Day 1 of 2017!

Started the morning off with some awesome popovers.

Stu & Linda came over for an Irish coffee and to see the progress on the house.  I got to use my vintage mugs.  I should have company more often!

Bob liked it so much, he had two!

My birthday is the week between Christmas and New Years, and this year I got some really nice gifts.  This vintage deer candle is from Linda and will be on the mantle once it is cleared of the Christmas decor.

Debra bought me some very comfortable garden clogs depicting a Holstein cow to remind me of my cow Roxanne. 

Linda also gave me these beautiful, tall beeswax candles handmade by a friend of hers.   They are also going on the mantle.

Bob bought the shoes that have been on my Pinterest board for a couple of years.  They are very comfortable.

The word is out that I like owls and glitter!

My biggest and best birthday surprise came from my mom, 15 lbs. of mealworms that will lure in the bluebirds!  Unfortunately they are made in China, so time to look for a USA source, which friends are already tagging me on (lol).

The week before Christmas I was asked by Heart Rescue of NY to see if I could get Zeus out of a Montgomery, AL, shelter and to my friend Alisha in GA.  DONE!!  Zeus was adopted and in a home in NJ within six days, fastest  save and adoption ever!!

Zeus with my friend David in Atlanta being driven on transport.  I think he's relaxing after being in the shelter for months.

This is Dutch, a senior in a horrible shelter on the other side of NC.  I have two girls going to evaluate him today with their dogs.  If he passes, he will be out of the shelter and I will be setting up a transport to Jacksonville, FL, to my good friend Valerie who wants to adopt him.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS:  Portion control and finish painting     EVERYTHING!  

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

A quiet Christmas Eve at home.  This little tree was from our pasture.  Just a pine in a vase, but I really liked this tree with simple glass ornaments and a lantern, a few strands of fairy lights. 

The vintage tree topper was found at a church yard sale this summer for $1.

Cookies were baked this morning, boxed and put in the neighbors' mailboxes.

Homemade lasagne is the traditional Christmas Eve meal.  Bob makes the fresh noodles.

We start opening gifts on Christmas Eve and finish on Christmas Day.  A gift from Bob, Chow-Chow leggings perfect for kayaking.  Look closely!

A warm Christmas day, 67 degrees, a soft breeze and a very quiet lake for kayaking.  Even ended up getting sunburn!

Warm enough for turtles to sunbathe.  This log was covered, they all jumped in when they saw me coming, and this was the only brave turtle left that I got a photo of. 

The muscovy duck wanted his photo taken. 

A funky little boathouse getting a facelift.

One of my favorite houses on the lake.

This newly painted boathouse now a lovely blue.

Back in the Town of Tryon, a tree that had fallen is now a carved bear.  Everyone here is an artist, even with a chainsaw!

A warm pink sunset to end the day.

Christmas. . . All That Glitters

Trees are up, presents are wrapped, everything is mailed!

Rescue friends that already got a framed chow print got a felt bone keychain this year.

Many new rescue friends this year got the annual framed chow print!

Glittered cards have been mailed.

The nature theme always finds its way into my wrapping paper.

Every year you find that one perfect gift for someone.  I thought my mother's 21-inch computer monitor was it until I found this cutting board for my nephew and his girlfriend who like to cook.

Already planning next year's tree, which will be a live tree, and will take a year to make the ornaments.  Hope I can find the time to do crafts!

I love my glitter tree topper that I found at World Market.  Can't get much more glitter than this!

Not much thought went into the mantel, which was a last-minute effort, just lined up all the characters.

Love the fiber optics at night, from Ikea.

Today is baking day, then preparing the house for guests who will be visiting and getting an Irish coffee and cookies.  With the temps in the 60s, hope to throw a kayak in the water Christmas morning.