It’s just super cold – and a layer of snow everywhere with fierce winds. Last night there were deep rumbles of thunder with lightening. I heard someone say it was a ‘thundersnow’. It just started to snow again right now. Autmn stopped on her way home to pick up a few things from Aunt Cordelia but didn’t get out of the car. I hope she makes it home before dark. Cameron was sleeping but opened his eyes for a quick photo. Love that little guy – I was delighted to just get to see him, but my heart was a little sad that I couldn’t hug and play. Next time!

A few more pictures, simply because I didn’t do anything else. I was going to mix up cookies but decided to wait until next week. Kelly is supposed to come up for a marathon baking day. And it’s a little to early to make fudge if I want it fresh for Christmas!

My blessing today is being inside, safe and warm!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 6th is:

National Microwave Oven Day; National Miners Day; National Pawnbrokers Day; National Sleigh Day; Put on your Own Shoes Day; St. Nicholas Day; Mitton Tree Day; Faux Fur Friday.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Sticker Day. Tomorrow: Microwave ovens are essential. I always put on my own shoes! And I don’t have a mitten TREE but I do wear mittens. God bless!

I hit the floor on the go this morning. After breakfast I started cleaning – the house was a mess. I know that’s hard to imagine but it certainly was! While I was scrubbing and dusting and sweeping I kept seeing things I didn’t like – so I moved things around all morning. Probably not the end of that, either! Here are some pictures:

The tree is finished. It’s so different than the other tree – this one is tall and thinner and the old one was very fat! But I like this one. The best thing about it: Pre-lit!

I got my Christmas clothes out. And there is really no room to put them, since I don’t put anything else away! I have tee-shirts and sweatshirts and sweaters and hoodies and leggings and socks and slippers and PJ’s and a rob and Santa hats. I’ll never wear them all. I have my favorites!

Tomorrow I will work in the morning, and then I think Autmn is coming up in the afternoon – unless it gets too snowy. I can start on the other part of my list now – like cookies and Christmas cards! Oh! I also started my advent calendar:

My blessing today was cleaning this messy house! And a phone chat with my sister:)

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 5th is:

Bathtub Party Day (???); Celebrate Shelter Pets Day: International Volunteer Day; Light up a Life Day; National Sticker Day; National Blue Jeans Day; Walt Disney Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Ice Day. Tomorrow: I never had a party in a bathtub! Not starting now! Blue Jeans, volunteering, and Shelter Pets (GO JEN!!!). God bless…

I’m going to catch up on posting tomorrow. I am so close to getting the tree done and I’d like to finish it tonight – plus eat dinner! So I’ll post pictures and descriptions tomorrow. Just worked this morning for about an hour, and then came home and got started. Long day!

And my blessing was getting more done that I even dreamed.

And Beth – the landscaper that I contacted back in August called me and stopped out today. He’s going to give me an estimate but I still want your ideas and drawings!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 4th is:

Wear Brown Shoes Day; National Cookie Day; Global Fat Bike Day; International Cheetah Day; International Day of Banks, National Ice Day; National Sock Day; Santa’s List Day; Tree Dressing Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Felt Day. Tomorrow: I’ll be home all day so I won’t be wearing shoes. Cookies are always great, and socks. I’ll write my list to Santa, and dress my tree – but I already decorated it today! God bless…

I was busy all day! Started out this morning with very cold temps and a light snow. Nothing like Erie has! Here’s a picture that my step-brother’s wife Bobbie shared on facebook from Erie News. And more expected.

Kelly called me about 8am and we made arrangements to meet at Speedway at Willow Crossing. I had Ransom’s little jacket from the Ninth Life auction (Ransom is the dog…). I threw in a few cinnamon rolls and orange drop cookies as well.

Then I went to work. Not a lot to do, but I had my box of Christmas decorations. Since I don’t have to split them between the two stores I spread them out a little. I put something on everyone’s desk. I was home by 10:30am. I jumped right in with Christmas boxes and got started. I worked all day and got all the boxes done except the tree and the inside lights. Even the window stickees!

