"The grass withers & the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever."

Isaiah 40:8

Formality of Thanksgiving Dinner...

I looked at all the beautiful table settings in magazines, watched the holiday ideas on HGTV, considered what I had on hand for decorating to make our dinner table elegant...

And then I thought about our "guest list": our immediate family, who are ...VERY laid back. We don't exactly "dress for dinner" in elegant attire... Matter of fact, some of us don't dress at all! My son-in-love "dressed the turkey" but my sweet little warm-natured grandson decided to be really comfortable & go shirtless....

Oh well, who needs an elegant table setting when you can have family instead?

Guy Stuff

Guy bonding is a great time especially when it's a guy & his "Papa".
Let the adventure begin!
Here we go....!
It's a long way down from this rock....
But we can do it!!!!
We are the best, my Papa & me!

Thanksgiving "Miracle"

There are "big" miracles & there are "small" miracles, but when 2 little girls pray fervently for snow for Thanksgiving the night before & see that answered, it IS a miracle to them! Last night the prayers were for snow, today at mealtime the prayers were for snow, & at 5 PM it began to snow! At first it was tiny flakes & fluttering, then they got bigger & it was more, & then the flakes were as big as a dime & so furious you could hardly see in front of you! There was more squealing than from a dozen baby pigs! Along with their little brother, they were screaming with joy, dancing up & down, & praising God for answering their prayers. What a joy!!!! Though it only lasted about 30 minutes, it fulfilled their Thanksgiving dream, but more importantly, gave them an assurance of God's interest in their lives & His faithfulness to answer prayer.

Tonight's prayers were "amped up" a bit: "God, please let it snow tonight so much that we can make a snowman tomorrow..." Well, that's not in the forecast, but who am I to doubt the possibility? We serve a mighty God!

Thanksgiving Blessings!

Thanksgiving blessings to you!

I am thankful for Jesus Christ, my Savior; my family; friends; church family; the United States of America; those who serve to protect us overseas & stateside; & the many other blessings in my life. And I am thankful TO GOD for all these! I am also thankful for GOD HIMSELF!

"Never doubt in the dark what you have been taught in the light." God is there whether I am in a dark place (walking in the midst of trouble - Ps. 138:7), or in a bright spot in life.

He is ALWAYS there!
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him."

A Boy & His Grandpa

There are lots of names for grandfathers: grandpa, granddad, grandfather, paw-paw, pop, grandfather,... But this little guy calls his "Papa." In some cultures, children call their father papa, but this little guy has his own "Daddy". And he loves, admires, imitates, & adores his daddy.But he also has a very special relationship with his Papa. They wrestle on the floor together, play "swords", challenge each other on the Wii games (& he can beat his Papa!), snuggle, go to Chick Filet, play in the pool, & "male-bond" with each other. Since he is retired, Papa has time to do these things, & living next door is readily available. It is so neat to see this little guy's eyes light up when he sees his Papa. When he calls on the phone, he usually wants to talk to Papa. How special to have this relationship between a 3rd generation!

"Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children." Proverbs 17:6

There is a Time For Everything

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Recipe Round-up

Why do we think pumpkin pie, apple pie, gingerbread, eggnog, cranberry relish, chili, etc. are only/mostly foods for the fall/winter season? Questions such as this pop into my mind as I am bored after 3 days in the bed/on the sofa sniffling & coughing, & tonight missing a wedding to which I had SO looked forward.

After reading CPQ's fiasco with a Martha Stewart recipe, I was reminded of the consistency & dependability of the recipes in this cookbook: a gift for our wedding in 1967. I've never had one fail, have some that are standbys repeated many times through the years, & have some I've never tried. The cranberry relish is one I use every Thanksgiving & Christmas, & sometimes at Easter. Why not other times, especially when cranberries are in season? Who knows?!
It also seems that some of us tend to start scrounging for new recipes about this time of year, looking for something different for a cookie exchange or to give to the neighbors as a gift or to take to someone for a meal... I too love to do this, but in case any of my neighbors are reading this.... I'm not doing any old or new recipes this year (more to follow...)

