End of November

A day of yard and house work! Woody worked on the leaves in the yard and I worked on dust, etc. in the house. Elijah came over for a while and helped Goosey outside and then came in and helped me. I was wiping off the kitchen wastebasket and he decided that he could help...I gladly accepted a helping hand! I have just done a little of this and a little of that...but have managed to cross off quite a few things from my "to-do" list. This evening we were invited for a festive dinner at Nathan and Kathy's! Good company and good food...good start for our family Christmas celebrations! My energy level has worn a bit thin and I have sat for a while this evening and finished a book that I had almost finished yesterday. Then I read another short Christmas book that I had gotten as a free Kindle download...finished that too. Perhaps now that I have rested I have another energy reserve built back up...so perhaps I can do something else on my "to-do" list before calling it quits for the evening. Tomorrow we will be ushering December in! 'Tis the Season! (As my sister would say, "Fa La La La!")Tonight's photo shows that the Wisemen are weary also...resting in their tents under the watchful eyes of their camels...hoping that they will soon complete their long journey following the star as they seek the King of the Jews!

A Time to Celebrate!

First reason to celebrate today was Esther finishing her Dick and Jane book...it contained three of the original Dick and Jane books and was almost 200 pages long. Well done, Esther! After she finished the book we went to the laptop and I typed out a list of all the sight words that were in the book and then printed them on card stock and then made two strips of those words. I had been keeping up with each new word introduced that couldn't be sounded out. Definitely Dick and Jane books teach reading by repetition of words! She has had fun reading the stories and I have enjoyed the memories of me reading the same stories so very long ago starting in first grade. She has already chosen the next Dick and Jane that she wants to read to me...much shorter this time. If she reads three stories each day with this one she will be finished in two days. She will read some more of the books that we have here and at her house and then we will check out the ones that our church library has. Fun with Dick and Jane! Joy finished the cross stitch on her latest project. We will put it into finished form next week. She has plans for it to be a Christmas gift. Elijah was the first to have school this morning. He is getting quite good at tracing the sounds/letters in the salt. He gets so excited when he can do one all by himself without me either helping him or showing him first. While Joy was cross stitching I got my sewing machine going...making Christmas ornaments. After she left, I had a phone call and left the room while it was sewing along...well, a big mistake...looks like it is in need of the sewing machine doctor. Guess I will have to add that trip to my list for tomorrow's "to-dos" as I need to get it looked at and back home as I was hoping to get more sewing done this coming week...oh, well...best laid plans of mice and men! I have worked around the house just doing a little here and a little there. Mostly I worked upstairs today...not that anyone usually comes upstairs...but on principle...the upstairs usually gets neglected...so decided to start up first. Woody went for a walk after lunch and walked four miles. We have ended our day with our first Christmas festivity. We have just returned from the annual Deacon/Widow Christmas banquet. Good food and good fellowship (though my thoughts kept drifting back to all that needed to be done at home!). Tomorrow I will need to hit the floor running...only two days left to prepare for the party! 'Tis the season!

November's Last Wednesday

It has been a busy day here...as usual! The first thing that I did this morning was make a Christmas order (another step closer to being ready for Christmas!). Looks like part of the family will be getting some presents! Then it was time for school. Today Elijah, Esther, Joy and Graham came over for a time of Grammy school. Graham finished one of his subjects and then came up to the sewing room and we made Isaac a little felt stocking with his name on it to add to their ornaments for their advent tree calendar. Mother made this advent calendar for Melany and Nathan and gave it to them on Nathan's first Christmas. There are ornaments to snap onto the tree each day starting on Dec. 1 and going through Dec.24. On the 24th they put a star on the top of the tree. The children take turns snapping ornaments on the tree. When it was given to Melany and Nathan there were only two stockings on it...now there are eight...a third of the ornaments are stockings! I have been making new little felt stockings for each of them their first Christmas. So Isaac's got made today thanks to Graham's help. After lunch, it was time for me to head to the library for our weekly work time. Not long after I got home we ate. Then Woody went on a four-mile walk. I came upstairs and rested for a while...and looked at my party "to-do" list to see if there was anything that I could mark off! Not much marked off today...but Woody did go to the grocery store so I do have the ingredients for my Wassil. I have decided to come into the sewing room and do a couple of things...I mended a skirt for Joy and now I'm going to work on making some Christmas ornaments. The Christmas tunes are cranked up on my iPad and I'm settling in for a sewing/relaxing evening. Woody is watching a library DVD...relaxing also. 'Tis the season!

Wheels Spinnin'!

At least my head is spinning! Busy, busy with everyday things along with "getting ready for party" things. Today I had school time with five of our neighbor grandchildren. We did everything from read to trace sounds (letters) in salt to sewing pockets on an apron to handwriting to math to stuffing pillows. Elijah and Esther came over for their school time after lunch. Elijah stayed and played for a little while after his time. Then Esther decided to stay after her time too. She helped me. While I washed tea cups, Esther played with the angels that I had taken down from my cup and saucer display. We got all the tea cups and saucers put back and also the angels. We then attempted to find a place to store Christmas serving dishes. After that she decided to go home. I did get all the spoons in my spoon collection polished last night along with the 12 Days of Christmas bells. I also made and/or covered pillows for the front porch rockers and glider. Graham helped me stuff one of the pillows. After all t he work that Esther and I did, I made turkey noodle soup...pretty good! Now I am ready to sit down and relax for a little while and watch the finals for Dancing with the Stars. Woody walked to the prayer room at church a while ago. He will come back any time now and have a bowl of the soup that I was in the process of making when he left. It has been a cold, damp, and dreary day here in Middle TN. It never got out of the 40's today. Well, I keep marking things off my "to-do" list...but also keep adding things so not sure that I'm making a lot of headway! One thing for sure...the party will happen Sunday whether I am ready or not! I'm so thankful that I managed to get all the decorating done before Thanksgiving! Woody has packed the "box puzzle" back into the Christmas closet...so boxes are gone from the upstairs hallway.

