Hem your blessings

I found this great  quote:
"Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel." (Author Unknown) on the web one day. 
2010 has been a very challenging year for us but thankfully, our children are happy and healthy despite the struggles this year. 

My mom is back in the hospital so DH and I are monitoring her situation and also my nieces who were visiting her when she got so sick again. Last night Uncle Brad made the girls shrimp stirfry and I taught Christina to embroider:

We wish everyone in blog land a healthy and safe holiday and new year of peace and plenty.  Please be careful if you are going out this New Year's Eve!!!!

Hugs, Nana Mickie, family and poodles

Pie Time Wallhanging

Finished this one Sunday night.  I'm giving it to Jess, my oldest son's girlfriend.  She is a wonderful pie-baker and we adore her!  I found these vintage images and just had to do something with them (the puppies sealed the deal).  My favorite blocks are the last two:

Wimpy weather

Hubby and I were expecting a good amount of snow last night.  Heck, the meteorologists were expecting 8-10 inches!  Instead we got a measly inch and a half but it looked pretty last night:

"Dude, our ball has turned into a snow ball, I must repeatedly bite it!"

Christmas merriment!

Love our kidlets!  Some parts of Christmas may make me a little grumpy, until we get our kids together for our traditional merriment after brunch.  This year, my camera didn't work until the last half hour (grrrrrrr) but otherwise it went okay.  We just wanted our kids home together again.......

Merry Christmas

12:50 PM, Eastern Time, Pennsylvania

Santa is arriving in India!  Yeh Santa!!!  And yeh to this young pup who is 3 years old today!  Happy Birthday Seamus! 

Seamus celebrated his birthday today by going to work at the nursing home and giving all his friends some loving dog therapy.  They all enjoyed his Christmas eve visit and wished him a very happy birthday!

In other news, it is also our youngest son's birthday today and he and his family will be arriving in a few hours for the traditional birthday dinner (my husband is making a chicken stir-fry).   Hope to get pics of the kids today (I keep forgetting my camera lately).  More later as we watch Santa progress...

Christmas Eve Day, 9 am: in Pennsylvania the land of liberty

Per Norad, Santa is headed to Darwin, Australia!

Christmas Wishes

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

Unfortunately that doesn't seem posibble be this year.  However, we are watching a possible snow storm for the day after Christmas.  That would be wonderful too since snow days in our home = peace.  Who couldn't use a quiet snow day after a busy Christmas Eve and Day?
P.s.  This is my new wallhanging, small and easy to do but I love it :)

Christmas Greetings

Merry Christmas to everyone!  I never did send out cards because my mom's poor health has kept me too busy but here are the cards we had ordered.  This one features a painting Nana had done and which I always have hanging in our living room.  She passed away in July and I miss her terribly.  Still, I love that the beauty she always appreciated lives on in her work:

 And of course for our doggy friends, we featured our favorite photo of Seamus and Ted frolicking in the snow.  I've posted this photo before on the website but I still love it!

For every window that closes, another opens and this year, we learned many things from the challenges we had to face. 

I may have not had much time to myself but I have learned to enjoy a simpler and more basic Christmas.  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I REALLY love Christmas and go all out to decorate the house, bake, and make or buy presents.  This year I have been happy to hang two garlands and put up the tree.  The little time I had left, I'd rather spend with my husband or sew.  I didn't go over the top with presents either, keeping to the minimal because I would prefer to spend time with my family than stress out about what I did or did not buy.

I'm not sure how my kids are going to react to this simpler Christmas when they come home but I hope that we simply have a good time.  So here it December 18 and Christmas is done (including cleaning the house which I did yesterday).  Last night I sat down and watched "Miracle on 34th Street" and felt at peace.  I wish the same for all of you............

May your holiday be merry and bright.

Hugs,

Mickie and the Poodles

Charm Quilt

I'm just about to put the sleeve on this one but pinned it up to photograph it. This is a Christmas charm quilt.  Each tea cup is a different Christmas fabric.  I think Helena and I will have fun with this on Christmas Eve.  She loves to play games like "I Spy" and "Where's Waldo" so I'll make her hunt for the different pictures in the quilt.  Each block is 3 inches and there are 90 different blocks.  Making the teacups was what I did whenever I was stressed during the last few months.  It's funny how fabric can bring back so many memories!  Some of the fabric in here was 30 years old :) 

Another Christmas Quilt

 Copyright MJMcLaughlin, 2010

We took Mom back into the hospital today for another procedure but I am happy to report that she was allowed to come home.  We do have to take her back for another one next week but I am happy for her that she gets to sleep in her own bed!  Peace and Joy to you all!

In Honor of Paddie

 Copyright, MJMclaughlin, 2010

if you enjoy dogs...

You must check out this website and especially the current blog on moving with dogs.  Everytime I read it again, it makes me laugh hysterically!  ENJOY!!

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

Our Giving Tree

 It's been a stressful year and stress makes me (somewhat stubbornly) productive.  This is our Giving Tree.  We (me and the poodles) made a lot of gifts for the patients at the Hospice that Seamus and I volunteer at:

Yeh it's over 100 different items and that is good.  It's important to make something positive out of challenges.  Tomorrow we have our volunteer breakfast and my coordinator asked me to bring these then so that the volunteers could take things for their patients.  I'll take a breather for a few weeks and then start all over again for valentines and the regular (birthdays, hugs, thanks to veterans, etc) for the patients. 

In other news, Mom is home again from the hospital and still requires a lot of care.  My brother and I share responsibilities and it has been working out very well.  We are both bushed though and Mom is very weak yet.  It'll be a long haul for her, I'm afraid.

Have a wonderful day!

Doll Spread

A spread of Indian Head for Dolly's Bed