Day 6 of the 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

A Nativity designed by the artist, Kinka. This nativity was gifted me by my favorite/only sister, Cheryl.

Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

Tonight's nativity items, again, remind me of friendship first as the Hasty's gave us both of these Nativities. The music box plays "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem." The Lenox collector's plate is from Lenox's Nativity Vignettes: The Holy Family. Besides friendships all our Nativity scenes make me think back to the years that our church put on a Living Nativity/Night in Bethlehem. It was quite a production. I was part of the costuming when the production began. It was our church's gift to the surrounding communities. We had an actual bustling town of Bethlehem...vendors, tax collectors, animal keepers and all sorts of live animals...including camels and of course the actual Nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, Wisemen, shepherds, etc. We also had performances by area church choirs, musical ensembles, monologues, and Nathan, Kathy and family put on a Christmas juggling performance. I hear often that it is missed. It became a tradition to attend for many families in the areas. Today was pretty much a usual Saturday dialysis day. When I got home from taking Woody to dialysis, I ate breakfast and completed my grocery list, then headed off to Kroger. I scooted through the store pretty quickly...trying to keep a low-key profile!!! The only comments that I got were from store personnel. One of the men in the meat department asked if I was okay. I assured him that I was and that this is what Grammy looks like when she gets run over by a reindeer...that brought a laugh from him. Then the long-time employee who checked me out commented on my "bad boo boo!" I will be so glad when this finally goes away! I will add a current photo of my boo boos at the end of tonight's blog. My bruises are getting better, but just not quickly enough! We have both had a lazy Saturday afternoon and evening. I know that I napped when I meant to be cross stitching...maybe I will get a few stitches in this evening. I did cook a ham after I got home from the grocery store. We haven't had a ham in I don't know how long...and probably shouldn't have this one. BUT...frugality took over my decision making at the grocery story. I decided that I wanted to make our Ham Barley Soup recipe which calls for a left-over meaty ham bone or ham hocks. I told myself that I should buy hamhocks so we wouldn't be tempted with wanting to make all the yummy ham recipes that I have loved to make over the years, but have stopped making because of not needing such a salty meat as ham. But when I could get a bone-in portion of ham for only $3 more than two ham hocks with not much meat...I just had to go the ham portion route. I plan to portion the ham out and freeze a lot of it and eat it over a period of time so neither of us will get a salt overload! I did have a half a ham sandwich for lunch. Woody chose another of the leftovers in the fridge. My other indulgence that I am going to "allow" us to have is a favorite New Year's tradition: Mississippi Caviar...a yummy concoction of black-eyed peas, jalapeños, onion, roasted red peppers, garlic and Italian dressing that you scoop up with Fritos scoops...again, I am only making a portion of the recipe so we won't overindulge! But I figure that Woody needs a treat once in a while! He sounded interested when I told him that I had gotten the ingredients. I am going to put that together before I go upstairs tonight so the flavors can meld together. This way we will have black-eyed peas on January 1, 2024...or, my...about time to make my mind think of a new year number! Woody has enjoyed football on TV today. So we are having a good ending to 2023...just sort of being lazy! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...still!

Day 4 of 12 Days of Christmas

Tonight's nativity is in the form of a bell...it is very pastel in color so a bit hard to see...but the nativity scene runs around the whole bell...Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, sheep, shepherd's, and Wosemen. The angel plate at the back is, I believe, a Hadley pottery piece from the M.A. Hadley Pottery of Louisville, KY. The two little carolers are tree ornaments that I chose to use as decorative pieces...there is a third caroler who resides on the tree. The Hasty's gave me the bell many years back, a co-worker from Montessori school gave me the plate, and my favorite (only) sister, Cheryl, gave me the caroler orhaments. So memories of longtime friendships, my teaching yeats, and family when I look in this window of our china cabinet! Today was a busy day of appointments and luckily I took a snack for Woody to eat between appointments as we didn't have time to go home in between. So for Woody...he left the house at 10:30am and didn't return till 3:30pm. First he had a wound care appointment. Everything is status quo with that appointment. I think that they were more interested in my "wounds" than Woody's this time! The nurse did give me some free samples of a type of bandage that is recommended for bruises. She suggested that I try it on the main bump on my forehead. After that appointment, we got in the car and I drove through the hospital parking lot and before going out onto the street that we take to go home, I turned left before getting to the street and drove right into the parking lot of TN Oncology. I parked and got him into the waiting room and signed in and then I headed back home to await a call telling me that he was finished. That appointment takes about two hours. I came home and ate lunch and did a couple of things before it was time to go back to get him. When I got him home, he ate and decided that he would lump that meal in as supper, too, since it was so late. Today can pretty much be chalked up to being taken up with those two appointments. Now we are watching the weather...it might snow over night...hoping that it will only be a dusting...or less...and, NO ice! I guess we will see what we wake up to in the morning! I am counting on it being a safe drive to dialysis!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...still! I did sit for a while and just enjoy our Christmas tree this afternoon while I waited to be called to pick Woody up...so still enjoying the season!

