I am doing pretty good on my list. I am extending the time frame to Tuesday, I think I will be able to get everything done by then. Then I will have another list for last minute things. LOL

An update on my list so far!

1. Buy and mail my Christmas Cards (Why can't everyone have e-mail, then I could just send an e-card to everyone!) DONE
2. Finish my Christmas shopping I WILL BE FINISHING THIS ON MONDAY
3. Do Quotation Quest from Scraphappy - I have the perfect picture for this quote, thanks to Cami for suggesting it. NOT YET
4. Make Christmas fudge, truffles, and other candies for gifts DONE
5. Make gifts for my sister and her husband NOPE
6. Send out my RAK for the month for Scraphappy DONE, I HAVE SENT 3
7. Enjoy some time with my family THIS IS ONGOING, WE HAVE PLANS FOR FAMILY GAME NIGHT ON THURSDAY, AND DRIVING AROUND LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

My to do list for the weekend

My friend Cami has inspired me to write down my list for the weekend. Maybe this will help me to get them done.

1. Buy and mail my Christmas Cards (Why can't everyone have e-mail, then I could just send an e-card to everyone!)
2. Finish my Christmas shopping
3. Do Quotation Quest from Scraphappy - I have the perfect picture for this quote, thanks to Cami for suggesting it.
4. Make Christmas fudge, truffles, and other candies for gifts
5. Make gifts for my sister and her husband
6. Send out my RAK for the month for Scraphappy
7. Enjoy some time with my family

Okay that is all I'm putting down, if I get them done it will be a miracle.

Tree Lights

Another pic of my tree, this one was at night with the lights in the house off. I think it made for a neat effect. I have been playing around with the settings on my digital camera, trying to learn how they all work. I used the night scene mode for this and it really made the lights look great. I was trying to get this effect before with the auto setting and it just didn't work. Guess it helps to read the manual! LOL

2005 Christmas Tree

Not the best pic, but the best today. LOL

Below is some of my favorite ornaments, I made the Snowman, I really need to start painting again.

My China Hutch

Here is my China Hutch that hubby Mike made for me. This is my first year of decorating it for Christmas. So far I have had a Teapot, Thanksgiving and now Christmas theme. This took my husband 2 years to do in his spare time. He has also built our dining room table and chairs, a rocking chair, bedroom furniture for our room, a dresser for my daughter, and a vanity in our main bathroom, plus multiple small projects. He considers himself a novice, I keep telling him that he is not a novice.

Finally I'm no longer sick

I was sick most of November, so I just didn't get here to post anything.

I can't believe it is already December, it seems like this year has just flown by. We have our outside lights up, but the Christmas tree and inside decorations will wait until after Mike's birthday. That is Monday, so I will probably be decorating on Tuesday. I am really excited that I have a new fake tree this year, it is pre-lit, no spending a couple of hours just putting lights on the tree, YAY! I am also excited because I have my new china hutch to decorate with all my Christmas dishes. I am so lucky that my husband is so talented in his woodworking, he did a beautiful job on the china hutch.

I am hoping to be able to scrapbook some this month. I have a page count goal at Scraphappy that I still need 26 pages to meet. I figure if I do all the challenges on the 2 groups and 1 forum I participate in, plus a few more, I just might be able to meet my goal. I sure hope so, it really bugs me when I don't complete a goal I set for myself. I have 31 days to do 26 pages, I think I can do that!

Cyber Croppin

This is probably my favorite layout this weekend.


My altered mini-lunchbox. It holds about 16 photos inside it.

This weekend I participated in my very first Cyber Crop. What a blast I had. I completed 9 layouts and 1 altered item. Played some games. I won a couple.

I couldn't believe how much fun it was to be connected with a group of people all doing the same thing.

My husband is such a sweetheart. He didn't complain all that much that I was on the computer pretty much all day, and scrapped most of the day Sunday.

I did a total of 13 layouts between Friday night and Sunday afternoon. I think this may be a record for me!

Ma'am ?

As I was leaving the grocery store yesterday, a young teenage box boy said "Have a nice day Ma'am" Okay, when did I become a ma'am?

When I hear that I think of older people, not someone my age. But in thinking about it, I do remember when I was a teenager, that anyone over 25 was ancient. Since I am long past that, I'm sure that I look old to teenagers. But it just isn't fair. I don't feel old.

