#99, It's Halloween

This is my fall decorating for October and November. I am ready to start pulling out the Christmas things! I got the tray for $3.99 in Manitou Springs and am thinking I need to spray it that gorgeous Bronze something. I'm going to Greeley today, so maybe I'll stop in at Home Depot and look for it and the famous beadboard wallpaper. Roads should be dry judging by how many times the snow plows went by here yesterday!!

Please leave a comment and you'll be entered for my 100th post giveaway.

98, Snow, and Jewelry

One thing people may not realize about Colorado is that it is not all mountain ranges. Out here on the eastern plains where I live, the land is mostly flat with a few small hills. So when the wind blows during a snow storm, we get drifts! You can see the neighbor's place today!
We have had snow in these drifts last until spring, but the weather is supposed to warm up tomorrow and get into the 50's and 60's next week. It did melt today on the sidewalk and driveway where I shoveled the snow this morning. Lots more to go in the next few days!
This afternoon I felt better than yesterday so I did work on the necklaces for next weekend. They are not fancy, but the Swarovski pearls and crystals will sparkle and shine. Now for the most time consuming work...attaching the findings. I did take some pictures of my bracelets and will try to put them on the sidebar.

#97 and Snow Day Blizzard!

I was up at 5:00 a.m. hoping that school would be called off because of all the snow. Actually at that time it wasn't so bad. School still wasn't canceled at 5:30, so I gave in and took my shower and got dressed. Then finally a little after 6, it was closed!! By then, I was awake. Later I just couldn't get the back door open to take a picture, so stuck my head and camera out the front door around 11. (picture above)

Just after 4:00 I bravely opened the door again and took a second shot. Blowing snow is drifting higher and it is STILL snowing. Hard to see across the road. Our main highway through northeastern Colorado, I-76, is closed west of here, and on to the Nebraska line, yet there is traffic on our road...cattle trucks, dairy feed trucks, and a few crazy people in cars. Maybe they work next door??

BTW, these are not black and white photos, that is just what everything looks like today!

So, what have I done? Not much. Trying to get over a 'bug' that has zapped my energy, so I rested, did just one load of laundry, ran the dishwasher. Oh, the difficulty of pushing those buttons. So much exertion, I HAD to take a nap! Did lots of blog visits and read a little. What should I be doing?? The wedding jewelry!!!

No school tomorrow as well. That was scheduled as a day off on the school calendar. YIPEE!

Comment to enter my giveaway--only 3 more posts to go.

#96 and FOOD

This is one of about six good pictures that "turned out" from Jennell's wedding tea. We do a small buffet and then bring the pots of tea to the table for everyone...or I should say Sarah brings the tea and pours for us. I think we were having earthquakes every time I pressed the button on the camera! Will have to wait for other pictures to be sent because there were three other cameras here on Saturday. Surely ONE of them will have decent pictures!!

Also, remember to leave a comment for a drawing for my giveaway. A book, a bracelet, and a??
Still thinking on the third item. :)

95 and counting ...

The giveaway--I have an idea! Since I am a reading teacher, I am including this book, one that I read last week by one of my favorite holiday authors. I plan to keep my copy, so this one is a new copy that I bought to give away.

As for the other gift, I'll need to the winner to send me favorite colors or birth stones for the bracelet. I do like to make the jewelry fit and would also need a wrist measurement.

Now I need to come up with something else, and will need to think about it. Things just go better in threes. So leave a comment, it's not difficult. I've learned to do it, so am thinking ANYONE, can. (BTW, Sarah, you can read my book and I'll make you your own jewelry)!

Also I just signed up for a Christmas ornament exchange. I love to make them and they are actually something I shop for. I am not a great shopper, except at the "treasure stores". Jinny thought I should quit calling them junque stores, so I will have to try really, really hard to stop doing that!

94, 95, 96,...

Grrr...I wanted this picture to come after the next paragraph. I haven't learned how to do that on blogger. (Directions welcome in the comments, if you have advice). It's an example of my beading I'd like to do for the winner for my giveaway.

I'm getting close to 100 posts! I've read where other people have had giveaways for this milestone and I am going to do the same. The last time I had a giveaway was in February for my birthday. I didn't take a picture back then, but, there were several goodies in the package that I sent to the winner, Tina Marie. Crafting jewelry with Swarovski crystals is one of my hobbies, and I included a bracelet I created. I'm thinking that will be one of the things I'd like to mail in the prize package. The other goodies will have to have some thought. Besides, if I had everything ready, I couldn't take a picture since the camera is in Denver!

