Sorting Out the Old Year!

Goosey (Woody) started out the day inviting Isaac over to play! This playtime included potty training...so Isaac's little potty accompanied with him on this play date! The three of us spent some time looking for Isaac's favorite book: Old MacDonald. Finally Goosey located it. Isaac was very happy momentarily after the book was found and he climbed up in Goosey's lap and looked at the first page and then promptly climbed down! Woody made cranapple crisp for us for lunch...nice end to the old year! He also went on a four-mile walk. But his biggest achievement of the day was turning in the final galleys for his book! I have spent most of the day sorting the last few months photos of 2013. I have completed sorting the pictures taken on my two interchangeable lens cameras and am now working on the photos taken with the point and shoot camera. When one has three cameras lots of photos accumulate! Woody doesn't think that I am doing the sorting the most efficiently (He says there has to be a better way and a way that would be done quickly), but all I can say is I am doing it thoroughly and the way I like to sort pictures! I am very close to finished...maybe before midnight? I was doing a lot of culling, but I'm now just ready to get them moved to the right month and will worry about culling later. At the moment there are no pictures on any of my cameras! That will last about as long as tomorrow! Well, that said..."see" you next year!

Year is Drawing to a Close!

Woody got busy today and took care of insurance for the new car. Then he did a bit of grocery shopping. I got busy and worked some more on the Christmas ornaments that I have been making. Abigail came over and helped me choose colors and watched an ornament or two sew out. Woody also got tires on the red Tajrus that is going to become a "first car" for our grandson who is about to get his driver's license. This afternoon Woody went next door while Kathy and Nathan went for her OB appointment. They came home with a picture of the new little one. I haven't seen it yet as I stayed here and had Abigail come over to help me make soup. She is a great help in the kitchen. She did a lot of chopping and mashing and pouring and stirring and slicing. Woody and I had the soup for supper. Good cook, Abigail! Woody got a call from his Fellow at NIH yesterday. She agreed that he needed to come in ASAP. She wanted him to get scans, etc. this week. But when the nurse called today with his appointments they are for next week. Glad to have a couple more days to get ready. We will be heading out next Tuesday for appointments on Wednesday and Thursday. He will have CT scans, an MRI of his brain and a PET scan along with lab work. All these are what he would have had at his six month appt. in February except for the PET scan. He hasn't had a PET since his oncologist in Murfreesboro ordered one when he was being diagnosed with Melanona. So looks like we will be getting used to the new car as we head toward MD!

We'll Never Find It!

Look what Woody drove into our driveway this afternoon...a 2014 Ford Fusion! We will NEVER be able to find it in parking lots as we are so used to looking for a red or a green car! Hopefully we can use the remote key thing to make it honk or flash the lights so we can find it! I have been reading the manual...not really sure what it can and cannot do. We drove it over to Nathan and Kathy's driveway and honked, but they didn't respond so Woody went to the door and told Nathan that we needed him to help turn off our windshield wipers. And, thus,Nathan came out to a surprise. Then the three of us rode around the block and then parked in our driveway so Nathan could help us figure out what ALL the buttons do. He went in our house and got my cell phone so it is now all synced...and we...well, I can call hands free. I did drive it around the block so I could get the feel of it. I don't care for driving anyway, and now I will be extra nervous driving something that I am unfamiliar with. Woody went off to run "errands" before I got up this morning...these included a trip to WalMart to buy a few groceries, his weekly library visit, and then to the Ford dealership. When he got home, he came up and told me that he would be picking up our new car this afternoon. We had been talking about getting a new car and looking into what we wanted for a while now...I just didn't know that today would be the day! Nice surprise!

Christmas Losing Color!

