Test drive...

Howdy! Trying out my new adapter which should allow me to upload pictures from my memory card to this new Chromebook. It's a little weird so far, and seems to be kind of slow, so I may need to be more selective in what I upload. 

Just enjoying the slow pace of Christmas "vacation" with no kids to shuttle to school. I'll see how many of my older pics I can get on here and comment on. I think I'll actually be able to mix my photos and text again! Woo hoo!

Phil the pil. Actually, one of many pileated woodpeckers who visit. 

Took these photos from my laundry room window, but this fellow is wiley. He's off like a skinned rat when he sees me, lol. 

I used to only rarely sight a pileated woodpecker. Now that they've found my feeder I see them multiple times each day. It never gets old!

This black bird was raiding my feeders. She gets out of the pasture a lot and usually just paws around in the snow looking for grass. But she also seems to like sunflower seeds.

I hope I didn't share these previously. Maybe. Oh well. These were for a "Tomten/Gnome" swap. 

And the next ATCs were for a Pick-a-Theme swap where each player requested a certain theme for their card. I just guffaw when I look at these because I can't draw a recognizable person to save my life. Which just goes to show, only God can make our face, ha ha! I'll put captions so you can see who these people are supposed to be. You won't have a clue otherwise, lol.

Queen Elizabeth and Scully and Mulder (?) from X-Files.

Miss Havisham and Frida Kahlo

This was for a one-to-one trade. I don't know why it's sideways. I couldn't figure out why I see no options for editing. Another thing to learn. I wanted this one to be below the one below. Got that? lol. But when I tried to add this caption it kept moving the picture up here. Whaaaa?

Stonehenge and ME! I look so angry! And about 20 years younger! Oh well. Good for a laugh!

It' very slow loading the pictures. I get impatient, thinking it didn't hear me, and try to reload it, which results in two or three copies coming up eventually. Sheesh. Well, I'm just glad I can get some photos up. I'm not really into the idea of looking up a Chromebook manual online and really learning how to do everything. It came with just a tiny Quick Start Guide which tells you nothing. When I pulled the adapter out of the USB port it yelled at me, "Whoa there!" And told me I needed to do something with the "files app" before I could just pull the thing out. I don't even know where that is or how to find it. I think I'll just leave the adapter in the USB port and remove the memory card. Sorry. Just mumbling to myself here. 

Sun's coming up and it's a gorgeous morning here! Last few days it's been in the 20's and 30's, which is positively balmy in these parts. 

Here's my latest read. Sideways, of course.

And, a Christmas card Hazel made for me. I asked her what the brown thing was at the top of the picture. (Why is there a cow udder up there?) She said, "Oh. That's the ceiling fan." Hee hee! Nice detail!

Another oddity. When I go to choose a photo to upload they're all mixed up. Photos from last summer mixed in with photos taken a few days ago. It's like looking through a box of old photos in no particular order. Once again, not a huge deal. It just makes me wonder...why?

We had a fun Christmas. Lots of excited grandkids opening gifts. Thatcher really enjoyed his first real Christmas. (He was only a week old last year!) Micah and I totally forgot to take pictures, ha ha! I bet we enjoyed it more without that distraction. 

I hope you all enjoyed family and fun this Christmas. My step-son Trev and his family jumped on a cruise ship and headed to the Bahamas. They're always surprising us!

Love you guys! Thanks for stopping by! Have a blessed New Year.

Shalom!

We'll have a white Christmas for sure...

After some record breaking cold weather the temps have risen a little and we're getting more snow.

Adam's been working hard keeping the outdoor wood stove going, which keeps both of our houses warm. Micah's keeping busy getting the kids back and forth to school in all kinds of weather. I'm doing my usual babysitting interspersed with reading, arting and watching other people on YouTube.

Micah's big black horse, Dachessa, keeps escaping from the pasture and appearing in my yard where she paws through the deep snow to eat the greenish grass. I guess she thinks she's a wild horse. She's easily led back to her pasture with a little grain, but they will need to do a little fence mending over the weekend. This horse gets a LOT of hay, but they probably need to get some round bales to keep her occupied.

I went out to fill one of my feeders this morning and got a photo of a chickadee and a small woodpecker from about ten feet away. Hard to see the woodpecker on the suet feeder, but he's there! The bigger pileated woodpecker ( I call him Phil) takes off like a shot if he even sees me inside the house!

Otherwise, I'm doing some ATCs for a swap. The themes were requested by other traders.

Below are photos of artwork, weather and my niece, Naomi, who is on a missions trip to Cambodia with YWAM. Her parents were missionaries for many years and she's following in their footsteps. She's the one taking the selfies. Dark hair, big smile.

Shalom and Merry Christmas! Thanks for the visit!

Had some snow...

I'm guessing about 8 inches, though it might be more. Adam made the kids a snow fort with a pallet frame. Merry Christmas!

