Happy New Year!!!

We are VERY happy to be saying “Goodbye” to 2012 and  “Hello” to hopefully, a better year in 2013!

We had a bit of a rough 6 months here at The Gazebo House, that kept me from blogging or doing much of anything else, for that matter. (except sewing)  It is my therapy, ya' know!
 


I found time to make reversible bibs for a friend’s twin granddaughters.

I made a Halloween Door hanging for the front door.  This was the first time I ever tried doing ‘prairie points’ on anything.  They were fun!




This 'Lady Ghost' shirt was embroidered for granddaughter, Ms. C.



I did a Dresden Plate turkey on each end of a table runner, for my daughter’s long buffet.
This was the first time I had ever done any Dresden Plate design and I got in some practice with my free motion quilting, too.



I made several sewing room mug organizers, with matching pin cushions to tuck into one of the spaces.

 
The Snowman coat pins, below, were done entirely in the embroidery machine hoop, then glued onto tea lights poked through a hole made during the embroidery.  The design is from Reen at Embroidery Garden.

This is a Lil’ Twister “Christmas Wreath” wallhanging that I made for our guest bedroom quilt rack.

The fabulous quilting on it was done by Janice Kiser on her long arm machine.
I can only HOPE to get this good someday!
 

My husband had a small stroke back in May, that left him blind in one eye and off balance somewhat.  It could have been SO much worse, and we are very thankful that he is now almost back to normal, sans his eyesight in the right eye.

He had to have laser tacking done to try to prevent the re-growth of new blood vessels, which are fragile and leak easily.  It worked for awhile but later he had to undergo surgery on that eye for an insertion of a shunt to help prevent the build up of pressure that occurs when those new blood vessels weaken and break.  TMI?  Sorry!  We nurses sometimes forget. 

Some of the medicines he was put on to lower the eye pressure made him terribly sick and complicated his care tremendously.  I promise I won’t go into details but there were days when I didn’t have the time or the energy for even a shower, let alone to sit down and blog.  There wasn’t much to blog about anyway.



Besides all that, I fell and injured my right shoulder…(which was sore from tennis to begin with) and being on the computer, typing, was painful, as well as causing numbness.  My dear sweet step-son, ‘the doctor’ whom I adore, has injected it for me and it is MUCH better now.  I am praying that it will completely heal and I won’t need surgery on it.  (possible torn rotator cuff tear)  THAT would REALLY complicate things around here!!

We still managed to have some fun times in the past 6 months.

     We were blessed that my husband survived the stroke and was able to celebrate another Fathers’ Day at that same beloved son’s gorgeous home.

    
My Honey, with his daughter and our daughter-in-law’s aunt in the background.

 

Some shots of various rooms in the home:

 

Even though it rained off and on, they were still able to cook outside and we enjoyed their lovely yard for a little bit, in spite of the weather.

 

Hi Poochie!

Three of my DH’s beautiful granddaughters on the left side, another grandpa from the other side of the family and our daughter-in-law’s sweet brother and his pretty wife.
The big island in the kitchen makes serving such a large crowd more manageable but it is still a lot of work!
 

 I always try to bring a healthy fruit salad, as I have the time to cut it up.

 These marinated green beans with feta cheese and ORANGE tomatoes were DELICIOUS!
I thought the presentation of them in this bowl with the cobalt blue was very eye appealing.

Next year, I’d like to do an orange and blue tablescape...such a different color combination for me.

There was also some fattening but oh-so-yummy potato salad.

  Aren’t these new dishes with the holes for handles fun?

Beets, broccoli salad, beans and another green bean dish rounded out the menu.  Our daughter-in-law is a vegetarian, so there are always lots of veggies to enjoy.


 



 
Ms. C. got to spend lots of happy hours this summer here at The Gazebo House, playing in the hot tub, on my computer and helping me in the kitchen.  One time, we made flip flop cookies,
 

and another visit, we did Rollo treats, too!

In the fall, my older sister, Ms. C. and I attended a quilt show, where I had entered one of my quilts.  We had a wonderful time and my lucky sister WON THE DOOR PRIZE!!! 




This queen size log cabin quilt is SOOOO heavy!  We laughed because she had said “I don't know why I bother.  I never win anything” as she placed her ticket into the box. 

I won a 2nd place ribbon in its size division for my "Scenes of Venice, FL" quilt, seen below.







That is the first ribbon I’ve ever won, (for ANYTHING!) so we were ALL very happy.


I also entered two other quilts, "Winter Welcome", below



 
and the pink & green toile one I made for my daughter for her birthday.

I'm sorry this is so long but I had so much I wanted to share

and I needed to catch up!

I have more but I'll save it for another day.

I hope you all enjoyed a very Merry Christmas with your friends and family.

I’ve been watching over your shoulders and keeping up with your lives,

via Google Reader.

I would like to say a special “Thank YOU” to all the blogging friends who reached out to me, here on the blog as well as via email, to check on how things were going.  It warmed my heart to know how much people cared and I was so touched that you would take time out from your busy schedules to do so.

Don't ever believe that "internet friends"

aren't REAL!

Stay warm and be well…play outside in the snow if you can.

It is good for you!

Have a Safe,Happy and HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm joining in The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday meme.  Won't you follow me over there?
I will also link to Susan's Between Naps On The Porch Tablescape Thursday, just to reconnect with all my bloggie friends!