Fun-filled Monday

My day started out with a tap-tap-tapping on the front door. Elijah was over and ready for school...more than a half hour early! Figured that we would get started and perhaps the school day would end a bit earlier than usual...but not so. It started a half hour earlier and ended a half hour later. Everyone really buckled down and worked really hard and did a bunch of school work. Abigail worked on her apron and got another pocket sewed on. She should be able to get the last pocket on tomorrow. Esther and I counted and found out that if she reads three stories each day this week that she can finish this Dick and Jane book. I came home and ate lunch and then went upstairs to rest and finish my book (fell asleep before finishing it last night). Ended up dozing a bit, but did manage to get the book finished. Woody walked to the Post Office this afternoon. He raked, blew and dragged quite a few leaves today. Now I am going to go down and polish my spoon collection while I watch Dancing With the Stars. That will get a "to-do" before Sunday party marked off my list! Friends stopped by with baby Frosties for us and the neighbors (Nathan, Kathy and family). Yum! Nice treat!

Our Little Buddy!

This morning we got a call from next door (Nathan and Kathy). They had a problem...too many children for the number of seats in their vehicle! They have a niece visiting. So we had Elijah ride with us. He sat with us in church, too. He was sooooo good! Then we headed off to Sunday School...well, Elijah and I did...today Woody went to Life Care to preach. I lead my class. Woody came back to the church and picked up Elijah and me after Sunday School. The three of us headed home and Elijah had a snack (pumpkin pie (with whip cream (his request!)...backwards lunch...pie at Grammy and Goosey's and then lunch at his house!). Then he played till his family got home. He and I built another garage for the school bus and another house for the little people. After Elijah went home, I had my lunch and then went upstairs and took a little nap. Graham came over while I was resting and stayed for a while. Elijah came back over for a little while too. Woody walked to get a paper so he would have another cross word puzzle. I have done a little reading...almost finished with another Randy Singer book. I have been trying to get up enough energy to get up from the rocking chair downstairs to come up and blog. I'm on my way to get my daily allergy medicine. Something "got to me" a while ago...I was sneezing my head off and my eyes started itching and my nose started running. It is better now...but hopefully the allergy meds will make it a lot better! Too much to do to have allergy problems at the moment. Woody is watching a library DVD and I'm off to the upstairs' recliner to finish my book.

One Month From Today!

Oh, my, I just realized that one month from today our family Christmas will have come and gone! I did spend some time today ordering some gifts. It has taken a bit longer for me to get inspired this year as to just the perfect gifts. Hmmmmm maybe some won't be exactly perfect! It has been a cold day here in middle TN. Woody didn't go out first thing this morning, but waited a while to go on a seven mile walk. I slept in a bit making up for not much sleep the night before. We have enjoyed our turkey dinner leftovers. Kathy, Elijah and Isaac came over for a little while this afternoon. Elijah stayed and played. He started out playing with the Fisher Price Nativity, but then he and I built with my grandfather's blocks for a while. Tonight's photo shows the results of our building efforts.

Family Thanksgiving 2012

We had a great time with our family today. It was a gathering of 14 Dorrell's and Proctor's. We had lots of great food to eat (probably too much!) and lots of fun times visiting. Elijah was very happy that Friday had finally arrived. The moment that Wade, Melany, Erin and Alex arrived, five little folk from next door joined them. After they got in the house it wasn't but a few moments till the Fisher Price Manger scene was unboxed and set up. Later Isaac discovered that he could easily pull up on the coffee table and he enjoyed "destroying" their work! It is nice that this addition to our Christmas decorations is such that it can be played with even by the littlest in the family. Woody and I got up very early to get the turkey in the oven. Then one by one we attacked the remaining menu items. Woody peeled the potatoes that would later be mashed by Wade (his annual Thanksgiving job!). Melany carved the turkey. And, Joy rang the dinner bell. Everyone was ready. The kids' table was in the kitchen presided over by Goosey (Woody)...the biggest kid of them all! The rest of us ate in the dining room...including Isaac. Isaac enjoyed his very first Thanksgiving dinner. Kathy brought him over unadulterated sweet potatoes and he also tried a couple of things from our meal...some were accepted by him and others came right back out followed by a shiver! Woody pretty much washed all the dishes. Melany took the rest of the meat off the turkey carcass. I then started the carcass simmering with onions, celery, etc...the start to some turkey soup. Wade found containers and put away the leftovers. Some of us watched children...especially Isaac as he is now on the move so an adult pretty much has to have an eye on him to make sure that he and "things" around the house are safe! There was a lot of game playing...and not the outdoor or board variety...an iPad here and an iPod there along with DS whatevers, etc...it's a different day and age...but then Grammy is right in there with her iPad (though, I did share it with a grandchild or two this afternoon!). All these devices didn't come out till after the meal and there was cooperation and sharing among the children while they either played or observed. Elijah finally had had enough and decided that it was time for him to go home to play with his cars and trucks! Alex showed us on their laptop a design for a part of a robot that he had done in CAD for his robotics club. Their robotics club took first place and will be going to Auburn at some time in the future for further competition. So lots of talking and sharing about things that have been going on in our family's lives. After the Proctor's left, I headed upstairs to just sit for a little while till the turkey stock was finished cooking...well, the next thing I knew it was time to blog...so late as Woody and I needed to strain the broth and get it to cooling. Now Woody has the TV on and a book in front of him and I'm heading in to read. Happy Turkey Day to one and all from the Dorrell's and Proctor's! Tonight's photo shows the turkey place card holders that Graham made out of K'nex. We got a kick out of the way he spelled some of the names...Wade was "Uncul Wade." We got a laugh out of that when Wade pronounced the way Graham had spelled it as "uncool" Wade! He spelled Melany's name correctly (which most don't spell correctly...guess we spelled her name phonetically when we spelled it the way did when we named her!). Graham decided where everyone would sit in each of the rooms. I sat opposite of where I usually do and sort of liked where he placed me...I could see both tables (at least part of them) from my vantage point!

