Happy New Year Everyone!

Happy New Year everyone!  We would like to wish all of you a Happy, Healthy and productive New Year!

It has become the tradition at Cock-A-Doodle that on New Year's Eve I prepare a holiday meal and a few of us get together to Sit & Sew.  The preparations usually start days before and there was no exception this year.  I did the food shopping earlier in the week and had plans to make one of my famous desserts but alas it was not to be.

There was a newsletter to get out and I got busy Wednesday in an attempt to get it done.  So busy that I missed the deadline to get the cake done in time.  No worries, I knew where I could get something delicious!  So I continued working away until around 2:00 A.M. when I decided I'd better get home and get some sleep.....

Off went the lights, bags in hand, pack up the car, alarm on, lock the door and......you guessed it!  The car wouldn't start!  Back into the store and now what????  If I called OnStar again they would come and boost me and I'd have to let it run for an hour.  By the time they got there it would be 3:00 A.M. - so I called my son and said I was sleeping on the couch at the store!!!!

Hah!  I was so angry (at myself for not dealing with the battery problem) that I just couldn't get to sleep so at 4:00 A.M.  I called a cab and went home to bed.....not so fast....I was still wired up so I got into bed and started reading.

Did I tell you I was reading The Lost Symbol - well around 5:00 A.M. I hit this really crucial part and I couldn't put the book down - you know how that is? right???  Didn't fall asleep until 7:00 A.M..

It's now New Year's Eve and I don't wake up until 1:00 P.M. - I still have shopping to do and cooking to do and I have no car!  Rich comes to my rescue (as usual) and takes me shopping and boosts the car (too late to get a battery today!) and drops me at the store.....

I want to make dinner rolls - oh please!  So out comes the breadmaker and I read the recipe and dinner's gonna be late! (Cuz I want to make dinner rolls!!!)

Seriously, I couldn't find any at the store or I would have bought some!  Dinner was supposed to be at 7:00 P.M., lucky if we eat by 9:00 P.M.!

So - we serve appetizers to keep everyone from murdering the chef!  Great idea - I mean some people don't eat until midnite on New Year's Eve!  Then I have a major meltdown because I forgot to read the recipe for the Gorgonzola Sauce which takes an hour and I started it late......okay!  This will happen!

....and finally dinner is served (I had to put the beef back in the oven - it was still mooing!).......

The Menu was -

Filet of Beef with Gorgonzola Sauce

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Asparagus Spears

Roasted Tomatoes

Sauteed Mushrooms

Red Wine (Thanks Gillian! I needed that!)

Dessert was also amazing..............

Lynne contributed Brownies (homemade) and Shortbread

Flo brought Mincemeat Pies

I bought a Chocolate Mousse Cake

and Laurissa made Lemon Squares (to die for!)

....and I got NO sewing done!  By the time we finished dinner it was after 10:00 P.M. and I needed to get that kitchen cleaned up so no one else would have to clean my mess......However, we all had a great time - Laurissa was working on this gorgeous applique - she didn't even bring her machine!...and also on her Baltimore Album!

Last one to leave was Elaine - she was working on a Bread Basket - oops! no it's a purse/bag from clothesline (looks like a class to me! - maybe in the Spring!)  I didn't get a picture but check out her blog (link on the side bar) - she's got great pics!

Then Laurissa and I shut down the lights and guess what!  The car started! (Phew!!!) 

Yesterday was another "lazy" day for me!  I literally slept the day away (after I finished reading The Lost Symbol - great book!!! I really enjoyed it - really makes you think!).  I then worked on another project - NO IT IS NOT A NEW PROJECT!!

It's a wallhanging I started about 7 years ago and it's been on my UFO list for awhile (7 years - duh!)!  It's actually on of the UFO's I can get done quickly and it involved alot of hand work so since I was watching TV - I pulled it out and got some of the blanket stitching done last night....

Today was Healing Heroes Day at the store and the ladies were busy quilting tops they had finished - it was great to see them at work!  I headed for the back room and finished the NEWSLETTER - if all goes well you should have it in your mailboxes and e-mails by Wednesday.

The Open House is the 15th, 16th and 17th so mark your calendars.  There are some really fabulous classes coming up - alot of new technique classes and a number of Blocks Of The Month - one of them is pictured below!

Patchwork Sampler by Lori Smith

Laurissa is teaching this fabulous pattern in 12 parts!  I'm tempted to do it myself - I just love this pattern BUT I'm thinking I have enough to do right now!

Tonight I came home and planted myself in front of the TV and completed the blanket stitching on my wallhanging and cut all the triangles, etc. for the pieced border......may even get it finished tomorrow night! 

I've made a few resolutions which I won't share right now because I have blabbed on way too much tonite......tomorrow is another day!

Happy New Year again and Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann