Ring Out the Old!

Just think...2014 will just be a memory in a few more hours.  I can't believe how fast this year has gone by...a lot has happened in the twelve months of 2014. All those happenings are but memories and now we await what 2015 will bring for us.

Woody did our usual Wednesday Krogering.  I put the groceries away.  I have worked most of the day just trying to put away things that had once again accumulated on my sewing cutting table.  Woody has always said that if I got a flat surface I would cover it...and I guess he is right!  The cutting table was used this Christmas season for sewing, gift wrapping, clothes folding, and just as a place to put something that didn't have a place at the time so that surface was a place to plop it.  Well, I have been attempting to get all those homeless items a home today and have just about accomplished that task.  I need to get it uncovered so I can get back to work on Isaac's quilt.  It is time to bind it and I need to square it up first.  I also have to decide if I want to add a little more quilting on the large background squares.  Getting ready for 2015 I have put up the two new calendars that I got for Christmas...my sister traditionally gives me a calendar for the kitchen and the neighbor grandchildren give me a photo calendar that I hang in the sewing room.  Those are up...we'll see how long the pages of the calendars stay unfilled!  January already got quite a few things put in the squares.  The year is gearing up to be a busy one if I can judge by what I put just on January.  We got the call a little while ago from Vanderbilt confirming Woody's appointments for this coming Tuesday.  Last night I went through the calendar on my iPad...the birthdays are carried over from year to year, but the ages of the grandchildren needed to be upped a year.  I even cleaned out my purse today...that happened because I was looking for a lens cap, but it seemed like a good thing to do prior to the New Year.  By the way I did find a lens cap...only one missing now.  The other big job I did today was to stew a chicken.  I have deboned it, put the chicken pieces in the refrigerator to be used in soup or a casserole, and put the bones back into the liquid that I stewed the chicken in and made a nice rich chicken stock aka "liquid gold."  The liquid gold is cooling in the refrigerator so I can skim the fat off tomorrow and then freeze it in two-cup portions for future soups.  We were out of chicken broth so it will be good to have it on hand again...ready for cooking in the New Year!  Isaac spend several hours over here this afternoon.  He seems to think that he would like to live over here...but then when he decides it is time to go home that thought leaves him. He played on the iPad, drew a little, worked puzzles (on the iPad), looked at things through my magnifying light, cuddled, and just had a quiet afternoon while I continued to work on several things...except when we were cuddling! Woody walked his four miles this afternoon...a bit chilly today. I think that it is supposed to drop down into the 20's tonight. Brrrrrrr! Haven't seen temps quite so cold for a while. It was a nice sunny day. We have seen so many cloudy days that it is extra nice when the sun shines even though it is a bit nippier. Woody has settled in for this New Year's Eve watching some DVD's that he got at the library. I plan to sit down with a good book that I am reading. So a quiet New Year's Eve in our household. Whether we see in 2015 at midnight remains to be seen. I am usually up at midnight...Woody is not. I imagine that we will hear a few fire works go off...the way that the new year will be rung in around here. 'Tis the season.

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

In our family room it is really "rocking" rather than "walking" in a winter wonderland.  With this picture I am thanking Graham (almost 13) for working on my little point and shoot camera.  Dust had gotten on the sensor and when a picture was taken you could see amoeba-like shapes in various places on the finished picture.  I found a YouTube video that showed how to take care of the problem on my specific camera. Graham watched the video a couple of times and then set to work taking out lots of teeny tiny screws and moving various things inside the camera out and around...and then putting it all back together again.  He did a great job...it's fixed and once again I have my little camera back to working the way it should. This is the camera that is small enough that I can carry it in my purse so I have a camera with me most all the time so I can grab up this camera when a photo op occurs.  Thank you, Graham. I'll be calling on you when the dust collects again!

I made a pot of Ham and Barley Soup using the ham bone from our Christmas ham.  It tastes so good.  I was ready for a good hearty soup after all the Christmas trimmings and treats.  After lunch I went to get my hair cut and then stopped to get a few things from the sewing store (I have to learn the new name of the store since it has been sold...it's not Janie's any more...The Threaded Needle (I believe)).   Woody left shortly after supper to walk to the prayer room and hasn't returned yet.  We are both enjoying the slower paced days this week after Christmas...reading, watching DVD's, enjoying visits from the neighbor grandchildren, etc. Next week reality will set back in with various "have-to-do's"...like making our next trip to Vanderbilt for his next Keytruda infusion...his 4th.  Then in two weeks he will go back for a PET scan and then the week after that we will get the results of the PET scan (whether Keytruda is doing its job or not) and have his 5th Keytruda infusion.  Keytruda infusions are not limited to a certain number as long as the infusions are holding "things" at bay or making them decrease in size.  Woody is sure that "something" is helping as the one nodule on the base of his neck that he could feel...he can no longer feel.  So on the 28th of January we will find out if the PET scan confirms what Woody is sure about.  January will be a busy month...three days of appointments at Vandy, three birthdays, a planned visit from Woody's nephew and family...and probably lots of other unknowns that will happen...the reason that I sit back and relax this last week of December...just sitting rocking in a winter wonderland! 'Tis the season!

