Grandma nurtured all who passed through her doors. Whether it was with a cup of coffee and one of her famous Raisin-Filled Cookies for the adults or a hug and a slice of jelly bread for the youngin’s, she always welcomed you to her table with grace and cheer. She’s been gone now since 1999 and oh, how I miss her. But, I can still feel her goodness within these walls and I love having time here with my memories. I will concede, the high-speed internet is a bonus.
I know there are some of you who don’t like to see my “ads” for my shop right up in your face. That’s why I started adding them at the bottom of my posts Monday through Saturday. I also have a separate Facebook page for Marshmallow Ranch Designs and an Etsy Shop that I’m trying to get off the ground. Y’all could really help me out if you would do the “s” word and let others know about it. Small Businesses everywhere need all the help they can get and I just know there are folks out there who might like to get a little something for someone at this time of year.
That being said, I do want to show you what I’ve been working on for the last three days here at the farm. I’ve been trying to think of something that would appeal to a broader audience. Something small, not terribly expensive, yet good quality and design. That’s when I got the idea to make a cute Christmas Ornament for ALL 50 States! Try as I might, I couldn’t settle on a design I like but it finally came to me yesterday morning. Less is more. So I trimmed it back and made the simplest of embellishments and if I do say so myself, they’re pretty darned cute!
My stay was delightful and Mr. FixIt got along just fine without me there to cluck over him like an old mother hen. He even cooked for himself. I remember asking Grandma if PopPop helped her with the cooking and cleaning and she snorted. “That man couldn’t even fry an egg!” I busted out laughing because I had never, ever heard her say a derogatory word about the man she shared her life with since she was fifteen.
We had a heck of a rainstorm yesterday morning, but the sun came out in the afternoon and it was lovely. I swept the ladybugs off the front porch again and there weren’t quite as many as the day before. I’m looking forward to getting home and FINALLY attacking the family room. I really want to paint it before the holidays, but I’m not sure if I can get that done or not. It may have to wait till spring now. I don’t particularly want to paint when I can’t open the house up and air it out. And, we’d have to take the gas stove out to paint behind it and right now we are depending on it for our heat till the furnace is fixed. Pipe dreams.
Thanks for indulging me and looking at my work. I’m looking forward to the winter when I can do some “makerly” work… things I make with my own hands. That’s how Marshmallow Ranch started in the first place. I made jewelry from antique silverware and maps and such in my art studio in Colorado and sold them on Etsy. Ahhh, that seems like three lifetimes ago. I suppose in a way, it has been. My life as Mr. Virgo’s wife in Colorado. My life as a widow on the road. And my life alongside Mr. FixIt here in West Virginia. That life… THIS life is the best!
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“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
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US States Christmas Ornaments have arrived in the shop! Do you have a friend or loved one who lives far from their home? Or maybe a service member or college student who is missing home this holiday season? Send them some cookies and this cute little ornament to lift their spirits.