But first here’s a recap of Todd’s message yesterday. It was basically on the fruit of the spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self- Control. There is no law against these – we can have and share endlessly! And basically, the more you give away, the happier you are!

Here are some pictures of my progress today.

As soon as I finish this I have to pay bills, then get supper. I just had a pumpkin cookie to hold me over – Thank you Shelagh for sharing!

My neighbor did a great job with his house this year. I love the reindeer and sleigh on the roof – new addition!

My blessing for today was feeling good about my day!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 3rd is:

Candle Day; Coats and Toys for Kids Day; Crate Day; Faux Fur Friday??? (It’s not Friday…); National Day of Giving; National Felt Day; Let’s Hug Day; National Roof Over your Head Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Cocoa day. Tomorrow: I like candles, and hugs. And it’s always best to have a roof over your head, in addition to four walls! God bless…

Sunday School went well. Our two boys were running late but we had plenty of time. We taught about waiting for Christmas and how hard it was to be patient – and about the angel visiting Mary and then Zachariah. I’ll review Todd’s message tomorrow.

I came home and got ‘Christmasy’ and was back at HCC by 1:30. The Karate school was having ‘Photos with the Grinch’ which was open to the neighborhood. They asked me to read the Christmas Story. There was a Story Corner set up with a tree and couches and blankets. The kids seemed to enjoy it – I read the story about five times. One little boy said he’d never heard that story before – his Mom was into ‘Second Life’ (not familiar…) and she wasn’t into Jesus. So we had a lovely discussion about the real meaning of Christmas.

Two little girls dressed up in puffy dresses sat like a captive audience. They were so pleasant! Another little boy wanted to hear it twice!

The path back to the photo session for the Grinch pictures was so cute. Our team does such a great job with creativity! And Ian (aka Grinch) really carried the part well.

Convincing Grinch!

Cookies, cookies, cookies! There were so many it was hard to choose. I was glad I was at the Story corner the whole time, because I would have probably eaten more. Mary sent brownie squares with green icing! Shelagh made pumpkin cookies with chocolate chips. A very close second to Colleen’s!

Tables:

All in all it was a great time and I was glad to be part of it. And I dressed in my new sweatshirt, a Santa hat, and my new Snoopy Slippers that Kelly brought me! It was a festive afternoon!

My blessing today was to share ‘Happy Birthday Jesus’!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 2nd is:

Business of Popping Corn Day; Cyber Monday; International Sweater Vestival; National Bartender Day; National Cocoa Day; National Build Joy Day; National Fritters Day; National Mutt Day; National Skip School Day; Special Education Day.

There was no fake day yesterday. Tomorrow – I’ll do popcorn, build joy — but I don’t go to school so I can’t skip it! Have a lovely December, and God Bless…

The whole day slid (or flew!) by and I just now realized it’s the last day of November. Wow.

Other than changing and washing bedsheets, I worked all day on Christmas boxes. I got one of the two hardest and most time consuming things done: The kitchen is done but not the indoor lights. That’s a pickle!

I stopped for a bit at 1pm to pick up the auction items that I won bids on at Jen’s last Ninth Life fundraiser. One was a Snoopy sweatshirt. I love it and it looks comfortable.

Here are some pictures of what I did. Placement of items subject to change!

I have miles to go before I sleep so that is it for the day. Tomorrow I have 3 things going on so don’t be alarmed if I don’t post. The Karate class at church is having a Grinch Christmas party and they asked me to read the Christmas Story. I agreed but it will be touch and go – I may not have a voice. I never know from one hour to the next…

My blessing for today was safely lugging boxes!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW December 1st is:

National Pie Day; National Second Hand Sunday; Commemoration Day; Cyber Safety Day; Day Without Art Day; Eat A Red Apple Day; National Cookie Cutter Day; National Package Protection Day; National Women Support Women Day; Rosa Parks Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Sticker Day. Tomorrow: Celebrate December! I like cookie cutters as long as someone else is using them! And I could use a slice of warm apple pie with ice cream! God bless, and Happy December!

