Adios, November!

Can you believe that this is the last day of November?  I think that I could just about sit here, close my eyes, and when I open them it would be Christmas.  We seem to be traveling at warp speed!  I do wish that "things" would slow down.

Tonight's photo shows an ornament that I acquired sometime between last Christmas and now.  Friends and I went off galavanting and one of our stops was at an antique store—the kind that have many "booths" in them each of which are run by different individuals.  I was looking at things in one and found this ornament on a table.  My first thought was how much it looked like our church—and, it "said" First Baptist Church" on it...but in our area many towns have a church named First Baptist.  The surprising thing about it after I looked at it closer was that it even had a fountain in front of it—our church has a fountain across the street in a park that is part of our church campus.  Finally I looked at the back and it is our church.  We have no idea when it was made or for what purpose...didn't know that ornaments had been made of our church...but this one is #30 of 100.  Now I have our current church on our tree and also an ornament of the church I went to prior to Woody and me getting married.  Our tree is really a memory tree...when I walk around it, floods of fond memories sweep over me as I think about an event, a trip, a relative, a friend, etc.

Today has been a little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that kind of day.  I decided that I needed to get a handle on the leftovers—some needed to be shared with "the neighbors" (Nathan and Kathy and family) as they were things that Woody can't eat and there was no way that I could eat them by myself in a timely manner.  For one thing, I am not overly fond of pecan pie...I did eat a piece and it really was quite good, but I knew that they would enjoy it more than I.  So I sent a whole pie and a piece or so of the other pecan.  Now I do love pumpkin pie (that has been my breakfast since Thanksgiving), but, again, I really couldn't eat what was left of a 10" pumpkin pie.  I cut myself a generous piece and sent the rest to them along with Cool Whip.  I know that sending two kinds will please more than just sending one kind!  They have pecan pie lovers over there and also pumpkin pie lovers!  The other dish that I sent over was most of the leftover sweet potatoes.  Again, they are something that Woody can't eat and there were just too much left for just me.  I kept out a couple of helpings.  That was a good one to give them as the dish that the sweet potatoes are in is their dish...so returned something in the dish I borrowed!  I then got into the leftovers that Woody can eat and squirreled away some turkey and green beans for him to have for Christmas dinner at Melany and Wade's.  I told Melany that I would bring a few things that her daddy could eat so they could just go on and fix what they want and not worry whether he can eat it or not.  I will probably take something for that meal and make sure that Woodyncan eat it.  Most of the leftovers got moved to smaller containers and I think I once again have a handle on what is in my fridge.  I attempted to put all of "Woody's food" together in one place so it is easier for him to grab what he wants!

I will be making Turkey and Rice Soup with the broth that I made with the turkey carcus, but I need a bit more space in the fridge for a big pot of soup.  One of my challenges of the day was to make a decent tasting gravy without pan drippings.  The gravy is about gone that I made with the two turkeys.  Right now one of the things that tastes really good to Woody is a hot turkey sandwich...and, he is even liking just gravy on bread.  So today I attempted to make a gravy that was a decent color and had a good flavor.  I was pretty successful.  I had some on mashed potatoes for lunch and it really tasted quite good.  Now to sit and write down how I did it so I can do it again sometime.

Woody bought fresh cauliflower yesterday so today he cut it used into florets and we steamed them and then added an olive oil, vinegar and garlic "sauce" over them to make one of his favorites: Italian-Style Cauliflower.  So he has a little break from all the Thanksgiving tastes.  At the moment he has more choices than usual when he looks in the fridge!

By the time I could sit down and sew today, a storm was rolling in.  We have had several periods of rain today.  It is raining rather hard at the moment. Thunder is rumbling off in the distance.  I think that it is time for me to go sit down in my recliner and read for a while.

Woody went to the library this morning so he has a new James Patterrson book to read.  I will want to read it when he is finished so I need to get reading on a public library book that is due in a little more than a week.  I've also got several e-books waiting for me on my iPad.  I had requested them some time back and they all decided to be available at about the same time...one of those times that I wish that I could read more than one book at a time!  But since 'Tis the season" there just isn't as much time for me to read currently!

'Tis the Season for Real Now!

Now that Thanksgiving is over, I finally feel that it is "all right" to have the Christmas decorations up!  It used to be that we got out the Fisher Price nativity sometime on Thanksgiving Day and the children would set it up while we were finishing up either with the cooking or the clean up.  But I guess that tradition has flown the coop!  Erin and Alex no longer care about putting it up so the neighbor grands do it when Grammy finds it amongst the Christmas boxes.  Well, today instead of just getting started pulling out boxes to get started decorating, I put the last box back into the closet awaiting to pull them back out when I undecorate.  Once again our upstairs hallway is free of boxes.  I am so thankful that I did decorate early.  Having the decorating done frees me up to do other things this coming week in preparation for my Sunday School Christmas Brunch and for other Christmas preparations.

We really had a nice day yesterday.  I always feel like I am in the middle of a whirlwind and just watching everything from above the scene!  But now that I look back on the day, things seem to have gone fine!  There is one thing that I am sure of...no one starved!  Even our picky oldest grandson (22) managed to find at least three things that he would eat...turkey, mashed potatoes, and rolls. And, a definite thumbs down to any of the pies that we had.  He just doesn't know what he is missing with all the other good things that are in our Thanksgiving spread!

I pretty much had everything cleaned up and put away from our Thanksgiving feast before I went to bed last night.  I had lots of help before everyone left...both with dishes and putting furniture back in place.  This morning I put all the table linens and dish towels into the washing machine and that completed my final clean up job.  I do still have to get them out of the drier...but not tonight...I will run the drier for a few minutes in the morning to knock out any wrinkles and fold and put them away.  Besides getting all the boxes put back in the Christmas closet, I got my sewing machine up and running and am trying to get a handle on the rest of the Christmas ornaments that I need to make.  I managed to do two so far.  They are done except for putting a hanging cord on them.  So I guess I am back in the ornament business!

Woody went back to a regular Friday routine on the day after Thanksgiving.  He did our weekly shopping early this morning...we didn't need much...still lots of leftovers.  Then he headed off to run errands with his friend.  The rest of the day he has taken it easy reading, resting and watching some TV.   'Tis the season!

Gobble! Gobble! From the Dorrells and the Proctors!

