160+......

Yesterday I spent the morning doing errands. I had a list and a "loop" route that would take me from the north side of town, southwest for a few more stops, then south, then east and then back home. In and out of the car.

I started at our local food pantry, dropping off several bags of groceries. We like to do this at least once a month just because our pantry is always full.....and many local families do not have the same experience. This is a small food pantry in the lower level of a church building and it's only open to it's clients on Tuesday mornings. So it's a busy place when I arrive and bring my four bags down the stairs and into the collection room.

While there I asked if they had room for a nice, gently used warm winter parka....and they said "Oh yes!" And then I asked if they were collecting any toys and had room for two teddy bears I purchased recently. The volunteers again said they would be more than happy to accept the gifts and one said "We have over 160 children who won't be getting anything for Christmas this year unless we get enough donations."

I drove away and that comment kept running through my head. More than 160 children waking up to a pretty bleak Christmas morning - at least from a child's point of view. So my errand route changed just a little bit....and included a stop at Marshall's.

It's a drop in just one bucket....and I will probably go again next week for a few more toys. But here's seven toys.....so now the food pantry is down to 150+. It's a start.....

And Some Blue....

The holiday "mood" in our family room is a little different than the red explosion in the main part of the condo. I decided that this would be our snow scene - white/blue/silver. Our TV cabinet makes a perfect home for the snow ladies I made a few years ago.

So there is a little blue and silver sparkle in this room. I love our Santas....but these ladies are fun too!

What Goes Where......

Thanksgiving is in the rear view mirror.....so here comes Christmas. And it's time to decorate our condo. I love adding the holiday colors to our decor. The reds just brighten up the rooms....at least for a month or so.

Dave brought the big storage boxes up from the garage and I found the Santas that I cleaned and stored on shelves in my sewing room after the August flood. Everything else was un-packed and spread across the dining room table.

I began to realize that a few of my "standard" decorating items were missing....they must have been in the one storage box that filled with muddy water and could not be salvaged. Sigh. I'm glad so many of our favorites made it through.....but I do miss the items tossed in the trash. I guess it will mean a trip to the store for a new table runner and another trip for a big wreath for the wall.

Every year I spread the Santa collection around the rooms - but they never end up exactly where they sat last year. It's fun for me to partner new ones together. And it was fun to re-decorate the wreath we found down at Milager's....and I did find another table runner.

So our Santas, our wreath and our tree are up and ready for the holidays....now to share the atmosphere with friends and family......

Leftovers......

Thanksgiving dinner at our daughter and son-in-laws was delicious - the buffet table was covered with choices. Turkey and gravy, stuffing, green beans, roasted brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and home made popovers. There may have been more and I just can't remember. Then add the wine and the coffee with choice of pie after the meal.....groan. Food coma.

Friday night we were at home with leftovers.....I love not having to cook a meal! The news was on when I brought our plates into the family room - TV dinners. I handed Dave his meal, gave Fenway his treat and put my plate on my tray.

And as I sat, news running in the background, I couldn't help it....my eyes filled with tears. I looked down at this left-over meal....the bounty of it. And once again I recognized how fortunate I am.

.....as if I needed any reminders.....

That Long Ago Familiar Feeling.....

Thanksgiving 2018 come and gone....a very busy few days. A drive to Chicago to spend the day with with family and then back up to Wisconsin on Thursday for dinner at our daughter and son-in-law's home reminded me, once again, of all my "thankfuls". Our small.....wide spread family....is so very fortunate in so many ways. Even though we couldn't all be together in one place to celebrate the holiday.....heart strings stretched far enough to include everyone.

And then, while down in Chicago, there was my introduction to the newest member of our extended family. Ten pounds, one month old.....a quiet, warm bundle deposited into my arms. And the memories flooded back....why is it that my arms can "feel" my almost-fifty-year old son and his younger sister, our accomplished adult daughter, in exactly the same way as this little one? The weight, the shape, the warmth, the stretches and small noises.....eyes open occasionally, but then right back to sleep in my arms.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving.....and this was just one more example of the fact that life is good in the Woodard world!

What A Good Idea.....

He never disappoints. He goes to the site of a natural disaster and helpfully flings paper towels....or now, tells the citizens of California that they could avoid these disasterous forest fires if only they'd grab a rake.

