Christmas 1015 - fun with quilts, donations , family and friends

I treated myself to a manicure and got snowmen on each hand. Made me smile each time I used me hands. Little things bring happiness

! It has snowed here a lot and my poor chickens lost the netting roof from the weight of the snow. It is hard t go out there and duck down to bring food and water to my Girl's. On the other hand I get five eggs everyday and sometimes six. They all put t me as soon as I turn on kitchen lights in the morning. I am working on new Christmas tree quilts and chickens are one of the themes! 

The hens gave me lots of eggs for our strata. Yum!

My backyard.

Each year I save money from my book and pattern sales and I purchase pajamas for the homeless men who go to the Mission here. We call it "Jammies for Jimmy's." This year I bought 58 pair of pajamas at Penny's. I took the bags to the Mission and a very nice man got a shopping basket and we filled it and another man carried two of the bags we could not get in. He asked what I had in the bags and I told him "warm pajamas" to give comfort to men who were cold and needed a break. He got teary and told me he was one of those men and now he is clean and knows not to make poor decisions. I grabbed his hand and thanked him for helping others. It blessed me again this year. This is what Christmas is about. We are blessed to be a blessing. 

Christmas Day before we ate the strata breakfast, we gathered around the snowman for a family photo. Then we ate breakfast and everyone went skiing. I stayed home and quilted. We all did what we loved! Great day filled with love.

I am working on a new Christmas tree quilt for another example for my classes. I knew it needed a chicken and I also did a rooster. Hee hee.

Christmas does bring joy! I love this word and it belongs in Chridtmas trees. In my opinion.

My neighbor got a new dog and so I thought she belonged on the quilt for fun.

If you want to take a fun class the Christmas tree class could be for you! You can make it styled to your own memories. This class needs to be two days.

I thought I would share this incredible Santa button and plastic art. Amazing isn't it?

If you want to make an easy cookie style snack I love these.

Place a small pretzel on a silicone lined baking pan. Add a rolo candy on top and put in a 350 degree oven four minutes or until they are soft but not melted totally. Take out of oven and squish a whole pecan onto the top. Cool and enjoy!

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Connie my neighbor gave me a darling garland of wool.  Thought it would make a great scarf. Fun to do something inventive and whimsical! 

I will be teaching "Little Darlings" in Paducah in April- make a small wallhanging for fun!

I will be teaching two fun bird wallhangings in Paducah too. Easy, fun and creative!

My Folk art fish made of wool and buttons will be taught at Paducah too. Lots of creative classes coming up in 2016. 

I will be teaching Flower Power and StoryvQuilts in Florida next month. Lots of creative fun and color in the sunshine. Great fun!

Hope we get to

Meet in the New Year. Life is good and 2016 is going to be a great year!

Don't Give this Recipe to Anyone Fudge, Mpre photos of Germany and blessings for the Day

This Santa was made by an Artist that works in buttons, beads and Plastics. Amazing , right?

An angel in front of a shop- loved her

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So years ago I asked my Aunt for her ultra rich and fantastic fudge recipe thateveryone  wanted and could not get. I finally wore her down and got it! She is 99 years old now and does not cook or bake so I am passing it along. Her name is Lucille. Do hove her credit if you make it please

 Mary Lou's Aunt Lucille's "Don't Give This Recipe to ANYONE Fudge -shhhhh don't tell her, this stuff is divine and worth the trouble!

4 cups sugar

4 cups cream

1 cup Karo

1 cup  real butter

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 cups of walnuts or pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine sugar, karo butter, chocolate, and 2 cups of cream. Boil 15 minutes, Next slowly add 2 more cups of cream and boil to soft ball stage- 1hour hour or more...worth the time and effort, honest. I stir with a wooden spoon off and on throughout this process. Add Vanilla and then beat until thick. Add nuts and put into a greased pan. Enjoy. People love this fudge!

Above a wooden Nativity carving in Germany

Here I am happy to be touring and having fun and enjoying the fullness of German Christmas experience. They know how up celebrate like no one else! The hat I am wearing is punched wool sold by a great German lady. I love it.

Wooden everything Christmas for sale

A hot water bottle wool

Punched with a cow. Don't you just love it????

Wonderful! A shop with thousands of ornaments.

We had the best hot chocolate in the world! No one makes hot chocolate like the Germans and we added a little Baileys once and that was good too.

Cookies were for sale everywhere! Especially gingerbread and liebkuchen.

Truffles anyone?

Girlfriends having fun in Germany! Tina, Molly, Wendy and me. Sandy Fisher took the photo. As friends we felt like this trip made our friendships grow even stronger.

My back yard this week. It has snowed much more and it is snowing so hard now you can barely see in front of you. Note my bottle tree I. The background.

Above is the class called "Little Darlings" that I am teaching in Paducah this spring. It is a fun class!!!

     If you were a winner here earlier I am sending your prizes put this week- honest!!!!

     I went to church today and was blessed with the idea of always passing on your many blessings with whoever God connects you with.

YOU dear friend bless me and I sincerely want to thank you.

I have had some tough breaks the last two years and have been sustainedby your   love. Thank you and may you have a Merry Christmas and a year filled with God's many blessings.

Ending the Year with a happy trip to Germany and Home again

Wanted to finally touch base again. First of all my patterns are back ordered un the 27th because I am having the covers professionally reprinted and I am down on the list but soon they will all

Be available with more in their way. 😊

     The New Year will bring new things along with some new classes. I am going to be selling "Rejoice" Christmas pattern once again. These will be printed in late January. The color book (story style) has five more pages to be drawn and turned in for printing. Pages will be perforated and single sided. I will offer the three ladies sitting and quilting as one of the pages. Lots of fun.

       

Can you say chocolate? I just went to Germany and a river boat trip down the Maine river. Pronounced MINE. Wonderful Christmas markets all along the way. I saved money by buying fewer groceries and wants here at home. It was worth the sacrifice. Germany knows how to do Christmas better than anyone and they still have many Nativities in each city and town. Christmas hymns I sang as a child play everywhere and there are lovely reminders to thank God for His many blessings.

Color and whimsy are everywhere as well as beautiful foods both sweet and salty. Glugwine is everywhere as well as beer,eggnog, wines and my favorite hot chocolate. 

Here are gour of us shopping and Molly taking the photo.

Santas and reindeer and elves and Angels are everywhere!

Good places to eat like "Hans and Franz".

All of the hundreds of booths are dressed to the nines.

Paper stars are so pretty and festive!

Gingerbread anyone?

The front doors of the Mayors house!

Glass making is a German thing and their decorations are wonderful!

My back hurt and Tina and Molly bought me this wonderful wool water bottle heater. Isn't it cute???

Smokers - I sense smoke comes out of their mouths. Aren't they cute? 

Molly and I sip hot cocoa on our shopping and sight seeing tour.

Stay tuned as I am posting more about this trip and what I am thinking as 2015 comes to an end. New fun coming in 2016! I am blessed... And so are you. Count your many blessings. Sometimes we are too busy to realize how blessed we are. Slow down and enjoy simple things- they're the best.

Visiting Florida in January

I am scheduled to go to two guilds in Florida in Feb. If your guild or shop is interested we could do three venues. I have lots to teach in a state that appreciates bright colors! Not to mention a lot of fun with easy methods.