A Time for Remembering

Yesterday and today have been times for remembering for me...I have been sorting pictures.  And, just moments ago I put the last photo into its proper folder.  And, the cameras are empty of pictures till I pick them up and snap some more.  It's always a good feeling to have them ALL sorted.  I usually spend New Year's Eve finishing up the sorting job so I can start out the new year with a fresh photo slate...but this year I actually finished a couple of days early.  Tonight's photo is definitely a memory.  Mother and Daddy gave us the egg ornament for our first Christmas (1969) and it has adorned our tree each Christmas since.  It even survived last year when the tree toppled over.  The angel and bell ornament next to it my aunt and uncle gave to us in 1980...our tree has hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and...of memories.  Our laptop isn't all that happy with me for working it so hard the last two days and it only reluctantly let me get logged into blog tonight. I will keep this short in case it decides to shut down on me again!  Woody went to Life Care Center this morning and had Bible study with one the residents.  Then this afternoon he went for a four-mile walk.

Silent Night, Holy Night

Tonight's photos were taken at FBC, Tullahoma's Christmas Eve candlelight service.

Today we have sort of gotten back into a normal routine for Saturday.  Woody walked four miles first thing this morning.  Then later in the morning he headed off to do errands--groceries, library and pharmacy.  He came home from the pharmacy with good news for me--Celebrex is now in generic form...much easier on the pocketbook!  It happened at a really good time as I had been notified that my prescription insurance was no longer going to cover it after January 1.  Now time will tell if they will cover the generic form. I have sort of just taken it easy today...still recovering from all the busyness leading up to our Christmas celebrations.  The main thing that I did accomplish today was to get all the wrapping paper, bags, ribbons, tissue, etc. organized and back into the Christmas closet.  Our bedroom was wrapping central this year so it is good not to have it underfoot...good to be able to walk up to my dresser and not have to lean across bags of wrapping to reach into the drawers!  Isaac and Elijah came over and spent a little while with us this afternoon.  Elijah played Sorry with Goosey (Woody) and Isaac played on my iPad.  He is learning how to use a puzzle app that I have.  I can make puzzles out of my photos and then put them together on the iPad.  He is working on 20-piece puzzles.  He likes the puzzles that are made from pictures of himself.    'Tis the season!

Peace On Earth

I always like the week between Christmas and New Years because things seem to settle down into a very peaceful time after all the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations and then the "big day!"  Our family Christmas celebration was a great day...lots of laughter...lots of food...lots of family...lots of fun.  And, only one glitch and since Joseph didn't get hurt it wasn't a very big hiccup!  While several of us were in the kitchen doing last minute meal preparation and the rest scattered about the house...there came a clatter and then a cry...it was Joseph under (literally) the corner Christmas tree in the family room.  There were folk in the room with him, but no one saw exactly what happened.  We figure that he decided to pull himself up with the aid of the tree...oops!  Well, he was quickly rescued by his daddy and then the fallen tree was righted and the ornaments that came off were gathered up and we continued on with our day.  I'm not sure what it is with our Christmas trees...last year it was the big tree in the living room that came crashing down on our family Thanksgiving Day and this year it was the corner tree in the family room that came crashing down on our family Christmas Day celebration!  Yesterday was a very quiet day.  We did have the neighbors (Nathan, Kathy and family) come over for leftovers for lunch.  And, today has been another fairly quiet day.  We did have excitement to start the day out.  Elijah got two animal traps for Christmas.  Goosey (Woody) decided that they would be the perfect present for Elijah.  For quite a few years Elijah and Graham have been attempting to build various types of animal traps.  Well, Elijah and his daddy set the small trap up under their bird feeder and put bird seed in it hoping to attract some little chipmunks that seem to be living in close proximity to their house...including their garage at times.  So I got a call this morning that the chipmunk was in the trap, but that it hadn't triggered the trap door.  By the time that I got over there with my camera it had scurried out and gone under their house.  So I went back home.  I had hardly gotten in the house when I got another call telling me that one of our pesky squirrels had gone in to check out what the chipmunk was eating and he did trigger the trap door.  So off I went with my camera once again.  It was quite an exciting time for Elijah...his first live trap catch!  Nathan donned his heavy gloves and he and Elijah headed off to release the squirrel in the woods...far, far away from our neighborhood...one less pesky squirrel around here.  Good trapping, Elijah!  This afternoon Woody walked downtown to pay our city taxes.  I managed to get the living room back to what it looked before our rollicking family times on Wednesday and I finished an e-book that was going to be whisked away from me this evening. Woody has read and watched some TV.  Isaac spent some time with me this morning and then Elijah came over for a few minutes this afternoon.  But he left quickly when his dad came over asking him if he wanted to set the big trap!  Wonder what he will catch next!?! (Hope that skunks stay out of the traps! He will not be baiting them with cat food!) Right now they are baiting them with bird seed...a favorite gourmet food for the neighborhood squirrels...especially when it is in a bird feeder!

Neighborhood Squirrel Ridder--Elijah!

I believe that Nathan has this squirrel praying!

Off to the woods!

Remember That Christ our Savior was Born on Christmas Day!

Woody and Lois wish you a blessed Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas (Eve) to You!

Can you tell that we had a great day?!?

Christmas is Just a Day Away!

