Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Goodbye to 2014

Glowing glass photo especially for Sandra. :-)
This is a stained glass that my sister made. I love it.


Many thanks to Joyce for giving us this Hodgepodge platform every week, for 203 weeks!  There will not be a Hodgepodge next week, but when the Hodgepodge returns, how about joining us. Joyce writes the questions; we write the answers. Copy the questions into your own post, write your answers, then link up at 'From This Side of the Pond,' Joyce's blog. We'd love to have you join us!


1. Share a favorite moment from your Christmas holiday celebration.

That would be having the family together and playing games. Can't think of a single moment, but lots of moments together.

2. What would you say has been the biggest news event during your life so far?

The assassination of JFK.  And of course, we'll never know the whole story, but I think things would have been better now in this country, had he lived.

3. The Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is Marsala. What say you-like or no like? Would I find this color anywhere in your home or wardrobe? Will you add something in this shade to either?

A couple years ago I painted our library that color. Of course, back then it was called, 'Peppered Red.' 

A lonely exercise bike now sits where that brown chair is.
I've neglected it all throughout the Christmas season.


And of course the living room is not 'beige' and 'green,' but 'biscotti' and 'blue sage.'  In another year or so the names on that will change too, just to make us think we're getting something new and exciting, but making it nearly impossible to find more of the same color for touch-ups or to repaint.

 Suzan needs to give my living room a makeover!
The coziness is great for the winter, but when summer comes...


4. Would you rather meet your ancestors or your great grandchildren? Explain why.

I want to meet both, and I fully expect that I will some day.  When I meet Mr. C.'s ancestors, I will ask them what possessed them to move from central England to Wisconsin. I will ask my ancestors why they moved from Sweden and Denmark to Wisconsin. (Not that I don't love Wisconsin.) I will ask my great grandchildren if their parents told them how wonderful and sassy their great grandma was. LOL


Ancestor, looking bored
I think she's my father's grandmother.
My dad obviously got his sense of humor from the other side of the family.

 My mom and dad, both now with the Lord


5. Share one life lesson learned in 2014?

Research. Don't do the physical therapy they tell you to do after hip replacement. Let your body heal for 6 weeks first, rather than doing the band and steps exercises starting at 2 weeks.

6. What was your best or favorite purchase made in 2014? 

The lawn mower. It makes Mr. C. (and grandsons) happy. 



7. What is one thing you're looking forward to in the new year?

Traveling with our daughter and son in law. 

Our last trip with them, 2007

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

I am wondering how long my little blind and deaf dog will put up with freezing cold weather and walking across the ice and snow outdoors. Even now sometimes, she wants to lie down, rather than return to the house. She would freeze to death, of course. I hope this is not a bad winter.

Note:  I should have added this in the original post - that Misty never sets foot outside the house, winter or summer, without being accompanied by Mr. Cranberry or me. She also is always on lead when outdoors, because it seems like the lead is a sort of security for her. She is more confident to step out when someone is 'holding her hand,' so to speak.

In the days when Misty loved going on adventures, 
even in the blinding snow - 2005


Misty hating the snow and cold - 2013

Will you be staying up to usher in the new year?  Any parties for you? I would be more likely to consider it if I weren't awake by 4:30 AM each morning!  We'll see what happens. Maybe I'll celebrate with the Londoners.  Have a wonderful New Year's Day, friends.


***

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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Wisconsin Barns, Sunshine, and Winter Reflections

 Wisconsin Barn - Ours
Early Morning, December 29

After 19 consecutive days of gray dreariness, we've seen the sun at last. We're in the dark, cold days of winter, so seeing the sunshine is an immense boost. Of course it also means that the temperature is likely to drop pretty low tonight.


 The Neighbor's Yard Light
Early Morning

 Truck Waiting for Mid Day Corn Transfer

 A huge combine is roaring its way through an adjacent corn field. Here a tractor and wagon are transferring the corn to the waiting truck. See those shadows? That means sunshine! In fact, it was so bright that it was hard to get a decent photo. I am not complaining. I love that bright sunshine!


 Late Afternoon
view from the deck

Sunset reflected in the windows
(about 4:30 PM)

Now we're coming to the time of year when it gets really cold and dry. The snow squeaks beneath your booted feet and the boards of the boardwalk sound hollow when you walk on them. I don't mind the cold when there's no wind. We are blessed with wood to burn to keep the house warm. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't wear polar fleece nearly every day in the winter. 

 Some of us love the snow.

I also am in no rush to take down the Christmas tree. The added cheer of the lights and ornaments helps during the dark weeks (months).



There is a reason they delay the airing of Downton Abbey in Wisconsin until January. ;-)


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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and A Creative Princess and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Friday, December 26, 2014

'Twas the Night After Christmas

Red Barn North of Colfax, WI

I was going to write a post about New Year's resolutions, but having just returned home from a Christmas party with friends and another get-together with family coming up next week, I realized that I'm in no mood to be making commitments to a sugar-free, wheat-free, dairy-free life - at least not at this moment.

Instead, I'll watch Perry Mason on the television and go to bed. Maybe by the end of next week I will be able to think about resolutions.


