Simple Woman's Daybook December 22, Christmas Edition

 

Daybook for Today

December 21

 

 

Outside my window... It is dull, dark and grey with very fine, barely there snowflakes falling. 

 

This was Christmas last year!  It certainly doesn't even remotely resemble that this year!  (Yet)

 

I am thinking... We are very fortunate that we were home yesterday when the dishwasher flooded!  What a mess.  We had to tear our the lower part of the cabinets to wipe up the water.  Thankfully it did not flood through to the basement.  And we were also able to order a new one, which will arrive this coming week.  Now I really have to watch my budget!
 

I am thankful...   That Bella is home from the hospital and doing well!  I am not sure if she continues her chemo over Christmas, but I hope she will be at home with her family where she belongs! Thanks for praying, please continue to pray for their family as they move forward with treatments.

 

In the kitchen... Christmas cookies in every shape ( including ducks and dog bones, and the Pillsbury Dough boy!), pierogies for lunch, leftover chicken rice soup for supper. 

I am wearing... Blue jeans, teal blue hoodie, Birkenstocks and a reversible apron, which really needs to do in the wash!  One side is for when I cook, the other is for when I craft.  It is a pinafore style, which I love.

I am creating... Christmas cookies, and essential oil blends for Christmas gifts for a couple of friends.

 

 

Neopolitan cookies, from Taste of Home magazine.

 

I am going... To pick up my daughter and grandson and bring them over for an afternoon of baking.  My daughter likes the tedious work of decorating cookies, I would prefer to just eat them!

I am wondering... If our home was cased out to be  robbed last week.  My dh had the day off and was getting out of the car, and a strange car with no license plate came down the driveway.  We live at the end of a long lane, with just us and one other house.  They saw my hubby and sped around and sprayed gravel as they left in a hurry.  My dh drove down the road and found them getting out at a house down the street.  It seems a bit suspicious.  But they did see my hubby really watching them, so I hope that they were just being curious as to what was down here, and I am thankful my dh was home!

I am reading...Christmas All Through The House, a Gooseberry Patch book.  I enjoy anything by Gooseberry Patch!

 

I am hoping... That the convergence of two storm systems over us on Christmas Day is not as severe as they are predicting.  Heavy RAIN, no snow!  And high winds over 100 KM an hour.  Should I cook my turkey the day before in case of wide spread power outages, like they are also predicting?
 

I am looking forward to... Christmas Day, and reading everyone's daybooks today!

I am learning... To be kind to myself.  And that there are people who will pick you up and pray for you, even though you have never met.  Sometimes, they can even become best friends!  I am so thankful I have a few blogging sisters like this.

Around the house... The kitchen was torn apart yesterday as we searched for where the water flooded too, I desperately need to vacuum, some last minute gifts to finish off,  child proofing a house for my grandson coming over soon, and more baking!

I am pondering... How to make a huge batch of soothing skin balm for the homeless.  I make this all the time, but I need to find some appropriate containers.  I have met several homeless people, and in the winter, when I shake their hands, they are so rough and chapped and cracked. This has been on my heart to do for a while now.

A favorite quote for today... And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:8-12
Wonderful!!!!
 

One of my favorite things... Watching Little House on the Prairie, especially the Christmas specials.  We have it on while we are baking today, it always inspires me to create, and makes me feel cozy and keeps the anxiety at bay.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Visiting a friend, packaging gifts for friends, tidying a house, trying to think of happy things and pushing out the fearful thoughts, baking, celebrating the birth of our Saviour. Isn't He wonderful??

A peek into my day...

 

 

Baking with my Christmas Elf!

 

From our house to yours, may you and your families have a Merry Christmas!  And HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

 

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Christmas Corners

I am just taking a break from chores, while I have a cup of tea and listen to three boys arguing about what character they are going to be on Minecraft! Who is going to build a crafting table, who is going to give them this and that...ahhhh, boys!  I need to make some Christmas cookies at some point and was hoping to start today. I can at least get the batter made and put in the fridge to chill. 

Thanks to those who are praying for me.  I am having a really difficult time, and usually manage to start feeling more myself by now, but  I feel like I am mired in mud and can't get out.  I am walking a fine line between anxiety and fear, with fear seeping in, like the cold winter air seeps in through the cracks in our window sills.  I wake up, fear is there, and the day seems big and looming.  I climb out of bed, sore and achy from the effects of the anxiety, and try to get moving.  I tinker about and flit from this to that, and eventually get going.  Lately, my prayer time has been in the car while taking my son to work.  I don't like getting into a rut like this when God gets squished in to the spare moments when I allow Him in.  He is supposed to be first and foremost.