Tomorrow is the day for our family Christmas.  It will commence once Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex arrive in the morning. It's a bit harder these days for them to get Erin and Alex motivated since they don't get as excited as they used to when they were younger.  I'm sure that our neighbor grandchildren will be watching closely for their aunt and uncle's car to pull up. I have been cooking most of the day...trying to not have to cook so much tomorrow as I want to sit back and enjoy all that is going on around us.  We have had a VERY soggy day.  It has rained most of the day.  Nathan said today that we needed to be sharing the story of Noah and the Flood at church rather than a Night in Bethlehem!  Unfortunately because of the threat of storms being in the area at the time of the Night in Bethlehem, it ended up being cancelled for tonight. So Woody was able to stay home and stay dry this evening...no outside greeting of guests to the town of Bethlehem tonight.  Nathan and Kathy and children put on one last show late this afternoon for the cast and anyone else who wanted to come out to see them perform.  Woody took care of Joseph while they did that.  Woody walked four miles today at a time that it wasn't raining.  Just before I came upstairs to blog, I finished my last item to cook today.  I have a little cleaning that I want to do and then I will be finished for tonight.  I will get up early and get the last two menu items made and then it will just be a matter of sliding dishes in and out of the oven to get everything warmed at the same time. Nathan and Kathy had excitement this evening when the glass in their oven door shattered...so Nathan plans to come over here to bake the rolls that he is making.  He will come early before the ham has to go in.  It is a good thing that I hadn't planned on using our "second oven" (Nathan and Kathy's) for any of my dishes for our Christmas lunch.  Since they were doing the bread, I figured it all out so I can get everything done over here this time.  We often joke about our "double ovens."  They use our oven at times for a second one and we do the same with theirs.  But at the moment theirs is out of commission...and what a mess of shattered glass they had to clean up...especially since they have a crawler in their household. Well, back to work...Christmas is on its way! 'Tis the season!

Another Tradition of the Season

JESUS

The Dazzling Dorrell's (aka Nathan, Kathy and children) performed three shows last night at First Baptist, Tullahoma's Night in Bethlehem. And, as always they were quite the crowd pleasers.  

Party

It is a VERY energetic performance this year...all about the most wonderful PARTY that everyone is invited to...each of us just has to accept the invitation. Above is one of Nathan's ambiagram words. It reads "Party" horizontally and "Jesus" vertically.  They will be performing three times tonight and again tomorrow night.  This year we have three camels...including a baby camel...awwwww.  Last night I went over and got this picture before things got underway.  Probably the only time that I could have gotten a picture without being jostled as once it got under way at 6:30pm...several thousand folk went through the town of Bethlehem.  I stayed most of the evening in the balcony of the church taking pictures of Nathan and Kathy and family.

This afternoon I drove down to the church to try to get a few pictures of the camels in the daylight.  It wasn't very easy since they were penned up in a tall metal fence. 

We have wrapped presents today.  Woody still has a couple to wrap.  I am finished.  I did get Isaac's quilt all quilted yesterday.  I just have to bind the edges and add a label.  That can be done after Christmas.  Woody went to the Life Care Center and had Bible study with one of the residents this morning and also ran an errand.  Each of the nights at Night in Bethlehem, Woody is a greeter and stays outside for the whole three hours. We have had a couple of little elves running in and out today putting things under the tree.  Those little elves are pretty quick on their feet...in and out of the house pretty fast...just blurs!  'Tis the season!

'Round and 'Round the Christmas Tree

As soon as I woke up this morning, I started in reading.  I was almost finished with a library book and wanted Woody to be able to return it when he went to the library this morning.  After I finished the book I made myself a cup of tea and sat and looked at the tree for a little while.  Today was just about the first day that it has been sunny since I got it decorated.  Woody headed off to do his Saturday routine of going doing our Saturday grocery shopping and going to the library.  I got underway with a couple of things that I needed to do before I got underway with quilting some more on Isaac's quilt.  Not long after Woody left, Nathan came over with Isaac to see if Isaac could stay with me while they went to the church to get in another practice before their performances at The Night in Bethlehem which starts tomorrow night. About the first thing that Isaac wants to do when he comes over is to "play" on my iPad.  While he did that I folded towels and then we both went downstairs and got another load of clothes going in both the washer and drier.  Isaac helped me push the clothes into the drier and then pushed the button to start the drier.  After that he watched  me thread the sewing machine and helped pushed a couple of buttons when I asked him to.  After that we went to look at my Christmas music boxes.  He wanted one that he could turn on and off so we came back upstairs and I showed him that has a little on and off switch.  He liked that one the best!  When Woody came home from the grocery store, Isaac helped me put the groceries away.  Then he had a little snack and not long after that his mommy came to get him.  Then I got underway with the quilting.  He has seen the quilt at various stages, but I really don't want him to see it at the point that it is till he opens it at our family Christmas celebration.  I worked most of the afternoon on it and it is still far from done.  I plan to work on it a little more tonight and then some more tomorrow after church.  It won't get done, but hopefully it will have less pins in it when he opens it!  Woody went for a four-mile walk this afternoon.  He has also made a good start on getting all the Christmas decoration boxes back in the Christmas closet.  I made a pot of chili late this afternoon.  Well, back to quilting. 'Tis the season!

Silver Bells

I went out to breakfast with two long-time friends.  We had a great time...as we always do.  We enjoy each other's company so much and have for many, many years.  Our getting together sometime during the Christmas season...sometimes before Christmas and sometimes after...has become a tradition for us.  I came home and got to work on making name tags and attaching them to the ornaments that I have made for the grandchildren for this year...another tradition...Grammy-made ornaments for each of the grandchildren each Christmas. The ornaments are now ready to be attached to the top of their presents...if we ever find the time or space to wrap them.  After I got the ribbon tags attached, I started cleaning off my sewing machine cabinet (again) so I can get back to work on Isaac's quilt.  Woody walked four miles this afternoon.  In the late afternoon he walked next door to take care of Isaac and Joseph.  Nathan and Graham had gone hunting and Kathy needed to take Abigail, Joy, Esther, and Elijah to Upwards practice...so Woody filled in the gap till Nathan and Graham got home.  I gathered the recipes that we plan to make for our family Christmas lunch.  After I blog, I will go through the recipes and add ingredients that we need to the grocery list so Woody can get them when he shops tomorrow.  The day seems to have flown by...I have a feeling that is the way the rest of the days will go up till Christmas.  'Tis the season!

