The Christmas Letter

This is not the traditional Christmas letter but a little update on the family.

Peter has a job.  He is a Courtesy Clerk at a Kroger grocery store.  In  a nut shell he bags, gathers carts, mops and cleans bathrooms.  I think the title is funny considering "courteous" is not how I describe Peter.  None the less he has had the job 2 weeks and as far as I can tell is fulfilling his roll.  I actually saw him interact with folks at the bank yesterday and was assured that the 2 years of Military School had not been in vain.  When required he does pull out those manners, shaking hands and saying mam and sir.  It is actually quite impressive.  I trust he is using those good manners at work and that he will continue to receive hours after the holidays.  It isn't the most convenient location but I am happy he has a job so willing to make necessary trips.  And we have the help of Mama Millie as well. He is pretty excited about the first paycheck.  He had the bank clerk give him a $100 bill so he could take a picture of it.  Then he traded it in for $20 bills because he owed me money.

Mom and Dad are doing well.  Dad actually is probably the best he has been in over a year.  He has aches and pains but his mind is pretty sharp. He walks the neighborhood several times a day weather permitting and works on his word find books.  I realized how well he was doing when the other night he was meddling in my business. He had not done that in awhile.  Mom continues to busily go here and there.  She spends a lot of time driving Dad and Peter, doing her volunteer work and being awesome.  Mom and Dad have taken a variety of trips this fall.  Presently they are talking about where to go next.

We anticipated that this Christmas might be tough as it was the first one without Larry. Mom and I have participated in several activities specifically to commemorate Larry.  We attended the Love Lights Ceremony at the local hospital.  This event supports Hospice and was a sweet remembrance service.  She and I also attended the Living Christmas Tree at her church.  Larry loved that event.  Attending it last year was actually his last fun outing from the nursing home. (The Nursing Home was quarantined last Christmas and he was not able to be with us Christmas day.)  The year before, I think Larry went to three performances of The Living Christmas Tree.  So although I have not been a regular attender of the event, Mom and I made an appoint to attend it this year "for Larry." Today Mom and I went to the nursing home to visit some of the nurses and residents.  It was the first time I had been back since Larry's death.  Though I wasn't sure I could do it when we first got there, it was a sweet visit.  Though I have not been particularly emotional about Larry throughout the holiday season, today was harder than I anticipated.  I just found myself a little on edge emotionally and kind of unmotivated.  I think that for me  grief's greatest effect has been in my feeling unmotivated to do things I might otherwise do.  I trust it will pass with time. 

 

So that's the Plants Status Report for the Holiday Season.

 

Merry Christmas to You and Your Family.

Empty Used Gift Cards

So I have been talking with a friend for over a year now about some recycled gift card projects. Yes I am talking about giving new life to those gift cards you use at the store and restaurants and then  throw in the trash when they are used up.  Well I really think this is the year that I am going to do something about that project.  I have recently taken a few steps towards this effort. I bought a few tools and have been playing around with my new craft.  So I am now collecting used empty gift cards - especially ones with pretty or fun design/pictures - Starbucks, Hobby Lobby and Michael's are my particular favorites.  So if you are a nearby friend or someone who likes to collect things to mail, I am happy to help you recycle.  And if this project is another one of those that ends up in my "having a box of old used gift cards stuffed under the bed", I will also let you know.  Right now I am in the hopeful stage and dreaming of needing lots of them.  And well this is the season to give and receive them.  I have started asking stores (that sell pretty gift cards) if they have any in their trashcans I could have.  (yeah I get strange looks and have to do some explaining.) However that is how hopeful I am about this new little hobby. 

It's begining to look like Christmas





Getting ready for Christmas - a Pictorial account.

 

The day after Christmas I put up my outside Christmas decorations.  Here is a sampling

My fake greenery wreaths and garland are all cast offs from the side of the road or a yard sale.

Last year I adopted the gold and green theme.

 

I repurposed this clearance sale nativity set brining it outside this year.
 I like the shadow box effect that the wine crate end table makes.

