Monday, Monday.....

I'm having computer problems. Somehow I got a virus on my computer and it is not going to be an easy fix, sooooo I am probably going to just look into getting a new computer. *sigh* Thankfully, I have all of my pictures saved on disc.
You know, I heard of this program that saves all of your computer info online and I think it is only about $50/year. I am seriously going to look into because that would surely be easier than saving everything to a disc.
Anywayyyy....I am typing this at the library, so I have to make it quick! :-)

Below are some random pictures I've taken:


This was the view out my kitchen window on several different occasions this month! :-) It's beautiful but I am looking forward to spring!

I looked out the front door Saturday morning and saw the sun peaking over the hill onto the snow and snapped this!


AND here's Jaylon looking all big and grown-up looking through a folder of kitty pictures I made for him. He loves kitties and can go through the pictures by clicking on the right arrow! :-)


AND this is the two watches I told you all about in last week's Hodgepodge. See how similar they are? I bought myself one of them and my sister Debbie bought me the other one! :-)

Hope you all are having a wonderful January!!! God Bless!!

My Wordy Wednesday Hodgepodge!!!

Okay, you have been warned. :-) Some of my answers are a bit lengthy. I can't help myself!!! (You understand this, hm, Joyce?) :-)
Sooooo, here is my Wednesday Hodgepodge! Click on Joyce's blog to join in the fun!!



1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?
Yes, I do. My full name is Jewel Bell (Peters) Cavinee. Now get this: My parents were William and Betty. My sibs, from oldest to my twin are Bill, Bev, Debbie, and Johnny. So my parents get to me and call me Jewel Bell!! Now, I don't mind at all but I just thought it was kind of strange that they all had such common names and it's like they just kind of went cahrazzzzyy when it came to naming me! :-)

Long before I met Ed, I knew that if I ever had a son, I would name him Daniel. You see, my sister Debbie had some dear friends that helped her and her children during some of the worst times of their lives. Debbie struggled with mental illness and she and the kids had very little. Dave and Brenda were a god-send to them during this time.

Well, they had a little boy whose name was Daniel. Daniel was crippled and had to wear leg braces and use crutches but he had the most radiant spirit in spite of his adversities. I just loved that little guy and just always knew that I would name my son after him.

Many, many years later, when I worked at the library, a young man and woman came into the library as I was working the checkout desk. Though I was busy, I noticed that he was on crutches and had a difficult time walking. They smiled and said hello.

When they came to check out their books, I could hardly believe it. It was Daniel!!! THE Daniel! And he still possessed that radiant spirit!! It was quite a reunion right there in the library. Though he barely remembered me, I could tell that he was quite touched when I shared this same story with him and showed him pictures of his namesake.

AND.......the Bible also says that Daniel had an "excellent spirit". (Daniel 6:3)

2. How do you define success?
To finally be comfortable with who I am. To be genuinely me and to be able to be my genuine self with others. To be comfortably confident and to feel that I am making a difference in my small part of the world, with the help of the Lord.

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?
Wheel of Fortune because I have more time to think about the answers and I just don't know that much random knowledge to be very good at Jeopardy, PLUS I'm just not crazy about Alex Trebek *sp*. I seldom watch either show but would definitely choose Wheel of Fortune. AND I might add that I AM pretttyyyy good at it BUT as Ed says, everytime I tell him he needs to take me OUT there and put me on the show......"You'd probably bomb!" :-) I've oftened wondered if I would do as well as I do here at home! I'll probably never know! :-) But it's a nice daydream!!


4. If you could own any single object that you don't have now, what would that object be?
I am really thinking about this one and having some difficulty coming up with an answer. Soooooo.......I will say a new Roland keyboard with weighted keys. *sighhhhh*


5. What is something that inspires you?
The Word of the Lord
I never cease to be amazed to find help for every situation that life presents within its pages. Thank you, Lord.

6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?
A definite "yay"! Here is my favorite recipe!

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?
Well, I think there are admirable qualities to each persona, actually. I mean, if we were all methodical and organized, life would be pretty regimented and boring and t.o.r.t.u.r.e. for someone like ME! :-)
While, on the other hand, if everyone was adaptable and make-do types....like moi'.... we would be living in chaos. Not that I live in chaos. No, no. If you came to my house, you would think it was tidy and neat BUT I know where the disorganization is! Trust me on this. :-)
So, my conclusion of the whole matter is that both are good and we definitely need the two in order to live a balanced existence! :-) Thank you, Jesus. (He knew what He was doing!)


8. Insert your own random thought here.
This was taken from the back of our Sunday church bulletin this past week:
God's creatures can sometimes be illustrations of important truths. If a buzzard is placed in a small pen, it will be totally imprisoned, even though the pen is not covered. For, despite their ability to fly, buzzards always run eight to ten feet before taking off, and without that space to run, they will not even attempt to fly.
]The ordinary bat cannot take off from a level place. If placed on flat ground or on a floor, it ca only shuffle around helplessly until it comes to a slight elevation from which to launch itself into the air, where it is then able to fly with remarkable agility.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, because it cannot see the means of escape at the top. Instead, it will persist in trying to find a way out through the sides near the bottom, seeking a way where none exist.
People are in many ways like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. We struggle along with our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up to the Lord for help.
In Psalm 121, David said: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (KJV)
~ by Paul J. Twist

New Year's Eve Day lunch with the Sibs!