I helped to take the color out of our Christmas tree with my camera...made it just show the red. A neat little trick that this camera can do. Yesterday morning I played around with my camera taking pictures of the tree while the sun was shining on it...while I drank my morning cup of tea. Today I have spent most of the day in my sewing room. Yesterday I got started on making Christmas ornaments for next year...trying to get ahead...that "getting ahead" will probably end quickly! I almost always do some Christmas sewing in the week after Christmas...then other things come along and I get behind as always and sometimes, like this year, hardly have anything sewn for Christmas presents. I also got busy on sorting pictures. It is always my goal to have the current year's photos sorted by the end of the year...again...at least I have made a stab at getting that process underway. Woody has read, watched some TV and did take a late afternoon walk. The big news that came from next door today was that Nathan and Graham went hunting and got TWO bucks. I got a warning from Abigail a bit before they got home from their hunt...so I wouldn't look out our window and see them processing the deer! I'm not a big fan of hunting/killing Bambi's mother and/or father! I have never understood how Nathan, who has had a weak stomach all his life, can deal with what has to be dealt with to process the deer...but he says that when he thinks of it as providing food for his family he isn't bothered by it! I kept my distance! Woody did check out what was going on in their back yard when he took his walk. Woody did suggest that I get my camera ready...not for this activity! Glad that the neighbors have cameras to record this event themselves! I saw that they posted a picture of Graham on Facebook...I scrolled by this picture quickly! 'Tis the season (in this instance deer hunting season)! No word from NIH yet. I did email one other person at NIH today trying to get the ball rolling.

Back to Reality!

Woody had an early appointment this morning at the hospital for an MRI. His local orthopedist ordered it as he saw something suspicious in the x-rays that were taken last week. And, when the doctor's office calls you back not very long after you get home from said appointment, probably the news isn't the best. They are pretty sure that the mass that they see in his tibia (near the knee)is cancer. So we have called NIH (leaving a message for his Fellow) and also emailed the radiologist's report to NIH to his Fellow and the head nurse on his team. Probably not good that it is Christmas/New Year's. But once again we are in a waiting game...back to reality! 'Tis the Season?

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

A Few More Chairs ...

Just a few more chairs and the living room will be ready for our family Christmas festivities that will begin in the morning! We have been busy bees today. I've had all kinds of help. Woody has done initial preparations for several recipes and he must have dishpan hands by now! Graham came over this morning and I mentioned that we could use some help putting gifts under the tree, BUT that I needed to vacuum the living room first. Well, it wasn't long after that that he came back over and said that he was ready to vacuum. So he vacuumed the living room and then brought the presents down from upstairs and "arranged" them. Arranging to him was to put all the gifts for the adults at the back of the tree and all those for the children at the front of the tree! We have almost all of the menu items prepared and in the refrigerator just awaiting cooking time tomorrow. I still have two things that I can do tonight. Along with cooking and straightening up the house, I have also put in some time at the sewing machine. I had told Abigail that I would try to have my part of her outfit finished so she could wear it tomorrow if she wanted. And, I managed to get it finished and taken next door. I have made two trips to the car "fix-it shop" today...one time to pick Woody up after he dropped the car off and a little while ago we went to get the car. Woody left a few minutes ago to be a greeter at "Night In Bethlehem." I'm staying home to tie up loose ends...or maybe just rest a bit! 'Tis the Season!

Night In Bethlehem

Busy day for the Dorrell's...both families. Getting ready for the Night in Bethlehem and for our family Christmas. I have one of the recipes done for our Christmas feast. After making the one recipe, I just did various things around the house and even started to do a little sewing...which reminds me I must shut off my machine and unplug it as we are supposed to have strong storms pass through sometime in the night...so far just a lot of wind and a little rain and very warm temperatures (72 at the moment!). We are under a tornado watch (a watch means that conditions are right for a tornado to form). The Night in Bethlehem was able to proceed on despite wind and a little rain. Nathan and family's program was once again quite innovative! Tonight's photo is Elijah as Joseph, Esther as Mary and Joy as a shepherd...so sweet! Mid afternoon Kathy called and asked if I could take her to the hospital that she was having contractions and just needed to make sure that she wasn't in labor. She was dehydrated and felt much better by the time they gave her a bag of fluid! She went to the Dazzling Dorrell's performances tonight, but only as an observer and movie taker. Woody was a greeter for Night in Bethlehem...so he spent the evening out in the wind and sprinkles and with the smoke from the various fires that are lighted throughout Bethlehem. I stayed inside up in the balcony and took pictures of the Dazzling Dorrell's. We are now home and I need to go put the final touches on the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow. 'Tis the season...never a dull moment!