At this point in time, I don't have a lot of readers, so the chances of winning will be quite good. Just leave a message on any post from now until I do #100. It will be in the next 2 weeks because the wedding tea is this weekend and Parent/Teacher conference are next week and my schedule will be crazy. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you so if you are my winner I'll be able to get your address. Would you like better odds of winning? Leave a comment on every post. That should be easy. Thanks for helping me celebrate.

Wally's cat

I am a mess today, missing Wally more than I have since Sept. 7. So I am sharing his spoiled princess that allows me the privilege of sleeping in MY bed until she decides it's time to play, usually in the middle of the night. Often scaring me in the process! Bad kitty. She is just a regular farm cat with the prettiest blue eyes.

Yuna (I think that's how her name is spelled), was rescued from my mom's mother cat when just a tiny kitten. Sarah is a nurturer and took the baby to live with her in Denver. Then when "Dot" moved home about two years ago, she brought this cat along with several others. The others went back to live with former roommates, eventually. When Sarah returned to Denver this cat remained at our house. Yuna grew very attached to Wally and is quite lonely without him and his lavish attention.

Yuna likes to be in our space where ever and whatever we do, and must go to the garage when we have guests and serve food. So this is a warning for Jinny--don't let the cat out of the garage and into the house on Saturday. She will think she is allowed on the table and want to eat with us!

Bernideen's!!!

Sarah and I got to stop by Bernideen's as we went up to Manitou last Friday!!! I could hardly wait for the Red Hat shoppers to leave--I wanted time to visit with my Land of Blog friend in person. So as soon as those ladies left, I reached into my bag of courage and started a conversation with Bernideen! It was like meeting a movie star!! And she is SO SWEET!! I was totally enchanted with her. There is also an ABUNDANT BLESSING giveaway on her TEA TIME blog for you to enter.

The shop is full of all kinds of lovely tea time merchandise and other pretties! I looked and drooled, and got some things for Jennell's wedding tea next weekend. If they (the guests) don't like their favors, I get them back!!

Needless to say, I had a GREAT time, and if you are ever in Colorado Springs, head west to Old Colorado City for some fun. There are more shops along that stretch of the road that would be nice to visit.

Weekend getaway

After a Reading First conference in Colorado Springs last Friday, Sarah drove down from Denver to pick me up at the Antlers Hotel. We then went west through Old Colorado City and found our cottage/cabin in Manitou Springs. It was a great place to stay and my bed was as comfortable as my own. I slept well, especially since I brought my own two pillows! Yes, I took them in to the room at the Hilton the night before the conference, too!
Saturday was a cold day to be out and about and we had to be very careful with the drizzle freezing on the sidewalks. When it's icy, I'm more cautious than ever and Sarah had to be careful because she had sprained her ankle a week before and it was still quite sore.

I told her we'd go back another time since we didn't get very far into the mountains because of the road conditions. On the way back to Colorado Springs, we found the interstate was closed because of a 30 car pile-up. Without a map we just headed east, then north, and managed to avoid the whole mess and not get lost! I was so turned around, but 'Dot' assured me we were heading north. (It sure felt like we were going SOUTH).

We were both happy to get home late Saturday afternoon.

Teapot and roses

Even though this teapot is missing its lid, it came home with me from the thrift shop to be part of the decor for my niece's wedding tea. I wish the lid hadn't been lost/broken because it pours without a drip! The roses are from my mini bushes and some bargain plants that finally 'went to town' this past summer. I wanted to bring them in before the BIG FREEZE and just stuck them in the teapot. (I am not a talented floral designer!)

Fall flowers for Jinny

This picture is for my sweet sister-in-law who wanted a picture of some of my fall flowers. Sorry it's not quite in focus, but these fall asters were so pretty about a month ago...now they are ready for pruners and a ride in the wheelbarrow to the compost pile. Everything is ready to be pulled due to the COLD weekend we had...17 degrees! I am NOT ready for such winter-like temps!

Memories and trying to move forward

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise. LUKE 23:43 (NIV)

Didn't blog during the last two months while Wally was so ill. We said good-bye to him on September 7 when he went to sing with the angels. He never did get to come home from the hospital because of the complications and a deadly, drug resistant bacterial infection, pseudomonas. And my, how we miss him.

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers. They helped me survive this time of grief.

Joy, when shared, will always increase.

Grief, when divided, is hushed into peace.