Several years ago, I asked my brothers, sisters and their spouses to join me and Ed for lunch on New Year's Eve day. They all agreed and we have been doing so now for at least 10 years, perhaps longer. I'm so thankful that everyone really makes an effort to be there. Though I wish they'd write the date and time down because I got so many calls the week prior and even the day of, wanting to verify the day, time and place! Sheesh!! :-)

We usually meet at two o'clock so as to beat the lunch and dinner crowds. We've always gone to Red Lobster, except for one year when we went to Millstone BBQ here in Logan, which we all enjoyed but Red Lobster just seems to be the place to go for all of us. Go figure. There's really no rhyme or reason for it. :-)

Soooo, once again, this year, we all met up at Red Lobster and had a most enjoyable time of food and talking and sharing and taking pictures.
And it is good to get together without kids and grandkids. Just us old folks. :-) Though we aren't THAT old. Ed, my husband, is the eldest, at 68, and he probably looks the youngest! :-) Below are some pictures of our time together:

This is me and Ed, of course!

This is my oldest sister Bev and her husband Bud! That's Johnny, my twin brother in the background! :-)

And here we have my sister Debbie , my oldest brother Bill and his wife Sandy!

This is my twin brother Johnny and his wife Cheryl!

AND...this is the dessert we all shared! It was yummy but after a delicious meal, none of us wanted a dessert all to ourselves, so this shared one was just right! :-)

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In this new year, I'm going to suggest to Daniel and Erin that they start a tradition similar to ours, of getting together with their cousins on the same day each year, be it at Christmas or Easter or in the summer. It is so important that we stay connected and not let life just kind of run away with us, keeping us from those times spent with family.
I'll let you know how my efforts turn out! :-)

Snowy Hodgepodge! :-)

It's that time of the week again when Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts Wednesday Hodgepodge. Just go to her blog and join in, if you like and make some new friends or get better acquainted with some old ones!! Happy Snowy Wednesday!!! :-)

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to mis-use, over-use or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2011-viral, epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I'm just sayin', and Live life to the fullest.
What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the 'official list' or you can get creative and come up with your own.
PHENOMENAL - I just think it is so overused when you consider that it is meant to describe something highly extraordinary according to dictionary.com and Webster's. I mean, I kind of cringe when I hear people use it! :-) What can I say?

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?

Wellllll......I think the way we live our lives has much to do with opportunities coming our way. So, I would say that it is a bit of both. :-) People do watch us and the way we live our lives on a day-to-day basis. So does the Lord, of course. :-) BUT, having said THAT, we do have a responsibility to take advantage of opportunity when it comes our way, if indeed it is something that we have desired to do.

3. Since we're all eating healthy this month, ahem, what's included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?
We are? :-0 Oh my. :-) Where do I begin? Lettuce, as in romaine, leaf, a little iceberg, tad of spinach. Tomatoes. Onions. Cucumbers. Radishes. Green Pepper. Carrots. Dill pickle. I also like alfalfa sprouts. Boiled Egg. Crumbled Bacon. I don't care for cheese on my salad. My favorite dressing is Asian Sesame. I love, love, love it! I also like 1000 Island.

Bob Evan's has a luscious hot bacon dressing that is to die for! Oh my! :-)

Oh, and I do like grilled chicken on my salad, too!

I know, I know....I do have to be careful because salad CAN become a not-so-healthy thing! :-/

4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday...aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we've failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?
Yessss, I usually do. Believe it or not, having snow on the ground helps me alot. It makes everything so pretty and takes away the drabbiness of winter for me. Also, getting outside, whether the sun is shining or not, and breathing in the fresh air and walking around really helps, too.

My friend Barbara posted a very good article about combatting those winter blues at her blog Stray Thoughts!


5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?
No, I don't wear a watch, though I have one that I like very much. Actually, I have two. You see, I had just bought myself a watch from Avon that I really liked because it had large numbers on the face of it.

Well, lo and behold if my sister Debbie didn't buy me one almost identical to it! AND I had bought one for her, too!!! :-) Cahrazzzyyy, hm? :-)

Maybe it is because I've not worn one enough to get used to it, but it just kind of bugs me, having it on my wrist. I use my cellphone for checking the time. The only other jewelry I wear is my wedding ring which has been on my finger for 25 years this Feb. 15!!! :-)


6. What is something useful you learned in high school?

Typing and sewing. I use both of these skills all of the time. When I was teaching a computer class at the library, I had quite a few students who wished they had taken typing in school. Not knowing how to type really frustrated them in learning to use the computer but most of them stuck it out and pushed onward! :-)

I learned the basics of pattern reading and sewing in Home Economics, which I am so thankful for. My older sister Bev taught me many, many sewing skills and sewing shortcuts later in life.

7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?
Hmmmm.....I use a friend who is an accountant. :-) NOW, I have done our taxes in years past but I do not like math or numbers so it was a real chore for me. When I work with numbers like that I feel like my brain is being squeezed! Yuck! Sooooo, though I COULD do them, I would much rather PAY my friend to do them. It is also just one less thing I have to do, you know? :-)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Another year I enter,

Its history unknown;

Oh, how my feet would tremble

To tread its paths alone!

But I have heard God's whisper -

I know I shall be blest -

"My presence shall go with you,

And I will give you rest."

What will the New Year bring me?

I may not, must not know.

Will it be love and rapture,

Or loneliness and woe?