Out of my very ancient recipe book comes this favorite of my daughter's: FLAN. I have never had flan in a restaurant that was any better & most don't even begin to measure up. It is so easy & so delicious, & it is in the section of "Mexican" food in the cookbook (not "Hispanic"... it was written in the '60's!) Don't you just love the little pictures?! If you'd really like to try this, leave me a comment & I'll send you the recipe (a little hard to read here).
The center binding is completely gone from this book & some pages have stains. My DH tried to replace it a few years ago with the "same" cookbook... only it was updated so it didn't have the same recipes. I eventually sold it in a yard sale. Kind of like some other things in life: we think a newer, better version would be better, but in reality what we already have is the best. Enough on the philosophical...

Extreme "Growth"

I didn't know what else to call this other than a "growth".... It was "growing" on a log in the woods & was one of the most unique things I've ever seen. The intricacies of it were amazing. When we probed it with a stick (who was going to actually touch it?!), it was soft, yet clung tenaciously to the log.

Surely there is someone out there who is a botanist or biologist or nature lover who could identify it....

But it reminded me somewhat of a sea creature of some sort, yet here it was growing in the woods. Of course, "inquiring minds want to know"... how long has it been growing to get to this size? how much bigger could it get? will it die after a heavy frost? is it poisonous?

Anyway, hope this has made your day a little more interesting!

Perfect Hiding Place

On our Monday hike through the woods we saw this perfect little hiding place. Makes you wonder how this was created, "who" might have been hiding in there, "what" else might be in there (no one in our crew was willing to feel down in it to find out!)

As I looked at the picture, I also thought of the perfect hiding places in our lives: hiding behind a mask of "I've got it all together", hiding behind my computer instead of making a live call, hiding behind laziness when it is easier to let someone else "do it", hiding behind insecurities that if someone knew what I'm really like they might not want to know me better, hiding behind busyness when we have opportunities to bless someone else, hiding from God...

And yet, He offers to BE my Hiding Place! He already knows all my flaws, imperfections, ugly thoughts, fears, desires, needs, hopes, trials & troubles, frustrations,... And He still loves me unconditionally! He promises to never leave me or forsake me! He tells me that the plans He has for me are "plans to prosper you & not to harm you, plans to give you hope & a future". (Jeremiah 29:11)

So I'm going to choose to be unafraid to "feel down in & find out" what God has for me, to let Him be my hiding place, to know that He has good planned for me, & to stop hiding behind all these other things that draw me away from Him & from others.

Mountains to Sea

Did you know that you can hike from the mountains to the sea in NC? Not that I would ever attempt it, but the trail runs just about a mile from our house! We have lived here nearly 8 years & didn't know about it until just recently. So on Sunday when the rains had finally stopped & the sun was out, all 8 of us in the family took a hike. We headed "toward the sea" & hiked about 3 miles through beautiful forests.We had such a great time that on Monday, 6 of us took off again (the other 2 had to go back to work), but this time toward the mountains. The terrain was slightly different but just as beautiful. There were creeks to cross, logs to straddle, bridges to cross, & lots of fun.
There were racing spots & trees to hide behind, tricks to be played on each other....
views of the lake with the sun sparkling on it.....
and a deeper appreciation for God's glorious creation.

I know there are a lot of beautiful places in this great country of ours, but I'm thankful that I can call North Carolina home.

Weekend Guests

Let me just say that I like dogs (not so much a cat person, plus I am allergic to them). We have had dogs throughout our lives: mostly dachshunds but also a yellow lab. I purposely stay away from pet stores & have told my adult children, "Do NOT get me a dog for a gift, even if I say I want one." That's because we are in the "footloose & fancy free" stage of life - hubby is retired so we can take off on a whim. As much as I enjoy them, I like the freedom of being "petless". Also, we have a "granddog" next door who wiggles himself silly when he sees me, so I can get my doggy fix easily.

Now the stage is set: enter our two weekend guests. Gus (the boxer) has been here many times since he comes with his owner for every visit... & anytime I can get his owner here is a great time, since that would be my son. Gus was a very hyper, "unbalanced" (as the Dog Whisperer would say), energetic, undisciplined dog until this summer. That's when he met Gordy (the vizla) whose owner is my son's girlfriend. When she moved to town & met Gus, she decided they both needed some "schooling". Since my son was gone most of the summer, N. took over the training & the results were absolutely amazing! When we saw Gus this fall for the first time, we couldn't believe he was the same dog. Now both dogs respond to commands, stay on "place" when told to (most of the time), & actually walk on leashes without it feeling like they are going to pull you into the next county.

