Show and Tell Friday

Dolls are one of my many collections,I collect porcelain and cloth dolls.I love dolls,I guess I am still a little girl at heart because I had just as soon buy a doll or make a cloth doll as I had to buy anything.This is just a few of my porcelain dolls.Some were ordered from Ashton Drake others were given to me by my mother and husband for birthdays.I also love to collect cloth dolls that were made by others,I do make them also and can never seem to part with the ones I make,unless they were made especially for a doll swap.I have cloth dolls made by ladies from Canada,Australia,and other countries also America.I will have to post the cloth dolls on another Show and Tell.The doll in the second picture was the first on bought for my collection.She was bought because she looked like my first grand daughter 14 years ago.That was the start of my collecting dolls.The last pic was a doll chosen because she favored my second grand daughter sister to the first grand daughter.It has been awhile since I bought a porcelain doll,but I think the time to buy a new one is nearing,(My husband will love hearing that).I slow down on the porcelain dolls when I started making cloth dolls.Hope you enjoy looking at my little beauties.

To see more wonderful Show and Tell post visit Kelli at There is No Place Like Home

Porch Bench in the making

I have been wanting some new porch benches so my husband and I decided we would build them ourselves.We had some pressure treated lumber that was not being used so we are making the porch benches out of that lumber.He was off work last week so it was a good time to get the benches started.We only got one done last week ,but over the next few weekends we are going to build a few more benches.Since they are out of treated lumber we are going to do a few benches to set out around the pond.We enjoy sitting out at the pond and letting the goats eat brush and the benches will make nice sitting areas under the oak tree.We cut the seat of the bench about 5 ft. and then cut the legs they are around24 ins.There is a V cut into the bottom of the legs and then cut flat on each point so it will sit level.We used galvanized screws to assemble it.There is a brace screwed in under the seat at each leg for stability. Here we are making the bench and starting the sanding process,we have had rain all week so I just got started sanding it really well today.I will try and get the sanding finished up tomorrow.Then comes the task of making the choice to stain the bench or put a beautiful country style painting on them.That is the one thing I have not made a decision on yet,I am thinking that for the porch benches I will do a nice country style painting effect,and on the benches that will be at the pond I will stain and add water sealer and a couple of coats of clear varnish.I will add the water sealer and clear varnish to the porch benches also.

When I am finished sanding and start on the painting I will post pictures so you can see the progress of the work until i am finished with the porch benches.I have a few more outdoor projects I want to get done before Spring arrives,but this is my starting point.

"Spending Christmas With Jesus Christ"

My husband and is sisters lost their mother 6 months ago,and just 10 months before that they lost their dad.So for the last two years they have had to celebrate Christmas without their parents,which is a sad thing for anyone to have to do.The first year without dad was a sad one ,but this year without mom and dad was even sadder.Your parents are a very important part of your lives and when you lose both in a little over a years time it is a hard thing to get through.We did our Christmas at my SIL 's daughter's home today and everyone did have a wonderful time,but mom and dad were truly missed by their children,daughter in law ,and son in laws,and grand children.
We all took men and women gifts to play dirty Santa,and gifts just for the kids to open,This is something we did each year with my husbands family.No buying for everyone or swapping names just playing dirty Santa and we had lots of fun playing.Well any way my sister in law brought her brother and two sisters a little gift.It was a poem framed and it was just beautiful,to help them get through Christmas without mom this year.It is a wonderful poem for anyone who is spending Christmas for the first time without someone they love and miss.I would like to share this poem with you and have you share it with someone you know that might need a lift in their spirit for having to spend Christmas without a loved one.I wish i would have had this to read the first year we spent Christmas without my older brother whom I lost 4 years ago.

My First Christmas In Heaven

I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below,
With tiny lights,like Heaven's stars,reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular;please wipe away that tear,
for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,
But the sounds of the music can't compare with the Christmas Choir up here.
I have no words to tell you,the joy their voices bring,
For It is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,I see the pain inside your heart,
But I am not so far away,We really aren't apart.
So be happy for me dear ones,You know I hold you dear
And be glad I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I send you each a special gift from my Heavenly home above,
I send you each a memory of my undying love.
After all,"Love" is the gift, more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,as my Father said to do,
For I can't count the blessings or the Love he has for each of you

So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear,
Remember, I'm spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.


I am not sure where this poem was found,but I do know it made us all feel a lot better about Christmas without mom.We do miss her badly,but to think she is spending Christmas in Heaven with Jesus Christ is a wonderful thought to carry in your heart.So if you are missing a lost Love one here at Christmas Time just remember that they are in Heaven spending Christmas with Jesus Christ.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL IN BLOG LAND

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!!!!!!!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day with their family and friends.

My Little Found Christmas Treasures

I found some nice little Christmas Treasures today on my trip to town.It was just a streak of luck because my daughter ,the grands and I were going to bank and Wal Mart only today.When we got to the bank the person we needed to see was gone to lunch,so I said let's go to Dirt Cheap and spend 30 minutes while waiting for her to get back from lunch.I am sure some of you know what Dirt Cheap is ,but for those that do not it is a store that sells things from fire and water damage stores and returns from stores.Sometimes you can find great deals and other times they might not have much.Great example is about 6 months ago I got a Bunn coffee maker for $15.00,now that was a deal.Today on our unexpected trip to Dirt Cheap I got some wonderful Christmas treasures.The ones in the pics plus a snow family,snowman standing on a snowflake,sm. snowman ornie,and another snowman and stocking figurine.All of those where taken home by my daughter who is collecting snowmen.

Tree Topper that was .50 cent Ice skate ornament that cost.10 cents
Angel Ornament,I got two of these for .15 each.

snowboard with shoes ,boots and goggles .15

Oh this is one of the snowman families my daughter got,she forgot it in the car so I did get a pic of it and the one below.This one cost .50 cents

this one here cost.30 cents

My Santa Claus that I got for .75 cents

I also got an ice crystal wreath for $2.00 ,The total of my whole little shopping spree of found Christmas treasures was a little over $9.00,so I think I did pretty well today,everything in the Christmas isles was 95% off,hope to go back after Christmas and see what else I might find.

In The Mail Today

Today I opened my mail box and there was this wonderful book full of beautiful flowers and vegetables.It was such a nice thing to see all the beauty of spring on a cold and wintery day like today.There are so many beautiful flowers and wonderful vegetable plants to choose from.I am sitting here choosing what I want to order for my Spring planting.I know it is the middle of winter but Spring will be upon us before we realize that it is here,so i am going to start making my order so I will be ready.I will order some seeds and some plants ready for planting.My perennial garden needs some new life in it this year,and there are some great perennials I would like to add.When planting perennials I like to plant the plant itself but I will buy a few different seeds to try out.So although it is winter I can picture pretty flower greenery sprouting from the ground and the beginning of new growth in my gardens.Never to early to start planning our gardens and I think I will start now.

Everyone needs something to make them smile everyday and today for me it is a wonderful book full of flowers and vegetables to shop through.What has put a smile on your face today?

Well I have almost missed Snowy Sunday,all though my pictures are of the snow we had a few weeks ago I am hoping you will enjoy them.My grands had a ball playing in the snow.We are hoping that snow may pay us another visit during Christmas break,but I am sure it will not happen but it would be nice.

To see more Snowy Sunday pictures go to Laurie and Chris and see more beautiful snow pictures