Friday Faves 5 & Saturday 9

Thanks for all the prayers for my son and he appreciates it. (see previous entry) There is always so much to be thankful for, and I am joining Joyce for a recap of my weekly blessings.

1. Thankful that we were able to go watch our grands perform at their school's performance. There were continuous music performances. Then there were groups that were taken on a tour of the living Nativity.

My grandson played the part of Elijah talking about Isaiah 9:6. My granddaughter played the keyboard and guitar and helped with staging. My son Daniel and Melinda were able to come and visit before they headed to Christmas parties. Daughter Renee and granddaughter helped pass out presents at their church. Grandson was working and bought gifts for everyone with his first check. They also had a bake sale fundraiser with lots of goodies.

2. Thankful to be able to go to a satellite church to hear our granddaughter sing. Thankful that my family all showed their support for Daniel, both at the hospital and during the week. We decided to have Christmas dinner at our favorite Chinese food place. The boys liked watching the Christmas Story and always suggested we go have Chinese food so that we could relax more after Christmas.

3. Thankful for being able to get all my shopping done and by Tuesday. We went to Andrew's house and I was able to take my December study with me. My granddaughter was busy painting her Christmas gifts. We did the last of our grocery shopping afterwards for our part in the big breakfast.

4. Thankful to be able to have time to wrap last minutes gifts and get the table ready for breakfast.

Got all the stocking filled and the house ready for Christmas. I enjoyed watching Christmas movies and remembering my parents. I was not able to go to the Christmas eve service because of the rain and I don't drive at night because of cataracts. 

5. Thankful for a wonderful Christmas! Daniel was very sore so we had him sit and it was nice to see all the family carefully give him hugs. I was happy seeing the family love. I could tell Daniel was in pain, but he said he would not miss it. Thankful for his caring wife. 

My grandson Eddie said a wonderful prayer before we ate. We took pictures and then opened presents. We normally start with the stockings, but we decided that we would do it after dinner. Daniel and Melinda made everyone laugh with the last present, giant 6-7 balloons. Then they retired to our guest room and all left. Later we went to Hiong Kongs that was so busy. We hate to wait for seating and the place was so busy. The food is so good there and worth the wait. We came home, opened up stocking and places Left, Right, Center. We had Mexican hot chocolate and dessert. After everyone left, I was able to watch the Christmas Call the Midwife special. Thank You Lord!

Dinner at our favorite Chinese food place-Hong Kongs, Cantonese style fresh fiood.

Saturday 9: Bye Bye Bye (2000)

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

1) In this song, a man predicts his lover will start an argument. Is there anyone in your life who can be quarrelsome? Yes

2) He says he's had it, he's checking out and signing off. Can you think of a time you were glad you walked away from something? Yes

3) This week's song was performed by the band NSYNC. The group was formed in Orlando, FL, which is world famous as home to Walt Disney World. Today there are 12 Disney theme parks located around the globe. Have you ever visited one of these Magic Kingdoms? Yes, the original Disneyland. I am as old as this park being born a few weeks after it opened in July 1955. I have gone over the years and seen many changes. I am happy to have my pass again!

4) They made a celebrity appearance on The Simpsons. What's your all-time favorite cartoon show?

The Looney Tunes was fun when I was a child.

5) In 2000, the year "Bye Bye Bye" was popular, Brad Pitt was named People's Sexiest Man Alive. Are you crushing on anyone right now? I think a few actors have aged well like George Clooney.

Let's look back on 2025 ...

6) What's the farthest from home you traveled in 2025? We went on a Mexican Riviera cruise in January and we were 1511 miles away from home. That is based on land, so might be a little more than that.

7) What was the biggest purchase that you made in 2025? Air conditioner system.

8) What was your favorite book of 2025? The Bible, I will have completed reading through the Bible at the end of the year with the Bible Recap Girl program. I plan to re read the Left Behind series again.

9) What are you looking forward to most in 2026? A possible trip to Israel with my church.

Prayers needed & Merry Christmas

I am a little sad right now. My son was assaulted at his work on Sunday by a guy that was probably high on something. He went to the ER and treated, has a concussion and bruising. He is at the Worman's comp doctor now getting a more detailed exam, He is going to be off for at least a week or maybe more. The union is going to see if he can be moved to another store since the assaulter has been in the store before and they guy threatened him. The guy was taken into police custody and there are lots of witnesses. 2 coworkers had to help my son keep the guy down. The guy had verbally abused the checker and woman manager too, So I ask for prayers because this is going to be a long journey. My son just paid for his trip to Japan in the spring to celebrate their 10th anniversary. I pray he be well enough to go.

