Holiday Festivities

It’s been a quiet December. A number of local holiday gatherings have conflicted with family plans and therapy dog activities this year. The one event I could attend was lunch with my Friday Sew Squad. Unfortunately, I had to pass on this one because I had the upper respiratory ick that’s currently making the rounds. Ditto for the neighborhood holiday gathering that was rescheduled due to weather.

When not sleeping, I read and made HSTs for the Bonnie Hunter Winter Mystery Quilt. My chosen color way is blue (Bonnie used red), aqua/teal and green (Bonnie used coral) with an assortment of white and cream fabrics. As with the FG for Week 1, I had to rework the instructions to incorporate my green charm squares. The HSTs are done and I’m happy to say all the miscellaneous green charm squares in my stash were used up in the HSTs.

Half square triangles for Bonnie Hunter Old Town mystery quilt.

After four days, I felt human again. My final Monday enrichment class was yesterday. Sadie and I made our last therapy dog visit for 2024 today. One of my private sewing students completed her craft apron. The finished project is absolutely adorable; however, the project’s poorly written directions made it a true pain the posterior to make. I’ll modify the instructions with our methods for her to follow as she wants to make aprons for her crafty homeschool friends.

Student modeling her craft apron.

All the family gatherings happen between now and next Monday. This means I’m really looking look forward to a quiet Christmas at home! I plan to make good use of the three week break before 2025 therapy dog visits resume and classes at the SQTM begin.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in 2025!

Holiday Reflections

Mid-December was a whirlwind as we celebrated Christmas a little early with our extended families. Sadie & I managed to get in a couple of extra facility visits, too, which brought cheer to staff and guests. Kids were out of school by 12/19, so CraftLAB was in session for holiday crafting. Sadie was overjoyed to see her fan club!  We even added a new member to CraftLAB! Somewhere in all the festivities, hubs and I managed to catch the crud that’s been making the rounds. It made for a rather low-key Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 

Being sick also meant that my SUV sat idle for a couple of days. The intermittent dead battery saga continues; however, we now know the underlying issue is a lot more complicated than first thought. Apparently my driving the SUV daily recharged the battery just enough to mask any power drain. Preliminary tests by the local mechanic pointed to a computer control module somewhere in the vehicle causing a 1 amp parasitic battery draw. (This is enough to drain a battery in 24-36 hours.) This is a dealer issue, so my vehicle will be there next week. I’m grateful we caught this now instead of me being stranded somewhere.

I’ve really enjoyed the Christmas season this year (which is a big deal because I normally don’t enjoy the month of December) and look forward to ringing in the new year.  I’m ready for two online quilting events happening New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Will I see you in the livestream chat?

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

The Christmas Season

Even my sewing space has a Christmas tree this year! It’s been a while since I decorated the entire house. Christmas finally feels “normal” again. Our mailbox has Christmas cards. I wrapped several presents using actual wrapping paper instead of gift bags. Clark Howard’s Christmas Kids is in-person this year. Invites to holiday parties, luncheons and dinners have returned. Several homes in my area have really pulled out all the stops with their exterior holiday lights. Likewise, our local town has upped its game with new light displays and holiday event offerings. Big Girl enjoys our evening rides to look at Christmas lights. I’ve made sugar cookies, crafted with the kids, and re-discovered some favorite holiday movies.

Gifts this year are practical and/or handmade. I made a personalized READ pillow for each of my nieces and nephews. My inner librarian thoroughly enjoyed spending time at B&N selecting the just-right book and magazine for each kid.

Here’s to a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours. I’ll be offline enjoying the season with family and friends. See you in 2024!

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com