You're Invited!

Starting tomorrow night First Baptist Church, Tullahoma is presenting their annual A Night In Bethlehem: A Living Nativity. It will be the 21, 22, 23 from 6:30 till 9pm. It will definitely help you to define what Christmas is all about! Along with the town of Bethlehem there will be other entertainment and refreshments. Nathan and family will be juggling the Christmas story in a very unique way at intervals during the evening. We have had a pretty busy day. I ended up sleeping in later than I had planned because I had awakened in the night and couldn't get back to sleep so I worked on the Sunday School lesson for Sunday and did some other Christmas planning. Then I got sleepy and went back to sleep about the time that Woody got up. It is never a good idea for me to go back to sleep as I always seem to sleep longer than I mean to...oh, well! I did some major planning on the project that will be a promise to Isaac for his Christmas present once I woke up. I had planned to then get the grocery list together for our family Christmas feast, but at this point the pencil hasn't written anything on the list! Nathan asked if I could do a little altering on some costumes that the children will be wearing in their program tomorrow night. So I have been "hemming" (really just basting) hems into sleeves of several of the costumes and hemline of one of the garments. They were just given the costumes today. I still have one sleeve to go. I started hemming after lunch and then went next door mid afternoon to sit with the children while Woody, Nathan and Kathy went to a funeral. I continued to hem while I was over there and got Elijah's costume figured out as to how much I needed to hem up. Then I came home hemmed some more and then fixed our supper. Woody said that we ate high off the hog tonight and didn't even eat pork! We had surf and turf...pretty good! Woody did the dishes and I have come back upstairs now to blog and do some more hemming. The lack of days before our family Christmas is starting to make me gulp! 'Tis the Season!

School's Out!

The children have been waiting patiently to get into the items that had been brought to my house as possibly being of interest to them. Today as soon as they finished with their school work, they started drifting over to check out what was in the box...not that several hadn't already checked out said contents! Graham and Elijah set to work on making a couple of wooden items. Graham got the parts all sorted as to which object they would build. Then they each chose one to work on. Joy came over and she decided to work on the third after she finished up a potholder. They had great fun. When it was time to glue said items together and then paint them we headed to the kitchen. I have a little wooden birdhouse, bird feeder and a race car on my kitchen table waiting for all the paint to dry. Elijah was quite liberal with his paint application! Before school time this morning, Woody walked next door and invited Isaac to come over to play. They read for a while and then Goosey (Woody)tried to teach Isaac how to play hide and seek! It was funny. Isaac would get in a hiding place and as soon as he heard Woody say "here I come" he would pop up and run to Goosey! Such a cute age! I had school with Isaac and then Elijah. Graham and then Abigail came over to read to me. Graham and I started reading a book that is all about snowflakes. Esther came over and cross stitched for a while. And, then we could declare that school was over for this year! Woody had an appointment with an orthopedist today to see what the problem might be with his knee. He had x-rays taken and he has an appointment for an MRI next week to be able to see his knee problems a little more clearly. He was offered a steroid shot in his knee...but steroids are a big "no-no" with the protocol that he had for his melanoma. This doctor knows a bit about Woody's history as he was the doctor who operated on him after his bicycle accident. We have been making menu plans today for our family Christmas dinner next Tuesday. Now to get the ingredients that we need on the grocery list! 'Tis the Season!

Joy Was Right!

Last week Joy asked me how old Goosey was going to be today. I told her "67." And, she said, "I was right! I told them that he was going to either be 67 or 76!" Ha! Ha! You can tell that he is getting old as he needed Esther to help him blow out the candles!