This is my Christmas site with over 30 inspirational pages, Gingerbread Cottage and interactive fun

Fridays Fave Five & Saturday 9

1.Thankful for family Last Saturday, I met with my sibling for lunch. Later we went to my cousin's house We shared a lot of memories. We are here with her aunt who turned 85 on the 15th.

Sister Terry, BIL Ernie, sister Ann, Aunt Evelyn, me, SIL Cindy and brother Scott. Hubby did not go. 

2. Thankful for all the things our church does for the Christmas season. During the day you could take a picture with Santa. Santa brings gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I love the teaching on Advent we are going through. This weeks reading was from the book of Luke. If you ever watched the Peanuts Christmas, you have heard Linus reciting the verses. Also thankful for the fun time at the Senior Christmas party. 

That evening, I lit the pink, third candle of lent for Joy. I also lit the first candle of Hannukah. I use battery operated candles since I can't use real candles because of my allergies.

3. Thankful that I was able to make over 80 gingerbread cookies on Monday for the cookie exchange on Tuesday. It was a lot of work, but I learned some new things. They came out pretty good too. I used a Betty Crocker cookie mix that I found at Target. I am not a baker, but I started baking cookies with my grands and it has become a tradition.  Thankful for the fun cookie exchange with friends from church. We each brought 6 cookies for each girl and 6 for the cookie trays to go along with the potluck food we brought. I made tuna sandwiches. Afterwards, I went to Hobby Lobby and got cards and wrap for next year. I also stopped at the Post office.

4. Thankful for a day of rest. I finally got caught up on my sleep. I worked on cards and hubby and I caught up on Christmas movies. The grands had their last finals and now are on a 3 week winter break.

5. Thankful for how my visit went with the ophthalmologist on Friday. The nurse loved my purse as she is a Disney enthusiast like me. I loved the doctor! He was so friendly and couldn't understand how his nurse or I could go do Disney by ourselves. He looked at my eye and said I have SEBORRHEIC KERATOSIS. It is a non-cancerous growth that occurs in people usually older than  50. I need to apply warm compresses or a teabag to soften it and sometimes that will remove it. But the doctor made an appointment to remove it if it is still there in a few weeks. We made an appointment for the end of January, after my next visit to Disneyland for my son's birthday. 

1. As you can see, when Sam Winters was a little girl, she loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. If you could ask Santa for anything at all, right now, what would it be? Kindness for all people and to know Jesus, the reason for the season.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there? I will say nice.

3. Are you traveling this Christmas? If so, are you going by car, plane or train? I am not traveling.

4. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If yes, which one traveled the farthest? I did not ship any gifts. I have sent out a few cards for card exchanges. I also sent out a small box for a homemade ornament exchange to WV. I have one more exchange to send out and a few cards.

5. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? I bought several ornaments, mostly Disney for my Disney tree. I also go a purse. I found a great deal the day after Thanksgiving online.  

6. Which do you prefer: candy canes or gingerbread? Gingerbread. I baked six dozen gingerbread cookies for an exchange and to pass out.

7. Can you see any holiday decorations from where you're sitting now? Yes! I am in the family room watching tv and I can see many decorations; I change the mantle every year. It is Disney this year and last year it was Snoopy. The year before it had one of my Nativity sets on it. I can see the 4 smaller trees. My seasonal tree has Nativity and angels. The next one is the Peanuts Gang. The other side of the fireplace has a family ornament tree and a pet tree. The baby grand has my Willow Tree Nativity set. 

 

 

The Nativity in on the piano that is left of the fireplace.

8. What's your favorite winter beverage? Mexican hot chocolate. Click on the girl for the recipe.

9. Share a memory from last Christmas. There are two that stand out. I taught the women in my Bible journaling group about Hanukkah. I set a table up and had some food to share and lights on the table.

We worked on a Hanukkah bookmark and a Clothespin Nativity. My whole family got together last Christmas season, but since we all were together in August for my 70th, just my siblings and I got together. 