 

My book Christmas tree.  I got this idea from Pinterest and the books from a $5 a bag book sale.



Here they are all lit up at night.

 

The lights on the baby crib chandelier are year round. 
I added the lights over the door for a little Christmas zing.

This discarded baby crib railing has made for an awesome chandelier.
 I change out the hanging thingys according to the season.

Then the next day Dad went with me to a local farm to buy my tree.


So this is really Dad and I going for a walk after the Thanksgiving meal but you get the idea.

 

I put the tree in the stand that night and about 4 days later I finally got the lights and ornaments on.

 

I put up a tree so I can look at my ornaments.  I love my ornaments.

My ornaments remind me of people and memories. 
I look forward to the yearly walk down memory lane.



And since Pickles the Elf had no classroom to play in this year he has been wandering around my house.  This is his rendition of "Safari"

Note the Black baby Jesus in the plant basket.  I bought that for Peter. 
We have black angels on the tree (thanks to Aunt Edith) so figured we should have a black baby Jesus too.

 

Mascarpone

The Belgioioso Mascarpone cheese is "buy one get one free" at my local Publix grocery store. Since you really only have to buy one it is essentially half price. I bought one because it is yummy on bread, scones or simply in a spoon with honey and walnuts on top.

The internal plastic seal says:
"All natural product.  Made with the finest ingredients. Contains no preservatives.  For best flavor, once seal is broken, consume promptly. "

So I don't think it really meant within 24 hours but who am I to take chances. OK I didn't really finish off the first one in 24 hours - I gavea third of it to a friend with the scones I baked.  Then I went and bought another tub of Mascarpone! And I am working to make sure it is consumed while it has its best flavor!

So now you will know why if I look a little puffy in Christmas pictures.

Two Turtle Doves

Participating in the Lanier Under the Lights 5K has been a tradition for the past 6 years. Tonight I participated in the event with Melissa, Billy and Alex Bachman. When this year they announced that there would be a costume contest, Melissa and I began to think out of the box.  The result was we took 7th place (out of 10).  Melissa and I ran most the way and our time wasn't bad for gals who had not been running lately.  Billy and Alex had good runs with Billy taking 3rd in his age division winning the coveted Santa Bobble Head.  Another fun night running under the light.

 

Billy, Alex and Melissa

On the 2nd Day of Christmas my true love gave to me,
Two Turtle Doves

Fleece Dove Wings, Turtle Hats and some red duct tape letters.



Santa and the Doves

          A post race Selfie

Billy and his Santa Babble Head

 

What are you thankful for?

At the end of a book I was reading to the preschoolers, the question was asked "What are you thankful for?  So I asked the children that very question.  There answers made me giggle and I thought you might enjoy.  So with a slight change of the names, here is what my class of three year olds are thankful for.

• Mommy and Daddy - Anna
• My brother and sister - Wes
• Baseball! - Freddie
• Soccer - Lena
• Mommy and Daddy - Tori
• Mommy's going to the beach and taking me - David
• Baseball - EJ
• Treats - Preston
• My baby sister got teeth - Van
• My favorite book - Izzy
• Santa's bringing me a camera and a unicorn! - Mary

Just a bunch o rambling

Many folks who have "seen many birthdays" are known to flee to Florida or Arizona come colder weather.  My parents flew off to Colorado for the first week of November, go figure.  My parents went to join my Aunt and Uncle in their time share at Estes Park CO.  In spite of my initial misgivings it seemed to be a great trip for the folks.  The weather was better there than here, they were entertained by drives around the mountains looking for Elk and a sweatshirt for Peter and it appears a good time was had by all.  They were in good spirits upon arrival yesterday and looking for another adventure.  Know anyone with an extra room in Florida?

