Quilt Tops & Christmas decorations

This is a quilt top I made for myself. I am waiting till after Christmas to have it quilted. I have to finish my children's quilts first and my brother's. What is really a hoot is my best friend, who got married and moved to Minnesota in the summer, has been working on a quilt for her bed in her new home. She hadn't sent me pictures and I hadn't sent her a picture of my quilt top. Nor did we discuss the pattern we had chosen. Well, last night she was finally able to take a picture and send it to me. Can you believe she did her squares just like mine?! Not the same fabrics, but the same design! I was blown away! The only difference is I did not put a border on mine and she is putting a border on hers and doing something different in the corners of the borders. I guess we really are a lot alike!

This is a Christmas quilt top that my 86 year old friend, Lucille, made for me. I have yet to quilt it. Hopefully, I will have it quilted by next Christmas! I think I might just quilt this one myself. On my sewing machine, that is.
I know I've mentioned that we live in a very small house. I really never realized how small it was until we moved back in after my mother's death and there are now 5 people living in the house. When I first moved there with my mother and brother at the age of 15 it was just the three of us and was not crowded at all. Well, we did have a garage full of stuff since we had moved out of a large two story house, but we managed to get rid of all that. My brother moved out a year later when he married and went to college. So the house was just the right size for my mom and me. But now with Hubby, me, two kids, and my Dad it is way too small. We have a very small den and this is my Dad's territory. He sits in his recliner in there all day long and watches nothing but news or TV Land on TV. He keeps this little heater going non-stop in there and it is always so hot that this old menopausal woman can't stand to be in there for more than a minute or two at a time. Therefore, our bedroom has become our family area for Hubby, the kids, and me. I did put my big tree up in the corner of the den. But since I am hardly ever in there I don't get to enjoy it. I really didn't even feel like putting it up, but I did for the kids sake. It is so hard to try and put it up in there because my Dad is always watching something on TV that I am interrupting while I am working on the tree. Never mind that it is a show that he has seen at least 20 times! So this year I put this little tree in our bedroom. I also put some other decorations in there. I figured this was the only way I would enjoy a tree this year. I have had no Christmas spirit at all this year. But since I put the decorations on this little tree last night I feel a little more in the Christmas spirit. Also, since my Dad was sick the past two Christmas' and I spent most of my time at the hospital with him it kinda makes me worry that the same thing will happen again this year. It is so ironic. My Dad is an alcoholic. He has been sober for the past 2 years now. But when my mother was alive he got on a drunk every single Christmas and would be so drunk on Christmas day that my mother would always have a miserable Christmas. And now since she has died and he no longer drinks he gets sick every Christmas. How strange is that?! I have really been praying that he will not get sick this year. I am taking a week off and would love to just relax and spend the time with my family. My daughter is coming home from college and my niece will be coming again. The one who came at Thanksgiving. I might have to go to Louisiana and get her if her Dad can't bring her over here. But that will be fine. It has been really hard on her living in a house with nothing but men since her Mom died 9 years ago.
Here is a picture of my little tree in our bedroom.
This is a cross-stitch Christmas picture I made back in 1985. I love to get it out and hang it up each year.
This is a snowman made out of a sock. My brother, George, made this in school. I imagine he was 11 or 12 at the time. George died at the age of 13 in 1967. We have put this snowman out every year. As you can see he is a little spotted from age, but he is really in pretty good condition for his age. I have kept him wrapped up in paper towels every year, but this year I would like to put him in some kind of plastic box and put him in my china cabinet so he does not get anymore handling and fall apart.
These little elves were given to me by a dear lady who we called Aunt Sybil. She and her husband lived next door to my parents when they lived in Hialeah, Florida way before I was born. She was so sweet and was always sending me little things. I just love my elves!
The next two ornaments are just two of a few that I have left from years gone by. These were always on our tree when I was a child and I have always loved them!

The next two pictures are little plastic deer that Aunt Sybil gave me, also. I always hang them together on the tree. Aunt Sybil has been dead for many years now and I really miss her. As a child she and I would exchange letters and we went and visited her and her husband, Uncle Johnnie, lots of times.

That is all the Christmas decorations I have to show you today. Maybe I will take some pictures of some more another time to post. Oh yea, I almost forgot. The doily that the deer are on is one that my Aunt Vivian made and gave to me. She had almost finished it. All I had to do was finish that one row of red around the outside. Isn't it beautiful! Can't wait to go see her this weekend!