Candles in the Window!

Well, tonight's candle was in the cheesecake rather than in the window.  We celebrated Woody's birthday this evening next door.  They treated us to supper which included one of Kathy's yummy cheesecakes topped with a sauce that Esther and Nathan made.  I have spent a good part of the day sewing.  I think that I have the machine embroidery part of my sewing done.  So now it is on to regular sewing.  I still hope that I will be able to work some more on Isaac's quilt.  Isaac did come over for his time for school this morning.  Then he and his family went to the church to get in another practice for their Christmas show that they will be performing on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as part of our church's Night in Bethlehem.  Joy came over and had her long Grammy time.  We used the time to finish up a book that we had been reading together.  Isaac spent some time over here this afternoon.  When Isaac asked his daddy if he could come over, he told his daddy that he wouldn't bother me if I was busy, but if I wasn't busy that he would bother me!  He worked on my iPad while I continued sewing...he didn't bother me!  Woody went on a four-mile walk this afternoon.  I think Woody has had a pretty good day considering that he has added another year to his age. Woody's nephew also celebrated a birthday today.  They are twenty years different in age.  His nephew turned 48...you do the math if you want to know Woody's age!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Woody did his Krogering pretty early this morning.  We didn't have school this morning as the children and their parents were doing school programs in Alabama today.  I put away the groceries and got busy on making soup that Woody bought ingredients for.  We had the soup for lunch.  Last night after I blogged instead of wrapping presents I worked on an order of new books for the church library.  That can be rather time consuming especially when it is a big order, which this one was.  After lunch I quickly assigned some books to be memorials and got the bill ready to turn into church.  Then I headed out the door to go work in the library for a couple of hours.  I came home and got busy on my sewing projects again.  As of just a moment ago, I can say that I have the ornaments made that I planned to get finished today.  I am still trying to get things embroidered before I lower the machine down into sewing position so I can get back to work on Isaac's quilt.  I would really like to have the quilting done so that there are no safety pins in it when we give it to him...but the rate that I am going I'm doubting that will happen.  I will just have to tell him that all the pins will be gone once Grammy is finished with the quilt!  I know that I have given other of the children quilts that were in progress...so this will be following a pattern!  Woody helped get the kitchen cleaned up after I cooked and he has read.  He read most of the time that we were waiting at Vanderbilt yesterday.  We also planned our family Christmas dinner menu during the time that he was getting his infusion.  I also got a "rough draft" done for Sunday's Sunday School lesson while we waited.  So a few things were accomplished during all our waiting time. Time to transfer clothes from the washer to the drier.  I need that load to be dry before I can do one of my embroidery projects...but there are other embroidery projects in the wings that I can do while that dries.  Tonight's blog title is a nod to a tradition of mine...to watch White Christmas several times during the Christmas holidays.  Today was my first viewing this year...I watched while my machine embroidered away and I changed thread colors. 'Tis the season!

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks

Well, it was a busy day, though we didn't see a lot of sidewalks...mainly busy waiting rooms and halls at Vanderbilt.  We were told that there were 700 scheduled appointments in the cancer center today...when told that we understood why things went so slowly even though we got there almost an hour early (traffic wasn't a problem today).  They said that today was nothing compared to yesterday when there were 900 scheduled appointments!  When I was making Woody's appointments, the young lady told me that yesterday there were no seats in the main very large waiting room and that there was a line out the door and down the hall of people waiting to sign in.  It took a long time for Woody to be called in to have his labs done and that caused the results not to be back when we saw Dr. Sosman's nurse practitioner. By the time she had talked with Woody and started working on an appointment for Woody's PET scan (approximately 12 weeks from the start of Keytruda) and going to check with Dr. Sosman about something, the lab results were in.  The results showed that Woody's creatinine level was slightly up so she told him to drink more water and also gave orders for him to have a larger amount of saline solution today to try to re-hydrate him. The infusion took longer today as he had to finish up the bag of saline after his third Keytruda infusion was complete.  A nurse did come in and increase the drip amount so it wouldn't take forever. We didn't leave the infusion room till 2:25 pm and we got to Vanderbilt at 8:40am...so almost 6 hours spent in waiting rooms and exam rooms and infusion rooms.  We headed on down the highway for our "after-infusion date" at Steak and Shake.  We made one more stop at The Avenue in Murfreesboro for an unsuccessful shopping trip.  We just got some exercise walking from one end almost to the other on this brisk December night.  After not finding what we were looking for, we got back in the car and headed to Tullahoma.  We pulled into the driveway at 5:45pm.  So we were away from home a little more than 10 1/2 hours today.  A very long day! We are both very happy to be back home. We both headed to our respective recliners! I did sleep in the car a bit on the way back so I "may" attempt to accomplish something tonight...like get my cutting table converted to a wrapping table...I "might" even wrap a present.  'Tis the season!

We Need a Little Christmas!

