A Christmas card from me to you...

I hope you are having a lovely Christmas season, wherever you are.  December is now nearly over and before taking down the tree and putting decorations away, I thought I'd create a little video "Christmas Card" for my readers - even if it's a little cheesy, and a lesser quality than seems to play on my phone.  I trust you will appreciate the attempt, as amateur as it is.  If it makes you dizzy, just close your eyes and enjoy the 2-minute tune.

From my home to yours, Merry Christmas 
and Happy New Year!

The song playing is called Long Years Ago (on the album cover).  It's a beautiful tune and I've tried to locate the words to this song, but the only things that come up are an English folk song about a sailor and his bride, and a church choir singing something that sounds nothing like this rendition.  If you're familiar with this song, I'd love more information.

Just a week and a half 'till Christmas...

I debated with myself about not posting anything YOP-related for another week, or simply posting nothing much at all.  I finally decided to do the later - peeking in and just saying "Hi!" is a better choice over being absent.   

Like everyone else, I suppose, I'm finding the time leading up to Christmas is too short this year.  I've been making gift lists, shopping for said gifts - online and in person. I'm even still considering making a few simple gifts this upcoming week.  Why do I always wait until the last minute for such things?  I've done this since I was a kid, so I have a tough time believing I'm going to actually change now.  Even though I have thoughts in July of making some Christmas gifts, I never quite seem to get started until sometime in December.  I don't know...  'Tis a new year coming up - maybe I can turn over a new leaf.  Hope springs eternal.

There is no urgency to finish the projects I've been working on recently, so while they are coming along, they get back-burnered very easily.

This series of cute small (and free) monthly cross stitch patterns are fun to work - once I get going on one again:  

Once I started on this I began questioning my choice of using this linen-type aida cloth with sparkles in it for making a December themed pillow, but now I'm kind of loving it.  It sort of evokes snow - which is probably why I considered it to begin with.  I'm going to keep going with it and hope for the best.

~~~~~

And my colorful Dahlia blanket is still a pleasure to crochet.  I'm just about finished with the rows, then there will be a couple dozen ends to weave in, and finally, I'll make a border.    

There are quite a few more hours of crocheting before this is completed, but maybe I'll finish it by the end of the year.

And does it sound silly that I'm already entertaining starting another blanket as soon as I finish this one?  Winter is just such a perfect season for crocheting a big blanket. It keeps me warm and cozy while I work on it, and will make someone else (or maybe just me - who knows!) warm and cozy when I'm done.

The sermon I heard this morning was about Hope.  I hope your holiday season is filled with blessings to give and receive.  I am thankful to continually be reminded that the reason we celebrate is because God gave us the best gift of all - salvation through His son, to all who believe.  The hustle and bustle and last-minute gifts start to fade in importance when I focus on that.  

I hope you all enjoy this last week leading up to Christmas!  And if anyone reading this has anything difficult going on, I pray God will break right through the hard things, and show you His love and grace.

Little Sheep Virtues...

I hope everyone in the U.S. had a terrific Thanksgiving.  Good times were had here, with family gathering and me experimenting a bit with lasagna and making persimmon pudding for the first time ever.  Recipes for those will come soon, hopefully.

In the last week, a Little Sheep Virtues (by Little House Needleworks) cross stitch project was completed, and I finished it and a companion piece into small pillows.

...and came up with a small display:

Holiday (any holiday) decorating around here is fairly simple, but it makes me happy to find easy ways to display some of my handwork.

Except for the Little Sheep Virtues pillows, I believe all the above patterns came from old Cross Stitch Magazines that came into my possession a few years ago.  Those turned out to be a treasure trove of cross stitching goodness.  Wait a minute... now that I think about it, I believe those "quilt" pattern ornaments may have come from a homemaking magazine - Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens, perhaps.  I don't know if those magazines exist today, but it's been decades since either (or both?) of those publications printed things like cross stitch patterns and other crafts.  Do any of you in your 60's and older remember making craft projects from those magazines?

I can't believe today begins the countdown to Christmas!  It's only just in the last few days it's finally turned cold here, and that we've finally gotten hard frosts - several days in a row since Thanksgiving.  About a month late for these parts. Or, at least, that's the way I remember it.  But the tree is up and decorated, and I'm committed to being in the Christmas spirit!