Wanna win an Oreck sweeper?

Good Tuesday morning, everyone! The wonderful ladies at 5minuteformom are giving away....yes, you read correctly.....are GIVING away an Oreck XL® Ultra Vacuum Cleaner! Just click on the link above to enter!

We use these sweepers at church and they are wonderful! They are so lightweight, yet powerful!

Hey, someone has to win! It could be ME or YOU! *smile* You don't have to be a blogger to enter and win, so head on over and sign up!!

Helllloooooooo!!!

I'm sorry that I have not posted for like a week, I believe it has been. Hmmm....maybe a little longer? I'm not sure. Anywayyyy.....I haven't had the flu or anything like that, I have just been in a lot of PAIN. I am not sure what is going on but my mobility has really diminished, meaning that it has been very difficult to walk or get around, even here at home.
Sooooo.......I have had to put first things first in their proper order which would be: The Lord, my dear husband, my home, the pets. What? You can't believe my blog didn't make the top 4? *little smile* Oh, and I also stayed faithful to church which has been the only place that I have gone this past week. Prayer on Monday night, Bible Study on Wednesday night, church on Sunday. Then this weekend a dear saint from the Nelsonville church passed away and I was asked to do her hair, so Ed took me into the funeral home yesterday afternoon. Yes, you read correctly. I know that some may find it a bit......oh, I don't know......gross, morbid, whatever......to think of doing the hair of a person who is deceased BUT I look at it as a ministry. I really do. I mean, the dear saint isn't in that body any longer and I am so thankful to be able to do something to help the family at this most difficult of times. And there just aren't that many people who do long pentecostal hair any more. I am one of a few, it seems. What is really interesting is that the dear saint whose hair I did yesterday? I also did her mother-in-law's hair when she passed....dear Sis. Baker and also her sister-in-law.....dear Sis. Lyda, Sis. Baker's daughter. It was truly a privilege.
BUT.......after doing Sis. Baker's hair yesterday, I was a mess physically. I just came home and went to bed. I just don't know what is going on but the Lord does and I am trusting in Him to know what is best for me.
Also, our electricity was off yesterday for about twelve hours. I'm sure the wind took some lines down somewhere. Not to worry though because we have alternative heat, as in a woodburner and also propane wall heaters. But then, a few hours later, we also lost our water supply as there was a main break up the road somewhere. We always keep bottled water and the break was repaired around 8pm yesterday evening. Sooooo......everything looks to be back to normal around here except for my lower body. *little smile* BUT......we just keep on pressing on.
I know that some may wonder "How much energy does it take to put up a blog post, though?"
Well, it is just that when I am struggling with pain and a lack of mobility, I have to really apply myself to what HAS to be done, as I said above.....those things that are REALLY important and matter. And I have a little difficulty focusing mentally.
The only time that I can say that I am ever without pain at all is when I am laying down, soooooo I have kind of devised this little game for myself. I tell myself that if I get THIS, THIS, and THIS done, then I can go and lay down for a little while. Then after laying down and recovering for a while, I start over and do two or three more tasks. Some days I get more done than others. Trust me. *smile*
Now, I did not tell all of the above to get your pity or sympathy. It is just how my life is right now. But I would cherish you prayers. I really would. For healing. For grace. For my dear husband,who is so very wonderful to me.
I'm not sure how this week is going to progress but hopefully I will be able to get back to some regular blogging! ((BIG WARM HUGS TO ALL OF YOU))
Oh, and my adopted son put up a very timely and thoughtful post here that I agree with one-hundred percent.
Two other blog posts that I found very interesting, concerning ministering to today's youth, can be found here and here. Even though we are no longer youth leaders, I still read as much as I can about ministering to youth. I love young people and want so much to see them succeed in living for the Lord and finding salvation in Him if they do not know Him.
I signed up a few years ago with Larry Gibson's Yahoo UPC Youth Workers group. He sends out interesting articles and other helps to youth leaders and I have gathered great information and helps over the years.
Okay, that is all for now. I have sat here a bit too long so I must arise and get moving. Have a great day!!

And the winners are.......

Laura at Smiling Mother of 6 won the baking mixes! And Diane at Meyers on the Hood won the fudge!! Congratulations, ladies!! Thanks to all of you who entered and stopped by my blog!! This has been so much fun, even if I didn't win anything! :-( Okay, I HAVE to pout just a little, k? *grin*

This and That

Well, let me say, firstly, that I am amazed at the number of comments I have received concerning the GREAT bloggy giveaway! Wow! I have the mixes all ready to go to the lucky winner and Ed has all of the ingredients to make the fudge for the lucky winner of that prize. Oh, and if you would like half chocolate and half peanut butter fudge, that is doable,k? I'll be drawing the winners on Saturday! I think I may have said Sunday previously, but Saturday will work much better for me! Good luck, everyone and thank you so much for coming by my blog! You are more than welcome back! *smile*
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I've been seeing alot of posts and articles about Super Bowl gameday food ideas. Though we will don't usually watch the game, I loooove the food suggestions! *smile* I thought I would give you all an absolutely easy and delicious recipe that you could use if you like. I have made this for our ladies' meetings at church and everyone loves it! I don't fix it here at home because Ed is not fond of Alfredo anything. It is Chicken Alfredo Pizza:

Two prepared pizza crusts, i.e. Boboli
One jar of alfredo sauce
3-4 grilled chicken breasts
Chopped Broccoli
Mozzarella Cheese

Spread the alfredo sauce generously over the pizza crusts. I season and grill the chicken breast in my counter-top grill (similar to a George Foreman grill). Shred or cut the chicken into small pieces and spread evenly over the alfredo sauce. Top with tiny pieces of broccoli. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly!
This is soooo delicious and EASY to make. I steam fresh broccoli until it is tender, instead of using frozen broccoli. I then chop the broccoli or tear it by hand, to get the size pieces that I want. Frozen broccoli tends to be so tough and alot times it is mostly stems instead of the flowerets. I usually make two pizzas because the crusts are fairly small and one jar of sauce is perfect for two crusts. Enjoy!!
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Bloggy Giveaways Carnival: Winter '08 Edition!!

I am joining with many other wonderful bloggers in giving away some special prizes just for the fun of it in the midst of winter!

I will be giving away a decorative box filled with Ed's rich creamy homemade fudge! You can choose from either peanut butter or chocolate and with or without nuts!

I will also be giving away of basket of assorted mixes that I purchased from a local Amish store!

I will be posting pictures of both prizes tomorrow, Tuesday, January 29th!
If you would like your name to be entered, just leave a comment here! I will be drawing the winners' names on Sunday afternoon!
If you would like to check out the other bloggers who are participating and see the prizes they are offering, just click HERE!

Snow!

Here are two more pictures of the snow we had last Thursday! We were only supposed to get a passing flurry or two but it ended up snowing most of the day and school was canceled on Friday! We got about 2-3 inches of the beautifiul white fluffiness! The first picture was the view out my kitchen window and the other one was the view out my backdoor.

