Happy New Year!

Wow I can't believe 2015 is over!

I'm here in America but my Mum is in England and every New Year's Eve for a LONG time we ring each other up and see in the New Year together (her time). We listen to Big Ben and Auld Lang Syne. It's a tradition. This time last year I thought it might be our last one. Mum had been diagnosed with Esophagus cancer just after I had visited her in October 2014 and this time last year was in the middle of chemotherapy and radiation treatment. It was a really rough time for her (she was 78 at the time) and not a good time for me being so far away. I am so lucky to have sisters that took care of her and kept me informed (I knew Mum wouldn't want me to worry so maybe wouldn't tell me everything). Luckily she has been clear for a little while now so this holiday season has been special to her.

I am SO lucky to have spent another New Year's Eve with Mum listening to Big Ben. We Skype now so we get to see one another instead of just hearing each other and the telly on the phone.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hopefully 2016 will be a good one.

WOYWW

It's Wednesday again! Yikes, where did the week go?

I'm joining Julia over at Stamping Ground for another WOYWW.

There isn't a lot on my desk (table) this week. Now that daughter is mostly moved out I am trying to sort through my craft stuff and get it moved up to my 'new' room. I get to pick out a desk (hubby's gift to me). Unfortunately the one I want is not in stock :( I did get other crafty storage to get started on. That's what's on my desk today. Putting together paper organiser and sorting out paper.

Who knew that putting together those organisers could be so difficult?!!! You needed STRENGTH to push those things together.

I have decided that I have a LOT of stuff. It has been stashed all over the place as I did not have my own room. Pulling it out and seeing it all has made me think that I don't need to buy any more crafty stuff for a while!! I have a couple of card making/scrapbooking glue-type things to replace as I used them all at Christmas, but a part from that I am not going to buy anything. I love shopping for crafty supplies - as I'm sure many of you can understand lol - but I am going to set myself a short-term goal NOT to buy anything (except what I've said) for the whole month of January. I can probably go a lot longer (and will) but I like setting short-term goals as they are more manageable to me.

Anybody have any goals they are setting for themselves? I want to participate in a couple of challenges for 2016 but haven't seen many yet.

Well off to go look around. 

Had a lovely day Christmas Day. Went to MIL. I got lots of goodies for my new craft room and an IOU from hubby for a desk!! 

MIL had her tree up. It was beautiful. A lot of the ornaments are handmade. I couldn't resist taking pictures of them.

She was really busy this year - she made us all blankets, beaded us all Christmas ornaments (backed with a felt pocket so she could put in a money gift) and crocheted us all dish clothes and hand towels. WOW! Made me feel quite inadequate lol. She LOVED the scrapbook I made her. FIL was very pleased with his gift too - while daughter was in Washington she picked him up a statue of The Lone Sailor (he was in the Navy) and while we were there hubby and daughter took a picture with the actual memorial. I enlarged and framed the picture and presented with the statue. He was very touched.

My MIL really appreciate hand made gifts. I am going to have to try to think of something special next year especially since I have the time!

Hope everyone had a good day!

WOYWW

Phew - I made it! Better late than never lol. I'm joining Julia over at Stamping Ground for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday

My 'desk' is a mess but I am FINISHED crafting for now! So happy! I just got finished with a scrapbook for MIL of our trip to Washington DC. I decided last week it would be a good idea to do it lol. Crazy, I know.

I will be clearing up the table so we can use it. Now I have to get started on baking! I am going to spend some time later visiting other pages.

I hope everyone has a Happy Christmas.

This will be the last big Christmas I do. I have decided. We are thankful to be able to have our kids all spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us but it will probably be the last. They are getting older and beginning to have their own lives and I know that, at some point, I will have to share.

I am still working on a crafty project for Christmas. Aarggg!! Not sure why I thought - a week before Christmas - that putting MIL together a scrapbook of our time in Washington would be a good idea. I suppose I might have been doing better if not for daughter's birthday and graduation.

Gifts are all wrapped now (except the ones arriving tomorrow!) so I will be working on the project all day tomorrow and will hopefully have it done!

It is fun looking through all the pictures again.

Korean Veteran's War Memorial. These stainless steel statues are so very detailed. This is truly a moving piece.

The above two photos are both part of the Vietnam memorial. The first one is The Three Soldiers (or The Three Servicemen) and the second is as labelled. They are both so very detailed - truly amazing up close.

My 'baby' graduated from University!

My youngest daughter graduated MSU yesterday which also happened to be her 22nd birthday! I am SO very proud of her. I must admit to shedding a little tear. All three of our kids have now graduated university. We are so lucky to have had their 4-year university courses paid for. The costs of their education was massive and there is no way we could have done it without the Kalamazoo Promise.