Day 3 of 12 Days of Christmas

This part of the shelf in the china holds several memories. The little angel on the left was given to me by a Montessori student...so takes me back to my 27 years of teaching and all the children who came through our school in those years! I have many ornaments on our tree from them, also. I still refer to these students as "my children." And, will have to clarify that I am referring to a Montessori child and not my own biloogical children! The cross stitch nativity in the front was done when I first started cross stitching. It was done from the first cross stitch pattern book that I bought. I had stitched this little manger scene on small count fabric for ornaments. And, then decided that I wanted to stitch it larger for this antique frame that Woody's parents gave to me. The nativity in the back is another of my cross stitch pieces. This is a rendition of a Ted De Grazua nativity painting. De Grazia was an Arizona artist. I really like his work...Woody not so much. This way I can have a little of it, but there isn't a lot of it around the house! I stitched this from my ony first cousin. When she passed away, it came back to my house. The Lenox angel is their 1998 angel ornament. She is one that I pointed out to Linda yesterday as she and Doyle gave it to me way back in 1998. She is an ornament, but I like her to be on display in the china cabinet. I have several Lenox pieces in the cabinet so it seems only right for her to have a special place in there! We got up and headed out early for dialysis...a safer trip that I had a week ago! I decided that today was going to pretty much be a do-nothing day...or as little as possible! I have read, finished listening to an audio book, stitched some on a sampler. paid bills, balanced the check book and little things like that...pretty much sat in my recliner with my heating pads! Woody had a nice treat yesterday, he received a package in the mail from a former co-worker, who reads the blog. He sent him a book on prayer and also a baseball crossword puzzle book. Woody says thanks, Greg! Greg and Woody are both big St. Louis Cardinal fans. Oncology called this morning and changed Woody's appointnent to two hours earlier. It is going to push his two appointments pretty close together. I think I will take him a snack to get him through oncology in case there isn't enough time to go home for lunch before his Oncology appointment. I'm heading down to do dressing changes and then I imagine that he will be getting close to ready to going to sleep for the night. I hope to stitch and read a little more before going to sleep tonight, though I am tired so who knows...what I will or won't do this evening! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...still!

Day 2 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

Tonight's manger scene is appropriate for the day, as you will see as I proceed with today's happenings. This glass manger scene of Mary and Joseph and Baby Jesus in the manger was givrn to us many years ago by our dear friends, Linda and Doyle. There are two glass angel ornaments that I added to the scene. It resides this Christmas in the spot with other of our glass pieces. The plate in the background is the church of my childhood and the church Woody and I married in, First United Methodist of Glendale, AZ. We have had such nice day. We invited Linda over for an afternoon lunch of Christmas leftovers and Christmas goodies. The three of us ate in the dining room. After lunch, Woody headed back to his recliner and Linda and I looked at decorations...I pointed out the many she and Doyle had given us over the years. We looked at ornaments on the tree and I shared my memories about various ones with her. We had a very nice visit...the time just seemed to fly by. Before we knew it was time for her to head home before the sun went down. Such a nice post-Christmas celebration! Dialysis in the morning...so a normal Thursday for us. I received a phone message that the time may need to be changed for his oncology appointment on Friday. I nope not much earlier, since he has Wound Care late morning Friday. I attempted to call them back, but the office was closed for the day. I guess we will find out in the morning. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautioous! 'Tis the season!

Maybe I'm a little better???

Day 1 of 12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Memories

I have decided that I will continue Christmas memories until Ephiphany, January 6th. Thus today is Day 1 of the 12 days of Christmas. I decided that I will share various nativity pieces that I have collected over the years for the next 12 days. I'm starting in the china cabinet as I have featured different parts of nativities in each of the windows on each of the shelves in it. Tonight's is Precious Moments...other than what I have on display in the main Precious Moment's Nativity. The plate at the back has the Wee Three Kings on it. The small nativity is a piece from Precious Moments Sugar Town...I only collected this one piece from thqt set...just the tiny manjor scene for the town! My newest nativity Precious Moments is this sweet music box that was gifted to me this year by a dear friend. It plays "Oh Come All Ye Faithful." We had a really nice day yesterday with family...16 of us gathered and we gifted and feasted and visited. It was especially nice since Woody was able to be in the room with us rather than at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville, as he was last year! He slept well after all the festivities yesterday, but enjoyed being able to be in the midst of it all! He had dialysis this morning and I have been putting things back to rights today. Dishes have been put away and decorations that had to be moved so we could eat are almost back in place. Dish towels, table cloths, napkins, and new clothing items have been washed and dried and put away...so all in all we are in the midst of that "come back down to earth after Christmas" mode! I have napped and stitched and straightened things up...sort of slowly coming back to reality! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season...still!

Day 25: Christmas Memories

Memories of all the years that we have taken the family photo from our stairs! Merry Christmas 2023 from the Dorrells and Proctors!

Day 24: Christmas Memories

Can you believe that tonight is Christmas Eve?!? Tonight's memory ornament has been on our tree for many, many years. When I look for ornaments to add, I try to choose something that has to do with interests of our family. We all love to read and at Christmas one of the traditions was to read Christmas stories at bedtime...or any time. Each year I added a new Christmas book to our collection. I continued to add new Christmas books over the years for the grandchildren. So I was pretty happy when I found this tiny copy of The Night Before Christmas...and, the whole poem is in this little book! Today Woody and I both went to Sunday School and then came home to watch church on my iPad. I have been preparing for our family Christmas that we will celebrate in the morning. I have the Christmas pork chop roasts all put together and will cook them in the morning for our lunch meal. Everyone is planning to gather around 9am and go from there! I'm sure that big times will be had by all! My batteries are running down...still some more to do...maybe it will get done and maybe it won't! Family Christmas Celebration will happen whether I am ready or not! And, probably what I haven't gotten done won't be noticed! My eyes are some better, but still pretty black and the bruise has traveled down my cheek around the corner of my mouth. One of the things that I started doing yesterday is listen to an audio Christmas book while I am working around the house. I finished one and checked out another through the library app, Libby. I am enjoying listening to "feel-good" Christmas stories. Woody continues to do well. I think it is partially because he has started drinking more...thus not as dehydrated as he had been. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season! 'Tis Christmas Eve!