Hush! Hush! I hear His whisper -

I surely shall be blest -

"My presence shall go with you,

And I will give you rest."

~author unknown~

Pictures of "You-Know-Who"! :-)

At least once a day, Jaylon goes in on my bed and commences to stacking up the pillows as high as he can get them. :-) Then he jumps on my bed and, most days, I help him! We do have ball!!!

Well, in the picture below, he had gone in for a second round, which I wasn't terribly pleased about, BUT when I saw this cute face and pose....well, how could I resist? :-)


AND, the picture below was taken of Jaylon's FIRST trip ever outside to play in the snow! He wasn't too crazy about the snow, though he loved being outside, of course!

I've not been blogging much these past few weeks during the holidays and I've noticed that some others whose blogs I follow haven't been either, for whatever reason.

But with the coming of the new year, we have begun to come back to our blogs and begin posting again. Yayyyyy!!!

I could hardly believe how good it was to see that this one or that one had posted, as it showed up on my blog reader!!! And I rushed "right over" to read your posts and comment!

Now, the amazing thing about this is that we've never met in "real" life but I have come to love you dear ladies as my friends!!! I have! Amazing, I know, but I'm thinkin' that you all feel the same way, hm? *little smile*

It especially means so much to me because I am at home ALOT, especially now that I am caring for little Jaylon and also because it is winter.

AND though I am a bit reluctant to admit this, I struggle some with the "blues" this time of year. You know, the dreary, cold weeks between January and the first signs of spring in March. The walls can kind of close in a bit sometimes.
AND it hasn't helped that last week I was sick with the stomach flu for a couple of days. I am fine now but thankfully Erin was able to come home and get Jaylon on the worst day. And now the little guy is here this morning and he is sick with vomitting and a low-grade fever but he is sleeping at the present time. Poor little thing......but he doesn't cry or fuss. He just vomits and is kind of limp and just lets grandma (me *smile*) clean him up.

I got all of the Christmas decorations down and stored away last Monday and Tuesday but now the house looks kind of drab...*sigh*......so I am trying to "spruce" it up some.


I've been experimenting with rearranging the living room to make room for a "big boy" bed for Jaylon but I don't like the present arrangement, though the hubs does. :-/

Believe it or not, I had whined to him about not liking the new arrangement and he said that he really did like it. (drat.) *grin* So I thought.......I'll give it a couple of more days to see if it grows on me. :-) But then he turns around and says......"Babe, go ahead and change it back if you want." What's a woman to do? :-)

Sooooo, I got to thinking......:-).......we seldom go into the den anymore. It used to be Daniel's bedroom. We could turn THAT room into Jaylon's room! But then I think of all that that would entail. Am I really ready to do all of this?


One REALLY big positive about doing this is that I could put all of Jaylon's toys and things in one room AND I could reclaim MY room up front which has been overrun by toys. MY room is supposed to be for my keyboard, desk and sewing/craft stuff. Not that I sew or craft much BUT at least I would have a designated place for it if I should choose to do so! :-)

AND what furniture to keep and not to keep. What to put where. Decisions, decisions. A bit overwhelming to even think about this morning. So, I won't, 'cause I have a sick little guy to hold and take care of today and love and hold and take care of.

In closing......we took Jaylon out to Lake Logan a few days ago to see the ducks, geese and swans and found them all gathered around one opening in the ice. Alot of people feed them and we are not exception. :-) They weren't paying much attention to us until I started tossing some pieces of bread out onto the ice and slowly they started making their way to us AND those big geese an swans were not in the least shy, let me tell ya!......as you can see in some of these pictures!

Okayyyyy.....so I will be posting NO pictures as my internet is unbearably slow this morning! I'll post them tonight from the library!

Have a blessed and peaceful Monday!!! We are expecting 3-6"of snow sometime between this evening and tomorrow evening. I love the snow though there are so many who have the chore of having to drive in to work but, for me, it does make winter more bearable and it makes everything look so pretty! :-)

Happy New Year to those of you who are still coming by my blog. :-)

Hey, you might even be coming by here more often than ME! :-) (This is not good.)

I don't know what is wrong with me! I have just kind of been in a blogging funk of late. I mean, I WANT to keep up with my blog but a part of me just isn't into it or inspired or sumthin'. *sigh*

I have been livin' life, let me tell ya! We had a wonderful Christmas with Daniel and Erin and little Jaylon here at our house.

They came by on Christmas Eve Day afternoon with Erin's cousin Natalie who was here visiting from Houston, Texas!

I grilled out steaks and chicken breasts and we had a delicious meal together. We then proceeded to the living room and began opening our gifts. The kids got me two wonderfully soft, snuggly robes which I really needed AND wanted.

