A Week of Giving Thanks



Brr.....who turned down the thermostat? It is cold and blustery here, though thankfully the sun is shining. I so meant to get this post up over the weekend but a migraine came at me out of the blue
and knocked me on my keister for the weekend. Blah!




Snow outside my work office
 

It snowed last week. Only an inch or snow, but enough to remind us that winter is here once again. It makes me want to hibernate and plan my garden for next spring. I am such a dreamer. To me winter is a beautiful, magical time of year with warm fires, cozy blankets and cups of tea and cocoa. It means baking cookies, knitting, and reading or movies. All of course, as along as I can stay inside and watch the snow fall outside the window.  I believe I would make a fantastic hermit!

Honey and I have been working hard to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. We will be hosting 8 total with several others coming later after visiting other relatives first.  I worked on pumpkin pies (though I did cheat on the crust this year) and found all my Mama's beautiful china dishes. I love bringing them out every year and running my fingers over them as memories rush through my mind. How many times I'd set the table with these exact dishes as my Mama cooked up feasts in the kitchen. Laying the silverware just so beside the blue and white plates. Making sure the napkins were straight and the crystal cut glasses were in just the right place. Taking pride in the fact that my Mama trusted me with her most beautiful dishes.

 

Honey worked so hard making all the wonderful foods that go along with Thanksgiving feasts. A turkey in the roaster, a crockpot full of mashed potatoes, meatballs and gravy and sweet potatoes. There were homemade rolls, rice and cherry salad, and fresh cranberry sauce. Delicious....so grateful he is such a fantastic cook! :) 

 

Unfortunately I was so swept up in the delicious food and visiting with family, I didn't take any pictures. My Aunt Lynda and Uncle Alan were here with their son Brian. They go to Florida for the winter and Brian lives about 4 hours away. We don't see any of them much and I guess I wanted to sit and visit rather than take pictures.  I was able to knit while we visited and was able to finish a pair of mittens intended as a gift for one of my adopted children.

 

There is so much to be thankful for. And even though I find myself feeling down in the dumps and fearful on the future, I am thankful for all my many blessings....my family, my friends, my home, my job, and My God.

 

God's blessings on all of you this Holiday and as we get ready to celebrate the Savior's Birth!

Happy Thanksgiving...

Deer Camp

Sunday evening and time to start winding down after a busy weekend of family and deer camp. Blaze Orange has been the color of most family Members this Weekend and we have 2 beautiful bucks and 2 doe hanging in the tree to show for the early mornings and hours sitting in the tree stand.

 

Friday, Princess had a close friend over for a slumber party. There was a fashion show, a Card game and a lot of laughter!  I love listening to them chatter and giggle. It brings back the days of my childhood.

 

Princess Pea and M- playing cards

My niece hiking in the woods

My nephew with his 9-point buck

On Saturday we spent a lot of time up on the land ooohing and aaahing over deer and taking pictures. My nephew, R- only had one day to hunt and ended up shooting a really nice 9 point buck. It fell in some tough terrain with hills and rocks covered by wet slippery leaves. It was a dreary, drizzly day making for some treacherous hiking to try to haul it out.  Honey helped and ended up slipping and falling, sliding down the hill a ways. He is pretty banged up and bruised today.

Honey, R- and my brother SJ admiring the deer



Emma chewing on her bone - Silly Puppy

My brother EJ with his 7 point buck

Today Princess Pea and I went to church and she attended her confirmation class. Then it was time for some football! Packers VS. Vikings is a huge rivalry and of course between Cookie and I. And tonight is the Giants vs. Cowboys (Princess vs. Honey). Lots of good natured teasing. Miss Emma spent the day chewing on her bone and annoying poor Luna. Those pesky little sisters you know!



This evening my brothers will be here to process the deer. So grateful I have a family that pitches in and helps each other!

My friend Scott was able to stop in tonight for a quick visit. He lives in New Orleans and was home for a quick weekend of deer hunting with his family. It was so good to see him. Praying for his safe return home.

