I Have got...

The nicest FRIENDS! My dear friend Lex Valentine from Winterheart Design surprised me with this, and I'm using it as my blog today, because I wish everyone could feel what I feel when I see this video.

It's the very best kind of surprise, one that just comes out of the blue! I like to use my time and talent to gift people too, I remember making a ton of cookies and pumpkin breads and painted sweatshirts over the years. I know those things we make are humble, but after the year I had, sometimes it's those very things, the hand made things, that matter most.

The fabric restoration company managed to save all my afghans and crocheted blankets. I used to think them very humble indeed, especially when I was young and decorating my house. They seemed unsophisticated to me, back in the day.

Now, as an adult with almost grown children of my own I am so very often filled with the desire for my mother's arms around me. She's gone, but I still have those blankets. I have a woolen one made by my great grandmother, a lovely ivory and rose granny square crochet blanket from my grandmother, and several more still from my own mother, and I wouldn't trade them for cashmere. We have all the baby blankets too, and I feel sure more generations will be wrapped in that maternal love in the future.

I think the needlework skipped my generation, but they'll have my stories, (some of which are clean enough to read), and they'll have other things from me. Bits and bobs, as they say. Perhaps when I finally replace my sewing machine I'll take up quilting, which was the plan all along, but I got sidetracked by writing. (There's so much less measuring with writing.)

I thought I'd share my favorite sappy Christmas song here. It's not just about Christmas the holiday, but the spirit of all holidays, which is family and friends and love--kind of hard to find sometimes beneath all the trappings.

Yet for me, sometimes, all it takes is a terrific surprise gift like my video, made with love, and there it is, right there!

For the record, the Grinch movie totally creeped me out. But I love the Whos and this song. 

This is DAY Ten

of the GREAT HOLIDAY ZAMFEST!
what's in it for you?

Welcome to the twelve days of ZAMfest All you have to do is comment to enter the daily drawing and I'll pull a new name from the hat each night to win an ebook from my backlist. The TWELFTH day will be Christmas, that's when I'll put the name of anyone who leaves me a comment on all twelve blogs, into a drawing and one very lucky person will win the grand prize-- a $50 dollar Amazon Gift Card. If you're new to the ZAMfest, it's not too late to go back and comment on earlier blogs. Good Luck!

DAY nine's winner is Lisa, I'll be contacting you to see which ebook you'd like!

Thanks for playing along! I've been wanting to say, I've missed a couple of days of replying to comments, wow, with christmas this close, I had to finally stop procrastinating and go out shopping. I've dragged home the feasting foods, and caught up with some of my last minute presents, but still, I'm not quite through yet! That doesn't mean I don't love and cherish each and every comment! Thanks so much for stopping by!