Pie Day

The day before Thanksgiving has been pie making day in our household for as long as I can remember.  Today's bounty: 2 pecan, 2 pumpkin, and 1 French Cranberry Apple.  And, I am tired! I have the sweet potatoes washed, pricked and ready for Woody to microwave them in the morning.  I want to cook them in the old microwave since they can be rather messy and since the old microwave is still in "Woody's room" (the family room) I decided to turn the job of getting them cooked over to him.  I will then make our favorite sweet potato casserole (your recipe, Linda H.) with them when they are cooked.  The last thing that I made today was the topping for the sweet potatoes...so that is ready to go on the casserole once I have them mashed with lots of yummy ingredients.  I have the dressing to put together, but the celery and onions are already chopped and waiting in the fridge.  Then there is the other turkey to cook and more gravy to make.  Potatoes to peel and cook for our mashed potatoes.  Wade will mash those after they get here.  That has been his job to help me out each Thanksgiving for many years.  Melany carves the turkey...of course one is already carved this year.  I still have vacuuming to do, a bathroom to clean, dishes to get out, and tables to set.  I may do a little of the table setting after I rest and get my second wind!  At the moment, I just want it to be tomorrow night at this time!  It has been a long day!  I will say that making the pie crust dough ahead and refrigerating it helped the task of pie making. It worked well for the crusts that had both butter and shortening in them.  It did not work as well for Woody's that had to be made just with shortening.  The cranberry apple pie looks good...but the crust was a bear and it is pretty much pieced together.

Woody worked around outside today...blowing leaves.  He started on blowing the leaves off the front porch.  He came in and rested for a while and Kathy finished the job for him.  He has been straightening up "his room" so we can turn it back into a family room for the day tomorrow.  And, he has done several loads of wash.  He has had a busy day, too.

I'm now waiting on a load of kitchen towels to be finished washing so I can get them into the drier.  I am sure we will need them tomorrow!

The neighbor's had Thanksgiving dinner for 21 today.  Just part of Kathy's family came.  So they have been busy today.  Several more children than usual running around out in the yard.  Sounded like they had a good day.  It was a pretty day...nice day for the children to run around after their feast. I think that it is supposed to be a bit cooler tomorrow.

Off to do a few more things before I end my tasks for the day. 'Tis the season!

Sitting Down to Check My List and the Mail

There haven't been too many times to sit down today.  I had quite a few things to mark off my list today!  I started out making our traditional gelatin salad called Autumn Salad.  I got that in the refrigerator and pulled out one of the turkeys...we have two small ones this year.  I will cook the other  one Thursday morning.  I have carved the turkey and have the meat in the fridge with broth poured over it to keep it moist for Turkey day.  One of Cheryl's (my sister) friends  about cooking the turkey ahead and pouring chicken or turkey broth over it to keep it moist.  So I'm trying it for the first time.  After getting the turkey carved and getting rid of the carcus (tomorrow is garbage day so good day to dispose of things like that).  I will have the other turkey to make soup with.  I made gravy.  I have made our green beans, they need to have the flavors blend through them.  Woody helped me with the green beans he trimmed and cut them up and it was quite a large quantity.  The green beans are something that Woody eat.  I have cleaned the kitchen multiple times!  The dishwasher is running as I type this and the dishes that didn't fit in are drying at the edge of the sink.  I think that I am through making kitchen messes for today!  I have marked off just about everything that was to be done on the days prior to Thursday—the "do-ahead" tasks.  There are "only" two things left to do cooking-wise tomorrow...BUT one of those things is to make FIVE pies.  The other is to make the topping mixture for our sweet potato casserole.  I hope that putting together the pie dough last night helps in the pie tasks!  I'll be making two pumpkin, two pecan, and one Apple-Cranberry.  The apple pie is the only one that Woody can eat.  That is an addition to our traditional Thanksgiving pies...guess a new tradition in the making—literally!

I'm glad that I don't have a lot of cleaning that I need to do prior to the family gathering on Thursday...very thankful that so much cleaning goes on when I am decorating.  I will just have to do a lick and a promise in most places.  Hopefully I will have a little time to get to that mostly done tomorrow as Thursday morning will be taken up with cooking the last minute items.  I am enjoying working in my new kitchen this first Thanksgiving having it.  Last year the week after Thanksgiving was the first meeting I had with the contractor for the remodel job...so a year ago it was just a figment of my imagination.

Last year we didn't have a Thanksgiving dinner here.  Nathan and Kathy and family weren't in town and Melany and Wade and family had the flu.  So I took the holiday off from cooking...just made a cardimum cranberry cake...something that Woody could have...but definitely not a favorite of mine...and, I haven't made it since.

Woody and Elijah loaded up the Taurus today with aluminum cans and took them to the "can man" to turn them in for recycling.  The money that they got they give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions.  Woody attempted to go to the Prayer Room at church late this afternoon, but the key pad code didn't work for him so he came back home again.  He also stopped and picked up a prescription for me at some point today.

Now we ar settled in for the evening.  Hopefully it will be quiet.  I'm ready to sit and read...hope that my eyes stay open!  'Tis the season!

Getting Ready

We have rolls!  They came out of the oven just before another of Abigail's cheesecakes got put into our oven.  The other cooking that I plan to do today is to put together the pie crust dough and wrap each on in individual discs in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator until I am ready to make pies on Wednesday.  I haven't made them ahead before, but from what I read it should work.  The shortening and butter is all measured out and in the freezer...another suggestion that one recipe suggests.  I am also going to make the pastry in the food processor...not something that I usually do, but considering that I am making five pies, it seems that it "should" be faster.  Now we will see if I am happy with the resulting product!  Won't know till we cut into them on Thursday...and take that first taste!  I do know that the rolls are good.  I did sample one to "make sure" they were good!

Woody visited with a widow in his Deacon family today and took her some church literature.  Then later in the afternoon he took his friend to run an errand.  He got home in time to eat some supper and then head to Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting.  He is home and we are settled in for a quiet evening.  Right now he is reading.  I guess I am gong to get the cheesecake out of the oven and then se about putting these pie crust ingredients together.  'Tis the season!

And, What Does Your Preacher Do On Saturday Afternoon?

Our preacher is the one with the chain saw!  He had told Nathan and Kathy that when the tree came down that they wanted to cut it up for wood.  Just moments after it fell last night, Kathy texted him that his fire wood was laying in the front yard and across the road.  He and several of his children (he has six) came over this afternoon.  In this picture our grandson Graham is in between the preacher's twin boys.  Though it looks like the boys weren't working they had been and did soon after this picture.  The older boys took turns with an ax splitting the logs into pieces and then they and some of the younger children loaded up the back of the pastor's pickup.  It was an all afternoon job and I think that there is a bit more for them to come back to load up.  You can see how hollow most of the tree trunk was.  They definitely got some good fire work from their efforts and helped out our neighbors to boot!  

