Brrrrrrrrrrr!

It's really cold...I don't think that it ever got out of the teens today...at least every time I asked Alexa she never told me it was more than 18°. I have stayed inside...haven't even cracked the door...even kept my curtains closed to keep all the heat inside that was possible. And, I have been relatively comfortable. I have been busy so moving around the house and when I wasn't busy, I was sitting in my recliner with a comfy warm throw...or two! I have stitched on a Christmas ornament, read some of two books, and have gathered together Christmas decorations. The family room is clear of Christmas decorations, all Christmas that was hanging on the walls is down and everyday things back in place on the walls. I gathered all the Christmas pillows, all decorative trees are on the dining room table, as are all the snowmen. And, the carolers are all on the table in the living room. I have brought boxes downstairs for the carolers. Some of the larger items that don¡t go in a box have been taken up to the guest room. So things are moving in the right direction...slowly but surely. I have table tops cleared so I can put some everyday items back in place...when I find them! Now...an explanation about the photos...I am writing the blog on my iPad and then posting it. Then I will open up my iPhone and post a photo and repost. Anyway, I hope it will work that way. Time will tell! Tonight a friendly face sunning on the rocks on Ocean Cay. To be coninued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious. And, if you are in the cold temperatures and ice and snow...stay warm and safe!

Favorites from Joy's and My Cabin Balcony (Well, able to post photos from phone, but now can't post words!. We escaped snow and ice. Now temps are going to drop into teens. Tonight's photos of Nassau.)

Interesting Weather

We started out this morning with tiny pellets of ice, called graupel, a word Woody taught me some years back! The road was white and the grass had a powdering. We got some snowflakes, but not many. The graupel turned to sleet...at some point it turned to freezing rain. My ramp has a layer of ice and the rails are icy and have some icicles hanging from them. After it got dark, I looked out the window and the tree branches are sparkling...which means they are getting coated with ice. That can be bad...but the latest forecast for us is that the temperatures are supposed to be rising...so..."maybe" we are going to escape a bad ice storm. We are supposed to get a couple of inches of rain according to Alexa weather (not sure how accurate she is!). This is so TN in the winter...the expected weather pattern changes from moment to moment! My prayer is that whatever change we get, we don't lose power! I have worked on my undecorating...the kitchen no longer has any Christmas in it. I also packed up my Precious Moments Nativity...all boxed up and upstairs. I made a lot of trips up and down the stairs...a little while ago, I told myself that I was through with undecorating for thr day. Still LOTS to do with undecorating, but at least it is well underway. I am hoping to be able to keep my eyes open long enough to stitch some this evening. I tried to stitch this afternoon...made two Xs and fell asleep! I have been very diligent at keeping dishes washed in case we lose electricity and thus will not have hot water. Trying to think ahead. And, I have said since this storm was predicted to br so bad for us, that if I prepare for the worse, then it probably won't happen! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Preparing!

I have spent most of the day preparing for a possible ice storm...mainly cooking some things that I can eat in case electricity goes out. I¡m hoping if I prepare the storm will not be as bad as predicted! I had a treat at lunchtime. Ruth brought chic fil a and I had made potatoe soup so we had soup and sandwiches and a nice visit! If I don't blog over the next several days, you can figure that we have power outage or internet outage...or something that keeps me brom blogging! I'm blogging early today, as I am about to head over to Nathan and Kathy's. We are celebrating Joseph's 12th birthday. How did that happen!?! Sorry no birthday boy photo! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Stay Home Day

