Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Can everyone believe that Christmas has come and gone??? I find it so hard to believe. So now we sit and wait for Spring :) I hope it won't be long...LOL

Mind you I have my time planned out for the next years Christmas. I had plenty of people looking for my handmade this year, but I didn't prepare anything and to try to whip up a few things on a short time frame, I can't do. I do not work well under pressure and to be honest I can't work like that at all anymore. But I was speaking with my daughter Tabitha, and we decided through out the year we will be making up things of all kinds for Christmas. I made a list which will consist of prim pillar candles, salt dough ornaments, sewn snowmen faces, room sprays, rose hips, candy canes w/muslin, candy canes made from pipe cleaners, penny rugs and so much more. To be honest, I can't wait and neither can Tab. She makes the most beautiful pieces of jewelry.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. From what I was reading on blogs, it seems that everyone had alot of fun with family and friends. And that is always good for ones soul :) I have also got to say, ALL of your homes were just beautiful. I can look at pictures of peoples home for hours.

I had a bit of a rocky ride and sadly had to pay an appointment to my doctor today. Medically I have been having a hard time, crying all the time, not sleeping because of pains in my chest and other things just physically in alot of pain :( The doctor sent me for a EKG this afternoon and everything came out good. So I was happy to hear that. I guess part of me didn't want to admit it but I need to learn that I can not do things that I did say 5 years ago. Emotionally and physically my body just can't any more. And I find that hard and maddening, being that I am only 36. The doctor thinks I may have pulled a ligament in my chest but then I am scared that maybe my ribs are beginning to fuse together. Thankfully I see my specialist on Monday, so I will discussing this for sure. My family doctor also has asked for a numerous of other tests to be performed since it seems I am having problems also in other parts of my body :((( I know I will get better, I just need to be positive. I am so grateful that my hubby is so good to me and soooo understanding. He's a keeper!

So onto a brighter note, I had to share with you all my gift that my FIL gave me this year for Christmas. I was so freaking excited, the others had no clue as to why is was squealing and really needed to know what my gift was??? My wonderful FIL built me my very own blanket crane :))))))) Awhile back Simply Prims posted a tutorial on a blanket crane. You can find her instructions here. It's not painted because he didn't know the color I would want but he banged it up and everything. I LOVE...LOVE...LOVE...IT!!!!
And of course each year we get some sort of a carving for Christmas. This year it was so sweet :)
He carved the head and ears of a dog sitting inside a stocking with a nail holding the stocking up. He also carved the names of our dogs on the stocking. So my little Daisy Roo has a stocking with her name on it...LOL. I joked with hubby and told him that next year, I just may need a tree for only my carvings. I am getting quite a collection :) I thank my FIL so much. As for me, the homemade gifts are always the best ones!
My parents then not knowing what to get me this year for Christmas, came up with the same idea as FIL, they gave me this shelving also unfinished. I also love it...but am now having a bit of a hard time because I will need to re-arrange some things. Not sure what color yet to paint the shelving but will get it decided. My goal is to finish my newest project, which I will show but then move onto my blanket crane. So once the other two items are done, I will move onto this one after...
Funny how they both knew not to paint because they know I have my own way of finishing my things :)

So as of right now, I am working on this little shelf that Mike built me one or two months ago. The undercoat is black and I painted barn red over it. I then want to sand it to have the black show through and then add the stain, est VOILA! Hopefully in the next couple of days it will be done. I know, I am slow working on it. One reason is that during the Winter I have no choice but to work on my items in the house. And since I have had little fingers over, can't leave this out for them to get into right??? Also, just getting into the mood is very hard. Trust me, once it's done, I will post a pic :)
I also started taking down my Christmas decorations. I am awaiting for hubby to get all my bins out so I can once again for another year pack it all away. As you can see, I am starting to run out of room over there on the breakfast knook :) Hubby promised me the bins for tomorrow. I sure hope so...
I went shopping the other day and hit a jackpot, at least for me :) I got all these little ornaments for 40%. I really like the redware look Santa's and Nutcracker. I only paid just over a dollar for each of them. Good or what???
...and you can see off of the basket there is a Santa made out of wood. I thought it was so crafty and cute, I couldn't resist, I had to have him :)