Gobble, Gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving from Woody and me. We will celebrate tomorrow with our family so we are busy getting ready. Pumpkin pies are in the oven. At this point we have gelatin salad and rolls ready for tomorrow. At the rate that I have been going...one step forward...two back...that may be all we have along with the pies! Well, back to work! Oh, the tree is finished and the mess is out of the living room...now to vacuum! Well, looks like I forgot to click the button to publish this...my sister just emailed me wondering why there was no blog...I knew that I had blogged so I checked and oops...forgot to push the publish button! Guess I have my mind on other things!

Is It Friday Yet?

Elijah came over for a while this morning...he'd been outside playing and just decided to pay us a visit. When he comes in like that I make a quick call on the phone that pages next door! That way they know where he is! He put a few more ornaments on the tree and then asked if it was Friday yet. I just thought that he was asking what day it was and then I realized...that he was looking longingly at the boxes on the coffee table that are pictured in tonight's blog photo. I had told him and his siblings yesterday that they had to wait to get the Fisher Price Nativity out until Uncle Wade, Aunt Melany, Erin and Alex come on Friday! He then knelt down and looked at the pictures on the boxes telling me what was his favorite in each box! Again, so cute! I started out this morning working on the Christmas tree and that is pretty much what I have done all day (and...it still isn't done!). I did stop long enough to make the gelatin salad for our Thanksgiving meal. I am hoping that I can get the last two boxes emptied of ornaments and get them on the tree before I go to bed tonight so I won't have to think about anything except getting ready for our family Thanksgiving that we are having on Friday. Tomorrow is pie making (2 pumpkin and 2 pecan (that includes making pie crusts, too))and homemade roll making day and prep(chopping onions, slicing celery, drying bread, etc.) for the other dishes that I will put together Friday morning while the turkey is roasting. Woody walked six miles today. He had the kitchen all cleaned up when I got up this morning. He has taken emptied boxes upstairs to be added to the piles of boxes in the upstairs hallway. He also started putting boxes back in the Christmas closet since both tree boxes were ready to go back in (they have to be put in first on each end of the closet and then he works the rest of the puzzle of smaller boxes on top and around them. I'm hoping that he will help me pack up the big boxes that contain lots of little ornament boxes. The children got so ahead of me yesterday that I have no idea what little box goes in which big box...another puzzle. Well, back to the tree if my back will allow me! It is really slow-go now as I have to hunt for a space for some of them...but the tree top still needs to be dressed (step-ladder work...that I save till last) and then one side of the tree seems to have been neglected. The children were attracted to the back of the tree for some reason so it is quite well decorated. I have gotten a kick out of where they put some of the ornaments...and Grammy has used her prerogative...that I can move ornaments if they need to be in a different place. I told Melany when I talked to her today that I had moved some to different places on the tree and she said that was always the rule when she and Nathan put ornaments on when they were kids...that Mommy could move them after they got put on! Guess some rules don't change!

Raining Leaves!

