Remember...The Reason for the Season

This was a personal Christmas miracle in 2009..One year I will share the story!

Is 2011 really knocking on the door? I remember as a child, thinking I can hardly wait till I'm a teenager...I can hardly wait till I can drive....I can hardly wait to get out of school.....I can hardly wait to legally have a drink....I can hardly wait to have a baby.....I can hardly wait till my baby can walk, and talk, and start first grade....then I will have some time to myself.  Then a sad feeling starts to creep into my mind even though at the time I didn't really know what I was feeling. Time waits for no one! There it was....time was starting to be an enemy and not my friend. A thought we all have when we get to a certain age ....if I've heard it once I've heard it a thousand times......Where has the time gone? I think next year I'm going to slow down and cherish each day and try to live it to the fullest. But! deep down I know we start with good intentions but soon slide back into the old pattern. Maybe we can help each other. When you see your friends going in a hundred different directions with no calm in sight......Remind them... laundry, weeds, dishes, and bills will all be there tomorrow.....(well maybe you better pay your bills) ...but...everything else is open for review. Mentally make a list of everything that needs to be done today.....then put all the things you want to do at the top of the list and if there's time....do all the things you weren't crazy about. Even if we can do this a couple times a month...we will start cheating time. So!  as I give tu-lips a rest for a week or so.....remember to give time to your family, your friends, your neighbors and even strangers....But most of all....give time to your God....for this is what it is all about.........I will see you on the otherside of 2010......One blessing at a time..........

Merry Christmas Ann & Andy

Don't forget those collections you may have. Christmas is a great time to share those things you love most. It could be a grouping of favorite past Christmas cards, group of figurines, birds, ornaments, candles just about anything. Let your imagination run wild. It's always better to group them together and not spread out around the house. Just because you have 50 Santa's doesn't mean you have to put them all out this year. I think you make more of a statement with a chosen few, placed in the right location. I have a collection of old Santa's but decided I would share my collection of Raggedy Ann & Andy Collection. I don't have a lot of room to decorate so selecting different loved pieces to display each year make me appreciate them even more. Hope you enjoy......One Ann & Andy at a time..........

Yes Santa ...there is a Virginia

Welcome to the Forgotten Cabbage Patch Room 



Everywhere you look ..our little friends are looking back at us!




I counted 24 hand decorated trees and I think I missed a few...




There are also plenty of friends in the bathroom..




I could have stayed there for days looking at each tree..




Hand stitched ornaments




More of our friends




How beautiful this was in sparkling glow



Tree for our feathered friends



This plant looked like it had ice dripping from its leaves




Is it Christmas yet? I feel like I'm in Toy Land



Another beautiful tree



I love the way Virginia highlights the glass pieces in one grouping



Dare you ask....the Cabbage Patch Dolls have their own tree in their room



I just can't put into words what this looks like...smiling




I love Christmas




What's a kitchen without a tree of cookie cutters.




My friend Virginia listening to Christmas music...



I wonder what Virginia is asking Santa for Christmas?



As I pulled out of the driveway..I saw the Bird Houses waiting for Spring and it began to Snow...
what a wonderful afternoon...I will cherish the memory...

 I've stood at this door before not knowing what to expect when I turned the handle. This time I knew what was on the otherside and still my heart was racing. I paused, turn the knob and with eyes wide open I darted from face to face. Even writing this you can't describe the feeling of hundreds of little faces looking up at you. I know we've all watched the Christmas story with the island of broken & misfit toys and dolls. Well you don't have to go as far away as Alaska. Up in the Northwest corner of Washington State in a small town called Blaine....there lives one of Santa's hard working helpers. For many years Virginia has rescued broken, dirty and disguarded cabbage patch dolls from garage sales and thrift shops. With a loving heart and caring happy hands, Virginia has brought back to life, sad little dolls that lost their homes. She cleans their little faces and washes their clothes and gives them a room they call their own. Virginia is called Grandma by many and loved by even more. There was never a bake sale without Virginia's Famous Cinnamon Rolls and if you don't have a Raggedy Ann or Andy or a quilt that she made....then I really feel extra lucky to have been given one. Now entering into her most precious years of life, she is still going strong....she even took first place in a cookie baking contest this Christmas.  She was making cookies and strawberry jam while I was there. Oh to have that energy.... I am so blessed to call her a dear friend, and the mother of one of my oldest and dearest  friends.  I too am a better person for knowing her.  Dear Virginia ,thank you for letting me share all your dolls with my Blog Friends....Bless you .... I pray for your continued health and wishing you a Very Blessed and Merry Christmas........One doll at a time.

Close your eyes..take a deep breath

When you feel overwhelmed...

Demands knock on my door.

