New Year's Eve is one of my favorite holidays. Usually I like to be in a small group or have one or two close friends or family, but on this day I feel like a party. I mean a party where people are happy and expectant of new things to come. I even enjoy meeting new faces and finding about other lives. There is just such a spirit of looking forward that I enjoy.
My husband and I have a habit of going to a movie on New Year's Eve or doing a restaurant and a movie or just the restaurant. This year we are eating at an Italian place, my favorite. I love to dress up a little bit with a few sparkles, a Christmas pin or some fancy accessory. Sometimes, we even have dessert. I will probably be too full for that, but it's a nice thought.
I also love to get out my journal and jot the year down. Once I start, it always surprises me how much I have been blessed during the past year. These are my favorite journal entries to go back and read over. This year I was especially blessed with two new grandchildren. My son had success with a game he created with a friend, my husband had jolly fun playing in golf tournaments with his Hickory Shaft golf clubs. My Tennessee kids came home and brought the two month (now 6 month) old baby with them. I got to watch my two grandsons interact and start preschool. Hard to believe that one. Had a lovely time with my other son and his wife at the art museum and her choral societies. See, I'm just getting started.
I won't be sad to put Christmas away. All I'm taking down is things. Funny how they seem old after Christmas. It's as if the life is gone from them for another year. What I will keep is Christmas in my heart. I learned a lot about that this season. That's my only goal. To keep Christmas well and keep Christ in that Christmas which is in my heart.
Here's wishing that you all have a very Happy New Year.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Blessings Floating Down
Several weeks ago, I shared with you how I was just going to write down the good things that happen and rejoice with them. Some things have happened recently that are just too good to keep to myself.
The fist was when I lost one gold hoop earring from a pair that my late mother had given to me. I had taken them off and laid them on my computer table. The next morning I picked up a yellow folder that I needed at church that evening. One earring was there beside it. I briefly checked the folder and looked all over for the other one. I even sorted two bags for old papers that were under the table. So for a week it was missing. Then at church Sun., it was laying on the desk in the office. What a mystery. I hadn't even worn those earrings to church. Even though I had looked, it must have traveled in the folder and been deposited form house to car to church to table at church and then fallen out. Anyway, I consider it one of my minor miracles.
I had this incision on my stomach that wasn't healing. It was almost a month and it was no better than day one. I prayed earnestly for some improvement. By the next evening, there was a huge improvement and it is almost healed.
This is a small one. I thought I had all of my presents purchased and all boxes, bags, paper, etc. ready to go. Then, I discovered that I needed two more bigger boxes. The day I did my massive wrappings, I got all of the gifts from my computer room and found two Amazon.com boxes inside a huge one that would be just what I needed. This is how I do "green." I just use whatever is at hand. So I was so excited. And believe this if you will, the Lord caused my older paper, my new paper, the ribbons and tags to match the red and blue beads on my tree. It all got color coordinated without any real effort on my part.
So wonderful readers, be sure to notice all these little goodies that constantly fly by you like snowflakes. Catch them before they melt away.
The fist was when I lost one gold hoop earring from a pair that my late mother had given to me. I had taken them off and laid them on my computer table. The next morning I picked up a yellow folder that I needed at church that evening. One earring was there beside it. I briefly checked the folder and looked all over for the other one. I even sorted two bags for old papers that were under the table. So for a week it was missing. Then at church Sun., it was laying on the desk in the office. What a mystery. I hadn't even worn those earrings to church. Even though I had looked, it must have traveled in the folder and been deposited form house to car to church to table at church and then fallen out. Anyway, I consider it one of my minor miracles.
I had this incision on my stomach that wasn't healing. It was almost a month and it was no better than day one. I prayed earnestly for some improvement. By the next evening, there was a huge improvement and it is almost healed.
This is a small one. I thought I had all of my presents purchased and all boxes, bags, paper, etc. ready to go. Then, I discovered that I needed two more bigger boxes. The day I did my massive wrappings, I got all of the gifts from my computer room and found two Amazon.com boxes inside a huge one that would be just what I needed. This is how I do "green." I just use whatever is at hand. So I was so excited. And believe this if you will, the Lord caused my older paper, my new paper, the ribbons and tags to match the red and blue beads on my tree. It all got color coordinated without any real effort on my part.
So wonderful readers, be sure to notice all these little goodies that constantly fly by you like snowflakes. Catch them before they melt away.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Songs, CDs, Tapes, and Records of Christmas
First of all I would like to say happy birthday to my son, Ben. That was quite a wonderful Christmas present 33 years ago.
Now, I would like to tell you of my favorite Christmas albums/CDs. My favorite is my red Andy Williams Christmas Album. The song I like best is "It's the most wonderful time of the year." It is just so full of joy and good cheer. I got it first as a record. Then when I couldn't play my records because we no longer had a phonograph that worked, I gave them all away. All of them. Then I found out that you could get old records in the CD form. So I got an Andy Williams CD. Then one year it got crusty on the back. It wasn't a scratch. I thought it might have been from leaving it in my car in the cold. Anyway, it didn't work. So last year I got my third A.W. record/CD. I now bring all of my CDs in from the car, just in case.
