November is half over. And Thanksgiving is next Thursday! There is something around every corner. The secret (shhhh!) is making every minute count for GOOD and enjoy what you choose to do. ALSO, as the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:11b-13: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” So hang on!

There was a little work in each store today – plus I stopped to get gas in the car. It’s been snowing for about 2 hours, but just a dusting is sticking on the grass. It’s clean and pretty but that’s because I can stay in the rest of the day!

I also stopped at Gabe’s to get batteries – It’s coming on Christmas (Here’s a quote from a Joni Mitchell Christmas song – Bill Smail’s favorite singing artist was Joni Mitchell!
It’s coming on Christmas, They’re cutting down trees. They’re putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace.)and once I start putting up my lights I will need new batteries in all the sets. While I was there —- (You know what’s coming!) —- I bought a blanket. But THIS one wasn’t for me! I have bought my kids and grandkids blankets but Peyton is hard to buy for. He’s not a fan of Christmas ‘stuff’ or cute things, so I have spent a lot of time looking for something appropriate. Finally found it! Can’t wait until he comes up to give it to him. It’s not a Christmas present. It’s a ‘just because I love you!’ gift. I also found a little Melmac snack plate that I thought would be perfect for him. Once he gets his own place (someday) he can set this little dish out and he’ll be done decorating for the holidays!

On the way home I passed a house up the street that was honoring veterans. I took a picture to share, as I thought it was very fitting.

There is a small possibility that I will bake cookies later. Depends on if I get the end of my work-in-progress story edited in time. I found the mini Christmas M&M’s for baking so that’s on the list. Or Peanut Blossoms.

November 15 – Tell about the most serious problem or challenge you faced during your early years of marriage. “Like most young couples we had to learn how to budget our money. I did get homesick the first couple years. We didn’t have a car & we didn’t get to see my family too often.” I can’t imagine that. We went out HOME all the TIME for as long as I can remember!

Calendar inspiration – Every day we have a choice: Do the easy thing or the better thing? – but whatever, do your best!

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TOMORROW November 16th is:

• National Button Day
• International Check Your Wipers Day
• National Fast Food Day
• National Indiana Day
• National Educational Support Professionals Day

National Button Day! That’s a delight! We were just discussing buttons. Let’s celebrate that. I’ll celebrate by cleaning my house and going to Bible Study – God bless…

Not too much work in either store today. I did stop at the store and picked up the extra ingredients I need for making cookies. I won’t do that today but now I have them here. I plan to mix up home-made bread on Friday.

After lunch I went through a few things in my room. I decided to sort out the jewelry box that Stoney got me for Christmas the year we were married. I never use it and I had extra keys, etc, stuck in there. I cleaned it out and am tucking it away for Kelly when she’s ready to take it.

I still am holding back on cleaning up the leaves in the front yard. It’s only 39* today and I’m still technically on slight restriction. Maybe by the weekend.

So I guess with me this past week it’s either been feast or famine! Today – not much happening. I still have some ironing to do, supper to get, reading and writing obligations. But I’ll just slide right through the evening!

November 14 – What qualities in my dad did you try unsuccessfully to change? “I encouraged him to stop smoking & he never could break the habit. He loved to eat & could never seem to understand how it was hurting his health.” Those were life-long attempts – we all tried unsuccessfully!

Calendar inspiration -Solitude enables you to develop your own unique talents and ideas without the influence of others.

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TOMORROW November 15th is:

• America Recycles Day
• National Bundt (Pan) Day
• National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day
• National Philanthropy Day
• National Raisin Bran Cereal Day
• National Spicy Hermit Cookie Day

Tomorrow is a weird day for celebrations! I’ll find something of my own to celebrate. Maybe just ‘happy where I work’ day! Join me! God bless…

Woke up to cloudy skies and snow flurries. They didn’t last longer than a few minutes but there we go – first snow of the 2022-2023 winter season!

Our lesson in Sunday School was day 6 and day 7 of creation. So we were learning about God creating the land animals and people. I took a big bag of stuffed animals in and the boys (Max and Ben) enjoyed lining them up and making animal sounds. Of course, on the 7th day God took a nap! Sounds about right…

Todd finished up his sermon series DROP THE MIC, and the message was about the Three Little Pigs. Actually it was about how we build our house. Do we think about the purpose it needs to serve? Is it secure enough to take us through the storms of life? Did we build our house – our LIFE – on the sturdy rock (of Jesus) or on the shifting sands that will send it to destruction? What do YOU want to find at the end of your life? Be the smart little pig and build your house on the Lord. It will last for eternity.

