Monday Blues, Blessings and a Helping Hand

I hope everyone has had a good start to their week. This is our last day of Eid vacation and it has been the busiest one yet. I took Yusef for a haircut this morning. The blues started when I didn't see a large L shaped brick on the passenger side so when I went to park, I scraped the bottom of my car and then it got wedged in front of my back tire. Ugh! Two men came along, lifted my car and pulled it out. There's some damage but what to do. It's only a car; that's what I tell myself. My hairdresser and friend, Kathy, came back from New Mexico a couple of weeks ago and today gave me a bracelet and this cute chilli pepper ornament. (She said they would help me to feel better about the car :)


I also snapped two pictures of ornaments she has on her Christmas tree. I just thought they were so pretty and unique; and they were also brought back from New Mexico.


While she was cutting Yusef's hair, I crocheted, and finished this that I started yesterday.

Next on the to-do list was grocery shopping and then home to make fudge.

At 2 pm, the kids and I were off to my friend Sheryll's for an Operation Hope winter bag packing. 43 volunteers showed up to man 3 tables and pack 1500 bags with longjohns and a long-sleeved undershirt; a pair of socks, gloves and a ski cap. It took us one hour to accomplish the task. "Many hands make light work."



My final to-do for the day was to bake Mexican Wedding Cookies (a/k/a Russian Teacakes or Sandtarts -- this cookie has many names). I did two batches so rolled over 100 cookies. I then bagged them up and tied them up like a little parcel in my crocheted hot pads. The fudge was wrapped up in wax paper and tied with yarn. Everything was delivered to Sheryll by 6:45 pm for the British Ladies Society Festive Bazaar tomorrow afternoon. (And yes, I will be going there straight from school.)



I appreciate you stopping by and wish you a wonderful day. Peace & blessings, Tammy

Sunday Blessings

Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit.
"Lillie Langtry"

Today is a bright, sunny, cool day in Kuwait. Sam had another day off. We went to Fusion for lunch (Japanese food). Then to the plant souk for pots and plants. These are the tomato plants we bought several weeks ago.

And this is what they look like now. They grow so fast and should have small tomatoes within the next couple of months.

I also found time to craft today. I have so many cardboard boxes that need to be turned into gift totes so I put Il Divo into the cd player and happily created. Here's what I made, intermingled with vintage inspired scrapping extras from a magazine I got a while back.






Hope you are having a beautiful day in your little corner of the world. Blessings, Tammy

Happy Pink Saturday

Greetings from soggy Kuwait. I was grateful for the nice drizzly rain the past couple of days, but last nite we had a storm. As a result, we had a few leaks through metal windowframes and a trickle in the kids room so had to rearrange their room since it was right above their bunk beds. Homes in Kuwait are always settling and cracking from the heat, so until it rains, you never know where you might have a leak. We've been home all day and I've been crocheting.

Yesterday I made my favorite brownie recipe. So easy and turns out perfect every time. Great with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

The knitted dishrag is from my cousin, Gwen. The bear salt and pepper shakers were a gift from my friend Mona who is now in Lebanon. And the plate with pink roses came as a set with the cake stand and cake server which was a gift from my friend, Sana, for my birthday in February. Here's the brownie recipe:
Deep Dish Brownies

3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsps vanilla extract
3 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan. In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Gradually blend into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool and cut into squares.

Enjoy! Hope you are safe, warm and dry in your part of the world. Blessings, Tammy

Black Friday and Birthday Wishes

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving day filled with food, family, friends and fun. It's the day afer Thanksgiving and today I would like to wish QueenMotherMamaw a very happy birthday.

Hope lovely surprises
Are coming your way,
To make your
Birthday a
Wonderful day.
If you have time, you can stop by to leave your own birthday wish for her at http://queenmothermamaw.blogspot.com
It's also Black Friday in the States. I hope you are all home safe and sound and keeping warm.

