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My Christmas book this year

I like reading a Christmas book at Christmas time.
Some I've read in past years are:

About 100 times better than the movie. Funny. Easy read. Very good. I laughed OUT LOUD reading this book. Also caught myself wiping a tear away - the best kind of book.

Even though this wasn't my favorite of the Mitford series, I read it at Christmas time and so enjoyed it. If you haven't met Jan Karon and her Mitford series yet - lucky you, because you can begin this wonderful tender journey to Mitford.
Delightful books.
Read them in order.
Enjoy. Find out about the prayer that is always answered.
Love this series!

This year I read:

Oh my.
First of all. I have mixed emotions about Glenn Beck. Sort of a love/hate relationship.
Sometimes he is spot on and I really love what he has to say - other times I feel like all he is doing is YELLING at me, and I can hardly get to the "off"  button fast enough.
I loved this book.
Well written, but more importantly, a message. THE message of Christmas.
This autobiographical novel  held me 'hostage' over two days of reading.
I read every word..(I tend to speed read, and found that came in handy for a bit in the middle)...but then - oh, but then, I read and didn't want it to end.
I just wanted to read and think and read and think.
I even read the credits at the end and the post script about Jon Huntsman.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
A good book is one that can be read - finished but not easily forgotten.
It is lingering in my mind.
A delicious linger.

Indeed.........

Now what? A little dream dashed.

Oh, it really isn't anything.
I shouldn't be all upset.
I should just say - "Well, okay" and move on.
It isn't like it was a life or death situation.
Good grief, girl.
I don't HAVE to do it.
It was just a little dream.
A something I really wanted to do.
It doesn't have eternal consequences.
So like - Get. Over. It. Girl.
Once I retired - I decided that now I could so something I really wanted to do.
Not that my job was all that bad, in fact, it was quite okay.
BUT...there is something else I wanted to do.
That something else really wouldn't pay the bills.
It had to wait.
It was just a little part time temporary thing.
(No. Not my fun little craft/bag business - something else.)
But today the dream was dashed.
The job is only offered to non-profit organizations.
Which actually is really a good thing.
Isn't it?
What you ask?
I wanted to be the holiday gift wrapper at one of my favorite stores.
Oh - to wear the little green apron.
To handle and fondle every book.
To wrap them up all tidy and nice.
To bring a satisfied smile to the customer.
Don't laugh or think me silly, every girl has secret dreams and that was one of mine.
Oh........and to take out my pay check in store product.
But lass and alack.
I wonder if a non-profit needs a volunteer?

Superman

Our baby boy has a girl friend. That in its self is pretty exciting given he is twenty eight. She loves Superman and when son found a Superman sheet he wanted a bag for her....sooo.,...
What a fun project for a sweet girl...
But the greatest thing about this "Superman" is - he came home and see didn't know he was coming, (oh, the fun of plotting and planning a surprise) and so when she came by to see bag and pick it up we had a little surprise for her...
How fun is that?

Very!

Of all the things I am most grateful for, it is these: Family. Love. Relationships. Covenants. 

notebooks - dead people and such

I still really really really like bookcases stuffed to the gills. However, in a moment of weakness and tidiness,  perhaps spill over from being with my sisters who have impeccable and tidy and NOT overstuffed bookcases, I found myself going through some of my spiral notebook/journals and tossing.
Felt pretty good actually, but I did have to take a picture 'cuz I still like the stuffed, crowded, intriguing, "come on in and browse" feel of all these notebooks.
Not to fret nothing worth remembering was tossed, unless someone really wants to know when my dental teeth cleaning appointment was in 2005? 

Okay now to death and dying or most precisely tombstones. I love tombstones. My favorite is one our youngest son found whilst meandering through a cemetery close to our house. Do we need to explain why we walk through the cemetery? To read tombstones, of course.

The favorite is for a couple -  husband and wife. (yes, marriage is between one man and one woman- just had to toss that in there) and it has their names and dates and this little line..."They danced by the light of the moon." Ah, isn't that the best? Don't you just like really want to meet this couple that died back in 1934? Oh! I do.

If anyone enjoys poking about in genealogy - have you discovered this site? It is amazing. I have found so many good records there. Oh my gosh. If you knew about it why didn't you tell me? If not..I'm telling you - go there!
Okay enjoy....spiral notebooks  and dead people records. Two really good things, I doubt Martha would agree, but there really are GOOD THINGS.