Our three little angels were in the spotlight last night in the children's musical at our church.  They did a great job!  Abigail had a speaking part in  iHopeChristmas.  She was Darby.  I sat in the balcony and took pictures, but decided that I would use my camera's movie capabilities.  So the above pictures are stills captured from the movie.  Abigail's and Joy's were taken from a group shot and not from a close-up as Esther's is...so Esther's is a better quality photo...but I wanted all three girls with their angel wings on...needed an angelic moment!  It is hard to see their wings after I messed around with the pics in Photoshop...so I probably should have just found the best close-up of each of them...another time.  Everything that I have done today has taken longer than it should have...not good when it comes to getting ready for Christmas!  I didn't have school this morning because Nathan and Kathy and all the children went to the church to pack up White Christmas boxes and then they delivered several.  Woody also went to pack boxes and he delivered a box or two.  He also went to Life Care Center and had Bible study with one of the residents. Woody rang our dinner bell when he got home.  And, I had a surprise of a Taco Bell lunch!  Nice midday surprise! Isaac did come over for a while after they got back from delivering boxes, but he said that he didn't want school today.  I guess even two-year-olds get that feeling of just wanting to be out of school for a while...guess you could say he has Christmasitis! This afternoon Woody went on a four-mile walk.  Then this evening he went next door and took care of Isaac (almost 3) and Joseph (almost 1) while the rest of their family went to perform at a church here in town.  I have mainly done a little of this and a little of that today. We woke up to fog with warnings out for freezing fog. As the day went on it was a bit rainy and dreary. We did have sunshine for a little while this morning.  I did get one sewing project done.  Tomorrow morning we will be heading to Nashville for Woody to have labs, see Dr. Sosman's nurse practitioner, and get his third Keytruda infusion.  I hear the pitter-patter of rain on the roof as I end this.  The rain is supposed to have moved out by early morning.  I'm hoping that it is gone by the time we head off to Nashville...the predictions is that it will be...we will see if the prediction is right or wrong!  Oh, my...I think that I just heard thunder! I'm off to shut down my sewing machine and get it unplugged! 'Tis the season!

Caroling, Caroling On We Go

I awoke to leaves being blown...the leaf truck had been spotted in our neighborhood...so Nathan and Kathy blew more to their front yard as did Woody blow off our front yard...once again!  Woody came in and rested a bit before he tackled his Saturday errands.  He went to the library and Walmart.  He picked me up some batteries and candy canes...the last items needed for me to complete this year's decorating.  I needed the batteries to put in our snowman clock and the candy canes to put in a tin snowman hat.  I got up and headed into the sewing room.  I made ornaments after Christmas last year, but more are still needed so got to work on those.  I have wrapped some gifts today and have gotten things in a pile that I will need  to take to tomorrow's Sunday School party. We have an ornament exchange each year.  After lunch we drove to where the party will be held to deliver the wassail.  We made it with only a few sloshes!  Having the wassail already there will mean that it will be warm when we get there. If I had taken it in the morning it would have taken a while to get it warmed up.  We are on a fairly tight schedule to get everything in (eat, fellowship, have an ornament exchange and have Sunday School) before we head back for the 11am church service so I wouldn't want the wassail to hold things up. I managed to get all the Christmas decoration boxes back upstairs and in the hall...awaiting Woody's expertise at putting the puzzle of boxes back in the closet.  My part of the decorating has ended...well, I do have to vacuum up Christmas tree needles. Woody walked four miles this nippy afternoon.  He is now relaxing while watching a library DVD. It felt more like Christmas today with my sewing machine whirring away...I need to get back to working on Isaac's quilt.  I would just as soon give it to him without all the safety pins that are in it at the moment!  I have a couple of other machine embroidery projects to do so may do those while the machine is set up for machine embroidery. It just wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't have a few sewing projects in the wings!  'Tis the Season!  

Here We Come a Wassailing!

My first task of the day was making Wassail for the Sunday School party that is to take place on Sunday.  The first step is done.  Now it is sitting with the spice bag and I will reheat it late tonight (12 hours after the first step).  Then it was on to complete my decorating and get the rooms back to having some semblance of order.  The kitchen table is once again a kitchen table and has its Christmas center piece.  And, the dining room table is also uncovered and back to having nothing on it except for its center piece.  After I blogged last night I found that I really hadn't finished my tree. I started thinking about ornaments that were missing...I know...with all the ornaments on the tree...how in the world could I realize that some are missing!  But with having a memory tree (all the ornaments have a memory associated with them), I do realize that some of the memories are missing.  So I found the two missing boxes and as a little while ago...all ornaments for this year ARE on the tree! This afternoon Joy came over and finished her apron.  She was so happy to have it finished.  Now they can do their Christmas baking next door.  She had kept her fabric choice a secret from her family...Elsa, Anna, and Olaf...what better fabric for winter cooking...and, it should keep her cool in hot weather too! The pocket fabric has swirls on it along with glitter.

Woody loaded up the car this morning with the latest collection of aluminum cans that folk at the church collect so they can be recycled for cash for The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (Southern Baptist mission offering for international missions).  He and Graham drove to the "can man." Elijah came over to challenge Woody to more games...today Sorry and Chutes and Ladders. Woody is babysitting as I type this.  He is taking care of Isaac (almost 3) and Joseph (almost 1).  The rest of the family are performing/juggling at the Science Center here in Tullahoma.  'Tis the Season!

O Christmas Tree!

I can say that the two Christmas trees are decorated!  Now to clean up ALL the mess.  Tonight's photo is from another year so I decided not to show it in full color.  I'll wait to take pictures of this year's trees till I get the mess cleaned up.

Last evening I finished wrapping gifts for AZ.  This morning Woody got them all boxed up and then later headed to the Post Office to mail the box. He walked four miles this afternoon.

I only had school with Isaac this morning, as Nathan, Kathy and family went to the church as soon as Isaac was finished so they could practice for their Christmas juggling program that they will be sharing during First Baptist's Night In Bethlehem on Dec. 21, 22, and 23. Woody played games with Elijah and Esther this afternoon while I plodded along with decorating the trees.

Tomorrow is "make wassail day" and straighten up the house so I can enjoy the decorations.  At the moment all I can see is the mess.  I am making a vow to either decorate early (as in Nov.) or not decorate at all...this is just too close to Christmas to be getting finished.  'Tis the season!