Day 23: Christmas Memories

Tonight's ornament memory is what we call now call "card balls." Mother, who introduced them called them story balls. The first picture is of one she made for us when the children were really little. She used cards that I had received as a child in this one. She told us that we could make up stories about the pictures. The children and I have made many card balls over the years...using all sizes of circles...so we have large card balls and some quite small ones made from circles the size of a dime. The two card balls in the next picture are probably made with about quarter-size circles. I used Melany's baby cards and made two card balls...one I gave to her and one I kept for our tree. The other one in the picture is made with Nathan's baby cards and I did the same thing...one for him and one for me. Woody had a good day at dialysis. He was very happy upon leaving knowing that he didn't go back till after Christmas. I have had a busy, busy day as we approach our Christmas Day celebration. Nathan came over and helped me do some "sonny-do jobs." I asked him to slice the two pork roasts into thick pork chops. I made a "roast" with the chops...I line them up on their sides in a loaf pan and put an apple stuffing in between each chop. I started making this recipe at Christmas back in the 90s and we hadn't had it in a while so we all decided that it sounded good to have this year. Nathan got our Christmas plates out of the cabinet. He also helped me take decorations that are on tables that we are going to eat on and put them on the sewing cutting table upstairs...so I have carolers and trees that have joined me this evening in my room! We moved the coffee table out of the way for Christmas morning. He helped me from having to make numerous trips up and down the stairs! He says that I look like a raccoon...and that is a pretty good description. I will try to remember to post a picture of the progresion of my balck eyes! The swelling is down and I can open that eye and can see! I'm still pretty rough looking! I needed to deliver a Christmas goodie to a couple of neighbors...I warned them in advance about my appearance! I made Cranberry Banana Bread this morning (what I gifted) and also made enchiladas for us. I still need to make Woody's sausage...I thought I was good till after breakfast tomorrow, but he decided that he wanted French Toast and sausage for supper so now no sausage for in the morning. I will at least get the ground pork and seasonings, etc. mixed together tonight. I may wait to actually cook the sausage till in the morning. My batteries are starting to run down! Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett would remind us! I am teaching Sunday School in the morning...hope they can focus on other things than my eyes!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 22: Christmas Memories

Tonight's ornament memory comes from some years back. I found these pretty hand-blown ornaments on a website and bought a set to give as gifts. I know I gave one to Melany and Wade and one to Nathan and Kathy and I kept one for our tree. I'm not sure where I gifted the others in the set. These ornaments were made in Poland (that is the tag that us still on the ornament). The neat thing about that is that Nathan, Kathy and family made their first mission trip to Poland that year. I'm pretty sure that I didn't know about them being made in Poland till after I got them. But a pretty ornament on the tree to remind us about their trip to Poland. I'm really none the worse for wear since my fall yesterday...except for the fat that my eye is very black and very swollen. I have mainly kept it shut today...viewing my world through one eye! I was surprised a few minutes ago, when I had my glasses off and looked in the mirror, that my other eye is getting black...surely it won't get as bad as the other eye is! The abrasions on the side of my face and forehead are looking better. I do have a bruise and sore place near my hairline. I have accomplished a few things inspite of my one-eyedness...all our gifts are wrapped and partially under the tree. When I go downstairs with nothing in my hands, I pick up one of the gifts and deposit it under the tree...so slowly but surely! I have gotten all the wrapping paper mess cleaned up in my room and have the sewing table pretty much cleared off so I can put Christmas decorations that are downstairs on tables that we need to use on Monday for our family Christmas lunch I am still having to use the rules "up with the good" and "down with the bad" for climbing the stairs. My left knee was very swollen by the end of the day yesterday. I have been using a heating pad on it off and on today. It is still a bit swollen, but not like last night. And, it doesn't seem as sore as it did yesterday...of course, I have been babying it! Woody has had a good and quiet day. He has been working extra crossword puzzles from his new puzzle book that he got for his birthday, Today we opened the gifts from my sister and he got another crossword puzzle book from her. So he is set for a while with plenty of puzzles to occupy his time. I will post a picture of the progression of my eyes. The picture tonight, I took when I discovered that my other eye was getting slightly black. But it shows pretty well how black the other eye is. What you are seeing is a lot of rolls of swelling in my eyelids. I will say that this morning when I woke up, I couldn't open my eye but the tiniest of a slit, but by this evening, I can open it more. It still feels better to just leave it shut! To be truthful, I sort of dread going about my usual routine in the morning...especially the part of getting things into the car! On the positive side, it is supposed to be warmer in the morning...so no car towels to remove and I will be extra careful about the uneven surface! Another positive is that from now, Winter solstice, till summer, the days will be getting longer...befor too long we will be heading out in the daylight once again! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 21: Christmas Memories