Curiosity

I was all snug in my recliner underneath my equally snuggily OSU afghan watching the ladies' finals of the U.S. Skating Championship. Ed had long since gone to bed. (WHAT? He didn't want to watch the women ice-skating championship? Uhhhh....no.) Suddenly, Ellie leaped from her warm place in my lap to the lamp on the stand pictured here. A bug was flitting about in the lampshade and she cannot resist a flitting bug. It would have been wonderful if ALL she had done was WATCH it, but she went AFTER it and ended up knocking over said lamp AND shattering the lightbulb therein. The Lord only knows what happened to the bug BUT of course, we all know that I ended up crawling out from underneath my warm snuggliness to clean up the shattered lightbulb and put everything back into place. (Yes, Ellie the cat is still among the living. She gave me such a sweet, remorseful little gaze afterward and purred around my ankles as I was crawling around on the carpet looking for stray shards of glass. How could I punish her? Sweet kitty.....)

Where was THIS when I needed it?!?!?!

A Japanese firm is now offering time-off to its employees for "heart-ache" recovery. I could have used THAT a time or fifty back when I was single and in the dating field. *sigh* I can remember going to work and being good for almost nothing as I nursed my aching heart. (yes, I can still remember, though it has become a bit more vague as the years have passed.) I am so thankful to be yeeeeaaarrs beyond all of that. It could be jungle out there, let me tell ya. Here's the article if you care to read it!

Let It Snow!

For those of you who are snow-deprived, I thought I would share with you a picture of what is going on outside of my front door, so you can enjoy it vicariously. *smile* We are only supposed to get about 1/2 inch, but I'll take it! The snow just beautifies the otherwise bleak-looking trees and hillsides and makes everything look so clean and bright!

Finally...all of your dieting questions answered!!

Q. I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I ! hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride!'
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AND.....For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wineand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you! :-)

Finally......

I bought new curtains for my kitchen windows, ohhhh, about three weeks ago. Welllllll, with Ed's help, I managed to get the curtains hung at the window over by the table (not pictured). I pressed the curtains, slipped them onto the rods and he hung them. But for some reason we just had a time getting the curtains over the other window, over the sink, hung. They required a double curtain rod and Ed had to put up the new brackets. Well, as you can see, we managed to finally get them hung this morning! I pressed them, put them on the rods and Ed hung them! Yayyyyyy!!

This sort of thing is a bit frustrating to me because I used to just tear into it all by myself and have it done in no time at all BUT all of that has changed because I can no longer climb up on a step stool or chair and I tire so much more easily. Now everything has to be done in smaller increments. I am just so thankful that Ed is so patient and helpful.

If you will look at the picture above to the right of the sink by the coffeemaker: there is a small gold cup. You can't see it in the picture but this cup is plastic and has gold flecks in it. This cup has been in my family since I was a wee little girl. It always set on the sink at home and when anyone wanted a drink, we used this cup. Do families do this any more? Probably not? I don't know but after Mom passed away and we kids were sorting through the house and her things and deciding who wanted what and so on, I latched onto this cup because it has such memories with it! Mother passed away in 1999 and it has been right there on my sink ever since and will, no doubt, remain there just like it did through my childhood.

Just past the coffeemaker, in the picture above,you will see a cross hanging on the wall beneath the cabinet. A young girl that I took to church for many years made this in Vacation Bible School and gave it to me. I wasn't married when she gave it to me, so I know that I have had it for at least 30 years. It is made of matches that have had the tips burned. They are then glued onto a cross-shaped piece of wood in a pretty pattern. This young girl is now married and I believe she is a grandmother, too! *smile*

An easy AND delicious recipe

I fix this delicious casserole often, for just me and Ed, and for company, and I always get raves about it!! The wonderful thing about it is that it is sooooo easy to fix! I hope you find it helpful and delicious, too!
I really don't have a name for it, so I'll just put the recipe below:

Boneless pork chops or boneless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs
(Use however many you will need for your family)
I season them very lightly because the stuffing seasons them.
I have browned the meat beforehand but have found that this is not necessary, so I no longer do this as it saves more time and it doesn't change the taste or flavor of the casserole.

Place the meat in a greased casserole dish. Cover the meat with Stovetop Stuffing mix (I use housebrand stuffing mix. I don't use the cornbread stuffing mix because it becomes too mushy.) that has been mixed with water. Allow the water to soak into the stuffing mix. And make the stuffing mix fairly wet.

Top the stuffing mix with mushroom soup that has been thinned to a gravy consistency with water.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake this for approximately one hour at 350 degrees. Or put it in a crockpot on low and let cook for at least 3 1/2-4 hours.

If I am fixing this just for me and Ed, I usually fix 6 pieces of meat if I am using small boneless pork chops or boneless chicken thighs. If I am using boneless chicken breasts, I use 4, topped with one box of stuffing mix and one can of soup. This also gives us leftovers for our evening meal. If I am fixing for company, I double everything. I serve this with green beans, most often.

It is absolutely delicious! I fix this almost every week for one of our meals, we like it just that much. The mushroom soup makes the stuffing so yummy! Hmmmm.....I may just have to fix this for us again this Sunday. We just had it last Sunday for dinner. I put it in the crockpot on low before leaving for church and when we arrive home, the house smells wonderful!!

For all of you animal-lovers out there!

I received this in an email and thought it was so funny! Granted, I don't agree with ALL of the things stated here AND I do love our children MORE than our animals BUT some of this IS true and MOST of it IS funny!! Enjoy!

To be posted VERYLOW on the refrigerator door - snout height.

Dear Dogs and Cats,
The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The otherdishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.
The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.
I cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.
Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight outand having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.
For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through thesame door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years--canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.
The proper order is kiss me, THEN go smell the other dog or cat's butt. I cannot stress this enough!
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To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on ourfront door:
To All Non-Pet Owners Who Visit & Like to Complain About Our Pets:
1. They live here.You don't.
2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. (That's why they call it "fur"niture.)
3. I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
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Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they:
1. Eat less
2. Don't ask for money all the time
3. Are easier to train
4. Usually come when called
5. Never drive your car
6. Don't hang out with drug-using friends
7. Don't smoke or drink
8. Don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions
9. Don't wear your clothes
10. Don't need a gazillion dollars for college, and......
11. If they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Bringing back some memories

I went to visit and have lunch with my friend, Cindy yesterday. This is a picture I took as I looked out her driveway yesterday. We had had a light snowfall in the night and I thought this was such a pretty scene.

Cindy made the most delicicous chicken salad for lunch! Yummo! *smile* We talked and ate and ate and talked and just caught up with eachother!

Well, when I walked in the house, I asked her what smelled sooo good and she said that she had soup beans cooking in the crockpot. Boy, did they ever smell wonderful! Well, later in the afternoon, I stopped by my friend Pam's to see her new apartment and to visit for a bit and again, I asked her what she was cooking that smelled so divine and she said SHE was cooking a pot of soup beans!! Can you believe it? She had some ham that she needed to use and what better with ham than beans? Well, that did it! I came home and whipped out the crockpot and put some navy beans on to cook overnight! And are they ever good!! I also baked cornbread!