Burdens beckon me to answer.

The to-do list stretches for miles.

I whisper, "I feel overwhelmed."

And in the stillness it seems I hear...

"Child, open your heart to Me instead of the demands of the day.

Lay those burdens at My feet, not on your shoulders.

Let go of your list and dare to embrace My grace.

I do not require you to be overwhelmed.

I enable you to overcome.

And with Me, you always will."

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

In the quiet of the night....close your eyes...take a deep breath.....
One prayer at a time..... 

Learn from Nature........

These pictures were sent to my better half from a friend.
During the cool crisp mornings in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, God brought two unlikely creatures together. We should never question love but to stand back and take in the beauty of the heart. Curiosity brought them together and daily visits enabled the love and companionship to grow.  In this busy time of year, slow down and look around....you'll never feel closer to God then when you can experience life at it's best. Whether it's animals, little people or big people...stop! See with your heart not yours eyes....Is your heart growing? 

One life moment at a time........ 

Teresa's Tree.......

When time is always at a premium, during the holidays, it's great when someone graciously shares their time saving idea with you. Teresa M has taken the time to send me photo's of her idea so I can now share them with you. She said she's done this for a couple a years and as you can see, it works great for her. I wonder if you repeated the procress by putting the first blanket of lights on and pushing them into the middle of the tree, followed by another that you place on the outside branches like Teresa's tree. You may be asking for a nightmare on Christmas light lane at the end of the season, trying to get lights un-tangled. Maybe it's best left alone....looking as beautiful as Teresa's Tree. My tree is up and decorated...but....this idea is going into my memory book for next year. For those of you that have not done your tree (and I ask, what's the hold up)....try it....you'll like it.   Thank you Teresa M......One idea at a time........

S T R and now T

During a time of celebration, and fellowship it would appear to be a strange time to talk about STROKES...but....I can't think of a better time. We are around a lot of people this time of year. I think it is important to know the (3) signs and now (4) sign of a stroke. This knowledge could help someone celebrate another year with family and friends because you know the warning signs. If you witness someone fall or act strange all of a sudden.....remember this:

S  *Ask the individual to SMILE.
T  *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE  (Coherently)
R  *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

 
NOTE:  Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other that is also an indication of a stroke.

I urge you to practice these signs, the life you save may be your loved one.  Thank you Aunt Sally for sharing this with me........One life at a time....

Just in Time.......Thanks for Sharing Lady Di

Once again this year, I’ve had requests for my Tequila Christmas Cake recipe so here goes: Please keep it in your files as I am beginning to get tired of typing this up every year! 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1 cup water 1 tsp. salt   1 cup brown sugar Lemon juice 4 large eggs Nuts 1 bottle tequila 2 cups dried fruit Sample the tequila to check quality.Take a large bowl; check the tequila again to be sure it is of the highest quality. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point, it is best to make sure the tequila is still OK. Try another cup just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eegs and add to the bowl and chuck iin the cup of dried fruit. Pick the fruit up off the floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit getas stuck in the beaterers, just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the tequila to test for tonsisticity. Next, sift 2 cups of salt, or something. Check the tequila. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table.  Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner Finally, throw the bowl through the window. Finish the tequila and wipe the counter with the cat. Cherry Christmas

Franks Diranne I fallerit to the leddder......One coooooookieeeee aaat aaaa time...........

Real or Faux ....Charlie Brown is in the house



My Charlie Brown Tree

 After 5 years of putting up a God made tree, I decided to purchase a faux one. I use the word Faux because for some reason when you call it a fake, it diminishes your hard work decorating the tree.The catalyst of this decision was, I wanted to decorate just after Thanksgiving and  I wasn't sure it would be fire safe until New Years. In the car and in search of the perfect FAUX tree, I set out on my what seems to always be an adventure. If I can only stay focused on the task at hand. Store by store, shopper by shopper, tree by tree, I finally found the tree. While walking around in circles looking for the right box, a salesperson asked if he could help. Yes! thank you I said....I just love this tree..(as if this 23 yr old really cared) I felt the need to share my holiday spirit with him anyway. Then humbug...he got even with me for wasting his ear time by telling me.....I'm sorry we are out of that particular tree.... Gee kid your really putting a damper on my Christmas spirit. Will you be getting more in and if so do you know when? Yes we have them on order but we never know when we will get them......I had the urge to ask if they would be here before Christmas but didn't want the grinch to creep into my otherwise happy spirit. Do you think they have them online....no..out of stock. Best thing is to call everyday. There are a lot of people that want this style tree.  Thanks I said and hurried through the store so as not to stop and buy out my disappointment. I thought I would back track to the other stores and see if any of them had a second choice I could live with. They say you have charater if you can work through the disappointment of a situation and come out the other side a better person..NOT!

