So...

this could be an all over type of post...
I am looking for a book. It's one I had a little and I have no idea what the title is. I know it was about Santa and his workshop and there was an illustration of just him on the front...the inside (remember, I am on the verge, so the memory is fading) had one illustration of him in a rocking chair, there was one in his workshop, one of him reading a lsit of names...anyone? Please? I know it's not a lot of help, my descriptions, but I am kind of looking for this book.
I am feeling nostalgic today.
I have lost two grandparents.
My Grandpa Dale (as we call him for the kids) died 12 years ago. Hunter had just turned 6 months and he had a heart attack the Tuesday after Thanksgiving it was late that year.) He died 2 days later in the ICU (one reason I can never be an ICU nurse) and I miss him. My mom and I were talking this morning about candy and recipes (I was asking AGAIN for her molasses cookie recipe...it's soooo yummy!) and she started talking about divinity that she and my Grandma had seen at the Candy Cottage. I started laughing because one of the reasons Jeff gave me a kitchen aid is because at Christmas I was going through like two mixers a year on making divinity. The boys will eat it, Jeff says it's too sweet (I know, but he doesn't liek circus peanuts or cotton candy either...it's weird!) but I LOVE it. Apparently, so did my Grandpa. He used to ask me to buy him jelly beans every time he stopped by. He said if he bought them he would get in trouble, but if I did it was a gift :) I will be making divinity soon and thinking of him every bite I take.
Grandma Taylor (or Grandma Lila for the boys) died almost 4 years ago. She had been fighting cancer for 3 years and it had finally metastisized too much for any chemo to fight. She died gracefully with her family around her just before she turned 81. Grandma used to have this blue ceramic glazed bowl that I love (and really hope I get someday) that was always filled with hard candies. You know, the ones that are so nasty that you eat a ton of them just knowing your teeth are falling out? The ribbon shaped ones and rootbeer ones and cinnamon ones... I found a small container of them at Walmart last night. I think I will jazz the container up and set it on my table for my boys in her honor. I miss her. She had 7 children, 6 of which were boys and I really would love to have her advice sometimes! Q was 2 months old before she got to meet him, she had just been too ill. But I remember how she glowed the day she saw him and got to hold him for the first (and last) time. She loved babies.
Having sick kids has been a bit of a blessing, I guess. Yesterday I finished a family blanket. It was really simple, I just enveloped a piece of fleece and some flannel...the fleece has a sports theme, so I figure it will go into the truck for the sports seasons ahead. We will do a few family movies to go with it as well.
I have Hunter's top part sewn, Carson's top sewn, Q's is half done and I will finish up Ty's today. I need to cut and sew the one for Jeff (I hope it's long enough!) and get the fabric for two smaller ones and the backing for those two, mine and Jeff's. Luckily Joann's is having a sale.
Last night Hunter told me at 630 that he needed a gifty for his band party...of course, me being home with two sick ones I chose to create instead of shower, so I showered off really fast, finished my chicken noodle soup so the others could eat (um, yeah, by the way, Jeff has strep. Nice!) and we headed out to Porters for sewing needles (my machine was tired after a full day without breaks) and then Home Depot for family and VT gifts and then Walmart for him to get his friend gifts and the band doodad.
So today I am cutting vinyl for those, finishing up what blankets I can and going to a cookie exchange tonight.
Whew.