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge

Tuesday 4

1. Is your tree up? How tall is it? what color lights?  We have trees in all the rooms! The family room has 5 trees. The main tree is Disney. The seasonal tree has angels and Nativities. There is a peanuts tree, a family tree and a pet tree. All have colored lights. The lights on the mantel are white. Are there lights in the window? No lights on the window. The French Doors have colored lights.  On the door? None on the door.

 2. Got a menu for Christmas Eve and Day? Not yet.

3. Who is coming for Christmas or who will you visit? My whole immediate family comes on Christmas morning for breakfast and to open presents. Some come back for dinner.

 4. What is your favorite Christmas memory.? The last Christmas before I got married was special. My parents gave us a box of ornaments that we will still put up today.

1. What's one thing on your to-do list that you want to get done, need to get done, or that must get done before the year ends? I need to let go of things. I have too much.

2.  December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day...are you a fan? Do you like maple flavor in other food items such as candy, cookies, donuts, oatmeal, hot toddies, coffee? I do like real maple syrup. I don't use it often because I have to watch my sugars. I like it on French toast and pancakes.

3. Time magazine names a person of the year every year.  The tradition started back in 1927 with a 'man of the year' but has since changed to recognize not only an individual, but also to consider the impact of a group, movement, or idea that most influenced the year. The selection is not always someone or something good (think Hitler in 1938 and Stalin twice). 

This year they've named The AI Architects as their 'person of the year'. What say you? Is this a good choice, an obvious choice, a logical choice? Who do you think should have been named person of the year? I don't like it. I don't like the idea of AI. I think that it has the potential to cause major problems. I think that it will keep a whole generation from critical thinking. You can't factor in human emotions and so many things need a complete though process to have a real result in action. God gave us brains to use. So many don't know how to communicate because of social media. So, technology has helped, but it has also hindered.

4. What's a city, state, or country you've visited that you never care to visit again? Tell us why. 

5. Next Sunday (December 21st) marks the first day of winter (or the opposite if you're living down under). What's one thing you love about this new season? The colder weather which is okay for southern California. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. Life has been so busy these past two week. Today was the last big event and now things will slow down a bit. I went to a cookie exchange today and it was nice and fun. But I was going crazy yesterday making over 80 gingerbreads. I got them all made and packaged and the party was fun.

Friday's Fave Five & Saturday 9

Thankful for a fun time at the movies with my friends from church. We had a whole theater to ourselves.

My granddaughter was able to go because my friend had an extra ticket.

Thankful to be able to celebrate some birthdays with friends and enjoy a great lunch.

Thankful to almost be done with my Christmas shopping!

Thankful for a fun day at Disneyland on Thursday!

Thankful for being able to meet up with my Siblings on Saturday for lunch and gift exchange.

Saturday 9: First Christmas (2024)

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

1) The song mentions snowmen and snow on a windowpane. Has it snowed near you yet? No snow where I live in So CA. 

2) Diane Keaton sings that hearing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" makes her miss someone she loved who won't be coming home at all. Is there a Christmas song that reminds you of a loved one? I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas remind me of my mom and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas reminds me of my dad. I sure miss my parents.

 

3) After the song was first released for Christmas 2024, Diane said she appreciated how many people posted on her Instagram, sharing their "First Christmas journeys," explaining how they navigated the first holiday season without a special someone. What have you recently posted on social media (other than this blog post)? I posted some Disneyland pictures on Instagram and Facebook.

 

4) Diane appeared in the Broadway musical Hair and sang in movies like Annie Hall and The First Wives Club. Still, she didn't consider herself "much of a singer." How about you? What's something you do, even though you're not completely comfortable doing it? I love to sing, but not in front of anyone.

I will sing at church. That is why I admire my granddaughter Audrina, who sings and plays the keyboard. My other granddaughter Jazzy is on the cheer team, and I admire that she can do her thing in from of a whole crowd and yet she is very quiet and private.

 

5) This was Diane's first and, sadly, her only record. She was nervous doing it, but it helped that the lyrics was written by her friend, Carole Bayer Sager, and that both Carole and her writing partner, Jonas Myrin, were with Diane in the studio. Tell us about a friend who came through for you. My friend Linda has helped me out with many things, mostly giving me rides. My friend Coreen has been a good listening ear and she helped me with my Christmas craft for our Bible journaling group.