Still haven't held my mouth just right so I can post photos. The latest things I did was shutdown my iPad and reboot...then I deleted Google and then downloaded it again and I have done the same with Firefox. I did get a message that I usually get just before I can get to my photos...but thrn it again tells me thwt I can't access Google. Again...done trying for today. Today I have continued to box up Christmas. I have all but corner of the kitchen pretty much back to normal. I have gathered all that I think I need to apply for a Passport, including attaching a photo that Nathan took and my printer software made it the right size and removed the background so it is a totally white background. I attempted to call the Post Office, the place to apply for a Passport in Tullahoma, to make an appointment, but the phone just rang and rang and rang and...so I guess I will make a quick trip to the Post Office and make the appointment. I will take all the documents with me in case they can do it when I am there. The Post Office is maybe 2 miles down the street brhind my house and then a block over. I got a fun call from a friend, who we met when living in Sunnyvale, California back in the early 70s. We have kept in touch all these years and have visited each others' homes...they have been to two of our homes in TN and we have been to their home in Florida. These days we mainly touch base through Christmas cards. I decided to text them when we were in Florida for our cruise. we made plans to get in touch sometime this week and Sheryl called here this afternoon. So good to catch up with them...it was as if we talk all the time! I guess it had been a little more than year and a half since we had talked, as we talked after Woody died. Norm was Woody's tennis partner while we lived in CA. Now for more a out our cruise. Last Saturday, 2nd full day of the cruise, we docked at MSC's private island, Ocean Cay. We had breakfast at the buffet and then walked around the island checking things out. Then we came back to the ship and the kids and Kathy and Nathan got on swim gear...I continued to wear my longsleeved eyelet top and cropped pants plus my new straw sun hat and I took my water shoes to change into so I could do a little wading in the Atlantic Ocean. I was determined that I wouldn't get sunburned and managed not to. On our way to Bimini Beach, where it was suggested that Nathan could do a little snorkeling, we stopped to look at a little lagoon, that the transport driver said had a large sea turtle in it the day before. AND...there was large turtle swimming around in it again that day. Kathy got a really good movie of it. I got a picture with his head out of the water and the rest of him through the water looked like an impressionist painting. The next thing that was discovered...we were being watched. I don't know who spotted them first, but suddenly we realized that there were quite a few iguanas. So of course they became our next objects to photograph. For part of that time, Elijah used my small point and shoot and had fun snapping shots of iguanas and the turtle. I have some good pictures of them, which you will just have to take my word for! The kids and Nathan swam, Graham and Kathy did some wading, and I mostly sat under a palm tree just watching. I did venture down to the shoreline and waded and walked in the sand. Nathan, Graham, and I walked back to the ship a little ahead of the others because they weren't auite finished with their swim. They caught up with us before we got back to the ship. We got cleaned up and then went to dinner in the dining room. Later we saw a magician/comedian. That show was very good, unlike the music show we saw. He ended the show with a very good "hand shadow show." After that it was time to get packed up as the next day we were to get off pretty early in the morning. After we got packed, we met back in one of the buffet dining rooms that was pretty much empty and they played the card game, Five Crowns. I downloaded (or is uploaded?) my photos while I watched them play cards. That pretty much sums up that 2nd full day of the cruise. Hopefully I will be able to share photos before much longer! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Still Unable to Post Photos