Homemade cookies for the hunters

I still have a bit to do this evening to prepare for the week ahead. Princess Pea only has school on Monday and Tuesday. She and Cookie Monster will go to their dad's on Tuesday to spend the holiday with him, so there is laundry and packing to do. The deer need to be processed and I should clean since we are hosting Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. Instead, I am sitting in my chair working on the pair of mittens I have on my knitting needles. I can't wait to finish them and show off my newest skill...MITTENS! :) I have always wanted to learn to make them. Thankful for my creative talent and my ability to read and learn on my own. Next up is mastering the art of making socks!

Off to bed now...God's blessings to you all!



Busy Time of Year!




My Desk at Work...

Eucalyptys Shower Soothers



Stacks of Fabric!

Hanging Towels...

So it's that time of year again.  You know when the cold,  dreary weather weather forces everyone inside.  We have been keeping very busy with many projects and activities.  I have been busy working many sewing projects, among other things.  I made hanging towels for our kitchen, some eucalyptus shower soothers, and these crazy rice filled owls to warm on the microwave.  The owls were such a hit that I am now selling them in a local store with another store interested in having them. How exciting!


 

My Owls...Lots of Colorful Characters

Princess Pea and her buddy R at Dance!

Cookie has been working 2 jobs, trying to get his car fixed and figure out what he is going to do in life.  I so wish I could help him more and I wish I had guided him better as a young child.  But what's done is done and I can only go from here trying to guide him and give him advice as I can.  

 

Princess Pea is active as usual.  She finished up her volleyball season and headed straight into dance.  She is also busy with FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America)  and Forensics.  She is on the color guard squad and in choir and jazz choir.  She also plays flute in the concert band and saxophone in the jazz band.  Whew... I get tired trying to keep up with her.  

 

Making Beautiful Music



Smiles

Last night she played in the District Honors Band.  This organization takes a few musicians from several local schools, gives them music to learn and practice.  Then they pull all the students together for a day to play the music together under a guest conductor. After a full day's rehearsal, they perform a concert.  It is an incredible experience for the kids.
 

Emma!



Getting in on the Selfie Craze! LOL

One of Cookie's friends has an opportunity for a wonderful job within the state corrections department. I am so happy for him, but during his seven week training, he needed someone to watch his 3 month old golden retriever/german shepherd puppy. Yes, seven (7) weeks and yes 3 months old... Meet our house guest - Emma! She has the sweetest temperament and disposition. She is gentle and loving and playful. She does however think she is a lap dog and deserves ALL attention leaving sweet Luna to feel a bit jealous at times. Mostly they play well and we laugh at them. She is learning manners slowly and has found great fun in a game of fetch (as long as Luna also plays). I'm not sure what the two of them will do without each other when Emma goes home...

Enjoy a cuppa!

  

We are also planning for deer camp this weekend. Rifle season for deer opens on Saturday morning at day break. It's a tradition in our family that everyone gathers at my home on Friday night(since it was previously my parent's home) to swap stories and look at trail camera pictures and plan strategies. Some stay at our house, others go home, but they all wind up back at my place for breakfast around 5 AM on Saturday morning. This means up at 4 to start cooking! :) Then they all traipse off to the woods leaving a mess in the kitchen and me to start the chili and chicken noodle soup. And then I spend the day making cookies and treats as they filter in and out to warm up and eat. Some spend the night again on Saturday night and more of the same (minus a 5 AM breakfast) on Sunday! :) It is really a wonderful tradition that I truly look forward to every year. To me it starts the holiday season!  Check out this post about last year's Deer Camp to see just what I mean!

So tonight will be a night of planning, taking inventory of groceries, making more owls, and doing some laundry.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will check in with you later!

 

Technology - Good or Evil?

Lately I have been wondering at the technology available in our world today. We have smart phones, desktops, laptops, tablets, and now even watches that bring the world and information to wherever we are in the blink of an eye. It has made us more knowledgeable, aware of the world around us and connected to people all over the world. Information is available immediately and profoundly, right, wrong or indifferent.  And while having information is good, I’m not so sure it’s the best thing to have it at our fingertips 24/7.