We took the cake and ice cream next door for Goosey's (Woody) big celebration. It's hard to get the whole group in one picture...but here's one that only lacks the photographer and only has Nathan's back...but an attempt at getting all! Nathan had the important job of the moment...serving the cake and ice cream...I hated to distract him and ask him to look at the camera!

I love this picture! Can you tell that he got something good? Note all the little hands! He got a bag of Jelly Bellies! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WOODY!!!!

The Cake Is Out!

I just took Woody's birthday cake out of the oven so I will blog while it is cooling. Then I will get started on the frosting. It has been quite a busy day. It started out like a "normal" Tuesday...Woody did Isaac's school lessons while I listened to Esther read. Then he took them back home and hollered in the door for Joy. She came over to read and then we called everyone over except Isaac for art. They made Christmas collages using old Christmas cards. Then Abigail had her sewing time. She finished her skirt today and she tried it and the leggings that I had made her on to check the fit. I got going on her top last night. While Abigail and I were sewing, Nathan came over and got Woody and they went to the hospital to check on the father of one of his childhood friends. Nathan's friend had called not knowing exactly was going on with his father except that there was an emergency and he had been taken to the hospital. He asked Nathan to go sit with his mother at the hospital till he could get to Tullahoma. Woody went with him. When they got there, they found he had died. Such sad news at any time of the year, but it seems even sadder at this time of the year. I got my hair cut this afternoon and then went shopping...had to get a birthday present...managed to get a Christmas present too, but was not able to get something that I had planned on getting...one of the "perils" of living in little Tullahoma...not the best shopping! I have done most of my shopping online this year, but wanted to do some in Tullahoma and "thought" that I had left things that I would be able to get here...oh, well! Woody drove to the prayer room a while ago and is now home. We are settling in for a quiet evening...he--watching TV and reading and me--frosting a cake! 'Tis the Season!

A Day Closer!

Another busy day as Christmas draws nearer. Woody went to the chiropractor this morning. Then he went to the grocery store and picked up a couple of things that we needed. He came home and made Italian Cauliflower. I didn't have school today as Nathan and Kathy and family went to church to pack White Christmas food boxes and then delivered quite a few boxes to families. So I finished a book while drinking a cup of tea in our living room. Enjoying the sunshine coming in "lighting up" our tree. Then I went upstairs and cleaned up the school room...an art explosion had happened! Then I quickly ran the vacuum in the rooms upstairs. Then after lunch I had planned to go do a bit of shopping, but just didn't have the energy...so another day...but that day had better come soon! I have taken a couple of naps today...dozed off if I sat down for any length of time! I did make a big pot of soup late this afternoon...so lots of slicing, chopping, etc. Then I came upstairs and took another unplanned nap after supper. At this rate I'm not getting a lot done. I sat down a while ago with a holiday recipe book trying to decide what we will have for our family Christmas on the 24th. I'm in the mood to try some different recipes, but it would probably be easier to just go with some of our old tried and true recipes! I had planned to come in and sew this evening...I'm ready to get started on Abigail's top. I finished her leggings over the weekend except for putting the elastic in and adjusting it. Abigail has her sewing lesson tomorrow. We will do the finishing touches on her skirt then.

Christmas In Black and White

Children's Choir Christmas Musical at First Baptist Church, Tullahoma, TN December 15, 2014. We had three "starring" in it: Abigail, Joy, and Esther-Noel. Abigail sang a solo and Joy was in a penguin trio. It was Esther's first musical as a member of this choir. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't get a special part. They all did a super job.

Above was Abigail's spot to sit except when she was singing her solo...right smack in front of one of the penguins. The next picture is of Joy taking her bows and then the last two are of Esther. I thought that she needed two pictures since it was her first year! This choir is for first thru fifth grades. I took movies during the singing part and haven't looked at those yet. I will be able to get some stills of the girls from the videos. I realized as I was choosing these photos for the blog that I don't blog on Sundays these days. But decided that tonight's performance was worthy of an extra blog this week! 'Tis the Season!

