Saturday, December 24, 2005

Merry Christmas Eve!

Posting today from Jayme's house! We are having such fun!! We are cooking, and baking, and singing Christmas carols, and dancing with the babies, and laughing, and playing games, and loving one another. I LOVE being with my family!!

I got up this morning before anyone else, so I ran to Wal-mart to do some last minute Santa shopping. There actually weren't too many people there--maybe because it was raining. I gathered up my few things while exchanging Christmas greetings with fellow shoppers. No one seemed rattled or angry--most were smiling, or whistling, or singing! Maybe it's just Kansas shoppers. I even asked the check out ladies how the customers were behaving. There were two of them, and both said they had not encountered any mean, angry, or nasty customers. Even when the lines were long last night!

Gift giving is my "Love Language" (see the book by Gary Chapman), so I really love this time of year. It is so much fun planning on what to give each person. I really enjoy making things to give to my family that will mean something to them.

For example, I found pictures of my mother (who has been gone for 3 years now) and made my sister a small 8 page memory book that included not only pictures, but different memorabelia. I can't wait for my sister to see it. I hope she likes it.

I made Jayme a plaque (that I already gave her because it was too big to wrap). I cut the board myself, sanded it, and routered the edges. Then I put primer on it, and then gave it two coats of paint on it. I had ordered "Wallwords" that said the following: "Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art." - Eleanor Roosevelt. I've had the quotes for over a year now, so Jayme was really pleased to finally get her plaque!! Now I just need to finish SEVERAL other projects for her!!

I made Emerson a tote to carry firewood in from the breezeway. I already gave that to him, too, because he was carrying the wood in by hand! He was really surprised and even more so when he found out I made it!

Well, just wanted to share a few things from my hap-hap-happiest day(s) of the year!!

Again, God's richest blessings to all of you, and peace in believing!

Friday, December 23, 2005


May the wonderful Blessings of this Holiday Season come in abundance to you, to fill you and warm you, and wrap you in the Savior's Love. And may you find great Joy in sharing His gracious Love. Posted by Picasa

Thursday, December 22, 2005


The littlest poncho--for Ellie--my littlest granddaughter! Posted by Picasa

Mrs. Claus' Workshop

OK, three days before Christmas, and I'm still working on projects for gifts! In fact, I just started one today. I'd tell you what it is, but Jayme might read my blog.

The one I will share though, is one I FINISHED today. I made my four granddaughters matching ponchos. One poncho is little bitty, and then they just stair step up from that! I can't wait to take their picture all together!!!

I'm working on posting a picture of one of the ponchos.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Keeping my Sunny-side Up!

We had company for supper tonight. I was making one of their favorite desserts about 5:00. The recipe called for one egg. So I went to the fridge, and grabbed the carton of eggs. I must have bumped something, because the carton CRASHED to the floor. GASP! Of the 8 eggs in the carton, 3 were broken all over the floor, 2 were cracked but still in the carton, 1 was still in the carton, but cracked beyond saving, and 2 were not broken. I put the carton on the counter. I used about 6 paper towel to get the eggs off the flour and then wiped up the floor with a rag. I turned my attention to the carton on the counter. I dumped the 2 cracked eggs into a small bowl, thinking, OK scrambled eggs for breakfast. That left 1 cracked-beyond-saving egg, and two unbroken, but very slimy eggs. I reached for the 2 whole eggs--the carton shifted and knocked over the bowl with the 2 eggs. They poured over the edge of the counter and onto the floor. At this point, all I could do was stand there and giggle!!! More paper towels, more wiping, more washing. Two eggs out of 8 were salvaged. The Oatmeal Fudge Bar recipe only called for 1 egg. It took SIX!!!! Hee heeee haahaaaha!

It doesn't seem so funny writing it. But it sure was funny when it happened. Guess you had to be there!

We sure had fun with our company. Dinner went well and then we played pictionary with Christmas carols, like we did at Jayme's cookie exchange. Out of 24 lyrics, the 8 of us only got 9 right. The women 5, the men 4--but we sure had a lot of fun. Thanks for the idea Jayme!!

Must go--projects to finish before Christmas!!

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Out of our Abundance

I know, I know, I don't post for WEEKS, and then I post 3 times in one day! Sigh. But I just had to share this.

We meet with a small group on Sunday evening. Our group has taken on a couple of kids whose Mom doesn't care about anything except finding her next boyfriend on the internet. The kids have nothing. I guess there are 8 kids. Mom has taken care of none of them. Two are at a group home run by the church. There are still 3 at home. The two youngest have been coming to church and our small group with friends of ours. We know they don't have heat because Mom doesn't pay the gas bill. They don't bathe, because there is no hot water. Mom doesn't bother to wash their clothes. But the kids....the kids are sooooo sweet. Zenobie is an 8 year old, blonde hair, blue eyed, lost her two front teeth beauty. Robert is a shy 11 year old, who has learned to love taking a shower at our friends house, because there is HOT water! Older sister, Sara, is a senior in high school, has basically been raising the 4 younger siblings. She is a good student, but is growing weary of being the child care provider of the family. She's working toward getting a good scholarship so she can get out of the house.