From the Realms of Glory

My this has seemed a busy day.  I am ready to stop and put my feet up...but...there's lots to do!  I'm in the midst of wrapping the presents for AZ...almost done...then I can turn them over to Woody to find a mailing box.  He will do the rest of the chore of getting them into the box, addressing the box, and taking it to the Post Office (I hope).  The tree decorating continues. Isaac wanted to put "happy snowmen" on the tree so that meant that we got started on the tree in the family room.  Elijah and I continue to build circuits with the Snap Circuit set. He hung a few more ornaments on the big tree. Abigail and I started a new book.  Joy and I are trying to get to the end of her book...getting close.  Esther came over and she sewed some more on her star pincushion.  She got it turned right side out and has started to stuff it.

Woody headed off to do his Krogering a little before school got started.  Today was mainly to shop for our White Christmas food items.  White Christmas is this Sunday evening.  We take nonperishable items for families in need in Tullahoma.  Boxes will be packed and then distributed on Monday morning.  Woody had his chemistry class with Graham this morning.  Then this afternoon Elijah came over and challenged Goosey (Woody) to a game of "REAL" Monopoly not Junior Monopoly!  They also played Sorry.  Elijah won both games he played with Goosey yesterday, but his "luck" didn't hold forth today as Woody won both. Woody and Graham left a while back for the Youth Group Christmas party

After lunch, I headed to the church library and worked for a couple of hours.  Then came home and sat for a little while.  Then I hung more ornaments. Then I rested some more.  And, then got going on wrapping Christmas presents.  So...back to my wrapping. 'Tis the Season!  (Oh, we got the call a little while ago from Vanderbilt confirming Woody's appointment next week for this third infusion.)

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire!

I woke up way too early this morning...because I went to sleep way too early last night.  I ended up working on library memorials...got letters ready to send to donors and memorial recipients...so a good job done. Then I started clearing off my sewing cutting table so I can get going on wrapping the presents for AZ...all this done before Woody woke up.  I also read some more.  I did get the book finished that was going to be snuffed back into cyberspace today.  I checked another one out and started it.  At the moment I am in the middle of three books.  I still haven't gotten around to getting the gifts for AZ wrapped.  I had school with Isaac and Elijah and Esther and Joy read with me.  Then after lunch Abigail came over for part of her long Grammy time (we rescheduled Abigail...so squeezing when it works best into both of our schedules).  We put ornaments on the tree together and also finished the book that we had been reading together.  Isaac came over for a little while this afternoon.  He helped hang more ornaments on the tree and played.  I took a nap at some point during the afternoon...anyway, I woke up to hearing Joy coming in the front door and coming upstairs ready to get in a little extra time on her sewing.  The apron is finished except for the tie...so all it should take is one more sewing session and it should be ready for Christmas baking.  Woody played Junior Monopoly with Elijah while I was sewing with Joy.  I got started late on supper so Woody walked to the prayer room and has just returned and is now eating supper...late for us.

I took a picture of one of our ornaments for tonight's blog photo.  It represents the fact that I have been cold most of the day and wished that I could warm up near an "open fire."   I just could never warm up...though, late this afternoon I did start to not feel chilled.  I don't know if it was getting up so early and moving around rather than staying snuggled under my covers.  It has been a chilly day, but not any chillier inside the house than usual...it was just me being cold.  Maybe I was just in sympathy with the folks in Northeast U.S.   I guess I will go hang a couple of ornaments.  'Tis the Season!

Deck the Halls!

Well, decorating continues at our house.  But it is starting to wind down.  I just finished the shelves over the cabinets in the kitchen.  I just add snowmen, trees and other Christmasy things to what is already there--my apple and cookbook collections.  This has been a busy day.  I had school this morning with Isaac, Elijah, Esther, Abigail and Joy.  Joy worked really hard trying to finish her apron.  She came again late this afternoon to work a little more on it.  I think that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel...but it will take one or two more extra sessions to get it finished.  Elijah and Woody went to the Life Care Center this morning.  Elijah juggled scarves for the gentleman that Woody has Bible study with.  After they got home, Woody started in on Elijah's extra time...I turned Elijah's "Grammy time" into "Goosey time."  They made cookies together.  Elijah came back over after lunch to frost them after they had cooled.  Before school even started this morning, Woody headed to the Post Office to mail a Christmas package.  This afternoon after Graham read to me, I headed off to run a couple of errands.  I needed to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy and managed to find a gift that I was needing before I could send off the AZ Christmas presents.  After I was successful there...found present and picked up my prescription...I headed off to JoAnn's to get a couple of things that I needed to finish up my decorating.  That done I headed home.  We had soup and other things that we could scrounge from the refrigerator for supper. Nathan and Graham got our Christmas trees downstairs yesterday afternoon.  Graham came over after he got home from the evening church service and put the corner tree together.  I assembled the living room tree.  Today we started hanging ornaments.  I let the children put ornaments on the tree for a short time at the end of their time with me.  So tree decorating is underway.  I may go down and add a few more this evening...but then again I may not.  I am hustling to get an e-book finished before they whisk it back into cyberspace.  So I "need" to read...but I'm afraid that if I sit down to read I will fall asleep!  Woody is downstairs watching a DVD movie. 'Tis the Season!

