MY SNEAKY Secret Sister!

 I received a box the other day with my on-line quilting friend, Diane's address on it and when I opened it I was amazed and then confused as I knew she wasn't my Secret Sister as I assigned them and then I got on-line and asked Diane why she had sent me a package she acted like she hadn't a clue as to what I was talking about so then I went to inspecting the OUTSIDE of the box  there was the postmark..... COLBERT, WA.... CLEAR ACROSS THE COUNTRY in Washington... sneaky CARROLYN! Carrolyn WAS the partner I was assigned to receive from... we all got a good giggle out of it! And get this DIANE KNEW!!! SNEAKY!

 Back to the INSIDE of the package. Well folks Carrolyn has REALLY spoiled me. There were three lovely hand knitted dish-clothes (LOVE THESE as they last FOREVER), 2 Fat Quarter bundles (1 cats and 1 Christmas/winter), 2 panels (1 cats and 1 Holiday), a really awesome shopping bag that fits over the sides of a shopping cart, and some GREAT cat buttons. I feel like a down right spoiled wretch. GIGGLE!

Yesterday I took the trays of cookies into work and you would have thought I had just shared a Million Dollars with them all. WOW! I guess people really don't bake from scratch anymore. One of the ladies in floral must have came up to me about a dozen times to figure out how I made the dipped pretzels. Perhaps I will post a tutorial on here on how I made them. It's SO EASY!

Busy Day Yesterday

Yesterday I baked ALL DAY!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies, dipped pretzels, No-Bake Cookies and Peanut Butter Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin, dipped pretzels,and Sugar cookies

I will be taking these trays full into work today as my gift to my co-workers. When I told the Boss I was bringing them in on Saturday he said, "I'm not working Saturday? So I won't get any" - I sure hope they leave some for him on Sunday (tomorrow). I mean seriously in those two trays there are 12 DOZEN cookies. You'd think they would last 2 days. 

After a short nap in the chair with Tesla on my lap the fella's came home and we went to my sister, Ronda's and her husband Kevin's for a DELICIOUS Spaghetti dinner. Ronda surprised the daylights out of me with a Zoo Membership because I had made her an UN-Christmas present - a small album of her childhood picture's. I LOVE the Zoo; especially the garden's but the rates are quite high to just pay for a single day. I can go as often as I want now for a year. I'm thinking a once a week trip to the Zoo in 2011 sounds AWESOME!

 Their dogs were so funny; especially Sonny. He would stare at the shadows and reflections made on the floor by the under cabinet lighting and the lights on their Christmas tree.

And he was such an attention hound.Poor Winnie and Wrinkles could hardly suck up. Winnie gave up and retired to "her room" so I don't have a picture of her.

But Wrinkles managed to sit in all of our laps for some intense petting and oohs and ahas. I think she would have liked to keep Greg.

We had a wonderful time and it was so good to see them as well as my folks that drove down from Spartanburg for dinner as well.

Dad, Ronda and Mom

Kevin and Ronda's tree was lovely and Kevin enjoyed showing us his neat train that went around the middle of the tree.

Kevin and his train

Add another Round.....

Since I was home not feeling 100% I decided to pull out the two Round Robin's that I recently got in the mail and added my round to them. They are all ready packaged up to be mailed on to the next person so that she can add her round to them. I so enjoy working on these round robin's. 

Actually  this second picture is of a Round Robin from earlier this year and it will be going home to it's center owner. I can hardly wait to hear her response when she gets it in the mail as it has really turned out beautiful.

Now that I've gotten all these quilt swap projects completed and mailed I can really focus on Christmas gifts. Which is a REALLY good thing as I have quite the list written up of things to get made.

HELPERS!

Yesterday morning Nick did something he never has before - jumped up and laid on my desk. I guess he wanted to show Tesla that he is a "top cat" too. Tesla is the one that usually sticks to me like glue and "helps" me at the computer and in my sewing room. Nick is usually afternoon "nap buddy".

I got two Round Robin's in the mail and have added my round to them. One has a Christmas theme and the other has a black and white theme - but now it has a surprise POP of RED.

I hope that Diane likes the bit of red ok - I LOVE IT!

I have 3 of the St Gregory blocks left to sew together - 1 for myself and 2 for the swapper's I owe them to. I'm sure that they would like to get them soon so that they can make them into a Christmas quilt or table topper. Better get sewing... oh and I still need to make myself another shirt and skirt for work.

HOME... Thank Goodness

I got home a little after Noon today. I was hoping to get home a lot earlier in the day but they just couldn't get to me... the story of the evening. I should have just come home; I would have had Scott right there with me and I would have slept a LOT better. Of course I would not have had the IV fluids that kept me going last night either. And they told me this morning not to plan on going back to work until after Christmas so I had to call my Boss and let her know. I feel so bad leaving them short right here at Christmas but I don't want to risk another trip to the hospital either. It's just so nice to be home.

Scott went to get an eye exam quite awhile ago and I'm a little nervous being home alone. I've called him but couldn't reach him. I hope that he is all right. If he doesn't get home soon I may call Julia (my MIL) and see if she can come stay with me until Scott gets home.

Scott came in shortly after I posted this message.