Mom's Santa

Here is my mom's santa that always sat outside our front door to greet guests and delivery persons from Thanksgiving through Christmas. 

This was one of the only things that I really wanted to have that was my mom's...

I used to tell Dave that by the time I was 21 I had moved more times than years I had been alive.

 I bet this Santa has moved around just as much... I wonder where he will be in years to come?

Love having him here to greet our guests!

Oops - wrong blog...

Oh crap.... You know I'm medicine head when I post my Marsha Neal Studio info on my blog for my mom...

Hey mom, look what I did...

MarshaNealStudio.Etsy.com

My Etsy shop is set up - Finally!

I can't believe how long it takes to get it pulled together - just the background info and policies. No items yet, but that should happen as soon as I get a cool background, the pieces, camera then item descriptions together. So like another billion years maybe... hopefully not. I've got some fun pieces to put up, and don't have time to fool with my actual website shopping cart since both Dave and I are head cold sick right now.

Here is a link to my Etsy shop so far. If anyone has any comments or advise - please let me know. I'm flying by the seat of my pants on this one (and as medicine head, trying to fend off this cold!)

http://www.MarshaNealStudio.Etsy.com

Christmas Stuff Dec 5th

In our family room we have a larg wall unit entertainment system, and in it we have a place for mom's picture along with a seasonal Byers Choice Ltd from her collection that I have.

The last time my mom and I had a good day out was in October 07 just before she started to get sick from Leukemia. We went on a day long bus trip to the Byers Choice Ltd factory in Doylestown, PA then spent the afternoon shopping in Peddler's Village. I think we made 3 trips back to the bus with armloads of bags. The whole time giggling and saying how we were going to have to drive back up there because there is SO much stuff to look at and buy! This tree was one of the things I got that day. We had a lot of fun that day. I'm very happy to have that as my last really good memory with just me and mom. Thanks to Joy for giving me your ticket for the bus trip that day!

Ok, this is pretty funny. Dave and I both have our stockings from when we were little. I just about peed my pants when I saw his for the first time when we were decorating for Christmas in our first house together. I thought it was pretty funny that his was so much bigger than mine -seeing as how he towers a good 1'2" over me...

By the way, Teren, I found yours in a box of Decorations from Mom's house (yours actually has the broom bristles).

So when I saw this stocking, I felt the need to make it for Chloe. So here it is - just finished it up last weekend just in time to do our annual Christmas decorating on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I hope she keeps it for years to come and treasures it and the memories it holds. That's what stockings are for really - holding memories of Christmas as a child...

November Thanks!!

Some days I can't help but see things as something my mom has sent for us to enjoy.

This is a picture looking out my back door on November 21st

which happens to be my sister's birthday.

What a nice gift for her...

A reminder of how much my mom absolutely loved this time of year.

The holidays were her favorite.

And to get snow early like this was extra special.

She used to sing White Christmas all the time...

And around here, a snow covered any holiday - whoopee!

Thanks for the snow mom!

It was beautiful - especially laying on the tree branches...

Your winter wonderland - in November!

For My Mom Pattie

There are so many thoughts that I have about my mom every day.

There are memories, questions, considerations, and much more.

And I want to get them written out - but a notebook is just so closed door.

So sending these thoughts into cyberspace -

Well, that in some weird way makes me feel like I am not alone with my thoughts..

They are out there for all to read.

And it makes me more comfortable talking to others out there

rather than sitting on some couch talking to a "professional"

person wasting time and monies.

This will be my way of discussing what I've been going through...

And I hope that others will post as well - but that is up to them...