Thursday, November 30, 2006
24 Days of Christmas

I'm not trying to make myself busier by planning something for every day of December. I'm just trying to make sure I enjoy my favorite season more than I have the past couple years.







December 1: Attend Party
December 2: Christmas Parade
December 3: Walk Through Bethlehem
December 4: Address Christmas Cards
December 5: Watch a Christmas Movie
December 6: Eat by Candlelight
December 7: Nick at Night Christmas Marathon
December 8: Make Gingerbread House
December 9: Office Party
December 10: Potluck at Church
December 11: Bake Christmas Cookies
December 12: Wrapping Blitz
December 13: Mail Christmas Cards
December 14: Christmas Lights Drive
December 15: Read the Story of Jesus’ Birth
December 16: Visit Malls to View Christmas Decorations
December 17: Gary's Birthday
December 18: Invite a Friend for Lunch
December 19: Bake for Neighbors
December 20: Watch Polar Express
December 21: Sleep Under the Christmas Tree
December 22: Deliver Gifts to Neighbors
December 23: Family Party
December 24: Christmas Eve!


Wednesday, November 29, 2006
HOLIDAY MEME MEME MEME MEME MEME

Whew, I think that's enought Meme's. I found this one at Barb's place where you can trace it's path. :)

I've been busy, busy but since this is about Christmas, I couldn't resist doing it.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? When the kids were young, Santa never wrapped. It's oh so much easier now that he wraps. Christmas Eve is much more relaxing.

3.Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored, though hubby is thrilled that I'm beginning to see the (white) light.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Who needs mistletoe?

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually a couple weeks (or more) before Thanksgiving. However, this year when Austin comes home for breaks I want it to feel to him like Thanksgiving break and later Christmas break, so I have been decorating the past two days. Does it ever get finished?

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Aunt Judy's dressing which is the best, bar none.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: Waking up to big bicycles in the living room that held my favorite ever type of tree... an aluminum tree with color wheel. Ever seen one?

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Gradually I would pick up little hints, whisperings, etc. My mom always wondered how I "just knew" every such secret.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Never

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Lots of colored twinkling lights and lots of hodge podge ornaments. We have wooden ornaments, hand crafted ornaments, Hallmarks, ones the kids made through the years, ones my dear mother-in-law made for my son in his youth... Hodge podge, and I love it.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love, love, love it but we live in Georgia. Sigh

12. Can you ice skate? Ummm no

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I have many. One of my very favorites was a box of soaps of the month. I LOVE bubble baths and different scented soaps. Another favorite was a bath caddy from my hubby. It has a book rest, holds a candle and goblet.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Baklava

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We have many. I guess my most favorite is waking early on Christmas morning, exchanging gifts, then having our traditional breakfast casserole that I prepare on Christmas Eve. It bakes while we are exchanging gifts.

17. What tops your tree? A star. The star sometimes varies, but always a star.

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Definitely giving.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum?? Yuck

P.S. I won’t tag anyone, but please feel free to play along at your blog, or answer any of the questions here in the comments.


Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
Enjoy your blessings!




Friday, November 17, 2006
What a Week!
I made my weekly lists on Sunday, as usual. You know, the ones that often never get looked at again. I did have high hopes this time, as Thanksgiving is approaching and many things need to be done.

I did make dinner for hubby on Monday, before I headed to work. This is always a goal that usually doesn't happen. I have no trouble planning and making dinner on the evenings I'm home, but the two or three evenings I work each week he is often left to fend for himself. So, the week had begun good plan-wise.

As we were leaving for the hospital early Tuesday morning, I stepped off the edge of the walkway and severely twisted my foot. I was in pain all day, had a huge foot covered (hopefully) by flared pants and clog-style shoes. Anyway, this was one of those times where you just do what you have to do and worry about it later. Sixteen hours later, we arrive home and assess what's really going on. Not that I've been through this before, no not klutz me. The self-assessment is aggravated tendons. Hmmm I got those words from someone else months earlier at a lab. Klutz!

Of course this IS the week I look at the lists made on Sunday. The lists that have grown longer and of which NOTHING has been crossed off. I made new lists today...Honey-Do lists. He has been asking me to all week. I have no problems making Honey-Do lists for "he" things that I need him to do. I DO have problems making the lists for "my" things I need him to do. But I did...


Thursday, November 16, 2006
LooksTastes Like PayDay
Shalee's post about this gave me the idea for posting this:

Take these:








Add these:





For another sweet and salty snack that's great for Thanksgiving. Tastes like a PayDay candy bar!


Thursday Thirteen


THIRTEEN (of many) THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR:

1. My hubby

2. Two fun kids, definitely different yet so alike

3. My church and wonderful friends there

4. My computer and AOL with whom I have a love/hate relationship

5. Mark Burnett

6. meds

7. My Ya-Yas who you will no doubt hear a lot about later


8. Books

9. Coffee!

10. The Bible...it was written to ME

11. Laughter

12. Cherie

13. Nick at Night


Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Christmas Tags...of a different kind
Consider yourself tagged if you are reading this, but don't let that stop you if you don't want to play - all tags are "at will". Copy and paste this into your blogs and then answer...let me know if you have done it by commenting so I can read yours! (Go to comments to copy/paste just the questions)

1. What was your most memorable Christmas like?
Waking up and walking into the living room and finding new bikes. One of my favorite memories of this scene is the aluminum tree with the colored light wheel. I adore those still!

