The Greatest Gift

I am reading from three different Advent devotions this months, but this one by Ann Voscamp is my favorite, although I must say that Shereadstruth.org is running a very close second to it. This book I just happened to pick up on the free table in our Ladies of Grace Bible study one day at a most appropriate time! 

And the beginning of the book mentioned the ornaments to put on the Christmas tree each day as you read. Well, of course, I was captivated by that and had to check it out online. It was very disappointing for me to discovery the nice set of ornaments made a purchase cost-prohibitive. 

I kept sneaking over to Google trying to see if they were on sale and lo and behold, today I discovered there were other options of these other than the paper ornaments offered. One I found through Etsy was priced reasonably and I checked with the maker of the handmade ornaments to see how long it will take to receive. I don't want it after Christmas. You know I want it NOW! She told me she had one set ready that she could ship tomorrow!!! And after that, she would be suspending all sales until after January! It was meant to be. I am so excited to get these ornaments for my little tree upstairs and the book and ornaments will be something I can gift Kate maybe after I'm gone!

Friday Foto Friends

Happy Friday with Friday Foto Friends!

This is the print on my calendar this month, and is such a cheerful painting of Christmas colors. I love the red pickup with the dogs and the snow and the trees and the packages. One of my friends said this was featured in a Hallmark Christmas movie called Christmas in Evergreen.

Our streets are pretty well lit these days with everybody in the Christmas spirit. I kind of am. I enjoy looking at the lights, but have never tried putting them up by myself and DH is definitely not inclined to do so these days. He used to put lights all around and would climb to the very top of our old sycamore tree to place a huge lighted star he had made that everybody could see. But that's okay. This house in particular I always enjoy each year.

I love its simplicity with the nativity, the star and the angels. No blown up balloon figures,

which I think kids love these days. (I did set up our little nativity set like this one. I treasure it because Amy made it for me several years ago.)

This is cute, but I prefer the other.

My new pantry doorknob!

I bet you don't know anybody else who gets so excited over a new doorknob, huh? The doorknob on the pantry door has been driving me crazy as every time I turn it, it comes out of the door. It's one of those things you just put up with until you realize fixing it would relieve you of the pain you're putting yourself through, right? I had to keep saying, "don't shut the door!" because it was too hard to fix and get open again. Jack actually hid the knob inside the pantry and one day as I was shutting the door, Kate was saying, "don't shut the door, Nonnie!" But I was too fast! So, DH came to the rescue with the screw driver. I then made a trip to Home Depot and, voila! Little by little, little things do get done.

And look at what I found on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond!! I love it! It's the plaid similar to my lunchbox from elementary school days!

Now I can take a hot dish to the brunch next week! 

It doesn't take much to get me excited!

This is what gets DH excited! When I take him out to breakfast at Norma's Cafe.

Our server! Her shirt says "Kiss My Grits!"

And, of course, she has those reindeer antlers on her head.

Speaking of shirts, here is my sis-in-love modeling the tee-shirt I sent her for her birthday. She has four grandchildren and she goes by Omi!

The shirt not only fit her to a "t", but the wording fits her to a "t" as well.

A very cool grandmother, who loves unconditionally … teaches, motivates and encourages, … gives big warm hugs, tells great stories and bakes cookies.

I'm not sure where that expression comes from, so I may have to look it up. Susan looks too young to be a grandma, doesn't she? 

Speaking of cookies I baked a bunch of chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies yesterday to take to the kids on our street and invite them to our church's special event, SnowFest! SnowFest is promising an ice rink, snow, hot chocolate, treats and all kinds of other surprises! It will be fun to see how they pull this off. In our neck of the woods, it might be freezing … then again, they might be wearing shorts and flip-flops that day. Whatever, as they say.

Happy Weekend! 

Wednesday Medley

These Wednesdays are rolling around so quickly and the months are flying by! 

1. On December 5, 1901, Walt Disney was born. Have you been to Disneyland or Disney World? Never. Can you share a favorite Disney memory? 

Since I've never visited Disney World or Disneyland, I don't have a memory of that. However, I loved The Mickey Mouse Club show when I was young and watched it every day. I wanted to be one of them and pretended to be a Mouseketeer as I sang and danced in the back yard. I also remember on Sunday evenings the Walt Disney program opening with the beautiful castle and Jiminy Cricket singing, When You Wish Upon a star.