Usually by the afternoon, I am not feeling too badly. I can cope, I can get my mind around things, and I feel not as bad physically.  By supper time, it seeps in again, that all too familiar feeling of panic and anxiety, and I just want to go to bed to shut it all off. 

Still through it all, I know that this all matters to God and I am not a lost cause or hopeless case.  I know He understands.  I wish I understood.  I wish I understood why this is so bad around Christmas ( several reasons I guess, the loss of my dad when I was a teenager being one, I may have posted on that at some point).  Kids growing up and changing may be another.  Me growing up and changing, that is hard enough on its own!

This year, I have a grandbaby to celebrate with, to share the meaning of the season with, and of course, my wonderful little family all my own.  And that means so much to me!  I need to focus on that, and squeeze out the overwhelming thoughts that consume me if I let them.  I so appreciate your prayers.  Every Christmas, I tell myself I will prepare earlier, I will not stress, I will not care what others think.  And every year, I fall back into this old familiar pattern that is crummy, to be honest!  Especially considering the meaning of this season, a Saviour born to save us all, who loves us more than anything, despite the number of times we mess things up and have to start over.

So...let's try and move on to something happy!  Do you want a little home tour of the Christmas corners of our home, well, let's go... This is photo intense!

 

I love snowmen!

 

I love these tiny nativity figures, found ages ago at a dollar store. They are so  sweet, and so happy!

 

 

On the edge there behind the sofa, we made some jars with trees and Epsom salts to look like snow.  We place battery operated tea lights under the glass transformers, it looks really nice at night or on a dark day.

 

 

 

A close up of one of the jars.

 

 

 

Our fishing tree, in a minnow bucket.  The lures are actual ornaments, and there is a star fish as the star on top.  I need to locate another one, as this particular starfish is getting a little, shall we say...fragrant!

 

 

 

See that snowman?  He weights about 50 pounds, I don't know what he is stuffed with!!

 

 

 

One of my favourite ornaments ( of course, a snowman!)

 

 

 

 

I was given this candle warming lamp as a Mother's Day gift and it is terrific!  It warms the candle from the top, and releases the scent.  You can't burn the candle afterwards, but the glow is still nice and the candles last a very, very long time.  I just love candles!  My favourite is Flannel Sheets by Country Home Candle, but I can't find it on their website now!  I hope it is not discontinued! What is your favourite candle scent?

 

 

Ratty old primitive tree with candy canes I made from acrylic candy canes from the dollar store and primitive fabric.  The snowmen are made from old socks stuffed with rice.

 

 

They are covered in fluff!  Devin and I made these with some friends last Christmas.

 

 

 

My wonderful friend Connie sent me this snowman, he is so cute!

 

 

Are you noticing a theme here??

 

 

 

 

There is a little ceramic tree you can just see to the left on this photo.

 

 

 

The finished gingerbread house, which has now been almost picked off!

 

 

 

 

 

I love elves!  This guy watches me do the dishes but never offers to help!

 

 

 

Our stockings are hung on the banister!

 

 

 

Our nightlight in the bathroom.

 

 

 

We found this old sleigh at a yard sale, and the old chest was at a different sale ( I got both for a song!  I am pretty cheap frugal.)

 

 

 

A before and after, from some Pins I found on Pinterest.  Dollar store yard sized candy canes before.

 

 

Dollar store candy canes after, with muslin, gingham and coffee stained cheesecloth bows, berries and pine. And minus the fingerprints I burned off my fingers with the glue gun!  YOUCH!

 

 

I made this sign for a very dear friend who I buy soap making and other wonderful products from, she is amazing and her products are out of this world.  I had this old piece of wood from a church pew, hatched an idea in my mind, and thought she would like this in her little shop.  It has sea glass at the bottom.  If you are on Facebook, you can see the wonderful things she makes HERE

 

Whew, and we didn't even do the outside!  Thanks for visiting!

Simple Woman's Daybook for Today, December 15

 

 

December 15th, 2014

 

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... It is an overcast day, just above the freezing mark, with a good wind blowing.  The sun is just peeking out and the clouds are low in the sky.  Never mind, the sun has disappeared again!

I am thinking...Of friends back in Ontario whose 3 year old daughter is battling leukemia.  She is sick right now with what they think is a respiratory infection, and is in the hospital where they can watch her.  Please pray for Bella and her family!

 

 

 

Dolls ready to go to their new home, a little cheer up for Bella and her sisters.