AND because the kids already have everything, we got them each an array of gift cards, batteries and little candies. Usually I put all of this in a stocking for each of them but this year I bought two 5X5 square velvet and bowed gift boxes. I managed to stuff everything for each of them into their respective boxes so when I handed these to them, I told them that we were keeping it simple this Christmas! :-) (Oh, but there was PLENTY in those small boxes!) :-)

I know, I know, I should have taken pictures of them! I've been kind of slacking on the picture-taking lately, too. *sigh*

BUT here IS a picture of Jaylon in his Christmas present from Grandpa and Grandma:

Okay, okay.....ERIN took the picture and I swiped borrowed it from her FB page photos, okay? *sigh* :-)
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These next two pictures are not very clear but they are totally hilarious! This has got to be one of the funniest sights I have seen for a loooooong time! See if you agree!! LOL


AND now, for your viewing pleasure, here is the REAL owner of the horse in all of his two-year-old cuteness!!! :-)

Tada!!! Isn't he one adorable little guy? *sigh* I think I am going to have to go and fetch him this afternoon, as he has not been to grandma's house since LAST Thursday! We are in the process of getting him a "big boy" bed! I've been rearranging "stuff" and furniture, sorting and tossing and cleaning.....you HAVE to clean when you rearrange, hm?......where do those dust bunnies come from anyway? I am hoping to finish up today and not be too tired because I do want to get the little guy and keep him overnight. Well, I mean, I'll have him all day tomorrow, too and then Thursday and Friday but I am just missing him!

Daniel called yesterday afternoon and asked me to come up and take care of Jaylon while he went to a dentist's appt. When I tapped on the back door and little Jaylon saw me, he just started laughing and jumping!! It was soooooo precious!!! We played with his trains. Then we tossed a balloon in the air and back and forth for awhile. Then he patted the floor beside of his drums and I sat there while he played his drums for me. Next, it was on to his kitchen set where he heated me up (pretend here *smile) a cup of coffee in his little microwave and sat it on the little bar WITH a spoon. He also served me a piece of toast and a piece of pizza on a little plate. (How adorable!) LOL This being a grandma is so unbelievably awesome! :-)

Okay, I'm thinkin' I'd better get away from this computer so I can get everything done that I need to get done so I can go and fetch the boy later and that means, I am going to have to rest a little sometime between now and then!!!

AND I think Ed is having pancake-withdrawal, so that is on my list, too!

Noooo, NOT to put Ed in "pancake-rehab" but to MAKE him some pancakes for breakfast this morning!! :-)

Over and out! May you have a blessed Tuesday!!!

A quick Merry Christmas post!

We are about to leave to go to the Columbus Zoo with Daniel, Jaylon and Erin, but I wanted to post quickly before we left!
Hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas!!

Some months ago, I got out Daniel's old Matchbox car carrying case which also contained Daniel's cars. Jaylon fell in love with them and I have bought him many more since! BUT one day he found an old ice cream bucket that I had and commenced to putting all of his cars into it.
THAT is now his "Matchbox Carrying Case". :-) Oh, it is pictured below. Yep, he likes the "bucket-style" carrying case. I've even put his cars neatly back into his dad's old carrying case, but I found him dumping them back into the bucket one day.
Soooooo, the bucket, it is! Why fight it? :-)

Below is Jaylon and Grandpa looking through Jaylon's new book "Only One Woof" by James Herriot.
Jaylon isnt quite patient enough to have an actual story read to him yet but he does love to look at the pictures and, in his own way, comment on them. :-) And, of course, I always have a running commentary going on when I look at books with him. Grandpa does, too. :-)

These are the rolls that I baked for our family get-together which we had a couple of weeks ago. I though they looked so pretty so I just had to take a picture of them! :-)

The sun actually broke through the clouds one morning last week and little Jaylon just had to see what that bright light was! :-) He laid in it and played with one of his little cars.

Oh, and this next picture is of a Christmas Candy Pizza that I made for our family get-together! I got the recipe from Mary at Life In A Small Town. I took one to our ladies Christmas party at church and everyone loved it!! Just click on the link to Mary's blog up there and it will take you to the post that has the recipe! Mary has a fun blog so take some time to look around and get to know her!! :-)

Below, is a picture of my front porch! Well, one half of it, anyway! I think it looks so pretty and Christmasy!! I'm so thankful that we have snow this Christmas!

Becky Kelley - Where's the Line to See Jesus - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Once again, here I am, as Wednesday is coming to a close, finishing up my response to Wednesday's Hodgepodge, which is hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond! Good questions this week, Joyce! :-)

If you would like to join in, just click on Joyce's blog and follow the instructions!

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'?

The first thing that comes to mind is to have "goodwill toward all men", to truly want the best for all, no matter what has transpired throughout the year and to do something to make life a little better or easier for someone along the way.

2. What sits atop your tree (s)? Why?
At the top of my tree sits a blue,white and silver bow that I bought a few years ago at an after-Christmas clearance sale. I just looooove this bow and I have small ones scattered about on my tree. I've tried several different things through the years, but think I'll be sticking with this bow for a while. :-)

3. When was the last time you gave yourself a pat on the back?

Hmmmm........I have to really think about this one. Andddddd, I honestly can't remember, although I may have an eeeensy, weensy bit this past Saturday after our family get-together was over, which I organize every year. We had a wonderful time!


4. Which of your senses is most sensitive this time of year?

I believe it would be my sense of smell because Christmas brings such a wonderful array of holiday smells! Cinnamon, fresh pine, clean, fresh cold air, wood burning in the fireplace or stove, the smells of cookies baking, turkey roasting, and mulled spices for hot tea!


5. What do you have too much of in your kitchen?
Just stuff. It takes a constant effort to keep the counters cleared and organized, the table, and so on. Ed tends to put all of his stuff on his side of the dining table.....He says, he wants it where he can see it. :-) And I have my own stuff on my side of the table. It's not looking too good at the present time and no, I'm not takin' a picture of it either! :-) Just trust me when I say......I need to get right on it first thing in the morning! :-0

6. What do you do for meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Big meal? Breakfast tradition? Open the cookie tins and have at it?