We had a really nice day yesterday, even though with 16 people in this little house it bordered on chaos most of the time!

I was up at 5am stuffing the turkey, and at 7am put the ham in. I worked steadily all morning getting everything ready. The family was all here by noon, except for Peyton and his girlfriend Isabella. They went to her house first and then got here about 2:30pm. He walked in the door and asked for cinnamon rolls!

Cameron provided the entertainment. He had a great time getting into everything and we had fun chasing him around. We have a kids’ Tupperware tea set and he was playing with the spork – mostly he was combing his hair with it!

As is typical for me, I didn’t think about taking pictures when I needed to. So I didn’t get Christina and her roommate Grace. Bummer. Grace was very nice and fit right in with our crazy bunch. I meant to ask Christina to take pictures for me but forgot. And I never got Peyton and Isabella, either. Chase stayed mostly in the spare room playing video games, and Logan had a headache and took a nap. The guys hung downstairs and watched football the whole time. The rest of us were up and down the steps all day. Isabella was super fun and got along with everyone – I really enjoyed meeting both of the ‘new girls’ here yesterday.

I was so tired by the time I sat down, about 7pm, I could barely get back up. But it was a good tired, with great memories and wonderful people.

Today I took all the fall and Thanksgiving decorations down. I emptied all the bins, cleaned them out, and packed things up one at a time. It was a total mess in here but it’s all done and the bins are back on the shelves in the garage.

Tomorrow I’ll start on the Christmas decorations!

For lunch I had a small bowl of leftover mashed potatoes with turkey mixed in and it was very good. Haven’t decided on supper yet.

My blessing today was taking my time and being very organized!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW November 30th is:

National Computer Security day; National Mason Jar Day; National Mississippi Day; National Mousse Day; National Sticker Day; National Personal Space Day; Small Business Saturday; Stay Home Because You’re Well Day.

Wednesday’s fake day was National Clippers Day. TOMORROW: I like Mason jars. If you go shopping shop small businesses. Have a happy weekend! God bless…

I was wide awake at 10 til 5 this morning and couldn’t fall back to sleep. I guess I was rehearsing all my chores in my mind so I wouldn’t forget anything. Now watch – when I HAVE to get up at 4:30 to stuff the turkey I will have to throw myself out of bed!

Things went well today as far as prepping. After breakfast I started by putting the turkey in cold water to finish thawing. Then I put the eggs on to boil for deviled eggs. Once that was done, I mixed up the brownies. While they were baking I cleaned up the kitchen and moved a few packages of frozen corn from the freezer to the fridge.

I made a pitcher of iced tea, because Sherree likes tea with the meal. Also kept checking on the ham to be sure it was defrosting ok in the fridge.

I still have to take the turkey roaster upstairs so it’s ready for the morning, and get the crock pot ready for the ham. In the morning I will peel the potatoes and put them in cold water until it’s time to cook them.

Kelly txt me that she found someone who will take my old Christmas tree. So I wiped off the lid of the storage bin and Peyton will take it home tomorrow. I have to look for a sturdy container to store the new tree in. It’s more compact than the old one but the sections are taller so it won’t fit in the old bin.

And that’s all I have to say about today. Don’t be concerned if I don’t post tomorrow. Not sure how late everyone will stay, or how long I will stay awake after they all leave. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends.

My blessing for today was getting everything done.

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW November 28th is:

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; National Day of Mourning; National Clippers Day; National Dog Show Broadcast; National French Toast Day; Red Planet Day; Thanksgiving.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Voice Day. Tomorrow: Thanksgiving, of course! And maybe catch a bit of the parade. God bless – be thankful!

