Tuesday 4 Christmas

December is a month filled with religious significance for so many. Christmas(Dec 24-25) and Chanukah(Nov 28-Dec 6). Christians speak of the light coming into the world at Christmas and Chanukah is the festival of lights when the light was returned to the  newly cleansed temple in Jerusalem. So they have a common connection: the light of God in the world. 

Let's talk about December and what it has in store for you....

1. How much importance do you place on December holidays?  Do you plan and prepare? I do have to put things on a calendar. I do things with the family and my church friends.

Is that part of the fun for you or would you rather dispense with it? I love Christmas! I love decorating for my family.

2. Food is a big part of the holiday season.  Which foods and treats do you most look forward to having? We only have to decide on Christmas morning and Christmas dinner. Christmas morning we will have eggs, bacon, potatoes and French toast. We are planning the dinner menu now. So far we have chicken posole, rice, beans, enchiladas. We will probably have tamales too. We always make Mexican hot chocolate for Christmas. If I do have friends over. I usually have finger foods. Just depends on the time.

3. It is a season for family, friends, guests and giving.  Would you write a bit about how it all comes together for you in December?  Next week I will be doing a second class on Bible journaling and we will be in Matthew and Luke reading the Christmas story. My group plans to go to a Christmas tea too. Our church will have a Christmas party for the seniors that I plan to go to. My family is planning a party for December 19th. There will be a Christmas Eve service. My family spends Christmas Eve with the in laws side. Everyone comes over Christmas morning for breakfast and to open gifts. Then they come back for dinner. 

4. Life changes and traditions alter due to those changes. Has anything changed for you and if so how? If not, would you mind sharing your traditions with us? My mom aways set a pretty table and I have done the same. When my kids were young, we would open gifts at home and then take the kids to my parents for dinner. My parents are no longer here. My kids come here. I started the tradition of giving everyone a Christmas ornament on Thanksgiving. My kids to Elf on the Shelf. I do Shepherd on the search. They find the little gifts the Shepherd leaves, I think the biggest thing we do is stockings. When our kids were teens, they started adding things to the stockings. The boys and my daughter go all out getting things for gifts. This is last year. I bake cookies every year with my grandkids. The picture below was from 2019 because I was sick last year.

Since 2016 I have been Bible journaling and participate in Advent. 

This is the cover I made for it this year.

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Black Velvet (1989)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This song was chosen because yesterday was Black Friday, the traditional day of sales. Have you begun your Christmas shopping? Yes, I started a couple of days ago online. I bought several things from Target's Black Friday sales for the grand nephews and nieces.

2)  Was there an adult beverage served with your Thanksgiving feast? No, we had Martinelli sparkling ciders. Regular and Apple-Cranberry. We usually get it for Christmas too. I have mine with lots of ice and water because it is so high in sugar.

 

3) Did any pets enjoy scraps from your Thanksgiving table? Our dog got a few tiny pieces of turkey gizzards in her bowl. We watch what we give her because of how sick she got in January!

4) Are there any Thanksgiving leftovers in your refrigerator right now? Yes, lots of things! We will eat them for a few days. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, macaroni salad, green bean casserole, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry relish, rolls and cornbread.

5) Football is a popular Thanksgiving weekend pastime. Will you be watching any games over the next few days? No If yes, which team(s) are you rooting for?

6) This week's song is by Canadian Alannah Myles. She was born Alannah Byles (with a B), but changed her name to differentiate herself from her father. He was influential in Canadian broadcasting and she didn't want to be accused of riding his coattails. Have you ever received a professional leg up from a relative? Not directly. My dad's friend told us the postal service was hiring for the student program and we had to qualify. Then we both had to take the Civil Service test to get in.

7) In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. Instead of pumpkin pie, Canadians traditionally enjoy butter tarts for dessert. What dessert was on your Thanksgiving menu? Rice Krispy treats, pumpkin pie and ice cream.

8) "Black Velvet" is a tribute to Elvis. Songwriter Christopher Ward said he was inspired by a trip to Memphis, long after Elvis' death, where he spoke to The King's fans and was touched by how much they still loved their favorite singer. Who is your favorite singer? I have a few but I will say Amy Grant and Carole King. I have heard both of them in concert.

9) Share a memory from Thanksgiving 2020.  This is my table setting from last year. Only my daughter and her kids came on Thanksgiving Day. My son and his family came the next day. My middle son and his wife did not come because he had to work and she went with her family.

