A Simply Good Time

Because, in my family, bubbles have been carefully maintained for many months, we spent Christmas at my daughter's house and got to spend time with my son and his wife too. 

Cindy has a way of getting everyone involved and this time along with card games like Uno and Tripoli she had chocolate ( one chocolate chip) houses to decorate instead of gingerbread for us all to work on. They were lots of fun, done by nonartists just having a simply good time. 

I do wonder if more frosting and gumdrops were eaten than got on the houses, but isn't that the point?

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Nativity Searches on Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, Society6 and Zazzle

Last week here on the blog I shared some Santa images from Etsy. On Twitter I shared Santa products from other companies where I am an affiliate.

This week the focus will be Nativity products. With Christmas on Friday it may be too late for orders for this year but I like the mood and thoughtfulness these images create in me.  If you do click on links in this post and then make a purchase I may qualify for a small commission at no cost to you except on Etsy where I am just a cheerleader and not an affiliate.

First up is a beautiful tree skirt that I found on Zazzle. I love watercolor art and even though this is a digital design it still has the watercolor look that I like.

Next is a framed print that I found on Society6. We are a weary world and I hope to find small things to rejoice about.

For something to hang on your tree I found a Nativity ornament on Amazon Handmade.

For something to display on a mantel or wherever you might have a bit of space I found this Lenox Nativity on Ebay.

Finally something from Etsy. I am not an affiliate here but I love to window shop.  Isn't this handmade wooden Nativity just lovely? This shop (RETIREDELF) will be accepting orders to be shipped in the New Year. I am glad an Etsy seller has had such a wonderful season.

I hope you saw something you like today and had a gentle reminder why we are celebrating the season and the day this Friday.

Merry Christmas!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Searching for Santa

Photo by LuAnn Hunt on Unsplash

I like to come up with themes for what I tweet and pin each week. On a good week I share themed items from all my affiliate programs from Ebay, Amazon, Society 6 and Zazzle and add in Etsy items to the mix cause I love what you can find there. Some weeks I get distracted and only do items from a couple of the companies and some weeks I don't do any. It is what it is.

This week starting with Etsy I will be doing Santa.

Here is what I tweeted today..........

SANTA Wall HangingChristmas Wall Hanging Decoration | Etsy https://t.co/9S9K03bIVQ

— Kathy 🌻 (@CozyAtoZ) December 14, 2020

Santa Believes Canvas Wall Art Print | Etsy https://t.co/vylu6QLWuu

— Kathy 🌻 (@CozyAtoZ) December 14, 2020

Vintage Wood Santa 2020 Mask Ornament | Etsy https://t.co/Iey9Y7XCGN

— Kathy 🌻 (@CozyAtoZ) December 14, 2020

Curly Fork Santa Christmas Ornament RED & cream colored | Etsy https://t.co/ioXFba3siN

— Kathy 🌻 (@CozyAtoZ) December 14, 2020

Tall Santa Santa figurine Santa Claus decor skinny Santa | Etsy https://t.co/bgpK8QKjiq

— Kathy 🌻 (@CozyAtoZ) December 14, 2020

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Looking Forward

I am so glad November is over. Even weeks past getting released from quarantine and over Covid this hasn't been an easy time for me. At first I was thankful about a mild case but now a couple weeks after I struggle with brain fog and fatigue. With my other issues of thyroid problems and being prediabetic it is just a toxic stew of ugliness. I refuse to stay this way and am making plans to change.

I am not waiting for the New Year to start working on these issues. I have a check up soon and will talk about how I'm doing with my doctor. I am determined to keep my diet clean and healthy and restart my 10000 steps a day routine which was completely derailed in November. At my best I add 10 sets of stairs and some sissy girl pushups to my routine. I have been seriously thinking about getting a treadmill and new workout clothes to go with my new commitment to my future self.

I will never be a bombshell and you can, if you wish, check out the sponsored link in the paragraph above to see what I mean. Let's face it or rather I do face and acknowledge the fact I am a 65 year old grandma but I want to be healthy, mobile, and sharp for many more years. Having sportswear to put on makes those goals official and I know they are doable for me. 

Bombshell Sportswear does have some athletic clothing I like the look of and they are in my favorite color which is blue. I know wearing these in this bold and beautiful blue could lift my mood and make working on my goals real. I like the high waist and also that if I ever wore them on walks out and about there is a pocket for my phone. The bottom of the leg reminds me of tube socks that we wore so many years ago. Can I do this? Heck yeah!

