STARTING THE COUNTDOWN

Good morning this cold day.  As I write this it is 56* outside which may not seem cold to some of you but is to me.  Looks like it's time for a nice cup of hot tea for me.  Or maybe some cocoa.

It poured all day yesterday and it's supposed to do the same today with thunderstorms.  It has been dry for so long and now the ground is saturated.  My yard is all mud.  BUT... I'd rather have rain than snow.

This is going to be short because I have to leave in an hour to take my car in to the garage.  I have been having trouble with it and I think there is a problem with the power steering pump.  Besides I need it inspected.  So off I go.  Even if I don't drive the car every day anymore, I like having it there to run errands if I need to.  I'm lost when it's in for service.  But I think I'll survive.

                    😉😉😉😉😉 

Not being able to run around will force me to get things done around here.  I am DETERMINED to clean and decorate.  Every day I seem to find something else to do instead of that.  Do you get the idea that I hate to clean?  There's just so many other things I want to do in life.  But...

I really have made a dent in the place.  It is still messed up but getting better.  And I will show you as I go along.  Promise.  I keep telling myself that since I am up long before Joe is I should clean in the morning and when he comes downstairs he will stare in disbelief.  Ah...  the dream.  But someday that may actually happen.

Yesterday we finished the last of the 7 churches of Revelation in Bible Study.  Next week there is a summary and then we are finished for the season.  We ladies always take the holiday season and the winter off.  Too much to do and the weather gets too bad.  I don't want anyone (me included) to slip on ice or get into a car accident trying to get to church.  Besides it is nice for me to take a break.  Then we start up again in the spring when the weather is better.  Usually around the start of Lent.

It's time for the Hallmark Christmas movies summary.  Here's what I've been watching:

Hats Off to Christmas (2013) -- Mia, the manager of a small town's Christmas shop, has to train Nick, the owner's son, for a position she coveted. Mia does not like Nick's unreliable ways until he helps convince her disabled son to continue physical therapy so he can walk again. With Haylie Duff and Antonio Cupo.

Christmas at Cartwrights (2014) -- a single mom gets a holiday job as a department store Santa to pay her rent. An angel enters her life and brings about some positive changes, including the spark of a new romance.  With Alicia Witt, Gabriel Horton and Wallace Shawn.

I'm Not Ready for Christmas (2015) -- Holly's world is turned upside down when her niece's wish to Santa Claus comes true and she cannot tell a lie. As her career and love life go into disarray, she must learn to judge between the truth and what is right.  With Alicia Witt, Maxwell Caulfield and Dan Lauria.

I want to say I love them, but I have discovered there is not one that I don't love.  So let's just say that Hallmark movies make my holiday season.

So I have to run to get ready for the day.  See you all tomorrow.

Kathy

Sunrise:   7:02 a.m.
Sunset:  4:36 p.m.
9 hours and 34 minutes of daylight
Thunderstorms
Temperature:  66*/54*  

THIS WASN'T THE DAY I PLANNED

Advent is the "new year" of the church calendar.  And it always seems like a new year to me.  Things in my head change and I begin to look at things differently.  It isn't the end of the year to me, but the beginning of a new and exciting time.  I guess that's why I love Christmas.  And only 27 days to Christmas Day.

It was a beautiful sunrise this morning.  I had to get a picture of it.  But it was much prettier than the picture shows.

 
I had planned to do cleaning and decorating today but ended up not doing either.  Instead I went to Rite Aid to pick up two of my medications.  While I was there I saw some great sales and I picked up a few things we needed.  But I also picked up some things we didn't need.  I saw these cute Christmas plates the other day and today I decided to get them.  They were $3 each.  I got two dinner plates and two salad plates.  We tend to use the smaller plates for breakfast or lunch.  They are so cute!

These are for every day.  I have pretty white china plates with gold rims and a holly pattern for good.  I'll have to take a picture of them to show you.

The other thing we did was go to get Joe a haircut.  He likes to go to Supercuts so we headed over there.  The stylist he usually gets was off today, but the girl who did his hair did a terrific job.  As he said, he has never gotten a bad cut there.

We came home and I thought I would get right on my chores and instead I fell asleep for a couple of hours.  So...

instead of cooking dinner we ended up with left over turkey sandwiches.  *sigh*  Well, at least the turkey did not go to waste.

So now I'm going to type up the notes for my Bible Study tomorrow morning.  It's another busy week for me.  But I hope I can get some cleaning/decorating done.  So until later...

Kathy

Sunrise:  7:01 a.m.

Sunset:  4:37 p.m.

9 hours and 36 minutes of daylight

Temperature:  53*/32* 

SUNDAY PRAISE -- COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS

John 1:1-12 King James Version

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

² The same was in the beginning with God.
³ All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
⁴ In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
⁵ And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷ The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
⁹ That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
¹¹ He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
¹² But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

DECORATING THE CHURCH FOR CHRISTMAS

Time just rushes by and here it is less than a month until Christmas.  Unbelievable!

And it has been 11 months since I retired.  I am very much enjoying being a homemaker and finally getting the house under control.  Although right now it looks worse than it has in awhile.  I think it's one of those thing where it has to look bad before it can look good.  But it is coming along.  Every week we have tons of recycling going out.  Paperwork is the bane of my existence.

I wanted to start putting away the fall decorations today but instead spent several hours at church decorating for the beginning of Advent tomorrow.  There were five of us there and we all went to work.  Pastor Ralph was very helpful doing the heavier lifting for me.  The church really looks nice.  Here are a few pictures for you.

