"Hey Grandma!"

"I brought a Lil' Red Ridin' Hood Firewood Folk for ya, TA HAVE!!"

Here's my first Firewood Folks© for 2008.

I reckon if y'all are a huge Merrie Melodies fan like me; ya will remember this one. Its one of my all time favorites.

First, ya may want to scroll down to the bottom of my page and click off the music, then watch the cartoon. (Ooooh, and it isn't even Saturday mornin'!) Enjoy!!

Here's some fun Bugs Bunny trivia. Bea Benaderet was the gal who did Little Red Riding Hood's sweet but oh so annoyin' voice on this cartoon. She was Betty Rubble's voice too. Some of y'all may remember her as Kate on Petticoat Junction.
That's all folks...

It's Almost 2008...

Whew! Soon, another year will have come and gone. Man, the older I get the faster the years go by, don't they?

I'm not one for resolutions come the first of January. Sayin' things like "I will do this or I must do that!" Heck, I don't like to put that much pressure on myself. Besides, my nose would grow like Pinocchio if I said my New Year's resolution was to be completely neat and organized. Sure that would be great but there are some goals too far out of my reach. I love spendin' half my day lookin' for somethin' I misplaced because I didn't put it back in its correct spot. Really, I don't mind. :> )

I came cross some great quotes I thought I'd share with y'all.

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." ~Ellen Goodman

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas." ~Author Unknown

"Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go." ~Brooks Atkinson

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us." ~Hal Borland

"Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever." ~Mark Twain

"Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits." ~Author Unknown

If y'all are headin' out this New Year's Eve; have fun and be safe. And as my daddy used to say, "Don't take any wooden nickels." :> )
See ya in 2008 folks! God bless...

Ringin' In The New Year...

Here's a sneak peek at my January 1, 2008 offerin' for The Humble Arts.

I LOVE Americana so I decided to stitch up another American Eagle. This wonderful pattern is by Kentucky Primitives.

I also have some new 2008 Firewood Folks© in the works! Oh, I'm havin' a lot of fun with these!! Wait 'til ya feast your peepers on 'em!

I'll keep y'all posted...

So Long Ol' Friend...

It warmed up to pert'near 50 degrees. This is all that's left of the snowman hubs and I made.

I miss him already... **sniff**

Kat says, Tag... You're It!!

Is that anythin' like "Duck, Duck, Goose?" Man, I'll never be able to get up and run around everyone like I used to.

OH! I'm supposed to share five things about myself that y'all may not know about me. Let's see...

1. I'm a New York State licensed hairdresser. Yep, its true. By lookin' at my wild dollies hair-dos; I reckon y'all would have never thought so. It must be the rebel in me not wantin' hair to be neatly coiffed.

2. I love Brussels sprouts.

3. I was on my honeymoon in Cancun Mexico when Hurricane Gilbert hit back in 1988. We were stranded there for a week. Needless to say the marriage ended in divorce. I should have (literally) taken that as a sign from above tellin' me, "I told ya not to marry him!"

4. As a young'un I wanted to be a background dancer for the Carol Burnett Show. But I've got two left feet so instead I just stood in front of the television and "danced" along with them. I guess a Solid Gold Dancer was out of the question too. Hmmppff!!

5. When I was 4 years old, my folks had a big ol' B-B-Q with lots of family and friends over. I came flyin' out the back door in front of everybody, buck neked with only my red rubbers on. I threw my arms up in the air and yelled "Ta-dah!!!!" I bet my hubs wished I would do that now for him. (Sorry darlin', those red rubbers wouldn't fit me anymore) We still laugh over that one. A few years back my sister presented me with a doll, callin' it "Childhood Flashback starring... Karin". Its hysterical and it graces my work room.

Here are the 5 I've tagged next.

Goob/RollingRiverPrims
Dix/NorthDixieDesigns
Joee/CartBeforeTheHorse
Stacey/Tattered-n-TornPrims
Greenie/Greeneyez2

Okay Dix, you asked for it...

Another Christmas Come And Gone...

All that preparin' months in advance and its over in a blink of an eye.

Our small family gatherin' is on Christmas Eve at my mamma's house. Before dinner we share Oplatek a Polish tradition.

Our dinner consists of different kinds of fish, but the delicious (clog your arteries) Polish food like Pierogis, Kielbasa, Krakowska, Galumbki and babka are what we really have a hankerin' for. For dessert, my homemade cookies and Kruschiki.

After dinner we go into the livin' room to open gifts. Its mostly flailin' arms and a whirlwind of Christmas wrappin' paper flyin' through the air. But when the tissue paper settles, we show each other the wonderful gifts we've received.

Truthfully, I struggle with the whole over the top gift givin' idea. Its seems every year our society puts more and more emphasis on that instead of gettin' together as a family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

I remember as a young'un our family Christmas gatherins'. My mamma came from a large but poor family of nine; so all her brothers and sisters and us kids would cram into my Grammy's tiny apartment. Lord knows how we all fit in there, but we did. My uncle Joe would play the accordion while we all sang Christmas carols at the top of our lungs. Gram sat in her rockin' chair with a big ol' smile on her face, thrilled to see all her babies and grandbabies together. There was always good eats (nothin' fancy), but not one gift was exchanged. There was no need for it nor did we even think about. It was all about the family gettin' together. Period.

