Last Day of 2011

All I can say is  YEAH!!!

OK...Time to get blogging.

This is my post from over on my scrapbooking blog... The breakdown of those goals are over there if you want to see.  I don't know if I will post pictures of all the pages I complete as I know there will be tons of them...right? right?  YES!  Right. But I will do better at posting on all three blogs in 2012.  Afterall, it's on the 101 list!

So...finally, I am working on my 101 in 1001 for my scrapbooking goals. I am trying to decide my plan of attack for the scrapping. I have a very aggresive goal, but with everything else needing to get done in my life, I think it may be too aggressive. So I've tried to modify it also.

I have been trying to decide....is it better to just work on one year at a time, or kind of "scattered"? I thought I might try scattered, that way I'm working on various ages of our son and not be "bored". But I am afraid I may not be organized enough to pull that off.

So here is my plan: I must get AT LEAST number 1 & 2 done each month. My modified goal is to get numbers 1-4 done each month. My out of control goal (which I realize will not happen-even though I secretly hope...) is to get 1-16 done each month (except the months where there are 17...then...)

January will be getting the room set up. This is a BIG goal in itself, but I think I am ready. OK...my chart doesn't show up right...so I will break it out in months....on different posts....
http://scraptastrophe.blogspot.com .  You can check out my "plans" for other scrappy / photo related goals over there!

It's not that I'm not blogging....

...it's that I've been blogging stuff that will ultimately be Christmas Presents....so I can't actually post them until after the recipients have received them.....

Here's a sneak peek...


In the meantime....
The siding guys worked a WHOLE day yesterday!  Two walls are done....so today they are not here.  Here's the progress...

Siding..

The 106 year old original siding...and look a porch exactly where I've always wanted to put on...even with the apex as I imagined!!!  Do you see the primitive star on the house?

For the last two years, my landlady has said that she wanted to put new siding on the house.  WooHoo.  But, of course, the way things go...it didn't get done in the summer, fall, spring.....no, first they pulled out our two picture windows the first week of December and put in new ones (And fixed all the around the window where I could see the blue sky outside from the termite damage!!).  That only took two days.  Then the siding guys came on Friday, December 9th.  The coldest day so far....all pulled off all the 30 year old siding and brittle 30 year old aluminum house wrap.  The house wrap fell about the yard and because the cold front was blowing in....all over the yard.  So it looks currently like redneck tinsel.

They couldn't make it back until Monday.....the heat from the woodburner went directly out all the walls! Half of the downstairs was rewrapped, and 1/4 sided.  Then it rained.  So they didn't come back.

End of Day 1...yes...that's all folks!

Then they came back again....yesterday, Friday the 16th.  They got the downstairs wrapped and most of the way sided.  Upstairs....not so much of well, anything.  I haven't seen anyone today and suspect I won't see them until Monday.  I'm a bit peeved.  And COLD.  What a waste of wood!  All the heat just flows right out of the house.  So it's snowing currently.  My prayer is that they will have the house back together before Christmas Eve, but at this pace, it will likely be spring.

So...now I feel like a copycat.

Two weeks ago I started a tutorial for here for my made from scratch challenge.  But you know me, I'm slow, so today I sat down to do it, only to see that Pioneer Woman did it on her show today :(  So I don't seem interesting or original at all.  BOO!  But seems to be the story of my life...someone else faster, better, smarter.

Ho..Ho...Ho

I've now had the 3rd person ask if I am going to write my annual Christmas "novel"-you know I am too wordy to be just the Christmas letter type :)  I read through last year's and yup...quite wordy.  I can't imagine that anyone really wants to know that much minutia . 

Honestly, I am having a hard time this year. Oh, I'm doing everything right on schedule (well as close to "on schedule" as I get).  And while I am truly grateful for all the good in my life, I am having a hard time seeing past the struggles.  Man said it best last night..."You could say the best part of this year is that we made it through all 52 weeks of it!"  So there you go...we made it...and now...on to more.  I ready someone's blog that was talking about any time spent on THIS side of a "dirt-nap" was good...I think they really don't get it.  The prize, the good is on THAT side of a "dirt nap"  and Lord, I am ready for it!  It is hard to be lonely and homesick for home...when you are home.  And I know so many would be more grateful than I for what I have,  But what I LONG for is Heaven.  I long to see my Heavenly Father, my Redeemer.  Nevermind that whole new body thing!  Anyone that thinks that the Hear-an-Now is what it is about is well, basically, either clueless or an athiest.