Frosty: A Jolly Happy Soul

We have lots of jolly happy souls...when it comes to having lots of snowmen.  The mantel is once again a forest filled with snowmen...or as Isaac calls them: "Happy snowmen."  Isaac enjoyed himself with some of our happy snowmen this afternoon.  I was getting into some more of the Christmas storage boxes and came across some of my snowman serving dishes.  Isaac decided that we needed to have a party...he was ready to use the cheeseball dishes and little snowman spreaders!  As I look at this photo taken another year, I realize that there are still some snowmen that I haven't unearthed yet.  The Byers' Carolers have found their places to chorus us from this year.  I did find my orange angel holding the sheep and he has taken his place with the other angels "on high."  I have found trees that I will put up over my cabinets.  My decorating is getting to the point that I can shortly have Nathan drag our Christmas tree boxes downstairs...hopefully tomorrow.  I have to make a better path for him to drag them through first!  Woody did his normal Saturday errands: Walmart and the library.  Later in the afternoon he took his walk and headed to a nearby grocery store and bought a green pepper that we needed for the soup that I was planning to make.  Later in the afternoon, I made the soup that he got the green pepper for: Spicy Vegetable Beef.  We had that for supper.  Woody turned to after supper and cleaned up my cooking mess.  It rained last night and today has been a bit cooler and breezier...which makes it feel chillier than it really is...definitely a Christmasy nip in the air today.  'Tis the season!

Christmas Is On Its Way!

I have spent a good part of the day climbing up and down the stepladder putting angels on top of the china cabinet.  This picture is from another year.  I am still looking for the big angel holding the lamb.  I have also worked on placing snowmen and trees on the mantel.  I brought down the boxes with the Precious Moments Nativity and also "think" that I have found all the boxes with the Byers' Carolers.  So things are coming along.  I can see both the Christmas tree boxes.  I decorated my first tree this morning while I talked on the phone with a friend...this is a small tree that I use with the carolers. I cross stitched all (more than 50) the ornaments years ago for my Aunt Lois to use on a tree for her doll collection.  After she died I got them back so now I use them and think of her when I hang them on this little tree.  Graham and Kathy came over this morning and moved all the boxes and tubs of K'nex out to the garage till after Christmas.  I got that corner of the living room vacuumed...all ready for our big tree.  While I decorated this morning, I had the tantalizing fragrance of Chex Mix being prepared...one of those fragrances that sets my mouth to watering!  Woody took on that task this morning.  It is yummy, as usual.  Chex Mix means that Christmas is on its way!  Woody stayed with Joseph for a while this afternoon while Kathy and the some of the other children went on a bike ride. Esther and Elijah came over a played for a little while. They used the Fisher Price pirate ship (first pickle present) and played Peter Pan.  They watched Peter Pan, Live last night.  I watched it this morning on my iPad while decorating...I think that I will watch again so I get more of the details. Esther once again took it all in and can repeat some things line for line.  Wonder if this will replace her fascination with Frozen for a while...I doubt it!  Later in the afternoon Woody walked four miles.  I have Christmas CD's playing...Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney...yes, I am of the "old school" when it comes to whom I like to hear sing Christmas songs.  I grew up listening to them...so like to continue that tradition of my childhood.  Off to either get out the Carolers or...the Precious Moments Nativity.  Then I think that I will call it a day for decorating...tomorrow is another day to decorate.  I like not having a party to get ready for...so thankful that our Sunday School class will meet in a different home this year.

Jingle All The Way!

We have just returned from the annual Deacon-Widow Banquet at church.  It was a nice evening of fellowship, good food, and Christmas songs done by a trio of ladies from our church.

It has been another busy day.  My day started out with school with Isaac and Elijah.  After school with them was over, I went on the first part of Woody's...he delivered me back home and continued on his four-mile walk.  Joy came over after lunch for her sewing time.  We are trying to get her apron made for her to wear for their Christmas baking...not sure that we will be that fast...depends on when they plan to bake!.  Today she sewed on two pockets and sewed divisions on one of them.  There is still one more long pocket to be applied.  I took a nap after sewing time with Joy so I would be able to stay awake at the banquet tonight!  Melany called to report on Erin's doctor visit today.  They are having to adjust the amount of insulin (less...which is good).  Erin "crashed" (very low blood sugar) again this morning so Melany knew that it wasn't just because Erin was here and eating differently, etc. Erin is hoping to get a new type of insulin pump soon.  This pump will stop giving insulin in the night if it detects that she is going low.  This is such a different problem for Erin to have to deal with...prior to this new insulin she was often high...rarely low.  Well, we have gotten to experience first hand what it is like when she goes low...and we want that number to rise quite a bit!  Hopefully the doctor has gotten her pump adjusted to having less insulin and Erin will not drop so low again...at least she is on her mother and father's watch and not Woody's and mine!  I can rest easier as they know better than we what to do in situations like she has gotten into these last three mornings.

I have done a little more decorating...took more boxes downstairs...emptied them of their contents and filled them again with everyday decorative items that would fit in.  So at the moment I will say..."slowly but surely the decorating is happening.  

Caroling, Caroling

After I blogged last night, Erin did get the two shadow boxes undecorated and then put in Christmas objects.  I haven't taken pictures yet...I will after I get through more of the mess.  I have started finding the Byers Carolers, but haven't found all of them so the Caroler "scenes" are incomplete still.  We didn't do much decorating yet today as we had another traumatic morning.  I don't think that Erin's blood sugar levels were as low as they got yesterday, but low enough for her to be "out of it."  We couldn't check her blood as soon as we normally would have as she fell out of bed and landed on top of diabetes supplies and I couldn't get to them for a while.  Melany happened to call to check on things just as this morning's drama unfolded and she said to just assume that she was low and give her orange juice to get her back up.  After having this happen two nights in a row, Melany decided that she needed to come and get her.  She planned to come after her school was out, but was convinced by co-workers that she should come sooner so she got here around noon.  She and Erin ate lunch with us and then headed on down the road.  Once Erin comes up in her sugar levels she is fine...but when low...not good!!!  She will be addressing the problem of her levels going so low with her doctor and figure out what needs to be done to regulate this new (for her) kind of insulin.