This was our table this year. My son and daughter came with their families.

  We celebrated with my other son this past Sunday.

Our middle son with the hat has to work on Thanksgiving. He and his wife had the whole family over for lunch on Sunday after church. Their whole place was decorated for Christmas. We played games and just had a lot of fun.  We took the dogs too. They will be over for Christmas. It was a fun day!

Sunday Stealing Thankful for....

1) What teacher are you most thankful for and why?  What did you learn from him or her? I would say Miss Helm. She was nice to me. I had ADHD and I must have drove my previous teachers crazy and they spend a lot of time telling me to behave. Miss Helm told me nice things. She gave me confidence and encouraged me. I learned to love reading that year. I finally liked school. In high school it was Mr. Haffener.  He was my honors World History teacher. He was very challenging but I learned so much. I also had him for Sociology and Psychology. He also wrote a letter of recommendation to the University that I got accepted to.

2) What’s the season you’re most thankful for, and what’s your favorite part of each season? I love the colors of fall and decorating. Winter is Christmas and the New Year. I the cool weather is so nice here in So California. I love the use the fireplace and have hot chocolate. Lots of soups too! I like seeing new growth on the trees and the birds singing. Summer is the hardest because it can get really hot. I do love going to the beach when I can and doing fun things with the grands.

3) What electronic device are you most grateful for, and what does it add to your life? My cell phone is the most convenient but I love my lap top for all the things I can do like print pictures and digital graphics. I can participate in my Bible studies, crafting group and connect to my blogging friends.

4) What musician or type of music are you most thankful for? I like a lot of different types of music but I love Christian music. I love the traditional Christmas hymns.

5) What are you most grateful for that brings beauty to your daily life? So many things but I really enjoy Bible journaling. Once a month I try to Bible journal with my grandkids.

6) What philanthropic cause or organization do you feel thankful for? Operation Christmas Child. So nice to fill boxes up with goodie that go to children all over the world.

7) What foods are you most thankful for? I am thankful for all the basics. I love the roast turkey with all the sides at Thanksgiving. Nothing like home made soups!

8) What local store or restaurant are you most grateful for?  How does it contribute to your quality of life? I like shopping at Sprouts. I like having healthy choices and the store is close by. There is a family owned Mexican food place by us that makes the best soups.

9) What book are you most grateful for, and why? The Bible, I have several, some to study and some for journaling. Why? because it is the Word of God. 

10) What act of kindness has made the greatest difference in your life? A stranger talking to me while on a plane ride home. She asked how I was doing and she gave me some good advise. She said I was a good mom and things would be okay. We got off the plane and I turned back to say thank you again and she was gone. I feel like she was an angel sent to me when I needed some one to share how I was feeling. I am thankful for my friend  who drives me places when I can't  and another friend for teaching us a craft for Christmas.

11) What challenging experience has ended up changing your life for the better? Becoming a grandma for the first time from my youngest when she was barely out of high school. Also going through infertility because it made me appreciate being a mother even more!

12) What vacation are you most grateful for? The family vacation with the grands to Hawaii back in November 2018.

13) Name three days in your life that you feel especially grateful for. My birthday, my anniversary and Christmas because I am usually with my whole family.

14) What product do you use on a daily basis that you most appreciate? Toothpaste

15) What, from this year, do you feel most grateful for? A healthy family!

Tuesday 4 November

1. Besides Thanksgiving is there anything about November you like/dislike? There is nothing I dislike about November. I got engaged on Thanksgiving 1973, My grandson will be 14 on November 10th! I love the cooler weather. Our dog Minnie will turn 5 on November 22. In 2018 we had a Thanksgiving lunch at Polly's Pie because we were getting ready for our trip to Hawaii the following day. 

2. How is November weather where you live? Does it suit you? Yes it is cooler and we have mostly sunny days and occasional rain.

3. When do you plan for Thanksgiving? Eat home or out? Menu? We are in the planning stage now. My kids and grands will be coming to our house. We get dressed up and take pictures. I pass out a Christmas ornament to each child. I use to get a Hallmark ornament but this year I found some cute one at Hobby Lobby.  So what is on the menu? Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, salad, apple and pumpkin pie. If my grandkids dad is in town, he makes a great home made macaroni cheese. Can't forget the rolls and sparkling cider. I may even make my mom's recipe for cranberry raspberry Jello. We usually watch National Lampoon Christmas while we enjoy dessert.