So are you making plans for your new you, new year yet? Share please, I love comments and always respond.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

This is a sponsored post but the opinions and story are my own and real.

A Favorite Podcast

The Unmade Podcast is filled with fun conversation. The premise is simple. The idea is to make a podcast about unmade podcast ideas. What makes it so special is the conversation between the two friends that make this show, Brady Haran and Tim Hein. So many times I find myself laughing along with the guys which can make people wonder if you are okay when you are giggling with headphones on. This podcast does exactly what I want it to do. It takes me away from the doom and gloom of the news and puts a big smile on my face with every episode. 

Take a chance and subscribe and learn about Tommyball and the Shroud of Tim. You'll smile, you'll be amused, you'll laugh outloud and you won't regret it.

One more thing. You can follow on Twitter @Unmade_FM

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Done and Grateful

Yesterday afternoon after a phone interview with the Dept. of Health we were informed that our quarantine order would end at midnight. Together we spent 10 days feeling sick most of the time but not too sick. We monitored oxygen levels and our temperatures. Each of us had a couple days of low fevers. He had a cough, I didn't. I had about 3 days at the beginning of a headache, he told me about a headache once. I felt tired and took more naps that was usual for me. He didn't admit to fatigue but spent part of each day snoozing in front of crappy daytime television. 

I spent time reading and watching shows on Netflix. I watched the latest seasons of "The Crown" and the "British Baking Show" when the words of my book didn't make sense after reading a paragraph a couple times. I ignored my computer, email and social media but I am ready to jump back in to promoting things from the places I am affiliated with, Ebay, Amazon, Zazzle and Society6. I am looking forward to retweeting those I interact with the most. If you watch my Twitter timeline you will see some great authors and artisans. Maybe you'll find something you like for the upcoming holiday gift giving.

We made it. We are survivors of a disease that has killed and consider ourselves lucky. We were told that so far in Teton County there have been no cases of reinfection but it was advisable to continue distancing and mask routines which we will. Jim still tells me he has no idea where his exposure came from. I guess in the end it doesn't matter. 

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

The Covid Journey So Far

So far I would say our cases have been mild. I had one day of fever, an irritated throat not bad enough to call sore and some fatigue but not far from my normal energy levels. Can I just say I am so thankful not to have a cough? After all I have given birth 3 times and am of an age where coughing can make me leak.

Jim has a cough that is getting no better but no worse but I still worry about it. 

We monitor temperature and oxygen levels a couple times a day. Our O2 levels have been in the 90s which is normal range.

I have not been taking any medicines, staying hydrated, eating well and resting. I am reading a lot and of course listening to podcasts.

Jim has been using Dayquil and NyQuil and watching too much crappy TV. (I am not going to fix that habit anytime soon!)

We are restricted to our home til next Sunday if we are fever and symptom free for at least 24 hours by then according to the Teton County Health Department.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

It's Official

It's official. This morning I was notified that I have Covid. My husband found out yesterday that he was positive. Right now I feel I owe the universe an apology. He had a "cold" for a couple days. As soon as I noticed his symptoms I told him to get a test. He kept telling me it was "just a cold". Yesterday morning I asked one more time and he said the same thing. This time I said, "Prove it." So he arranged for a test after a few words from him about getting me off his back. I feel bad that I didn't get him to go sooner. He is a stubborn SOB sometimes. What I feel really bad about is that he was going to work those first few days. 

His workplace will be notifying everyone he may have been in contact with and of course the county health department will know about us too. Now we have been told to quarantine for 10 days. I am a homebody so I am okay with that. He gets antsy though and before the end of our 10 days if he is feeling better I may have to tie him to his recliner to keep him home. 

I had a headache and an annoying tickle in my throat yesterday which are things really rare for me. As soon as we knew his results I was able to be tested too. By last night I added a low fever and some body aches to my symptoms. Over all so far this is not too bad but I do feel tired and I hate having a headache especially the kind where your eyes hurt too. Know what I mean?

