Hello New Decade

Hey guys, one of my plans for this new year is to blog more.  I used to do the Xanga thing, and most of the cyber~friends I made there, we're still friends now, on Facebook.  It was quite helpful to get some thoughts out every day, and I think it will help me in this phase of life I am finding myself in. 

Learning to remain calm is one of the new lessons I am learning.  In retrospect, I am a very reactionary person.  I'm working on being a calming influence when life seems to get too big. 

I'm feeling a bit of Separation Anxiety since my little family moved away.  I was so involved in their lives and now they are far away.  I am learning that I understand this is normal, my "little girl" is a full grown woman raising a family in love and adventure and I feel so proud.  Doesn't mean that I shouldn't have the feeling of missing them.

Young Son, I'm steady praying for him.  My "little boy" is a full grown man.

Still doing my wood burning.  I am doing so much better than when I first started, and I am proud of that.  Some of my work is being displayed at a Vintage store here in town.  I've been doing some research on craft shows.  I didn't think I would do any while Darlin' Danielle was gone, but I might, some here close by.  Making plans, mental notes, thinking thoughts.

I dabbled in making some Christmas Ornaments this year, they went over pretty well.  Thinking of making some Garden Ornaments, too.  I really like doing the small, intricate work.

Commissioned sales were good in '19, which makes me happy.  I love doing custom work. 

You can check out my Personalized Pet Pyrography right here.

To see other burnings, click here.

I'm gonna trust in the knowledge that everything is going to work out exactly as it is supposed to. 

Play Nice!  xxoo

Hey guys!

So much has been going on.  In August, right after the kids got an offer on their house, Mother Nature threw them a curve ball.  A "microburst" pulled a huge tree out of their back yard, damaging their fence and their neighbors fence, then flung it down upon their two-tier deck, and part of their roof.  Add to that, my SIL was leaving in two days for 6 weeks in Tennessee. 

My daughter is a wonder.  I can't even express how much stress she was going through, all with a smile on her face, loving the kids, doing what needed to be done.  Handled contractors, insurance people, etc.  I am always proud of her, but she iced the cake with this one.

So, the house is sold.  Not to the original people that offered, they backed out, but that was the 30th something house they had looked at, husband did not want to move, so the next people that looked at it, damaged and all, are now the proud owners.  1st time homeowners, they worked hard to get there, and we are real happy for them. 

My daughter's little family have been staying with us for their last couple weeks in Missouri.  They've been here a week now and how much fun do you imagine it is for me to be able to just walk down a flight of stairs, sit down on the floor and build a lego tower with the g-twins, or have my big-g sleeping with me every night? 

Amazing fun.  Amazing.  And I am truly thankful for the time I get to spend with all of them before they run off and start their exciting new chapter of their lives.

On the business side, I have been selling a lot of burnings!  We did a few shows in Warrensburg, and those were very successful.  I set up at a flea market here in my town once and sold a fair bit.  That makes me pretty happy.

This is the one everyone pointed out 

and read out loud.  

I was thrilled when someone finally purchased it!

I got a new burner, a bit more professional than the soldering iron/wood burning  pen from Walmart.  It heats up super quick and can get super hot.  It came with 3 tips, but I treated myself to a new ball type tip after I sold a few burninngs.  I really like it.  

My new work-room furniture arrived this week.  Amish, custom  roll top desk, a writing desk which will be my wood burning table) and a nice chair.  My mind is going a jillion different directions as to how to decorate.  Glad to have some help, my SIL is going to hang the knick-knack shelf came from the house I grew up in.  I have hauled it from place to place to place, only to have it hanging once in the duplex we lived in before we moved to Sweetheart's house.  I am super excited to get it hanging up, and decorating it with all my treasures I have collected through the years. 

Of course, I will share a pic here. 

Come take a look at my Facebook page, Handmade by Cosmo.  The links are pinned at the top of the page. 

Oh yeah, I am offering a super duper sale, from now (10-25-19) to November 25, 2019:  All burnings will be $10.  Personalized burnings will be $15.  $5.00 shipping.  Act now, or act a little later, just don't wait too long.  Christmas won't wait, not even for procrastinators! 

Play Nice!  xxoo

Where Have I Been?

Life has continued in my little slice of Heaven on Earth.

We have my daughter's pets until this coming Saturday.  Sweetheart and I are waking up super early to take them to the airport, which is about a 2 hr drive from our house...luckily it is on a Saturday morning, we won't have to deal with any rush-hour traffic.

I haven't had to drive in it for awhile, It has been quite a few years.  When I was young and foolish, I'd drive anywhere, any time, shoot, I took off to St. Louis from Independence in the middle of a huge snowstorm once, and I made it, too.

Nowadays, nope.  Driving through the city is too much for me to do, I even had a friend drive my car downtown to pick Delilah up from a wedding so her parents could stay.  His girlfriend came, they sat in the front, D and I sat in the back.  I would never have found that place, I promise.

I know a lot of you are thinking I should consult my GPS...and I agree, just haven't been able to get it to work yet.  I'll try on the way to the airport this weekend.

Off they will be flying, to Germany.  What a fiasco getting all their paperwork processed.  I have to say that I am pleased with my dealings with the USDA in Topeka, KS.  Catherine, if by chance you come across this, I really respect what you do.  Those forms were a conundrum for me...for you to be able to keep that straight x a bazillion of the same thing at the same time...and was pleasant the whole time, too.  I appreciate that.

I've been cranking out the Critters with all this new time on my hands.  I am enjoying feeling creative again, and Maria, while a bit anxious at times, is still my number one girl.  I think once her "partner in peskiness," Rilo, has gone home to her mother, Maria will calm down a bit.  Not sure, but seems like Rilo is the first bark I hear, usually.

Back to business/Critters...I received a very cool light box from my Darling Daughter for my birthday, and I have been using it.  I realized that I had many more Critters than I thought, and didn't have pics of  quite a few of them.

Here's the set up in my sewing room.  It's a little makeshift, but it works. 

As you can see up at the top of this post, the pics of my Critters, I've added quite a few.  You might want to clickety over and take a look at them, especially my Christmas Critters for this year.  A couple of retro from last year's Christmas Critters.  If you do, let me know in the comments which of my Critters you think would be a good Christmas Critter.  

Thanks for stopping by, I'll be back soon.  

Play Nice!  xxoo