Huntin' Season is Open at 106

We have had quite a day today. It started out with Elijah doing target practice. Woody printed off some bullseyes off the internet. Later in the day a whole herd of elk, deer, and moose got chased through the house by a couple of bears. They hid all over the house and hunter Elijah came to our rescue and tried to find them and shoot them! In the end he brought over Graham and then Joy to finish finding all of them. Woody made our chex mix today. I have sewn most of the day. Woody and I got a treat at lunch. We went to the Dairy Queen and got Blizzards...we had a coupon for "buy one, get one free" and took advantage of it. I had their Candy Cane Blizzard...a flavor of Christmas past! I have to have peppermint ice cream at least once during the holidays! Woody is next door taking care of six of our grandchildren. Nathan and Kathy have gone to their Sunday School Christmas party. I'm getting ready to head over their and help with reading them bedtime stories, etc. 'Tis the Season--both hunting and Christmas in our household!!!

'Tis the Thirteenth of December

I have probably posted tonight's photo before, but it is such a classic that I want to share it again. This is my mother, sister and me trimming the tree back in 1956. When I was looking through old pictures and came across this one, is when I realized that I really did grow up in "Leave It To Beaver" times! I didn't sleep very well last night so I was awake early and decided that I needed a snooze fairly early this morning. When I woke up from my little two-hour nap, I was greeted with the very happy face of Elijah. He had gone with Goosey (Woody) to the grocery store and he had come home with a couple of nerf guns with suction cup "bullets!" He was so VERY excited and happy. His daddy and Graham had gone hunting this morning and I think that this was a good substitute for not getting to go along with the hunters! He had more fun having target practice shooting at the door in our family room. After lunch he brought Esther back and they both had target practice for a while and after a while Joy joined them. They did a very good job of sharing and taking turns. He left the two guns here as he knew that Isaac shouldn't play with them. But later this afternoon, he came back over and got them when Isaac went down for a nap! I enlisted Graham to help me shop for a nine-year-old boy. He shopped with me in between hunting trips. Still no deer for them...but they are trying! I made one of our favorite pasta sauces for our supper. I did manage in the early hours of the morning to complete an online order...so several more of our grandchildren will have presents as long as the mail comes through! I still have a couple to buy for, but I think that I can accomplish that here in town. Time is growing shorter and shorter. I did talk to Cheryl this afternoon and she seems to be progressing in her recovery...not quite as quickly as she would like...but hopefully improving every day. 'Tis the Season!

Less Than Two Weeks!

Time is flying...having fun or not! As soon as the Post Office was open this morning, Woody was mailing the AZ packages. This is the latest that we have ever mailed their packages. I try to mail them no later than Dec. 10th. But later or not, it does look like they should get there before the big day. I had school with Isaac and then Elijah read to me and then I read a Christmas book to Elijah. Elijah started reading the Bob Series of early readers about a week ago. He is doing great! Then Graham came over for his reading time and then Abigail for hers. Esther came over and cross stitched while I read some Christmas stories to her. She is nearing the finish line on her cross stitched rainbow. She just has indigo and violet to go. I have spent time today trying to figure out gifts for our grandchildren. Again, really late in making these decisions too. I ended up taking a fairly long nap...guess the intense shopping (online!) wore me out. I woke up and went back to looking and I don't think that I am any closer to making decisions than I was before! Time is definitely getting short if we are going to order them and have the items get here on time. We had a nice mid afternoon treat...mini Frosties were delivered to our door for us and the Dorrell neighbors. Yummy. The children were quite happy when I walked up to their door with a Wendy's bag! Thanks Lindy and Doyle! I talked to my sister for the first time since her surgery on Monday. She is doing as well as can be expected so soon after surgery and spending an extra day in the hospital due to complications. She had just showered and was ready to head back to her comfy bed.

I'm Late For a Very Important Date!