Snippets

1. Those who think we descended from monkeys don't live in the Pacific Northwest or they would know we descended from bears. Boy, when these days get short and it is overcast all I want to do is snuggle in and nestle. Of course, eating is part of my hibernating - unlike a bear. Grrrrrrr.

2. It isn't too early to be playing Christmas music. Tennessee Ernie Ford is singing "Silent Night" right now. Am I the only one that loves Tennessee? Who would name their kid Tennessee? or Ernie? I do love Ernie of Sesame Street fame. RR is Bert and I am Ernie. We have an interesting marriage.

3. Don't forget this time of year Hallmark has on all those great-sappy-predictable-feel-good movies. I don't watch much TV, but this time of year I do enjoy Hallmark movies, while I do stitchies with my hands.

4. Speaking of stitchies, did you notice? I am getting a few things made for more of these. Driving 1600 miles in a week gave me lots of stitchy time.

5. Speaking of miles and miles away, our favorite daughter is expecting a little bunker the first part of January. We miss her. Every "big belly" I see, causes me to pause. Hope you are okay Miss Amy. Sending a big hug and heart your way...............

one picture

I have tried and tried to think about the words to explain the week we had as sisters and Mom at our "Sissies Reunion".
Perhaps....one picture will do as one thousand words.

And Mom with one of the ONE THOUSAND quilts she has made. I am not exaggerating...ONE THOUSAND!

Okay three pictures...

Rejuvenated, encouraged, validated, bonded, hugged, inspired, uplifted, reconnected, welded.

Thank Penny Carnival

Hi. If you came there from Penny Carnival.
Glad you stopped by.
Please take a few minutes and poke about.
Browse through the pictures on the side bar.
Leave a comment so I know you've stopped by and come back again.
Love bloggy friends.
And, Megan, I look forward to your Spokane blog  "little sister".
Yahoo.
Time we Spokane bloggers make our own little/big splash in the real-big world.
Especially if you are from Spokane...post a comment.
Maybe we can form a Spokane bloggers group. Anyone know how to do that?
Megan???
Anyway - again...HI and WELCOME!

Oh, and if you live in Spokane. It is time to get out the warm blankets. Burrr. This is one I crafted from two old white wool blankets I thrifted from Value Village. I died one red and then cut out the hearts (I love hearts, ya know) and blanket stitched them onto the white one. I left little straggly stings on purpose. I like straggly. (click to see the stragglys)

It feels good to snuggle on these cold evenings.

Zippers!

You know I love using zippers for flour (flower) centers...They are so fun. At a show I asked someone if they could tell what the center was?
She replied.."Rhinestones".
Almost, they are every bit as awesome.
But oh my heavens...look at these flowers made from zippers..

These cute brooches are from here. Aren't they great? ..or like us older folks use to day "They are the bomb." Oh, that is funny remember when we said that? I am laughing just thinking about how phrases come and go and that one has definitely gone.
Well, maybe we can revive it.
Say it out loud. "THAT'S THE BOMB."
Still sounds pretty good.
And brings a smile to my face.
I'm needing more smiles lately.

one word meme

A blog I enjoy invited participation.  I love this blog because it is simple - a sweet picture and a few meaningful words.
I am not a real joiner-inner..but this looks simple and fun.
If you play let me know and I'll come visit.
Each answer is to be just ONE word.
(ooops - not so simple -I found this hard - I wanted to use two or three or twenty words....)

Okay this is the short version: as instructed...below it the long winded..I have too much to say version.

Where is your mobile phone? counter
Where is your significant other? church
Your hair color? gray (too gray)
Your mother? obedient
Your father? missed
One favorite thing? posterity
Your dream last night? not
Your dream goal? kinder
The room you're in? office
Your hobby? making
Your fear? disappointing
Where do you want to be in six years? active
Where were you last night? genealogying
What you're not? atheist
One of your wish list items? CR-V
Where you grew up? homestead
The last thing you did? sleep
What are you wearing? comfy
Your TV? seldom
Your pets? mini-schnauzer
Your computer? ON
Your mood? grateful
Missing someone? Amy
Your car? Honda
Something you're not wearing? shoes
Favorite drink? water
Your summer? fun
Love someone?  LOTS
Your favorite color? red
When was the last time you laughed? today
When was the last time you cried? today