I was in the living room working on tomorrow's Sunday School lesson when I realized that I was hearing a chain saw and figured out that probably work on chopping up the tree had begun.  So I got a little distracted from my task since I "needed" to go out and snap a couple of photos!  I did eventually get back to the lesson and I guess I have the lesson pulled together.

I have also cooked today...both for current meals and for Thanksgiving.  Today I made the fresh cranberry-apple relish for Thanksgiving.  It needs to sit and let flavors meld so it is a good one to do well ahead.  I had planned to dry and cube the bread today, but decided that job could wait till tomorrow.  The loaves of bread turned out really well...so pretty.  Woody had a sandwich using slices from one of the loaves.  I don't need both loaves for the dressing so thought that he might enjoy a couple of slices for a chicken sandwich.  Yesterday I stewed a chicken and sliced part of it for sandwiches for Woody.  I also made more chicken stock (liquid gold).  I ended up using a lot of that stock this morning when I made Woody a chicken and rice casserole.  It is one that I make homemade cream of celery soup for...so that is an extra step.  It took a while to make, but Woody enjoyed it and there is enough for another meal or two.  The dishwasher is running, but I still have quite a few more dishes to do that didn't fit in the dishwasher.  I may hand wash them or may just empty the dishwasher when it is done and reload the ones sitting next to the sink!  My energy level is sinking at this time of the day!

Woody made his usual weekly trip to the public library this morning.  He has stayed in the rest of the day and that is probably just as well as temperatures have been going down and the winds have picked up.  It was much colder than I expected when I went out to take the pictures of the work on the tree.  We are all battened down for the evening...which for us means that all the curtains and shades are closed.  We are enjoying the new shades.  They do help keep the house warmer when they are down.  

Woody is reading.  I may read or "might" sew after I get through in the kitchen. I still have quite a bit of Christmas sewing to do (ornaments), but like I said...my battery is running down!  Just sitting sounds like a pretty good activity at the moment.

Excitement at the Neighbors!

A couple of hours ago, Elijah came running into the house saying excitedly that the tree had fallen.  This was a very big oak tree that had been leaning for some time and had started to split.  They were in the process of getting someone to take it down.  Well, that job no longer has to be hired out...the tree came down on its own.  It is hard to tell how big it is, but it was about midway into their yard and when it fell, it fell across the entire street...but did no damage to the yard across the street as far as we can tell in the dark.  It was pretty much hollow.  Nathan and three of the boys got up into the hollow part and pretended that they were on a boat.  Nathan reported it to the city and it didn't take long till a policeman showed up to warn folk off from using that part of the street.  He told them that a work crew would be along to cut it up and it wasn't long till they came.  They are still working on cutting it up as I type this!  Never know what excitement will occur in the neighbors' or our lives.  They keep it pretty lively!  

I got with the intentions to make the herb bread that I use to make our Thanksgiving dressing (I'll call it dressing since we don't stuff our bird with it!)  We had attempted to buy all ingredients for all the recipes that I will be making.  This first recipe showed that I wasn't totally accurate with the grocery lists!  I needed the herb, savory for this bread.  Abigail baked three cheesecakes over here.  Once they were out of the oven, I headed out in search of the missing herb.  Well, after going to four grocery stores, I have made up my mind that it is unattainable here in Tullahoma!  So came home and just added more of the other herbs that it called for.  The two loaves of Herb Stuffing Bread just went into the oven.  

Woody did our grocery shopping early this morning.  Then he headed off with his friend to run the friend's errands.  They ended up going over to Manchester to take something to his stepson.  So Woody was gone even longer than these errands usually take.  

Well, I'm off to clean up my kitchen from the cooking mess.  The dishwasher is running, but several didn't fit in so I will go try to take care of them and then I am through in the kitchen for today.  And, in a few minutes I'll be able to say that the first recipe for Thanksgiving has been completed.  'Tis the season!

Thursday Before Thanksgiving

We still have a week before Thanksgiving and here I am posting Christmas!  I enjoy taking breaks throughout the day just sitting and looking at my tree so I decided to take a picture of just a section of it.  I got three new ornaments in the mail yesterday.  The pinwheel almost in the center was one of them...so pretty on the tree.  My friend made it out of what quilters call "prairie points."  When I called to thank her for the ornaments I told her that they had all found a place on the tree even though the tree is quite full of ornaments.  She said "always room for more ornaments!"  So true!  After I hung this one, I realized that it was right next to two others that she gave me over the years...the cloth
Santa right below the new ornament and the red ball with glittery holly on it.  I call my tree a memory

tree and those of you who read the blog and have given me ornaments over the years, know that you were thought of while I hung them and continue to think of you as I do my "tree walks."  Thanks again, Connie!  During the holiday season before I turn out the lights in the living room at night, I walk around the tree and look at and think about the various ornaments that catch my eye at that time.   I have the tree enough away from the back and side wall so I have a path around.  The sides and the back are as packed with ornaments as the front...and, I have favorites all around the tree...if one you gave me ends up on the back, it doesn't mean that I don't like it...it just means that when I got it out of its storage box, that was the best place for it...and, I will look at it on my walks even if it didn't got hung on the front!

This morning I had a usual Thursday of school...reading and other Montessori things with Joseph.  Isaac and I just read today as he had already taken his spelling test this week and I didn't have the
new list.  Elijah and Esther came for their times to read.  Then it was time for Isaac' long time with me.  I asked him when he came to read if he would help me with the little shelf upstairs that we put various Nativity scenes on...others that the children can play with.  We also put the children's Christmas books on the bottom shelf.  I told him that he could ask Joseph to help if Isaac wanted him to and if Joseph wanted to help.  Joseph did help.  The exciting that happened out of that little decorating job...I found the angel for the top of the tree!  I had been looking and about the last box I opened today, there she was!  I'll have to take another picture of the whole tree now that is complete with angel  on top. After he finished arranging the manger scenes, there was still time to do something else.  First we read a Christmas book.  After that we went upstairs and tried to arrange the K'nex boxes so they can still build with them.  I had just piled them up at the back of the guest room. Now they are up against the wall on one side.  Isaac is glad.  He then decided that since he still had some time left that he would make the next item in the simple machine K'nex book that he has been doing.  Today he got started on a wheel and axle build: a paddle boat.  He arm over later in the
afternoon to finish it.  The paddle wheel spins around thanks to a rubber band that is part of the build.