2. What was the best gift you ever received as a child?
Tie: My own set of luggage and a Thumbelina doll

3. What is your favorite cookie/candy to make at Christmastime?
Spritz cookies - I color the dough green and shoot out Christmas tree shaped cookies.

4. What does Christmas mean to you?
Family! You see, we try to celebrate Jesus' birth each day of the year. Christmas day is a time we try to slow down after the hustle and bustle of the season and focus on family.

5. What are your plans this year?
Many, many plans are being made. Making lists, checking them thrice and hoping we don't trip too many times.

6. What kinds of gifts do your kids desire?
My kids are grown...18 and 21. They desire electronics, music and clothes.

7. Which ornament that you own is the most special and why?
Oh, I have many special ornaments. My very favorites are the ones my kids made through the years. I also dearly treasure two that my mother-in-law made for my husband when he was a young boy.

8. Does your tree have a decorated theme ~ or is it mix matched?
Mix matched, though my husband greatly misses our themed trees BK (before kids).

9. Do you do anything special on Christmas Eve?
Stay home! I probably watch more TV that night than any other one night of the year.

10. When do you start your Christmas shopping?
January, though I do the bulk of it on Black Friday.

11. What is your opinion of the Christmas season in general?
It's truly the best time of the year. I LOVE everything about it.

12. What do you love about Christmas?
I love the feeling... everyone in general is in such fun spirits.

13. What traditions do you hold that you do every year?
We stay home all day on Christmas Day. Now that the children are older they sometimes go to friends houses later in the day but hubby and I have had a rule that this day is a day for our immediate family.

14. When do you open presents? Christmas Eve? Christmas morning?
Christmas morning!

15. What was the best gift you received as an adult?
Oh my! Probably the necklace my hubby gave me last year. (OK that's as far back as my memory can go.)

16. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Joy to the World and Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

17. Do you watch special movies and shows during Christmas?
Yes, I watch many Christmas movies and every Christmas show, including cartoons, that I can. My very favorite is the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

18. Do you send out Christmas cards or family letters?
Cards

19. Do you have a special breakfast or meal on Christmas day?
We have the same breakfast every year consisting of Sausage Egg Casserole, cinnamon rolls and apple sauce. Our Christmas dinner varies.

20. Do you decorate your whole house or just the living room area?
The whole house, including bedrooms and bathrooms.

21. Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights?
Most years we put up some lights, but not as many as I would like!

22. Do you exchange gifts with your friends?
Yes

23. Do you have a sad Christmas memory?
Nope

24. Do you sing in a cantata or sing Christmas specials?
Nope and the world rejoices.

25. Does your church have Christmas services?
No

26. Do you do anything to celebrate Jesus?
Not anymore at Christmas than any other time of year.

I accepted the tag while reading Karen's blog.


Works-for-Me Wednesday



Shannon is sponsoring the first annual Christmas edition of Works-For-Me Wednesday.

My biggest Christmas help is the Christmas Countdown at Organized Christmas. The countdown is great for organization. I also love many other features of this site. It has many wonderful message boards with tips on Decorating, Gift Basket Themes, Recipes, Gifts in a Jar Ideas, Holiday Budgets, and more. Organized Christmas...It works for me!


Monday, November 13, 2006
Petition

Y'all please pray for our nephew as he receives his dad's kidney today...


Thursday, November 09, 2006
Favorite Ingredients Friday

This is one of my favorite recipes to make on those days when I didn't plan ahead. It does take 2 hours to bake, but the prep time is minimal and I usually have the ingredients on hand.

Someday I will get the hang of blogging and be able to think ahead to take pictures of everything I do, just in case.

SAUCY BAKED PORK CHOPS

6-8 pork chops
2 med. onions, sliced
2 cans cream-of-mushroom soup
6 T catsup
4 T Worcestershire sauce
Shortening

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown chops in shortening. Place in large casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Brown onions in the same frying pan as chops. Arrange cooked onions over chops. Mix all remaining ingredients in the same fry pan; heat. Pour over chops and onions. Cover and bake 2 hours.
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Be sure and visit our hostess with the mostess, Overwhelmed for more great recipes.


Friday, November 03, 2006
Date Night
Hubby takes you to dinner... $50

You choose the place....... $50

You go in, sit down, order
drinks, realize you're not
even at the restaurant you
thought you were at........... Priceless


Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Works-for-me-Wednesday: Hairapy


A plug for another of my favorite products - Sunsilk Hyrda TLC shampoo and conditioner. This stuff works great on my dyed chemically treated dried out hair, which of course tends to be even more dry in winter months. The best part... One can find it at the local drug store. The second best part... The cost is under $5.00!

Need hairapy? Try it for yourself with a free sample.


Be sure to visit Shannon for more Works-for-me-Wednesday great ideas.