Art for Christmas

Every year I make Christmas gifts for friends, family and coworkers. It used to be hand stitched ornaments or food. This year I decided to paint some watercolors on cards, what fun. Hobby Lobby had cards made out of watercolor paper - perfect for this project! Each one was different and unique. A lot of people were very complementary about them so I think it was a winner. Here are a few of them. Some people said I should go to work for Hallmark. Wouldn't that be fun?

I also painted this wooden box for my 7 year old grandson to store his treasures, he likes it. It also helped that there were Legos and $5 inside.

And for my boys I painted some pictures and framed them. My daughter-in-law got a needlework that I worked on for a year. I'm not the turbo stitcher I used to be. She loves Christmas stuff so I thought she'd like it. Finding a frame for it was a challenge because of the size. It's not something you can get anywhere but this one looked nice. It's more white than it looks in this picture. I wasn't sure if my boys would like the artwork, but maybe it will be something they treasure some day.

I also made lots of yummy food. I used up 2 pounds of butter in 3 days of baking. YIKES!
So now another Christmas is over. Time to start working on art for next year, and baking, and gardening, etc....
Happy New Year!

Thankful!

There are times where I'm sitting alone in my house and feeling sorry for myself - mainly because I've had 2 failed marriages which makes me feel like a failure. But I have to stop and slap myself and remember that I have TONS to be thankful for.

1. I have many, many friends. Friends that will be there for me when I need them. They are friends from past jobs, coworkers now, choir friends - from 2 choirs, church friends - from 2 churches, old friends from grade school, high school and college, and mostly my family - they are all friends too.

2. My job - it is a job that most people would never want, I hear that a lot. But I like it. I am woefully underpaid for what I do, but with only 5 years to retirement I'm not anxious for a change at this point. And because of career choices I've made I WILL be able to retire, unlike others that are working well into their 70's.

3. That I have a house - lots of people don't. And I complain that this place is too big for one person, but it's mine, it's "me" and I can change it to make it what I want it to be. I am thankful that I can pay the mortgage and the upkeep. When I can't do that any longer I'll find a smaller place.

4. Food to eat - I'm a great cook, and like my Mom, even though it is just me, I cook a nice meal every day and I eat healthy. She's almost 91, maybe I can reach 91 if I keep this up.

5. My health - I work out every day, ride a bicycle for 20+  miles without a problem, have good blood pressure and take no medications. Not many 60 year olds, male or female can say that.

6. That I live in a country were we have a voice in our government, both local and national, and a court system that is based on a justice for everyone.

A few years ago we were challenged at work to write down 3 things that were blessings in our lives and to do that daily for 21 days. I saved all of those post-its and look back at them now an then as a reminder to always be thankful.

Photo Friday - Mirrors (or is it Self Portrait?)

Photo Friday - Middle of Nowhere

I'm currently on vacation in NE Montana where most of my family lives. We often joke about this being the middle of nowhere so when I saw this was the challenge for this week I knew I had a perfect photo - or several of them! Here is my favorite.

Photo Friday - Contrast

I love the contrast of these different flowers in my garden. 

People can't believe I can grow flowers like this in the Arizona desert. 

It's magic! 

Photo Friday - Ocean

On the North Shore of Oahu - Pacific Ocean

Vacation Snap

Photo Friday - This was from a vacation to Hawaii in Sept.  A good book and the beach and I'm happy.

Pond Revisited

As most of you know, I had a big pond in my back yard. It was dug by the ex, and was one of his projects. When we became no longer WE, I decided it needed to go. Mainly because it was a lot of work and worry to maintain, and it wasn't my dream that had to be managed, it was his. So along with purging the other crap in my life, it needed to go.  I successfully relocated 4 turtles and about 100 fish and drained it, then the work started.  That big hole needed to be filled in. Unfortunately I tore a tendon in my arm doing some of the initial work and am restricted from lifting anything with my right arm. Bummer!  I have a college student who mows my lawn and is always looking for extra money and he was more than eager to help me with this project. So I had 10 tons of fill dirt delivered and he went to work.  I did help, probably more than I should have, but I just can't help it.

 

It took him about 5 hours to fill in the hole.  I let that settle for a couple of weeks and then my college boy and I went to the nursery and bought 15 bags of potting soil and what I lovingly refer to as earth worm poop to cover this. I had also put in a drip system so it will get watered every morning.  In one section I have been transplanting some tiff grass to fill in a bit more of the lawn. That is growing really well and by the end of summer it should be nice and thick.

Today, the one year anniversary of my divorce, I went to the nursery again (they know me by name there) and bought plants for the flower side of the bridge. I got those all planted and I'm excited to see how they do in the months to come. I even went out and moved my gnomes so they can watch over things.  (I took this picture before I moved those guys)

Photo Friday - Blossom

This week's photo challenge is "Blossom". I thought these Iris from my front yard was perfect.

One Year Later

It's now been a year since Bill moved out - Feb. 7, 2015. A lot has gone on in that time. Apparently he remarried a few months after the divorce was final, to someone he just met, so I guess he got over me pretty fast and that proved to everyone what I told them about his insanity. One of my sisters told me she was surprised when he left me because I was the only one who loved him and made him "somewhat normal". I should probably add that he went crazy in Dec. 2013 as well, and he moved out and I let him come back about 3 months later - big mistake!

I feel like I have peace in my life for the first time in about 5 years. One of my boys told me that I wasn't "me" when I was with Bill, and he's right. I was always on edge when we were with my kids because later I would have to defend what they did and said. It was the same with my family and friends. And with them I had to try to explain Bill's strange behavior. I'm lonely, but I was lonely with him in the room too, and I don't have to put up with the crazy behavior, emotional abuse and stupid financial decisions.

I'm singing in my community choir, and I joined the Methodist church in November and sing in their choir too.  I also joined a women's group at church and have the most wonderful friends there that I can share my joys and sorrows with no judgment. I have a large group of friends from all the different facets of my life, so I consider myself lucky.

My family has been amazing. 2 of my brothers have been here and helped me with things around the house. Mom and I think they should come every few months to help both of us with our Honey Do lists since we have no "Honeys" to "do" them. 4 of my 6 siblings, a brother-in-law and my oldest son, Christopher, visited in December to help celebrate Mom's birthday and we had such a great time. In September I went to Oahu with 2 of my friends from the law firm and we are planning more trips. I'm also looking forward to going home to Montana this summer.

I've found there are some things around here that I can't manage alone. A friend's husband had to help me get a bike tire off - turns out I needed a metric wrench which I didn't have. He also helped me jump the battery on Mom's car when it died. The guys at the pawn shop have been great too. They've given me some tools for free, and taken a lot of old junk off my hands. I reciprocate by taking them goodies that I bake but don't want to eat. Nick helped me hang a ceiling fan and wash windows, Myron and Marty put up my Christmas tree and a friend of my sister's and her husband helped take it down, and there are some things have to just wait until I can figure it out. I really need a pickup truck and a saws-all (I don't even know if that's how you spell it but I know what to do with it), but that will come in time.

Oh yes, about my last name. For now it is still Elliott. I didn't go back to Redfield because my Mom and I have the same first name and when I was growing up it was confusing for everyone. I actually had people ask me if I was Sylvia Jr! Don't they know that women aren't Jr's? I thought about going back to Graham so I'd have the same last name as my kids, but that would mean a conversation with their father, and we haven't talked since about 1998 so that might be awkward. Christopher wants me to change it to Skywalker so he can say he's really the son of a Jedi - hmmmm, maybe....

So to all my family and friends out there, thanks for being there for me. I appreciate you all!