And lastly I wanted to show you my most recent purchase from Farmhouse Primitives. I just LOVE her items and find it so hard to narrow down what I would want :) This time around, I ordered another coverlet, red striped. I can't get over how heavy it is and seems so warm. I want to put it at the foot of my bed and just maybe I might use it to snuggle up :) I was so excited to find this ticking material because around here, it seems like next to impossible and even some people will say...WHAT??? I have another blanket that will be shipped out later, awaiting for the manufacture to finish it. Can't wait, it will hang on my new blanket crane ;) I also received a Tahoe Tree. But it's all packed up so I guess you will have to wait till next year to see any pics :) My first redware bowl and another stencil. I really want to stencil the house this year, so I am trying to order a few to choose which ones will go in which rooms.
I received this book directly from the stencil company. WOW!!! There are some awesome stencils in this book. I will have to take a look at them all :)

Well my friends, I shall run for now and will be back with some Christmas pictures. If not tomorrow then it will be Friday. We are heading out to a pot luck supper with a whole bunch of friends. I just hope I can have fun and can handle the crowd. If not, I already warned hubby I may have to come early. I guess only tomorrow will tell.

So until next time my friends...

MeRRy ChRIsTMaS

I am wishing all you wonderful blogging friends a very 'Merry Christmas'...
Have a wonderful time with Family & Friends and don't eat too much :))))

The LOVE of a Community...

Unbelievable what a fire can do to a small community over night :(

The fire took a Lawyers Office, Our largest Child Day Care Center, A Hair Salon, Dooley's (Pub), A old furniture store and many apartments. The devastation that this one large fire left upon our small community come Friday morning.

In the first picture you can see the fire from the other side of town. Looked like our entire downtown was on fire. When I found out the fire was in full swing, I could see flames and smoke from my upstairs window. I couldn't imagine how bad the fire was until the following morning when I saw the damage with my own eyes. So sad!
We had 15 fire departments which totaled to over 150 fire fighters on hand trying their best to control the flames from such brutal freezing weather which we were getting -35 that night NOT counting the wind chill. The poor firefighters were battling the hot flames but not just from such cold weather but also from sever high winds. And directly across the street sits a gas station, causing fear for everyone.

The next day, this is what we were left to see...
So sad to see so much history burn up in flames :(

And as you can see in the background there is a brick building standing. For fear if the winds switched direction, all of the buildings in the back would also have burnt. Even just the fact of some hot ashes would float in the air towards the back, would of left us into even more devastation. But lucky as we are, the firemen did everything they could to keep the flames from not going in the back. Sadly in the middle of the night, the other homes had to be evacuated due to fear.
This picture was captured by another onlooker. To me, this picture speaks itself...
So much water was used for the hours and hours of fire and with it being so cold, everything is left with sheets of ice all over. Our water level for the town was so low that we were even asked to conserve our water due to the fear of running out.
Even the flags which stand in the middle of our Broadway suffered from the heat and fire...
Just look how the water froze on all the rubble...
Another view of such a empty spot now...
The next few pictures show you what use to sit in now the piles and piles of burnt wood, bricks, furniture and so much more. This is our old furniture store which was originally built in 1862 to serve as a barrack for the Army and later became the 'American Hotel'.
A older picture that was taken in the early 1900's...
The next one is of the hair salon 'Cizo Magique' and a message therapist at the very end with apartments upstairs. You can see in the background the old furniture store continued along the back side of the salon.
The Dooley's Pub that just had been recently renovated. Notice how close the salon was to the pub???
The daycare center 'Garderie Broadway'. Again notice how the building is attached to the pub??? The owners of the daycare also lived at the very top. They made their home upstairs along with a couple of apartments.
And lastly the lawyers office. His building did NOT burn down to the ground but the fire did take his roof causing just as much damage as if it would have burnt down. All the water that was being used to control the flames from the daycare just flooded the office with it no longer having a roof.
The last photo was taken from our Canada Day's Parade. You can see all the buildings in the background. Now sits half a block of land with nothing but piles and piles of frozen wood. It just seems so odd to see...
But now onto the title of my post...Beginning first thing yesterday morning, our local radio station started a fundraiser for ALL who was affected. Their phones were ringing off the hook and people were line up the street to donate anything and everything that they could. As of 6 pm last night they had reached the $50,000 mark. WOW!!! That is unbelievable, especially giving the time of the year and with our country having such a ruff time. People really opened their hearts and came together.

Examples of donations that were received were used washer and dryers, TV's, DVD players, microwaves, dishes, beds, bedding, clothes from new to used, toys and so much more. We even had a hauling company that donated their trucks to haul and hold all of these accessories. Another company called to donate their storage sheds to place everything that was donated so once the ones who lost their homes were able to get back on their feet and find a new home they could refurnish with pretty much everything. Even artificial trees were donated so the families could at least have a tree again for Christmas. Even one person donated kittens. I cried like a baby as I listened to the radio all day. One lady that was affected by the fire went to the radio station to thank everyone coming together and helping the ones who lost everything. She was crying but then she mentioned since the fire happened so quickly and the police were forcing people out they had no time to think or grab anything. She had a couple of cats and sadly they died in the fire. I felt so bad for and like I said I was crying, then about 10 minutes later a lady called in and donated kittens.