Now, many have passed away, many have moved away, or many are "too busy". So these gatherins' no longer exist. Oh how I miss those days...

Santa hubs was good to me this year (as always). He gave me a fancy new digital camera. Its got lots of bells-n-whistles on it so it will take me some time to figure it out. I also need to figure out how to read the instructions. By the time I flipped past the Spanish, French and Chinese instructions then turned it upside down; I plum forgot what the heck I was tryin' to find in the manual.

He also picked me out some new perfume. Since he's the one who has to smell me, I figure he can pick it out. He went to Macy's and rummaged through all the perfumes to find just the right scent for me. Awww! Isn't he sweet?

When I unwrapped the box I almost busted a gut, but caught myself before I did.
He bought me Britney Spears "Believe." :> )

I told him if I dab some on and start reachin' for the hair clippers, its goin' straight in the (white) trash. I don't think I'd look good as Kojak. Although I do enjoy lollipops.

"Who loves ya, baby?" Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Twas The Night Before Christmas...

When all through the house

Not a creature was stirring,

not even a mouse.

Awww heck, who am I tryin' to kid. This old farmhouse was built in 1861. Not only are they sometimes stirrin'; I swear when we're asleep, they're on the computer orderin' cheese balls from Hickory Farms.

Happy Christmas To All, And To All A Good-Night.

Christmas Cookies Delivery....

Well, I have all my cookies wrapped and ready for delivery! I dropped them off to all our neighbors, the folks at the post office and my sweet hubs will deliver the rest for me tomorrow.

Ya know, I love to bake all year round but for some reason they just taste better this time of year. :> )

We Made A Snowman...

Hubs came home from work yesterday, walked through the door and yells, "Let's make a snowman!" Well heck, I was already packin' snow before he got the word "snowman" out of his mouth. We had a blast!!!!

Folks if ya live where it snows, I highly recommend gettin' your can outside and makin' one! Sure it was cold, our noses were runnin', our hands were numb and our feet were like ice BUT it was so much fun and well worth it!

Count Your Blessings...

(Instead of sheep) Ya know, that's one of my favorite Christmas songs that ya generally don't hear on the radio. Instead, "Saaaaaaaaaaanta Claus Is Comin' To Town" by Bruce Springsteen is played every other song. Would someone please give that feller a Sucrets or swab his throat with some honey. I feel the need to cough every time I hear it. Sorry Springsteen fans. (No tomato throwin' please)

I remember mamma always playin' the Ray Conniff Singers "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" album as a kid. The gal on the cover is in that fitted/mini Santa suit. Gee, I wonder how the ol' gal is lookin' right about now? I bet she keeps that skirt down to her ankles.

I was thrilled when I recently found it on CD. It threw me right back to my childhood.

Irving Berlin's lyrics were simple but meaningful:

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessing instead of sheep
And I fall asleep, counting my blessings.

When my bankroll is gettin' small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep, counting my blessings.

I think about a nursery
And I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them
As they slumber in their beds.

So if you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings.

No matter how tough the times may be for ya, remember to always count your blessins'.
:> )

Pre Nor'easter...

Well folks, we're battin' down the hatches and preparin' for the Nor'easter that should be hittin' us over the weekend. It could dump up to two feet of snow!

But this is nothin' new for us central New Yorkers. We're old pros when it comes to this stuff. I swear in the months of November through March, I do the shovelin' motion in my sleep. It's like that baker feller with that blank look on his face who said "Time to make the donuts". Its second nature.

Well, I'm sure with all this predicted snowfall, the state plow trucks will take out yet another one of our mailboxes. I can't tell y'all how many we have purchased over the years. I thought tamperin' with the U.S. mail is a federal offense? I consider seein' my mailbox bein' catapulted 500 feet away from its orginal spot and shredded to pieces as "tamperin'" don't you? But they don't.

Hubs was "wise" and bought a brand spankin' new snow blower because the plow truck AND old snow blower just wasn't enough for proper snow removal, so he says. When he brought it home he was like a lil' kid. Somethin' new for him to tinker with. God forbid he wait for the snow to fly, before he tried it out. He started her up and was hurlin' rocks, chunks of dirt and grass with a big smile on his face. (Sigh) Men.

Well the only thing I have left to do is head on out to the grocery store to pick up some eats just in case we're snowed in for a few days. I've loaded up plenty of fire wood so if the power goes out at least we'll be toasty-n-warm. I need to pick up more batteries and while I'm at it, I'd better grab another mailbox...

An Interview With God...

Click here then click "view presention".

God bless...
:> )

You Got Chocolate In My Peanut Butter...

Remember those commercials? They were lame as heck but we never forgot the candy they were sellin'.