Neuschwanstein Castle

This is the castle that inspired the one at Disneyland. We visited and toured this castle on our Sound of Music tour of Austria and Germany! 

2. The first roller coaster attraction at Walt Disney World was Space Mountain. Do you/did you like roller coasters? 

I loved roller coasters and once rode the Zingo at the Tulsa amusement park six times in a row. I always loved every roller coaster at Six Flags, but the last time I rode, DH and I bumped heads together and that was it. Too much jerking around for us old folks.

3. The very first fairy tale that Walt Disney made a cartoon about was Little Red Riding Hood. Did you enjoy fairy tales when you were a youngster or did they scare you? 

I loved fairy tales and they never scared me. I was fascinated with them. 

Did you have a favorite? 

My favorites were the princesses being rescued by the prince, in particular Cinderella, Rapunzel, and the one where the princess was at the top of the glass mountain and the prince who could make it to the top would win her. I'm not sure we ever questioned how the princess made it to the top of the glass mountain.

Jack and I read fairy tales together and one was particularly gruesome, but he loved playing it and at the end would make me look at the picture and I would feign fear and horror, which he loved! A story about a wolf who kidnapped baby sheep and ate them. At the end, the momma sheep took scissors to the wolf and cut him open rescuing all her babies! Who thinks up stuff like that and thinks it entertainment for a child?!?!

4. In Lady & the Tramp, Tramp’s real name was Butch! Do you have nicknames for your fur-babies and/or for your children? 

I call her Trudy half the time, but my nickname for her would be Annie-Wannie-Bannie-Fannie or just Annie-Wannie. Jason is Jason Me-boy, Sara is RaRa, Kate is KatieKat, Jack is JackJack, Brady is Bucee Boy, and Noah is No-ee!

5. I can’t let this day go by without respecting George H.W. Bush, as he lays in state in the Rotunda of our Capital today. He was our 41st President and only the second father to have a son follow him as President of the United States. President Bush loved his colorful socks. I bought Joe a pair of George H.W. Bush socks for Christmas one year. I know Myra has a pair… any other bloggers checking in today who have a pair of the Presidential socks in a drawer at home? How do you feel about colorful socks?

First of all, thank you for honoring this wonderful person! He deserves our attention as he was a most honorable man of integrity and leadership. I am really glad I read Barbara Bush's memoirs earlier this year. Their love story is so sweet and special. I hope to be able to watch the services for President Bush. 

I think colorful socks are cool and I have some to wear around the house. I loved my moose socks and wore holes in them. No presidential socks here, though. Our pastor always wears colorful socks to show off for the Christmas Eve service.

Please tell us something random about your week.

Last Saturday I was able to join in making PBJ sandwiches for Feed the City Tango Tab and immediately following loaded up my car at our local Aldi with food for a program called Lovepacs to feed the under privileged kids over the Christmas holidays when food is scarce for them. Our Monday night group met as usual and had lots of fun and laughter, I'm having my first Prolia shot to treat osteoporosis this week, we will be attending a Christmas concert this weekend, and I'm getting a haircut on Friday. 

It's cold here. I'm still waiting for people to give me ideas for what to get for Christmas gifts. And I am enjoying my advent readings. And Saturday evening after church, a woman whom I greatly admire cornered me and said she had something for me in her car that she had made for me. What especially touched my heart was that she had been thinking about me and so made this lovely wreath!

Too many randoms, huh?

Friday Foto Friends

It's Friday again, so that means another Friday Foto Friends!

I have so enjoyed the month of November and really am sorry to say good-bye! The colors have been so pretty and each day as I am out and about, I just give thanks to God for the beauty of the earth. I know there are much more beautiful places around the world to see the colors, but I am content with where we are and what I can see.

 

These are fallen leaves! Don't they somewhat look like flowers?

So colorful!

I love the way the tree looks against the bright blue sky.

I pass this house at least once a day. During the summer, this tree is very ordinary looking and really, I think it should be shaped up! But, when Fall comes, I always look forward to the change that is made because of the colors! It's amazing what a little color will do for us!

