Happy New Year's Eve!

This is what our scenery looks like here at Old Crow Farm this morning! Wonderful snow and so peaceful and quiet!!! May you all have a safe and happy New Year's evening and many blessings in 2008!

Ready for 2008!

Happy New Year from Vermont!

I can't believe we are almost into 2008!! This year went so fast!

We got some more snow, about 4 inches, last night so the snow is white and sparkly once again!

I am finishing up chair pads and then must finish the rug I am working on for a customer. These are wonderful days for rug hooking!

I hope that we all will remember in the coming year to have more kindness and compassion for others, to show reasonableness in any conflict and to let the trivial go and not live in that "nit-picky" world where we crab about little things!

I am always surprised when people talk to me about conflict in their marriages or friendships or other relationships that so many of the things they mention are very trivial and not worth fighting about! (I always tell people who ask me that I don't want to waste my precious "crabbyness" on something insignificant!!! I want something really BIG so I can have a really good crab!) : )

My husband and I are very different people and after we married, we pledged to be kind to each other and to try to work out any problems with caring and courtesy.

Now that we have been married for 20 years (a second marriage for us both) we find that our pledges were good ones and, with a few "snits" along the way (LOL!!!) we have had a very happy and peaceful life. : )

May you have health, happiness and only a few "crabby" spells in 2008!!! : )

Winter Wishes

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

We enjoyed a quiet, peaceful day listening to beautiful music on radio and television all day long. Because our children and grandchildren are all on the West coast, we don't have them with us at Christmas. The weather here in Vermont, New Hampshire and Mass. in the winter time is often snowy, icy, etc., so we prefer not to travel but visit family at other times.

We don't give a lot of gifts at Christmas.
Husband makes his special maple sugar candy and we send that out to family. We might send a puzzle
or a few small gifts to grandchildren still living at home or to our younger grandchildren.

Mostly, we think of Christmas as a time of sending
good wishes to family and friends and remembering those not as fortunate as we are...not a time for going into debt buying items we don't need and can't afford. Our families spoil us with their homemade candies, jams and other treats
and we have asked that they don't send us other gifts as we are at that stage of life where we are downsizing and don't
need more "stuff"!) : )

I usually ask my husband what he would like
for Christmas dinner and make the favourite dinner he chooses! (He looks forward to holidays
because we eat rather plainly and simply for most of the
year...and I try to spoil him on the holidays!!!!) LOL

This year we had one of his all-time favourite meals...pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions cooked all day in the crockpot. Mapled sweet potatoes, mashed. Tiny peas with butter and for dessert, a freshly made apple pie with french vanilla ice cream!!! Yummy! And we do love the leftovers!!

Husband often buys me an ornament made by one of our Vermont artists for Christmas and perhaps another small gift or flowering plant. I get him a new book and some other small item I know he can use. These simple gifts are all we need.

We are fortunate to have each other, virtually no conflict, reasonably good health and very little stress. One of my sister-in-law's framed stitchery pieces says..."To love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth"...and we find that to be a wonderful truth.

I hope you will be blessed with good health and happiness in the year to come...as you know, we make much of our own happiness by choosing to live a life of balance and harmony, tied together with reason and compassion for others.
Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

We're having a sunny day here in Vermont for Christmas. We lost quite a bit of snow over the weekend with the wind and higher temps...but we still have nice white snow!

Enjoy!

Hookin'Chair Pads!

I'm having a ball doing these...what fun!

It's like a little "wool painting" for your chair! LOL

A Good Harvest

copyright, Sunnie Andress 2007

Catching A Ride

copyright, Sunnie Andress 2007

unfinished-Vermont Country Cottage

copyright Sunnie Andress 2007

unfinished - Still Life with Zinnias

copyright, Sunnie Andress 2007

These are really fun to do! I'm just drawing on the backing (linen) without using patterns and hooking them in country colours! I thought I'd do some to have a few smaller things for my shows...as it is, I have the larger rugs but I've had requests for smaller items too. : )
Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year!

Snowing today! Again!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!! : )

It is softly snowing again today...it looks so pretty!

I do love the snow! We have all our Christmas gifts set off to our families...many of them in the West... and we can relax and enjoy the peace, quiet and snowy countryside! I'm baking a new recipe for Pumpkin bread so we'll see how it turns out...would you believe it uses 5 eggs!!! Whew! With pecans and spices, it should be good!!! Yum! I'm hooking on a few chair pads...they go quickly and I just draw on the backing and then hook. No need to make patterns...lots of fun! I'll post a picture later!

More Snow!!

Happy Winter Everyone!

Thank goodness for a snowblower! My husband and I used to clear all of it by just hands and shovels! But now at age 76 and my soon-to-be 66, we thought a snowblower would be wise investment!

As you can see, we are clearing deeper paths to the barn and to the garage which is across the street! The mailbox post is getting covered up with the snow and the snowplow throwing ever more snow on it!!! : ) The snow is higher and higher! This is a Vermont winter!!! LOL

One of my good friends left a Blog message for me discussing the problem some people have in the winter...the lack of sunlight. Also, the cold and the stark landscape can cause depression and a feeling of sickness or just feeling "not right" during these days. I am fortunate to be one who is not really affected by the weather. My only problem with weather would be hot, humid summer days when I feel limp and wet with no energy! But no weather causes me any depression or emotional distress...and I am very thankful for that. My good thoughts and warm wishes go out to all who suffer with these problems. The answers and treatments are not always easy.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Vermont Snowstorms!

The big Maple tree in the back yard looks cold too! : )

But that is Winter in Vermont!

Looks pretty coooold and icy out there!

We've really had a lovely snowstorm and we are due for another one on Sunday! Thank goodness we don't have to go anywhere except to town for groceries, etc. We can stay in by the fire and be warm and cozy!

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone!

Stay warm...

Santas, Peddlers and Snow!

Here is some of what I've been up to during the Summer-into-Autumn season...and I'll start again with rugs and Santas, etc. in the Spring!

A Gentle Santa

copyright, Sunnie Andress 2007

This peaceful Santa is bringing lots of wonderful things for good girls and boys! Better be good!

A Christmas Peddler

copyright, Sunnie Andress 2007

The Christmas peddlers were new for me this year and people seemed to enjoy them. they are such fun to do...finding all those tiny things for the trays!

It's really been snowing here in beautiful Vermont! We have about 10-12 inches on the ground now. So pretty!

Wow! Is It Snowing or What!!

Logo by Nutmeg Creations for my Sunnie Andress Designs website showing images from 4 of my rugs. Graphics copyright Nutmeg, Original rugs copyright Sunnie 2005

All of my rugs are hooked in #5 to #8 cuts, and also hand cut wool strips. As I have said before, they are all done in a folk art style...not really primitive as the images are more detailed than what we usually think of as primitive.

The Rooster rug below has a more primitive feeling to it!

copyright Sunnie Andress 2007

Roosters Rug inspired by a design on a punched tin cupboard door!

copyright Sunnie Andress 2007

Making progress on B is for Bountiful Harvest rug...already Sold.

It is really snowing today as the big storm hits us here in Vermont! A great day to be inside snug and warm...and hooking!

Stay warm and cozy and have a wonderful Christmas too!