White Christmas.....not a dream though

Oklahoma got a record snowfall yesterday - 14.1 inches. First there was sleet and then all the blowing snow.
We are under a state of emergency with all interstates and major highways closed.

Jeff, Jimmy and Theo and me are all here safe and warm - It is not looking like the rest of the children will make it here for Christmas. So, we will just celebrate what we can now and then as a big group when the weather improves.


Theo was very hesitant to go out but once he did, he had fun and got his business done.





24 inch drift built up by the garage side door




entry way sidewalk

looking out our front door

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.


The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear..
Perhaps j ust a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door j ust to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "It's really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my father’s before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the j ungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile..
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.."

" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30th Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

My husband gets stuff done

Jimmy, our son, is in his last year of law school and is home for Christmas break. He was coming home from his waiter job Thursday night and had a minor run-in with a deer. He was not hurt and was able to drive home but the accident left his car with too damage to keep driving. His car was already in less than perfect condition but he is hoping to keep it running until he is full-time employed after graduation.
My husband, Jeff, is trained as a mechanic even though he is not employed exactly as one right now. Body work was never his specialty but he got right to work fixing Jimmy's Saturn.

We went to Certifit on Friday and got these 3 parts - front bumper, side fender and head light kit.


Jeff spent several hours Friday night and Saturday morning getting all the parts attached and he did say he had to use a little baling wire and a few zip ties as one of the brackets was bent and all the holes weren't exactly matching up.
It needs a paint job but the old Saturn is fixed and running and will hopefully hold out for another year.

My 5th birthday....

My birthday is this week so I am going to show you a picture of my 5th birthday party. Don't all us little girls look so cute in our pretty dresses?
I'm not sure why those boys are there though, probably for the cake.
My brothers are the 1st and 3rd boys. The last boy is named Scooter. The second boy is Chuck and he is now a pastor at Methodist Church in Mt Pleasant TX. My mom sent me a link to a great talk he recently gave on angels. So if you are interested in angels, you might like to read what Rev.Chuck had to say here

and see that big braided wool rug we are sitting on? my mom made it!

Winter Bulbs

I am not a gardening expert but I do like winter bulbs.
I really like amaryllis bulbs. They grow so fast and when they bloom, have big showy red flowers.
This year, I got 2 bulb kits at Lowes.
One is amaryllis and the other is paper whites or narcissus.

The paper white kit had 4 bulbs in it. One of the bulbs started growing right away and is already blooming. But the other 3 waited awhile before they decided to grow. Frankly, the paper white is very pretty but it has a very strong sweet scent that I just don't care for at all.
Next year, I will just buy amaryllis bulbs, not a kit, and use my own pots and soil.

Vintage Amaryllis
Nina - I think she is about 4 in this picture , posing with an amaryllis and several other doo-dads. She has always been a big smiler!

We were at Lowes yesterday and they have their bulb kits on clearance 25% off. I expect after Christmas they will be 50% or more off. So if you are looking for bargain flowers, this might be the way to go.

Christmas cookies now and then

I baked our first batch of cookies for Christmas 2009 yesterday - one batch of Mexican Wedding Cookies - you might call them Russian Tea Cakes or Sand Tarts.
But whatever you call them, they are really good!

I also mixed up 3 other batches of cookie dough to chill for baking later.
One is sugar cookie dough to make cut outs with, the others are oatmeal and chocolate chip. Those last 2 are really just everyday recipes for a big tray of cookies that will go to Jeff's work. Those guys can really eat cookies and they would just as soon have the everyday ones as the fancy ones.

This is after a cookie baking session - 1989 I think, judging by the deployment countdown calendar on the wall behind Nina. We were living aboard Camp Pendleton and Jeff left for an unaccompanied tour to Okinawa right after Christmas that year.
Those gingerbread cookies look pretty and tasty, don't they?

PIe Fixes Everything.....

Well, that is what a sign says in the Sugar Pie Farmhouse, I thought it was so cute, I made one for my kitchen too.

The rest of our Christmas decorating

Nativity set
lots of stockings - anyone want to help "Santa" fill them all :)

I ended up making 15 pinecone elves. They are having fun climbing a tree and playing on the tractors.

Winner Winner

The winner of the first giveaway is Tracy at Seaside Enchantement.

A big thank you to everyone to has visited here and an even bigger thank you to all who left such nice comments.

The mess was worth it....

I've finished all the Christmas decorating except for hanging the stockings on the mantel. But first, I have to finish painting the holders and putting the names on each one.
The trees are decorated, cute things set out and arranged and even the storage boxes and mess have been dealt with.