I went to work this morning but not much there. I talked to Rege a bit – he lost his voice! I told him we had to quit playing copy-cat! He’s going to Deep Creek with his entire family for the Thanksgiving weekend so I certainly hope he feels better!

I made one stop on the way home, and then handled some personal business. Talked to Kelly for a while on the phone. We were figuring out the food and schedule for Thursday.

After lunch (last of the roasted veggies) I cleaned the house and did some laundry. I tweaked a Christmas essay for the Skunk Hollow Christmas in December.

Skunk Hollow Christmas

I was flipping through channels and apps on my Roku and found a few favorite movies that I can watch. I also spent about 20 minutes online watching video interviews and reading articles about Paul Campbell. He’s my favorite Hallmark actor! I confirmed that Window Wonderland was his first movie. Makes me determined to try and purchase it!

Since today is Charles Schulz’s birthday there were also a lot of articles and information about him and the PEANUTS comic strip. I took a little quiz and of course got all the questions right! Here’s to SNOOPY and the whole PEANUTS gang – and may they live on for decades to come!

I put a string of lights on one side of the fence – it needed brightening up down there! I’m very pleased with the way it looks.

Just got a txt from Kathy and it seems that Paul’s medical issues can be monitored and controlled fairly easily. He’ll get more information when he speaks with his doctor tomorrow. Good news for him!

Autmn cooked Thanksgiving dinner for Noah’s family today. She called me several times for directions and advise, but she said everything worked out perfectly! She was very excited and pleased, and I’m so proud of her. She did a wonderful job. The only thing that she didn’t personally make was the homemade bread, which I made and shared with her. Way to go, Autmn Rose!

And Cameron was all spiffed up and handsome for the occasion!

My blessing today was Autmn’s delight!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW November 27th is:

Drinksgiving; National Bavarian Cream Pie Day; National Craft Jerky Day; National Voice Day; National Jukebox Day; Pins and Needles Day; Turtle Adoption Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Pom-Pom Day. Tomorrow: Not planning to adopt a turtle any time soon. So I’ll just make my own celebration, which is ‘prep food for Thanksgiving’ day! God bless…

Today is one month until Christmas. I’m not ready! I’m determined to take things low-key and easy this Holiday season. I want to be driven by joy and the delight of each day – who I’m with, what I do, where I go; even what I eat. I don’t want to rush! This year I am retiring my 42 year old artificial tree and putting up a small, easier, new one. We’ll see how that turns out next week!

My day was busy and full of errands but not much to post. I worked a while, got gas in the car, picked up my prescription, and then got stamps at the post office. As usual, I parked under ‘Dad’ and took a picture. Hi, Dad!

After a lunch of home made bread toasted, I did a load of laundry. I spent a while on the phone setting up follow appointments with my doctors. I can’t wait to get back to ONE doctor again! I took some time to run over to the Dollar Tree – I needed some gift bags and thank you notes. Then I stopped at Gabe’s – still trying to get Christmas ideas. Di had left a bag on her porch for me, so I drove past her place on the way home. And that was my day! Maybe things will be a little more interesting tomorrow!

I heard from Mary – her mom is still in the hospital. She has to have a few more tests to determine what is causing her issues. Kathy called and Paul was able to get up and take a few steps and sit in the chair. They have a few more tests to do on him but, as in Mary’s mom Nancy’s case, they have to wait until all the medication is out of their systems to get an accurate reading.

My blessing for today was just having a ‘today’!

PEANUTS Thought for the Day:

TOMORROW November 26th is:

Good Grief Day; National Pom-pom Day; International Cake Day; National Law Day.

Yesterday’s fake day was National Tape Day. TOMORROW: Good Grief, Charlie Brown! I like cake, so I’ll take that. God bless…

(Named after the iconic Charlie Brown catchphrase, Good Grief Day celebrates the life and work of the immovable Charles M. Schulz. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.)