I remember that Tuesday's were always ironing day for my mom when I was a child. Wash day was Monday. Ironing day was Tuesday. *smile* And she always cooked a big pot of soup beans on that day. We always knew that when we got home from school in the late afternoon, that there would be beans and cornbread for supper. Sometimes Mom would fix spinach to have with them or she would fry sauerkraut or cabbage. AND sometimes she would put potpie in the beansoup. Now that WAS yummy! For dessert, if we had it, there would be a bowl of fruit that Mom had canned....raspberries or peaches usually. Mom always used white cornmeal and baked the cornbread in a black iron skillet. I remember hearing the sizzle as she would pour melted bacon drippings into the cornbread batter right before pouring it into the skillet.
The cornbread would have a hard crust on the bottom and the outside of the pieces so we kids would scoop out the soft part to eat with our beans and then spread butter and jelly on the crust and eat it.
What precious memories of the family gathered 'round the supper table! Do you have any special dinnertime memories or favorite comfort foods?

Daniel turns 21!

Hi everyone! Well, we made it through the party for Daniel's 21st birthday. You know, in the midst of their growing-up years, you just never think that 21 will ever come. Not that you want it to, mind you, but it just seems so far away. And then....before you know it.....it's here! He's 21! A grown man. And such a good one.

Ed and I were in Walmart Friday evening shopping for food and other things for the party. I had been to the chiropractor (Ed calls him my "bone-crusher" *grin*) and I was not feeling at all well, even riding in one of the motorized carts. It was pretty agonizing. Ed turned to me and asked, "What were we thinking? We should have just given him the money, said Happy Birthday, and left it at that." While I was in agreement at the moment, I told him it was too late. We were committed to this party. People had been invited. The gym had been rented. Daniel was excited. The end. Soooooo......we pushed ahead. Saturday morning we picked up the cake and a few more things. We came home and took a nap. Then I fixed sloppy joe/hot dog sauce and Ed helped me get everything gathered up and he loaded up the car. We arrived at the school at around four, where the kids met us and helped us get everything set up and ready to go. I actually did not do much except to give a few directions because, even with my walker, walking was very painful.

So, everyone started arriving and Daniel's friends arrived and, let me tell ya....they played basketball and dodge ball from four o'clock until we left at nine. Then they stayed until ten-thirty playing more basketball and dodgeball! Where do they get the energy??? Daniel thanked us and thanked us for the party and renting the gym. His cousins and aunts and uncles were all there and Erin's parents, youth groups from both churches. We had an awesome time! Most of aunts and uncles and parents were sitting around talking, eating hot dogs, cake, ice cream, Dortios. Erin's dad said, "Do you know what the difference is between us and them?" as he motioned out at Daniel and his friends playing basketball. "They'd rather play basketball than eat and we'd rather eat than play basketball!" That would be right. *grin*


In the end, I'm so glad that we had the party at Green School gym. A new Green Elementary is being built at a different location and they will be tearing down this old school at the end of this school year. Ed's three older children went to Green. Most of my nieces and nephews attended Green Elementary and so did Daniel and Bethany before they were homeschooled. So we have lot of memories from good old Green Elementary. As I said in a previous post, we've had all of Daniel's birthday parties there, too.



And isn't there just something about the smell of a school that evokes such a myriad of memories, whether they be good or bad ones. That combination of chalk, paste/glue, paper, books, crayons, lingering cafeteria odors, industrial cleaner. Here are some pictures from the party! Oh and Bethany and little Nathen were able to come! He is so precious! Bethany and Drew have been so blessed with such a sweet-spirited little cutie!

Johnny and Cheryl got Daniel a unique gift: A commemorative coin of the Ohio State/LSU Championship Game. It is a replica of the one used for the coin-toss at the beginning of the game.

Friends

How can one adequately express or explain the value and worth of good friends? I have been so blessed with many wonderful friends. They are all so different, yet we fit together so well. I only pray that I am as good a friend to them as they are to me.
I think what brought this on was that I have been talking to my friend, Cindy, a little more than usual this week. My, but we do laugh and have such a great time when we talk and visit. And we have been known to shed a tear or two as we talk of the Lord and His goodness to us. Now, sometimes months will go by that we don't talk but then when we do, we just pick up where we left off. Cindy was the first person to ever really talk to me about the Lord and this apostolic truth. That was about 38 years ago. We've both married since then, had children. She has grandchildren. I've given her piano lessons a time or two. Our lives have been intertwined.
I have friends who are quite a bit older than me. And friends who are much younger. Age does not matter. I just have such a thankfulness in my heart this evening for my friends. What a treasure they are and a blessing from the Lord.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway. -- Fr. Jerome Cummings

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:12-15

"Remember, the greatest gift is not found in a store nor under a tree, but in the hearts of true friends." -- Cindy Lew

"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure. "-- Jewish Saying

"A friend loves at all times, and is born, as is a brother, for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

"Your friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you." -- Elbert Hubbard

"Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart." Proverbs 27:9

"Who finds a faithful friend, finds a treasure." -- Jewish saying

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."-- Aristotle

"The only way to have a friend is to be one." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Hold a true friend with both your hands. "-- Nigerian Proverb

"A faithful friend is the medicine of life." -- Apocrypha

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."-- Anonymous

Go Bucks!!

Ohio State and LSU are playing for the national championship (NCAA football) tonight even as I type. We are listening to it on the radio as we don't get the channel that it is being broadcast on. (FOX) But Paul Keels, the radio voice of the Buckeyes, is awesome and we almost enjoy listening to the game as much as watching it. Anywayyy....Daniel stopped by on his way home from work which was a wonderful surprise! Actually, he wasn't going home. A bunch of people from their church are going to the Bakers' home tonight to watch the game, so he just stopped by here to change clothes and then go to the Bakers, where Erin was going to meet him. He went to work today dressed as Jim Tressel! Whadaya think?

After he was here for a little while, he changed into his outfit for watching the game! He IS his mother's son. *smile* Here he is in all of his Buckeye glory.

Wash Day

Back when I was a little girl, Monday was "wash day". My mother always did the weekly washing on Monday. She had a wringer washer and hung the clothes out to dry, even in the winter, though we did get a dryer pretty early in my childhood. I remember this because we kids were playing hide-and-go-seek in the house one day and Dad hid Johnny in the dryer!!! We never did find him, so he got an "ally-ally-in-free"! Gosh, remember those days?? Those WERE the days! Now, concerning the wringer washer, I always wanted to help put the clothes through the wringer. I just thought this was so much fun, but woe to me, if I let my hand get too close to the wringer rollers 'cause there would go my hand through the thing, but it had a safety thing on it that caused the wringer contraption to pop open....thankfully.

Well, today has been "wash day" for me: I've washed clothes, I've washed dishes and I've washed my hair and it is just now 1:38pm, so you can see that I have been busy. The clothes are washed, dried, folded and put away. The dishes are washed, dried, and put away. My hair is washed, dried and in dire need of fixing. If I were as brave as Chantell, I'd post a picture of myself with my hair "undone", but I just can't do it. *grin* The world is not ready to see my with my hair "stringing", as I call it. *smile* Sooooo, after I finish this post, I am going to do my hair and then it will definitely be naptime for me. (I love naptime)
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I just haven't felt very "bloggy" lately. I'm not sure why. Tersie is feelin' the same way, so maybe it is a January-Christmas-is-over-middle-of-winter thing,hm?
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We have record-breaking temperatures here in Ohio today. 71 degrees!!! The previous record was 64 back in 1907. Here's the proof of our warm weather today:

Yep, that's me, too!

