Tuesday, January 2, 2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dear Friends:

It's hard to believe that 2017 flew by so fast, and is now over!  However, I welcome 2018 and hope it will be a wonderful year!

I changed out my cross stitch Christmas tree to New Year's!  I only have 4 New Year's cross stitched ornaments...maybe a resolution to make more is in order!!!  (Probably not--just another resolution to break!!)


I changed out the ornaments and put some party horns in the same topper I used for Christmas!  I'm dreading taking it all down, but I'll get it done.

I did want to show a few of my cross stitched Christmas ornaments that I didn't show in my previous post....I have loved these Mary Beale ornaments for years!!!  Aren't the colors pretty??

 

I showed our SNOW in my last post!  That's all gone now but we've had freezing weather!  It was 18 degrees yesterday!  Unheard of!!!!  I forgot to unplug my fountain, so look at it now!  I don't know if the pump will work when it warms up (I did unplug it when I woke up that morning and saw the ice).  If it doesn't work, I'll have to get another one.  They aren't expensive, but I'll have to get it before the handyman comes back!  It's always something, right????


You know I've been enjoying my birds lately.  I don't know if they can lick the ice! haha  I guess I could put a pan of water out there on the table when the temperature is above freezing.  It was today, but just barely, so nothing really melted.

One visitor came and I was very distressed to see him!  He is so regal, but he would also like to eat all of my little friends!!  This is a Cooper's Hawk.  I happened to look up and see all the birds fly away at once and then a flash.  I knew what it must be.  Luckily, he didn't get to eat anyone then.  I grabbed my phone to get a photo and then I ran out on the patio and told him to go away, which he did!  I'm sure glad no one saw that!  haha


I received another lovely gift from Catherine!  Isn't this beaded snowflake gorgeous??  She had sent me some smaller ones, and then this big lovely one!  I put it on the tree immediately and have really enjoyed its sparkle!  Thank you so very much, Catherine!!  You know how I love my trees!!!


Oh yes--the Christmas music at the Cathedral was beautiful!  I was so proud of my choir.  We were able to hire a few professional singers to come in and boost the singing, and we had a brass quintet and a couple of woodwinds, as well.  It was lovely!  The church was decorated beautifully.  Everything was great!  Now, a little rest until Lent!

I always have to show my two favorite "little folks"!  It's funny that some people don't like to wear the little paper crown from New Year's crackers!  Zoe couldn't wait to pull hers off!


And, I was actually stitching on a little ornament, and Omar decided he needed some attention!  Omar loves his mama!!


Thank you for stopping by and please come back soon!  I am trying to be more organized in 2018!  I hope I'll get more stitching done, more cleaning done, and throw out a bunch of junk that shouldn't be here!  I'm not making a resolution, though, because I never keep them!

See you soon!  Happy Stitching!
Frances


11 comments:

butterfly said...

What a lovely post, love the trees .
Your fountain looks great frozen .
Lovely family photos , and your cat looks just like my daughters cat.
Happy New Year.

Justine said...

Happy New Year Frances!
Lovely to see your New Year tree and your Christmas ornaments up close. Omar is such a handsome cat! Love the photo of little Zoe trying to take her hat off.

Vickie said...

Oh yes, the ornaments are very pretty. What a precious picture of you and Omar.

Angela Tucker said...

Good morning, Frances. LOL No resolutions here, either. Not that I don't have the want, but my squirrel brain kicks in and I can't remember what I promised not to do! LOL

That picture of you and Omar is beautiful. Have you thought of changing it to black and white and enlarging it? I think it would be wonderful. SMILE

I'm not too fond of hats. They mess up my hair! Unless it's really, really cold, then I don't care what my curls look like. LOL

Have an amazing day!

marly said...

What a sweet photo of you and Omar. I've always loved Beale ornaments but never stitched them. Yours are wonderful.

Kay said...

Happy new year. I don't have any new year ornaments at all, I seem to concentrate on making Christmas ones and don't even think about them until I see them on a post. x

Carol said...

Happy New Year Frances! I do hope it is a wonderful year for you and your family... Loved seeing all of your pretty ornaments and, of course, baby Zoe--what a precious granddaughter :)

I wanted to thank you, too, for the very lovely cardinal card you sent me for Christmas! You touched my heart and I will keep this and display it every year :)

Hope things warm up for you soon--we are used to 18 degree weather here in Pennsylvania. But, ours has been more like 0-10 degree weather for about 2 weeks--absolutely crazy. I'm so glad I've retired and can just stay home!

Claudette497 said...

Your ornaments look wonderful - what a great idea to have just a cross stitch tree!

Beth said...

No resolutions! If it happens, it happens. Zoe and her daddy look like quite the pair. And Omar - no higher form of Cat Affection than a head butt! I hope you continue to enjoy birding and stitching. Your Advent Services sound like they were lovely. I'd be a shell of myself without the delight that music brings me.

Marilyn said...

Cute tree!
The weather has been so strange all over this year.
The Fountain does look kind of neat though.
Omar is so pretty.
Zoe is getting big! :)
Marilyn

diamondc said...

Frances: I love the photo of dad and Zoe, so cute.
Your trees are always a pleasure to look at.
I am so happy you like the ornament, I am in the process of making 10 more for gifts.
Your stitched ornaments are beautiful, thank-you for sharing with us.
I never make new years resolutions I always break them.
Blondie the Cat says hello to the handsome Omar.
I hope that your motor on the fountain is okay, I have never heard of temps like that in the south.

Blessings
Catherine