The Fellowship Time tables.  Carolyn did the centerpieces and they are just beautiful!

This is the table when you first come into the church.  The bulletins are there to pick up and you can see the coat rack behind the table.
 

This is the Nativity scene on that table.  I bought the table runner in Lancaster in September.  It is just perfect there.
 

 

Carolyn, Dorothea and Alice did the windows.  Beautiful!  (Ignore my reflection.)

Poinsettias across the communion table.
 

The Nativity scene at the front on the Communion table.
 

The tree.  This was a group effort by all of us.
 

The church all decorated.
 

The podium all ready to go.  Just lovely.
 

We are set for Advent.  Now if I could just do the same at home!

I had to stop at Rite Aid on the way home to get some grape juice for communion tomorrow.  As I was in line to check out I saw some Peeps.  If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know my weakness for Peeps.  So I got a box of trees and a box of gingerbread flavored gingerbread boys.  Yum!

 
I have to go now and make some sugar cookies for Fellowship Time tomorrow.  I have a new recipe so I hope they turn out.

Until later...

Kathy

Sunrise:  6:58 a.m.

Sunset:  4:37 p.m.

9 hours and 39 minutes of daylight

Temperature:  51*/35* 

THE DAY AFTER

Thanksgiving shouldn't be limited to one day.  Or so I feel.  We should be grateful every day for all of our blessings.  And I was very grateful for a place to lay my head last night.

It was a long day for Joe and me going back and forth to my sister's house.  Even though we had a great time, we were very tired by the time we got home.  Joe went right to bed and I laid down for what I thought would be just a short time.  When I opened my eyes it was morning.  I didn't even take my medicine!  I knew it was too late for the evening dosage, so thought I would get up and take my morning meds.  I have to wait an hour after I take them until I can eat.  I wrote my blog post and then my eyes started closing.  I laid down on the sofa and went back to sleep.  In all I slept 14 hours!  Who does that?  I must have been exhausted.  And I'm still tired.

So I really have nothing to tell you about today.  Instead I will show you a few more pictures from yesterday that I have borrowed from my sister and my friend.  Hope you enjoy them.

Here I am!

My brother, Larry in his turkey hat and giving his famous "when do we eat?" pose.
 

The guys.
 

Me, Joe and my sister-in-law, Kim.
 

Larry without his hat.  Much better.
 

My sister, Elaine.  The hostess extraordinaire.
 

Just before eating.
 

Elaine made an apple pie that used cinnamon rolls as the crust.  I thought it sounded good but I was too full to eat it for dessert.  I took a piece home and while I was sleeping Joe ate it.  So I still don't know how it tasted.  It looked good.
 

And here is a good picture of Rich's birthday cake.
 

I think Thanksgiving is finally done now.  Tomorrow will start Christmas decorating.  I'll be sure to take you along as I go.

Kathy

Sunrise:  6:57 a.m.

Sunset:  4:38 p.m.

9 hours and 41 minutes of daylight

Temperature:  53*/45* 

THANKSGIVING

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Joe and I spent the day at my sister's house.  She always makes a good meal.  But more importantly is just being together with family and friends.

Now don't faint anyone, but Joe and I actually left on time and weren't the last ones showing up.  I know that is hard to believe, but it's true!  We actually had a good drive up.  There wasn't much traffic at all.  We did it in a little under 2 hours which is a record.

We always like pulling into the driveway and seeing Elaine's house all decorated for the season.

There is always a table with snacks before dinner.  Here is Joe helping himself to celery filled with creamed cheese.  There were also rainbow carrots and dip, grapes, pickled cauliflower and cucumbers, shrimp cocktail, small candies, M&Ms and cashews.
 

I loved this arrangement Elaine had on the inside of her front door.  So pretty.

Cody always hangs around when people are at the table hoping for a handout.  And yes, he gets them.

Here's Rich, my friend Marion's husband, as he arrived.  My brother Larry has a new camera so he's totally engrossed.  I don't blame him!

 My sister Elaine taking a break from her cooking.

Larry has a seasonal hat.  Yes, it's a turkey.  No, really it is!

Here's a better looking turkey.  He's made of velvet.  Isn't he beautiful?

The turkey was beautiful.  Perfectly cooked.

Even the refrigerator is decorated.
 

 

The table all set just waiting for the food.

Joe talking to my sister-in-law's mom, Marilyn.
 

The entire house was decorated so beautifully for Thanksgiving -- until you went into the bathroom.  Then the season changed and you were in Christmas Land.  It was great!  Elaine said she is working so much that she decorates where and when she can.  I loved it!

Back to Thanksgiving.  I loved her little ceramic pumpkin.  I'm going to miss all the fall stuff when it comes down this weekend.
 

Larry's famous pose.  He does this every Thanksgiving.  It's become a tradition.
 

 My friend, Marion and Joe having a conversation.  Elaine's friend, Frank, is in the background.

We finally all got to the table for a very delicious meal.  Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry orange bread (which I made), cranberry sauce, green bean almondine and iced tea.
 

More decorations.
 

After a break it was time for dessert.  Pumpkin and apple pies.  And a birthday cake since it was Rich's birthday.
 

While the photographers were taking pictures of Rich blowing out the candles, I was taking a picture of the photographers.  Paparazzi!
 

We left Elaine's house about 4:30 p.m. and got home about 6:45 p.m.  The roads were bad (it was raining) and the traffic was heavier.

It was a great day and I hope you enjoyed coming along with me.

Kathy