Hmmmm.......I'm really having to think about these questions this week. On Christmas Eve we have been known to order pizza because it used to be me, Ed, and Daniel. Now that it is just me and Ed, I think we will definitely be having some Pizza Crossing Pizza. On Christmas Day, we usually go to Erin's (our DIL) aunt and uncle's home where all of her family gather together for dinner and every one carries in for a big meal. They all usually have breakfast together earlier in the morning.

Sometimes, later in the day, on Christmas Day, Ed and I drive around to each of my siblings' homes and visit with them and partake of their leftover goodies and enjoy a warm time of visiting and seeing what everyone got for Christmas and so on. I like it when we do this and I think my brothers and sisters do, too. :-)


7. What is the best thing about winter? It isn't sweatin' hot, humid, and muggy to the point that you just don't want to go outside or do anything. There aren't bees, flies and bugs to contend with. AND there is all kinds of time for just staying inside, cozying up in bed or by the fire, reading, relaxing, watching a movie, because there is nothing that needs to be done outside, the days are short and the nights are long. Plenty of time for sleeping! :-)

8. Insert your own random thought here:

Welllllll......Daniel and Erin are going to be off work starting this Friday through the Monday after Christmas! Sooooo, that means I won't have the boy during that time either. Now, I'm sure I will just have to go and get him at least a couple of days during this time, seeing as how I love him sooooo much! :-)

BUT, I have to admit that I am looking forward to having some time to myself. I don't know if I'll get much accomplished, but I won't be setting the alarm. I WILL be going to the library to find a good book or two to read. Oh, and I'm definitely doing some baking next week!

Miscellaneous Pictures!

I was shopping in Lancaster a couple of weeks ago and when pulling into Meijer's parking lot, I spotted this kind of confusing signage! :-)
I mean, they really had to tell people not to take a right turn into the building? Okayyyyyy......:-)

I was at home with Jaylon one day and noticed that I hadn't heard or seen him for a bit and when I went looking for him, this is where I found him.....just looking so grown-up and serious. :-) He had gotten up there all by himself, though I know not how. :-)

These next few pictures are of MY room, which used to be Daniel's bedroom before his dad built a new one for him. What I didn't take a picture of is all of Jaylon's toys which are stacked not-so-neatly in the other corner. I'm havin' to fight to keep this MY room and I'll give you two guesses as to who I'm havin' this tug-of-war with! :-)
The reason I took these pictures is because I just got it cleaned and rearranged the way I have been wanting it. Pretty pleased with the results. :-)

Wednesday's Hodgepodge!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm posting my Wednesday Hodgepodge kind of late but I was determined to participate this week! :-)

It's a bit late to join in this week, but you are most welcome to do so next Wednesday! Just go over to Joyce's blog, read the instructions and join in!!

1. Have you ever been on a real sleigh ride? How about the warm weather version - a carriage ride?
Oh yes! I took a carriage ride through Central Park in NYC with my New York girlfriends.....I have a picture somewhere. The one memory I have of our excursion was that our driver was not very courteous and did not want to answer any questions that we might have. But other than that, it was fun.
And, for my birthday one year, my friend Becky took me to One Nation for dinner, which WAS a wonderful restaurant at the top of the Nationwide building in Columbus but it is no longer there...*sigh*.... and then we took a carriage ride through Victorian Village. It was so freezing cold!!! And it was snowing just enough to make it absolutely beautiful BUT did I mention that it.was.so.cold?!?!?

2. What's your policy on 'chain mail'...you know, the emails you receive that are often some sort of poem/blessing/good wish that ask you to send it on to 10 or 12 friends? Do you delete without opening, read and trash, read and trash and then worry you won't be blessed/lucky/protected? Do you delete the sender from your contacts or just go ahead and send the love onward?
If I have alot of email and not alot of time, I just go through and delete most of the fwd's, unless one looks really interesting or if it is from Daniel....the son.....:-).....then I read it/them.
If I am at the library where I can really go through them quickly, I will look at most of them.
If I see one that is REALLY good, i.e. funny, interesting, encouraging...I will forward it to just a very select few who I am sure will like it or appreciate it.
Oh, and the ones about being blessed/lucky/protected? In the words of Tigger....ppsshaawww.....DELETED! :-)

3. Who is your favorite character in any of the Christmas movies and why?
I looooove Elf. He is just so sincere, honest and child-like.


4. Share a favorite quote.
"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because some day in life you will have been all of these." ~ George Washington Carver


5. What's your favorite holiday scent?
It would have to be cinnamon or a blend of cinnamon and another scent!

6. Does the Christmas season stress you out? In what way?
No, because we do not do alot of gift-giving, so there is not alot of shopping to do or gift-wrapping and all. Now, there are parties and banquets and our annual family get-together but these are spaced far enough apart that they are not stressful, so all is well. :-)
I only have one small tree that I put up in the house and just a few other very simple decorations, so that is fairly easy.
AND Ed and I put the outside decorations up in record time last week! I used to think the wreaths had to be PERFECT and the pine swags and the bows, but discovered......when I was so down with my back and hips for a few years.....that they didn't have to be.
I learned to give those puppies a quick fluff and pat and on the windows they went and looked just fine! :-)
Being down physically really helps you to learn what is really important and what really matters and that things don't have to be perfect AND life will still on! Imagine! :-)