After church I went to Kathy’s and helped her with her open house. Her church family had been eager to see their new home, and today was the day. I mostly tired to stay in the background and keep food and drinks refilled and available, but also enjoyed talking to her guests. I’ve met a lot of them before and was glad to visit with them again. And a bonus was bringing left-overs home for supper. Another night of not having to cook.

I did, however, leave after the event without grabbing my phone. I came home, put my stuff away, and changed into my Snoopy PJ’s and slippers. When I realized I didn’t have my phone, I switched out the slippers for shoes, grabbed a coat, and headed back over. It’s a good thing I didn’t have any issues on the way there and back – dressed in Snoopy PJ’s! 🙂 All is well.

November 13 – What was your job at the time? “I stayed home & was a typical 1948 housewife.” I was born less than 2 years later so she didn’t really have time to get bored!

Calendar Inspiration – Start your day with a quiet mood of early morning peace, and carry that serenity with you all day.

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TOMORROW November 14th

• National Family PJ Day
• National Pickle Day
• National Seat Belt Day
• National Spicy Guacamole Day

I think it’s very funny that tomorrow is PJ day and I spent part of my evening driving around Greensburg in mine! No pickles, though, and I did wear my seat belt! Have a safe and happy day. God bless…

When I got my stitches out on Tuesday, I specifically asked Molly if a trip to Smicksburg’s Christmas Festival was on the approved list. I explained what it involved and she said, “Absolutely!”

So I picked Kathy up this morning at 9am and out we went! It was cloudy and cool, but no rain while we were there. We thoroughly enjoyed walking the streets and going inside the craft and gift shops. Everything was very festive, with holiday decorations and tons of charm and sparkle.

Our first stop was at Yoder’s Pop-Up shop. We walked in the door and there was Colleen, looking happy and fun like a Christmas Angel! What a great surprise (she works there part-time) and so fun to get hugs and smiles.

Next we went to the Amish Bulk Food store, where I bought a 5 pound slab of block chocolate to make Christmas goodies. From there, we parked down town and walked through those stores. It was very busy, with crowds everywhere. It was so nice to see everyone smiling and happy and chatting. Everyone was very friendly – the shop keepers and the shoppers. It was my first outing other than work, and I found the only issue I had was that my neck got cold before anything else did! THAT I could handle.

There was live music at Smicksburg Furniture – and his version of Silver Bells had us singing along.

When we walked in the door of the Primitive Peddler we were immediately hit with the smell of fresh buttered popcorn. Oh, yum. They had little cups that they were passing to shoppers. They also had a lot of locally-made products in that shop (including the popcorn!).

My favorite store was the one on the Dayton-Smicksburg road. That store was just full of fun! Antiques, home decor, holiday decorations, toys – did I mention antiques? My decor of choice is anything wood, and they had plenty. I bought the cutest little tree and snowman. There was several different sizes of each but these were perfect. There was live music in that store as well – and the couple did an excellent job keeping us entertained.

Once we had examined everything in town, we drove back over to the Smicksburg Country Store – Donna’s store. We bought cheese (I got longhorn), double dipped chocolate-covered peanuts, and had yummy hot-dogs with sauerkraut for lunch. That took the edge off for the rest of the afternoon.

We couldn’t make a trip to Smicksburg without popping in to visit with AJ/UC (Aunt Joan and Uncle Clifford, Colleen’s parents). A visit with them is really like ‘coming Home’ and it’s always hard to leave. UC loaded us up with apples from their spring house, and showed us their November unexpected harvest of carrots and cabbage. And green eggs! I thought green eggs were only found in Dr. Seuss books but I was wrong. Green and brown eggs, sure enough.

Even thought the drive is an hour and a half, it’s always filled with lovely conversation – sometimes funny, sometimes serious, sometimes both. But always perfect. We made a quick stop at Walmart for some food items and I was home by 4:30pm. I felt like my first fun post-surgery outing was a grand success, and will snuggle in with a blanket and left-overs and study my Sunday School lesson for tomorrow. It was indeed a Home-made kind of day!

November 12 – Tell about where you lived when first married. “We lived in a front apartment on Pittsburgh Avenue for 1 month. We moved to a 1 room apartment in Waugaman’s big farm house.” (Which was on the back road to Youngwood…)

Calendar Inspiration if from Peanuts :

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Random Photo – Millie made me a picture to help me get well – I got it in the mail today! Thank you Amelia Jane!

TOMORROW November 13th is:

• National Indian Pudding Day
• World Kindness Day

I can get into Kindness Day! Be kind to everyone tomorrow – well, and every day. Have a happy day! God bless…

My big accomplishment for the day was that I read a 387 page book (which was very good – funny, intriguing, fast-paced) in less than 24 hours! Very different from what I normally read but I’d put it near the top. There are 3 books in the series but I have several other books I need to finish before I read # 2 and #3.