It's another cloudy, cool day in Kuwait. Staying home weather for sure. We did venture out for lunch at The Peacock for Chinese food. It's located at SAS hotel just down the road from us.




I started crocheting last nite.

These can be used for dishrags or potholders or even hot pads. I will be donating baked goods on Monday to Operation Hope for a bake sale Tuesday nite and will use these to wrap up cookies and such.

They look like little holiday presents and make a nice display.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I hope you are healthy and happy. Blessings, Tammy

Thanksgiving Thankfulness

Today has been a cloudy, drizzly day. I am so thankful for the rain!
We've spent a nice, quiet day at home. I made pancakes for breakfast with fresh strawberries.

Tried a new recipe -- Cranberry Coffee Cake.


We had our Thanksgiving dinner at 5 pm and are vegging for the rest of the evening.

I was able to finish this little crocheted Christmas garland.

Wishing you all peace and abundant blessings this holiday season.

Wednesday Wishes

*** I would like to wish Bunny from I'm Just Say'n a very happy birthday!

You can hop on over her way http://bunnymissbrenner.blogspot.com/to leave a little birthday greeting.
*** My Aunt Elaine is having her first giveaway!

Please pay her a visit before December 12th to enter. http://athomewithpurvail.blogspot.com/
*** These pretty little heart ornaments are made by ladies at an embassy shelter. The program is called Trash to Treasures. They use fliers and magazines to make lots of wonderful ornaments. "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." ~Thornton Wilder


Wishing you all a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving! Best wishes, Tammy

Tuesday Tidings

“With each sunrise, we start anew”

My days have been pretty busy lately. Work is crazy and there is always something that needs attention when I get home. I did manage to meet friends for coffee this evening.
"The best way to keep your friends is not to give them away."
- Wilson Mizner

The weather has been so nice lately. One more day of school and then we have 5 days off for Eid Al Adha, which falls with Thanksgiving this year.

I'm slowly adding some red around in anticipation of Christmas decorating. I am holding off on until December 1st to really start putting things out. Jingles tried to claim the new wool rug for herself. I decided it would add holiday color to the couch in the tv room.

This red and white afghan belonged to my Mammaw. She's been gone since 1988. I don't even know who made it for her.

I received my first Christmas card and gift the other day from my friend Sheryll. She wanted to give it to me ahead of time since it is a Christmas baking and craft book. I will have time over the holiday to sit and enjoy going through it.

I've been working on a project this week but it just seems to be going nowhere. I think I will work on it for a while now before hitting the hay. I'm determined to finish it within the next couple of days. Wishing you a day of joy! Blessings, Tammy

Blue Monday and a trip to Spain

I see skies of blue ...

Today is actually a beautiful day. Weather is so perfect, you can even see the moon.

Last year in October, we were fortunate to visit friends in Spain. We stayed in Madrid, but ventured out to other areas. This is a little dish I bought that was handmade and painted in Segovia.

"Segovia is one of Spain's most famous historic cities. It is located in the Castilla and León region just half an hour's drive from Madrid. The collection of historical monuments, their conservation together with its beauty make this an impressive city to visit. It was delared a World Heritage Site in 1985."



"Some of the surrounding villages, entrapped in small valleys within the canyons of the River Doratón also have superb Roman historical monuments to see."



"The Aquaduct is Segovia's best known historical monument, clearly visible from the outskirts of the city. It was built towards the end of 1 A.D. It measures 800 metres and at its highest point it reaches 28 metres, in the la Plaza del Azoguejo. This impressive piece of Roman engineering has 166 arches and 120 columns on two levels. Until relatively recently it was still in use and is probably one of the best conserved Roman aquaducts in the world."

This is the restaurant where Yusef celebrated his 13th birthday.

It was certainly amazing to be in an establishment that has been in the same family for over 100 years.

I am thankful for all the countries I've been privileged to visit over the past many years. "The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ~St. Augustine

Wishing you a day of blessings. Tammy