7. What's the best thing about your life right now?
Being me. I mean, I am comfortable in my own skin at 59....finally. I like being a mature, older woman. I've learned so much through the years. I feel calmer and more stable than I've ever been. I've learned to trust the Lord in every situation because He's been so faithful through the years in helping me through trials that I thought I might never survive.
I've learned what love isn't. And that is a good thing. :-) Love isn't romance and candlelight and a box of candy.
No, it is being awakened by your wife, who just had major surgery, every two hours to tell you that she has to go to the bathroom. You (being my precious husband, Ed) gently say...."Turn on the light and give me a minute to get awake,k?". And you proceed to do all that it took just for me to get out of bed and to the bathroom, just to have to get me all settled back into bed again just to have to do it all over again in a couple of hours and never once....not once....did you complain. You just loved me through my recovery......twice.
Oh, and before the surgeries.....well, you just loved me through the pain and frustrations that I felt while learning to live life on a much smaller scale because of my physical limitations.
So, in a nutshell? The best thing in my life right now is being me and being able to be me with the best husband that the Lord could have ever given me!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
This being a grandmother is more wonderful than I could ever put into words. The following quotes shed some light on this most wonderful of relationships, that of you, as a grandparent, helping to raise and loving YOUR child's child.

"Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children." ~ Alex Haley

"Perfect love sometimes does not come until the first grandchild." ~ Welsh Proverb

"What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies." ~ Rudolph Giuliani

"Our grandchildren accept us for ourselves, without rebuke or effort to change us, as no one in our entire lives has ever done, not our parents, siblings, spouses, friends - and hardly ever our own grown children." ~ Ruth Goode

"It is as grandmothers that our mothers come into the fullness of their grace." ~Christopher Morley

I am so far behind.....

....that I'll never get caught up! With my blogging, that is. :-) I'm doing pretty good with everything else, thankfully!

Gosh, so much has happened that I haven't blogged about. Where do I begin?!?!

Okayyyy....for starters.......Ohio State whooped up on Michigan! Yayyyyyy!!! AND, I am not totally sure about this, but I have a friend who got married on the same day as the game?.....the 27th of November....and she scheduled her wedding for 5:30pm. I didn't get the opportunity to ask her, but I had some people ask me why she had her wedding so late in the day, seeing as how the next day WAS Sunday and all and I said I thought it was because of THE GAME being at noon that day. Seriously. Her pastor who is my former pastor is a serious Michigan fan......*grin*......I'm just saying......

AND, our town's annual Christmas parade was moved to the Saturday AFTER Thanksgiving weekend! Hello!! It has always been the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend because people have friends and family in visiting for the holiday and going to the parade is a tradition for many families.

Well, the Chamber of Commerce put something in the paper about it being moved to the next Saturday so it would put people in the holiday spirit. WHAT? Hello. That is just...well...stupid. There....I said it. I don't usually use that word but why didn't they just say it was moved because of the Ohio State/ Michigan game? People would have had a hissy if they had tried to have it on that Saturday. I mean, no one was going to miss THE game for the Christmas parade.

AND while it was thought for awhile that this would be the last game the two rivals would play against eachother because of changes in the Big Ten.... *sigh*.....why do things have to change?..... they will continue play at the end of the season, so THE rivalry continues! Yayyyy!!!
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Now for some really random stuff! Brace yourself! :-)

I am not sure of just what day or date it was that this happened but we had ourselves a windstorm come through this little valley!
If it wasn't tied down, it probably got blown somewhere and little Jaylon's play center got blown over to the backporch! Amazing! AND we had a yard full of limbs and sticks to pick up and add to the bonfire pile! :-)

And here's Jaylon and "Papa" playing with the mega blocks! They are so much fun to watch and listen to! :-)

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My "New York" girlfriends" and I had our annual lunch date at Old Dutch Restaurant here in town a few weeks ago. It is always so much fun to spend time with them. :-)
I call them my "New York" girlfriends because we four took our inaugral trip to NYC back in 1999 and in 2000 three of us went back again, as Arlene, who is second from the left in the picture, was sick and unable to go.

Oh, did we ever have fun!! We walked for MILES and saw all of the usual touristy sites and saw "Phantom of the Opera". The next year on the second trip we saw "Lion King"!

These are just three of the sweetest and most fun ladies you will ever meet!! :-)

Oh, and if I don't look so great in the picture? I was so sick that day and when I got home, I had to call Erin to come home early and get little Jaylon. I went to bed and thankfully, was feeling much better the next day.

But I just couldn't miss my lunch date with these three wonderful ladies because it is always so difficult to find a time when we can all get together!


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Moving on to the Saturday before Thanksgiving......Ed and I joined his brother and sisters at the church fellowship hall where they attended as children for their annual Thanksgiving dinner and gathering!

It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had a great time eating, singing and catching up with Ed's family! We always have so much fun with them!

This first picture is of Ed, his four sisters and brother. They have had two brothers pass away and one sister and their oldest sister lives in Alabama and was not able to join us as her husband is not well.


In this next picture, I'm the little short woman in the raspberry sweater! Good grief! LOL Though, I do believe that Leroy's friend, who is standing on the step up and behind me is about my height, too, so I wasn't the only short one there! :-)

We took these pictures on the steps of the church. It is just the prettiest little church ever! I just love it!

Below is a picture of the church cat and kittens! :-) Yes, you read correctly! And the cat is simply beautiful!