I did do laundry and baked cookies (which still need to be iced) and also went out to get gas in the car. It was a cloudy, damp day with hard rain at times. I was glad to stay in the rest of the day.

On the way home from the gas station I went the back way. The road had been closed for months and months and is finally open! This road took me past St. Paul’s church, which was having their annual Christmas sale and everything was half price (today and tomorrow). I stopped and looked around and spent $1.00. I got this little snowflake candle holder – put a red candle in it and my snowflake on the top and I’m set! And that will be my day!

As today is Veteran’s day, I am taking a minute to honor and remember those who gave so much – sometimes their lives. Here is a picture of my dad on leave from the Army – he served in Korea.

November 11 – Do you have an Armistice Day memory? “At school we would all bow our heads at 11 minutes after 11 on the 11th day of the 11th month and remember that day the armistice was signed to end the war.”

Calendar inspiration – We make an impression every day, wherever we go.

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Random Photo – Honoring Matt’s father

TOMORROW November 12th is:

• National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
• National French Dip Day
• National Pizza with the Works Except Anchovies Day

Tomorrow is a short, easy road trip for Kathy and I. So thankful for sisters, especially mine! God bless…

Not much to post about today. I did work in Jeannette, but Greensburg didn’t have anything ready. I drove down to Norwin and got a few groceries at Aldi and Walmart, then came home and had the last of the chicken rice for lunch. I do admit to sitting in the recliner for about an hour, resting and reading. But it was such a nice day that I took a walk around the block to get some exercise and sunshine.

I just paid a few bills online, and now I am posting this! I feel good and am looking forward to my weekend, but just nothing interesting to report on. I’ll try again tomorrow! I did get txt messages from Holly and Mary, and that was very nice! Thank you!

November 10 – Did you go on a honeymoon? “We bought bus tickets to go to Niagara Falls. We rode to Indiana on the bus & hated it, so we cashed in our bus tickets and came back to Greensburg. We didn’t tell anyone we were back until someone noticed our apartment light was on.”

Calendar inspiration – There’s an unseen grace & beauty in all we do, even if we don’t realize it.

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TOMORROW November 11th is:

• National Sundae Day
• Veterans Day

Tomorrow I will get organized for the weekend, and do little chores around the house. Taking it one step at a time! God bless….

I determined first thing this morning that I would take the day slow, especially since yesterday was a long, full day. All I wanted to do was be done with my mini-chores by 7pm to watch live stream of the Bible Study. Turns out that they had to cancel because of some issues in the church building. So I’ll post this, have dinner, balance my checkbook, and read a bit.

After breakfast I cleaned some upstairs, then had leftovers for lunch. I took some time outside on the deck to get some sun and read a few chapters in my current book.

Then I came in and finished cleaning downstairs and did a load of laundry. I found that Window Wonderland was on Hallmark, and it’s a favorite. After that I watched A Timeless Christmas. Once I post this I’ll have dinner.

November 9 – Tell about any other circumstances of your wedding day. “Your dad’s friends came for the wedding & decorated the car we were going to ride ‘home’ in.”

Calendar Inspiration – Good cheer & imagination can transform an ordinary day into an extraordinary one – great advise!

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TOMORROW November 10th is:

• National Civic Pride Day **
• Marine Corps Birthday
• National Forget-Me-Not Day
• National Vanilla Cupcake Day

I will work tomorrow, but I expect the day to be light. I caught up with mostly everything on Tuesday! God bless…

It’s really a good thing that I took my time getting my day started because it ended up being a long and tiring day. God has His special way of encouraging and comforting – I heard sirens at breakfast and looked out to see them at my neighbors’ house down the street. I know Joyce has been ill for a very long time, and I hated to see her have to be taken by ambulance. Three of my closest neighbors have household members who have serious issues that have required ambulances and hospitalization frequently. I feel very blessed that I have navigated my issues so well. God is good!

I’m ready for bed and it’s only a little after 7pm. Alas, still have a few things to do. But I did get behind the wheel for the first time since surgery and headed to vote. From there I went to Norwin Town Square to see Molly (Dr. Bosley’s P.A.) and got my stitches out. She said my incision looked wonderful and was very pleased. I did ask if I could mow or rake but she just said, “Girl! I think you need to give it another week.” And laughed.

From there I went to work in Jeannette, and there were several strange and tangled deals to work on. It felt good to be back at my desk, but I was moving a little slower. I didn’t want to make any mistakes. From Jeannette I went to Greensburg, and was there for almost 2 hours. A long-time friend from Smail’s, Sue Z, was helping her granddaughter Nia purchase her first car. Nia was very excited, and I was glad to see both Sue and Nia.