There were times today that it literally looked like it was raining leaves. Nathan, Kathy and some of the children worked on raking/blowing the leaves in our two front yards. It wasn't long after they completed the task that it was almost impossible to tell that the yards had been just about bare of leaves. Woody and I both got up really early. I headed straight to work getting the decorating done in the dining room and Woody headed off for a walk as the temp was milder than it had been lately. I got the dining room done pretty quickly and then told Woody that I was just about ready for the big tree box. He got it for me and not long after that I started putting it together (75 separate branches!). I got about half of the branches put in and I headed off to run a couple of errands. I came back ready for lunch. It was good that the soup was all made and all we had to do was warm a bowl for each of us. Then it was back to the tree. Joy came over and not long after that Graham came over. They were both very good helpers and we made short order of getting the rest of the tree together. I fluffed branches, Joy carried branches to Graham, and Graham put the branches in until they got too high for him to reach and then I finished putting those rows of branches in. I had chicken simmering as I need chicken broth for my Thanksgiving cooking...so now have chicken for a casserole or salad or soup and also have broth to cook with. The first of my Thanksgiving cooking has begun! Woody has the pecans shelled for our pecan pie and sweet potato casserole. I will do a little more cooking tomorrow...but can finish up around the house before I get too involved in cooking since we won't have our feast till Friday. While the broth was simmering, Elijah joined us and he and Joy played for a while and Graham and I got started on hanging ornaments on the tree. In a while, Joy and Elijah decided that they wanted to help with ornaments. They were all such great helps! Abigail and Esther came over after they got back from the store and they helped too. It was a bit of a challenge keeping up with five of them going through boxes of ornaments as quick as a wink! At the moment the living room looks a bit like a whirlwind has gone through...what with little boxes, tissue paper, etc.!I don't think that ornaments have ever gotten put on the tree faster! Little Elijah was so cute...first he figured out how to put ornament hangers on the ornaments he was putting on the tree...a big accomplishment for the little guy! Then he was just so pleased when he hung each ornament. Once he got it on a branch, he would stand back and clap! So sweet! Fun day! Joy made the statement that some day she would be the one having help with her tree (think that she was thinking ahead to being a grandmother and living next to her grandchildren!). They all wanted to know if there was a story for the ornament they were hanging. I shared lots of stories...perhaps just telling them who gave us the ornament or perhaps a little lengthier tale about how it was acquired. We had a fun afternoon and the tree is looking great! Woody has walked to the prayer room at church this evening. I'm about to head down to watch Dancing With the Stars. Hope that I can stay awake...I fell asleep when downloading photos just a few minutes ago.

Checking My List and Checking Things Off!

X family room decorating finished (well, I just found the snowman clock when I came upstairs)... X kitchen decorating finished (well, I just found the snowman cookie jar when I came upstairs)... X Potato soup made... X Woody took a six mile walk... X Woody did more leaf blowing... X One kidney stone passed!!!! ( I had been afraid to say anything about it and today when Kathy asked I told her that Woody hadn't had any pain for quite a while so he "thought" he had passed it. Well, not long after I told her that, Woody came out showing me what his latest kidney stone looks like! Ouch!)... Now time to relax and watch Dancing With the Stars!

The Stockings Are Hung by the Chimney With Care!

Tonight's photo is a bit different view of our church than I usually take! Today there was a commissioning service at the 11am service for a new motorcycle ministry: F.A.I.T.H. Riders. We got part way home and Woody asked if I had my camera and since I did, we circled back to the church so I could take photos of the line-up of motorcycles down the side of our church. Woody got up early this morning and walked seven miles. He said that it was quite frosty out...lawns and roofs. We both went to the early service and then to our Sunday School Classes. We came home after taking church/motorcycle pictures and I got back to work on decorating. I first tackled the corner tree in the family room. Then later I finished up the mantel. Woody helped me get some boxes out of the way by taking down all the boxes of ornaments for the big Christmas tree that will go in the living room. I needed them out of the way so I could find what is in other boxes that are left upstairs. By him doing that I was able to find the rest of the trees and snowmen that go on the mantel...plus other things that I had been looking for. And, yes, our stockings are hung! I don't want to tackle the big tree till I pretty much have everything else done. It's getting closer to finished, but still a BIG mess...boxes, tissue paper, etc., etc. I talked to my sister and she had finished her decorating except for her Christmas tree. I told her that was depressing to hear! Happy for her...but wish that I could say the same! I have to pace myself over the next few days to get as much done as I possibly can. I don't want it to be a total mess when we have our family Thanksgiving on Friday. It would be nice to have a few chairs to be able to sit on and a table or two that aren't covered so we can have our feast!! I have to pace myself too so I will have energy enough to be able to cook said feast! Woody is home from the evening church service. He is downstairs reading and watching TV. I came up a little before he got home to rest and read (and blog) for a bit. I will see in a little while if I feel like doing any more in the decorating realm this evening. I may at least find those elusive items that I need to finish up decorating in the family room.

Busy Saturday

Busy day for both of us. Woody headed out to run errands and go to the library a little after 9am. My first "job" of the day was to cut the pumpkin bread to take to the church for the Living Nativity workers' snack. Taking it to church was one of Woody's errands. Another errand was to get another plastic bin to put more K'nex in. We are planning on storing the K'nex in the garage this year. Woody has two bins and other containers at the back of the family room...all ready to take out in the garage. I got busy on the decorating after he left. One of these days decorating WILL be finished! Tonight I can say that the living room is just about finished EXCEPT (note the big EXCEPT)the big Christmas tree. I want to get the rest of the decorating done before thinking about that tree. I found boxes with more snowmen and trees for the mantel so added those. I also came across the box that has the ornaments in it for the corner tree in the family room. I "might" start that tonight...just not sure that I am up to it. I have also put away most of the "everyday" decorative items. So I have been busy...but things are still pretty much in disarray throughout the house. Woody stayed busy outside a good portion of the afternoon raking and blowing leaves...his exercise for the day. And, as you can see by tonight's photo there are still quite a few leaves to come down (it's an oak in our front yard)! The yard gets blown/raked clean and shortly there are leaves covering it again! One of those never-ending jobs around here in the Fall!

Clean Sweep?

