The dregs of the old year

It's the tween week - the week between Christmas and New Year's.  No, I'm not making any New Year's resolutions.  And no, I'm not making any stitching resolutions either.

Okay, well, maybe I am making a sort of resolution.  I've decided to participate in my first ever stitch-a-long (SAL).  There's one going on at the 123 Stitch MB (actually, there are several going on over there).  On January 1st, I'll start stitching on "Crabby All Year" by Raise the Roof Designs, a four-part series of 12 monthly designs.  The goal is to stitch one design a month.  I think I can do that.  Maybe. 

My stitching buddy Gloria stitched this a while back and I really liked it.  Let me warn you that the buttons used for these patterns are expensive!  I ended up ordering mine off eBay where they were less costly.  I thought about leaving the buttons off and stitching something in their place, but after seeing Gloria's completed work, I agree that the buttons are a must; they make the pattern!

It is a large pattern so you will need a fat quarter of fabric.  But it is stitched with DMC, so at least the floss won't cost you an arm and a leg like the fabric and buttons will.

I finished my oldest nephew's Christmas ornament this week and here it is.  Now I just need to finish-finish this and his brother's ornament and get them in the mail.

DH and I stayed home for Christmas this year.  In 24+ years of marriage, we've stayed home only three times.  Twice when we lived in Dallas near most of our relatives, and once when we lived in Oklahoma.  We had actually started on the trip down to Dallas, but I got deathly ill halfway there and DH took me back home.  This year we enjoyed having a long quiet weekend together.  We watched a lot of football, read a lot, and ate turkey.

DH finished splitting and stacking all our firewood.  He filled the racks and then stacked the extra against one end of our loafing shed.  Hopefully this abundance of firewood is not an omen of a really cold winter.

LoneStar