REESE'S CUP TARTS
1/2 C-Softened butter
1/2 C-Peanut butter
1/2 C-Sugar
1/2 C-Brown sugar
1-Egg
1 tsp-Vanilla
2 Tbs-Milk
1 1/2 C-Four
1 tsp-Baking soda
1/2 tsp-Salt
One 14 oz pkg-Reese's Mini peanut butter cups (Foil removed)

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar thoroughly. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Combine four, salt and baking soda.

Take rounded tsps of dough and place into greased mini muffin pans.

Bake at 350 ° for 8-10 minutes. Remove and immediately push a peanut butter cup into each cookie. Let cool completely. Carefully lift each cookie out with a knife tip.

Christmas Come Early...

I wanted to share with y'all the wonderful gifts I received from my Secret Stockin' Swap partner. Some of us artists in the eBay group TDIPT participated in the swap. My secret stockin' swap partner was Terri Brush from Terri Brush Designs.

First of all, I saw Paul our mailman pull in the driveway which immediately told me he's got somethin' more than bills. So I ran outside with no coat, in a foot of snow with my slippers on. My eyes got as huge as saucers as he handed me THE box. I thanked him and left nothin' but a puff of smoke behind me as I ran back into the house.

I calmly placed the box on the floor then ripped into it like a monkey on a cupcake. OH MY!!! The wonderful gifts that were inside!!

There was a huge moose stockin' filled with toys for my "girls" along with a smaller one filled with rawhide chews. A bag of Dove chocolates for my hubs. I was goin' to hoard them all to myself, but he came home a tad early and zeroed in on the bag as it lay on the kitchen table. Dang it, I didn't have time to hide the bag! I thought about jumpin' on it like it was a live grenade but that would have drawn too much attention to myself.

Next, there was a wonderful paper mache snowman! He holds a banner which reads "Joy" and that is exactly what he brought me! Finally there was an awesome pendant necklace with my initial in it. I swear that touched me so! I will treasure it! All these goodies were tucked in a wonderful terry tote bag. Am I a lucky stiff or what?!

Terri darlin', I can't thank you enough! Y'all made my Christmas very special! :> )

It's Beginnin' To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

I've been deckin' the halls all around the ol' homestead. So I thought I'd share some pics with y'all.

My sister made this "wreath" out of an old bicycle rim. She gave it to me on Thanksgivin'. I LOVE it!! I added the greenery and ribbon for Christmas. I have it hangin' on the door to my work room. Some folks call it a "studio" but heck, that's just too fancy soundin' for me. We salvaged some of the barn sidin' from our old dairy barn and hubs made me that door.

It's hard to see but that old red wooden box has "Hundreds", "Tens" and "Ones" printed on it. Its filled with picture frames and a few prim pine trees, not the real green stuff. Its was either that or Monopoly money.

Here's Darla's, Hannah's and Gracie's Christmas tree.

Some Christmas cuties.

I think I've mentioned I love old barn windows. Especially ones with missin' glass. This one is in our livin' room.

My Gingerbread Boys in a bowl of pinecones.

Mamma made this set of Victorian Carolers back in the 70's.

She also made our Nativity scene. I remember I helped by paintin' the camels. :> ) I cherish this set so.

This lil' gingerbread feller is my bakin' companion so he stays in the kitchen with me on an antique floor scale all year round. I do take down the candy cane rope lights but I'm always tempted to leave them up. They match his buttons so nicely.

This lil' elf has been in our family for as long as I can remember. I was thrilled when mamma said I could have him. We call him "The Dorothy Doll" because he looks just like our aunt Dorothy. (But we never told her that) He stands about 8" high. Aunt Dorothy was a lil' taller than him.

Here's our Christmas tree. I'll put almost anythin' on our Christmas tree. If I can wire it on there, I will.

I snapped this just as it was gettin' dark. Look out the windows at that pretty blue color!

Mamma gave me this ornie the year I turned 16 and got my driver's license. Ya know she kinda looks like me.

I took my road test in a Chevette. Heck, I haven't seen one of those in a dog's age.

Brrrrrr....

Had to break out the ol' snowmobile boots this mornin'. I also had to break out the ol' heatin' pad. I fell out in the driveway. Man, I hope no one saw me because I went down like a sack of you know what! I swear my feet went flyin' right out from under me. Even the Three Stooges would have been proud.

There is nothin' worse than gettin' snow down your back, front, mittens and boots. So after I said a few choice words I got up, brushed myself off and grabbed my camera. :> )

Meet... Mister Jingles.

Whew!! I finally finished my December offerin' for the Humble Arts.

He's on the Humble Arts website today. Y'all can click on his photo to see more pics of him. He's sold. Thanks!!!

Now I need to start bakin' my Christmas cookies! I'll be up to my elbows in cookie dough. Oh, but I don't mind at all. :> )

So The Answer To That Burnin' Question, "Have Ya Been Naughty Or Nice?" Is...

Uh-oh... Well, ya can always use those lumps of coal to write with.

Meet... Santa Claus. This here is my #7 Firewood Folks©. He will be offered on the ol' website today.

He's sold. Thanks!!!