As you can see by the date on the ornament, tonight's tree memory was just from last year. Those who have been following my blog for a long time may recall that Woody was in the hospital at this time last year and had been since December 8. I stayed with him most of the three weeks that he was at Vanderbilt. As we approached Christmas, we watched some Christmas programming. One of those programs was about the company that makes the yearly White House ornament. Last year's was commemorating White House gingerbread houses. The program was interesting and it made me interested in getting one for our tree. Woody and I decided to order one...so from the hospital room this ornament was ordered and sent to our house. I decided that I needed to use a hospital memory as today, not Woody, but I made a trip to the hospital! I headed outside this morning a little before 6am to get the car ready for Woody...I put his cushion in the car seat that he is supposed to sit on...due to keeping from getting bedsores...which he got from that hospital stay last year...still battling keeping them away so he sits on a cushion wherever he sits...we have one for his chair and one for the wheelchair and we transfer one to the car and then to the dialysis chair, etc. I open the trunk in the ready for the wheelchair, and put his bag with a throw, his crossword puzzles, etc. and then I go to the driver's side and put my purse in and start the car on these cold mornings. This morning I had the additional job of removing the towels I had placed on the windshield and the back window so if there is frost, I won't have to scrape the windows! I got part of those tasks done. I had taken the towel off onee side of the windshield and was walking around to take the other one off and all of a sudden, I realized that I had hit an uneven place on the driveway and I was on the way down to meet the ground. I pretty much hit face first and my glasses took the brunt of the fall along with my face as my glasses finally slid across the driveway. I was so worried that they had broken...as I would not have been able to drive him to dialysis without them. I pretty easily got up...got in the car and started up the engine and then went back in the house to check out the damage and to get Woody into the wheel chair. I grabbed a washcloth and a bag of frozen peas and got him into the wheelchair and then into the car, the wheelchair into the trunk, and myself into the car. We were a bit late, but not all that much. His nurse for the day was standing in the door waiting for him when we got inside. I explained what had happened...though one look and it was pretty obvious! She insisted that I needed to go to the ER to be checked out. So I obeyed orders and drove over to the hospital...just a little ways down the road that dialysis center is on. They checked me out...CT scan and x-rays of both legs in the knee area. I checked out fine. Nathan ran my Walmart errand and then came to the hospital to check on me. He followed me home and saw me safely into the house. By the hour the eye and surrounding area has changed color...I have a pretty good shiner at this time. My face really doesn't hurt all that much. I am being careful with my knee as I go up and down the stairs. I remember that it is "up with the good" and "down with the bad." And, that gets me up and down the stairs with nexr to no pain. I'm now sure what I will look or feel like in the morning. But it could have been so much worse! Oh, and, when folk ask what happened...Nathan says to say that Grammy got run over by a reindeer! I will post the latest photo of the progression of my wounds on my face at the end of the blog. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Looks like I didn't follow my own advice today! 'Tis the season!

Day 20: Christmas Memories

Tonight I will go back to sharing ornaments that bring back memories of trips...note that I added an "s" to the end of trip! I think that just about my favorite place to visit is Colonial Williamsburg. Our first trip was with our children many years ago. Then Woody and I have made at least three other trips together and I made one other trip with the owner (my boss...she doesn't like me to refer to her as boss!) of the Montessori school where I taught for 27 years. The gold plated pineapple ornament I chose on one of my trips with Woody. Then the apple "tower" on the Williamsburg Christmas book, was one I purchased when I went with "my boss." The year that I went with Pat was for the Grand Illumination. On one of the trips with Woody I made arrangements with the museum to look at the samplers that they have stored in drawers out of the light...a white glov tour...a wonderful experience! The last time that Woody and I went to Williamsburg was after he was going to The National Instutes of Health (NIH). We made an overnight stop in Williamsburg and that time we arranged to stay in one of the historical homes that they use for visitors...another unique experience! I am enamered, I guess you could say, with the Colonial period of history...prerevolutionary time especially. I have read just about anything that I can get my hands on about Williamsburg...so when I am walking those streets, I feel like I am encircled in a history that I have been a part of! I would go again and again to Williamsburg, if I could! So when I see these ornaments that I purchased there, all sorts of wonderful memories flood through my mind! We have had a good day. Woody has stayed inside and enjoyed a crossword puzzle book that Melany gave him for his birthday. He has also enjoyed nibbling on various Christmas goodies...Jo's peanut brittle and then peppermint ice cream after he had a bowl of chili for supper. Maybe the holidays will add a few pounds to his too skinny body!!! I'm going to have my peppermint ice cream after I blog. I'm later because I had to change both dressings on his leg tonight and the dressings are done a bit differently now...not as easy as before, plus they have me putting on a leg compression sock type thing that is very long...from his foot to mid thigh...try getting that on smoothly! I am not good at that at all! They ordered new bandages for his lower leg dressing and the wrong size were sent...so I am improvizing as I don't think that the adhesive on the bandages are good for that part of his leg...we'll see if my way works! I need to get rid of some of the bandaging materials that have been accumulating...so using some of those till we go back next week...we'll see if they approve or not...it will depend on how his leg looks! I just think that I am irritating his leg more everytime I pull off the bandage that is stuck on with adhesives of some sort. I did my final grocery run prior to Christmas Day, I hope! I went to the Credit Union. In the morning, I will stop at WalMart after I drop Woody off for diaysis...then I hope to stay out of stores till after Christmas! I have done a little cleaning today. Since I wanted to run the vacuum in the kitchen after Woody's haircut last night, I just went on and gave the other downstairs rooms a lick and a promise vacuuming. Now to trudge the vacuum back upstairs where vacuuming is really needed. I have taken breaks today with just sitting and looking at the tree interspersed with a chapter or two in the new book that I'm reading. I have done a little straightening up here and there...trying to keep the downstairs Christmas ready so I don't have to do much just before Christmas morning. I have been planning how we will set up tables to eat lunch on Christmas. I will need to undecorate a little so we can use our old kitchen table, which is now in the living room and also remove things from the rolling island...and the biggest thing that I will need to do is remove all the medical stuff from the card table in the family room. We need the two tables to seat everyone and the island we will need to place food on. I need to get the rest of the gifts wrapped so I can clear the cutting table in my room...so I can put all the decorations that I am going to remove from said surfaces! What a mess I will probably create!!!! So far I am just thinking about the logistics for all this!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 19: Christmas Memories