My next favorite is old, too. It's Amy Grant's A Christmas Album. That's the one with ""A Tennessee Christmas" on it. My favorite song is "Hark the Harold Angels Sing." One verse, she gets loud and strong and sings, "Come Desire of nations, come, fix in us thy humble home." I love that soooooo much.
Then I have a Christmas tape. I had to get a new tape player for it, because cars don't usually have tape slots now. It's Hanson's Snowed In. When Dawn was a teen she loved Hanson and we both loved this tape/CD. All of the songs are cheery and fun .
Another favorite tape is Bethlehem's Treasure by Praise Worship. I love the way they do "We three kings."
Lost to me are my Firestone record with Robert Goulet singing "Do you hear what I hear?" and a fabulous version of "Good King Winceslas." The kettle drums rule.
Also lost to me is my Cunningham's Drug store record Joy To The World. That song on the collection is something else. When they get to the line "and makes the nations prove" they go, "oo, oo oo oo.", The oos go up, then down the scale. Oh, my.
There are my favorites. Do you know any of them? What are your favorites?
Now, I would like to tell you of my favorite Christmas albums/CDs. My favorite is my red Andy Williams Christmas Album. The song I like best is "It's the most wonderful time of the year." It is just so full of joy and good cheer. I got it first as a record. Then when I couldn't play my records because we no longer had a phonograph that worked, I gave them all away. All of them. Then I found out that you could get old records in the CD form. So I got an Andy Williams CD. Then one year it got crusty on the back. It wasn't a scratch. I thought it might have been from leaving it in my car in the cold. Anyway, it didn't work. So last year I got my third A.W. record/CD. I now bring all of my CDs in from the car, just in case.
My next favorite is old, too. It's Amy Grant's A Christmas Album. That's the one with ""A Tennessee Christmas" on it. My favorite song is "Hark the Harold Angels Sing." One verse, she gets loud and strong and sings, "Come Desire of nations, come, fix in us thy humble home." I love that soooooo much.
Then I have a Christmas tape. I had to get a new tape player for it, because cars don't usually have tape slots now. It's Hanson's Snowed In. When Dawn was a teen she loved Hanson and we both loved this tape/CD. All of the songs are cheery and fun .
Another favorite tape is Bethlehem's Treasure by Praise Worship. I love the way they do "We three kings."
Lost to me are my Firestone record with Robert Goulet singing "Do you hear what I hear?" and a fabulous version of "Good King Winceslas." The kettle drums rule.
Also lost to me is my Cunningham's Drug store record Joy To The World. That song on the collection is something else. When they get to the line "and makes the nations prove" they go, "oo, oo oo oo.", The oos go up, then down the scale. Oh, my.
There are my favorites. Do you know any of them? What are your favorites?
Monday, December 3, 2012
Pretty Cards From the Past
Look at the top picture on the right. I had so much fun putting those old-fashioned cards on my printer's drawer. They were my grandmother's. One has a small gold foil hymn book, one has red flocked bells that stick out in a folded paper style. The other red one is a candle with a little "pillow" between the sheets of paper that cause the red part to be pouffy. Then there are a blue and silver foil one with more cutouts. It is amazing to me how creative all of these old cards were. I have some from birthdays, anniversaries, and other occasions.
My grandma saved all of her cards in a big pretty box. Some of the "newer" ones (from the late 50s and early 60s) are parchment. As a girl, I always loved those. Now, they are vintage.
When we three girls went to visit, we got all the cards, divided them up and them chose our card store. One of us used the enclosed staircase, one the little room, and one the living room. We would set them up in a fancy style and then go to visit each other and buy or trade our cards. This was one of our favorite activities.
Grandma loved to sit with us and look at them all and tell the stories connected to them. She always said they were too pretty to throw away. They were indeed. When she passed away, I asked to have a selection of them. Now, as you see, they are part of this family's tradition, too.
Do you have a simple, inexpensive heirloom that has traveled through the years? I'd love to hear about it.
My grandma saved all of her cards in a big pretty box. Some of the "newer" ones (from the late 50s and early 60s) are parchment. As a girl, I always loved those. Now, they are vintage.
When we three girls went to visit, we got all the cards, divided them up and them chose our card store. One of us used the enclosed staircase, one the little room, and one the living room. We would set them up in a fancy style and then go to visit each other and buy or trade our cards. This was one of our favorite activities.
Grandma loved to sit with us and look at them all and tell the stories connected to them. She always said they were too pretty to throw away. They were indeed. When she passed away, I asked to have a selection of them. Now, as you see, they are part of this family's tradition, too.
Do you have a simple, inexpensive heirloom that has traveled through the years? I'd love to hear about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)