He still says that it just feels like a cold for him but he does have a cough with this that I don't. The difference may be that he is a smoker and I am not. Speaking of which it was a bit tense around here when he figured out that he did not have enough cigarettes to get through our quarantine time. He couldn't just ask a buddy from work to drop some off because he has always hidden his smoking from everyone at work. I am not sure how big a secret is really is since smokers smell but he believes his secret is safe. Our daughter who lives 5 hours away bought a couple cartons for him and is sending them overnight via UPS. Don't even ask what the shipping for this costs. Let's just say that the shipping for 2 cartons was more than the cost of one carton.

I like to think that I will be back to update here as we go through this but I am not going to make any promises.

I do hope you and yours are all safe and healthy.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

On the Shore of Jackson Lake

In early October my daughter and her family came for a visit. Like we have done so many times during other visits that day included a drive through Grand Teton National Park. 

We had high hopes for a chance of seeing the famous grizzly mom 399 and the 4 cubs she had this year. She is one awesome mom and if you want to know more about her just google grizzly 399. Photographers, famous and not, have built part of their careers documenting the life of this bear. Her movements are tracked in out local paper. Everyone cheers her each spring when she comes out of her den. All of this just to say we saw the crowd waiting for her lined up for maybe half a mile along both sides of the main park road but we did not see her this time.

We did take a moment to stop at Leeks Marina on Jackson Lake. I will admit that my pictures aren't so great but in my mind I see the glorious gold of fall against the deep green of the pine trees. You just get my sad attempts that give you a glimpse. The first two are of  islands that shelter the marina. The third shot with the lonely sailboat in it looks across the lake to Mount Moran.

If the Jim's retirement schedule goes as currently planned this day may have been the last time I see this lake that I have fallen in love with during our time living here. I will miss anchoring in Sergeant's Bay and spending the night and falling asleep to the sound of water that rocks the boat and the elk bugling in the distance. Good Times.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Currently Reading...

My husband bought an Amazon Prime membership mainly for the free shipping. I find a couple other things very useful to me that are a part of that membership. 

The first is Prime Video. We switch back and forth between watching movies and shows on Prime Video and Netflix. Between the two of them we can always find something to watch when he isn't snoozing through shows on CNN, The Food Network or football games when it is the season. 

Secondly, for me only because I married a non reader and don't have to share this perk from Amazon is Prime Reading. I own a Kindle and can have up to 10 books at a time for free from the Prime Reading catalog. These books are not the current big deal best sellers but good reading nevertheless. Once I finish a book I return it and can get another so I won't be running out of materials to occupy my mind anytime soon. This keeps me very happy and away from vegetating in front of the TV screen. 

My current read is Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920's written by Frederick Lewis Allen. This is a nonfiction book written in the 1930's while the past decade was still vivid in the author's mind. I find it fascinating and a bit depressing how many bad parallels there are between then and now. It seems sometimes that we as a nation don't ever really learn and grow from the knowledge gained by understanding our past. This book covers a decade I never really knew anything about beyond the label of "Roaring Twenties". Now I am learning more about why the 20's roared. 

If you need a break from the fluffier things we all read you might want to check out this book. It is a book I personally recommend for the historically curious like me. 

Affiliate Links in the post could earn a small commission for me on qualifying purchases. 

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Halloween 2020

I know Halloween will be very different this year for some but for us not so much. Here in Jackson, at least in our neighborhood kids don't Trick or Treat door to door. Also just a bit of a rant but I have always thought that Halloween was for the kids. I have never understood all the adults that get all carried away with costumes and parties. Just me, you may think differently and as Arby's used to say in their commercials "Different is good.".

So however you get through this day I hope something happens to put a smile on your face.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Letting Go

Nearly 20 years ago we had this house built just for us. It was to be my grandmotherly family gathering house. Like most of life this plan didn't last long. After being there 6 years Jim took a job in Arizona. Next came work in Wyoming. During that time this house has sheltered 4 different sets of family, a daughter, a son, a sister in law, and a niece along with their families. We also rented it to a non related tenant for awhile. This was always done with the idea that I would go back to my house someday. 

As Jim nears retirement I have come to realize that I don't really want to spend my time caring for such a large place on three levels. We made a decision to let it go. The new owner is a niece that lives in an extended family way that makes this home perfect for them. I go back and forth about being sad to lose my dream and glad that we are moving on to what I think will be a better living situation for us. I do truly hope that this home will shelter my niece's family for many happy years to come.

It is theirs now. We signed our closing docs yesterday.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Bring Me Flowers

Hey readers! I was recently made aware of a new flower shop and café in the Englewood New Jersey area. Maybe you already know about the Englewood Plant Shed but if not let me share with you a bit about the place. 