The sunrise was so pretty … it's a shame the neighbors' roof gets in the way!

Across the back yard, I love the warmth of the November brown, blue and pink colors.

Annie is so cute as she waits for us to finish dinner and guards her squeaky toy. Annie is a sweet dog, very well-behaved, but the last two nights she has awakened me in the wee hours of the morning to go outside! No! I am moving the water bowl before 7 tonight!

For several months, I have tried many times to make a cup of coffee, only to see this message looking back at me. Some days it worked, others it didn't.

I didn't mind following the instructions to clean the needle, but after having repeated the process about 5 or 6 times, I had enough. Although I ordered a regular coffee brewer for back-up, I still like being able to get one cup from this Keurig, plus I have so many K-cups on hand that would go to waste. So in my caffeine craving raving mind, I decided it was time to call Keurig. Why not? This message was clearly inviting me to do so. After explaining my problem, I was very surprised to hear from the lady in customer service that there had been problems with the series I had and it had been discontinued. Therefore, she would be happy to send me a new coffee maker, along with a couple of boxes of K-cups! What do you think about that? It arrived three days later! 

I am so impressed and delighted with the coffee!

Speaking of coffee, here is a photo of a few of the Wednesday breakfast guys (and one of the wives). This isn't all the gentlemen who attend, and in particular, the man who began this tradition a few years ago is not in the picture because he is having a really hard time going through chemotherapy and other treatments for cancer. The cancer is a result of Agent Orange which he got during the Vietnam War. We have been friends with Wilson for many years and he is one of the sweetest men I have known. I hate cancer! And I hate it that he has it as a result of his faithful service to our country.

I finally made myself get up in the attic which involved several up and down trips and boy, was I sore that evening. I'm going to do a little more … maybe … but I am satisfied with what I have. Just seeing the lights and nativity bring me joy.

Some gifts underneath should make a difference.

Tenley met Santa and looks like they got along just fine! 

And finally, one last look at Thanksgiving from six years ago.

These two got into a little dirt!!! Soooo funny!

Wow! Have they ever changed!

Wednesday Medley

It's happening! Wednesday Medley!

1.  On November 28th, 1995, President Bill Clinton ended the 55 MPH nationwide speed limit that began in 1974 as an energy saving measure during the Mid-East oil embargo.  If you are old enough to remember this (I sure am) did it make you happy? You better believe it! I was tickled pink!  Do you have a heavy foot when driving or does 55 MPH sound good to you? I always enjoy it when we get to a place where 75 is the speed limit and if you go the loop around Austin, you can drive 80 or 85. I do like to drive fast and all the tickets from the past and the tears shed with the kind police officers I met would testify to that! I do much better now. Cruise Control is the best!

2.  You are home alone on a rainy/snowy Sunday afternoon.  What Christmas movie will you watch? It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, The Bishop's Wife, The Shop Around the Corner! Any one of those. I'm sure there are others that haven't come to mind just now.

3.  What is something you have tried that you will never try again? Ice skating probably.  I always loved roller skating and would have liked to ice skate more. However, having survived many sports activities, I don't want to break anything at this stage of the game.

4.  Today is National French Toast Day!!  Will you have some?  Oui s'il vous plaît. Do you like French Toast? I do like it. If I had some Texas Toast or French bread, I might make it. Although, hmmmm, I just remembered, we will be eating breakfast out Wednesday morning, so maybe I will order that. Oui! ça m'a l'air bien. I had to look it up and I'm sharing with you a little of the history of French Toast.

"Although we tend to call it French Bread, the dish isn’t known to have come from France. Some ancient Latin recipes from the 4th century mention soaking bread in milk before frying, and in fourteenth Century Germany the term ‘poor knights’ pudding’ was coined for the sweet treat because it was seen as an affordable meal for those without too much money to spend. Today, it’s eaten across the world as a breakfast meal or a sweet snack.

In Italy, there’s a savory version, called ‘mozzarella en carrozza’, which sees the egg-soaked bread sandwiching slices of mozzarella cheese before it is fried. Its name literally means ‘mozzarella in a carriage’. So you can have eggy bread for your main meal, and your pudding!"