So overall, their weekend visit went quite well. Of course, add into the mix 3 extra adults & 3 extra children... & it was comical chaos at times. But... the Waltons just had more kids & fewer dogs & look what a long run they had!

If You Came to My House Today...

This is my first "Mr. Linky" response: it is to the "carnival" going on this weekend @ http://www.coffeegal.blogspot.com/

If you came to my house today....

You'd see the "re-do" of my sunroom, complete with newly made window treatments... so newly made that I haven't even smoothed out the folds yet. I loved this fabric & looked a long time before finding just what I wanted at a GREAT price (it was discontinued!) It has a little bit of black that forms squares, & is a silk type fabric (though I don't think the real thing, because it doesn't wrinkle badly & was actually easy to work with.) We did purchase 2 new chairs, same fabric but different styles. We went to a discount furniture store & sat in chairs until we each found what was most comfortable to us. Then I picked out the fabric & ordered them. The chairs that we replaced are now in another room where we had no chairs. One of them is a chair that is about 35 years old & has been reupholstered at least 4 times, & has been tagged by both of my adult children as "theirs" when I get rid of it... so I can't get rid of it! I mean, I can't play favorites...

You'd see my autumn touches in the sunroom that go so great with the new color scheme in there! The tassels are black which ties in with the black in the rug & the chairs.

I love frugal "finds": the lamp came from a great discount place near the beach, the "cloth" (actually a placemat) was on sale at JoAnne's, the little orange balls in the vases came from Hobby Lobby & were marked down 75% back in the summer, & the vases were FREE (sent to us by the car dealership where we bought my car.... I don't know why.)

The pattern in the placemat is leaves & I've had the coasters for a long time, so voila, everything ties the autumn theme together!

You'd see some autumn colors & my year round coasters (made by my daughter & given to me as a gift last Christmas) in our family room...

You'd see some of my favorite "collectables": the plate was a gift when I was in Turkey a couple of years ago, the "hospitality angel" was a gift from friends recently, & the pumpkins are part of my autumn collection. I leave the plate & angel out all the time & loved grouping all of these together.

You would see my new kitchen table cloth (I'm TRYING to tie my kitchen, which is blue & yellow & "tan", to my sunroom.) And the last of the fall decor...

You would find 10 dozen chocolate chip oatmeal cookies... or what's left of them. I had to send a bag home with my sailor son who came for a 24 hour visit (his weekend visit was shortened by getting called into work on Sat. AM...), & a bag home to my sweet daughter & her family. The rest will go to the USO (I SURE don't want them sitting around here tempting me!)

Oh, & along with my sailor son came his dog, Gus (a boxer), & his girlfriend's dog, Gordy,(a vishla... I have no idea how to spell this one, but he is the same size as Gus...) I thank the dear Lord that the sun was out today & we ALL were able to go on a long hike!

You would find the remnants of a GREAT weekend! Why would we only use our "very best" for company when those closest to us love to be honored? My grandchildren thought these chargers were so neat when I recently used them for a table display at our church, so when they came for dinner Sat. night I decided to use them. And since they love the stemmed glasses, we had sparkling pomegranate juice in them!

Most of all, if you came to my house today you would be welcomed in to sit & chat, have a cup of coffee or tea with a little snack (or a full meal... my kids have always teased me about trying to get everyone to "eat, eat, eat!"), & invited to come again. May our home always be one of blessing others!

Cookie Time!

What happens when you put together 4 sticks of butter, 3 1/2 c. flour, 4 Tbl. milk, 2 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 c. sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tsp. baking soda, 4 tsp. vanilla, 5 c. oats, 4 c. chocolate chips, & 2 c. nuts? You have 10 dozen of the ultimate comfort food...CHOCOLATE CHIP-OATMEAL COOKIES!
Since I bought the 4 1/2 lb. bag of chocolate chips at BJ's, I decided I'd better start using them...
My excuse? My sailor is coming home for a visit tomorrow! He is only 3 hours away, but doesn't get home too often since he is active duty (stationed stateside), and still "belongs" to the Navy. So just like all mama's, I like to do something that says, "Welcome home."
But why so many cookies? Well, there are the 3 precious grandkids next door & our sweet daughter & son-in-love who also like cookies... And my dear hubby & I like them too (got to be honest!) And IF there are any left, the guys & gals who come through the USO will enjoy them.
One of the advantages of all this baking is the wonderful aroma wafting through the house. Oooh, that fragrant reminder of the yummy taste to come! So if I can exercise some discipline to limit my intake, all will be well...