We had a really fun trip picking up daughter in Washington. There are so many things to see - know we didn't see everything. I think I'd like to go back for another trip. Hubby said the same thing. I think we'd forgo driving in the city though and use the underground. I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the metro. London's underground is colourful - lots of adverts and light. The Metro was dull and very concrete. They are missing out on a great advertising gig. There was not an advert in sight!

The thing I did like about Washington was that most of the museums and attractions were free! We visited the National Archives and got to see the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights etc and the Botanical Gardens. Both were free! Also went to the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, White House, World War II memorial and all were free! We also got to see the Lincoln Theatre where Lincoln was shot. Getting around by Metro was certainly easier than driving.

We were so lucky with the weather. We couldn't have asked for better days. It was fairly warm and the sun was shining brightly. We got to walk around and enjoy things. MIL and FIL came with us. It was a bit of a job for them to get around - which is why we drove some places. Parking was difficult to find especially disabled parking, but there was some (to be fair) but not signposted very well. I preferred going around by underground - which we did when they got tired out and went back to the hotel.

I loved this view of the Washington Monument. We were gifted with a lovely reflection that day too.

This was HUGE! I did not realise it would be so big lol.

The Vietnam Wall memorial was stunning. There are so many names...so many lives lost. It was quite sobering.

I'll share more pictures another day. I am still sorting through them, still digesting...

WOYWW

Wow - it's been a while! I missed two weeks. I am finally hooking up with Julia over at Stamping Ground for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Things have been a little crazy around here. A couple weeks ago we went to Washington D.C to pick up daughter. She has been there for the past three months on an internship. We had a lovely time there. I will share some pics...just not today. We saw The White House complete with Christmas tree and so many other sights. I have to say the most moving thing was the Vietnam War memorial. It is stunning. 

So she's back and she had already found an apartment in Lansing so we've begun to move her stuff up there. We're sorting and moving and back and forth with appointments. It is also her birthday this coming weekend as well as graduation! She will be graduating from University on her birthday - so proud of her.

I did manage to get in some crafting. I confess to taking the pictures yesterday. I was working on a calendar for my Mum - which is now safely in the post. I made cards for her and my sister. I was trying to hurry and get things done and I think I forgot to write in my Mum's card!!! I did let her know though. I've so relieved the calendar is done. I have made one for her for years. It is getting harder and harder now that the kids are getting older and don't want their pics taken as often.

It was truly a mess :( Some news on the desk front - because daughter is moving out I WILL be having my craft room. We have to get all her stuff sorted and out and then I can work on making it my room. So sometime...in the New Year.

I'm off to look at the other desks. It's finally quiet in the house.

WOYWW

Wow I almost missed it! I'm joining up with Julia and the gang over at Stamping Ground for WOYWW. It's a mess this week. Isn't it always? I got caught up in yet another memory book and I had a birthday card to do. I haven't finished the card - not sure if I'll give this one or another. I have to decide soon as we're celebrating the birthday along with Thanksgiving tomorrow. The Thanksgiving holiday isn't such a big deal for me as I'm not American and didn't grow up with it but it is a big deal for my family. I do absolutely LOVE the vegetarian stuffing my MIL makes me. Sadly only one of my children will be there tomorrow - middle son has to work at the paper and daughter is still in Washington DC though she and some of the group are traveling to New York and will see the big parade there.

Anyway here's my desk. As my desk is my table I've included pictures of the cookies (Peanut Butter and Snickerdoodles) that are packed up and sitting on the table.

The book I made from Minions paper

Cookies - yum!

I'm going to check out some of the other posts! Happy WOYWW to everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all the Americans.

Not sure if I wanted to jump and down and clap my hands or groan in dismay. I woke up this morning to find snow. It's so pretty the first time it snows. I do admit to getting excited...for all of about a day. We get a LOT of snow here in Michigan - still not quite sure why I moved here. Oh yes, hubby, that's right. The first time it snows every thing is bright and white and wintery looking. The further it gets into the season the duller it all seems to become. Of course that might have something to do with having to deal with it every day - brushing the car off, snowblowing, the cold, cold temperatures, the ice etc.

Today I don't have to go out in it so I can just watch through my windows and enjoy the sight! Happy Saturday everyone.

Aarrggg I'm getting distracted by these mini albums lol. I can't seem to leave them alone and they are distracting me from what I'm supposed to be doing.