And, who could forget Christmas 2020!?! I made quite a few masks (real size) during the pandemic and decided that would be the ornament that I made for so many that year...miniature masks with 2020 on them. That was some Christmas. We zoomed our Christmas gift opening with Melany's family and with Nathan's that year. Today has been a busy day. Woody had dialysis early and we didn't totally turn into popscicles! But it was very cold outside. Each time we went out today we were very glad to get back inside to warmth. I made Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup this morning and also did a library task so that the new book order would be ready for Donna and I to work on in the church library this afternoon. Donna and I met at the library for a couple of hours and have the books closer to ready to get them on the shelves. The next time we work, we should have them ready to be checked out. Late this afternoon Nathan stopped by with Woody's computer...it had been back to get fixed...again! This time it is virtually a new computer...all they used of the old one was the harddrive...which they replaced the last time. Fingers crossed it will work and he will be back in business and will be able to at least do Wordle each morning! The rebirth of his computer is my main gift to him for Christmas this year! I am hoping that this rebuilt one will be btter than the original one that I bought him for Christmas several years ago...that one has caused him a lot of grief! Will let you know if this one behaves better! Nathan helped me out by delivering some soup to a backdoor neighbor, This neighbor has been helping us with our yard and I wanted to thank him somehow and he told me when we talked that he would love some homemade soup somethime when I made it..so today was that day and Nathan carried it over to him for me. Nathan attempted to log on and see if the computer worked at least for him. It did so he was on his way. He stopped by after his day at work as a children's minister. He is enjoying being a part time minister. Kathy and Joy showed up a little while after Nathan left..."have scissors will travel," we can call Joy! She came armed with a bag of items needed to give Woody a much needed haircut. I rewarmed Woody's soup after they left (he had just started eating when they arrived) and I came upstairs to rest...fell asleep and am just awakening...wonder if this will make sense! To be continued! Be safe! Be weil! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 18: Christmas Memories

Tonight's memory will center around a trip that Woody and I took...well, a side trip when he was being treated at The National Institures of Health. On one of our trips to Bethsada, Maryland, we stopped at Orange, Virginia for a very special tour...a private tour of James and Dolley Madison's home, Montpelier. We arranged ahead of time for this tour. It was pouring rain that day and this tour was prior to regular hours. When we finally found the right gate to enter with the car, we were lead up to the house and escorted inside the house and had the most wonderful tour...just the two of us and docent. We learned all kinds of insider information...very fascinating. I think that the best part of it for me was being in the room where he wrote out his ideas for The U.S. Constitution...that room had a large window in it and the view was magnificent of the Blue Ridge Mountains...if the day had been clear. I am going to put in here the photo that I posted on Facebook back in 2012. Try to see if you can read what I typed under the picture as an explanation of how he came to figure out what needed to be in our Constitution. Anyway, this ornament is a very good memory of the fun part of the trip to go see doctors at NIH. Today is another memory of the fact that Woody is still with us to celebrate his 77th birthday...he has faced many a trial and challenge over the years. I think that he is about to enter his 16th year of dealing with 4th stage metestatic melanoma. He has spent most of the day resting under the warmth of the St. Louis Cardinal blanket (made by Nathan!)that Nathan and Kathy and family gave him yesterday for his birthday. I have had a busy day with Marie (one of my barn buddies and my Sunday School teacher) shopping for a family for Christmas. Tonight was prayer meeting...so it is good to finally settle into my chair! We will be facing extremely cold temperature when we leave for dialysis in the morning...we will need to bundle up...lower 20s! I already feel cold! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 17: Christmas Memories

Today's Christmas memory is more than just a Chrstmas memory. It includes celebrating a birthday...Woody's birthday. We celebrated with Nathan's family a day early. We had Cranapple Crisp and just plain ol' apple crisp (for all those who don't like lots of extras added in). Woody chose to open gifts first and then have crisp. We found a candle so we did it up right! There is one Christmas memory in the last picture. Isaac brought down the Fisher Price Nativity and they all had fun putting their creativity in setting it up...it has evolved into a balancing skill activity as they have grown older. They were wondering how long we had had the nativity. I told them that if they could find the Fisher Price Nativity ornament on the tree that they would know the year as I got the ornament the same year as we got the play nativity. It was found and discovered that we had had it since Esther was a baby and she is now 16. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season.

