a dog on my doorstep

in which our plucky heroine takes a small detour...

meet the new denizen of Nandina's world -  a surprise packet arrived in the post box today, containing this charming Japanese carved wood Akita dog, just 3" tall at the tip of its ears. No note inside, a delightful mystery, edited: gift from my friend Eva... I was imagining that someone might have been emulating the spirit of our beloved late friend Russ, who sent anonymous gifts at random to people...)

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my friend Mari created a new holiday quite a few years ago, and it is one of my very favorite holidays - Ursus! ... here is what she has to say about it:

Hello Beautiful People! Have you heard about Ursus? Ursus is a long holiday that extends from Nov 30 to Jan 11. Why is it the middle of the silly season? The season of rushing and buying and frantic sewing? End of the year deadlines and family drama? Because Ursus is to remind us to find our inner calm- take time to relax- we celebrate by taking time to read a book just for fun, take a nap or have a cuppa with a friend. In the North we snuggle up with cozy socks and blankets and enjoy a bit of hibernation away from the cold. In the South, we might go to the beach, lounge in the hot tub, have a cool drink with mates. "But I don't have time to relax!!" Mate, no one else can relax for you. The stressors will all be there when the time you take is done- but you will be keener and better able to take on the world. So take a moment, take a deep breath and enjoy life and all it's wonder.
HAPPY URSUS!

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~ creativity challenge ~

Miniature (faux) hemostat sawn from a scrap of pewter sheet. A friend asked me if I could make one for the Frida Kahlo ofrenda she is creating... (the same friend I made a set of miniature papel picado for last week)

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November SMART goals (x=extra)

#	THINGS MADE	THINGS FIXED	THINGS GONE
1	roses kerchief	leather thimble	recycle bin
2	6 jars persimmon ketchup	teal popover dress	yard waste bin
3	6 jars pickled beets	jelly cloth	recycle bin
4	5 jars pear chunks	30 persimmons dried	-
5	8 jars quince jelly syrup	many persimmons dried	-
6	sparkle horse kerchief	x	-
7	miniature hemostat	x	x
8	-	x	x
9	x	x	x
10	x	x	x
11	x	x	x
12	x	x	x
13	x	x	x
14	x	x	x
15	x	x	x

today's gratitude - on the first day of Ursus, I let myself sleep in. I am grateful that I have a life where that is an option, in a world where so many people do not.