The cats actually live across the street from the church but anytime there is church or an activity in the fellowship hall, there are the cats at the door. And yes, we fed them! How could you not? They are so adorable!!! :-)

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Now, you didn't think I would post without sharing a picture or two of the boy, did you? I didn't think so. :-)

Here he is with his little bucket gathering rocks to take down to the creek and toss in! And he's doing the same in the next picture only he's dressed a bit more warmly because it was chilly that day!




In this next picture is the kitty of the house better know as Ellie! She's never met a box she didn't like, IF she can squeeze her fat little body into it, that is!

I had just cleaned out the pantry and had this empty box. Well, I actually never thought she would be able to squeeze her fat self into but as a tease, I put it down in front of the woodburner and called her.

Don't you know that here she came, sauntering in, acting a bit snooty.....she's a cat, remember? She can't act too excited, you know. She DOES have her pride. :-)

Well, she sniffed around the box a little .....it was difficult to be patient while she went through her typical cat antics BUT before longggggg....there she was maneuvering her chubby furry self into that LITTLE box! And she has been sleeping in it ever since! Well, when Jaylon isn't here, that is. :-)

I told Ed that I hoped she doesn't cripple or deform herself in squeezing into that little box! LOL



That's all for now! So glad to be back! But I've had to forego my afternoon nap to post this!! Wait....he's still asleep.....shhhhhhh......I'm going to try and sneak in a little snooze before he wakes up! :-)

Wednesday's Thanksgiving Hodgepodge!

Yes, I am still alive....just super busy and, believe it or not, the internet is not a priority most days. :-) But livin' life IS!!!! :-)
BUT I just had to make time to do the Wednesday Hodgepodge, even if I have gotten WAYYYYYYY behind on my Giving Thanks Challenge! I may just catch it up on my sidebar!
Anywayyyyy.....here is my contribution to the Hodgepodge! I just love that word!! :-)

1. If you had known what they knew then, would you have boarded the Mayflower?
Well, I tend to be a bit of a daredevil and I am always up for a challenge. I tend to be like the Apostle Peter, too! Ready to jump in with both feet! But, over time, my enthusiasm tends to wane a bit. BUT,in all honesty, I'd have to say....."When do we sail?"
Oh, and this would have certainly been in my younger years. As I've gotten older....now at the mature age of 59, I probably would have stayed on land!


2. How far have you traveled on a boat and how do you feel about boats in general?
Hmmm.....we travelled to Perry's Island in Lake Erie one summer. That was a one-way 17 mile trip and loads of fun!! And I've also taken the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Neither trip was very long and did not affect me adversely. I'm okay with boats!

3. What traditions have you kept, acquired thru marriage, and/or tossed? If you're single what are some of your family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

The only tradition I can remember Ed, Daniel and I having through the years is this one:
I would always have the turkey and rolls baked by mid-morning, say ten-ish.
Daniel would usually wake up about that same time and ever since he was old enough to do so, as soon as his eyes opened, the first word out of his mouth, even before his feet hit the floor, would be, "Fooood"! :-)
Well, he and his dad would come into the kitchen and I would carve off a few slices of hot, juicy turkey and butter rolls for them as they sat down at the table and while I continued doing this and that in the kitchen they would enjoy a leisurely mid-morning snack. :-) They did this for years!! We would have dinner later at about 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

As a child the only tradition that I can recall is having the same foods at Thanksgiving each year and, oh, how we looked forward to Thanksgiving dinner! There was not ONE thing that I did not like! Okay, well, I wasn't craaazy about sweet potatoes but I ate them smothered with butter and gravy or noodles. :-)

Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, noodles, homemade yeast rolls, pumpkin pie. I honestly don't remember anything green being on the table...:-)....though there may have been, most likely in the form of green beans, but not green bean casserole. It would have been green beans fixed with bacon, the way my mama taught me to fix them and I still do today. :-)

I do remember waking up early in the morning and hearing my Dad in the kitchen humming. It would still be dark and everyone else snug in bed still. He was always up before anyone else, making coffee and starting the rolls and noodles for Thanksgiving dinner.

Dad would have on a pair of gray work pants, and a clean, white t-shirt, his hair freshly combed and usually a dish towel laying over one shoulder.

Our dinette set was gray and red, with chrome legs on the tables and chairs. Remember those? :-) I would crawl up onto one of the chair, all sleepy-eyed and Dad would tell me to go over to the sink and wash my hands so I could help him shake out the noodles as he cut them. :-) It is such a precious memory that I have. Just me and Dad in the early-morning kitchen, working together, not saying much, but there was no need for alot of conversation. How I loved my dad!




4. What time is dinner and how many will be round your table? And what is the one side dish you cannot do without on Thanksgiving day?
We will be going to our son's in-laws for Thanksgiving dinner and it will be at 2pm. I believe there will be approximately 15 people there.
Besides the turkey, we must have noodles on Thanksgiving! That is a Peters' family tradition. (Peters' was my maiden name.) And, yes, I have the noodles made! :-)


Yes, I know it goes against all I believe in to ask for 'just one', but I made up for it by asking three questions here.


5. Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? Do tell....
No, I never have but we do have two in the house, just in case. I'm thinking I need to make sure that I know how to use them? :-/


6. Tell about a situation that caused you dreadful trepidation and feet dragging, only to realize later it was a true blessing.
Well, I am not able to share the details here but I can tell you that on the other side of even the most dreadful of situations, you will indeed find the blessng of the Lord when you've done all that you can to make things right, when you've been honest with yourself and others and when you've allowed yourself to completely surrender to the Lord and His will, humbling yourself before Him.