Now we know

About 7 or 8 weeks ago, Dr. Gedeon had asked me if I thought it was helping me to still come to him. He is my chiropractor. I told him that I just wasn't sure. So I decided to take a few weeks off. Well, today, I have hardly been able to get around here at home even with my walker. I know, I know. We took Daniel and Erin out to dinner. Yes, I was in pain, but when I am sitting, it is bearable and it IS his birthday! (you know how we moms are! *smile*)
Anywayyyy.....when my body is like it has been today, it kind of scares me because doing just the simplest things here at home is agonizing, at least from the waist down. So I am thinking that it has indeed been helping me to go to Dr. Gedeon. At least it keeps the pain at a somewhat manageable level. I have an appointment tomorrow morning with Dr. Gedeon, so hopefully I will begin to see some improvement.
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I don't remember if I told of this here on my blog, but last February I filed for disability. In June, I received a letter informing me that I had been declared disabled and although I was not eligible for a monthly check (its a long story) I am eligible to receive Medicare, which will begin in March of this year. Now, a big part of me is so thankful that I am going to have healthcare....finally....along with the Medicare supplement that Ed and I will have. BUT another part of me just wants to rely wholly and completely on the Lord for healing, which I have done these past two or three years. He has so graciously healed my burned fingers......immediately.....and another ailment that I was suffering with, so I know what a wonderful Healer He is. I am only human when I say that I don't know why He hasn't healed my back and legs, but I'll not question for He knows what is best for me. I do know that it has kept me so close to Him and dependent upon Him in ways that I wasn't before. I may have put the words to this song on my blog before , but they are worth repeating and they express how I feel so well:
"I don't need to understand,
I just need to hold His hand,
I don't ever need to ask the reason why,
For I know He'll make a way,
Through the night and through the day,
I don't need to understand,
Just hold His hand."

My, How Times Flies!

Daniel turned 21 today! Can you believe it? We took him and Erin out to dinner tonight at Bob Evans. Daniel met us there on his way home from work. So we had finished our meal and here come our waitress and every other server in the place and the people from the kitchen with a piece of cake and ice cream in hand and the proceeded to sing Happy Birthday to Daniel and totally embarrass him. In just talking with our waitress, we had mentioned that it was his birthday but we didnt' know that Bob Evans did the birthday thing BUT now we know! Oh, but it was so much fun to see Daniel turn red and be a little embarrassed. It made for a perfect birthday. *smile*

For his actual birthday celebration, we are renting the Green Elementary gym on Saturday evening of January 12 and inviting family and friends. We haven't had a birthday party for Daniel every year. Just on the significant years like 10, 13, 16, 18 and now 21. And we've always had them at Green School which is just a couple of miles from where we live now and right off of St. Rt. 33, so it is a convenient location for most everyone to come to. I've always organized and done the whole party and all myself but this year much help and assistance will be needed as I am just not able to do all that I used to but it will all get done and I know we will have a great time. It is so great having it at the gym because everyone can play basketball and volleyball and there is plenty of room for everyone, especially the little kids that want to run around.

I am so thankful for the Lord's goodness and blessings upon Daniel and Erin. I can never thank Him enough.

My first post of the new year!!

Okay...I'm feeling a little pressure here to make this post really meaningful and reflective, but I'm not quite feeling it, so this will probably just be a habberdashery of things. *sigh* Okay, I've been up since five-thirty this morning, having woke up at four-thirty, feeling wide awake and full of thoughts. We went to bed really early last night, so that is possibly the reason why I got up while it was still very early and dark. It snowed last night and the temperature was in the low teens, so the local schools have been canceled. I am going to see if I can talk Ed into going to Bob Evans for breakfast here in a little while.
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So, did you all have pork and sauerkraut for New Year's dinner? *smile* We did. I fixed a delicious pork roast, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. We had fruit salad and ice cream for dessert. The fruit salad I fixed was copied from a fruit pizza that I make. The last time I made a fruit pizza, I had fruit leftover so I put it into a small bowl for Ed and he loved it. I drain pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges and put them into a pretty serving dish. To this I add maraschino cherries which I have drained and rinsed thoroughly so that the red juice does not bleed into the other fruits. Next, I peel and quarter four kiwi fruit and add them to the rest of the fruit. And, lastly, I microwave between a fourth and a half cup of orange marmalade until it has thinned a bit and mix it gently into the fruit. We absolutely love this fruit salad and it is delicious eaten over vanilla ice cream, which I did but Ed doesn't. *smile* This fruit salad is also very colorful and attractive to serve.
Back to the pork and sauerkraut. When Daniel was still at home, he used to just grumble something terrible about how badly the pork and sauerkraut smelled. He would never eat it. Now he would eat pork roast if it had not been cooked with sauerkraut, but of course, for New Year's I always cook it together. I had mercy on him. I would always fix him something else for dinner New Year's Day. *smile* You know how we mothers can be.
All of my brothers and sisters had pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, too. *smile* As we were eating dinner at Red Lobster on New Year's Eve Day, I asked everyone if they had their pork and sauerkraut for the next day and everyone said yes. I don't believe our children are carrying on this tradition as they are all much pickier eaters than our generation is.
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After returning home Monday evening, Ed and I watched a movie and then went to bed at about ten-thirty to read. Finally, at about eleven-thirty, being very sleepy, we thought we would talk until the new year arrived, but, alas, we fell asleep, but Ed woke up a while later and said sleepily, "Hey, babe, it's 12:23am.....Happy New Year." I mumbled a "Happy New Year" back to him and slept on. Exciting, hm? *smile* We are way past having to party in the new year. Life is good. We had been invited to Daniel and Erin's church where they had services at church and then food, fellowship and games to see the new year in. That's what we did last year and it was a wonderful time. The young people at our church had pizza, games and prayer this year and they invited us to join them. But at the end of a busy last day of the year, I just couldn't push myself anymore. You see, I had breakfast at 10am with a dear friend who is home from bible school. We talked ourselves silly, while we ate, until shortly after noon. Then I went on to the church where I did the music for a young couple's wedding, which started at 12:30. I was there until about one-thirty. Then I took my car through the automatic car wash and filled it up with gas, went by and picked up my sister Debbie, came home for about a half-hour to freshen up for our dinner date and headed to Lancaster. I got home at about 7:30 that evening. Oh and before leaving that morning, I had done my morning tasks AND fixed cheeseballs for Pastor and Sis. Martin and Elder Bro. and Sis. Martin and delivered them. (Yes, I kind of overdid it for the day and paid for it in the pain department later but it was all worth it!!! *smile*) Oh, and if you're wondering where Ed was in all of this: He had to work Monday, so he was transporting his students to REACH. We kind of passed eachother and waved midst the goings-on of the day. *smile* He wasn't able to join us for our dinner at Red Lobster but I made sure he was taken care of in the food department. *grin*
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We went to Daniel and Erin's yesterday afternoon for a visit. Daniel was by himself, watching the Michigan/Florida game, as Erin and her mother had gone shopping. He's had the sickness that everyone has been passing around, around here the past few weeks. We had such a good visit. The puppies have grown so much and are so adorable! They are all sold, with even little Tiny, who is deaf, being sold yesterday morning. A family had come by to see the puppy in person.....or should that be "in puppy"........that they had bought and when they saw little Tiny, who is all white, they just couldn't resist. Daniel and Erin had planned to just keep her because of her being deaf, but his family just fell in love with her, so the kids relinquished. Just in case you are unaware of this fact, which I was, all-white boxer puppies stand about a 35% chance of being born deaf. Isn't that interesting? Well, Daniel accidentally dropped something next to where the puppies were sleeping one day, making a very loud noise, and all of the puppies started stirring and whining and yipping, except for little Tiny. She just slept on. So that was how they first came to realize that she was probably deaf.
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Another tradition that Ed and I have and many others who live in our area do also, is to leave our outside lights and decorations up through New Year's Day and then turn them on that morning and leave them on the entire day and evening. After that, they come down. Since it snowed last night, we'll have to wait for them to dry out before taking them down and putting them away now.
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Ed once again read his bible through this past year. I am still working on my 2004 reading schedule. I have about 4 books left to read and I am determined to do so. I found an interesting Bible-reading program here. Or if you just Google "Read the bible through in a year", you will find all kinds of reading plans and surely one that will suit you! I googled it for you, so you can just click here.
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Have a great 2nd day of the New Year, everyone!!