Autumn Nights

When the wind blows & the rain pours down... it is Autumn.
When the leaves transform into a rainbow of colors, then fall... it is Autumn.
When the days grow short & darkness comes early... it is Autumn.
When the sunlight dances through the sparsely clothed trees... it is Autumn.
When the temperatures drop & soar, even within the same day, & the weather is so unpredictable that the closet is overflowing with remnants of summer clothes plus sweaters, jackets, & toasty warm fuzzy items... it is Autumn.
Ah, what a wonderful season of the year!

Thank You, Veterans!

I will just tell you up front, that I'm a true patriot! I love our country, I love our flag, I love the Star Spangled Banner, I love parades where representatives from the different branches of our military are marching along carrying the flag, I love to witness returning soldiers, sailors, & Marines & see their families lovin' on them. And I love the opportunity to tell those who serve to protect our country & our freedoms that they are GREATLY appreciated! That's what Veteran's Day is all about; to salute all those who serve & have served this glorious country known as The United States of America.

The sacrifice of those who gave their lives in service is to be remembered & commemorated. AND the sacrifice of those who served & serve is to be acknowledged & celebrated!

Thank you to all who have been & are in the military, serving all of us. And thank you, my dear son! You make me proud, & proud to be an American!

Fashion Alert!

So you think you are up on fashion.... Do you have these? I thought not!

Do you even know what they ARE?

They are not gloves for the toes, as they might appear...

No sirree, these are SHOES! And supposed to be the best for running! You have to admit that if you stubbed your toes in these, the cushioning might take the brunt of it...

The question is: could you get your toes into all the right "slots"? Think about how difficult it is to get a little one's fingers into the right slots on gloves. I think it might be the same degree of difficulty to get one's toes where they are supposed to be in these most fashionable shoes.

I guess you can surmise from the hairy legs that these are NOT on MY feet. Those would be the feet of my grown son: the one who is always "up" on the latest fashion paraphernalia relating to fitness/running/ etc.

So if you're wondering what to get the "man-who-has-everything" for Christmas, now you have an idea. Of course, since he already has these, I do not have an idea for my son for Christmas...

I'm just glad that this fashion rage has not hit here yet!

Sights & Sounds of....?

Since the temp is supposed to reach 77 today

(then rain predicted for the next 2 days), I decided it was a final hurrah to get all the sports shoes washed so they could dry in the sun. Mission accomplished I headed outside to find the perfect drying spot.

As I opened the door I heard 3 voices at the TOP of their lungs singing, "Happy Birthday to Jesus," followed by "cheers" (yes, just like at a ball game where everyone is screaming the name of their favorite team/player)... of "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" Next came all 3 voices singing, "..He has conquered the grave, conquered the grave. Lift your voice & let the whole world sing, Jesus...."

Now if that isn't the sweetest sound you could ever hear: my 3 precious grandchildren singing with all they have in them, jumping up & down in the woods behind their house, on this beautiful sunny day, with no reservations! They began their studies early this AM so they could get outside while we have such great weather, & their exuberance has MADE MY DAY! Thank you, God!

Sunday Reflections

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

Ephesians 4:2

GOOD Morning!!!

Not being a morning person, 5:30 AM is the middle of the night, but after changing position 6 times since 4:45, I decided it was time to get up. But look what I had to look forward to...

The pure milk of the Word.....

The savory flavors of the season....

AND...
The 0 grams Trans Fat!....

Now why would I even HAVE something like this in my house???!!!!

Well... last night we had the opportunity to "raise awareness" of the USO by having a table in the lobby at the Broadway South series of South Pacific. Needing to be there at 6 PM when the doors opened (only they didn't really open until 7 PM...), we didn't eat supper. Staying until after the intermission, we left at 10 PM with the "purpose" of going by for some "hot ones"! Okay, I know that is NOT the healthiest thing to do, but most of the time I do all the healthy cooking things, so for our anniversary we really splurged....!!! Mmmmmmmm.