Of course you can start with plant or flower delivery but there is so much more and if you are in the area you will want to go. Lush potted plants to fill your cozy home are there too. We are all nesting so much more in these uncertain virus filled days and I, for one, have added lots of new plants to my spaces. You might need a place like the Plant Shed to help you do the same.

If you think I am just sending you to any old flower shop think again. There is more. How about browsing a gift shop for home fragrances like fig and vanilla or and elderberry rose scented candles or even hand crafted hazel nut, passion fruit or lavender chocolates? Does that sound great to you? Me too! I want you to know I'm not done yet. You can spend part of your visit enjoying coffee or tea and a muffin, croissant or cookie and yes there are vegan and gluten free options at what is described as a wellness café. 

I haven't been to the Englewood, New Jersey Plant Shed but others have and here are a few of the many, many glowing reviews about their flower delivery service that let you know just how special the service you will receive from the Englewood Plant shed is.

"The succulents were gorgeous and the service amazing thank you for making my mother’s 80th bday during COVID that little more special!"

"Amazing flowers and customer experience from online ordering, follow up and delivery. I would definitely use them again and the flowers were exactly or even more beautiful than the pictures. They truly made my daughters Sweet 16 dinner table setting extra special and pretty- she adored them!"

"First time using Plant Shed and I could not be happier. When I was deciding what flowers to select I called and asked the gentlemen who answered the phone, will the flowers look like the picture?... because they never do and he answered, of course...As if shocked someone would ask. And, they 100% did. The flowers were vibrant and stunning in person. Couldn't be more pleased. A little pricey but well worth it".

So potted plants, elegant home goods, a charming café and most of all flowers, beautiful flowers, chosen with care and delivered to you or your loved ones. 

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

This post is sponsored. 

The Roadhouse Podcast

This is a personal recommendation from me to you. No more doom scrolling! Quit watching the news all day! Let some fabulous roots and blues soothe your soul. You can get The Roadhouse wherever you get podcasts. Do yourself a favor and go subscribe now!

You're welcome!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Needed a Break from Screens

It has been 20 days since I posted. As breaks from blogging it is probably one of my shorter ones. I also took a bread from Twitter and doing any of the surveys I get pennies for. I had some problems with my thyroid and it is all getting better now with the help of my doctor. I unusual resting heart rate as measured by my fit bit lead me to call and make an appointment. I was also having problems with fatigue and brain fog. I read books when the words on the page could be made sensible by me and took lots of naps. 

It feels so good to be trending back to my own version of normal.

In other news when on my walks or looking out the windows the signs of autumn are obvious and beautiful. The picture below is one I took during a fun fall day in 2011. I am not going to hold the amount of time I spent scrolling to find it to share with whatever readers happen to see it against them.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Summer ended fast!

It started snowing here around 7 o'clock last night. As you can see from the pictures it was not a lot but enough to last until the sun came up this morning. We are supposed to be clear and cold today with a low temperature in the teens tonight.

I know winter will come like it always does but I don't want to miss fall. 

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Remembering

I intended to do one of those Wordless Wednesday posts but I just had to tell you that these pictures are scenes from a wonderful day last summer boating on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton  National Park.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

The Bartlett Pair Shop on Etsy

It has been quite some time since I shared an Etsy shop here. I like to pick a random shop to share simply because I think sharing is good for the soul. I do hope any readers stumbling by this blog will take the time to check out some of the links I have listed for you at the bottom of this post.

I first came across the work of Jimmie and Carolyn Bartlett on twitter. They followed me and I followed back. Carolyn does art pieces made from old jewelry and other found objects. Isn't this bouquet simple glorious?

Jimmie is a painter. In the Etsy shop I have admired paintings of Texas scenes, floral including beautiful roses which is my favorite flower and sea side scenes. Can't you hear the sound of moving water, feel the warmth of the sun and smell the scent of salt air when looking at these boats?

To introduce this very talented pair to you I will use their own words from their Etsy shop. Take a minute to read it. It is worth your time, I promise.

I thank God for the gift and my family for their support which enabled me to become a fulltime artist. My work has been sold in shops, festivals, and shows in Texas and Nationally over the internet. I paint every day and demonstrate at shows when possible. You can also read more about my art on my blog jimmiesart.