I haven't done a lot of cooking the last few days due to finishing up the decorating and preparing for a tea party.  So today it was necessary to make "something!"  I made an eggplant casserole for Woody and I decided that I wanted spaghetti and meat sauce.  I rarely make that these days as Woody can't have tomatoes.  We both enjoyed our varied suppers!

Woody did a little grass planting today in some bare spots between Nathan and Kathy's house and ours.  He also ran a couple of errands.  He decided that it helps to get some of our errand running out of the way before his major Friday errand running day,  he decided to go to the Credit Union and then to Aldi's.  He ended up finding turkeys for our Thanksgiving dinner.  We have to find Turkeys that are low in salt content which means avoiding turkeys that have a salt solution injected into them...not always easy to find.  But he found two smaller ones that fit the bill and "should" feed our crew next
Thursday. He once again watched the impeachment hearings.  So he has had a couple of busy days.  Yesterday he headed off after lunch to visit two of his Deacon families who are shut-ins.

I apologize for weird spacing and spelling as the blog is doing its back and forth thing and I can't see what I am typing and if my cursor goes to another place I have to use the return key to navigate...and then it changes the spacing.  It hadn't done this for a while, but it's baaaack.  Rather irritating and confusing...hard to keep my mind on track...so with that I will publish for tonight!  'Tis the season!

'Tis the Season!

Saying "'Tis the season" is a tradition that started between me and my Arizona family many, many years ago.  It started back in the days when long distance calling made your phone bill higher.  We didn't call all that often (every other week) and we would trade off...my parents would call and then two weeks later I would call them.  It got more frequent as the years went by...but usually no more than once a week.  Our distance meant that we didn't usually spend Christmas together so during the Christmas season we would make "'Tis the season" calls:  when one of us felt like calling we would just call spur of the moment and start out the call with: 'Tis the season!"  Those were the days when phone calls were less after a certain hour...funny how things have changed over the years.  With cell phones, we just pick up the phone and call whenever we please!  BUT my sister and I still say "'Tis the season" when we call each other at this time of the year.  And, Melany and I do it, too.

My morning started out with a "tea party" with two of my friends.  I invited them over for tea and scones.  I made pumpkin scones with spiced glaze, a new recipe,—thanksgiving flavors surrounded by Christmas!  When they were leaving, we wished each other Merry Thanksgiving!

Woody took his friend to the doctor this morning and then stayed in most of the rest of the day taking in part of the impeachment hearings.  He has also read, did his daily crossword puzzles, and watched a bit lighter TV viewing also.

This evening we have gone over our Thanksgiving menu tryouts hug to get everything on the list that we will need and not have to run back for one ingredient that I skipped over accidentally.  I will look closer at the list and the recipes tomorrow.  Since he has been getting most of the nonperishable items over the last couple of weeks, the list isn't tremendously long. I'm still wrapping my head around having 17 to feed/seat!  We are used to 15, but adding two more changes things up a bit!  I think that I have seating figured out...maybe!  I "think" we have enough chairs...now...if we just have enough food and I can make as many pies as I am planning to make—five...but 4 at least...two pumpkin, one or two pecan, and one apple cranberry (the only one Woody can eat so that is being added to the usual pumpkin and pecan pies that I always make at Thanksgiving.  'Tis the season...to be cooking!

Ta-dah!!

The tree is finished...just in time for a tea party with two of my friends in the morning.  When I invited them, I told them that I might be still in the midst of a mess, but let's do it anyway! When we started planning it was going to be last week...and I knew that there was no way I would be finished then.  But when we ended up setting the date for tomorrow, then I knew that there was a possibility of being close to finished.  There are still a couple of insignificant things that I still want to do, but finished according to most folk's eyes!

Woody picked up his friend and took him to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine that his doctor had phoned in.  Other than that he has had a relatively quiet day...reading, puzzle solving, watching TV...

I finished decorating the tree last night before I went to bed.  But I couldn't face taking the empty boxes upstairs.  So I got up before school and got all those boxes upstairs and back into the Christmas closet.  So the puzzle of repacking the Christmas closet has begun. That is quite a job which was always Woody's contribution to the Christmas decorating and undecorating!  But would not be an easy job for him balancing on his walker...just saying!  Now that the tree is done, I would just like to sit herein the living room and look at it and sip Christmas tea!  But guess there are a few things to bed one before the tea party in the morning...not much but always something "else" that needs to be done...usually right up till the guests arrive!  'Tis the season!

Almost!

The tree is soooooo close to finished.  I am on the last large box of ornaments some of which aren't going on the tree this year.  You can tell I'm not though if you note the stepladder is still on the side of the tree.  There are still some to go on towards the top of the tree so the stepladder is there to help me get to those branches.  All the neighbor grandchildren have hung at least one or two ornaments on the tree except for Graham and Abigail.  I almost got Graham to hang at least one, but found out that he had a school deadline so told him he didn't have to!  Abigail is busy with her cheesecakes.  She is making cheesecakes as a money raising project for their mission trip to the Philippines.  I'll bet several of those will get baked in our ovens.

I had school this morning...normal Monday schedule.  Esther did another watercolor painting today.  She does enjoy her art!  Woody ran an errand this afternoon and then tonight went to the Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting.  He has just returned.  He has settled back into his recliner and is in for the night.  I am also in for the night and plan to hopefully finish the tree this evening.  'Tis the season!

Tree Decorating Can Commence!

A little before 7pm, I put the last branch on the tree.  Another decorating goal met—to have the tree together before I blogged this evening. Now I am going to have to leave it alone as I must finalize tomorrow's Sunday School lesson. I have had a busy day doing a little of everything,,,or so it seems at this point in the day.  With decorating comes cleaning...so the vacuum is out...vacuumed this morning so the place where the tree would stand would be clean.  Now I need to vacuum as there are tree "needles" on the floor near where I sat to shape the branches.  Then there were just everyday cleaning jobs...bathrooms, a couple of loads of laundry.  I have also been taking pictures of what I have decorated to this point.  Like I said...a little bit of everything.  Interspersed was looking up things for tomorrow's Sunday School lesson...now to get my thoughts gathered together and some notes down on paper!

Woody made his weekly trek to the public library.  After coming home from the libaray he has stayed in and kept busy reading some of his new books and watching football on TV.  At the moment he is "resting his eyes!"