I am telling you, there was everything that you can imagine that was donated. It makes you realize how grateful we all really are. I pray that I never ever experience a house fire because sure your articles can be replaced but really when you look around your house, how many things mean so much to you and how many things can't just be replaced?

I must run for now and get some sleep for my Tabitha has a Christmas Concert tomorrow night that she, her choir and other talented children in our neighborhood have worked so hard on this past month. All proceeds raised for this concert will be given to our local food bank and they are even asking for toys, educational toys, books, crayons, puzzles and anything else pertaining to children to get our Daycare Center back up and running. Even a local group donated their building to the Daycare Center so they still have a place for these children while the parents are off working. Imagine??? All I can say is WOW!!! Times like this I am proud to say that I am part of such a wonderful community.

I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post and kept my Community in their prayers. You all are so thoughtful!

I will be back again this week before Christmas to post the last of my pictures from my Christmas decorating.

So until next time...

Such a sad morning :((((

This morning is a very sad time for my Community :(

As of 10pm last night, Dooly's, a pub caught on fire but because of the high winds and the surrounding buildings were so historic the fire claimed the Dooly's Pub, The largest Children's Day Care Center, many Apartments, a large Hair Salon, a old Furniture Store and a lawyers office. At this time there is ALOT of smoke damage also to other local businesses.

Such a sad time since Christmas is only days away. The Community is pulling together to help raise funds for everyone, most important for the children who's Christmas prensents were lost in the fire. Bank accounts have been opened at local Banks to accept cash donations. Boxes are put out in surrounding businesses to accept any clothing and non parish food. And we even have one man who is donating his Motel rooms to families who need a home. Donations are being announced on our local radio station.

Right now my heart is so heavy, I have tears. Please keep everyone in your prayers as they will need it during this sad time. One thing to note, we are very grateful that no one was injured. Everyone was able to get out before it was to late. But sadly the majority were out on the streets last night in the PJ's.

Here is one picture from last night. At the time of this picture, only Dooly's had burnt down. There is a large whole left in our downtown.
I am off to go through all of the closets so I can donate clothing to the families.

Just to let you all know, they just announced on the radio, two really young boys just stopped in at the Radio Station and donated their own piggy banks. How touching!

Brrrr...it's cold outside!

Oh baby is it ever cold outside! I hope you all are staying warm or at least getting warmer temperatures then us. Last night it drop down to -35 not including the wind chill. Now that is cold! Just a couple weeks ago we were getting warm weather for this time of the year and now we are getting January and February weather in December. I hope next week for Christmas it will warm up. Nothing like having to go out in such cold temperatures.

I have been checking in all your blogs and seeing that everyone is all getting ready for the Holidays and have decorated all your homes beautifully :)

I have been busy like the rest of you preparing and doing everything on my 'To Do List'. Christmas Cards done and mailed...check, decorations done inside and out...check, and gifts all bought and wrapped...check. Now all I have left to do is my Christmas baking. Lots of deserts on my 'To Do List' requested by others. My plan is to get it all done for today and tomorrow since the weather is just way to cold to go out and venture in.

We also have been attending Christmas Shows and running for practices here and there. Abby's Christmas School Play was last night. Poor thing was very nervous being only her second year performing in front of a large crowd. For her class performance, she did a awesome job but for the finale the whole school came out to sing one last song and boy was she super nervous for that one :) She had her dress pulled up in front of her and twirling it. She was the first person on the far right so she was able to see everyone. She said it was way too many people for her :) Here she is at the finale, finally with her dress pulled down.
I also have some pictures to share with you of my house all decorated for Christmas. I warn you now, it's picture heavy! So ENJOY and I will be back to share some more :)))
Carvings that my FIL makes me each year. I told hubby the other night that I will need just a tree for my carvings. It's tradition each year to receive a new one. I will post pictures of others I have received over the years. I love them for they come from the heart :) Can't wait to see what this year will be...Sorry about the computer, I forgot to close it.And here are the girls trees holding the ornaments that I buy them each year that reminds them of something they really liked. I think they will enjoy them when they are older, it will remind them of their childhood :)
The weekend is almost here, so I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead and are able to finish everything that is required for the Holidays. As I mentioned, I will be back again with more pictures of the Beaulieu house. Stay warm!