Today I have made a clean sweep of the living room...well, at least of all tables, bookcase shelves, etc. There are no decorative items on any of them. They are all ready for Christmas items to be placed on them. Once I got items off, then I could give them a good cleaning. I have dusted and polished wood surfaces and vacuumed under those tables, shelves, etc. that don't get vacuumed under very often. That has taken me just about all day. There have been quite a few rest periods interspersed. Some of the items have found homes for the holidays. The rest are on my sewing cutting table waiting a box to be put into...those boxes will become available when the Christmas decorations come out of them. I have made quite a few trips up and down the stairs. Woody did our weekly grocery shopping which this time included getting a good portion of the items for our family Thanksgiving meal (which will take place on Friday). We went over our traditional Thanksgiving recipes yesterday and got things on the list. There are still a few items that Woody will make a quick run to get next week. After he got home from the store and we had the groceries put away, he made pumpkin bread (have to make something with all that pumpkin!). My Sunday School class is providing snacks for the workers who are getting ready for our Night in Bethlehem/A Living Nativity. I think that the workers will enjoy Woody's baking efforts! Woody has also raked and blown more leaves today. He ran an errand late this afternoon and when he got back he loaded me into the car and we headed to the Dairy Queen for a Blizzard...I had gotten another buy one medium get one medium free...hard to resist! It was a yummy treat. Well, I guess I will pick up a box or two and head down the stairs and place a few items on the bare surfaces in my living room.

Back in Business!

We got our laptop back this afternoon. Woody especially is happy as this is the computer that he uses most of the time. My iPad helped to keep me from having computer withdrawal! Woody missed printing off his crossword puzzles! Also he has been using the word processor a lot lately typing in the prayers that he has been writing, so he couldn't do that while the computer was being worked on. I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Abigail. Abigail sewed a pocket on the apron that she is making. We got the next step done for the other two pockets. Woody headed out on a six-mile walk while I was having school with Joy. Joy spent her time cross stitching today. Elijah made his first word with the movable alphabet today...c-a-t. He went home and told his daddy that he had spelled c-a-t (sounding it out) and candy (not sounding it out). I had to explain that candy was too long a word for him to spell yet...but he really wanted to spell it so we did! Candy is a food group for Elijah...or at least he wishes that it was! When Woody came home from his walk, we had Reuben sandwiches for lunch. Woody ran errands after lunch with picking up the laptop being the last on his errand list. The laptop didn't have as big a problem as it had the last time and it didn't have a virus. It seems that it was getting confused with the two printers we run on it (or some such thing). Anyway, the geek got it all straightened out and once again it is up and running... and recognizing both printers still. The geek said that he got online and found out that this was a common problem...just not one that he had encountered before. (You could say that we taught him something!) After Woody got back I headed off to run a couple of errands. Then when I got home, I made one of my favorites, Shanghai Pork Stew. We just got finished have some for supper. Now I am ready to head to the heating pad and recliner and finish a book. Woody is downstairs with the TV and a stack of books. As tonight's photo shows, there was a big decorating accomplishment today...the corner tree is up...a big thanks goes to Graham! He came over right after breakfast and got it together for me. It has become a tradition that he puts this tree together. I don't even know how to put the stand together! Woody helped him by finding a couple of boards to put under the tree stand. Last year I had trouble keeping the tree upright...due to the way it sat on the new carpet that we had gotten. I think that Graham got the boards positioned just right and that we shouldn't have a problem this year. Now to find the ornaments! I plan to jump into decorating in the morning...just have to take plenty of breaks so I can rest my back!

Pumpkin Pie or Pudding, Anyone?

There's 20 cups of puréed pumpkin in our refrigerator and freezer! Woody cut up all our home grown pumpkins today and then baked the pieces in the oven. I helped take the peel off some of the pumpkin pieces after they were baked and cooled and then puréed them in the food processor. I had to quit when it was time to go to the library and Woody finished up the rest. In the past we have cut and peeled the pumpkin and then boiled it till it got soft. This was a much easier way (especially the peeling task)and the purée was a lot less watery. Quite a job! I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy and Graham this morning. I started helping Woody with the pumpkin during Graham's time as he had a lesson that he could do all on his own. Woody drove me to the library as I needed help getting a box of books into the library (trying to be good to my back!). After he took the books into the library, he walked home. That was his walk for the day. For the time being Woody's kidney stone has stopped moving and isn't bothering him. When I got home from the library, there was evidence that children had been over and done some art...there were pictures by the front door and one pink coat left behind and a couple of storage bins out in the school room (the tops make great desks for art). I'm late blogging as my sister and I were having a "tis the season phone call!" She mailed our Christmas box today...boy is she ahead of me! I haven't even gotten an idea for some of the Arizona gifts for this year! We got a call from Geeks today about our laptop, but we weren't here to answer their question. We will call in the morning...at least they didn't leave a "hopeless" message...sounds like they are getting it cleaned up and it will be back home soon! It is missed! Perhaps I'll be able to post photos again soon.

Tuesday...all day!

Temperatures were pretty chilly this morning...so no early walk for Woody. He walked to the library later in the morning and then walked to the prayer room tonight. I had school with Abigail, Graham, and Joy this morning. Then Esther came over to read this afternoon. My back started hurting again so I came upstairs to the recliner and heating pad after Esther read. Woody made cornbread this morning and then banana bread this afternoon. I headed downstairs after I rested. Woody told me at that time that he has another kidney stone! Not good! We make quite a pair! Graham and Kathy finished sorting K'nex this afternoon. So they just have to be taken out to the garage to be stored during the holidays...making a place for the Christmas tree. Graham worked on K'nex during his time over here this morning and while he did that I put away some toys in the toy closet and then worked on the books that arrived the other day for the church library. The books are now ready to be taken to church to begin processing...a job to start tomorrow! I guess that Woody and I will settle in for a quiet evening...nursing what ails us!