Day 16: Christmas Memories

Tonight's memory is a bit of a funny one...definitely one memory that I will never forget! This ornament is Mount Vernon, George and Martha Washington's home. I try to get an ornament when we visit historical sites. But the year that we visited Mount Vernon was a very, very hot day and none of the buildings had air conditioning...made it more realistic...right!? Well, by the end of the tour of the house, I wasn't feeling very well and was ready to go home and couldn't face the gift shop...which was also hot. So we left without me getting a momento. I had always been a bit sad that I hadn't gotten an ornament to represent visiting our first President's home. A few years down the road, Nathan was assigned to Washington DC when he was a US-2 missionary. I asked him if he ever went to Mount Vernon, would he please get me an ornament. He had a break while he was still in Washington DC...long enough to make a trip home. He didn't tell us, but came home as a surprise. He arrived in the middle of the night and came on into the house without us knowing it. The next morning, I went to his room to get something and he popped up from the other side of his water bed...he had slept on the floor because since we didn't know that he was coming home, the heater hadn't been turned on. The surprise probably aged me quite a few years!!! But I was so glad that I had gone down to his room, as Woody and I were about to leave to go to Melany and Wade's! So he came along with us. That trip he presented me with this ornament...so this ornament is a reminder of our trip to Mount Vernon, but also of a REALLY BIG SURPRISE! This has been quite the day. We got up early, as usual for a Saturday. We left the house about 6am. I dropped Woody off at dialysis and then I went to WalMart to get envelopes that we needed to finish sending our Christmas letters. I found what I needed at Walmart and then headed down the street to Kroger. I got there a little before they opened so sat in the car for a few minutes. Got my groceries and then went home to put them away. After getting them put away, I made a pot of chili, the easiest of the recipes that I planned to make. I left in time to stop at the Post Office to get some more stamps, ran out of those also! Woody wasn't ready when I got there so I talked with one of the patients who goes in right after Woody gets out. Woody came out and we headed home. I got him settled and then I headed upstairs to go to my Zoom Cottey Alum monthly book club meeting. When that was over I came downstairs to fix lunch...well, dish up the chili...all that was done before noon today! Needless to say, I was tired so took a few short dozes this afternoon. Then I had to face cleaning up the mess made when I made chili. I got a late start on dinner and I was making shrimp scampi and rice pilaf...a little fancier than our usual fare. I told Woody that since we were eating a little fancier than usual that he could consider it his birthday dinner...we can drag out the celebration a bit! Well, while I was cooking one thing and getting the next ready, I heard a knock on the door. It was Abigail and Payton...a surprise visit...I guess tonight's blog is about surprises! They had come into town to look for Christmas lights and decided to stop and see us. I think that Abigail couldn't wait to show off her ring! We had a nice visit...found out more about how he planned his proposal! We will get to see them again tomorrow as we plan to get together with Abigail's family to celebrate Woody's birthday, which is on Monday...see spreading out the celebration! After they left, I finished up cooking our supper so we ate a bit later this evening. I am ging downstairs after I publish this and finish cleaning up the kitchen. I have the dishwasher already running, but I need to wash the hand washed things and wipe off the counters. Then I guess I will gather the things together that I will need to make a big pan of apple crisp for tomorrow's celebration and I have a few more gifts to wrap that I want to take with me to church tomorrow. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 15: Christmas Memories

Today I just sat with a Christmas cup of hot cranberry juice and let lots of memories of Christmases past roll through my mind as I looked at our tree with the sun shining in on it. That was one of the things that I promised myself that I would do once I was retired and didn't have to head out the door early every morning...sit and relax and enjoy Christmas thoughts while sipping my morning tea (well, cranberry juice today). Today was interrupted by an appointment at wound care. It started earlier than usual and it ended up lasting longer than usual. We were taken right into a room, but didn't leave that room for almost two hours. They checked wounds and also got his brace readjusted. We will go back to see them in two weeks. They are just so nice in that office and also so knowledgable and the doctor and nurses work so well together...taking each others suggestions and running with them. Today's adjustment with woody's brace gives him less movement...less bending of his knee when he is wearing it...rather difficult to get him into the car! We'll see if it gets easier! I'd probably better add in a few couple of minutes in the morning for getting him in and out of the car as we head to dialyis in the wee hours! The appointment wore us both out. I know he dozed a little after lunch and I probably had a longer nap than he. Woody addressed more Christmas cards today...just a few to go...but more envelopes are needed as well as a few more stamps...two booklets of stamps didn't quite make it to the end of our Christmas card list. I guess one more trip to the Post Office will be needed before Christmas. I had hoped for only one! I hope that I can find the window where I don't have to stand in line very long! Both packages that I mailed on Monday have already made it to Alabama and Arizona...both were delivered yesterday. So I am happy that I got the packages off when I wanted to and that the mail is still moving quickly. I havea been working on our grocery list...which means trying to figure out what to cook for the coming week...I think that those decisions have been made. Now I'm just trying to get all needed ingredients onto the list. I will go first to Walmart in the morning after I drop Woody off and get the envelopes and anything else that I think of that we might need from there. Going a little after six definitely beats the crowd! I think that the timing of going there first will get me to Kroger as they open at 7am. That is why I am trying to have my list all made out tonight. Sometimes I come home after dropping Woody off and get the list finalized and then go back...but at the moment I figure I can use the time saved to do something else that I need to do to "get ready for Christmas!" To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 14: Christmas Memories

Tonight's memory ornaments date back to 1970...our first tree. That year we didn't have many ornaments at all (compared to our tree today!). We found this set of these ornaments...unpainted...I'm pretty sure we bought them at Sears...I'm guessing we ordered them from their mailorder catalog...or we might have found them when we went to an actual Sears store in Nashville...that part of the memory is hazy! But the fact that we painted these is not hazy. Melany was a baby and when we got her to bed at night, Woody and I sat at the table and painted these ornaments...18 of them. They have held up well over the years and still look pretty on the tree. Tonight we have additional decorations in our living room! See next photo!

Isaac and Joseph have joined us for the evening. Their parents and the older kids are out and about doing one thing or another...Christmas things. Two...well, really three have a Christmas party at the grocery store where they work. One, Esther, had another event that she needed to attend and will go to the other party if she is finished with her first obligation before the other is over! Busy lives. The reason that Esther is supposed to be two places at once is that she needs to go to a dinner honoring the volunteer of the year at one of her volunteer jobs, Horseplaly, horse therapy for special needs children. And...the volunteer of the year is...Esther! Proud of her. She is a hard worker and loves doing this. She also volunteers at a Vets office here in town...busy girl...along with school and chores and various interests!! I have had a busy day today...best job done was to get the Christmas decoration boxes back into the Christmas closet. Then the boys helped me put some things back on the top shelf in one of our closets. I climbed the stepladder and they handed me the things that I needed to put away...nice not to have to climb up and down the stepladder! I ran an errand before picking Woody up this morning and then ran a couple after I got him home...'tis the season. Plus today I needed to go to the Credit Union to find out if a call I had received was real or not...telling me that someone had tried to use my card to purchase something. We're still not sure if it was actually the Credit Union...it was their phone number that showed up on my phone, as I copied it down and took it with me. Or it might have been a phishing scam. But I think that the person I talked to thinks that perhaps I was talking with a newer employee who didn't know exactly how to handle such a call. I became concerned when she asked me for one of our "codes" to sign into our account and also the fact that she didn't block my card and tell me to go to the Credit Union to reactivate a card. Anyway, nothing untoward is going on with our account and I am keeping an eye on it...but not the type call that I wanted this morning! I have been cleaning up crafting items so I can make the next mess...wrapping presents! 'Tis the season! Woody has been a busy Santa's helper today...he is addressing our Christmas cards...that has been his "job" for years. Last year he did it, too, but his handwriting was rather shaky since he was so sick that some cards never made it to their destination nor did they find their way back here! So far I think that his handwriting is a little better this year! He has always had such nice handwriting that it is hard to see it a bit shaky. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season! Isaac and