Ellie the Cat's Christmas fun!

When we got home Christmas evening, this is where we found Ellie! :-) Sorry for the glowing eyes, but it just can't be helped! It's a cat thing, you know? *smile* I bought a new pair of Earth Shoes leather loafers. When I got home, I took them out of the box and put the box on the floor for Ellie, wondering if she would try to cram her furry little body into it and sure enough, in time, after sniffing around it and acting haughty and like she wasn't REALLY interested in it, she stuffed her cute little self into that shoe box! By the time I got my camera, she was gone! BUT.....I am determined to get one and I will post it when I do!

I Can't Think of a Title!

Soooo, I'll just put up a quick, non-titled after-Christmas post! Well, first of all, I am all better after having a terrible head and chest cold and all that goes along with that! Yuck!
On Christmas Eve, Ed and I baked cookies! And then we went to see Christmas lights. It was such a sweet evening together. Christmas morning, Daniel and Erin came up and we exchanged gifts and they opened their stockings. They left in the early afternoon and I made chicken and noodles to take to Erin's aunt and uncle's house where the Pullin family all gathers for dinner. Bro. and Sis. James joined us this year and we had a wonderful time!! We had a delicious bountiful dinner around Dale and Darlene's humonguous table and then some of us played games, which I love to do!! We came home at about 7pm, having spent a wonderful day with our children, family and friends.
The next day, Wednesday, Ed had to work, taking his kids to REACH and I didn't do much of anything as the pain level had spiked. I was hoping to go to church with Daniel and Erin as our service was cancelled in Logan, but I just couldn't do it, but Ed went.
Yesterday, I made some delicious ham salad with the leftover Christmas ham and also fixed stir-fry for our dinner.
Today, I was up early and went for a massage. It was wonderful! And now I am at the library, catching up on some blog reading as my computer will not connect to the internet for some unknown reason. I have tried everything. It is probably just some little glitchy thing as most of you computer owners knows just happens sometimes for no good reason. I just don't like calling tech support because I usually have to talk to someone that I can't understand and it is so frustrating. How many times can you reasonably ask someone to repeat themselves. But I really have no choice.
So, I am off to get myself home as I have a lady coming at one to have her hair done and then I will bite the bullet and call tech support. *sigh*
I hope your holidays have been peaceful and good. May the New Year bring you blessings that you cannot contain! I'll do my best to get back into the swing of things here on my blog! Thanks so much to all of you who have been faithful visitors. I look so forward to your visits and comments. The Lord's best to each of you!! ((HUGS))

Only In Ohio

Soooo....yesterday morning, Sunday, when we got up, it was 54 degrees, cloudy and raining. When we got home from church, it was 41 degrees, sunshiney, and the wind was tearing through the valley. Last night, when we got home from church, it was 29 degrees and snow-flurrying. You want weather? Come to Ohio. *smile*
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I am feeling much better, though I still have some chest congestion and the pain level in my lower body has been pretty fierce, BUT I must push that aside and get some things accomplished today. It's Christmas Eve! *smile* Actually, the only thing I REALLY HAVE to do is get groceries. AND pick up a couple of stocking stuffers. But I love to be in the stores on the day before Christmas. That has always been a tradition of ours.....me, Ed and Daniel, though now it is just me and Ed. I just think there is such a wonderful Christmasy feeling all about on this day. After I finish posting here, I am going to get ready and go to Sis. Pam's new apartment. She invited me up this morning for coffee and the grand tour. *smile* Her youngest son and his family are up from Florida and her oldest son is getting married on New Year's Eve day! Her oldest son just came back to the Lord about three months ago AND his wife-t0-be! There has not been a service go by for as long as I can remember that Pam has not requested prayer for her children and loved ones and the Lord has been answering these prayers. Both of her sons and their families have come to the Lord during the last two years. It has been so awesome!
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We had our Christmas program yesterday morning. It was so wonderful! What is a Christmas program without tinsel angels???? *grin* AND they left quite a trail of tinsel behind them, too!! *smile* I know, because I helped clean it up! LOL I sang one of the most beautiful songs yesterday morning. Oh, not because I sang it.....sheesh....*grin*.....but it is just such a lovely song. It is called "He Made A Way In A Manger". I'm not even sure where or how I found it. I think it was on the internet somewhere and then I went to the library and listened to it alot on youtube, until I got it down. I am not sure of our exact attendance but it was very close to 150, which is just wonderful! There was such a wonderful sweet presence of the Lord there in our midst! I remember telling Ed yesterday as we were in the car pulling out of the church parking lot that I just felt so good in my spirit and body and all. And that felt so good after having been so sick all week. The Lord is good.
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Well, my dear blog readers, I will try to get back into the swing of things here and get to posting more often, okay? But for now, I must be on my way! It's that most wonderful time of the year!!! *smile* May the Lord bless you one and all!!!
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Here's the youtube video of He Made A Way In A Manger! Enjoy!

Why I haven't posted

I have been sick and am still sick. *sigh* It really hit me Tuesday night. Head cold, chills, fever...then coughing and congestion and hacking.....and now the intestinal floogey. Yuck. AND all of this on top of the "back and hips and knees and feet" usual pain and discomfort. (sung to the tune of "head and shoulders, knees and toes" children's song) *feeble grin* I did drag myself out of bed this morning, shower, got dressed, fixed my hair, thinking all of that would make me feel better. It didn't work. I did manage to fix Ed lunch, make my bed and do a load of laundry. You know how we are girls. We push ourselves to do what HAS to be done, but Ed kind of scolded me and told me to rest and take care of myself, 'cause he can take care of things until I get better. BUT, for now, it will be light to no blogging until I get better. Hope your holidays are going good. I would appreciate your prayers so much. Christmas is just around the corner, you know. *little grin* Felize Navidad!! *achhooooooo* *groooaannnnn*

Wind Advisory

My outdoor Christmas decorations are under an air assault! Will they survive? Only time will tell. The wind is roaring through our little valley here this morning and I hope the Christmas decorations survive and don't head for the wild blue yonder, aided by the fierce winds. I'll keep you posted!

