HOMETOWNS

Today I have been cruising blog world clicking on links at other folks blogs, I guess you could say just prowling around.  The one thing I usually look at on a blog is the hometown of the blog.  It is amazing to me that some blogs don't give you a clue where they are located while other blogs incorporate their location in the header or background or name.  Well in case any of you wonder where I am, here it is. I live in Montevallo Alabama in the central (almost dead center) part of Alabama.  My little town is almost 200 years old. We have a national Veterans Cemetary here. We have a beautiful University here (University of Montevallo) that started out nearly 200 years ago as a womans teaching school.  In fact it was 'all girls' unitl some time in the early 1960's when it went 'co-ed'.  I didn't live here then. We (my family) bought property here in 1974 and moved here in February 1976. I was born and raised in Birmingham (East Lake section) so moving to Montevallo was moving (35 miles) way out in the country to us. The first week here (I was still working in B'ham) I was pulled over by police for not stopping for a school bus. I had stopped (on a four lane road) but since there were no kids on my side I went on. Right in front of a police man. Dumb huh??? He said "lady, you stopped, why did you go on?? I said why not ?? There was no one on my side??  He said where are you from??I said Birmingham, we just moved down here last week. He very patiently explained the laws about school buses and asked don't you have school buses in Birmingham?? I told him no, we ride the street cars (we really did).At that time there were no "school buses" in B'ham.  He gave me a warning and let me go and told me he had better not catch me failing to "stop and stay put at a school bus" again.  He really was very nice and could have given me a stiff ticket. 
Anyway, I have decided to put a button or widget or pic (whatever) on my blog so folks will know where I am located.  I wish more people would. I like to visit other place (towns and countries) and since I don't travel much anymore I have to do it on the "web". Here are a few pics of places nearby.

All are within 5 miles of my house. This is the American village.  You can visit them at http://www.americanvillage.org/ and if you are ever down here it is a beautiful place to visit in person.
Well, I was going to add some pics of the area, but blogger is acting up and won't let me.  I will show more pics later.
For now May God keep you Close.
Mary

THE DAY AFTER

Now is the day after.  The turkey (breast) was cooked, cut up and eaten. I started cooking at 10 AM and called Don to dinner at 3PM.  For all that cooking time, it took us 17 minutes to eat dinner. Next time TV dinners !!!  The meal was really good (even if I did cook it). Don liked it. It got his "Heinz 57 " approval. I was so tired I couldn't move. I baked a pie (pumpkin of course), made mashed potatoes, cooked peas (NOT canned), gravy, a olives and pickle tray, and a turkey breast. Doesn't sound like much, but I sure was tired.  So now we start the race to Christmas.  Forget Black Friday. I DO NOT leave the house the day after Thanksgiving.  I worked 5 years at our local Wally World, answering the phone.  I would not go near any store, but especially WM the day after Thanksgiving. People are crazy.  I can tell you that the prices ARE NOT WORTH THE TRIP.  I saw people steal other peoples carts, take stuff out of other peoples carts. It was unbelievable. I really don't think you could pay me to go near the places. So to all you folks that got up at midnite to go shopping. TAKE A NAP!!! and repeat after me "I will NOT do this next year !!" Amen
God Bless you (and your sore feet)
Mary

THANKSGIVING DAY

Today is Thanksgiving.  No matter what our current circumstances we all have something to be thankful for.  I am thankful that God led me to my husband Don.  I am thankful that my brothers and their families are all healthy and together. I am thankful that my Aunt Mary is still alive and able to live by herself at nearly 90 years of age. I am thankful for my friends.  I am thankful for realitively good health since I no longer have health insurance. I am thankful for the military people that protect our Nation and our way of life and for the sacrifices they are willing to make to keep us free.  I am thankful for their families that live with the constant fear for their loved ones safety while protecting us.  I am most thankful that I can worship my Lord and God without fear. I am thankful that Jesus died on a cross to forgive my sins.
Thank you Lord.
Mary