Time to start the Christmas stuff, eh?

We thought we'd start the festivities with a snowstorm! :) We're expecting 8-18 inches, so we'll see. Photos to follow, as usual.)

I've got my tree up. All 4 feet of it! I wanted it to fit in my south window. If you shop at Walmart you may recognize the ornaments. I love the woodland critters and decided to make that my theme. My old decorations are still packed away. I decided to start fresh!

I've been complaining about this iPad for a while (though I'm thankful to have something to use!), so I picked up a Chromebook yesterday. You can see from the photo that it's still in the box. I'll probably take it over to Micah's and have her help me get started with it. I don't think she's used one, but she's fearless about technology. I don't like having to learn how to use new gadgets!

I'm knitting a little scarf for Sully, so that's the knitting you see there. When I finish that I'd like to try crocheting one. My first attempts at crocheting were disappointing, but I think it had a lot to do with the yarn I used and the size of hook.

I just signed up for the free online classes on C.S. Lewis that are offered by Hillsdale College. It might be one of those things I never get around to actually doing...or maybe I will!

Glenn, I'll be writing you an honest to goodness handwritten letter in answer to your nice long email. So patience will be needed as you wait for the Pony Express to arrive at your door. :)

That first photo is of my much loved step-son, Trev, and my grandson Cody. They're a fun and nutty bunch!

Shalom, everyone! Have a blessed Christmas season!

Just daily life...

Nothing too exciting to report. We had a nice warm day today. Low forties. I've been doing a lot of reading and making of ATCs. Also lots of praying for family. I've tried to leave the TV off to have a more contemplative day. Grandson Nathan and his mom have both had hospital stays lately, but both are home now. So I've spent lots of time in prayer for the whole family.

I've been trying to drink more water and eat better in order to feel better. Two whole days now! I've just been tired, achy and draggy lately. I think I'm feeling better. I'll try to keep the new regimen going.  (Too many I's in this blog post!!)

Let's jazz this up with some photos of what I'm reading, some ATCs and owl "dolls" for swaps, and a cute photo of Thatcher and whatever else I find in my photos. In no particular order, because Blogger just does its own thing!

Have a weekend filled with hygge and shalom! Thanks for visiting! :)

Happy birthday to me!

Thanks to all of you who sent greetings via Facebook! I also heard from lots of kids via phone, Facebook and mail. I prefer a low-key birthday and this one was just right! My deli gal friends all drew names for a secret pal and my pal sent me a nice flower arrangement. She had it delivered to the restaurant where we had breakfast together on Tuesday, but the delivery person got there after we had left. One of the perks of living in a small town is that someone can figure out how to track you down and find your cell phone number! So I got a call from the restaurant and drove back in yesterday and picked up the flowers. Aren't they purty! (Photo below.)

This time of year I tend to buy a few treats which I consider to be birthday and Christmas presents to myself. One of those treats was the watercolor book below. Lots of beauty to inspire me in the winter days ahead!

I'm currently reading The House on the Cliff by D.E. Stevenson. It's a homey little story that keeps you turning the page to find out what happens to the main character.

One of the swaps I'm in involves trading decorative bits of paper ephemera that can be used for collage. Everyone has different kinds of stuff in their stash, so we share with each other. One of my photos shows a few pieces I received, but it's only the tip of the iceberg!

I've been sitting in my living room watching the sun come up while sipping my Folgers. It's a beautiful clear day and the temperature promises to be more on the normal side.

I'm including a photo of my latest ATCs for the Captivating Cat swap. Zentangle cards are next on the agenda.

And now it's time to go next door to help get the grands off to school.

Shalom, and, "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ." 2 Thessalonians 3:5.

Lazy blogger...

Yeah. Blogging has lost some of its appeal when I'm limited in how much I can put in this little box. At least you don't have to worry about me getting too long winded! But I will post some artwork and try to say a few words.
I've been doing a lot of staying indoors, watching movies and reading over this three day weekend.
I see that Jordan and Brooke were in the Washington DC area over the weekend and visited with brother Trev and family. What a bunch of jet setters! I never know where they'll show up next!

This was the first time Trev and Rhonda had met Brooke. We all live so far apart. Glad they finally got together!

We have a deli gal breakfast tomorrow and Hazel has dental surgery on Wednesday. Those are the big events for this week. Praying for an uneventful surgery for her and a safe trip for the whole family. It's a couple of hours drive there. Adam is going, too. I'll pick Audrey up after school and stay with her until they get back. They won't know what time her appointment is until the evening before.

Other than that, here are a couple of 5x7 canvases I just finished. The unicorn is kind of a mess, but just seems to get worse when I try to "fix" it.  Running out of space, so I'll say adieux for now. Besides...I'm getting hungry!! Shalom, family and friends!