4. When do you begin your decor and plans for Christmas. It "officially" begins after Thanksgiving and the Macy's Parade when Santa arrives at the end. We will start putting up trees next weekend. I put up a tree in every room including the kitchen. The kitchen tree is filled with gingerbread ornaments and the whole kitchen will be decorated with the many gingerbread I have collected over 30 years.

I have a webpage on Thanksgiving Memories and you can find it here. Sorry but some of the pictures appear sideways.  It wasn't originally like that when I created the page. 

Some of our family our family recipes are posted here.

Saturday Nine

Saturday 9: All I Have to Do Is Dream (1958)

 

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) Did you dream last night? I dream every night in color with sound but don't always remember.

2) In this song, The Everly Brothers dream of kissing "lips of wine." Do you prefer red or white wine? I rarely drink, but I occasionally will share a merlot with my husband. I think it is a red, sweet wine.

 

3) In 1975, Rolling Stone ranked Phil and Don #1 on their list of the greatest duos of all time. Name another musical twosome. Peaches and Herb, Ike and Tina Turner, Seals and Croft but my favorite was    The Carpenters  I still have my Album from the early 70's. Several of their songs were played at your wedding like Close To you.

4) Mike Love has acknowledged the influence The Everly Brothers had on The Beach Boys' harmonies. What's your favorite Beach Boys song? Wouldn't It Be Nice Beach Boys - Surfin Usa HD

and I Get Around. I live about 40 miles from Huntington Beach, also known as Surf City USA.

5) The pressure of touring took its toll on the Everly Brothers' personal relationship, and those stresses spilled onto the stage. They once had a fight in front their audience that ended with Phil smashing his guitar and storming off. Have you ever busted something in anger? Not that I can think of.

 

6) One of Don's friends was author/storyteller Garrison Keillor and that's how the Everly Brothers came to perform on Keillor's radio program, A Prairie Home Companion. Do you often listen to the radio or to podcasts? I listen to Pandora on my Cell Phone. I listen to You Tube music videos on my computer and Sirius in the car.

 

7) The brothers chose to live in different cities and held opposite views on politics. Don said, "Everything is different about us, except when we sing." Do you have siblings? If so, are you more alike or different? politically we are different. Two of us lean left and two of us lean right. We are all Christians.  We try to get together every year at Christmas and throughout the year for birthdays. (Lost a year because of Covid) We were all together in July for a baby shower.

BIL, Ernie, sister Ann, Hubby, Me, sister Terry, SIL Cindy and Brother Scott.

We all love music and we try to go out to musical events. We went to the Orange Count Fair to hear Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan. 

We went to watch the Broadway Show Beautiful, the music of Carole King. We also went to the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles to hear a Tribute to the music of Carole King that had many guest like Amy Grant, Katy Perry, Alicia Keys and John Chapman. In the 80's we went to hear Linda Ronstadt with her tour with Canciones de mi Padres.(Songs of my Father)

8) In 1958, the year this song was a hit, Americans were doing the Cuban dance, the cha-cha-cha. Do you ever dance or sing when you're home alone? Yes I mostly sing, but once in a while I will dance around. I should do it more often since it is such good exercise.

 

9) Random question -- Do you believe we each get one true love? I believe many do, and sometimes more than one true love.

Welcome November!

We enjoyed a busy weekend with our family this weekend. On Friday we went to lunch with our son Daniel. On Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Carnival with our son Andrew and the grandkids. Besides all the carnival things, there were 3 corn mazes and a sunflower maze. We did a lot of walking and enjoyed sharing a funnel cake and caramel corn. Afterwards we went to diner at Lucille' and all the food was great! On Sunday we went early to church to set up our candy station for the church Pumpkin  Bash. We went to second service and then back out to our station. There were lots of kids and I am sure they enjoyed all the activities. There was a petting zoo, and lots of balloon bounces. We had an In and Out Hamburger food truck and the hamburgers were great. They passed out bags of popcorn and also had cotton candy. But the biggest hit was all the candy stations. Hubby and I had a quiet dinner when we got home and watched Dances With The Stars that we had recorded earlier.

 

I love Facebook memories. Lot of pictures came up from past Halloweens. This is from 11 years ago. 

The years have gone by so quickly! 

Today was cool and cloudy, a great first fall day of November!

I spent half the day in my pajamas working on my  Gr8tProjecteful.

I will be writing/listing 3 things I am grateful for everyday.