May the Christmas spirit always be in your heart

I was reading a blog today Feathers in the Nest and she was reminiscing about being a child and the joys of Christmas at that age. It got me thinking about the Christmas spirit.Sometimes we lose sight of what the Christmas spirit is really about. It is not about what you got and what you gave, who didn't get this and who wanted that. It is about the joy and love you show to people everyday of the year.Helping out a loved one or helping out a stranger. Even if that stranger just receives a smile from you, it may be the only smile they get all day long.

As I was going through some photos I came across this one of my Mother, she must of been about 14? But the sheer joy on her face is of pure happiness. This was the joy and excitement she showed everyday in her life.I remember one year we were selling hot chocolate to shoppers at the Arcade, in Downtown Cleveland and my mom noticed a homeless man standing outside looking in. My mom poured a cup of hot chocolate and grabbed a donut and took them out to the man standing outside the window. She got reprimanded by the man who owned the little hot chocolate stand but he quickly quited when my mom took out her change purse and payed for that mans items.


I know that many are going through hard times and especially this time of year but I hope you know that there are many people who are wishing you good will and hoping that the spirit of Christmas touches your heart and makes it smile.

Also I have a stitching update.



Take Care
Natasha

A Prairie Schooler find and silver fish eeewwww

Out running some errands today I decided to stop in at my local used book store. They have a good selection of cross stitch charts.Every once in awhile I find something. Like today I found this

For a whopping $2.50 WoooHoooI cant wait to stitch all 4 designs. Today I am suppose to be baking cookies The hubs wants M&M cookies with peanut butter. I am going to also make mini kiss cookies and some coconut macaroons, if I can every get motivated HeHeHe

Now to my silver fish question. Ever since the rains have started I have seen 2 silver fish, does anyone know if they are harmful, I know they eat books,and linen. Hopefully they don't eat my fabrics *YIKES* How does one get rid of these strange looking things


Only 10 more days till Christmas. I can not believe how fast this arrived :0) I hope you all are having a great day and getting lots of stitching in
Natasha

A rustic giveaway

Karen at The Bearly There Primitive Bear is having a lovely giveaway for Christmas. The contest ends soon, so hurry over and enter.

A new start and Christmas memories.

I am not going to stitch anything else Christmas related until after the new year when I start on my ornament a month stitching. Even though I have 5 or 6 WIPS waiting patiently in my tote bag I could not resist starting this one
Peacock Spot Sampler by Ewe and Eye and Friends


I love the soft colors that I am using, I thought about also maybe stitching this one in a Christmas color scheme, I think that would look nice as well. So this I may stitch twice.I am enjoying the specialty stitches that are in this design not to many and the ones that are used are quit simple but also very pretty.

Yesterday was a baking kind of day I made two batches of Walnut Balls or also called Mexican Wedding cookies. These are my absolute favorite cookies every time I make them they make me think of my childhood growing up.

Every time my mom would make these all the neighbors somehow knew she was baking them. One Neighbor in particular, Lena, would sit at the kitchen table drinking coffee and waiting patiently for them to come out of the oven, She was not suppose to eat sweets she would have eaten the whole batch if my mom did not limit how many she had LOL I miss those woman in my life. They shaped me into the person I am today.

Hillary Clinton once said "It takes a village to raise a child" I had that village growing up. Everyone in the neighborhood watched out for each other, children could not get away with things, if you were seen hanging out with the "bad apple" of the neighborhood your parents knew about it by the time you walked through the door LOL And if you were not home with the streetlights came on in the summertime, forget about it. Your mother would be on the hunt :)

Christmas is a happy time for me but it is also a very sad time. Because I live very far from my family and I no longer have my Mother, who ALWAYS made Christmas a very special time. Last year while I was still living in South Carolina I had the best Christmas in a long time my husbands side of the family all came down to celebrate. There were at least 20 of us, all the women chattering in the kitchen while the men put up a celling fan. Those are the memories I cherish and wish to recreate every year.

I hope how ever you celebrate the Holidays you make wonderful memories and hold those that you love close to your heart.
Our Christmas Eve bonfire

Merry Christmas!
Natasha

A new Years Giveaway

I love to search blogs in doing so today I came across this blog and this giveaway. Its the mother load. Go check it out :)
The Teakettle Corner

There is snow in them hills

A chilly day here in the Bay Area

While I live in Northern California it is pretty rare to see snow so close in the foothills usually snow can be see on Mt. Diablo or Mt. Tam and of course in the Sierras. But we have snow in the area today :) These photos were taken on my walk with the pups this morning, taken with my cell phone.It was quit chilly this morning so cold that my legs were atarting to feel numb :) Ahhhh I love this weather.





No stitching for me today, have to go grocery shopping and then this evening I am having a GTG with a grilfriend at her house for wine and cheese and to watch hoarders. We are addicted to that show.

I hope ya'll have a great day!!!
Natasha

A great find

Our library has a book store and most books are $1 - $4 there are sometimes some greats finds. Yesterday I stopped in and found this great hard back book.


A perfect addtion to my ornament a month stitching challenge for next year. There's alot of cute ornaments about 80+ :0)

Natasha