Ornament from 2001...My K-Bear

How can you not smile at that snowman

My Angel Girl..She knows who she is.....

Guess I never got that character trait.  I was disappointed and my better half was going to know about it. I called  for 5 days.....Is style W in stock yet? Sorry no. The next problem would be, if the whole world wanted that tree, when and if it ever came in......I would be a speeding ticket away to make sure I got to the store before everyone else....Okay think outside the box. I refuse to buy one I don't really love, just to take it to Goodwill after the season. And now I really refuse to buy a real one.. I have to win at all cost....isn't that what this season is all about?  In my garage I stand on the top stair and gaze out over a horizon of a little bit of everything. Tucked away in the corner I see a tall, skinny, bare branched FAUX tree that I used on my front porch for many years. It has a real wood trunk that my cat has taken over as her personal scratching post....this will have to be addressed. Do I dare, should I try and turn this Charlie Brown into a symbol of a Christmas tree. Who says you can't turn a sows ear into a silk purse....... Add the white lights, gold and white shinny stuff, 3 bags of faux snow a few of my favorite ornaments and I'm in love. The better half said....it's beautiful. Okay so it's not 8' by 5', and I don't have room for my 10,000 ornaments I've been saving through the years and it has no place in Houzz as the most beautiful tree in the world... but I think I did Charlie Brown proud.......One tree at a time.....

What an Honor........



My tree of Dreams

 I was contacted by the editor of my favorite Web Site.....Houzz.com a few days ago. They asked if they could show my Christmas dinner for the birds that I had posted on my blog as a feature on their site. I'm so excited I wanted to share it with my friends and followers. I can't think of a better Christmas Present right now except maybe a new camera to take better pics of my work.  I hope you enjoy!  One dream at a time...
(click on houzz link above to view)

I'm stringing you along......

I'm so excited about this I could blow a bulb.......I read an article about maximizing the twinkle of your tree. Now if you don't believe me......this comes from the Pro-tested technique of the tree decorators at New York City's Rockefeller Center........If they don't know, nobody know.......

• Divide the tree vertically into three sections and string lights by section.
• Plug the lights in before you begin, to weed out defective strands. Leave them plugged in as you place them so you can spot dark spaces in the tree.
• Beginning at the bottom, weave each string in and out of the branches, to the top of the tree and back.

The cry of the decorator is ....trunk to top....truck to top. I can hardly wait to try this. I usually have my tree up and going on the 1st.  I'm really slow this year. Let me know how it works for you....one light at a time.

I've gone to the Birdssssss!

The table is set for a flock....

This is our  view outside the living room window

Dinner is served

Angel said she would keep the other cats away while the birds feed...hummm

I'm waiting

I used two different bird seeds...

Angel ! are you watching for other cats?

Place setting fit for Gods feathery friends...

I was sitting at my computer looking out the living room window on Sunday. It would be fun to have something different to look at while I prepare for inside Christmas decorating. Birds, bird feeders, bird houses, same oh, same oh. Off to the thrift shop I go. I usually go in search of one thing and come home with another...but this time I have no idea.  I saw a set of Christmas dishes......then I thought why not a place setting for birds....and I was off. I found table cloth, place matts, candle holders, tree center piece, a couple of doves and a Blue Jay. What are the chances I could find some Christmas silverware. I headed for household items. Coming around the corner....I heards angels singing from above, drummer boys were drumming and I'm sure there were a few lords a leaping somewhere in the store and a bright light shine in the distance.....there they were, sitting right out there in front of everyone. Why hadn't anyone grabbed these yet?...after all it was late in the day and all the good stuff is usually gone........ Then I saw him..he had some red plates, glasses and a  look of determination on his face. Christmas silverware..... me..... and a stranger in between. I got there just as his hand went up into a pick up mode.......Excuse me, I said as I slipped my small hand into the bin and grabbed the silverware. For you out there that don't partake in Thrift Shop buying...all is fair....Find, Grab, Smile and Gooooooo!.... but....you must always be polite. I remember a time at TJ Max but that's a story for another day. I love the look through the window...I'm just waiting for the birds. The table should be covered to keep the rain out. We don't have a covered deck so I'm going to anchor a lawn umbrella over it. A covered deck or patio would be wonderful. Birds don't feed at night ( I don't think..I'll have to look that up) so I will light the votive candles and enjoy at night also. I used double sided tape on all the dishes to anchor them together to give the birds a secure ridge to stand on when they are eating. Also secured dishes ,tree and other birds to table. I've decided I love this idea so much, I'm going to do a spring and summer table setting. I hope you enjoyed my Bird Supper!  One seed at a time.....