Almost Tree Time

Angels on High

As of about fifteen minutes ago, I cleared the last item off the dining room table, removed the table pad, and placed the Christmas center piece on the table.  Took the last of th decoration boxes upstairs to the hallway to await being put back in the Christmas closet till after Christmas (till whenever I get the energy to put away Christmas).  The last box on the couch in the living room is also upstairs again.  The only boxes that remain downstairs are the ones that have Christmas tree ornaments in them.  That means that it is time to start carrying down the branches for the tree.  I no longer drag the box downstairs as the box has seen better days and if I drag it too much it will just fall apart.  Leaving it in the Chiristmas closet works best and just taking the tree downstairs several pieces at a time works, too.  It is quite a it of climbing up and down the stairs, but I'll take the extra steps for the tree...about the favorite for me of all our decorations.  I have really enjoyed decorating this year...maybe because I didn't decorate last year?  It's good to see all my "old friends" (the decorations) once again!

Besides working on getting things packed away, I did some cooking.  I made Woody's salad dressing and also made him cookies, a recipe that I hadn't made before, pineapple cookies.  They have a small can of crushed pineapple in them.  I also put away groceries when WoodyngotWoody back from doing our weekly shopping.

Woody got our groceries at Kroger, brought them home, and then headed off to run errands with his friend who has no transportation.  I think that Woody said that they went to five stores today.  I know that he was gone for more than three hours.  This evening he has been watching his Friday evening news shows.

The kitchen is cleaned up except for rinsing off the cookie sheets and since I used parchment paper there isn't much cleaning for those...just wiping them off really...they may just sit there till the morning.  I'm rather tired this evening.  I'm not even sure that I have the energy to start the tree limb trek...though it would be nice to have the branches all sorted and awaiting to be put in the "trunk" in the morning.  But I think that I may need to be fresh for those up and down treks.  I might even be able to get some help with taking them down if I wait till tomorrow.  The kids make a pretty good tree brigade and enjoy sorting out the sizes of branches.  In the past I have shaped the branch and they had dropped them in their places until they can't reach any note.  We'll see if this year is a solo effort or a group affair!  "Tis the season!"

Still Whistling a Decorating Tune!

Tonight, I think, that it is safe to say that what remains of the current decorating progress is to put away the rest of the everyday decorating times in the boxes from which I took out Christmas decorations.  Now...that isn't to say that the decorating is totally finished...I, of course, still have the tree...a major job ahead of me still.  And, I will be doing a little more in the family room as it gets closer to the Sunday School party day.  Since the family room is pretty much Woody's room these days, I won't subject to him to too much on bathroom counters and his desk tops till closer to company coming!  All I am doing at the moment in the family room is the fireplace end of the room...tonight's first picture and the shadow box.  I will put a picture of the shadow box at the end of the blog.  I am pleased with my progress.  If I have enough energy once I am finished with the blog and wash a few dishes by hand after I blog, then I will continue to pack things up and clear off the dining room table and get the box off the living room couch.  Once those things are packed up and taken up to the upstairs hallway then I will be ready to start bringing down the tree.


Woody has mainly done his usual daily routine today.  He did go out for a little while to run a couple of errands.  He went to the Credit Union and got gas.  Two things to mark off his list of errands tomorrow.  We haven't decided, but I may do part of the grocery shopping tomorrow.  I have a couple of cooking items that I need that Woody may be challenged to find and/or know what I am wanting!  I am supposed to put ingredients on our grocery list for the pies that I am going to make for Thanksgiving...trying to start gathering in for our family feast so the shopping task prior to Thanksgiving won't be so daunting!  He found all the ingredients for our Autumn Salad (gelatin salad) last week.  It can sometimes be hard to find the canned dark sweet cherries for this salad, but he was successful as well as finding the two flavors of jello that I need. A good start to finding ingredients! I also want to put the ingredients on the list for the yeast bread that I make to use in our dressing/stuffing.

This afternoon besides putting the last touches on some of the decorating, I stopped long enough to make a couple meatloaves (one for supper and one for the freezer for future supper).  And, made a squash dish that Woody likes.  Most of the dishes are in the dishwasher but there are still a couple of things that I need to wash by hand so I will go do that and then see where my energy level is after that.  Here is the family room shadow box...I only have one shadow box to decorate this Christmas as I didn't put the other one back in the kitchen after the remodel.

Same Song Another Verse

I have gotten a lot done today toward decorating.  Dealt most of the day with angels, trees, and snowmen!  Tonight's photo shows the Town Carolers gathering at the church before they go out to sing carols around town!  I am getting close to being finished with the general decorating of tables, mantels, shelves, counters, China cabinets, etc.  I am hoping that by the weekend I will be ready to work on the tree.  So far most of the mess is in the upstairs hallway and on the dining room table.  I do have a couple of boxes on the couch and loves seat in the living room.  I'm going through those boxes to see what I need to get out of them finish up.  I finally got to do more on top of the china cabinet as I had been waiting till I found the really tall angel that goes way in the back.  I didn't want to have many angels in the front that I would probably knock over in the process of getting her positioned.  I finally unearthed her just a little while ago so she is in place and I can finish up placing the other angels now.

I forgot to mention yesterday that Woody got busy in the kitchen...oh, my!  He decided to make pumpkin pudding for the neighbors (Nathan, Kathy and family).  Of course, he no longer knows where a lot of things are in the kitchen!  I helped him find things to keep him from rifling through drawers too much!  This was the first time that he made pumpkin pudding when Joseph could eat it.  He seems to be getting over his egg and milk allergies.  Joy brought the dishes back today and said that it was really good.  They hadn't had Goosey's (Woody's) speciality in quite a while.

Today Woody had to go to the oncology office here in town for labs.  They had to check because they had changed the strength of his anemia shot.  After he got that done, he headed off to pick up his friend to take him to the doctor.  So it was a "going-to-the-doctor" morning for Woody.

It wasn't exactly the day that one wanted to head out early.  It was very cold...in the teens.  It's not supposed to get as cold tonight.  I made one trip out today.  Donna and I worked in the library for s while today...mainly maintenance which included straightening the books on the shelves.  We did that and called it quits. I made a book order the other day so we will have some new books to work with shortly.  But it is getting that time of the year that we will be skipping work days because of the approaching holidays.

I will publish tonight's blog and then head downstairs and clean up the kitchen from supper preparation and then maybe place a few more angels, snowmen, or trees before I call it a night.  Woody is reading and perhaps watching TV...typical evening activities in our household.

Fall Met Winter!

Well, we did get "some" snow in the night.  I looked out one time and it was really coming down.  We ended up with a dusting.  When I snapped this picture out our bedroom window this morning, I didn't realize that I got a little munchkin from next door in the photo.  I guess he was out checking out the "snow."  Pretty cold!

