.

Soft flannel pants in a brighter aqua, which I then paired with an equally soft t-top. The sleeves were too long, so I shortened them to  a 3/4 length. That should make it comfy for cool or warm weather.
Three sets of jammies done! I'm almost finished with my list and  will start wrapping later today. Tomorrow will definitely be a day of rest!

Marching Right Along...

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  I'm getting there! 2 sets of jammies completed yesterday. I'll finish up the jammies today, as well as the eye mask and table runner. I'll be back tomorrow.  (whew!)