Christmas Music Website

I happened upon this Christmas music website where you can just listen to music or download it for free. It has most any Christmas song that you can imagine, but there are a few that might be more than a little questionable, so I wanted you to know,k? But most of them are fine. Happy Holidays!

Wednesday randomness

After talking of the wet, cold, dreary weather that we have been having, it was a balmy 70 degrees here in the Hocking Valley yesterday!!! It was wonderful!!! I opened all of my windows and sat in the sun on the back porch and warmed my bones AND petted Rocky.
Our annual ladies Christmas party was last night at church and I made a fruit pizza and baked chicken and dressing. The fruit pizza was beautiful AND delicious. I should have taken a picture of it to post here. I am thinking of making another Saturday to take to the Nelsonville church's Christmas party, to which we have been invited. Soooo, if I make another one, I will definitely take a picture and post it. Oh, and the chicken and dressing was really yummy, too. And it is really easy to make. If you'd like the recipe, just let me know.
It rained most of the night and the chilliness has returned, with it being only in the forties today. Brrrrr......I think I am going to start looking for some kind folks who live in Arizona who would take in an aching 56-year-old woman for a couple of months beginning in January. I hear the dry heat there is great for aches and pains. *feeble grin* Snow is forecast for Saturday and Sunday. Pastor Martin was asking last night why it always snows on the weekends. *grin* I've no clue. Oh, and I have been trying to get Ed to buy a snowblower or let me buy him one. He has been checking them out for about a month, since the last time he shoveled snow he twisted his knee. Now look, we can't have two cripped up people living in this house! Soooo, there was an ad in the paper where someone is selling a $700 snowblower for $400. We are going to check it out tomorrow. *fingers crossed* And we need to get it before this weekend when it is supposed to snow again.
I took Sis. Alice home from the ladies meeting last night. She just got home last weekend from staying in a local rehab center for 6 weeks after having knee replacement surgery. She is doing great. I believe she is in her sixties. Anyway, she had a box of peanut brittle that she had to get into her house from my car somehow but she had a cane and I had my walker. Thankfully, her granddaughter came by and carried it in the house for her. I've noticed something of late, though. Alot of the people that I spend time with are either on oxygen or using a walking apparatus of some sort or have some other ailment. Sis. Pam had her arm in a sling last week when we went shopping because she had just had carpal tunnel surgery. My friend, Pat, just had knee-replacement surgery Monday. Another friend had a mammogram this week. A couple of others had colonoscopies. MRI's. Scans. Blood Tests. Good heavens. Does this mean I am getting older and so are my relatives, friends and acquaintances? *feeble grin* help. Oh well, these bodies weren't meant to last forever, hm? So why then does it surprise us when they begin to kinda break down a little? Why do we think they should last indefinitely?
I know I've talked about losing weight many times and I HAVE lost weight many times. I know that in 21 years of marriage that I have lost at least 50 pounds at least 4 times.......only to gain it back. If I had kept all of that weight off, I would now be invisible...LOL....BUT......at the beginning of the year.......when Weight Watchers will probably be running a special where it won't cost anything to join......I am seriously going to change my eating habits. I really must, considering how weak my body is getting. I just can't be carrying around this extra weight any longer. I've gotten more exercise this week than I have for some time and I still do my daily exercises for my back and legs. I've gone up and down the stairs at church, the ones that go to the Sunday School rooms downstairs, three times this week. Now, the going down isn't so difficult. It's the coming back up that isn't pretty. Oh my, but it is not pretty. *feeble grin* But I manage. I just can't believe that I can't just hop and skip up stairs anymore. Do we ever think that day will come when we can't navigate stairs?
I needed to go to the Sheriff's office last week to get a background check so I can be Ed's subsitute driver in case he is sick or something. Anywayyyy.......when I got there, all I could see were all of these steps leading up to the front door. Soooooo, I drove around back, thinking that there had to be a handicap ramp or entrance but there wasn't. Soooooo, I drove around a couple of more times and ended up parking out front. I just sat there for a bit looking at those steps. I decided to take one more trip around the block to make sure there wasn't another entrance when I noticed the NEW SHERIFF'S OFFICE on Second Street! AND it is all one level!!! Yayyyyy!!!! How was I to know the Sheriff's office had moved? I mean, it's not like I go there alot or anything! Sheesh! And then when I do finally make it into the lobby to inquire about getting a background report, the doofu...er...uh....I mean the ossifer behind the glass panel said that there wasn't anyone there who could do that for me, so could I come back on Monday between 9am and 3pm. Helloooooooo.......so tomorrow I am going to go back and HOPEFULLY there will be someone there who can assist me. I'm calling first. *smile*
Well, I am going to go and make out Christmas cards as I have given myself until tomorrow to get them done, so I hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday. The Lord's best to you!!

A young boy named Logan

My friend, Ellen, sent this to me this morning and I just had to share it with you. Click here to go to the radio blog that posted it. It looks like a really good station and blog.

It's the most busiest time of the year!

Okay, so I know that that isn't proper grammar usage up there but it just seemed to say it correctly for me TODAY! *whew* It is now 6:25am and I am waiting for a dear friend to arrive at 6:40am to have her hair done. I have quite a list of things to accomplish today. I just hope my body will cooperate. *sigh* It has been quite a painful past few days. Since getting the beautiful snow last week, which I believe was on Wednesday, it has been cold, rainy, foggy, and just plain dreary.....every day. Wait. I believe there was ONE day that the sun managed to peek through but it was only momentary. I'm thinking that the weather is contributing quite a bit to my pain level. But it's Christmas and I have so much to do and I need my bones to cooperate here! "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get!", it seems.
The weather has been wreaking havoc on my outside Christmas decorations! First, the wind took off with a few of them, but we recovered them and put them back in place. THEN, over the weekend, the snow came sliding off of the roof and knocked a few of them off but they have been recovered and put back in place.
On our country road here, we have our house decorated, as does our neighbor, Samantha, and then her mother, Tracy. Well, as you come around the bend where our house sits in its little valley, you can see Samantha's and Tracy's house, too, and it looks like Christmas Tree Lane! *smile*
For those of you who live in this area: Someone who lives on St. Rt. 93 South has a wonderful light display. It is on a hillside to the right, right before you get to Bear Run Road. They have written out "Jesus Is the Reason For the Season" in white lights below a large cross made of white lights. It is just beautiful and surely took alot of work! It is worth the drive out to see. Also, just beyond Union Furnace in what we always called Stringtown, past the fire department, Jerry and Doris McKnight have a wonderful light display. They live on the right side of the road. We drive down every year to see it! There are numerous animated light displays. It, too, is well worth the drive whether you have little children or not! We grown-ups like the lights, too, hm? *smile*
Well, it is about time for my hair appointment to arrive so I must be off!! Happy Holidays to all!!!