THANKSGIVING WEEK

It is now the week of Thanksgiving. I am trying to get more crafted items ready to post on ETSY. Trying to get some cleaning up done.  Do some cooking mainly pumpkin pies and oatmeal cookies.  I would rather have homemade cookies than any other kind of desert.  When I can I like to add things such as raisins and dried cranberries.   Since I discovered dried cranberries I am hooked.  I hope the oranges we ordered from the FFA kids comes in this week.  I would love to make the cranberry orange relish my grandmother used to make.  It was soooo goooood.  I will try to post the recipe some time this week. 
The weather is almost hot again.  There is no need for jackets in the daytime.  We have a chance for showers Tuesday and then rain and storms Wednesday and Thursday.  Good ol' November weather.  It really hasn't been too bad this year. Somehow I still keep waiting for the other weather-shoe to fall.  We have not had our regular stormy weather like usual.

On the craft front I have put together some lavender sachet with hopes of doing special orders for wedding, Christmas favors, showers and such. As usual I can't just put lavender in the bags, I decided to change the ribbons and of course I had to make them longer to tie pretty bows.

I am also working on more strawberry pincushions and sachets. It has really been a job to get to where I can start decorating them, but now the assembly line is chugging along.  More to come.
Have a nice night and God Bless you.
Mary

MORE SACHETS AND IS TIME FLYING OR WHAT??

I have been trying to get some work done this week.  I have made some progress. Here and there. Some shows and some does not.  I have found some things and lost some things. It seems to be a hopeless cycle.  I can have something IN MY HAND !! and NOT be able to find it 10 minutes later.  I have managed to get a few things finally posted to my THIRD ETSY shop. http://www.marysfabricnstuff.etsy.com/  I put some Christmas ornaments out here.  They are regular Christmas fabrics, my Mother and i made them when we were doing craft shows under Mary's Country Crafts.  Since we haven't done shows together since 1999, they almost are vintage now.  I will have some angel ornaments soon as I can get some angel hair ready and get my glue gun fired up. If I didn't have to do things like feed the hubby, wash clothes, run the dishwasher (I know ALL I have to do is load and unload it) all these LITTLE things do take time out of my day. I am getting old and while the energizer bunny is cottage pink, I ain't the bunny, not anymore.  Apparently I don't have the get up and go I used to have. It got up and went. Far away and didn't leave a forwarding address, a trail of breadcrumbs NOTHING!! So now all I can do "try to remember" (humhum remember the song). I remember when I would cut out 200 country aprons ( thats skirts, 4 ties, 2 pockets with matching lining, and a quilted bib for EACH APRON) all in ONE DAY.  And we quilted the bib, too ( was NOT purchased quilted fabric). I really used to be able to churn the sewing out, feed horses, exercise same horses, feed other animals, haul feed. etc,etc.
Wow makes me tired to think about it.  I still say that energy (like 3 yr olds have) is wasted on the young.  It is this old folk that needs it. All of it.  Any way here some pics of some of the Christmas ornaments and then some lavender sachets that I listed on my http://marysrosecottage.etsy.com/ .

You all have a nice weekend, and I am going to try to get some more things listed and REST.
God bless all of you.

Mary

GETTING IN THE GROOVE AND CREATING AGAIN

Well, I am still at it.  Hiding out in my sewing room and doing my thing.  Don just shakes his head and picks out another book to read while I'm sewing.  I am getting my speed back, finishing each one a little quicker than the one before. It is just fun.
 I got a convo on Etsy today, a nice lady named Judy has selected my "Sisters" sachet for a Treasury she is creating. I am honored and just blown away.  Her Etsy site is http://twinklestarcrafts.etsy.com/ . She has some really pretty vintage items and crafts. I found several I wish I could purchase right now. 
I am really getting in the Christmas spirit.  All I want to do right now make Christmas pretties.  I have some on the sewing table to post Friday or Saturday. I have one of my Christmas sachets posted tonight. More to come.  Had to get a new printer ink cartridge to finish up.  Work,work, can't slow down. 

Thanks to Rebecca at A Gathering Place for her comments.  When I first started on Ebay I watched everything that she and Lynn at Teacupstitches did.  I thought they made the most beautiful Cottage Chic items I have ever seen. With Rebecca taking the time to even read my blog and then to comment, I feel like I have been visited by royalty.  Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Hope every one is enjoying this beautiful weather.

Thank you Lord for this weather.

Til next time.

Mary