Red, white and green tree in the front window

dining room

The art work did not seem to Christmas-y so I just taped wrapping paper and tissue bells to the glass of each frame. I really like how they turned out


my favorite silver tree with vintage ornaments from a thrift store




Bird Tree

My made the Wise Men and Tree hanging sometime in the 60's.

How about you? how is your home decorating for Christmas coming? I love to look at everyone's decorations so tell me if you've put your pictures up.


Christmas at my grandparents farm in 1955, before I was born. The kids are my cousins, the 2 cute boys in checked vests are my brothers.

the mess gets worse...

before the decorating gets done. YIKES!

My trees are up and looking pretty, my goal today is to put up the rest of the decorations, then to ruthlessly go through what I don't use and box it up to donate.






John 16:33 (New American Standard Bible)
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Very Yummy Coffee Cake

Very Yummy Crumb Cake

Ingredients
9 by 13 cake
2 tablespoons oil,
4 cups all-purpose flour,
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled

Directions
Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter.
Transfer pan to oven, and bake 20 -25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
Serve warm or cool in generous size squares.






"You can't keep trouble from coming, but you don't have to give it a chair to sit on." -New England Proverb
quoted from New England Girls blog

Giveaway for the start of this blog, my next big project and a gift idea

First I want to thank you all who have visited my new blog and left such nice comments. I promised some giveaways in my first post so here is the first one.
I love to enter other blog giveaways but I don't like to jump through a bunch of hoops to do it, so all I ask is that for an entry, just leave a comment on any post and every comment is an entry. And if you are a follower or talk about this blog anywhere, just tell me so and and each will get you another entry.
I'll draw a winner on Tuesday night, Dec. 8th.
And if you don't have a blog, please leave me a good way to get in contact with if you win.


the prizes are a small Pampered Chef bar board size cutting board
a set of Paula Deen chicken measuring spoons
and a knee-length apron sewn my me - red calico with 2 pockets



Here is my next project to conquer - I got down all the Christmas decorations from the attic and the craft room closet. I've been thinking about how I want to decorate this year and I have some ideas floating around. I prefer to think about a big job for a bit before I jump right in. Usually if I think it through, I can come up with a good way to do it and sometimes save some steps.



Last week, there was a free book offer at PhotoWorks.
The freebie blogs were saying it was taking a long to make them but I tried it with some old black and white photos of my parents and grandparents. It took me about an hour and was totally free with that offer - they are not free anymore but they are 25% off.
The UPS lady brought my book yesterday and it is so nice. The black and white photos look great in the mostly black book I selected. The original pictures were all tiny - less than 3 inch squares for most of them - so it is great to see them enlarged.
So if you are needing a gift for a grandparent this Christmas, a photo book from old black and whites would probably be really appreciated by them.


this is the cover of my book - my grandparents all dressed up

This is Uncle Bill, Grandma and my mom sitting on her lap.

Martha's Elves and Vicki's Rolls

Good morning everyone
I've been working on a silly Christmas craft from Martha Stewart. You can find in the instructions in her Dec. magazine and also online if you are crazy as me and want to hand sew inch long elf shoes.

The first 3 finished elves.

I cut out enough hats, shoes, scarves and mittens for 12 more elves. I put them on a cookie sheet so I can hold them all on my lap and do hand work while I watch TV with Jeff in the evening.

I know Vicki in Utah from a homemaking list on YahooGroups.com. She does not have a blog so I can't link to her site.
Last week, she shared a freezer crescent roll recipe. The rolls are frozen before baking, then when you need some rolls, you just thaw out however many you need, let them thaw and rise for 4 hours and bake.

my first batch freezing on trays


all bagged up and ready for future meals.


This is what Vicki wrote-----
Here is my Freezer Crescent Roll recipe. It turns out great, I get asked to bring these to nearly any potluck function I go to. I have never know this recipe to fail for anyone I have given it to.
Someone on another list was asking for a roll recipe that could be frozen ahead and baked Thanksgiving day, so I sent my Freezer Crescent Roll recipe. Although it is not aimed at being a bread machine recipe, if you cut it in half, it works in a bread machine to mix it up and then roll them out and bake them. They are perfect for Thanksgiving if you freeze them ahead, because you can just pull them out of the freezer 3-4 hours before you plan to eat, let them raise, and bake them. They are my kids' favorite rolls.