Damp Monday!

No photo tonight...laptop has been taken to the geek computer doctor. Hopefully it isn't as big a problem this time as it was the last time. I don't want to have to reload everything again. Oh, well, what will be will be! The rain today put a damper on Woody taking a walk. He thought that he would wait till after lunch to walk, but the rain hadn't quit. We drove to Geeks instead. Now he has gone to church to go visiting. I had school with Elijah and Esther. Then Joy, her mommy and I went shoe shopping during her school time. She needed new tennis shoes. We went in separate cars so Grammy could stay and buy herself some shoes. I also enjoyed catching up with the owner of the shoe store. We go back many years. Her son was the ring bearer in Melany and Wade's wedding. The ironic thing is that her son is dating the girl who was Melany and Wade's flower girl. Never dreamed that they would end up dating. They were both students of mine at Montessori. I have done a little more decorating today. I didn't get to the shadow box last night...so today I have taken everything out of the shadow box and have it dusted. While watching Dancing With The Stars tonight I will put Christmas items into each space. I have gotten into a couple more boxes and have placed a few more trees on the mantel and wrapped up some everyday decorations to store them till after Christmas. Graham and Kathy came over this afternoon to start putting away the K'nex. I need that end of the living room during Christmas for the Christmas tree. The sun came out this afternoon and the temperature started to drop. It's supposed to drop into the upper 20's tonight. Brrrrrrrrrrr!

Blustery Sunday!

Woody and I both got up really early. Woody headed out on a walk and I decided to do a bit of decorating (while my back was rested). Woody walked seven miles and I emptied another box of trees and snowmen and began placing them. We went to the early church service and then to Sunday School. Woody taught his sixth grade boys' class. I sat in the very uncomfortable chairs in my class and my back has regretted it ever since! I came home and ate a quick lunch and headed up to the heating pad and recliner...supposedly to read...but there was a change in plans and I ended up sleeping most of the afternoon. I would suppose that Woody read and watched some football. Woody put away the dishes in the dishwasher and washed the dishes in the counter...getting the cooking area cleaned up so I can mess it up again! I had planned to put a casserole together this afternoon...guess I am going to go do it now. Woody just walked out the door to go to the evening church service. I'm blogging quickly as the laptop is allowing me to (I hope)! After I get the casserole put together (it's supposed to refrigerate overnight), I "may" take everything out of the shadow box and redo it "Christmas." Or, I may just head back to my heating pad and recliner and read (in the middle of a very good book). Well, off to make homemade cream of mushroom soup (trying to cut back on sodium) to use in my casserole. Woody commented when we were on the way home from church this morning that when he went for his walk this morning that there had been next to no wind. As we were going into church a little after 8am, there was a breeze. And, when we came out it was very windy. Guess there is another front being blown in...now I know why I was ached so much last evening (though, I guessed at the time what was going on with future weather). There is a wind advisory for our county till midnight. Tonight's photo was taken from our back yard the night before last. I was shooting through Nathan and Kathy's back yard...that's their big tree...the house is the neighbor's on the other side of them.

I Give Up!

The laptop is acting up and I'm tired of sitting there waiting on it so will post pictureless tonight! Woody walked 12 miles early today. Later in the morning he went to the library and the grocery store (in the car). I have opened up more boxes and put a few more things out...when I look around I really wonder just exactly I did do today!

Jack-Of-All-Trades...

...master of none...as tonight's title's saying goes. That's the way I feel after making it through this Friday. I got up and put on my chef's hat...French Market Soup and chicken broth. While those were simmering I got to work on clearing our china cabinet for our Precious Moments Nativity. Clearing it meant finding places for what was on it. The sewing cutting table needed to be cleared off so I could put things on it. One of the things on the cutting table was a box of books for the church library that I had ordered last week. I didn't want to take them off the table till I had taken care of some paper work and written info in the books that needed to be put in them before they start to be processed at the church. So then I put on my librarian hat. After I got finished working on them, I decided that I should take care of paper work on the computer for the two new memorials that we had received this past week. So did that and emailed that info to our library worker who writes the letters. That done I put all the books back in the box and put the box next to the front door so we can take them to church on Sunday. Graham and Goosey (Woody) went to Lowes to pick up a couple of things needed by both of our households. After Graham got finished with the project at their house and his school work, he came over and fixed the door stopper that goes on the hinge on the back of our bathroom door. He did a great job...so good to see his confidence in doing such projects all on his own. He went downstairs and asked Woody for the tools he needed and then he went about fixing it. Abigail came over while he was working and decided to stay for a while. She helped me clear tables and pack up some non-Christmas decorations. I dusted and polished the top of the buffet and then she and I opened up the boxes that contained the nativity. She helped place them. So guess we both put on our decorator hats at that point! Esther and Elijah came over before Abigail left. They played for a while and then they looked at a book that I had downloaded on my iPad for them (Little Red Hen). Joy joined them for a while. Then they headed home for supper. Just as they were leaving, Woody headed out to run another errand. Earlier in the day he walked six miles. He also made cornbread to go with our French Market Soup. When five o'clock came I was very ready to eat a quick bite of supper and then head upstairs to the recliner and heating pad...exactly where I am heading as soon as this posts! Busy day! Oh, I did put on my photographer hat for a few minutes when Woody came in telling me that I needed to take the beautiful tree in the yard across the street--tonight's blog photo.