I am thankful... For my children.  Jeremy, our middle child, just turned 20 yesterday.  He is such a blessing, and is so funny and caring!

 

 

The birthday boy with his gift, a game for his Xbox One.

 

In the kitchen... Just deciding what kind of Christmas cookies to bake. I used to do so many, but try to keep it simple now.  We tend to eat way too many sweets at Christmas!  Not sure what we are doing for supper tonight, perhaps pancakes and bacon??  When my son comes in from work, we need to finish off the gingerbread house.

 

 

We bought a really nice silicone mold at Dollarama if you can believe it!  It works really well!  That is Clark Griswold on the roof!

 

I am wearing...Long denim skirt, black leggings, blue jersey knit shirt and Birkenstocks...comfy clothes!

I am creating... Some primitive candy canes, things for decorating outside, making more soap creations and some essential oil blends.  I don't use Doterra or Young Living, I have an amazing supplier where I also get some soap supplies,  and save myself lots of money by making my own blends.  Two more rag dolls are complete and about to go to their new homes.

 

 

Sugar scrub cubes.

 

 

Getting ready to decorate a tree outside.

 

 

 

Little Miss. Abigail Jane, about to go to her new home near the Fundy shore, here in Nova Scotia.

 

I am going... to do the last big grocery shop before Christmas later this week, and a walk later this afternoon to get the mail.

 

I am wondering... How long this anxiety is going to last and how bad it is going to get. It tends to get really bad around and after Christmas, I have a hard time with this season, even though I love it.  Once I get into the physical symptoms of this anxiety disorder, it is really hard to maintain my focus, my eyes wander off God and onto how big my problems are. Which is not the way it is supposed to be!! It makes me feel detached from reality, like I am standing in one place while the rest of the world spins around me.  I hate this feeling.

I am reading... Country Sampler Magazine, January edition.

I am hoping...To feel better and not to have this anxiety turn to panic.  It sometimes takes me weeks to recover and feel better.  It is hard to go out.  I feel very selfish and very alone.

I am looking forward to... Christmas, and our first snow.  I have no clue when we are going to see any snowflakes, so far it has just been rain!

I am learning... To keep moving forward even if I can only take tiny baby steps.  And not to dwell on the past but to learn from it.

Around the house...Cleaning up piles of thread and scraps of material, wrapping gifts, cleaning things up from outside from the terrible storm we had last week ( a lot of flooding and high winds), making some prim decorations.

 

 

Attempt at posting a panoramic shot of the swollen river just down the road from us, the day after the heavy rain.  Over 130 mm of rain fell in 24 hours!

 

 

Sunshine after the storm, and sea mists covered my house with salt.

 

 

 

High surf remaining after the storm passed.

 

I am pondering...making an Etsy store, or how to otherwise sell my dolls and creations, as I don't have room to keep them all!

A favorite quote for today... Matthew 12:36 - "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for EVERY careless word they have spoken."  Yeeouch.  It is so important to watch our words, and I am so guilty of catching myself AFTER I have said something.

One of my favorite things... Watching Grizzly Adams with my youngest son.  This is such a wholesome family show which I used to watch when I was a child.  It was only on for one season.  But the theme song is one of my favourite songs.  You can watch the whole series on YouTube.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Getting my hubby to restring my 12 string guitar so I can sing some carols, tuning that brute will take me about an hour, I am very picky about the correct tune.  Finishing off some last minute gifts.  A drive to look at the Christmas lights ( we are hoping to get some snow, as they look so much better then!) Going to bed earlier than 1:00 am for a change.

A peek into my day...I have been cleaning and doing laundry and putting things away after a visit from this little guy yesterday.  How I adore my grandson!

 

 

Always busy and something to explore!

 

 

Please feel free to join in and sign up to participate in the Daybook by going to THIS website and the instructions to get started!

 

Thanks for sharing in my day!

 

 



Simple Woman's Daybook for today, December 8th

 

Thoughts For Today, December 8th.

 

 

Outside my window... Bright, glorious sunshine flooding in through my windows. Not a cloud in the sky, aside from the usual clouds over the ocean.  It is 3 below zero outside, so it is a wee bit brisk, but I am so glad for the sun, which has been in short supply recently.

 

 

 

 

Crazy frost coming out of the ground!

I am thinking... That my relationship with my family is so strained, and I am at the point where I do not feel it is fixable. I am praying to just wait on God and let Him lead me. I am pretty upset by it all.  It is awful when you don't fit in your own family.