Well doing the albums is distracting me from my computer problems. Grrrr. I made the (mistake) of upgrading to Windows 10. I didn't realise that I would lose all my stuff. Sniff. Sniff. I managed to find my Word files which I was extremely relieved about. I enjoy writing and I had a lot of started stories/ideas. I did manage to 'find' them again which was a huge relief but I couldn't find saved pictures and other files. My computer did another update and everything appeared back in place - all the pictures and files - except my Word files all disappeared!!!! I cannot find them anywhere. I am really sad. I have some of them saved, but not the writing I have done recently. Grrr. Wish I'd never updated. IF I ever find them again I will try to save them to a USB drive more often.

WOYWW

 It's Wednesday and time to join Julia and the gang over at Stamping Ground. I've only been doing this for a few weeks and everyone has been so fantastic!

I can't believe another week has passed! Yikes, where has time gone? The weeks are rushing by and I'm still behind. At least this week there is something holiday-like on my desk. I've started on my Christmas Crackers and sweet boxes. I like giving them out for treats and to hold gift cards and little bits and bobs. I have some of the snapper bits for the crackers - leftovers from last year. It's nice to have crackers with things that we like inside. Lol. I do have cards to make and I'm running out of time! I have to do a birthday card before next weekend too.

Daughter wanted me to drive over to Lansing on Monday to look at an apartment. I have never driven on a highway (motorway) except on my driving test. I did not pass my test until I was 30. I probably wouldn't have learned to drive except here in America you really do need to drive. I sucked it up, took a deep breath and drove. It's about 90 miles from where we live. I plugged in my phone and listened to directions - would have been lost without them. I breathed a huge sigh when I got back home again. Lol. I did it though. All by myself. It seems a little silly but to me it was a big deal. She did apply to the apartment and has been accepted. She will be moving out not long after she gets back from Washington DC. I am happy for her, but sad that we won't get to spend much time together. The only good thing that comes out of this is when she does move all her things out I will have my craft room!!! I'm sure hubby will like not having crafting stuff all over the rest of the house.

More good news this week - my Mum's tests came back normal. About September last year my Mum was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus. It was a shock to us all and a really rough time - especially around the holidays last year. I hated being so far away - I am in the states and Mum is in England. She got through treatment and this is her second test that came back normal. She doesn't have to go back until April. She was so lucky it was caught early as by the time a lot of people are seen with this cancer it has already spread to other places. There might be a lot of complaints about the NHS but the hospital was fantastic during all this and very quick off the mark and there were no money worries.

Anyway - I got diverted. I'm posting pictures of my desk. Hopefully next week will see more holiday things though I am getting distracted by making memory books lol.

Time to go check out some of the other desks!

WOYWW - Remembrance Day/Veteren's Day

Today remembering those who served/gave their lives for us all. Hubby says two people actually thanked him for his service today!

It's Wednesday again! Already! Yikes this week has gone quickly. I feel like I've got nothing done. I'm late to the party I'm afraid. It's been a busy day, busy week. Check out Stamping Ground.it not only hosts WOYWW but is a great blog!

My desk hasn't changed a lot since last week I don't think. It's been a busy one around here. We got my middle son moved to his new place. Took us more trips than we thought (and he hasn't taken everything lol) but he is there now. I imagine it's got to be easier for him only having to drive ten minutes to work instead of fifty minutes on a good day. It's quiet around the house...sort of. The poor cat is not happy. Son took the chair that the cat likes to sleep on.

This is my 'desk'

There is also a pile of magazines on my 'desk' that I managed to find at a sale. Someone in town was having a downsizing sale (moving from house to apartment) and she had a bunch of crafty stuff for sale. I did manage to get some nice ribbons, stamps and papers as well as these magazines. I only paid $3 for the box on mags! Plenty to look through for those long winter nights lol

I haven't had much luck all summer long at crafty garage sales so this was nice. Wish I could find more! I hope I have more to report next week. I am so far...sigh...

I'm off to look at other pages. It's fun to see what others are up to!

WOYWW

My desk (table) looks a lot like last week lol. I finished working on another book and am going to do one more before I start on Christmas cards. At this rate I'll never get any done. It's a busy time here at our house. My middle son is moving out! I'm closer to an empty nest (and closer to my craft room lol). He finished university and got a job in another town about forty-five minutes drive away. Roads get pretty bad here in the winter so he wanted to be in the other town and his new place before the weather gets too bad. My oldest is still at home. He's been working a lot of overtime. He says he is going to move out just hasn't had a chance to look! My youngest has been away at university for a few years. She is on her last semester (term) and graduates on her birthday in December. She is spending her last semester in Washington DC on an internship so she moved out of her apartment and all her stuff is at my house.  Aaarrggg!

Anyway here are pictures of my desk for WOYWW. I like joining in as it keeps me on track. I enjoy looking at everyone's projects. There are some very talented people around!

If you want to join in Stamping Ground is the website.