Two Weeks till Thanksgiving!!!!

My day got started waaaaay too early. I woke up around 3am and never got back to sleep so finally got up before 4am and headed into the sewing room. I managed to be well underway with a Christmas ornament before Woody got up. I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy and Abigail. Abigail got the last pieces cut out for the apron she is going to make. I had lunch and then headed to the recliner and the heating pad upstairs. My back is better, but still not wonderful! I haven't done anymore decorating since the other day...hopefully I'll be able to do some tomorrow. I did take a nap this afternoon...needed one after rising so early this morning. Woody went on a walk this afternoon after it warmed up a bit. I'm not sure how many miles he walked today...somewhere between four and seven judging by when he came back in the door. He has read, watched a DVD (maybe) and some TV. We have beans from our 13 bean dry mixture soaking...in preparation for making French Market Soup tomorrow.

Wednesday

My day started off with school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Graham. Then I ate a quick lunch and headed off to the church library. Inventory is well underway. Backs and heads ached as we finished up the work time! Woody walked to and from the public library while I was gone. When I got home, I found the first box of books that I ordered last week for the library...looks like more library work ahead! As I have said many times...library work is never done!

Election Day/Night 2012

Well, Election Day has finally arrived. Woody and I voted early so it isn't quite the same...My prayer is that once election results are known that everyone can get on with life and accept those who are elected for the next terms. But the main thing that I pray for is that RESPECT can be shown for the individual and his/her office...no matter the party, etc. I am so tired of so much raking of candidates over the coals! My day started out with school with Abigail. She did her spelling lesson and then continued on with getting her apron cut out. Graham came next. He worked on updating his weather chart and then decided to work on a K'nex project that he is doing for his daddy. Joy came over and she did her spelling lesson and then continued work on her cross stitch project. While I was having school this morning, Woody and Nathan did some quick raking and blowing of leaves to the road as the leaf vacuum truck had been spotted in our neighborhood by Woody. After school and raking/blowing leaves, it was time for lunch. Then after lunch Elijah came over. He worked with finding letters in the movable alphabet. Then we did a new lesson...an introduction to writing sounds (letters). I put a thin layer of salt in a cake pan and then he looked at the sound on the letter boards and then he traced the sound in the salt. He liked doing that. He read a story with Goosey and then he headed home as Esther was coming over. She read another story in Dick and Jane and then did several papers. I introduced her to multiplication and she did great! Then it was time for me to get started on supper. I made beef stew and Woody made corn bread. Pretty tasty! Woody walked to the prayer room...you can tell the time has changed...it was almost pitch dark at 4:30 so he walked to and from the church in the dark. He got back just a few minutes ago. I guess we will settle in and watch election results at least for a while. Oh, and, Mr. Snowman is sitting on the hearth. I haven't had much time to decorate today, but I did manage to get the mantel the rest of the way cleared off and dusted, and, the first of many trees has been placed on it.

When You Get Mr. Snowman Out...

When I got up this morning, Woody was all ready to help me get things out of the Christmas closet so that I could get going on the decorating. I decided that I wanted to start with Mr. Snowman. He graces our fireplace hearth during the cold winter months...he is both a decoration and also a draft dodger for the fireplace doors. I "thought" that would be one of the easier decorating jobs. Vacuum off the hearth and place him. Well....hours later he is still not sitting on the hearth and I have worked all day. I decided that before I put him down that I should clean in the fire place space...webs and dead wasps...up the vacuum they went. Then I decided that I should move the things on the mantel off before I put him down. That meant finding places for the items on the mantel. I store part of them on the sun porch. Well, I needed to clean up the area out there so I would have a place for these things. When I moved everything to one side of the room so I could vacuum and mop the floor, I realized that I wanted to vacuum out the window sills. Well, while everything was out from in front of the windows...seemed like a good time to wash those windows. Then I mopped the floor. While that dried I washed all the panes on the back door inside and out. Then I moved everything back into place on the one side and got the things off the mantel that go on the table out there. Got those placed. I added a bit of star wire-tinsel to a couple of things and then was too tired to do the rest of the room. Tomorrow is another day! I went upstairs and got the spot ready for the model ship that my grandfather built that resides on the mantel except at Christmas time. Woody picked up the ship and I picked up the base and we carried those upstairs and got them put up. The mantel still isn't clear...almost...but that will have to wait for another day too as I am in need of rest. I fixed our supper...a new recipe: Sloppy Janes (rather than Sloppy Joes). The Janes are made with ground turkey and Joes are made with ground beef. They were very tasty. We ate the meat mixture in whole wheat pita bread and also had some thinly sliced pan fried potatoes. And, that is it for me for the day. My back is killing me...not a good beginning to my decorating marathon! Woody has ordered me to do nothing for the rest of the evening as I was starting to have back spasms a little while ago. So I am posting now and then I'm going to go rest. Hopefully tomorrow is another day and I'll be back in the swing of things. All this to show that when I start something that seems simple...it always seems to lead to a lot more than planned! Woody took a four-mile walk mid-morning. Then after lunch he ran a couple of errands. Tonight's photo shows what he came home with for me! They are just beautiful...my favorite flower...yellow roses! He has given me many over the years. I was often the envy of the girls in my dorm when I was the recipient of beautiful yellow roses. Such a nice surprise this afternoon. The vase I arranged them in was a gift from my mother and father when we got engaged...vase color chosen specifically because Woody gave me yellow roses. Woody has been so helpful to me today by going and getting things that I needed and taking things one place or another. Now, I'm off to rest so I will be able to get Mr. Snowman placed on the hearth tomorrow!

