It Was A Funday Sunday...

Brynwood Needleworks - Almost Family-Friends

I drove off mid-Sunday morning to attend an annual Christmas gathering with dear old friends. This is our annual photo together before I had to leave to get to my niece's Holiday Cookie Exchange.

It's always so much fun to get together, catch up, and make new memories. Dear Linda (my hand on her shoulder) and I have been friends for over forty years. I first met her when I applied to work at a business where she was the manager. We quickly became fast friends, and remain so to this day. She and Handsome share the same birthdate, too!

Over the years, I've also come to love and admire Linda's children, her grandchildren, and now I'm meeting the next generation. Pictured with Linda and me in this image are her daughter, Marie and her granddaughter, Adrienne. I stood up in Marie's wedding, and was there when Adrienne was married, too.

These are good people, and I'm blessed to know them. I'm already looking forward to the next time I can see them, as this visit was much too short.

Brynwood Needleworks - Cookie Exchange Participants

I left Portage, Wisconsin where my friends live, and drove north to Neenah, Wisconsin for the Cookie Exchange my niece, Stephanie hosts. In this picture, Stephanie is in the middle row on the left side. I'm next to her. Her brother's fiance' (my dear nephew, Dan) is on my other side, and her sister is next to her. My great nephew's girlfriend is in green, holding my great great niece, Elizabeth.

We shared snacks, played games, and exchanged cookies. Prizes were awarded, and fun was had by all. 

Brynwood Needleworks - My Cookie Contribution

 

I hadn't planned to make cutout cookies again this year, but the new recipe I tried was an epic fail. I'm not even going to show you what they looked like. Suffice it to say, they were tasty and ugly. Not at all something I would take with me to a party.

As we all gathered and shared our cookie contributions, it seems I wasn't the only one who improvised. In the end, the (most generous) ladies said that my cutouts are always the best, so I guess I'll plan to just stick with what I know from now on.

 

Brynwood Needleworks - My Cookie Booty

 

At the end of the evening, the exchanging commenced, and I came home with quite the selection. These ladies (and Stephi's husband, Jeremiah - a culinary school grad who made the beautiful cherry thumbprint cookies in the top right corner) are some talented bakers. These should carry us through the holidays quite well.

Plans are to get the tree up today and do a little inside holiday decorating today. Tag will be back tomorrow. Who knows what he's got planned for you. I'm sure it will be good. Silly boy.