Christmas Bingo

I am sitting here printing out Christmas bingo cards that I made at this website....free! And here is a webpage with lists of Christmas words, in case you need some help filling in the blanks! *smile*
We are getting ready to go to my family's annual Christmas get-together and for the past few years, we have played a rousing game of Christmas bingo! *smile* My sister, Bev, and I just purchase dollar prizes and everyone has so much much trying to win these "treasures"!!! LOL The children especially love it, but some of us grown-ups have just as much fun!!!
Anywayyyy......I thought I would pass the idea along to all of you just in case you were looking for something fun to do besides exchanging gifts, which we no longer do as an extended family because there is just too many of us and the most important thing is getting together and eating and singing and eating and reminiscing and eating......well, you get the idea!!! LOL
Happy Holidays!!!!

Nostalgia

While reading Bro. and Sis. Holley's blog, a wave of nostalgia came over me and I began to remember so much of when Daniel was young and still at home.
I am so thankful that we were able to homeschool Daniel beginning in the 4th grade. It enabled us to spend so much more time with him and instill our values in him and bring him up in the fear and admonition of the Lord in an even greater measure, I believe. It wasn't all easy and fun, but it was so worth all of the work and effort that it involved. We have such precious memories now.
Not only did Daniel learn the "book" stuff, but he learned how to do laundry and cook and clean house. He used to make a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough and keep it in the fridge to munch on. *smile* Every so often he would go get a spoonful and eat it while he did his schoolwork. Gosh, but it did seem like he took alot of breaks and lunchtimes, looking back. Hmmmm.......*grin*
Many evenings were spent playing Yahtzee.......boy, did we play yahtzee! It was always me and Daniel because Ed just isn't much for playing board games. Or we would play Sorry or Trouble. And then there were the long winters when we would have a game of perpetual Monopoly going. A game could last for daaaaayyyyyyys, sometimes weeeeeeekkkkkkkssss. *smile*
One particular Saturday night, when Daniel was in one of the early elementary grades, I got the great idea of teaching him how to play poker, of all things! Well, I taught him how to bet using toothpicks. Don't ask me where I came up with THAT idea! LOL He caught right onto the game and wagering and all and I never thought too much about it, nor did Ed. Wellllllll, the next morning we go to church.......I'm music director and Ed is an usher and soundman........and lo and behold if little Daniel doesn't go running into the church and in his childish, innocent way started telling everyone: " My mommy taught me how to play poker last night and to bet with toothpicks!" We all about died laughing. A dear friend at church took me aside and said I should have told him we were playing "toothpicks"! Well, yeah....now you tell me!!! LOL
On Sunday afternoon, after dinner, it was game time for me and Daniel! When he was really young, we played Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. When he was a little older, it might have been electronic Battleship or Life or some other board game. Oh yes, Uno. We can't forget Uno. *smile* We would through a phase of playing Oregon Trail on the computer. Daniel and I took every possible route their was and used every possible mode of transportation. We kept track of all of this in a log that we kept. It was fun, educational and a bit trying at times, too. *smile* Ed always played checkers with him, thankfully, because I am just not a big fan of checkers. They also played indoor basketball with a nerf basketball and hoop. They did get pretty rowdy, let me tell ya! Oh, and Daniel has three or four of those miniature MLB baseball bats and he used to wad up paper balls and have his dad pitch them to him. It was hilarious to watch his dad ducking those paper balls that Daniel would send whizzing by his head. Oh, but we laughed ourselves silly.
And another of our favorite games was where Daniel would get three different sizes of plastic cups or glasses. He would again wad up paper balls. Then the three of us would sit in our respective chairs and try to toss the paper balls into the cups, the smaller the cup the higher the score for that cup and so on. He had three cups that he always used for this game and I packed them away with his other things after he married and left home.
Oh, and Daniel and I made bean bags one day so long ago because he had see Mr. Rogers make bean bags on TV and wanted to do the same. I still have those bean bags in their coffee can, packed away in one of Daniel's storage boxes, along with the cups and paper balls and baseball bats. *smile*
You know, it just doesn't take big, expensive toys to entertain kids. Daniel had alot of what most kids had, but he always came back to the simple things that required us to play with him and I believe that that was the most important thing: That we played together and spent time together.
Ed used to come home from working all day and as soon as he would get out of the car, Daniel would say: "Dad, will you throw some baseball with me?" Well, after we had had supper and Ed had rested for awhile, many, many evenings he spent throwing baseball with Daniel, then throwing a football, onto playing basketball and lastly shooting pool with him. I often wondered how Ed found the energy, but he did. Sometimes they would go to the local elementary school and play basketball or Ed would take him to Mingo park where they could play basketball on the court there or pitch baseball on one of the diamonds.
AND most nights, it seemed, they would have to have a round of wrestling before going to bed. I would always ask them why they had to wait until ten o'clock at night to wrestle. I don't remember ever getting an answer. It was just part of their routine.
And Daniel liked nothing better than for us to sit down and watch a movie with him. So, we'd pop popcorn and cuddle up on the sofa or him and his dad in the recliner or me and him on the floor, while Daniel rewound his favorite parts, over and over again, to watch them again and again and laugh and laugh,driving me and his dad crazy, wondering if we'd EVER get through the movie. (Have any of you other parents been through that? *grin*) AND how many times can you watch the same movie over and over again? (although Ed and I are somewhat guilty of this, too, but not to the extent that Daniel was! LOL)
Which reminds me of the many nights we read to Daniel before he went to sleep. He always wanted the same books read. Oh, we would add a new one now and then but some, in particular, that I remember are The Monster at the End of the Book, Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree, The Little Puppy, The Little Kitty, Teep and Beep Go To Sleep. There were sooo many.
Yes, we've made some wonderful memories through the years and in the busyness of life AND the Christmas season, may I gently remind you who are parents and have your children still at home with you: What they REALLY want, most of all, is undistracted time spent with YOU doing the simplest of things that don't really require that much time and energy and they are your most precious investment.
God Bless each of you this holiday season. Thank you for letting me share some memories with you!

Christmas in our little valley

We were blessed with three inches of beautiful snow the night before last, which caused schools to be canceled, much to the delight of many, many children! Here are some pictures that I took last night as we were leaving for church. I've not taken pictures at night and was not sure of how they would turn out but they look pretty good, I think! The snow makes the Christmas lights and decorations look so much prettier!