I am thankful... That I have two dolls done!  One has gone off to her new home already, and the person LOVED it.  She was almost in tears! I am so glad she liked it!

 

 

 

 

Mrs. Peacock, on the left, of the first photo,  is a gift for a very young child, so I had to provide warnings about button eyes.  This little girl is called Mrs. Peacock by her Daddy, so they asked that the doll be personalized with that name, I think it is sweet!  The doll on the right has the craziest, zaniest hair!  I am working on a name for her.

 

 

In the kitchen...  Well, this weekend, soap was being made in great batches in the kitchen and anyone who entered was quickly escorted out!  I will post more photos on a regular post, but here is a sampling.  For today, I just made pb and j for lunch, with a big mug of tea, and it is leftover roast beast and roast potatoes for supper, followed by apple pie.

 

 

Devin takes my leftover bits of embeds, I pour in my over pour, we let it set,  and he uses this to slice into soaps for his Christmas gifts.

 

These soaps are called Starry, Starry Night.  Smells wonderful!

 

 

 

Devin made an unusual loaf of soap!  It looks like a lighthouse on a rocky island, not unlike Sambro Lighthouse, which we can see from the end of our driveway.  What a wonderful surprise!

 

 

I am wearing...  A grey jersey knit long sleeve shirt, ankle length denim skirt, black leggings and of course...lumberjack socks and Birks!

 

I am creating... I am created out!!  Right now I am wrapping and labelling the creations I made, and primming up two more rag dollies.

I am going... To go outside and find a balsam fir on our property and decorate it.  We decided to pick a random tree and put up Christmas decorations, out in the forest somewhere, and will make ornaments for the birds too.

I am wondering... Where the mouse is that is in my house.  A corner of my birdseed bag was nibbled and so I am sad to say, that mouse is about to get an unwelcome surprise!

I am reading...  The Nesting Place: It Doesn't have to be Perfect to be Beautiful by Myquillyn Smith.  You may be familiar with her blog, Nesting Place . I have added it to my Christmas list, it is a great book!

I am hoping... The pain in my fingers and elbows stops soon. It is mostly my right elbow and hand, but the fingers in my left hurt too.  I believe it is tendonitis, and it is worse after doing sewing and holding my Grandson.  But it doesn't stop me from picking him up and snuggling!

I am looking forward to...Christmas!

I am learning... That I am not sure how to forgive and forget when clearly, the hurt that you have forgiven continues and does not stop.  I am learning how I can be a whole person in that type of atmosphere, but you know what?  I am learning you can't. Not without constantly getting hurt.  Any suggestions?

Around the house... The tree is up and I must vacuum up the extra layer of balsam fir needles in this house, gift wrapping in preparation for gifts to be shipped, sewing, preparing to bake gingerbread houses.... Rest needs to come first!   4 days to bed at almost 1:00 AM and up at 7:00 does not work as well at 45 as it does at 18!

I am pondering...How to get this all done.  I tell myself every year I will not do this, yet here we are again!!  hehe!

A favorite quote for today... "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

One of my favorite things... Getting the Christmas tree.  Since we moved here in 2008 we have been able to use a couple of trees from our property, but we have gone to a lot in town to get our tree mostly.  Our trees are very wonky!  This year, we "branched out" more ( no pun intended!) and drove to East Hants County and cut our own tree, and had a nice traipse through the 10 acre property..in the pouring rain and ice!

 

 

My daughter, Robyn and my grandson Nathan, his first Christmas!!  She is crazy serious about getting her perfect tree.  My son in law was going insane!

 

 

It is not this blue purple hue in real life! It looks like a spaceship has landed!

 

 

 

 

 

I found this Charlie Brown a few years ago and he has been our tree every year!

 

 

 

Little prim snowman.

 

 

A few plans for the rest of the week: Hmm, finish Christmas cards, get soaps and hand balms labelled, pack up stuff to go to Ontario, make a gingerbread house, decorate a tree outside, bring greens inside,  tidy this house, some school work to finish up with Devin before we take a break, I hope to fit in a nice walk before the storm comes on Wednesday.

 

A peek into my day... I have already been out and about picking up stocking stuffers, and getting a winter coat for Devin, I need to vacuum, label sugar scrub cubes and wrap gifts. 

 Greens and winter berries on the front steps ( I need to fix the ones at my side entrance, they keep blowing over!)

 

 



 

I used old wooden skiis, an old ice cream maker bucket and an enamel ware pot to hold my greens in.

 

 

A close up of the sign on my door, I have had this for 10 years!  It is painted on an old window screen.

 

I love snowmen!

 

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