I try to blog around 7pm every night and here it is 9pm...guess better late than never? I was waiting to hear whether Cheryl made it home from the hospital and I was also getting the packages taped up and addressed for AZ and then I got a call from Melany and she needed me to send her something over the computer. There are my excuses! Cheryl did get to come home from the hospital. I did get the packages ready to mail to AZ. And, I managed to get what Melany needed sent to her. Now for the blog! I overslept this morning so in order to keep things on schedule I let Woody do Isaac's school time while I did Elijah's. Then Abigail read with me and then Joy came over for her Grammy sewing time. She finished her "top secret" Christmas present for Esther. We even got it wrapped and hidden away...now to make sure that she remembers to get it to give to her! I took pictures, but I told her that I wouldn't let anyone see them till after Esther opens her present. I am pretty sure that it will be Esther's favorite present. After I ate a quick lunch. Woody and I headed out to run an errand, then to take him to the brake fixing place to pick up our other car. Then I went on to the church to work in the library for a couple of hours. I stopped on the way home and bought some thread and bobbins and then have been home for the rest of the evening. Woody and Graham went to the youth Sunday School Christmas party. Graham won one of the prizes due to the fact that he brought something to eat that he had made! I'm so glad that he took the initiative to ask to help me make the sausage balls! Paid off for him!

More 'Tis The Season!

Busy! Busy! I got up a bit earlier than usual trying to get going on the Arizona packages...wrapping, etc. Then I had school...well, Woody did Isaac's school while I read with Esther. After Esther, came Joy to read. Then the group of five came over for art. Today they had fun making Christmas ornaments. After lunch I worked some more on the Arizona presents. Then mid afternoon Graham came over and we made sausage balls. Tomorrow is the youth Christmas party at church. Woody was asked to bring something for snacks and since Graham is in his class, Graham decided that he would like to help me make them. We had a good time together. He was a great help...he pretty much did them all. We were both happy that the food processor did a good portion of the mixing (not an easy job if done by hand!). We got them baked. He sampled one and then he headed home. I cleaned up the kitchen (sort of)...I need to go back and finish. Woody drove to the prayer room at church rather than walking. He is still resting his leg/knee. I'm now back to working on getting the AZ presents ready. My sister is still in the hospital. She didn't get released today as she had a complication early this morning. The doctor wanted her to stay until tomorrow. When I messaged with my niece tonight, Cheryl had been up walking...like a good patient! Well, on to wrapping presents! 'Tis the season!

Party! Party! 'Tis the Season!

Yesterday a party...and today a party. We had better be careful or we will turn into party animals (doubt that very much!). Our party was a big success yesterday. We had nineteen ladies (20 if you count my friend who showed up after the party! Long story!). We had lots of good fellowship, good laughs (thanks Right Family!), good food, and good Bible Study. I'm not in this year's picture as I didn't have time to get the camera set up on the tripod prior to the party. Last week while I was getting ready for yesterday's party, one of my friend's thoughts on parties kept coming into my head..."once you are ready for one party, you might as well have several since the house, etc. are all ready!" Well, I got an email from said friend of above philosophy suggesting that we meet and go out for lunch today. I counter offered and suggested that they come here since I was making a big pot of turkey soup. So we had lunch here together today. Such a nice afternoon of visiting and, of course, eating! This morning Isaac, Elijah, Joy and Graham came over for a time of school. Graham read for a while and then he helped me make gingerbread for our lunch. Woody has made an appointment to see a doctor next week to try to find out just exactly might be wrong with his knee (part of his sciatic pain or tendinitis or ?????)...hopefully he will find out what is wrong with it and what he should be doing for his knee pain. I did a little Christmas shopping late this afternoon. I "think" that has our AZ shopping finished. Now to get the presents ready to ship off so they will arrive in time for Christmas. My sister had surgery this afternoon in AZ. My niece just messaged me that she was now in my sister's hospital room and that all appeared well...no contact with the/a doctor yet...so don't know any details about how the surgery went. Well, off to do "something" for Christmas...after all 'tis the season!

Here We Come a Wassailing!