I started to not feel well last night and didn't have the best night's rest.  I didn't have school with the little boys this morning as we were still dealing with Erin's situation and by the time we got that under control I was rather drained!  Not long after Melany and Erin left, I headed upstairs to "my" recliner and rested most of the afternoon.  I didn't even go to work in the church library this afternoon.  I called one of my co-workers and she said that she would go do maintenance (check books in and out and shelve the books).  After my rest I do feel better.

Woody walked four miles this afternoon.  He made copies of our Christmas letter and got them folded and into the cards and the envelopes sealed and I believe that they are mailed.  He did Wednesday grocery shopping...so we now have something other than "just" turkey to eat.  I wouldn't mind cooking another turkey...we love all the leftovers.

Fa la la la la!

Decorating continues.  We didn't get as much done as yesterday as we had several things that took us away from it.  First this morning we had a scare with Erin's blood sugars being dangerously low when she awoke...or when we prodded her awake!  Erin is a type-1 diabetic...has been since third grade.  Recently her doctor changed her type of insulin as she felt that Erin wasn't responding to what she had been on for so long.  And, at this point they don't have "things" totally regulated and we were the lucky ones to have her drop really low.  I was at a point that I thought that I was going to have to call 911 when she started responding and we were able to get some orange juice down her and also get her to eat a little...and thankfully her blood sugar level began to rise.  I think that I aged quite a few years!  I told Melany that all this might cause me to have a heart attack...Melany suggested that when I call 911 I can just go along with Erin!  Well, hopefully all's well that ends well!  Erin did adjust the amount of insulin that she is getting from her pump.  I hope she wakes up in an "ok" range in the morning!  She did get to feeling well enough for us to go out to Motlow Community College.  Our friend, Linda Hasty, gave us a tour of the campus so Erin could get a feel of whether she might be interested in taking some classes there in the future.  I think that the size of the campus appealed to her.  She went to East TN University after graduating from high school, but just never adapted to the academic world there. So maybe a smaller campus?  Time will tell.  We did pick up several brochures.  We came home and had lunch.  We did a little decorating...putting things in their spots as they come out of their boxes.  Erin took everything out of one of the shadow boxes.  I am hoping to find the Christmas objects soon that go into the shadow box so she can decorate them with Christmas for me.

We got started late with school with Isaac and Elijah this morning due to our "Erin crisis." So in the end Woody took over the last part of Elijah's time so I could get ready to go out to Motlow with Erin.  I introduced Elijah to Snap Circuits yesterday...so he is learning about electrical circuits...he is really interested.  Today we ran into problems trying to find batteries that had enough juice left in them to run a couple of the circuits he built.  He and Goosey (Woody) mainly tested batteries during their time together!  Goosey will buy new AA batteries when he goes to the store tomorrow!  Then Elijah will be all set to learn more about circuits.  Woody spent a lot of time today addressing our Christmas cards and writing our annual Christmas letter. After supper he walked to the prayer room at church and hasn't returned as yet.  He got a call today from Dr. Sosman's office changing his appointment in late January to a different day.

After our traumatic morning, Erin and I both took naps this afternoon...Erin's lasted longer than mine...she will probably be up all night!  I'm going to go see if she will do a little more box shifting up and down stairs for me after I finish the blog.  'Tis the Season!

'Tis the Season

Erin and I have been busy today.  The decorating is underway.  We have mainly been getting things off table tops and bookshelves making a place for the Christmas items.  The dining room table is filled with things that will need to be put away.  Just before supper Erin placed the three Christmas cups and saucers that were my mother's on the cup and saucer display shelves.  So there are a few Christmas items starting to pop up in various places all over the house.  I am having a modified school week.  Isaac and Elijah are the only ones having their regular school time and some time when Joy has an hour or so she is going to come over and sew as she wants to have her apron for their Christmas baking.

Woody walked four miles this morning and was back before it was time for Isaac's school.  A bit later in the morning Goosey (Woody) and Erin went for Woody's weekly visit with a gentleman who lives at The Life Care Center.

This afternoon Abigail, Elijah and Isaac spent some time with us...mainly with Erin.  She is a great sitter.  The children just love her.  They have played games, drawn pictures, played with the Fisher Price nativity, etc.  After supper Abigail came back to finish their game of Monopoly.  She had to go home a little while ago without the game being resolved.  Erin was figuring out how much she owed Abigail because she landed on Boaordwalk which Abigail had  put a hotel on...she owed Abigail quite a bit.  It looked like Erin was going to have a problem coming up with the money, but she managed after mortgaging quite a bit of her property.  I guess the game will continue on tomorrow...after all Erin will pass go on her next turn and start accumulating money once again!

It has been a fairly mild day for our first day of December.  It started drizzling this afternoon soon to turn into a pretty good rain that has continued on...at times fairly heavy.

I made turkey noodle soup for our supper.  We are still enjoying Thanksgiving leftovers.

This is the night (a little after 8pm) that the surgeon called Woody six years ago and told him that the place he had removed from behind his ear was melanoma...which put him in the category of having 4th stage melanoma since it had metastasized from the original place.  And, a long journey began...a journey that continues.  I am thankful that I continue to blog about what is going on with Woody's health.  And, most thankful that most days all I have to share is drivel about our none too exciting lives!  To God be the glory!