Nathan and I both have worked and worked at being able to post photos. We were able to get one to post and it is on Monday's blog...one of the first pictures that I took of our ship. I just looked at the photo that I posted on Monday,s bolg and the first ship is not ours...the one in the background is ours...didn't pick the right photo when Nathan got so I could post! But not going to change it...because it would just be deleted and then I wouldn't be able to post another...at least it gives you an idea of the size of these ships. Our ship had over 6000 passengers!!! This not being able to post photos is frustrating...but I am hoping that the problem will be resolved after all apps catch up with the latest update on the iPad. Tonight my phone is supposed to update...not sure that I want it to! We are in the midst of bracing for a winter storm of some sort...at first lots of snow, but now predicting ice...not liking that prediction...memories of many years ago being without electricity for more than a week...not fun! You will not believe what I am in the midst of doing...applying for a Passport! Since I passed the test of not getting sea sick on my first cruise, Melany is now wanting me to go on an Alaska cruise with Wade and her this summer! oh, my...haven't gotten back to reality from my first cruise before I am thinking about another! Never thought I would go on one cruise, much less two! But I have always wanted to go to Alaska so will see if I can get myself prepared to go on another! Now back to this past weekend's cruise! The first day we walked off the ship and practically right into downtown Nassau. I enjoyed getting pictures of the colorful buildings and just walking around. I bought a sunhat for the beach...I had made an order from Amazon that didn¡t get here in time, as a matter of fact it just got here today, but I did stop the mail so it probably would have been here Friday...when we were in Nassau! So I bought my hat in Nassau. We also walked through the Straw Market with hundreds of vendors packed in selling their wares to tourists. Graham helped me find a Christmas ornament...and those were my purchases for the trip. We went back to the ship for lunch at the buffet and then broke off into smaller "groups" for the afternoon. Kathy, Joy, and Elijah went back into town to shop a little more. Nathan took Isaac and Joseph to swim in one of the pools on the ship. Graham and I decided to go spend some down time in our rooms. I took pictures from the balcony and also started stitching a Christmas ornament...so I can say that I had stitched on thr cruise and that also that one had been started in the Bahamas. That night we ate supper in the dining room and then went to a musical show, which wasn't to our liking. We walked around on the upper deck for a while after the show. That sums up our first full day in the Bahamas. Now the "back to reality" part of today, I am underway putting Christmas into boxes. Each time I come downstairs I bring an empty box or two and try to take one or two filled ones back when I go upstairs! At the moment the boxes that are repacked are going in the guest room...so I know which boxes are empty and which are already filled. This evening I went to Bible study. Now I am home...ready to settle in for the evening. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Hoping that soon I will be able to add photos!

Back to Routine

Well, I guess it is obvious that I still can't access my photos...I have tried. When Nathan is here next I will see what he can do. College started up again for Graham, Joy, and Nathan (Baptist Collegiate Ministries at Motlow Community College) so it is back to work for them! They have been off since before Christmas. I imagine it was a bit hard to get back in gear! Not being able to post pictures has messed with mind as to how share our trip. I had planned to share parts of the cruise, etc. by the photo Inpost each night...well...that is obviously not going to work! I will start with the weather going, during, and coming back. We started out last Wednesday and that day we happened to have a cold front coming through. We managed to actually drive through the cold front when we were less than 50 miles from home...strong winds, heavy rain, which before we were through the front had turned to a slushy mix...slush being pushed off the windshield by the wipers. For a little while Nathan was concerned that the slush was going to affect the roads. By the time we came off Monteagle Mountain we were pretty much the front and had gotten in front of the front. All that meant that temperatures were going to drop. Which they did. The photo I wanted to post last night was all of us at Port Canaveral with our ship, The MSC Grandiosa, behind us...we all had jackets on...not the attire expected for sunny Florida! The first night at sea was very windy and very chilly. The wind had the ability to blow one around the deck...or make it very hard tonwalk if walking into the wind. We didn't spend a lot of time on the deck or on our balconies that night...pretty chilly. All our rooms did not originally have balconies...but by the time our rooms became ours, they had all turned into balcony rooms. Joy and I were on the deck below the others. And, we were unique in that our room was on the very back of the ship...so we could look down at all the water churned up by the ship...the photo that I was able to post Sunday night was taken from our balcony. We had fun watching the ship pull into the dock and watch them tie up to the dock. All the others joined us on our balcony at times to watch dockings, etc. All the rooms were in a bit different location so each had different views, that we took advantage of looking from. Weather had calmed down by the time we docked at Nassau and the temperatures were in the 70s...nice walking around weather. The clerk at the store where I bought a hat to block the sun from my face and neck said she was sorry that the temperatures were so cool! We told her that they felt wonderful to us...that 70 felt good compared to what the temperatures had dropped to in TN! On Ocean Cay, the MSC cruiseline's private island, it was also sunny and pleasant and in the 70s, though Nathan and I both observed that it felt much warmer than that as we hoofed it back to the ship after visiting the beach! Our trip back to Port Canavaral was again smooth sailing. Our next problem with weather was going home...when...once again, we crossed a cold front. This time in Florida...mainly just rain with that front. It rained on us until we got to Baxley, GA, where we stopped to visit with Kathy's mom for a little while. We stopped at Arby's and got lunch to take to her house. It was Kathy's birthday and her mom's birthday had been a couple days before. So we visited for a little while, are lunch, and were then back on the road...but we now had sunny skies for the rest of the way home...well, sunny skies till it got dark! So that reports on the weather for our trip...pretty nice for the most part, except for the two cold fronts that we encountered both going and coming! Today my reality was that I really needed to go to the grocery store...which I did. Another reality is that Christmas decorations need to come down. I didn't start before we left because I knew I couldn't finish before we left and didn't want to face the mess coming in the door from the trip. I have boxed up a few things today, hopefully will be able to get underway more tomorrow when I don't have to fit in list making and grocery shopping! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wonder If I Have Forgotten How to Blog!