Not the condensed version...........
Where is your mobile phone? On the kitchen counter where I leave it way to often when it should be on my person or in my purse or WITH me
Where is your significant other? At a meeting at church. He always comes home energized and upbeat, I don't resent him being away serving God by serving others for even one nano-second. It blesses our lives.
Your hair color? gray (too gray) Enough said.
Your mother? Obedient, determined, busy, active, family loving, prayerful, good
Your father? Busy in heaven, taking care of others getting things ready for his little family - when we all join him and are a forever family.
One favorite thing? Our children, my home,  an incredible husband, MY LIFE!
Your dream last night?  I didn't dream last night, that I remember, but I usually have one or the other really pleasant dreams or really scary dreams. Pleasant in that I see my Dad..love those dreams. Scary, I am separated from family and big bad scary men are after me.
Your dream goal? I have a lot of goals, being kinder, more organized, tidier, more productive, a big house and a big bucket of money.
The room you're in? My bedroom converted to an office, with file cabinets and the most delightful OVERSTUFFED fun bookcase. It is jam packed - and I have decided I love it that way. Books are piled every which way, real books, binders and notebooks. Yum.
Your hobby? Making and thinking. I have decided sometimes I like thinking about making as much as the actual making.
Your fear? Disappointing - me- others - God
Where do you want to be in six years? I want to be here, close to family. I want to be active and involved in their lives. My favorite vacation spot is our own backyard. I love being HOME.
Where were you last night? Sitting right there doing genealogy and Skyping with my sissie. It was a delightful evening. I found a website loaded with 'old' family pictures. I looked at each face and wondered and thought about from whenst I came, and what was their life like, and as the economy and nation seems to be in turmoil - I thought about those who have lived through turbulent times and survived and found happiness. We can be happy - even in turbulent times. Maybe especially in turbulent times as we refocus on those things that matter most and strengthen relationships as we walk this journey together.
What you're not? An atheist - I am 100% a Christian. I love God. I love knowing there is a power bigger and greater than anything of this world.  I love knowing I can turn in prayer to a loving Heavenly Father who hears and answers. I find comfort from seeking His influence and presence in my life.
One of your wish list items? Okay so I want a nice new car. Is that bad?
Where you grew up? I grew up a combination life of "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Waltons", on a Homestead Dairy Farm in Rupert Idaho. It was wonderful life. Full of hard work and working together as a family. I have three sisters. We were/are one anothers best friends. We had to be. Because every neighbor was in the same situation we were a strong community and shared the ups and downs of life. We all prayed for good weather. I miss living around people that pray for weather together.
The last thing you did? Sleep - snuggled in my warm bed with a soft yummy red chenille bedspread and Mom's homemade quilt.
What are you wearing? comfy - Cargo shorts, shirt, favorite sweatshirt, socks my son left behind - too big fat fluffy socks
Your TV? Is hardly even watched. I do watch when I am making, but upstairs in my normal day to day life, it hardly even comes on. RR has a TV in 'his' room and I can hear History channel and Sci-Fi wafting through the house sometimes.
Your pets? Pepper dog. Affectionate. On duty, protecting me from squirrels in the backyard. Loyal. Smart. A delight.
Your computer? ON - way to much. I love my computer. I love eye candy and ideas, and good blogs, and studying and learning, and art lessons, and funny videos, and communicating with others.
Your mood? I am mostly optimistic. I am happy. Okay sometimes I am grumpy, but I am saying I am happy and wearing that label until it sticks.
Missing someone? Amy our sweet daughter. Expecting number five. Miss her so much. Her and her family. Hard for her to be away and pregnant and holydays coming. Really miss this sweet daughter! I want to be bewitched and twitch her and hers home regularly.
Your car? Honda - that we bought from Mom and Dad...such a good reliable car. So grateful. It always starts. It has never let me down. It has a short in the radio speakers, and I have found that to be an adventure. Sometimes I forget about it and it will pop on and scare me - then I enjoy it and as soon as I 'get into something' it will die and I wonder just how that song or story or talk show answer ended. Mostly, I chuckle.
Something you're not wearing? shoes or a dress or panty hose, or polyester!
Favorite drink? water - not too cold, definitely not with ice.
Your summer? Fun - went to fast, loved the long days and our garden and the back yard and sitting on the deck eating supper.
Love someone?  LOTS of people. Family. Friends.
Your favorite color? You know I think Red is a neutral color. What doesn't go with red?
When was the last time you laughed? This morning watching a couple funny you tube links. Laughed out loud...I am easily entertained...
When was the last time you cried? Had to be today, I cry almost every day. I cry during Hallmark commercials. I cry if someone else cries. I am a empathy crier. You need a shoulder to cry on?, call me and we'll cry together.