My first task of the day was to make the wassail for our party. That has sat all day and I will be bringing it back to the boiling point just before bedtime. Then all that will have to be done in the morning is to warm it up. Party "to-do" tasks are winding down (I hope!). Woody did the rest of our weekly grocery shopping this morning. Then he had to run another errand which he added on to his weekly trip to the library. Nathan assisted us in changing one of the florescent bulbs in the kitchen, which "kindly" decided to go out this morning. But I am thankful that it chose to go out this morning rather than tomorrow morning! And, we have a really clean kitchen overhead light fixture...which wasn't on my list to clean! Woody has read and watched football this afternoon and evening. Well, it is time for me to head back downstairs and finish up the party preparations. Not much time in the morning since the party starts at 8 am!

Odds and Ends

I've spent the day doing "this and that" getting ready for the Sunday School party that will happen on Sunday...if I'm ready or not! I've even done a bit of sewing (as in using the embroidery part of my sewing machine). This evening I polished silver spoons and bells while watching NBC's "The Sound of Music." I have to watch it a day late as our TV antenna doesn't pick up NBC, but I can watch their programming a day later on my iPad. I have been checking things off my "to-do" list at a pretty good rate. The way my list looks now, I might actually be ready when my friends start arriving at 8 am Sunday morning for brunch. We will eat, have an ornament exchange and then have Sunday School in my living room. Then we'll head back to church to go to the 11 am service. This has been a tradition for some years now. We have a great time together. In the morning I will be making Wassail using a recipe from my college days...my expected contribution to the eats at the party. Woody ran an errand and did part of our weekly grocery shopping this morning. He has spent quite a bit of time on the computer today. Yesterday one of my jobs on the "to-do" list was straighten up the coat closet (how it can become the mess that it does is beyond me). Graham volunteered to help me. There is a shelf at the back of the closet that holds all our board games and we decided that we would organize them too. Well, we got them out but not back in before Graham needed to head back home. He planned to come over today and get them organized the way he wanted them...board games, word games, etc. But before he got over here, I started hearing thumping and thunking coming from the family room. I went in to check and Woody was putting the games away (He said he was playing when I asked him what he was doing!). So they are organized Woody's way and not Graham's, but whatever way, it is nice to have them back in neat stacks rather than stacks leaning this way and that! When Graham came over, he arranged the Fisher Price manger scene instead of organizing the game shelf...which was also a help. I think that I am through with readying for the party for tonight. I'm ready to rest for a while. My cough is definitely better, but not entirely gone.

Four Word Day!

Today can be summed up in four words: 1)babysitting (Woody), 2)school (me), (3,4)Deacon/Widow Banquet (Woody and me)

Three Weeks From Today!

This afternoon when I turned the library date stamp two weeks ahead, I realized that in two weeks would be Woody's birthday and that meant that in three weeks it would be Christmas. I may just as well just close my eyes and let it arrive!!! I have had a busy day...I'm not sure about Woody. When I just asked Woody what he had done today all he could think that he had done was "get up!" I had school with Isaac, Elijah, Abigail and Joy. Graham missed his time as he and his daddy were off hunting. Joy and I got busy with her secret Christmas present making for Esther. Then after lunch I went to the church to work in the library. We did just the normal jobs...check in books, check out books and shelve books and then...we decorated for Christmas. I must admit that I have just about had enough of decorating. Abigail and I put a few of the "fallen ornaments" on the tree after she and I read a Christmas story. But I haven't had time to finish getting them on the tree...it just isn't fun putting ornaments BACK on a tree that was already decorated! In the process I have found a couple more that are broken. I'm in the midst of putting out snowman pillows on our front porch. That meant bringing in the floral pillows and putting them through the drier with a damp cloth...trying to get as much of the dust, etc. off of them as possible. I took one of them out just before coming upstairs to blog and found a small start to a mud dobber nest on one of them...Woody thinks that I need a picture...I'm not so sure! Shortly after supper I was so sleepy/tired/exhausted (or whatever) from my busy day that I came upstairs and took what I hope is a power nap so I can accomplish a little more this evening. Tomorrow evening will be taken up with the Deacon/Widow banquet so I'd best make hay while the sun shines! Speaking of sun shining. It was a really balmy day today...even muggy...felt like Spring had arrived in TN! We have a cold front approaching which means rain and colder temps are just around the corner. For now...I'm heading downstairs and I am determined that I WILL have the ornaments on the tree before I go to bed tonight. I "think" that my cough is getting better/going away slowly but surely. I'm ready to bid it adieu!

