Pioneer Woman at Heart

I'm sharing my C hristmas music box that hu bby bought me several years ago.  The middle rotates as the music pla ys. M ay you all have a blessed Ch ristmas day!

The ki ds were all doing their own thing, while I was in t he kitchen fros ting a birthday cake for our youngest daughter.  I got a little cr azy with the frosting - ha h a ha ha!  I guess that happens, when I have peace and quiet and f rostin g bags in my hands. I added eve n more after I took th ese photos.  And w hen it was finished, my d aughter added plastic cats to the top center of the ca ke. Her requested dinner was spaghetti tacos.  They are pret ty good too. Chri stmas Eve arrived way too early this year.  I plan to slow this day down as much as possible, hug my kids more often and hug our pets more often .  Hug my par ents more often , and put my perspectives on a more p rudent pat h in life .      

I can finally share two starfish dishcloths I gifted to my mother.  She re ceived these yesterday.  They are thick enough to be table top/counter hot pa ds as well.  The pattern is free on-line.  I'll post the link as soon as I locate it a gain.

We dedicated a special c ross, on our wall of crosses, in memory of Gus.  My s on pu t it on the wall. Another tri b ulation .... Tiger gave us a scare.   We were in and out yesterday with the bur ial of Gus , and didn't see that our 10 year -old 's cat got out somehow.   T hi s morning , I noticed he was n't crying for his breakfast like usual.  When I asked if anyone had seen him, they all said no. Tiger is a cre ature of ha bit.  He typically sleeps in different place s, but as soon as he see's our 10 year-old, he's running off be hind her and into the bathroom .  Every morning he does this.  Today, T iger was missing. After searching the house twice, we realized he w as outside somewhere.  He had been out there since yesterday early evening, as that was the last time we remem ber seeing him. My son (who jus t lost his dog), my 18 year-old daughter and I took turns searchi ng our 6 ac res, barns and brush.  T...

(photo taken by my 16 year-old daughter in September of 2012) Last night Gus lost his life to a driver.  My son was out walking them as he always does, but but G us cha sed after s omething. The driver never stopped, and my son was outside when it happened.  The driver left behind their front license plate attach ed to a portion of their ca r, and our dog.  We'll never know if it was truly an "accident" since the driver kep t driving. We've had very little traffi c due to road construction, but all it took was one driver. Please pray for our family, as we gri eve over th e loss of our dear family member Gus.  H e will be forever remember ed. This is a very difficul t day for our family.  My thoughts and stomach are not in agreement to write much more today , and several o f the kids have final exams at school today.  I a m not sure that any of us slept last night.      

I'm sharing a photo that I took yesterday.  I was out putting clothes on t he line, and heard this litt le guy pe cking away at this dea d part of the tree.  Sure enough, when I went and go my camera, he already went insi de his new home.  I have such a diff icult time taking good photos of birds, but keep t rying. It's busy we ek, starting this weekend. In -school Christmas Cho ir Con cert on t he 21st. A holiday gathering on the 22nd. Our youngest celebrates her bir thday on the 23rd. We have another family gath ering on the 24th. Christmas at home on the 25th. My wedding anniv er sary on the 26 th .  Hubby has to work, so I have to figur e out a plan for a roman tic evening , and a 2 night getaway in t he near future.     I made a sausage/poto to soup for Dark Days Challenge.  I used corn that I bought locally, and had bla nched for freez ing.  I would have adde d garden car r ots, but we are already out of them. ...

 . . . got paid about $30.00 from one writing job .  I won't see it for a few days, but it will help this season.