31 days of posts the week ahead is 2019 !

seen in a storefront in Boulder

Welcome to this week's Happy Homemaker post.
Tomorrow is a start to a new year.
I cannot believe how much was packed into 2018, and that it's nearly over.whew.

beaded flower from Dillards this week

I forgot about this regular post when I wrote a post on our recent trip into Denver to the Art Museum, so that will have to be on Wednesday. I am continuing  to post daily for a bit.
(How do you like seeing something daily? )

Coming into a new year is important to me, as is starting on the right foot, doing the things the first day of the year that you want to do all year.

The weather
Oh who knows.... it's so changeable here!!!
8" of snow... or... no snow but cold like 5F or so... cold enough that a poodle misses his trimmed hair!
Update: 50's yesterday, 19F today and snowing. Pretty good too. Just started and covering the roads and sidewalks already. Swirly snow, blowing into the porches, the icing on life's cake.
eating
New Year's Day has special traditional food for me as a Southerner. I was adopted into a family from the deep south, so collard greens for money, and black eyed peas for luck are expected.

I am allergic to beef and pork, so we have a turkey ham sliced cooked with orange juice, pineapples and marsala wine is our meat. I make ambrosia too.
We took a trip to Trader Joe's this week, so we are  stocked up with good things to eat.

I will finalize a word and or phrase of the year, write down some goals which I've done a few already. That will stand in for my to do list...

to-do
NOT take down the family room tree... it will stay up thru Jan.
Not take down the outside lights, they bring beauty to the dark winter nights
Enjoy the red carnations purchased yesterday at TJ's
prepare the ambrosia, and possibly cook the collard greens for Jan 1 2019
enjoy the last days of DH's time off, by doing things together
Mop the floors and clean the poodle so we start the new year a bit cleaner. (one of them smells like dog spit, well, both might)

I've written out my goals list on this post (link here)

watching
we're into Delicious  from BBC but sadly we're finishing up the last episode made to date, and watching silly funny, Moody's Holidays from Australia as well as some other series on ACORN  We tried to watch a movie on netflix but it was set in Portugal and too violent in content for me. Apparently they are releasing Murdoch Mysteries a week at a time now...

Lea Michele sings a lovely version of Auld Lang Syne

Listening
Now that we got the disc player hooked up to the wall speakers, I'm enjoying my cd collection. DH gave me the Goat Rodeo (with Yo Yo Ma ) so it's one of my current favorites... go get it and see! Or watch on youtube.

Listening to another book by Fern Michaels (weekend warrior series) while sewing. A group of older women handle problems with vigilante moves... set in DC.

for sale at Denver museum of art

Art Scene
so exciting... I'm finishing up the Christmas bargello and preparing to quilt. I want to do journal quilts again this year... for me that means 8.5 X 11" quilts using new techniques, or materials, experimenting, documenting the weeks.

I got the Jane Davenport book on drawing women and am totally excited about delving into that. Plus her face stamps were half off at Michaels this weekend and I got one... can't wait!

Achievements
Made it through this year, so far, one day to go. It was ahem, challenging to say the least.

Lessons learned
I quite enjoyed writing daily, and forcing myself to imagine new short stories on topic. Learn by doing.
It's good to ignore chores while on staycation, and just enjoy going and doing new things.

I hope to write about my word/phrase of the year tomorrow, and do the art museum pictures on Wed and Thurs. So many interesting things in the Rembrandt exhibit to share including our attempts at engraving.



thank you for being here... for reading my words, for sharing my life and times, for being my friends tried and true, for encouragement this year, for the experiences shared across the miles.
For being there.
Love, LeeAnna
please enjoy a very cute video of Zoey Dechannel and Joseph Gordon Levitt singing together
(she plays a uke! yea!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSq1cez_flQ