blogs, business & beauty

More snow last night.  Not a lot, but more.  Enough to be very pretty out there, enough to make the birds have to dig a little deeper to find food in the feeders.


The first week of the new year has passed already and almost all of our Christmas decorations have been taken down - except our outdoor lights.  I did leave up a few lights over the fireplace since they look so nice, and candles in some windows because the house is bare with everything gone at once.  My husband undecorated our Christmas tree and then placed it outside, leaning it against the end of our deck, securing it there so the winds won't knock it over and carry it away.  I like the tree there till Spring for the birds.  It adds extra natural shelter for them near the feeders, and they seem to enjoy hopping down into its branches.


We had the most gorgeous snowfall a few days ago, and I have posted two pictures for you, although a camera cannot capture the true beauty. The first one shows our Christmas tree buried in snow against our deck. The second one may give you an idea of how the snow clung to tree limbs. This snow was not like the usual.  It fell and piled up, stuck like whipped cream, thick and hanging off everything. A heavy wet snow that adorned all the world, so it seemed.  It was exquisite, profoundly quiet and breathtakingly beautiful .. so much so that one hated to step out into it and make tracks to ruin its magnificence.

Since I have been thinking a lot more lately about writing I started a blog on WordPress.  It will be used mostly for my chatter and progress on that topic so that this blog will be mostly about business and other things - which is what I had intended in the first place.  The challenge will be to keep up with both.

A few weeks ago I downloaded QuickBooks Pro to help me with bookkeeping, and lately have been trying to get all my website items listed on it. Once I am caught up I will start loading more on the site.  It all takes so much time!  And I am not one who can stick forever at one thing, so it takes me longer than it should.

I have plans to expand my website's visibility later to build a broader customer base.  There are certain things I want finished on it first and then I'll make my move.  :)  I will let you know what that is about when it comes time.

So .. what was the best thing that happened for you during the Christmas season?
What did God stir in your heart?
What are your goals - or 'intentions' as a friend calls them - for this new year?
If you have any thoughts on what I have posted ... you  know the drill!  :)

Thanks for reading, and ... Blessings on your day!  :)

change can be beautiful

I realized today that it has been a whole year since I started blogging, having begun in September 2008!

Already it is the end of the first week into another Autumn, and - after rain this morning - today is warm and beautiful. The leaves have been changing colour, as I was pointing out to my little grandson yesterday to draw his attention to the beauty that God has made. He is so teachable at this age, being all of four years old as of June.

Sammy is four as well, born in September. Last week I took him to a professional groomer for the first time. Sam is a Maltese x miniature wire-haired Dachshund. That means he has a medium long coat, long body, longish ears, and short legs. Cute. His 'mama' (my daughter) kept his coat trimmed to a more manageable length, but with her currently being in AB I decided the grooming part of his care is not for me. The groomer had her problems with him, and it took 3 1/2 hours instead of 3 for his first time. I had her shave his coat right down short and I guess he was not happy about this stranger being so intimate! Oh well, he seems to feel a lot better now ... and he looks much more like a dachshund. And still cute, although the images below do not capture that very well.                                                       

                                                                                              
<-- Before              After   -->


     Yes, it's the same dog!
                                           (doesn't like the camera flash)

I have added a few titles to my "Other Blogs I'm Following" list, some of the blogs that I decided I am interested in enough to follow. It would be nice to have more followers of my own, but maybe that will increase once I get things going with my website.

If you 'happened upon' my blog I would love it if you would sign up as a follower and/or leave comments. It is nice to know someone is reading what I write. Comments would make it even better. Thanks!

Thanks for reading, and ... Blessings on your day! :)