Making a list . . . . and checking it over and over

I love making lists. I even sometimes need a list of my lists so I can keep up with them. Christmas shopping is so much fun for me and I end up with lists of things I want to buy, lists of things I have bought, lists of things that have been wrapped (because sometimes you can't remember what's in that package), lists of what packages are in which closets, shopping bags, etc. It may seem funny, but my mother has actually lost presents before and found them in the closet months later. So, I try to keep up with everything. Besides the 14 members of my little family, I also buy for my sisters next door, my parents, my husband's parents, siblings and nephew, and a few friends and neighbors. It can get confusing, especially when you start shopping months ahead of time and have to put the gifts someplace until Christmas. Today I have been rewritting lists and trying to decide who I'm finished with and who needs a little something extra.

We have also been decorating a little, but I still need to get out the tree and other things that are in the extra bedroom closet. Last year we didn't bother with the tree because I was going to SC to spend Christmas with Jen and her family. This year, Todd is coming here with his whole bunch, so we are pulling out all the decorations. Here are a couple of pictures of some yard art we made a few years ago. I love making this stuff. You cut the shapes from plywood and then transfer the pattern with carbon paper and paint it. We made a lot of these and sold some at a flea market. If I was retired, I would set up a booth and sell this all the time just for the fun of making it. Unfortunately, these three are all we have left right now. I guess I need to check my list of yard art patterns and see what we can do about making some more!!

Wild Turkey!!

Sorry to anyone reading this for taking so long to post something new. Because of the holiday, we were gone a little longer than usual and I just didn't get a chance to get online. Anyway, that is a picture of the turkey we had yesterday and of course, there is a story to tell.

My nephew and husband were "deer" hunting and came home with this turkey. Apparently, he flew over them and landed in a tree right in front of them, so my nephew shot him. Here is another picture of him before he looked so golden brown and delicious.

I thought he was a little dry, but I guess in the wild they don't fatten themselves up just before Thanksgiving so they will be nice and juicy. Getting him into the oven was funny because his legs were long and skinny and stuck out of my roasting pan. I was told by the mighty hunters that he was shot in the shoulder near the neck, but while preparing him for the oven, I found a suspicious hole in the lower back. I'm no medical examiner, but I'd testify in court that he was probably fleeing the scene at the time of his demise.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!!

This is the table in my craft room/extra bedroom. I've been working on matching stockings for all 14 members of my family. Me & my husband, 4 kids, 2 in laws, and 6 grandkids. Today I took my husband shopping at Michaels to help me find snowflakes and iron on letters for these. He did a good job, so I rewarded him with this.

Talk about being "in the doghouse." This thing is supposed to fold/roll up and go back into its backpack bag. We looked like a slapstick comedy routine trying to learn how to do this. I read the instructions to him and he tried, then he read them and I tried. We laughed so much we decided the deer will be selling tickets to see him trying to get this thing back in the bag. Look out WV wildlife - the Doghouse is coming!!! Be afraid! Be very afraid!!

Jen, Don't Read This - It's About Wallpaper

I know my daughter is shaking her head right now and laughing. I am the wallpaper queen. I love wallpaper and I am constantly changing something. Lately I have decided that I can't stand the wallpaper in my kitchen another minute. It was supposed to look like stone blocks with ivy growing, but now it just feels like I'm in a dungeon. Also notice the cat (Duchess) who belongs to Jen but lives with me because she moved and couldn't take her. That blanket on the floor is the dog's bed which she drags all over the house. And if you are reading my whiteboard, I'm out of Greek seasoning, meat tenderizer, zip lock sandwich bags, and I need to make a backup copy of my Mother's book from her computer. I love that whiteboard. I write notes on it all day whenever something comes to my mind.

Anyway, back to wallpaper. I decided to go to Lowes and see what I could find. Here is what I'm thinking of doing. I'm going to cover the wood panel at the bottom with this plaid paper and then do the top with the yellow.

My husband thinks the plaid looks like Christmas, but ever since he chose the pink paper for the bedroom that left it looking like a cheap motel, I don't pay much attention to his opinion. I am also going to do the hallway with the same paper since it extends from the kitchen. Then I'm going to put the plaid at the bottom of the bathroom wall in place of the green stripe that is on it now (see earlier post regarding toilet seat). This paper looks soooo good with the new shower curtain. I can't wait to get started.