But how do you nicely put that into a letter...especially when you wonder about so many on the list. With me, Clueless, God-less.  And how do I say what I want to win the God-less, clue in the Clueless, and encourage the ones With me???

So, I will spend the next day, writing about the everyday on a semi-working farm wishing I could really articulate what I wish I could say, but don't have the words or the eloquence to write.

Lists...lists....lists....

So much to do...the days seem so much shorter.  I got so much done when I worked outside the farm...course there's that whole pesky sleep thing, that I"ve discovered I love!

Man's business is very busy right now...the joke is we are "Santa's workshop-South Division"

Kristl...the 3-legged wonder-dog

Kristl did very well with her surgery a few weeks back.  She had 3 weeks of tripping over her leg that didn't work, so she was already used to walking on three legs.  She came out of the anestesia (sp?) well and was able to come home the same day as the surgery.  We've had her back to the vet to have her stitches out and all looks well.  The fur is already starting to grow back and she doesn't cry very often.  There are a few things she has some difficulty with (jumping up on the bed-but that's not allowed anyway!) but overall she is doing great.  Here are some pictures:

And with this...

...we will call #9 of our 101 list officially DONE!  I made 6 loaves of bread last week and already have 2 going for this week.  The challenge actually became a habit and only about 5 times in the past 10 months have we bought bread. Actually, not included in the counts are the homemade pizza crusts that have made me known (not necessarily famous) with Boy's friends as the best pizza maker.  One even confided that I make pizza better than his mom, but "don't tell".  So it's our secret!

Sadly, my wonderful Wondermill is having issues.  The switch won't stay in the on position.  The company said, no problem, send it back and we'll fix it....but....but...but....that means I'll be without it for untold days and weeks....and what will I do??  And during Christmas baking season?  REALLY? (cue hysterical sobbing!)  OK, now that I have that out of my system.  I could grind ahead and put it in the freezer...but the freezer is FULL!  (This is a great problem to have!)  So I will wait a week or two and then ship it out and wait to do a happy dance when it gets back.

I'm so excited to finally mark something off the list.  I thought it would take almost 2 years to make 71 loaves of bread. Giggle.

So much...and yet so little

It's been a month since I've posted.  So much has happened and yet when I try to think of what to post, so little comes to mind.

The change of weather has me down.  My conditions are so much worse in the cold and wind.  Nevermind the lack of daylight.  I'm ready for March...ok, well, I suppose I can wait until after Christmas at least.  I've been in the mindset "If you can't say anything nice...don't post at all." Grin.  So pretty much that is the end of THAT subject...but on my health...I had a MRI, EEG, and blood work done a few days ago.  Results later this week.

Kristl had her amputation surgery and is doing remarkably well.  It was by God's grace that everything came together for her surgery.  I emailled about that, but didn't get much of a response so it may only be amazing to me.

Thanksgiving was spent at friends.  Good food.  Nice fellowship. 

Did Black Friday.  Spent too much.  Still want to shop.  (I love retail therapy! Unfortunately, my budget and my limited space don't)

Was blessed today with some Freecycle Revere pans.  My man offered to get me a brand new set of pans for Christmas (and in fact did) but I told him, I really just needed the smaller pans that go with the big pans I already love (Revere).  A lady posted on Freecycle that she had some that were her wedding gifts (25 years ago) that she wanted to rehome.  He emailled and I picked up exactly the pieces I had been wanting!!  WOOHOO.  Now the pans I had bought can go back and the money is no longer spent (Bringing the total $$ back down to a more reasonable-over the budget-amount).

The gift I am making for my friends and family is coming along nicely...

We're supposed to be getting new siding on our drafty ole farmhouse soon.  (It's been scheduled and put off twice now, so who knows when)  Already we've had the front two picture windows replaced.

My mom is not doing well.  It looks as though she will need surgery on her back.  She is having some of the same pain issues I had before my 1st spinal surgery.  I'm so sad for her.  I know what it's like and it's not fun.  Say a prayer for her.  And for my dad...it's hard to stand by and know there really isn't anything you can do to help.

I'll try to do more posting in the next days leading up to Christmas.  I have lots of neat recipes and such that I'd love to share.