I typed that title...and after that I was shut down from loading a photo...perhaps I have forgotten...but I think that what has happened is a new Apple IOS update...that I allowed to download today...probably should have stayed with the tried and true. Something is blocking me from using my photos here. I have tried to follow instructions, but I guess I am not geek enough to follow them! I wonder if from last night's photo, you could guess that I was on the water somewhere. A week and a half ago, Nathan and family asked me if I would go on a cruise with them and be Joy's roommate. I hesitated at first, but decided to go for it. So I can now say I have been on my first cruise! We took a 3 night cruise from Port Canavaral to the Bahamas. We sailed on the cruiseline MSC's Grandiosa. We went to Nassau and then to the cruiseline's private island, Ocean Cay. It was a very fun experience. I think it is safe to say that we all had a great time. Enjoyed the ship, the food, going into Nassau, and then spending some time on the beach at Ocean Cay. We drove part way to Florida on Wednesday, drove the rest of the way the next morning, boarded the ship Thursday a little before noon, and sailed away around 5pm. We got to Nassau early Friday, spent the day there, sailed away around supper time, and arrived at the island early Saturday morning. Again, spent the day on the island, and sailed away around supper time. Then arrived early Sunday morning back at Port Canavaral and spent the rest of the day driving home. We all ended up with balcony rooms. Joy's and mine was on the very back of the ship. We all enjoyed looking at sites from each other's balconies. We all enjoyed ourselves. I'll tell more about as I hopefully get to post photos another night. I will go work on figuring what is going on...whether it will be me or a geek in the family to get the kinks worked out. Even the keyboard is responding differently. (insert eye roll!) To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite: A Hint at My Adventure

I Got Distracted!

I was heading in here to blog, but opened Facebook up instead and found some wedding preview photos of Esther and Patrick. I couldn't resist posting a couple. Looks like, once again, the photographer outdid herself! The previews are wonderful. I look forward to seeing the rest! The ones I posted were taken at Nathan and Kathy's farm after the wedding. Well, I have had another busy day. I haven't said much, but I am preparing for an adventure. I will fill you in on more of it when I return. This little adventure will take me off the grid so I won't be able to blog again until Sunday or Monday. I'll leave you in suspense! I hope I can tell the story via photos. I will say that cameras are packed! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Busy Monday

I had my day pretty well planned out, but those plans went pretty much south when I got notification that my Amazon order, that I was counting on, was delayed. And, I need several of the items before the current predicted delivery date. So off I went to Walmart...hoping that they would have the items I needed. Tullahoma doesn't give us much in the way of choices for shopping. I ordered from Amazon figuring that I wouldn't be able to get just what I wanted here in Tullahoma. I did manage today to find "close" to what I wanted...but I still need to look for a couple of things elsewhere tomorrow.(insert eye roll!) I'm not the happiest of campers! I am home from prayer meeting...glad to be in for the night. I'm going to do a few of the things that I had to set aside in order to go shopping...then I will be ready to just sit and hopefully stitch for a little while before my eyes close. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Isaac is 14!