Positive Thinking? 'Tis the Season!

I'm trying not to take on the mood of the character in the center of tonight's photo! I was hoping that I could say tonight that all ornaments are back on the tree...but it seems to be a slow process! Nathan and Kathy came over this morning and we got the tree straightened...so I am much happier! We had school this morning. Woody did Isaac's school while the rest had art including Elijah. Usually Elijah and Isaac are at the church with Kathy on Tuesday's when Kathy has Bible Study...but the Bible Study has taken a break for December. So the little boys were at home this morning. Isaac had trouble understanding why he wasn't coming over to our house first like most days. So Woody decided that he could do his school time this morning. Esther came first this morning to read and Joy came to read after her. The girls and I are reading from our Christmas books...we take turns...they read some and I read some. We're having fun getting into the spirit of Christmas! After the two reading sessions it was time for art. We were finishing up the card ball ornaments today. Graham had finished his so he helped Joy and I helped Abigail and Esther. Esther still has some more to go and we will finish on Thursday when she has her long time with me. She can cross stitch a little and glue the rest of the time! After art Abigail and I got underway with her skirt. She did great and she is getting close to finished with it. That means that I need to get busy and get my part done...a top and leggings. But that sewing will have to wait till next week...after my party! After lunch I got back to the tree. Then I took a break and came upstairs to work on a present that I am making. So a little sewing and a little tree trimming. Woody surprised me by getting all the leaves off the porch early this morning (a party job done!)...now to get the snowman pillows out there. I did get some of the Christmas dishes washed in the dishwasher and ready for the party...even on the table with a towel over them...another step. Woody spent a good part of the day folding Christmas letters, addressing and stamping the envelopes. He drove to the prayer room tonight and I believe that he planned to mail the Christmas letters...anyway I don't see the stack of them downstairs. That's a good job done! Tonight I am feeling the front that is coming...not good for accomplishing "things" for the party. I'm so glad that I did so much cleaning, etc. when I was decorating! I must make a to-do list for the party! 'Tis the season!

December Has Arrived--'Tis The Season!

I keep thinking and reminding myself that I have a party (annual J.O.Y. Sunday School Class) at the house this coming Sunday...but I seem to be in a lull...can't seem to get motivated to accomplish various tasks. I still haven't put ornaments back on the tree...I think that Nathan needs to come over and look at it and straighten it a bit more by placing books or something under one side of the board that the tree sits on. Yesterday I took the Christmas letter that Woody had written and added pictures to it. Today we started printing the letters. Woody has been addressing envelopes and folding letters and stuffing the envelopes...a big step for our 'tis the season activities...getting the Christmas letters ready to mail. Today I have spent time sending out a couple of emails to my Sunday School class members and then I actually ordered a Christmas present for Woody to give (mine!). The way things have gone lately I will probably have forgotten what it is by Christmas! We also received a Christmas order in the mail...two presents here! I feel so behind this year with our gift choices. I always feel this way when I don't make presents...but this year hasn't been a present making year. After all that I decided that I should come into the sewing room and make my niece's birthday present that I had promised...a bit of a late gift. I plan to have it made to include in the Christmas box that we will send to AZ. I feel behind in everything! I had school with Isaac, Elijah, Esther, Joy and Graham today. I am still coughing much to my dismay (And, I'm sure those to around me!) I keep thinking that my coughing is getting better...that is until a "coughing fit" hits! We are enjoying the leftovers from Saturday's Thanksgiving feast...and, enjoying the memories of the fun day we had as a family. Now onward to enjoy the Christmas season that is upon us. Tonight's photo is my favorite of all our decorations...our Precious Moments Nativity. Graham put the pieces out for us this year.