Leaving you this week with a collage of photos. Some were sent to me by family members; some I took. All remind me of Christmas in Wisconsin and family.  Mr. C. doesn't know I took a photo of him and the dog taking a nap together. I couldn't resist it.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Made by Linda Stubbs of
Prairie Flower Farm Blog


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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and A Creative Princess and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Our Father...Advent to Advent


Good Christmas Eve Morning, Friends.

I was reading my new book and had to share some excerpts with you (below). I included 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' at the end of my post because it is my favorite Christmas song (well, that and 'Once in Royal David's City,' but I decided to only include one of them.)

This morning at 9 AM CST, I will be tuning in to The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, live from King's College Chapel in Cambridge, England (where it will be 3 PM Christmas Eve), as I do each year. I hope you will do the same. You won't be disappointed, I promise.  Check out the notice from American Public Radio.



Now on to the book excerpt I was telling you about:


"...calling God 'Father' is the great act of faith, of holy boldness, of risk. Saying 'our father' isn't just the boldness, the sheer cheek of walking into the presence of the living and almighty God and saying 'Hi, Dad.' It is the boldness, the sheer total risk, of saying quietly, 'Please may I, too, be considered an apprentice son.' It means signing on for the Kingdom of God... (Emphasis added)


"We live between Advent and Advent; between the first great Advent, the coming of the Son into the world, and the second Advent, when he shall come again in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. That's why Advent is sometimes quite confusing, preparing for the birth of Jesus and at the same time preparing for the time when God makes all things new, when the whole cosmos has its exodus from slavery...


"When we call God 'Father,' we are called to step out, as apprentice children, into a world of pain and darkness. We will find that darkness all around us; it will terrify us, precisely because it will remind us of the darkness inside our own selves. The temptation then is to switch off the news, to shut out the pain of the world, to create a painless world for ourselves. A good deal of our contemporary culture is designed to do exactly that. No wonder people find it hard to pray. But if, as the people of the living creator God, we respond to the call to be his sons and daughters; if we take the risk of calling him Father; then we are called to be the people through whom the pain of the world is held in the healing light of the love of God...

"It is the rhythm of standing in the presence of the pain of the world, and kneeling in the presence of the creator of the world; of bringing those two things together in the name of Jesus and by the victory of the cross; of living in the tension of the double Advent, and of calling God 'Father.'"

- excerpted from The Lord and His Prayer by N.T. Wright  (purchased on Amazon.)



"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”  Luke 1:32-33 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord."  Luke 2:11

***

To all my lovely blog friends,
May you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas
as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.


'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing'
King's College Choir, Cambridge



Photobucket

Monday, December 22, 2014

Christmas Crackers and Family Photos


Last week I received a large package in the mail from the talented Samantha in Wales. Samantha makes gorgeous bag patterns. You probably know her from her blog, 'At Home With Mrs. H.'   If not, check it out. Thank you, Samantha!


This is the second year that Samantha has sent me a huge box of Christmas crackers! It was so much fun to receive the box, and to discover the Christmas crackers inside. Many of our family got together on the 17th and of course the Christmas crackers were pulled and hats worn. Photos below prove it.



For information on Christmas crackers, like the why and the how, please visit Mike at Bit About Britain. His post contains everything you need to know about Christmas crackers, along with some sample jokes (my favorite is the King Wenceslas one) and a Christmas cracker song for extra credit.

Upper right of collage is my dear SIL who was expecting real crackers. I'm not going to say he was disappointed, but maybe next time I should slip some lefse in there.


 Re-starting the Christmas music box,
given to me by my cousin Bobby.
Every kid loves that thing!


The soldiers march around the tower,
The doll spins,
The sailboat tips side to side.


Kitchen: Discussion and Games


Grandpa and Henry
Figuring out how to play Sequence Letters


Just the women folk

Granddaughter and her uncles

The Singing of Christmas Carols
One of my favorite things

Discussing Italy

 Let sleeping babies lie.


 Starting to get the hang of crawling

 I was beckoned to the living room.
They told me there was something for me under the tree.
Look what I found!

Mesmerized by all the lights!


Party Over.

It's always so strange when there's a flurry of family activity for a few days, and then suddenly everyone leaves. Now all I hear are the sounds of the chimes on the porch, the dryer, and the dog snoring.

Will you have a lot of family in for Christmas? Is Christmas usually celebrated at your house, or do you go elsewhere to join family or friends? Or, like Hercule Poirot, do you enjoy a quiet evening  with a box of special chocolates?

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Although I usually forget to do it, there is a chance that this post will be linked to one or more of these great linky parties:  Amaze Me Monday and Inspiration Monday and Mosaic Monday and The Barn Collective and    Treasure Box Tuesday and Vintage Bliss Tuesday and KatheWithAnE and Rubbish Tuesday and Our World Tuesday and Tuesdays at our Home and Tuesday with a Twist and  Knick of Time Tuesday (vintage)  and   Tweak it Tuesday and Vintage Inspiration Wednesday and A Creative Princess and Ivy and Elephants Wednesday and Adorned From Above  and Artsy Corner Thursday and  All Things With Purpose and Home & Garden Thursday and Good Fences on Thursdays and  Time Travel Thursday and Freedom Fridays and Vintage Inspiration Friday and Saturday's Critters