6) After her 75th birthday, Diane said she was excited that new ventures were coming her way and she found herself saying "yes" more often. In addition to recording this week's song, she accepted an unexpected offer from Look Optic to design eyewear. Have you recently tried something you've never done before? OR What's something you'd like to try? I would love to try out a Kayak,

 

Now for some questions about the holiday season ...

7) Do you display the holiday cards you receive? Yes, and I am so behind in my cards this year.

8) This is a big time of year for necklaces, hats and headbands decorated with jingle bells. Will you be wearing any bells this season? No, but I did wear a Mickey mouse hat at Disneyland.

 

9) The website Morning Save included these three items on their list of this season's popular gifts. Would you rather receive: a. cup holder/phone mount for your car; b. sherpa lined clog slippers; c. set of three stainless paring knives with rosemary green plastic handles? The knives, My favorite paring knife has disappeared. I bought my self some new slippers to wear for Christmas.

Its super late and I am ready to fall asleep. I will have to come back to finish up.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Christmas is fast approaching for billions of people...

1. Do you have a favorite Christmas carol and if so is there a particular version you especially like?

I like Hark the Herald and Oh Holy Night.

2.Do you have a special dinner for the holidays? What foods are included? When my in-laws were alive, we would go to their house on Christmas Eve and have tamales, potato salad, rice, beans and fresh tortillas. Once my son got married, he went with his in-laws to celebrate with his wife's family. 

All our parents have passed away. All my kids go with family on Christmas Eve. All our kids come for Christmas morning and the me make the breakfast. We usually have eggs, bacon, French toast, and sometimes country style potatoes. After breakfast we open presents and drink Mexican hot chocolate. Later they come over for dinner. We sometimes have Mexican food like green chili enchiladas, rice, beans and sometimes chicken pozole which is a chicken soup with green chili base and hominy. When my parents were alive and we all went there, mom would make a great roast and sometimes a honey bake ham. We girls all made the sides. Not sure what is on the menu, but most like the Mexican food.

3.Holiday movies ... which do you like to watch? We always watch National Lampoon Christmas after Thanksgiving dinner. We also watch It's a Wonderful Life and Elf that weekend too. I like the traditional movies and hubby, and I watched White Christmas Sunday night. I like the older version of A Christmas Carol. I like to watch Hallmark and Christmas specials too

4. What traditions do you continue to keep year after year for the holidays? I give each child an ornament at Thanksgiving. We all have fun filling up the stocking. Opening presents on Christmas morning and we are all in our pajamas. We go to Christmas Eve service and it brings back fond memories of my childhood.

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over? I don't pay too much attention to the commercialization. I know what I like and I find out what my family wants.

2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? I really enjoy looking at my decorations. I take pictures on Christmas Even when the house is clean and quiet. I look at the things I have collected over the years and enjoy the memories I have.

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so does yours include a photo or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? I still do a few cards and mail to those that are not on social media and a few out of state. Last year I started handing out cards because stamps or so expensive. I usually send out more that I receive. I hope to start on my cards Wednesday. So far, I still include a picture, and it is usually the one we took at Thanksgiving.

If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December, do you send cards to mark the occasion? I am not Jewish, but I do set out a few things for Hannukah.

4. What's your least favorite holiday related task? Taking things down after Christmas What's your favorite? Decorating and thinking about past Christmases. 

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

shopping or wrapping

baking or decorating

eggnog or wassail

real tree or artificial

turkey or ham

white lights or colored lights 

ugly sweaters or matching pjs

peppermint or cinnamon 

presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day

6. Insert your own random thought here. I am a little behind on my schedule I finally got the last of my gingerbreads up. I had to redo the swag that goes over the kitchen window. I had lunch with my friends on Tuesday. I have to finish up cards for an exchange and get them in the mail I have to finish my shopping. I am going to Disneyland with my son's family on Thursday and have to get my clothes and backpack ready. Friday I have to finish the gifts for my family. Saturday, I meet with my siblings for lunch as we exchange gifts. We did the whole big family last Christmas. Since we all go together in August, we decided to not have the big family Christmas. It is hard with all the different schedules.

Sunday my husband and I greet at church. Later is the Senior Christmas Party. No resting on Monday, I will be baking for a cookie exchange on Tuesday. I am busy and that is okay. I am happy I am well enough to do it all! Sharing a picture of my parents from 2008. Mom passed in 2010 and dad in 2013.

Thanks to Annie and Joyce for the memes.