We had fun celebrating Isaac's birthday today. He has changed quite a bit in 14 years...he's holding a photo of himself 14 years ago today that I took at Harton Hospital in Tullahoma. As you can see, his brothers and sisters enjoyed some celebratory shenanigans! Happy birthday, Isaac! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Rainy Friday

I certainly haven't done much today. But maybe it was a lazy day because of the weather. I didn't think that I would get out in it, but did head out shortly after lunch to get my haircut. I changed my haircut day because I had a conflict with my next one and had to grt it today as my hairdresser was going to be away next week when I tried to make an appointment. So rain or not...it had to be a good day...because it was a haircut day! I spent a little time in he sewing room, but not much. I did have a business phone call this morning. So I guess it hasn't been a totally wasted day. Going back to the rain, by lunch time we had gotten close to 2 inches. I keep getting reminders that we are under a flood watch and that we are due more rain this evening and overnight. Sounds, to me, like a good night to stitch...not that any evening isn't a good one to stitch! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Already a Week Gone in 2026

Can you believe that we have started the 2nd week in 2026? Do you suppose 2026 will go by as fast as 2025? Tonight's barn photo is another view of last night's barn...a barn that is still pretty...but when you see more of it, it shows that it has seen better days! I spent another day just puttering around the house. It's nice to have a few down days...days that I don't have to go lots of places and can stay home and do whatever. I, again, spent time in the sewing room. I'm still doing some altering on some clothes and hemming pants. I am about to settle into the downstairs recliner and hem the second pair of pants...same task that I was about to do last night after I blogged. I did get those pants hemmed so I got the second ready to hem and am now going to hem them this evening. Once that task is done, I plan to watch some TV and work on my cross stitch pieces. I did stitch a little this morning so will finish stitching the flagpole on my patriotic piece. And, then see what I will stitch on next of the five things that I m working on currently. I once again cleared off the sewing table...it had gotten covered with items needed to make ornaments...I am slowly getting it cleared off. I hope that maybe I will get back to sewing in the not too far future and need the sewing table for cutting out a pattern. I have enjoyed the little sewing that I have done over the last couple of days. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tonight Begins the 18th Year for Dorrell Delineations!

When I counted the number of years I had blogged, I had to recount! But when I stopped to think about it, that has to be right. Lots of words...and lots of photos...but I didn't post photos every night when I started writing this. I thought that I would have a new barn photo to share tonight, as we had a barn trip planned for today, but we ended up having to postpone it. I stayed nome and did more around the house. I'm starting to get things ready to put Christmas away. Today I cleared everything off the guest bed upstairs. I had things on it that needed to be put away...that's done and that room looks good again. The upstairs is in need of attention...mainly it needs boxes put away...and, that can't be done till I put Christmas back in them. But today's clean up in the guest room is a start. I have also been doing some alterations on some of my clothes. One job...shortening two pairs of pants that I have been needing to do for a while. I have one pair in the chair next to me all ready to hem. So I have spent some time in the sewing room today. Once I get this pair hemmed, I am going to turn to my stitching...ready for some relaxation at this point in the day. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! It was strange not to post a photo that has something to do with Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 12 = Epiphany

Legend has it that 12 days after Jesus was born, the Wisemen arrived bringing gifts to the newborn king. There is no timeline in the Bible telling exactly when they arrived...we just know that they didn't visit him in the stable, as it is told that they visited Him in a house...whether this be 12 days after His birth or two years we don't know. Nor do we know how many came to worship him...the number three comes from the number of gifts noted as being presented to him...gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Years ago one of my fellow teachers told me that she never took down her Christmas decorations until after Epiphany...and that sounded like a plan to me, as doing the tradition of taking them down on New Year's Day...just wasn't the way I wanted to start a new year! So now...when the mood hits, I will begin putting things away till next Christmas. My goal always is to have them down by Valentine's Day!!! I have had a busy day and am tired tonight. I continued with my cleaning up efforts this morning. Carolyn stopped by with her daughter late afternoon. Carolyn wanted her to see my tree. It's always fun to see my friends' grown children. After lunch, I headed to church to work in the library with Donna. We straightened up the library and put away the Christmas books that we had on display. We worked and visited. It's always good to catch up with each other. My energy has dwindled. I think that I am heading to my recliner and watch some TV and out in a few stitches. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 11