 

Tuesday night Restorative Yoga is great.  After some coaching from my "therapist," I learned how to move my mind from spin class speed to yoga speed.  Mentally I have started taking a VW bus on a trip to some peaceful place.  I visualize all the aspects and hear the sounds while I follow the slow movements of our Yoga poses.  Thus far I have taken a red VW bus to the SC beach and the NC mountains.  And last week I took a pale yellow one to the beaches of Tanzania.  It is amazing how this has helped me relax. As the class ends I am usually in the place of praying about a specific thing or making a plan for the evening.  I am looking forward to seeing where the bus and I go this week!

 

Once again God intervened in the perils of my Friday Night with a teenager.  The trend is Peter goes to the football game and tells me he is headed for a party afterwards.  A couple of times his team has lost thus meaning no party and after going to Taco Bell with a friend, he comes home.  This week his team made a triumphant win against a main rival.  But in God's grace to me, he sent a down pour that kept Peter from attending the victory party and had him home well before curfew.

 

Peter needs a job.  I tell him that regularly.  Every time he ask for something I respond with "get a job."  I know it is not an easy task to find a job, especially when you come home and sleep after school every day and spend the weekend at the grandparents watching football games.  He has filled out a couple of on line applications but has not shown very much gumption in convincing someone to hire him.

 

I am a bit of a Netflix junkie.  However so that I could get some sleep a couple of months ago I switched from Netflix streaming to Netflix disc. Thus I have a new movie or three or four TV episodes about every four to five days. (For further understanding we have no TV hook up of any kind at our house.) I have watched a variety of shows and movies via Netflix.  I like to find a good series to follow.    For awhile I was watching the new Hawaii Five 0 via streaming.  When I was at an outdoor craft festival this fall and I kept wanting to duck every time I heard the helicopters overhead, I decided maybe I was watching just a little too much. That is about the time I switched from streaming to disk and decided to try a new show. I have become a fan of  stuff produced by BBC and other foreign shores. Currently I am watching a series out of Australia called Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.  If you enjoy period pieces and mysteries, this one is fun.  I watch three or four episodes at a time (usually over a couple of days) as they come on the disc.  This is much better then  three or four a night via streaming.  If you like mystery series I also highly recommend BBC's Death in Paradise. That one was lots of fun.  And if you want some great characters that make you laugh out loud and some crazy action adventure, I also highly recommend Chuck.

 

As for book reading I have really mixed feelings about Nicholas Spark's novels (and movies based on them.)  Basically someone usually always dies at the end.  And if I keep that in mind I am okay.  Problem is I forget and then I am sucker punched in the end when a main character dies.  I have listened to several of his books on audio - ones that have not been made famous by movie makers.  I was so angst by one just knowing the wife was going to die that when she didn't I was almost just as upset.  With that said, Ol Nick redeemed himself as I recently listened to The Wedding on audio.  Now first of all it was read by Tom Wopat (you know Luke Duke of Dukes of Hazard) and listening to him is NOT hard.  Second, no one died and the story was delightful.  It actually is a sequel of sorts to The Notebook.  So if you want to think a little more positively of Mr. Sparks or simply want a sweet story, I do recommend The Wedding. And you can double the fun by getting it on audio.  My new delight is a narrative style cookbook called An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler.  A delightful read plus cooking advice all in one.  This one just might change the way I think about cooking.

 

While I am giving unsolicited reviews on favorites let me give a quick plug for The Rend Collective.  A friend recently steered me in their direction.  I think it was the VW bus in the picture on their home page that led her to do so.  However after looking at their bio video and hearing the song Lighthouse, I have become a fan.  It is great worship music out of Ireland.  And the videos are fun.  If you are looking for some new worship music I highly recommend checking out The Rend Collective .

 

It's raining here again.  The good news is I think with all this rain, I may just get the moss garden to grow. Just need to mix up some moss/buttermilk smoothies to pour out in that spot.

 

So as I bring the rambling to a close let me share one of my recent favorite preschooler quotes.  This blond hair, blue eyed little three year old girl approaches me with great light in her eyes and says with extreme enthusiasm, "For my birthday I am going to get a camera and a Unicorn!" 

 

May your days be filled with the excitement and anticipation of a new camera and a Unicorn.