Well, tonight, at our small group we had a little Christmas party for the 8, 11, and 18 year old. Unfortunately, Sara (18) was sick and could not come. Robert and Nobie had no idea what was about to happen. We had our usual songs and Bible study (although somewhat abbreviated) and then the magic. We had all brought gifts for the kids. So, one at a time, presents were given to Nobie and Robert. You should have seen their faces. Especially little Nobie's. The first present was a warm fuzzy pair of socks. She was delighted! Then Robert got a pair of jeans! He was a little more controlled, but you could tell all the same that he was pleased. Then the presents kept coming. More clothes--warm sweaters, long sleeved shirts, jeans, underwear, warm pajamas--It was such fun to watch Nobie. Her smile just got bigger and bigger and bigger--as did her eyes. When she opened the Barbie doll, she squealed! She said she had NEVER owned such a doll before, and hugged it tight to her breast. As we all lined up to get our supper, Nobie went and tried on all the clothes--her eyes were so bright, she was simply RADIANT!! She came and modeled them all for us. She was so HAPPY! Robert was pleased, but after all, he's a boy. An eleven year old boy. But I know he was happy, too. As we were eating, Nobie came and hugged each one of us.

Now THAT's what Christmas is all about.

A Christmas Carol Quiz

Please carefully read all the instructions before you comment!!!

Jayme hosted a Christmas cookie exchange last Friday night. We had a blast!! She had us play Pictionary and used lyrics from Christmas carols. She and I (who have ALWAYS been huge fans of Christmas carols), were amazed at how many of her guests didn't know the carols associated with the lyrics. So here's a quiz--not exactly the same ones Jayme had--to see how many you know. If you'd like to participate, in your comment, just say what numbers you know, NOT WHAT THEY ARE, and then in a couple of days, I'll puplish the answers, and you can check to see how many you got right!

1. I've brought some corn for poppin'
2. Here we come a wassailing
3. The stars are brightly shining.
4. Said the shepherd boy to the mighty King
5. Oh tidings of comfort and joy
6. Joyful all ye nations rise
7. Angels bending near the earth
8. Let every heart prepare him room
9. The weary world rejoices
10. Certain poor shepherds
11. Star with royal beauty bright
12. The silent stars go by
13. The world in solemn stillness lay
14. Peace on earth and mercy mild
15. Hither, page, and stand by me
16. 'Tis the season to be jolly
17. Sister Susie sitting on a thistle
18. Tiny tots with their eyes all a glow
19. Gone away is the bluebird
20. Blink a bright red and green

Snowy Morning Musings

Wow! It's been so long since I've posted, I've almost forgotten how!!! But this morning I have a few stolen moments because our church services were cancelled this morning due to treacherous roads (snow!!!). So I'm taking the opportunity to write a little and read a little, and then it's back to Christmas things!!!
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All of our kids and grandkids were gone to their spouses families for Thanksgiving, so Emerson and I decided to take a cruise! We chose this particular cruise because Jeff Walling (a well known Church of Christ speaker--one of our very favorites) was going to be speaking aboard the ship several times. He was great!! He enlightened a couple of scriptures in such a way that I will never forget!!

We also got to explore some Mayan ruins at one of the ports of call. In fact the ONLY port of call we made. The other port of call was cancelled because the water was so rough they wouldn't let us into port because they didn't think it could be safely navigated! So we spent a rough day at sea. Not fun.

One night when the sea was rough, Emerson and I were standing aft looking out into the darkness. The only light was what was being cast by the ship. And it didn't illuminate far. The wind was blowing. You could see the whitecaps. The sky was DARK. Even the ship, as big as it is, was convulsing. And I thought about the passage in John 6:16ff, where the disciples are out on the boat and a gale swept down on them, and the sea grew very rough. (Mark's account says they were rowing hard and struggling against the waves). As I stood on the ship watching out over the rough sea, I thought about being out there on a tiny fisherman's boat. I know I would have been TERRIFIED!! And then to see someone WALKING toward them ON THE WATER--out of that inky black darkness, with the wind and the waves crashing around them. SHEEEESH! I certainly have a greater appreciation for their terror. And for Christ's ability to calm the wind and the waves with just a word. Mmmmm. I've always loved the quote that says "Sometimes He calms the storm, sometimes He calms the child". Now it means even more.
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A friend of mine and I played at the Christmas meeting of our garden club. Ann plays the harp and I play the cello. We played six Christmas carols. It was great fun! We had a lot of fun practicing (I hadn't played in years) and it really got me into the Christmas spirit. The lady who was hosting the event, has an old pump organ with quite a history, and so the audience demanded that she play the organ with the two of us. So we played one impromtu carol. It was really neat. A nice combination.
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I have a 10 year old grandson, Aaron. He and his 5 year old brother, Daniel, stayed with us last night while their parents went to a company Christmas party. When they came in, I was cooking supper--a pork stew.
Aaron: Grandma, are you cooking eggs?
Me: No, I'm cooking stew.
Aaron: Are you sure? It smells like eggs (he loves eggs).
Me: Nope, just stew.
Aaron: Sure SMELLS like EGGS!
(Aaron goes over to my Christmas village (I have about 25 pieces). He's always loved to look at it and move the people and cars around on the streets. So I'm not paying much attention. He looks for quite a long time.)
Aaron: Grandma, I checked and no one in the village is cooking eggs either!
Me: Haahhaaheeeeehaaa hheeee haaaaa aahhh ahhhhhaaaa eheeheeee!!!
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We have a Christmas train, which has always been a fascination for the boys. But last night it was Daniel who was particularly enthralled with it. He called me downstairs several times to look at what he was doing--but the one I thought was the best was when he showed me how a tiny lego spiderman was now clinging to the side of the locomotive as it went around the track!