Really. A rake. I have to think that 45 has actually spent very little time exploring nature....unless it's on a golf cart. I can't even picture him hiking with the family through a dense woodland area. But yes, if everyone just grabbed a rake and ran off to the nearest forest California would not be on fire.

45 explained that he had a conversation with the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto, and went on to pontificate that Finland had lots of forests and very few fires and raking helped. On Sunday, the Finnish president said he had discussed forest management with 45 during recent Armistice Day events in Paris. "We take care of our forests," Ninnisto told Trump, mentioning surveillance and other methods - but admitted he didn't know where Trump concocted the raking idea." Veli Pekka Kilimaki, a Finnish defense researcher, tweeted: "I perhaps wouldn't compare Finland and California climate-wise. And besides, 80% of the country is classified as forest land. We don't exactly manicure all of it." Oh...there's that climate idea again. The fact that it rains year round in Finland just might make their forests a little more "fire-resistant" than California.

I know where 45 got the idea....from his "very good brain"! (March 16, 20016)

So here's a suggestion.....let's let all the thousands in the caravan moving up from Guatemala to come across the border. Hand them each a rake and send them into the forests......why not? They want safety and would most likely rather work to prevent forest fires than face the violence they leave behind.

Rake the forests - wow. He never disappoints......

Someone Else's Memories.....

I just finished another special lap top quilt today.....and took it to its new owner.

I met a new friend at a Ozaukee County Newcomer's luncheon about three months ago. During the meal she mentioned that her husband had died recently. I don't know exactly what happened...but I remember her saying "I took him to the hospital but I thought I'd be bringing him home." Suddenly she was alone and seemingly "lost" without him.

So a few weeks later I told her that, if she wanted, I would be happy to make her a small quilt using some of his favorite garments. I suggested she take her time to think about it and there was no rush, but she quickly accepted my offer. She delivered his shirts along with one special tie that she really wanted me to include. Gulp. I'd never worked with a silk tie before!

I think I've made about six or seven of these memory quilts and each one is very special to me. As I work with the garments I get a "picture" of the person that I never knew.....a snapshot of his/her personality. It's not a sad task for me......I feel good being able to create a quilt that may provide a bit of warmth and comfort to a loved one left behind.

The only time it was really difficult to do was when, while working at VITAS Hospice, one of our social workers asked me to make a quilt for a friend of hers. In memory of her little boy....and when I got that bag full of a two year old's overalls and t-shirts it took me weeks to be able to begin. Every time I'd take the clothing out to begin I would think of my young grandsons, get completely weepy and have to put everything away again. But eventually I took a deep breath, started cutting with my fabric scissors and that little quilt was finished and given to his parents.

This quilt was not hard to make.....but it was memorable.....colors and patterns for a well-loved man who is missed every day.  I always end up feeling a little like I knew the person as I work with the fabric.

So it's done.....and I was able to use the tie just as she hoped......

Seasonal Panic....

Well the TV noise is a little less instrusive....I've stopped using the mute button. The day of the mid-term election I was in the kitchen and counted nine political point-your-finger-at-the-other-guy commercial announcements in a row. So the TV was muted for about five minutes! Now we're back to all the regular stuff.....plus a few post-election excitments. (Can you say strange, aggressive press conferences? Can you say freedom of the press? Can you say White House altering videos? Can you say that this bizarre behavior will be on the table for at least two more years? Sigh.)

And the newscasters in Milwaukee are now reporting the BIG news....our first SNOWFALL!

You'd think it was a blizzard with the amount of attention this cover-the-tree-branches-snowfall is getting. Reminders to drive safely, watch for slippery areas, reports of car accidents, reports on the fact that we may get a total of an inch on the roads before it stops....with a little more on the grass.

People....we live in WISCONSIN!!!! We get SNOW.......it must be a slow news day in our area.....

Going....Going....Gone.....

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Wisconsin. After a busy morning I walked into town and noticed the stand of trees on the corner by our gourmet popcorn stand. Every shade of gold with a lone pine tree providing contrast.....beautiful. The sun was highlighting the leaves and a slight breeze rippled through the branches. My phone shot does not do it justice.

I woke today to wind roaring out of the east....about 35+ miles per hour. The surf is pounding the shoreline.

I have a feeling if I braved the wind and walked the three blocks to town the trees would look very different today. Autumn in Wisconsin.....a short season before the cold and snow arrive.

Going....going....gone....