Today I had a usual day of school.  Elijah had his long time and he requested that we make him another machine embroidered bookmark as he had lost the one he made some time back.  We have been doing a study of volcanoes, but set that aside for this week.  Since he got me going on the sewing machine, I ended up making another Christmae ornament this afternoon rather than doing much decorating.  I let the children add to the decorations today. They came over this afternoon.  The crowd for putting out the Fisher Price nativity has dwindled!  Only four of the neighbor seven set it
up this time.  Esther came over, but she decided to do some of her work in her school art class which she needed paints for.  So Joy was the leader of the Nativity crew this year.  They set it up differently than they have before.  And, so far no camels in the trees!  I'm sure it will be rearranged many times over the Christmas season.  Woody and I just tried to stay warm today and stayed inside as much as possible.  I did have to go out to take the trash can to the road...got the mail that trip and other than that we didn't open the door ourselves, though children did come and go!  'Tis the season!

Decorating, cont.

The Carolers and I are on the same wave length!  They are decorating and so am I!  They are having a tree decorating party, I'm just a party of one decorating!  I feel like I am coming right along.  One side of the Christmad closet is emptied except for two boxes of tree ornaments and the tree.  That is a lot of boxes that I have gotten out and gone through.  Today I worked on the kitchen and the family room mantel and the top of the china cabinet.  I have also packed away some of the everyday items so the dining room table isn't quite as covered...though there's still a lot to box up to store till after Christmas.

I had a usual Monday morning for school.  Esther painted during her long time.  Today she painted a neat picture of a flamingo.  She looks through ideas that I have saved on Pinterest that are stored in a folder for her for watercolor ideas.  Sometimes she watches videos on "how-to" paint something and other times she just looks at a picture of a painting and then creates her own take on what she sees.  She's quite a good little artist.  Over the weekend she had her first experience with the Civil Air Patrol in flight.  She got to make three flights in a glider plane!  She said that the first two were at 2000 feet and the third was at 4000 feet.  She told me that she likes flying!  She got to control the plane part of the time, though her instructor landed all three times.  She said on the last flight her instructor asked her if she wanted to go on a roller coaster ride.  She was game and she said that they went way up high and then came way down low.  She also said that he banked the plane way over on its side!  I'm glad that it was Esther and not me...there is just no daredevil in me!!

Woody did his usual in the morning...worked at the computer, did his crossword puzzles, read and watched some TV.  A little after lunch he headed off to take his friend to a doctor appointment.  This time the appointment was here in town, but it still took quite a while.  After supper, Woody headed off to church for the Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting.  He is now home.

Sounds like the rain has gotten to us.  We have a big weather change coming with this rain.  It is supposed to make a big drop tonight and then not get very far out of the freezing range tomorrow.  Then overnight tomorrow, it is supposed to drop into the teens...not sure that I am ready!  I've heard that before this over we could get a frozen mixture of precipitation...but I'm sure no accumulation...perhaps it will be seen on cold surfaces...leaves, etc. But shouldn't bring about hazardous driving.  Staying in tomorrow so whatever it brings I will be okay with it!  Plan to stay in and attempt to keep warm...and hopefully get even farther with the decorating!  'Tis the Season!

The Carolers Gather Once Again!

I was determined to unearth all the
Byers' Carolers prior to writing the blog tonight and I successfully met that goal just a few minutes ago.  One box eluded me, but I found it about the time that I was going to give up.  Tonight's photo shows all my Williamsburg Carolers.  They have gathered outside some of the Williamsburg homes (one of my Williamsburg photos hangs behind them as a backdrop).  The shopper on the candle stand hasn't quite made it to the group!  She's got the goose for Christmas dinner along with a cone of sugar, candles, bread and other wrapped items that I'm sure she got at Tarpley's dry-goods store.  More Caroler scenes to come in future blogs.  The shelf in the bookcase under the Carolers will have Williamsburg books and other memorabilia before I am finished.

Once again, I have done a variety of things from steam cleaning one of the ovens after I cooked a turkey breast.  There is a load of wash that needs to be taken out of the drier and put away.  I have read a little and done a lot of climbing up and down the stairs and rifling through the Christmas closet.  Boxes are stacking up...both empty and still full ones. The angels are starting to show up along with the snowmen.  Nathan helped me get my grandfather's USS Constitution model upstairs to a safe spot till after Chritmas.  That is a two person job and I felt that it was probably one that Woody didn't need to do.  Getting the ship off the mantel let me clear it to get ready to turn it into a forest for snowmen.  I dusted the top of the china cabinet grtting it ready for the angels on high.  I also found all the boxes of the Fisher Price Nativity that goes on the coffee table along with the special fitted cloth that goes on the coffee table.  So that is ready for the children to get it out and set it up.  Usually we do it on Thanksgiving but I think that I will let them do it earlier this time.  I imagine that it will be mainly the younger ones who are interested in setting it up, but we will see!  I know that Erin and Alex won't mind their Dorrell cousins setting it up.  I'm anxious to get the tree up.  I missed having it up last year.  I found boxes and boxes and boxes and...of ornaments that are stacking up awaiting me unearthing the tree in the Christmas closet.  It is on the very bottom of one side of the closet.  It will be a while before I get to it.  I usually do the tree last after everything else is decorated.  The spot is ready for it whenever I get it ready to assemble and  decorate it.

Woody went to the public library this morning and has been reading and watching football...most of the time the footage game was on mute and he just kept up with it by looking at scores on the screen.

We are both settled in for the night.  I'm going to look over the Sunday School lesson that I am teaching tomorrow morning.  I think that I am through with the decorating for the night.  Woody must be reading as he has the TV off...so it is quiet around here.  Today was the first time that I turned on Christmas carols,,,I needed to get in the mood to decorate!  'Tis the Season!

Friday Happenings

One of main things that happened today was that the honeycomb shades got hung in the sunporch.  They arrived a couple of weeks ago and we had been waiting for Nathan to hang them.  He had to put off this job just a bit as he burned his hand and arm in one of his juggling programs after juggling flaming torches.  He has a fireproof cloth on the stage when he juggles that he wraps the torches in so they go out.  Unfortunately this time some of the fuel must have gotten on the cloth and it ignited when he was attempting to put the torches out.  He had to head down the church aisle with it burning to keep from something catching on fire in the church.   He said that he was sure that someone would oopen the door for him!  He got 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his right hand and lower arm.  He made one trip to his doctor and was given some medicine.  But in the end he had to go to a wound care facility here in town to get them finally to heal up.  He still has to be careful not to hit his hand on things and scrape it...his arm is more protected from bumps.  But he was able to get the shades up today.  We are glad to have them up as some pretty frigid temperatures are heading our way.  We are pleased with them.  We've never had these windows covered in the 35 years that we have lived in this house.