Freezer Crescent Rolls
2 c. warm water
2/3 c. dry milk
1/2 c. instant potato flakes (potato pearls work if you make sure they dissolve)
1/2 c. butter or margarine (i use 1/4 c.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
2 eggs
4-5 c. flour (from Rhonda - I needed more flour, probably 6 cups)
Mix ingredients, knead about 8 minutes. Let rise one time, about 1 hour. Punch down. Divide in 2 or 3 pieces (depending on how large you want your rolls; I usually do 3 pieces). Roll each piece into a 12-16" circle. Brush with melted margarine. Cut each circle into 12-18 pie shaped pieces. (I cut my 3 circles into 16 pieces each). Starting with the wide end, roll each piece up, tucking point underneath. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Transfer to plastic bags when frozen hard. To bake, remove from freezer 3-4 hours before baking. Let rise. Bake at 350 degrees about 10 min. or until golden brown. Makes 24-36 rolls.


"Peace can be possible in any situation, but we cannot produce it on demand. It is a fruit of the Spirit."
From Beth Moore / Praying God's Work Day By Day, December 1st entry.

My homekeeping schedule

Because I like to craft & sew & blog, and I also like to have a clean, organized home, I came to the conclusion that I need some sort of a plan or schedule to keep me on track.
Sometimes I have been deep working on a sewing project, and then starting wondering about homekeeping chore and felt guilty for sewing when maybe I should be cleaning a bathroom.
I started looking online for a house cleaning schedule but did find any kind of printable schedule. Then I remembered that Sharon at Keeper of the Home has a her schedule on her blog. So I started with hers as a guide. But her home and goals are not exactly like my home and goals so I used added and deleted and customized a plan for me.
I've been working on it for about a month, trying to find a balance and an order.
None of the days are too full that if I miss a day or two, I can catch back up or even work ahead.

So, here's my plan as it works for me right now

homekeeping schedule

Monday
Clip and organize coupons
Laundry –clothes, towels - ironing as needed
Kitchen – deep clean and declutter
Errands if needed

Tuesday
Bathrooms – deep clean and declutter both
Vaccuum and mop all floors
Dust all furniture as needed
Baking and freezing as needed

Wednesday
Pay bills every other week
Dust and clean craft room-computer area
Empty all trash cans
Bank and errands if needed
Water plants

Thursday
Trash to curb
Laundry – clothes, towels
Plan menus, shopping list – Errands if needed

Friday
Laundry – sheets and remake beds
Bedrooms- dust
Floors – vacuum and mop as needed
Bathrooms – touch up
Bath for Theo depending on how stinky he is and weather permitting

1st week of month
windows and window seals as needed, shampoo carpet as needed
2nd week of the month
clean all appliances and set oven to self clean
3rd week of month
garage and vehicles
4th week of month
corners and baseboards

This schedule is just for the chores that keep our home running smooth. I don't schedule in things that I do everyday like dishes, cook supper, exercise, Bible study, things that I just do without reminders.
And if you are looking for a schedule of your own, please just use mine or Sharon's as a guide and work out one that works for you and your family. We are all different with different family sizes, home sizes, different incomes, different preferences - but I hope this plan can help get you started if you are looking for ways to get things done.


this is a picture of my Grandma, age 86 or so here, and my daughter Nina.(Nina is 25 now) They are both shelling peas - young and old. And can you see all the peaches in the background waiting to be put up?
I come from families on both sides that have always been busy and got lots of things done.

My Monthly Goals

it is a new month and I've got 3 little goals for this month. (well, besides all the wrap presents, decorate the house, bake cookies, getting ready for Christmas goals)

1. Use a reusable bag every time I purchase something. I have several very nice bags but they seem to stay in the trunk and I don't remember them until I check out.
Today, I went to 4 stores and used a reusable bag at every one of them.

isn't this bag the cutest? I got it from Audra at Frugal Missus


2. Drop a little money into every Salvation Army bucket that I pass when I enter a store.

3. Whenever possible, buy everything either on sale or with a coupon or both. I did good on this one today.
At Hobby Lobby, my 3 little craft supplies were 40% off and I used a 40% off coupon on a big bottle of Mod Podge.
At Walgreens, I used coupons on everything and picked up my free collage print.
At Walmart, some of my grocery purchases did not have coupons but I got chocolate chips for 78 cents with an internet coupon and balsamic vinegar for $1.08 using $1 hang tags found on the bottles. And balsamic vinegar was even on my list!
Then to Braums, they had some coupons they mailed out last month, I used one today for $4 off a $20 purchase on their grocery items. I got milk, romaine, grape tomatoes, apples, pickles, jam, even free range eggs. They have very good prices and with coupon, it made for great deals.

So, how about you? Do you want to join me in my goals or do you have some of your own?

New Month, New Blog

Good morning everyone!

I'm starting this new blog, the new name is sort of my motto and just fits me better right now.
So - I'll be having some giveaways and telling you how I get things done - I hope you will all come back and see me often.