Night Out On The Town!

A bit late blogging...due to the annual Tullahoma Christmas Parade! I haven't been probably in 30 years...usually don't want to go due to cold weather...but tonight was so mild that when I was invited to go with the neighbors (Kathy, Nathan and family), I decided that I would go and try photographing a night parade. Three of our six neighbor grandchildren were on the float that is pictured. Abigail and Joy are on the side of the float that you can see. Graham is on the other side. We had fun and it was so nice to not freeze. Years ago when Melany and Nathan were young we realized that the main reason that they wanted to go to the parade was to get the candy that the clowns threw into the crowd. Woody told them that if they would stay home from the parade (in other words...not make Mommy and Daddy go), that he would buy them a bag of any candy they wanted! The went for the bag of candy! And, we haven't gone since...till I went tonight. Woody has raked, dragged, blown, and plucked leaves a good part of the day today. The plucking takes place when they are stuck in bushes, ground cover, etc. I went to WalMart with Kathy today and bought Graham a Christmas present. She and Nathan had spotted what we were thinking about getting Graham so I went to check it out...so grandchildren shopping is finished. EXCEPT for the pickle present...a big exception and I haven't figured out what to do this year. Oh, and, I guess we haven't gotten Alex anything yet...oops! I managed to find fabric for Isaac's one-year outfit today (that will be his Christmas present...hopefully I will get it made, but if I don't, I think that he will forgive me if he just gets a box or bag full of fabric...it's nice soft fabric...he'll probably cuddle right up to it!). Woody got up and walked seven miles early this morning. We've had a pretty busy day! 'Tis the season!

Christmas Aromas!

Can you smell it? Our house smelled wonderful today as Woody and Elijah made Chex Mix. Yum! It's hard to resist! I had school this morning with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Abigail. After Elijah finished with school, he became Goosey's (Woody's) special Chex Mix helper. He was great at breaking pretzels and pouring measuring cups of cereal into the roasting pan. Esther has started sewing lessons...she is learning how to sew on buttons. She is very excited and doing a great job. Yesterday she sewed on a two-hole button and today tried her hand at a four-hole button. Joy finished a Christmas present that she has been working on and we even found a gift bag and wrapped it. Abigail sewed some more on her apron. I have worked on Christmas ornaments again today...but finally had to give in and take the machine in to be cleaned and perhaps tweaked...something just isn't right. It never seems to fail that when you really need something to work, it doesn't! Guess that is Murphy's Law! I came home and have been watching White Christmas and putting away the spools of thread that I had out for the ornaments that I have managed to make. Woody walked to the library this afternoon and then on to a nearby grocery store for some apples. Then this evening the naval oranges were delivered that we had ordered from the Tullahoma High School Band. So we are well supplied with fruit at the moment. Fruit...chex mix...what more could one ask for at this time of the year?!? 'Tis the Season!

Wednesday! Wednesday!

Busy, busy day. Woody walked four miles. He also went to the Credit Union, grocery store, WalMart and the drugstore with Elijah. He says that it is a lot more fun to go to the store with Elijah than to go alone! He says that Elijah keeps you smiling/laughing! When they left for the store, I told Elijah to buy something good for me. He said, "Okay! We'll buy you your favorite candy...Kisses!" So sweet! I had school with Elijah before he slipped off for the morning excursion with Goosey (Woody). Then I had school with Esther, Joy, and Graham. Then I grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed off to the church to work in the library. Donna and I kept busy. She entered new books into the computer and I checked in books and shelved them. Then I came home and crashed for a while...I was tired. We have had supper and I am now in the sewing room making Christmas ornaments and blogging. 'Tis the season!

What a Tuesday!

This was a day for five little grandchildren to come over to our house and spend the day so their parents and their baby brother could go Christmas shopping. We have had quite a day...picnic, whittling, climbing trees, practice kicking a soccer ball, cooking, building with spools (over the years I have saved all empty thread spools and we have quite a large collection...enough to build a pretty good city!), playing with various and sundry of Grammy and Goosey's toys...ending with Christmas stories. Fun and games! We even managed to get a little school in...Graham did a lesson, Joy did a couple of lessons, and Abigail had her sewing lesson. I even managed to leave long enough to get my hair cut. Abigail was very helpful...she made brownies (with Elijah's help...cracking the egg...his special job when they cook..as a 3-year-old, he cracks an egg better than I can!) and all the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch...she even helped Goosey wash dishes after lunch. Their parents and baby brother got home just in time for supper. After they left, Woody headed off to the prayer room at church and I started our supper. Woody is back home and we have enjoyed the pasta dish that I made and now we are settling in for the evening. Oh, and the rain held off till after dark so we had plenty of time to spend outdoors. I took quite a few pictures while they sat on the front porch railing and while they played in the front yard...trying to capture some casual portraits. 'Tis the season!

Monday

Woody got up and went on his walk early today as it was fairly mild out. He walked 12 miles plus...as he told me. I got up and vacuumed through the house and mopped the floor in the kitchen...wanted to keep it clean after the party! Then I had school with Elijah, Esther, and Joy. This afternoon I got busy making more Christmas ornaments for gifts. The children were in and out...since Grammy is no longer getting ready for her party! At one point I had four in my sewing room...just sitting around doing various and sundry things, as my machine worked away making an ornament. I had to sit right next to the machine while it was sewing after the mess that happened last week. I am still not sure just exactly what all happened to the machine...I have bought one new part for it that I put in and it "seems" to be fixed...just not sure. Woody has spent a lot of time in the yard today...he pruned dead branches out of one of our rhododendron bushes...hope that it bushes back out. It has been absolutely beautiful up until this year and a lot of it seemed to die out...so we will see if pruning the dead out will help! He also blew, raked, and dragged leaves (an endless job around our house at this time of year). Well, back to the sewing machine! Tonight's photo is my newest Nativity. A friend gave it to me with the children in mind...it is totally child proof. So I let them put it on the shelf that has the Christmas things that they can "play" with and the children's Christmas books.

Blog Material Indeed!

They asked what I would do with the photo that I took this morning! I told them that it looked like "Blog Material" to me! We had a great time this morning and this is our "official" 2012 J.O.Y. (Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last) Class Christmas photo...minus several that couldn't be with us this year. A great time was had by all (I feel)...good fellowship/friendship, good food (we are great cooks)and good Bible study...a perfect combination for a morning get together! Each of these ladies are very special to me! You can hardly tell that a party has happened here. Dishes are all washed and put away, chairs are mostly back in their usual places, tables back to their smallest sizes, the drier is buzzing with tablecloth and napkins ready to be folded. Woody, as usual, went to our early church service and then taught his Sunday School class. This afternoon he went on a four mile walk. We have both worked on getting "things" back to non-party state. I did some winding-down...which included talking to my sister on the phone and a bit of a nap. Time now to head down to put away the table cloth till the next "event" and then fold lots of napkins. It has been a very enjoyable day...a VERY good start for this advent season. 'Tis the Season!

Ready or Not!

Ready or not December is here! Ready or not my Sunday School party will happen in the morning at 8am! The outside is ready...thanks to Woody, Graham and Nathan (and I worked a little on the front porch). It has been a busy day for me...marking off one thing after another on my "to-do" list. And, thankfully that "to-do" list is getting shorter...there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Woody walked to the library and also walked to do a couple of errands. So between his walking and leaf raking/blowing/pulling he has gotten quite a bit of exercise. Well, back to getting ready!