 

Technology has isolated society, teaching them that communication is better done via a gadget than face to face. People’s opinions are screaming at us from all angles, news reports send “breaking news” alerts to tell us of the latest tragedy. Bad news overrides good and social media has brought bullying and worse into our very homes via the internet.

The art of conversation has been lost. We sit with our faces plastered to screens instead of looking each other in the eyes. (And I am just as bad as anyone…I even blog from my phone) Stunted text messages convey messages that can be easily misinterpreted without the body language that is so vital to true communication.

I may be old fashioned or nostalgic, but I miss the days of front porch conversations and Sunday family dinners.  I miss the card parties, the family functions with kids playing games and talking, and outdoor activities. I dream of the days when kids ran free outside, not tethered to the wall by a cord. I long for human connection (even as a severe introvert). I long to be heard, acknowledged, and understood, seen and validated.

 

I am sorely tempted to turn the internet off at home, swap out the cell phone for a landline with an answering machine. I want to put a sign up on the door that says:

I understand the benefits of having a cell phone for emergencies. I also know that children today need to have internet at home just to do homework.  This is technology used for good. But how does one balance the good with the evil? I have come up with a few suggestions or ideas…

1.    Do not purchase smart phones/iPods. These lead to isolating behaviors and can create divisions in families. If cell phones are that much of a necessity, purchase old standard phones that do not have internet access. Or use the pre-pay phones. These can be used in an emergency but won’t cause people to have their faces glued to the screen.

2.    Set timers on the internet for use during needed hours only. If kids need it for school or adults need it for work, set it to shut off during non-needed hours (8 PM to 8 AM maybe?)

 

3.    Instate a “No Cellphone” Policy with guests. Of course if you do not have Wi-Fi this will limit the usage while they are at your home, but if this is not the case, a no cellphone rule makes it clear that you would like to visit with them, not sit and watch them on their phones.  

4.    If your child has friends over, collect electronic devices so that they spend time with each other, not online. (I did this for Princess Pea’s 13^th Birthday Party and the girls all said it was the best birthday party they had been to!)

I know that in today’s world, these ideas will be balked at, shied away from or even laughed at. Most people see technology as a necessary evil that can’t be avoided. I beg to differ. By making conscious choices in our lives, we can use it for what it was meant to be…a help. We need to realize that human interaction is being sacrificed for the sake of technological advances and our families, friendships, children and relationships are suffering because of it.  And we need to make an effort to stop or slow down how technology negatively affects us now, before we lose our children to its grip.

 

All About Attitude

I woke up this morning feeling quite down again. I know my balance in my checking account is low (probably negative),  the weekend went by too quick, a rock chipped the window of my Jeep last night and now it's supposed to snow. Yeah, set me on my teeth real quick. Reality, that thing that jabs in the side when we start to feel good. Reality, hard and quick, bites and pulls us back under the surging tide.  It can happen so fast. One little thing and we back slide into the murk and gloominess. 

Then, just when I feel myself ready to let go and have the darkness overcome my soul again, Jesus tapped me on my shoulder and told me to lift others in order to be lifted myself.

I set my Facebook status as a prayer. For those facing a bleak Monday morning. For those who are facing their deepest fears today. For those who want to stay in bed and hide under the covers but instead face the day and their loved ones with courage and smiles. I wanted to let them know...They.Are.Not.Alone. Someone is out there thinking of them, praying for them and believing in them.

Sometimes in what seems our darkest hour, when we are taking life minute by minute, we need to reach out to help others so we can be helped ourselves.
 

Bed Stealer..

We are puppy sitting for one of Cookie's friends.  Miss Emma is all of 5 months and still growing.  She has a sweet disposition and gentle nature and gets along with Luna well.  She is all puppy and just adorable to watch.  She did however sneak into bed with me last night and decided she liked it!

Halloween..

Princess Pea and her friend K- decided they are not too old for trick or treating.  So they dressed up and off they went.... Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse on the loose!  Watch out would!