Carolyn, my beautiful wife for 45 years, is my guiding light and made my dream to paint possible. She is a very talented decorative artist repurposing beautiful objects and things from the past into visual art pieces is one of her specialties. Carolyn also contributes much to my painting by giving me honest critiques of my work to make it better. We combine our efforts to design and make many of our products.

The two of us make up The Bartlett Pair, established since 1993, and soul mates forever.

Be sure to check our announcements on our Esty Shop header for coupon discounts and information. Thankyou for visting our shop,

Jimmie & Carolyn Bartlett

To know more about what is new about the Bartletts and their art use the links below.

Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheBartlettPairShop

Website with shopping, more info and a blog https://bartlettpairart.com/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bartlettpair/

Twitter https://twitter.com/jimmiesart

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Too Early?

You know I am just ready for 2020 to be over. It has all been to intense and too much. 

With that in mind moving on to the holiday season brightens my mood. I look forward to the traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas even if they are modified depending on the conditions at that time. I will happily accept whatever jingles and joy the coming season brings even if it is socially distanced and online.

One of the things we always did when the kids were small was open one gift on Christmas Eve and then send them to bed so Santa can visit while "visions of sugarplums danced in their heads". My children have continued this tradition with their own families. Some years if the Christmas Eve gift was pajamas which does not excite kids as much as moms looking forward to Christmas morning pictures we ended up making an exception and let the kids open two so they got something to make them smile. 

Is it just moms that love the idea of Christmas morning pictures of the family in matching pjs?

My daughter is the best at this (She is the family super shopper!) with the family matching Christmas pajamas she does every year. At least one year she sewed everyone in her family, all four of them, pajama pants. She now has a full time job so sewing is out and shopping is in. 

One place you can find coordinated family matching pajamas is at LazyOne.com. If you are like many families these days that include mom, dad, kids, infants and the dog, this site has your family covered from head to toe.

Hey if you're in the mood, let me know in comments what you do to "Have you elf a Merry Christmas". 

Maybe it can help all of us to look forward to some days that are "Merry and Bright"?

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

This is a sponsored post but the story and opinions are mine.

National Dog Day!

Today is National Dog Day! I love dogs but is has been many years since we had one in our house. I am at the point in my life where I don't want to be responsible for keeping anything alive but me so I visit people who have dogs and love theirs. Our last dog was named Patches and I referred to him as a demented mutt. He was mostly friendly and loyal and loved to play. His biggest issue was he loved to run away and it was not fun at all to get him back home before he was done exploring. 

I've dug up some old pictures of him to share with you today.

Like most dogs he always wanted to keep an eye on his world. Hanging out on the porch with me he could do that.

He was always under foot when I was cooking too. I didn't give him scraps but he was hopeful.

Smiling? Maybe but check out the ears. Rarely the same.

Once he moved with us to Arizona he loved having a dog door so he could get out to the backyard whenever he wanted.

My favorite picture of Patches. Like all dogs you spend your day with, he listened.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

Thinking Ahead

As I may have mentioned before, maybe more than once, I have a husband who will be retiring soon. The current absolutely set in stone maybe date for this grand transition to his next act could happen in June 2021. He is starting to imagine his day to day life without a job to go to or being tethered to a phone that gets answered anytime day or night.

He keeps mentioning two activities to keep him busy (and let's just admit it, out of my hair) are woodworking and restoring old Volkswagen Bugs. Woodworking is something he did as a kid and has fond memories of. Rebuilding Volkswagens is something he did in the early years of our marriage. I have lost count of how many Bugs we have owned over the years starting with one as our first car. Both of these hobbies will mean buying more tools. He has some but you know how this works, right?

A foundational piece of  equipment would be an air compressor for use in either his woodshop or for automotive work as basic as filling tires. Best Buy Auto Equipment would be a place to start the search for a shop air compressor. If I had any say in this at all when it comes to buying air compressors I would start with the ones that claim to be quiet and if possible made in the US. Portable shop air compressors like the ones below might be good choices as well. Getting older like we are the one with wheels could be more practical. He, on the other hand, and I've known this man for 44 years now, will want the most powerful one available, no matter the noise or the cost or where it is from. With so many models to choose from what ends up at our house will most likely be some kind of compromise.

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!

This post is sponsored and opinions are my own.

A Grandson's Birthday

He's all grown up now. 18 years old today in fact. He still has a cute smile too!

Happy Birthday Jordan!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!