The prompt on Shutter Sisters yesterday was to take a look back. To quote from them directly:

Today let’s simply take a look back.
Where were you this day one year ago?
What did you capture in your lens that day?
Looking back can be fun.  You may be surprised by what you find.  I hope the look back brings with it a good memory.

That look back most definitely brought back a good memory. And the timing of this prompt could not have been better because it reminded me that yesterday was my 7 year blog anniversary and last year I hosted a gathering of knitters & spinners at my home to celebrate. Most of those women would not be in my life if it weren’t for the fact that I sat down at my computer on the morning of  January 29, 2005 and just started writing.

Those early posts were pretty dull, my knitting was uninspired and my photography in those days was downright awful but people started reading and commenting and here I am, 7 years letter, with 1675 posts and 49,151 comments. Holy crap.

So on this day, when I start the 8th year of my blog, I just want to say thanks. Thanks for being here, thanks for reading and commenting, thanks for your friendship, your support and encouragement,  and – most of all –  thanks for making time in your day to stop by and spend a little time with me.

Really. Thanks.

I’m taking the Skinny Minny Photoshop Elements Class from Kim Klassen and what you see above is my homework from day 2. It was pretty simple, really — take an image and add some text. The photo is of Savery Avenue in Carver and I have walked there a couple of times since the start of 2012. The pine trees are very tall and there’s a feeling of peace and serenity along this road. I thought for a long time about what word I wanted to use to describe the photo and finally settled on hush. I think it truly describes the feeling that comes over me when I look down that long road or up into those tall trees. I am small and it is quiet and still, almost a sanctuary.

It’s the perfect place for a walk with a friend.

When Christmas arrives and there’s no snow on the ground you have to improvise. We made a snowman out of pumpkins to grace our door for Christmas Eve! It was my idea but it was perfectly executed by Dale. He made a charming little greeter for our guests.

Christmas Eve was awesome and everything it should be. We filled our house with family and friends, food and drink, singing and laughter. It was one of the best Christmas Eve gatherings I can remember. Christmas morning was relaxing and fun – we opened gifts, drank mimosas and ate shrimp, monkey bread and leftovers. As darkness fell we gathered at Randy and Mary’s for an amazingly delicious dinner. It was all perfect and now it’s time to relax.

I will not be blogging every day this week but I’ll definitely be back before the year is over!

Taking a prompt from Amanda and writing a weekending post for this Monday morning.

This weekend was filled with Christmas prep and Christmas fun
After errands on Friday there was toffee making and Christmas cookie planning
In the evening holiday specials and movies were watched
Santa Claus is Coming to Town for me
and Year Without A Santa Claus for Dale
Elf for both of us
A little “me” time on Saturday left me with pretty nails and feet
Saturday night was set aside for a romantic dinner
stuffed mushrooms
caesar salad
filet mignon
crash potatoes
brussel sprouts
champagne
homemade toffee for dessert
All while enjoying candle light and Christmas music
And feeling very sentimental and in love
Sunday, as always, was for football and knitting
But also some gift wrapping and peanut butter ball rolling
A perfect blend of fun and frolic, planning and accomplishing

How was your weekend?

I spent most of Friday decorating the house for Christmas. It’s not my preferred way to spend a day off as it feels way too much like work but it’s December and it’s got to get done. Well, I suppose it doesn’t have to get done but I want it done and since elves are in short supply around here it falls to me. Once I got going it wasn’t that bad although I was kind of frustrated when I realized that the new garland I had ordered was unlit when I thought I had ordered prelit. No wonder it was so cheap. Doh.

I decided not to put out most of my snowman collection this year. I’m not a scrooge or anything but I’m sort of tired of the same decorations year after year and I thought it would be fun to change things up a bit.  So I went for a different look in the kitchen by pulling together a bunch of our Swedish stuff and setting it up on the windowsill. The “God Jul” banner was a custom order from an etsy shop and I just love it.

I changed things in the living room, too. I put lighted garland on the mantel for the first time and I took some other garland that I had and put it on top of our windows – you know, over the tops of the drapes. I really like the way the mantel looks with the counted cross stitched nativity set that I made years ago.

I repurposed this garland and put it around the light fixture in the dining room. I think it’s pretty and I’ve actually added some red satin bows since I took this photo.

The Christmas tree made of rhinestone jewelry that my mom made is back in it’s place in the dining room. I’m so glad we decided to hang it up last year and I’m enjoying it as much as ever.

Finally, what could be more Christmas-y than Santa and Mrs. Claus arriving in town? They are always at the very end of our Christmas parade and it cheers my heart to see them.

Before we move on to Christmas and all the decorating, shopping, crafting, baking and cooking, we need to finish with Thanksgiving 2011. I’m taking a cue from Kym this year and sharing some scenes from our Thanksgiving with the Nelson family.

The Beautiful Table

Thanksgiving Ale

We love babies!

Henrik and the Before-Dinner Apple

Carving the Turkey

Newlyweds. (Okay, not technically, but I still think of them as newlyweds.)

Pumpkin Pie

Clean up!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving.

Finally, today is November 30th, the last day of NaBloPoMo. I did it! 30 posts in 30 days!

We have been having a very mild November around here. I don’t mind but it’s kind of hard to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s 60° out there. While at the grocery store on Saturday I parked next to a guy with a Christmas tree in the back of his pick up but as I walked to the store entrance a guy drove buy in a convertible and the top was down. Weird.

You know what else is weird?

Putting up the Christmas lights while barefoot.

It’s taken the better part of 3 days, including 2 hours on the phone with Apple support, one fried hard drive, and one borrowed hard drive but . . .

I think I’m finally moved into my new laptop. w00t!

It’s Thanksgiving!  Time to prepare the feast, gather with friends and family, and be thankful for all that we have . . .

especially stretchy pants.

I’m a big proponent of what I call “Just 10 Minutes”. I use the concept to make myself do something I don’t want to do by promising myself that I only have to do it for just 10 minutes and then I can stop. Often that 10 minutes is all I need to finish the job and when it’s not, I am usually far enough along that I want to finish what I’ve started.

Some projects, though, take more than 10 minutes and such was the case with the reorganization of the corner cabinet in my kitchen. Last Christmas I spilled an entire box of frilled toothpicks in there and it’s been downhill ever since. I finally made up my mind to get it done last Sunday and I coerced Dale into helping me so that I didn’t have to climb up and down on the stepladder too many times.

This is the before picture. There is a mess of glasses, dishes and cookware I don’t use anymore, toothpicks everywhere, and just general clutter.

We emptied everything out, set aside the things we wanted and tossed the things we no longer used. We decided on what was going back into the cabinet and what was going to be stored elsewhere. We wiped down the shelves and put things back neatly.

This is the after picture. I realize it doesn’t even look all that different but it sure is. We’ve got beer glasses on the top shelf where Dale can reach them, wine and martini glasses on the middle shelf where I can reach them, and measuring cups and cookware on the bottom shelf where everyone can reach them. My head feels lighter now that this is done and I’m ready for the entertaining season.

It took more than 10 minutes, of course, but it was worth it.