Well today was the first day of riding my bike to work.

I was a total failure. My stupid arthritis in my knees won't allow me to do this. I was in severe pain after riding to work this morning. It is 3 miles and mostly downhill, but it still hurt.

So I called my daughter and had her drive my car to me and we loaded up my bike into my 1967 Mustang trunk, imagine the Beverly Hillbillies! I then drove her and the bike home, then went back to my afternoon job. So today I used more gas than if I had just drove to work!! Go figure, I am just going to pay the price, I will just be consolidating my trips.

Overall not a great day.

Goodbye Tree

We had to have a huge fruitless mulberry tree in our front yard cut down. It has terrible roots, they have ruined our front yard and was starting to invade under the house and tear up the foundation.

I thought I was really going to hate the look of our house after it was cut down, but interestingly enough I really like the look. It seems to make our house seem so much more open and inviting. Now to get the yard looking better. Seems like there is always a project to be done! LOL

Gas prices!!

Well, I drove by the gas station today and the price was $3.05 for regular. Since my car only gets 10 mpg this is killing me.

I think it is time to start riding my bike to work. I only have a 6 mile roundtrip commute, and 1 way is downhill, unfortunately, the way home is mostly uphill.

But I figure not only will I save money and save the environment, but I will lose the 15 pounds I would like to lose, and be in better shape. I can't start tommorrow though, because I have to deliver 225 newsletters to the Post Office for bulk mailing. I don't think I would be able to do that on my bike! LOL

My goal is to start riding my bike to work on Tuesday, September 6th. Hopefully, I will not get run over. Wish me luck!

Bandon, OR

Just another coast picture to share.

Left to right is Sara, Heather's friend; my daughter, Heather; hubby, Mike; and me .

Camping at the Coast

Camping on the Oregon Coast can be quite the adventure. You never know what the weather will be, but this weekend it couldn't have been better. It was cool, but never rained.

The ocean was beautiful and blue, not gray like it usually is when we go to the coast. We were able to walk on the beach and search for rocks and shells, as usual I brought home a bag full! LOL

We went with a group of friends, you would think that we all expected to starve while we were gone. We had enough to feed half the campground, not just our small group. I'm not sure how this can happen, but I think we brought back more food than I took. Everytime I turned around someone was saying, "Here take this home with you, we have more at home."

I also don't get why we think we have to eat differently out camping. I buy things for camping that we never eat any other time. So now we have enough junk food for weeks!

Grandpa's Garden

Shirley posted a comment about our grandparents and their love of gardening and sharing their bounty every year. Started me thinking about them, they have both been gone for quite a few years. I remember as a young girl, Grandpa letting us ride on his tractor, how much we all loved that. It was never very far, but getting to steer was a huge treat for us. This is a picture of both of them with some giant corn that my Grandpa grew, he was so proud of them. I miss them both!!!

Too Much Garden?

Last night we went to harvest from our garden. So we pick 12 green peppers, from 1 plant, 18 cucumbers, a bowl of tomatoes, and 2 1/2 big tupperware bowls of green beans. Why we think we need a big garden I will never know, 3 people cannot possibly eat all of that before it goes bad, or before it is time to pick more!! So off to work with my garden treasures. Well at least we didn't plant zucchini! LOL

Miss Independent

My sixteen year old daughter just took and passed her driving test, and now has a driver's license. It seems really strange to have her get in my car by herself and go somewhere. Last night she went to work all by herself. It is another milestone to growing up. This summer it seems as if she is growing by leaps and bounds. First it was a job, then a date, then driving by herself. Enjoy your little ones while you can, the next thing you know they will be Miss or Mr Independent!

My first attempt at blogging

Okay, so everyone seems to be doing this so I decided to give it a try.

A little about me. I am happily married to my wonderful husband Mike for 22+ years. We have one daughter, Heather, who is sixteen, and one 1/2 black lab 1/2 golden retriever dog, Lucy, who is 13 years old. We are a fairly normal family. We love camping, and hiking. This is a picture of us hiking at Avenue of the Boulders.

I love to scrapbook, read, and of course play on the computer. My husband and I are into classic cars, especially Mustangs. I drive a 1967 coupe every day, and we have a 1965 convertible for fun.