Day 13: Christmas Memories

Tonight you are seeing the section of our tree that I call the grandchildren's baby photo gallery. the photo ornaments s-curve down one side of the tree with Erin, our oldest grandchild, at the top of the "line" and our youngest, Joseph, at the bottom. I think it's funny...oldest has the smallest frame and youngest has the largest! Always good memories when I look at this section of our tree! Memories of them when they were small and all through the years to the present! We have had a stay-at-home day. i got the Christmas letter written and also completed the last machine-embroidered ornament that I am gifting this year...two MAJOR accomplishments! Woody did his crossword puzzles eventually today...printer wasn't very cooperative printing them today! Woody also proofed our Christmas letter. Melany, Kathy, and I finalized our family Christmas plans today...day, time, and menu. So things are rolling along towards Christmas. I plan to work on getting gifts wrapped next...I don't want to be scurrying around Christmas Eve finishing my wrapping! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 12: Christmas Memories

So tonight's ornaments are memories of my love of sewing. I cross stitched the sewing Santa several years back (2006). The others were gifted to me. Don't you love the tree made from stacked buttons!?! It is the newest ornament hung on our tree...just hung it Sunday. Woody had a good day at dialysis...no alarms nor any problems with his blood pressure...signs of a good dialysis day! He has spent the rest of the day either in his recliner or on the couch. Donna and I worked in the church library this afternoon. We added a little Christmas to the window display of books by replacing the books that had been in the window with Christmas books. Melany, Kathy, Nathan and I have been working out kinks in our family Christmas plans...I think that maybe we have come up with a plan that will include "most" everyone...not easy to do as the family grows bigger!!! Speaking of our family growing bigger, I will post a picture of a very happy Abigail after last evening. She was proposed to in the midst of her financé's family's outdoor Christmas lights! He even had a neon sign that said, "Will you marry me?" Abigai was totally surprised despite the fact that all in her family knew of the plan since they were in on it and were there. The plan to get Abigail there was that Payton's family were having Christmas photos taken by a photographer and Abigail and her family were invited to be a part of the photo taking! It worked!

She looks happy doesn't she!!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Day 11: Christmas Memories

Tonight's memory centers around stamps...for one thing stamps used to be much cheaper than they are today!!!! Another memory that the stamp ornaments that hang on our tree remind me of is me collecting stamps since I think I was in 6th grade. My Grandfather Vrooman gave me his collection and I had great fun going through his stamps and transferribg them to my stamp book. We continued collecting for many years...after we married we continued my collection and only collected mint stamps. In recent years we sort of stopped once new stamps came out constantly...could hardly keep up with all the new ones. It used to be such a treat when a new stamp came out...The reasob that I chose a stamp ornament today was that I was successful in gettibg ny packages to AZ and AL mailed this morning and even managed to go at a time when there was absolutely no line. The only hold up was that the computer froze up when I got to the window so had to step to the next window. When I left there was a line, so I chose a very good time to go! I spent the afternoon doing machine embroidery ornaments...I have added three more. Since I have to sit right next to the machine while it stitches at 500 stitches per minute, I had to come up with things that I could do that would be productive! I balanced our checkbook, I made a book order for the church library, I paid our car insurance, I read a little, I got a start on writing our Christmas letter. Woody has had a relaxing day, since he didnt have to go anywhere. We were glad to not go to dialysis this morning as it was in the upper 20s. But we will feel the brunt of the temperatures in the morning as the low is supposed to be 23°. Brrrrrrr! I went to prayer meeting tonight. That is the reason that I am a bit late ib psting. BUT the BIGGEST reason for not already posting is that I found a very exciting tezt from Abigail which was only a photo. But there was a very shiny ring on her ring finger and she was smiling very big!!!! Still absorbing the news. I was especting it, but it is still hard to realize that Abigail is engaged! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 10: Christmas Memories

These ornaments remind me of Christmas Eve Candlelight services...both at the church that I grew up in and our present-day church. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 9: Christmas Memories

Tonight's photo shows an ornament that Melany beaded for us. Isn't it beautiful! I have many ornaments that others made for us and I enjoy looking them on the tree and thinking about the person whose hands made them! this is short and sweet tonight. We have been, and may still be, in a tornado warning, which that somewhere in our county or in another county, there is atornado ontbe ground. i believe that we escaped this time. There have been killer tornados north of us this evening. Woody's dialtsis went well today and has had a good afternoon. Iam still working away...really close to finisjing my Christmas sewing...would be finished, but had to shut down my machine because of the storm, I just got finished making a chicken casserole for my Sunday School Class' Christmas potluck, which is tomorrow after church. To be continued (as long as we don't blow away!)! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season! (Sounds like the storm has passed by.)

