I finished a quilt top for a baby quilt this weekend.  Jacky B is having a grandbaby in March (her first!) so I put this together.  I picked up the backing yesterday (a while flannel with blue and grey stars to stick with the star theme of the quilt top fabric) but didn't get it sandwiched yet.  I really love this quilt pattern, and it goes together very quickly.  The link to the pattern is here.

Finished!  Well, my part at least.  The quilt top is done, now to get it off to the quilter to get it quilted and bound.  As you can see, I had helpers while I was working, too.

For someone that feels busy all the time, I don't seem to have accomplished much lately!  I'm still working on putting my last quilt together (remember when I said I had it all done except for finishing?  I lied - I forgot I had to do the applique blocks!)  I'm still working on that quilt, and I picked up the next Quilt Club project (that I opened and put back in the package...)  I'm not sure where I put my motivation, but I need to find it fast!

That being said, I did finish up a project for book club.  I didn't finish reading the book (Nine Perfect Strangers) yet, and I decided to switch up the bookmark a bit.  I made lip balm holders instead - with a clip on them!  Pretty fancy!  

You know it's bad when I don't get any pictures of my family, but I did of our dogs.....this was the view at our 'family Christmas' dinner....

Everyone pretty much ate and ran after lunch because there was a storm coming in - Jeff was headed up to Susanville to fish Eagle Lake before it closed for the season, so he headed over the mountain too.  He sent me this photo with the caption "Maybe we should have left sooner..." (and he said he caught three small fish - no keepers...)

My amaryllis on Friday...

I didn't get a lot done around the house or yard this weekend, but I did get my club quilt caught up - almost....I have the center block to do, and finish the applique blocks.  To be fair, I didn't do the center block when it was scheduled because I was considering changing it.  I decided to leave it as-is, so....I'm almost done!  We start a new project next Saturday, so that's a good thing!

Happy 2020!  I always say I won't make any resolutions (because I know I'll fail within 2 weeks...) but I do have goals this year.  I don't expect to lose weight, exercise every day, become a better person over night, but goals are always good. Some of my goals (not in any particular order):

1)  Worry less (by planing more)

2)  Appreciate more (by documenting the good and bad things in photos or in writing)

3)  Writing that to-do list (and getting things done)

4)  Move more (go for walks/workouts with friends)

5)  Spend less (pay attention to what/where I spend)

6)  Eat better (pay attention to what I eat and why)

7)  Create more (learn new skills)

8)  Explore more (be brave!!!)

The aftermath of Christmas - pet toys everywhere!!!

My amaryllis is starting to bloom!

Sunrise Saturday morning as Alli and I set off to do our shopping...

Dave and Marlette came down last night for a late Christmas, so I cleaned my house, the guest house, did my normal shopping run, worked in the yard, etc.  I clocked over 24,000 steps for the day....woohoo!

The animals were the most excited about Christmas presents this year, I think.  And, I'll be honest, it's because the dogs got a chew-bone.  They did play with their toys, but only after they took care of the chew-bone....

Indy actually played with the toy mice (and so did Luna - she pulled the stuffing out of two of them already.)  Indy is such a big cat that it's funny to see him play like a kitten.

After cooking Christmas breakfast (waffles, eggs, hash browns, sausage, coffee, and mimosas - orange juice for Alli of course) and cleaning up after cooking said breakfast, opening presents, and cleaning up after opening said presents, I worked on my quilt.  It is slow going at this point, but it's beginning to come together.  I have a little less than half (4 of the 9 rows) put together.  (It would go faster if I sewed it together right the first time.)  I have 5 more rows to put together with the sashing, and then make a zillion hourglass blocks for a border row, add that boarder row and add a few others.....as I said, slow going on this one!

Merry Christmas from Alli and I!

Here's a picture from the Christmas party...what a handsome son I have!!!  (And he's good to his momma...he didn't fuss when I wanted just "one more dance"...lol!)

I (finally) got my 2020 calendar order done.  Here are the photos that made it....

Saturday night was the annual Christmas party for the bank.  Here's the view from the Country Club when I 'helped' decorate Saturday morning.  I 'helped' decorate by putting out probably a total of 21 pine cones on the tables.  I was five minutes late getting there, and everything was done already!!  It was a nice opportunity to chat with people I don't see often, though.  (For once, the room was set up exactly how we wanted it, and it had been cleaned, etc.  Many times, when we go in to set up, nothing has been done....)

Ralph wasn't feeling well, so he didn't go to the dinner.  AJ had his own invitation, since he now works for the bank, but he was still my date for the evening.

I think this vacation week should be titled' things NOT completed while on vacation".  I failed to post on this blog, I didn't do any sewing (and I mean it!!! Nothing!) I didn't do any crocheting that wasn't needed immediately (and still didn't get everything done I needed), I didn't get to the gym once (though I did get some walks in with the dogs...), I didn't get my calendars for 2020 ordered, no Christmas cards done, and the list could continue...

I DID get the snowflakes for my department done, enough gloves done for my department and for Alex's office, cookies baked and delivered to several offices, neighbors, friends, etc., (6 different types of cookies!) I played secret Santa for 2 "Adopt a Senior" people, got my shopping done, helped with the raffle baskets at work, helped out at the annual staff breakfast at work (and got an hour of work in while I was there...) supervised Chris while he was putting in a new fence around our pool in the cold and rain (he was cookie tester....which he said was the best part of the job!) picked out new pool tile and surface material (the plaster is disintegrating in our pool - time to redo it...bummer.  Some of the tile started falling last year, so I knew it was time.)

I didn't get pictures of the snowflakes after I stiffened them, but here they are before that.  Two of them had to be redone after stiffening - a pin rusted on them, leaving a dark brown spot....

I had help wrapping my secret Santa gifts....

My amaryllis on the 13th, and then on the 20th....it's starting to bloom!

Alex requested a baby hat for part of his secret Santa exchange at work, so I made a snowman hat for him.  I had a little help too.

The first part of the week was bright and sunny - fresh snow on Lassen.  (The rest of the week was rainy....)

Here's my amaryllis after one week... 

Here's my original - it's grown a lot in a week!  

Yesterday was the start of "get ready for Christmas!!!"  After I got my chores done, I started working on my embellished gloves.  I got 12 pairs done yesterday (and watched two movies on Disney+, and part of The Mandalorian" series - I have to catch up with AJ....)

That used up most of my gloves that I had in stock, and Walmart isn't carrying them this year.  I ordered some online yesterday, so I can get more done when they get in, so today....my focus is my quilt (that I've been ignoring for most of the year) and snowflakes.  All (or almost all) of my quilt blocks are done, it's time to start the sashings in between the blocks.  I also have one border  that is hourglass blocks that I don't have done yet, but....sashings first!  (After my chores are done though....)

 

And here is the ornament display that I got for Mom's ornaments.  Unfortunately, while I was moving the display to take a picture, I knocked one off...and it happened to be one of the glass ones that she did.  (She switched to plastic balls along the way...good idea!)