My friend Linda from church brought over supper, and it was very good. I haven’t had Gianilli’s spaghetti in ages! And wedding soup, and a little bite of dark chocolate, and she even gifted me one of her favorite books. Can’t wait to read it! Thanks, friend!

Autmn needed a ride home, and although I was very tired and at the end of my day, I knew it was important. It only took me about half an hour, and now I’m tucked back at my desk with my recovery blanket, almost done with this post! Oh – and here’s a picture I took early this morning. It looks a little spooky, but it’s just a picture of my bedroom window from my bed!

November 8 – Who performed the ceremony? Who stood up with you? “Hazel (sister) was my matron of honor & Gene was your dad’s best man. Joan was my flower girl.”

Calendar inspiration – Even if we do what we love, it’s important to know when to stop. Rest is important!

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TOMORROW November 9th is:

• Microtia Awareness Day
• National Louisiana Day
• National Scrapple Day

I am thankful that tomorrow I can stay in all day. By Thursday I should be feeling much better, and be ready to tackle work again! And maybe groceries!!!

I think it will take a while before my sleep pattern adjusts to the new hours. I was wide awake a little after 6am, which would really have been 7am, which is my normal alarm time. I did some reading in bed and snuggled under the covers for a while before starting my day. Seems like my stitches are healing well!

Another beautiful, warm sunny day. I sat on the back bench and read in the sunshine for a bit. Did a load of laundry and fussed around in the kitchen for a while. I heated up a few bites of cream of potato soup for lunch, then did some writing, reading, and took my time doing the ironing. In the mail I got lovely, hand drawn pictures from JJ & Max. Of course they are going up on my fridge. They were accompanied by confetti, which went everywhere! I deserved that … Haha.

Deb dropped off some soup for me, which I’ll look forward to heating up on a cooler day. Then a friend from church brought supper over – pork chops, roast potato spears, green beans, rolls, biscotti, and Danish. I feel guilty, eating all these wonderful meals. A huge thank you to everyone who has dropped off food since the surgery. I can’t begin to say how much that helped, especially since kitchen chores are my least favorite! Thank you!

Tonight is supposed to be an eclipse of the moon. I snapped a picture of the moon and the clouds but doubt if I’ll manage to see the actual eclipse. Also captured the inflatables in my neighbor’s yard!

While I was typing I was listening to GODWINK CHRISTMAS again. There are a few fun movies on Hallmark Christmas tonight but they are all from other years. I haven’t seen a 2022 Christmas movie that has impressed me yet – but there are a lot more to come!

November 7 – What did you wear? (wedding) “I wore a traditional long satin wedding gown. I had made it myself with my mother’s help. Also made my veil.”

Calendar inspiration – No matter how much work you have today, keep looking up – be optimistic!

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TOMORROW November 8th is:

• National Cappuccino Day
• National Harvey Wallbanger Day
• National Parents as Teachers Day 
• National STEM/STEAM Day

Here’s to my daughter Kelly, who home schools, and to all the other brave and dedicated parents who teach their children! Tomorrow I am scheduled to get my stitches out, and find out how many restrictions I have or don’t have. God bless…

Well, the house is quiet and I’m on my own. Perfectly capable, for sure. I promised Kelly when she left that I would lay low and not over do with activities. And I haven’t. I even took a short nap. Seems like the biggest effect from the anesthesia is trips to the bathroom, including all night. So I was glad to grab a little extra sleep. There is enough food here that I won’t have to cook for a few days and that helps, too.

Before Kelly left this morning we had breakfast together, and noticed that the neighbor behind had inflated his snowman again. It’s been very windy so I’m not sure how he’s staying up! My mums blew over that were on the porch but it won’t hurt them. They are about done blooming, anyway!

So today’s post will be a bit short, as it’s quiet here. No cleaning, no laundry, no cooking, no leaf raking…. sigh. But the post-surgery instructions say to talk a walk every hour or so, which I have been doing. Going up my driveway and around the yard. I did notice that FINALLY the grass I planted is starting to sprout! Yea for that.

November 6 – When and where were you married? “We had a lawn wedding in my father & mother’s place. It was September 11th, 1948. It thundered all afternoon but cleared up & was a beautiful evening for a wedding.”

Calendar inspiration – So blessed and thankful for the positive outcome from surgery!

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TOMORROW November 7th is:

• National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
• National Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day
• National Retinol Day
• Color the World Orange Day
• Job Action Day

Tomorrow will be a stay-at-home day, so probably no job action in my day. I will celebrate a little of that and be thankful. Have a great week. God bless!