7. Baked, sweet, mashed, hash browned or french fried...which one's your favorite?
I would have to say hash-browned or homefries! With plenty of salt and some ketchup!! :-)


8. Insert your own random thought here.
Would you believe my mind is just kind of empty at the present time? But I do have some fleeting thoughts.....
I will say that I am so thankful for little Jaylon. I never thought I could love a little one like I did Daniel, but I do.....oh, and how! :-) And this "grandmother" love is different than the "mother" love that I had for Daniel.
I am more patient. I am not so pre-occupied with all that needs to be done. I so enjoy watching him grow and learn and discover every little thing. I think it is just that I have slowed down and come to realize what is really important and am able to give myself to that more now.
I'm sure I was much the same with Daniel but life WAS busier for us then, what with us both working full-time jobs, me until he was 2 1/2. We must have done a pretty good job. I mean, the boy....Daniel.....has turned out pretty well! :-) The Lord is so good.
I am so thankful for where I am at in my life. At times, I feel kind of cocooned in the wisdom that I have gained through the years and there is a secure feeling about it, this being a "mature" woman. :-) Oh, but I've earned it and learned most of it the hard way, but learn it I have! :-) And I'm still learning. Aren't we always? But I've been so blessed to reach this "good" place in my life for which I am so thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and remember:

"Count your blessings,
Name them one by one,
Count your blessings,
See what God hath done!
Count your blessings,
Name them one by one,
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done."

My first Wednesday Hodgepodge!

Joyce, at From This Side of the Pond is hosting Wednesday Hodgepodge and I'm excited to be participating in my first!! Just click on her blog and join in the fun and make some new friends while getting to know some "already" friends better! :-)

1. What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?
I'm not sure just what year it was, but we had FEET of snow here and were without power for days. Talk about being socked in! I'm thinking it was in December of 2002, if my calculations serve me correctly, because it was right before Daniel turned 16.
It was right after Christmas, because we were able to dig out before Daniel's 16th birthday party. And we were concerned that his then-girlfriend and her aunt and uncle, who are dear friends of ours, might not be able to make it. But they did and I remember them coming to our house after the party and our driveway was like a tunnel almost with mountains of snow on either side!
If you're wondering why I'm including all of these details, it's because I'm thinking out loud about it all in trying to figure out just when it was.
I'm going with the snowstorm of 2002-03!!! :-)

2. What is a sound or noise you love?
Jaylon yelling "Pa-pa" when we are outside. It is so precious! I'll have to get a video of it and post it!! AND the quiet....is that a sound?....like right now, as I'm sitting here typing this and Jaylon is sleeping. *sighhhhh* All I can hear is the computer humming and the tapping of my fingers on the keys.

3. Do you like seafood? What's your favorite seafood dish?
I looooove seafood! And would you believe that just about my favorite seafood dish is the seafood salad at our local chinese restaurant? Oh yum! AND the fishtail dinner at Jack's Steakhouse!


4. What part of your day requires the most patience?
I would say the evening between 5-6 o'clock. I'm usually kind of weary from a long day. It's time for Jaylon to go home. Some evenings, we have somewhere to go or I'm thinking about dinner. And now it is dark by that time. It just tends to be a bit of a stressful time for me.

5. What's your favorite shade of blue?
I would have to say navy!

6. Do people underestimate you?
I believe so, if appearances mean anything. ;-)

7. When was the last time you had butterflies in your stomach?
You know, honestly, I think it was when little Jaylon was being born. *tears* Can you believe it still makes me teary-eyed? It's so amazing that you can love this little baby so much and you've not even seen him till that moment in the nursery, where the nurse is doing all of the necessary things, gathering measurements and data and so on, while we grandparents stand at the window straining to get a peek at him. *sigh* Yep, I think that was the last time. :-)

8. Insert your own random thought here, and remember...I have a wooden spoon and I'm not afraid to use it.
Joyce! You are so cute and funny! A wooden spoon! :-)
There are days when I think, "Who has time to blog?". It would just be one less thing I have to do. But then when I finally get back to blogging, I find that I just love it and the people that I've met and blog with.
I don't mean to whine, but it would help tremendously if I didn't have to deal with dial-up still, so I'm praying that they get high-speed capabilites here in my little valley SOON!!! Please!!!!

Jaylon livin' life!! :-)

Jaylon was a cute little monkey for Halloween! And his daddy was just his handsome self, as you can see!! :-) And mommy was her pretty self but she is behind the camera so she is not visible! Gosh, that reminds me of someone else....ME!! Always behind the camera! Never in the pictures! *sigh*








Here's Ed and Jaylon playing with blocks. Jaylon loves his blocks, especially dumping them out onto the floor! That is his favorite part AND he is pretty good at helping me pick them up, too, thankfully!! But we do have to be a bit dramatic about putting them in the container, so as to make it alot of fun!!! :-)






Awwww...and when we were outside the other day, I was sitting in my rocking chair on the front porch when Jaylon came bringing me a pretty little pink flower that Ed had helped him pick! It was so precious!!



And these are pictures of Jaylon and Rocky down by the creek, one of their favorite places....with me right there with them....behind the camera!!! :-)