It has been a fairly busy day...mainly doing things around the house...picking things up and straightening up. Just things that need to be done after a weekend of mainly stitching...unfortunately once in a while a little cleaning needs to be done. For the first time in a while, I cleared off the card table from craft projects and put the card table away...the family room got bigger! I did run an errand to the Credit Union this morning. othrr than that I stayed home until Inwwent to prayer meeting this evening, I haven't done much stitching today. I hope to sit and stitch for a while this evening. I got home later than usual from prayer meeting...lots to pray about tonight! I still have a load to get out of the dryer and get them put away...then I will be through for the day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 10 = Sunday Favorite

12 Days of Christmas: Day 9

It has been another stay-at-home day. Cooking mainly kept me busy. I made a pot of soup that was more labor intense than most that I make...lots of chopping, slicing, and dicimg and it had a longer cook time than most that I make. I made ham barley soup...I just had a bowl for my supper...pretty tasty. I have already divided it up and have a container for the freezer chilling in the refrigerator. I continue to spend time stitching on several projects. I am making progress on all five that I am working on currently. Alternating between needlework pieces has been fun...I'm sure that soon I will decide to just work on one and get that one finished. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 8

It has been another fairly quiet day, though I did go out for groceries today. I continue to pick up the mess created by making ornaments and other crafty things that I did over the holidays...amazing how many spools of thread are spread throughout the house...or buttons or fabric scraps. I thought, yesterday, that I had all the spools of thread back in their storage places. But...no! I found a tub that I had put things in when I cleared off the sewing machine to hem bridesmaid dresses. Then just a few minutes ago I found another spool here next to my chair that I used to make my 2025 Christmas ornament. I'm sure there are others hiding around the house. But at least I know I have put quite a bit of the creative mess away. I have done a little more stitching and plan to end my day stitching. I'm still spending my stitching time divided up between 5 pieces...so each of my current works in progress have at least a little done on them since 2026 arrived. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

12 Days of Christmas: Day 7 = New Year's Day 2026

It has been a pretty quiet New Year's Day. I stitched into the wee hours of today...last night...I started a sampler. There is a tradition in the stitching world of starting a sampler on New Year's Day, and, if you finish it by the end of the month, it will bring blessings for the year. This sampler is known as a blessing sampler. I'm not much on the "do something on New Year's Day and it will bring you luck," but I decided that it sounded like fun to stitch a blessing sampler. I have started a very small redwork sampler. I will share it with you when there is more to show! I haven't taken a picture of it yet. Joy arranged to come over this afternoon, as she had need of my serger to finish off some skirts that she has made. I am pleased to share that Joy has made great strides in her recovery from her concussion...she is ever so much improved. She told me today that PT is about to release her and that her speech therapist is going to release her, if all goes well, later in January. She still isn't totally headache free, but her joyful smiles are back and she is back to doing the crafty things that she loves. It was a good start to 2026 for me to get to visit with her. I made one of my favorite casseroles: Tortilla Pie, a Martha Stewart recipe. I had all the ingredients needed for it in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry...so it was just a matter of thawing, grating, opening a can, layering, and popping it into the oven. I enjoyed a nice square of it for my supper and look forward to enjoying it as leftovers. I am going to stitch this evening. I am playing a game with five of my stitching projects. I have assigned a number to each of them and am using a random number picker app to choose a number for me and then I stitch on that project for at least one thread...it has been fun so far. When I finish blogging I will be putting in at one length of floss on my large redwork Bristol sampler. It has been more than a week since I have stitched on it so I'm looking forward to reacquainting myself with it! To br continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! And, for the first and last time THIS year I will say "'Tis the season!" I guess it is time to go back to the real world after the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year season!