5.  The Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center will be lighted today, as will the one at the White House in Washington, D.C.  Do you have your tree up and is it lighted?  I put up the 4 foot tree upstairs, but I didn't decorate it. I simply enjoy the lights in the early morning and after dark. Have you ever been in New York City or Washington, D.C. to see the trees all lit up during the holidays? No, but I would love to see them.

6.  Tell us something random about this week of yours. Ever since last Thursday, I have been procrastinating about getting up in the attic to bring the Christmas stuff down. I can't seem to get with it. Maybe tomorrow or Thursday. This week seems fairly quiet. We had our Monday night friends over Monday, and Tuesday was Bible study. Wednesday breakfast with our buddies, and this evening, I am going to try the Caregivers Support Group at Prestonwood Baptist. I already attend the Memory Care Support group, Thursday is Bible Study Fellowship and on Saturday Feed the City.

Thanksgiving 2018

Thanksgiving 2018 has now become a memory! A very good memory!

We had our Thanksgiving feast at Jason and Amy's house, along with Amy's Mom, Cindy, and Amy's sister, Brooke, and family. What a great group of people. Cindy bought the tee-shirts for the girls, so we had to show them off!

While dinner was cooking, baking and roasting, we played Bunko. We had 12 people, exactly what was needed to have fun! And it was a great way to pass the time because we were all starving. Soooooo much food! I'm sure it was pretty much standard fare across the country … or at least in the southern states. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, corn casserole, mac and cheese, chicken and dumplings, cranberry sauce. If I have left anything out besides the pecan, chocolate and pumpkin pies, it really doesn't matter. 

Belly up to the bar!

Good stuff!

Kate and Grandpa snuggling.

Kelsie is one strong lady with Ty on her back

and Madi in her arms! Wow!

Other family members which we missed seeing were enjoying Thanksgiving in other places!

My brother Phil and wife, Susan

Grandpa with Tenley

Chase and Julie

Tenley in the airport waiting for Daddy to come home!

Sara with her family in south Texas.

My sister Roberta and niece Robyn

Robyn with her cousin's baby boy.

I think this silly pic of Jack sums up how everybody felt after dinner!

Wednesday Medley for Thanksgiving

We are giving thanks this week for a holiday designated for one special reason: giving thanks.

1. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Dressing smothered with turkey gravy. It counts as one as they blend together in pure deliciousness!

2. What’s the happiest Thanksgiving memory of your childhood?

That is so funny you would ask! In all my black and white memories, I cannot recall the happiest of Thanksgivings as a child. The answer would have to be all the adults gathered round my Granny's table and us grandkids at the kids' table in the kitchen with them. Lots of excited talking and instructions on where to sit and have a little more of this or that and the prayers offered up in blessing and thanks. Others include playing in the leaves on the hill beside my cousins' house and a very vague memory of seeing my mother wring the neck of a turkey! I sure wish I knew all the details of that last memory! I was only around six years old, so I may have blocked the rest of the memory from my mind! 😂 It was probably not a happy memory … especially for the turkey … but then, he really has no memory at all.

3. Who is the most consistently grateful person you know?

This is a tough one because all my family and friends are grateful and express gratitude often. We even share often about our gratitude. But if I must narrow it down to one person, it would be my brother. He has much to be thankful for and never  ceases to give God thanks. 

4. If you could thank one person today—near or far, living or dead—for their influence on your life, who would that person be? It would be my mother who directed me to Jesus and lived a life displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

My great-uncle Norman wrote the above little poem about his Mother, my great-grandmother Upjohn. It fits my mother to a "T"!!

5. Who’s one person you’ve never fully thanked for their contribution to your life, but would like to?
I wish I had thanked my Dad more.

6. Tell us something random about your Thanksgiving week.

Jack was here Monday after spending the night Sunday. We had taken him, Kate and Amy to see The Grinch, which was a fun movie. 

I had a follow-up appointment Tuesday morning with my breast surgeon and that makes 13 years out now, for which I am extremely thankful! I roasted three turkey legs this afternoon and made my turkey gravy, which turned out great. Thank you, Joyce From This Side of the Pond. Tomorrow I will get the ham, make pumpkin pie,and mashed potatoes for our Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday! And then ... serious thoughts about a diet. No Black Friday for me.