And now I have a grateful heart....

A Lifetime of Love

42 years ago today I began a lifetime adventure: being a WIFE! In my youthfulness, I had no idea where this adventure would take me or what the "ride" would be like. I was just silly-in-love & about to become a real adult. Like all marriages, there have been challenging times, exciting time, slow times, "interesting" times, & just plain fun times. But I never dreamed that I would still be so in love after all these years, having fun, & looking forward to the coming years with my sweetheart.

This man has put up with all my idiosyncrasies, absent-mindedness, sloppiness, moodiness, "stages of womanhood", whims, frustrations, ups & downs, and lots of other "unique" personality quirks for all these years without complaint, without making me feel inadequate, & without trying to change anything about me. He builds me up, treats me like a queen, encourages me, provides for my material needs/wants, and gives me "freedom" to be who I am. He has always encouraged whatever I attempt, yet also provides the cushion that allows me to pull back when I need to, saying his shoulders are broad enough that I can "blame" things on him when I need to. He is supportive without being stifling or controlling. He loves our children & grandchildren and gives me the "space" to love them & spend time with them.

I am so thankful to God for bringing together 2 high school sweethearts who really weren't old enough to have any idea what life was all about when they decided to "tie the knot". And then after nearly 8 years of marriage, God gave both of us the best gift of all: eternal life with Him, salvation through Jesus Christ! We thought we were already Christians, but then understood that going to church didn't make us Christians anymore than being in a garage made us cars. What a tremendous change this made in our lives: living for Christ & knowing that He had the best plan of all for our lives. We are certainly not perfect people & will be growing the rest of our lives, but the adventure with each other & with God gives us so much to look forward to! Here's to 42 more years.......!!!

DID YOU KNOW? ABOUT THE USO?

There is a great organization that serves those who serve to protect us. In spite of the name, it is in no way connected with any governmental agency & is fully funded by donations from individuals & corporations, supported by mostly volunteer staff. And I have the privilege of being one of the volunteer staff!

Here's "who" we serve... this young man had just arrived from Iraq for his 2 week leave. Hearing his story of how things are going over there is quite different from most

news stories we hear....

We prepare & serve food to those coming through the RDU airport, without charge to them. All active duty military, their dependents & guests, & retired traveling military are eligible to be our guests. Most of the food & drinks are donated by individuals & small business owners, while we have some corporations who are generous with their monetary support. We have ladies who bake cookies every week; Krispy Kreme & Daylight Donuts send ... donuts; several local clubs bring in their extra food from their barbecue or whatever; some of us make soup or other hot dishes to bring in when we come. Of course, we are always pinching pennies & looking for ways to raise support. These young fellows & gals can really put away some groceries! But what a blast to see their eyes light up when they come in & see what we have to offer them, then find out it is FREE!

And then there are the fund raisers: at the annual Ray Price Harley Davidson rally this year, this was one of the riders....! No kidding, this guy had just come back from a trip to Texas on the motorcycle) with his owner!

Another fund raising event is the annual Gala, a black tie affair where one member of each branch of the service is honored. This sailor had crossed paths with my son in Iraq back in 2004 where they both were medical corpsmen.
We even had a retired military man who played the bagpipes for the Gala & a great group of soldiers who entertained with their tremendous vocal abilities. The lady with me is a retired Air Force nurse who has been my "side-kick" at the USO since it opened at RDU airport over 5 years ago.
It is such a privilege (& down right fun!) to give back just a little bit to our military, who serve so faithfully to protect our freedoms & sacrifice so much for our great country.

WHAT GIVES ME JOY?

What could be more fun than being a kid? Being a "kid again" with grandkids! What a wonderful season of life! Having the sweet privilege of seeing them often, knowing them well, & being an integral part of their lives is one of life's sweetest blessings.

I love the adventuresome spirit of these little "monkeys"!
Since this is the season for leaves, why not really enjoy them?
It sure is better than being covered with sand....!
"Children's children are a crown to the aged..." Proverbs 17:6

REFLECTIONS

"Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness & the peoples in His truth."

Psalm 96:12,13