Quiet Sunday

Woody and I went to the early service at church and then to Sunday School. Woody taught his sixth-grade boys' class. We both settled into the kitchen when we got home. We ate lunch and Woody made whole wheat banana bread (YUM!). He substituted applesauce for the oil...amazing how that works. I spent most of the rest of the afternoon reading and listening to Christmas music (still haven't totally gotten in the mood to start decorating!). I did clean up the school room getting ready for another week. Joy and Esther and Elijah had done some art projects. They had cleaned up, but there was still a bit to do before school could be held in there once again! Woody went to Deacon's meeting this afternoon and then to the evening service. He has read and watched a bit of football today too. That's about it for a quiet Sunday on our home front here in Middle TN. Yesterday it got into the 80's here and today it just made it into the lower 50's.

Turning Back Time!

I have been turning back our clocks this afternoon. And, now I am very confused as to what time it really is! The only good thing about this time change is that it moves me an hour closer to my family in AZ (since AZ doesn't change time). I slept in a bit this morning...I guess making up for not much sleep the night before. I got started on doing a bit of general cleaning and also typed several recipes into my recipe app on my iPad. This afternoon I did some sewing things, though, didn't sew. I guess you could say that I was working on getting inspired to do a bit of Christmas sewing. I have also done a couple of loads of wash...waiting on the next load to dry so I can fold, hang, etc. and get them put away. Woody walked to and from the library this morning. This afternoon he spent time outside blowing leaves. He has also read and kept an eye on a football game or two. That pretty much sums up this last day of Daylight Saving Time for our household.

Friday...all day!

I woke up really early and decided that I couldn't get back to sleep since I had what I needed to do on my mine...church library memorials. So I headed into the sewing room and got busy on the laptop. I just had to get the forms that were already filled out and some others that needed to be filled out all set up to send on to our library worker who then puts that information into letters and sends them on to inform families of gifts and thank donors. So good to have that job behind me for the time being! After I got those forms emailed (the computer does make this job easier!), I finished up a book order and got that order finalized. So with that it is just sit back and wait for the books to be sent...then more work begins for those of us who process books in the library. Library work is never done...but I will say that we are on top of things more than we have been in a long time. Woody took a four-mile walk today. He has also done our weekly grocery shopping. I helped him put the groceries away and then I drifted upstairs as my adrenalin had begun to fade since I hadn't gotten much sleep last night. So I headed to the recliner and before not long at all I had drifted off to sleep intending to wake up when it was lunch time. Well...lunch time had come and gone when I finally came fully awake! I headed downstairs and had a snack lunch and got busy on the cooking that I had planned to do today. Woody had made an attempt to make persimmon jelly while I slept. Time will tell if it jells. He has a tree that he passes on his walk and he often picks up persimmons on his walks. So I guess he decided to see what he could make out of them! I wondered what it would taste like...but I took a little taste and that taste holds promise! I made chicken and rice soup and also some chicken salad. We ate the chicken salad for supper and each had a small bowl of the soup...just to give it a taste test! Both seemed to hit the spot. We both took on cleaning up the kitchen...I put what could be put in the dishwasher and Woody is washing the rest by hand. I listened to Christmas music while I cooked...getting into the spirit of the holiday seasons that are approaching...just think less than three weeks till Thanksgiving. And, I'm hoping to have my decorating mess over with by then...but...it's good to know that I don't have to have it done and that I do have a little more time after Thanksgiving to put the final touches on if need be. The Sunday School party is one month from today's date. So for me...count down is on!!!!

Yikes...NOVEMBER!

Well, I have turned up another page on my calendars today...seems just like yesterday when I was turning up the last page!  Time is flying.  Yesterday I talked with Melany and we started getting dates down for when we will have our family Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.  When I went out to eat with my Sunday School class we chose a day and place for our annual class Christmas get-together.  It will be a month from tomorrow and it will be here at our house...so...I started to listen to Christmas music today to get in the mood!  I will start decorating very soon as it takes me a while and I want to do it at my leisure rather than under pressure.  So I did open the Christmas closet door today...that's about all I did except to put a basket of my "everyday" CD's so I would have room for the basket of Christmas CD's.  So a basket of Christmas CD's is now in my sewing room...first decoration out and in place! Lots to go...but a start?!? I also have Christmas music found on my iPad on Pandora. I have done a bit of sewing this afternoon. I finally got around to putting the waist elastic in the skirt that I have repurposed from a jumper that I had made for myself years ago. It goes with the crazy patch vest that I made out of many pairs of my repurposed slacks. The vest has scraps of the repurposed jumper material in it and that is what made me think that it would be good to turn the jumper into a skirt. While working on my skirt, I have been thinking and planning Christmas gifts. Woody took a six-mile walk after it warmed up. We did have a freeze last night. When Woody first looked at the temperature this morning it was 30, but Weather Bug says that we got into the 20's last night and also the night before. Later this afternoon Woody ran a couple of errands. The rest of the day we have stayed in and kept warm. We have planned some upcoming meals so Woody will get the ingredients for the recipes when he shops this week...trying to avoid extra trips to the store!