Day 8: Christmas Memories

Tonight's memories go waaaaaaaaay back! Plus I do have an ornament of this photo on our tree...so it is a memory on the tree also. When I first saw this photo, I realized that I really did live in a "Leave it to Beaver" time! Note I have the same skirt on in both photos...note it is not a poodle skirt but a dauchshund skirt! I'm sure that the picture of Cheryl and me was part of the annual taking of photos to find the perfect one for that year's Christmas card. A lot of my Facebook friends look for me to post the tree decorating picture on my Facebook page each year...today was "the day" so I decided to use it here, too. I used the one with just Cheryl and me as my profile picture and that is where the "Merry Christmas" came from...not from a Christmas card of yesteryear! Today has been a day of coming and going. He had a wound care appointment at 11 and then his Oncology appointment for Keytruda at 2:15. We got home from wound care in time for lunch and a little rest before it was time to head out again. His nurse at wound care was hopeful that he wouldn't have to have labs at Oncology, since he had just had them yesterday, so she printed off all the lab information from yesterday's and wonders will never cease they accepted them this time and he didn't have to have labs done again today! Oncology is not connected with Vanderbilt so information isn't shared with them plus they also need other lab draws than are done by dialysis or infectious disease or whomever! The one thing that Oncology needs to check that the others don't check is his thyroid. But since his reading was good on their last labs, they let him have a pass today! We will be thanking that wound care nurse the next time we see her. Everything at wound care was status quo and his labs that infectious disease ordered showed that his white count was good...so no underlying bad infection at this time. The wound care doctor has us continuing to treat the lower part of his leg just as we have been. We go back to see her again next week as two weeks from today is a day off and she didn't want to go three weeks without checking on his leg. We really do like the wound care doctor and all their nurses...they really take their time with us and are very thorough and are always thinking out of the box. Today whie the nurse was waiting on the doctor to come back in, she checked to see what Keytruda might be doing to his system, Anyway, we are impressed with wound care at Vanderbilt Harton in small-town Tullahoma. While Woody was at Oncology (I have about a two-hour window while he is there.) I headed home and got busy on my last sewing project for AZ...really my last sewing project that has anything to do with Christmas. I do still have machine embroidery to do...but that is just sit there and watch that nothing bad goes wrong with the machine while it is stitching at 600 stitches per minute and to change thread and wind bobbins periodically. When these machine embroidery pieces are stitched...they are finished except for washing out the water soluble material and let them dry and then add a string/strand of floss as a hanger. It just takes quite a while for each ornament so finding the time is my main duty on that...and finding a time that there are no possibilities of storms in the area as I don't run my machine during thunderstorms...nor is it even plugged in ever when I am not sewing...taking no chances at power surges! The reason that I am mentioning storms is that we have some rough stormy weather predicted for late tomorrow...so there may not be any machine embroidery taking place tomorrow night. But first I must get back to my sewibg...not going to machine embroider till the sewing is finished. Woody has turned in for the night. I will go add a few more things to the dishwasher and push the start button and then head back upstairs to see if I can at least get these items cut out this evening. I made one this afternoon...but it was a practice to get back into remembering how to make these items...I remembered quickly...and produced one of these items for Woody and me...a practice one that is usuable. Next I will have to get busy wrapping and packaging all these gifts up so I can get them in the mail. I wish that I could get them off tomorrow...but I am doubtful that I will have them and the wrapping all done by noon tomorrow, when the Post Office closes...so the more realistic goal is Monday. Time will tell!!!! To be continued! Be safe Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!

Day 7: Christmas Memories

Got carried away with 'tis the season stuff and just realized what time it is. With all our "barn trips" how could I not have a few barns on the tree. The pale green one Melany, Wade, amd Erinnfave me last year. The other two, Marie, the "driving force" on our barn trips...aka our driver. What fun we have on our barn trips! Nice to thinknabout them when I see these ornaments on the tree. Woody had dialysis early per usual on Thursday. I headed off to WalMart as soon as I dropped him off. I did find an iron. It's going to take some getting used to...a different weight than my od one and buttons work just a little differently...but it gets hot and it steams...so I will get used to the rest. I have made steady progress on items for Christmas...the pile grows higher of finished items...for out of town gifts that have to be mailed, I can start to see the end of the tunnel. I have worked hard off and on all day. I also went to Hobby Lobby just before picking Woody up from dialysis and got a couple of items that will make the finishing easier and quicker for one item I am making...a good thing at this point. I am hoping to have that done before I go to bed tonight. Then I will be able to finish the other gift in the morning. Then to wrap and get a box packed and ready to mail...still quite a bit to go but as the Little Engine that Could said, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!" I brought a snack along for Woody to nibble on after dialysis because he needed to have labs done for his infectious disease doctor. I knew that if we went home and then planned to come back out that it would be hard to make ourselves go out again! The lab appointment went well...both in that it was quick, but also that the tech/nurse was very good and was successful As we were heading out of the lab, a nurse said, "Mrs. Dorrell?" I turned and it was a mom of three of my Montessori children of years back...they are all in college or graduate school now...so a lot of water under the bridge. It was so good to talk to her and get brought back up on her boys...all of whom are planning to be in the medical field. We headed home after my chat and it was lunch time. I got Woody his lunch and something for me and then I headed upstairs again to get back to work on creating! BUT Woody was not settled in abd ended up getting sick a couple of times...several changes of clothes and two loads of wash and a Zofran and he got to feeling better and we continued on into the rest of the afternoon and evening. He is all tucked in now and the last load of wash should be dry. The kitchen has been closed down for the night and I am back upstairs with needle and thread...scissors...rotary cutters and pins surrounded by one mess or another...but the piles of messes are getting less and the bed is getting covered with more finishes than "to-dos." To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! 'Tis the season!