Christmas Bits and Pieces

My sister, Debbie, called me yesterday evening and asked me what the last four or five verses of the Twelves Days of Christmas song were, so I looked them up on the internet.....of course....and not only found all of the verses but also the history behind the song and thought some of you might find it as interesting as I did. So here it is:
"The Twelve Days of Christmas are the twelve days between Christmas Day, December 25, and Epiphany, January 6.
These twelve days were memorialized in a popular song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas," written by a gentleman named Drennon.
During the period 1558 to 1829, it was a crime to be a Catholic in England. Catholics were prohibited from any practice of their faith by law - private or public. Anyone caught with things that associated him with Catholicism, such as religious writings, would be severely punished. Devotion to the Catholic faith could get you imprisoned, hanged, or beheaded.
Drennon wrote the "Twelve Days of Christmas" as one of the "catechism songs" to teach young Catholics the tenets of their faith in song, instead of in written form.
It was a great memory tool that aided them in the learning of their faith while still hiding the fact that they were still practicing Catholicism. Drennon helped to prevent these young Catholics from being punished for reading religious books.
Each of the gifts given in this song has a hidden meaning intended to help teach and preserve the Catholic faith. For instance, the "true love" mentioned in the song does not refer to an earthly lover--it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the gift refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge who fakes injury to lure predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..."
The other symbols mean the following:
2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity-- the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which relays the history of man's fall from grace.
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of Creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed
The Twelve Days of Christmas differ very little from other religious celebrations, in that they give us a reason to celebrate and exchange gifts.
Initially, people carefully meted out their gifts during the course of the twelve days, as Drennon's song reflects, to avoid a glut of presents on Christmas Day.
This old-fashioned approach to gift-giving eventually gave way to today's practice of exchanging gifts on Christmas Day."
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Also, my friend, Amy, sent me the link to a really neat Christmas webpage that has all kinds of recipes and neat things to do with and for your children and family, if you so choose. Just click HERE to view it!

And nowwww...for your viewing pleasure!

Here are the animals! *smile*
First, we have Heidi and her new puppies:



Heidi is such a good mother. She is a sweetie!
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Secondly, we have the leopard lizards:

Now, their names are Crazy and Lazy and one is a male and the other is a female, but don't ask me which is which. *smile*
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And lastly, but not leastly, we have Max, the bald python:

Believe it or not, Max does have some personality and he IS a cuddly little critter. Erin, Daniel and Brian just love him. It's taking me a liiittttllllleee while to warm up to the creepy crawler but it may happen in time.

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Also, Rocky, our lab, got a 4-point buck last week. :-) I looked out the kitchen window Saturday morning as I was doing dishes and here he came dragging this, this "thing" into the yard and lo, and behold, if it wasn't a deer head with the antlers still intact. He has had more fun playing and chewing with this thing. It is now gone, so I imagine that he probably buried it somewhere, only to dig it up at a later date and enjoy it some more. :-)

A quick post

Sooooo, there was these redneck carpenters. They stopped by the lumber store and one of them went in and told the clerk behind the counter, "I need some 4 by 2's." To which she asked, "Are you sure you don't mean 2 X 4's?" "Well, let me go out and check," said the redneck. He came back in and said, "Yep, you're right. I need 2 X 4's." "How long do you need them?" asked the clerk. The redneck carpenter looked kind of puzzled and said, "Well, let me go out and check." He came back in and said, "Looks like I'll need 'em a purty long time ' cause we're buildin' a house."
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We now have a Bald Python in the family. Yes, you read correctly. *weak smile* A co-worker of Erin's GAVE her a bald python with all of the trimmings, meaning a lovely display case and pedestal and all of the other paraphinalia that you need with a Bald Python.
So at last count, they have 4 dogs, 8 puppies, 2 lizards, and 1 Bald Python. And Brian. LOL (Erin's younger brother)
I'll post a picture later today of the animals, and maybe even Brian, but for now, I have to go. I have such a busy day ahead. I just pray that I can get everything accomplished that I need to and want to. Happy Holidays!!! It's the most wonderful time of the year!! *smile*

Awwwww......

Sooooo, I was watching channel 4 weather this morning and those of you who live north of Columbus might be getting some nasty stuff later today. Anywayyyy, pretty soon here came my sweet husband down the hallway singing:
"Oh, Darlin', let it rain, let it snow,
Let the cold north wind blow,
Just as long as you love me,
North or South, East or West,
You know our love stands the test,
Just as long as you love me."

Wow. I got tears in my eyes and got all choked up as he came over to where I was sitting and finished singing it to me. Has the Lord blessed me or what? *tears* I could not ask for more. It has been worth every struggle and difficult time that we've had through the years to now experience the love that we share. I just want to tell some young -married person out there: I know it can be so rough during the early years as you both are finding your way and endeavoring to "become one" but don't give up. Commit your way and your marriage to the Lord, do what is right, keep a right attitude when it is the most difficult, cast all of you care on the Lord and He will see you through the difficult times. And you will be blessed. God will come through for you. You can have the marriage and relationship that you desire. If you will allow the Lord to change you, you will see a change in your spouse. I know this to be true because it has happened in our lives and marriage. For so long, I kept waiting for Ed to change into the husband I wanted him to be but when I finally (with the help of a loving mentor and counselor) realized that the only one I could change was ME, submitted myself to the Lord and allowed Him to change some not-so-great-things about ME (and yes, there were quite a few AND still are. I'm a work in progress. *feeble grin*), that was when we began to have the blessed relationship that we both had hoped for. Now, all of these years later, it has been worth it all. I look back at the early years when I thought I had to be right or I knew what was best or it had to be my way or no way (can you believe I was ever like that? *grin*), well, I wish I had learned those lessons sooner, BUT I did learn them. I gave up my right to be right a long time ago. It just doesn't matter. It isn't worth it. I can still remember one of the first times when we started to have ANOTHER argument, probably started because I thought I just HAD to be right. BUT I backed away and did not challenge him as I would normally do. But instead, I turned away and let the tension subside. And the most amazing thing happened. He did the same thing. And HE apologized to ME for the misunderstanding and then I apologized to HIM because I was the one who was really at fault and, well, that was the beginning of learning to do what is right. It is just that simple. I'm not saying I wasn't probably still "chomping at the bit" inside but now when we find ourselves starting into an argument, we catch ourselves.....we both do, which is amazing....there was time a time when I NEVER thought I'd see the day.....and we won't allow it to escalate. It just isn't worth it. Our relationship matters so much more than winning some argument. "......as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." That includes our spouses. *grin* The Lord truly blesses when we obey His word and apply it to our lives.
Oh, that is part of an old Buck Owens song up there. *smile*
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AND......some of the best gifts are not things at all. I've always wanted to go to the Nazarene Church and see their Christmas Cantata Drama which they host every year, but for some reason or another have not been able to. Well, last night, Friday, they performed AND my sweet husband took me!! Now, he does not particularly care for these sorts of things so I usually go with a girlfriend but EVERYONE busy, and he KNOWS how much I love these sorts of things, so I was sooo HAPPY that he would take me, especially considering that he was gone, on the road, driving most of the day yesterday. Yet, he came home, showered and then headed right back out on a chilly evening to take me to this cantata. We had a wonderful evening and were home by 8:30. And, now, here I sit all teary-eyed, blogging about it. It is just that I am so thankful for my sweet husband. God has been so good to me and to us. AND that was my FIRST Christmas gift this year. *teary smile* May each of you have a wonderful and blessed Saturday! I'm off to fix breakfast for my hubby!! (After I blow my nose, wipe my eyes, wash my hands.....you know the drill! LOL)