Woody headed off in the cold this morning to do our weekly grocery shopping.  I made a trip outside to experience the cold after he got home, when I brought the groceries in the house.  He later headed off to run errands with his friend and was gone several more hours.

I have done a little of this and a little of that throughout the day.  I put groceries away, I moved furniture around getting the living room ready for the Christmas tree.  I have put a few more Christmas around the house...so slowly but surely the decorating is getting done.  I had to remove things from the sunporch.  After Nathan got the shades hung, then I dust mopped and then mopped the floor in that room and in the laundry room.  I made cookies that Woody can eat.  So our Christmas cookie jar now has a purpose...other than just looking cute in the corner!  I put part of the cookies in the cookie jar and the other part in the freezer so we can fill the cookie jar again.  I kept an eye on a couple of cheesecakes that Abigail baked in our oven.  She was baking multiples so needed our oven as well as theirs.  (She likes the way our oven cooks over theirs...she's wishing that they would get a new oven!)  After all the baking I decided that the kitchen also needed to be mopped so did that.

It just seems like the day has gone by too quickly...there is still more that I needed to accomplish...but at least I did get some things done.  It's beginning to look a little more like Christmas, but still not there yet!

Trying to Focus!

Trying to focus on the Reason for the Season so decided that I would put out the Precious Moments nativity set.  It was easy to get to as it was one of the only things that I got out last year for decorations.  For those who follow closely there were two reasons that I didn't decorate last year...we had Esther's cat, Georgia, rehabbing in our house and the kitchen was supposed to be done after the first of the year (and, it did get done after the first of the year...just not till summer!  I was already emptying the kitchen cabinets  so I would be ready for the remodel.  So I only did a minimal amount of decorating.  We even borrowed a tree from Nathan and Kathy and children so we would have a tree (children came up with the solution of borrowing their small tree) for our Christmas family celebration.   Thus I am a bit out of practice for decorating having missed a year!  The nativity was a good place to start!  The Nativity is Woody's favorite of our decorations.

It has been a dreary, rainy day as a cold front approaches.  The temperatures have been dropping throughout the day.  It is supposed to get rather cold over night and I think I heard it predicted that it will be in the teens for a low in a few days.  Woody and I both stayed in and kept warm and dry today.  I did have school this morning.  It was Isaac's long time with me.  He is continuing to learn about simple machines.  He moved on to axles today and built a well and was able to have a "bucket" go up and down by turning the axle that he built.  He made a couple of adaptations to the  instructions...perhaps I am seeing a future engineer coming out in him?  He is very determined to get things to work correctly...sticks to tasks very well.

The Storm Before the Calm!

It looks like a tornado tore through our living room!  I decided that I needed to wash the windows before I got  very far in the Christmad decorations.  Once the tree is up there is no way to wash two of the windows.  There is another cold front coming through so I wanted to get them done before it got cold again and today was a beautiful day.  I came home from working in the church library and got going...had to light a fire under me as it gets dark so early these days.  I managed to get all four windows washed inside and out.  I washed outside (our windows do fold into the house so washing outside doesn't mean going outside) of the windows first since I knew that I could wash the inside tomorrow and not have to open the windows.  Then I wiped out the sill part that is exposed to the elements...again a job that had to be done with the window open.  After that all the work could be done with the windows closed.  I also ran the curtain panels through the dryer on an air only cycle...they needed a good dusting.  They are now all hanging back up.  Quite a job...but glad to have it done.  The items on the couch are the shades for the sun porch.  I'm hoping that Nathan can work on those on Friday.

Woody had an appointment to get his anemia and B-12 shots today.  He gets those here in Tullahoma at an oconology office.  He was gone quite a while.  It took a while because they wanted to up the dosage of his anemia med and had to get it approved by Woody's insurance.  On his way home he stopped for a hair cut.  He spent quite a bit of time outside today, picking up sticks in the yard.  He wanted to get that job done before rain returns tomorrow.  He spent some time sitting on the porch resting before picking up more sticks.

Last night I spent time in the sewing room putting threads away and getting surfaces cleared off from my last Christmad sewing efforts...just so I can mess it up again as I work on more.  But it is nice to have things put away for a moment at least.  When I was embroidering Joseph's shirt, I kept knocking off embroidery thread spools so I knew that it was time to put them away before I got underway again.  I have a few projects in mind so will attempt to do them in the evening after I am played out from cleaning and decorating.  And, hopefully the living room will look more like the calm after the storm tomorrow!  I look forward to the calm aftermath once decorating is complete (complete is still a figment of my imagination!), but at least I am underway.

Blank Slates

Before coming upstairs to blog, I got the dining room table completely cleared off and then put on the table pad.  This is where all my "everyday" decorative items will collect till I have boxes to store them in till after Christmas.  When I empty Chirstmas decoration boxes I put everyday items in them to store till after Christmas.  I like to clear off the surfaces of tables, bookcases, etc. so when I find Christmas items I can just place them as I unpack them.  I like starting off with "blank slates," as I like to call these emptying surfaces.  I may clear off some more surfaces in the living room before I go to bed, but then I might not as I'm really dragging this evening.  I think that the time change is still 

messing with me.  

I had a usual Tuesday school morning.  Joseph was pleased to find his shirt all embroidered and ready for him on the school table when he came over.  I'm glad that I got that done last night.  I burned a little midnight oil to get it done...hmmmm...guess that could be another reason that I am dragging!

Woody headed off after lunch to visit one of the couples in his Deacon family care group.  He also went to the prayer room at church.  On the way home he stopped at the pharmacy to pick up some of his prescriptions.  

At this point in the day, I guess we are once again settled in for a quiet evening.  The kitchen is closed (meaning it is cleaned up and ready for tomorrow's cooking messes). I only warmed things today...a break from "real" cooking...so not a lot to clean up! The load of wash I did is put away.  I need to go into the sewing room, but not sure that is going to happen.  Reclining back and picking up one of my books is tempting...but I imagine I won't get very far in that endeavor either, as eyes will probably shut!  Woody is settled in his chair downstairs in front of the TV with a book in his lap.  I'm sure that both our bodies are saying it is later than it is on our clocks!  Even Esther's cats are confused.  I fed them for Esther over the weekend and I usually feed them at 4:30.  When I went out today at 3:30 to take the garbage can to the road, they came running trying to convince me to feed them.  I told them they had to take their hunger up with Esther!  The last I heard she was trying to explain to them about the time "falling back!" Don't think they were interested in the reason!  

Is It Time for Bed Yet?

It is so hard to get used to a time change!  I keep looking at the clock thinking that it is later than it is and then I realize that it really is later according to the time that my body had been on for almost nine months.

The decorating is going along slow!  I have the Christmas cookie jar out and then found the above arrangement in the Christmas closet last night.  I got it out of its box and fluffed it today.  As I was doing that I wondered if I might like this on the rolling island.  This a new arrangement that Cheryl,
my sister, gave us last year.  I didn't get it out of the box last year since I didn't decorate except for a few things so this arrangement is brand new in my Christmad decorations collection.  It always takes me a while auditioning new things to find just the right place.  It may end up staying here in the kitchen, or I might use it as the centerpiece on the dining room table. I won't be able to decide about the dining room table till everything is finished as I use the dining room table to put things while I am decorating.  There is also a possibility that it could go on one of the end tables in the living room.  I took tonight's photo with the flash so the sparkles could be seen on the arrangement.  It is called a "frosty pine" arrangement.  You should see all the frosty glitter on the floor where I fluffed out the branches.  Guess that calls for a bit of vacuuming before we track it everywhere!  The glitter is reminiscent of cards Cheryl used to send filled with confetti...those unaware could make quite a mess!  Do you think that she planned this?!?

Speaking of the dining room table, I did get all the fall decorations packed up and put away.  I did that yesterday.  Today I had school, cooked and did a little decorating.  I made two pots of soup—chicken noodle mainly for Woody and potato for me, since he can't have most of what is in the potato soup.

Yesterday Woody did cut up the pumpkin and peeled it.  I cooked it and puréed it.  We have a LOT of puréed pumpkin now...lots of possible pies...or maybe pumpkin bread.  I still have to freeze it in two cup portions.  I had to get some broth out of the containers that I need for the pumpkin.  I used broth in both soups so that emptied out a couple of containers.  Those containers are in the dishwasher and will be ready to freeze pumpkin when the dishwasher is finished.  I also baked/roasted the pumpkin
seeds.  Since Woody can't eat pumpkin seeds I decided to add a little sea salt to them.  They are pretty good...I still prefer sunflower seeds...but usually avoid those because they have so much salt on them and I'm not supposed to overdue in the salt department, either.  I figured it would be okay on these few pumpkin seeds!

Woody headed out after supper to go to the Monday Night Furnacr Room Prayer Meeting.  He hasn't gotten home yet.  Once he is home we will batten down the hatches and settle in for a quiet evening of reading, TV, or...Oh, just remembered that I guess I need to go back into the sewing room and embroider a monkey on one of Joseph's shirts.  I told him today that I would do that before tomorrow.  Guess I will be doing a bit of machine embroidery this evening and then get back to my book, oh, and go finish up in the kitchen.  Almost everything fit into the dishwasher after my cooking spree, but there are a few stragglers that need to be done by hand.  Woody just came home so I guess we are both in for the evening.  Surely it is almost 9pm...but, no, it only almost 8pm.  Time change makes the time seem to slow down...at least for the first few days of getting used to it.

It's Begun!

This morning while Woody was at the library, I headed into "his" room (the family room) and vacuumed the hearth well.  Found several spider webs!  Imagine that!  Then I decided that I would do a little more "insulating" before I put down Mr. Snowman.  I got a large piece of quilt batting and placed it on the hearth for snow...but actually to block more of the cold air that filters through the fire place door vents and cracks.  Then I put down Mr. Snowman and some of his friends.  I knew that I wanted the red tin tree that Mother gave me her last Christmas (I have three different sizes and colors, but wanted the red tin one in the kitchen since it is what I consider "barn red.").  I knew that these trees are at the front of the Christmas closet so could put my hands on them and get the red one for the kitchen.  I had been picturing it in the kitchen since I started thinking about Christmae decorating.

Do you notice that in both pictures that there is something that isn't Christmas?  Fall is still in both of them.  In the kitchen you will note the large pumpkin.  The Hasty's stopped by this afternoon and 

gifted us with the pumpkin.  They used it on their front porch and we're through with it and knew that we cook pumpkins so offered it to us...and I couldn't pass up their offer.  Woody says that he will peel, degut, and cut it up tomorrow after church.  I will then cook it and purée it with the food 

processor. I think that Woody thinks that his job is messier than the cooking part!  But both are pretty messy.  Looks like we will have fresh pumpkin for our Thanksgiving pies.  I will freeze the pumpkin in batches the right size for pies...looks like there are quite a few pies in our future.  Woody also makes pumpkin pudding that he enjoys taking over to the neighbors (Nathan, Kathy and family).  The children love it...especially if he includes some Cool Whip!  In the family room picture, there is still a Halloween card from my sister on the mantel.  So there is still a little Fall around...for a bit anyway!  The dining room table is full of all the pumpkins...have to get those put away next.

I am tired!  It has been a busy cooking, cleaning, decorating day.  I stewed a chicken, deboned the chicken, made chicken stock, made sweet red pepper sauce, and made a meatloaf.  I came upstairs to sit for a while and rest and while resting write the blog.  I have cleaned up the kitchen several times and it needs to be done again.  I have the dishes stacked waiting for me to unload the dishwasher from the load I ran earlier in the afternoon.  I still have to finalize tomorrow's Sunday School lesson. 

Woody went to the library this morning.  He also made a stop at the hospital to visit with a church member.  Saturday is Woody's day, as a member of the deacon visitation committee to visit any church members who are in the local hospital.  

Tonight we turn our clocks back.  I have already done our clocks, so now I am very confused as to what time it really is!  Do I go by today's time or tomorrow's?!?   I had changed them before 6pm today's time and it was already dark by 5pm tomorrow's time!  But it will be light earlier in the morning at 6:30 whereas today it was still dark!  An even trade-off?  Woody's melanoma doctor said that he would be glad for the time change as he doesn't like arriving for work in the morning when it is still dark.  Everyone has their feelings about the time change.  I know that many of my friends don't like this time change because they don't like it to get dark so early.  Of course my reason to be happy about this time change is that I move an hour closer to my sister and Arizona family members.  One hour difference is so much easier to manage than two when trying to make telephone calls.  I favor this time change...but they no longer give us a full six months of this one which I don't think is fair!!i guess I will enjoy it for the time we have. In a few more hours I will have moved an hour closer to my sister!