Friday, November 30, 2012

Enjoying The Moments

Sunshine and warmer temps today in NW Ohio.. Lovely day to think of planning for special events that will happen from now till the magical hoiday of Christmas arrives..
     Yesterday Tom and I traveled to Toledo for a appointment with the surgeon that preformed my surgery for cancer 3 months ago... After my exam I was told the comforting words that everything was normal at this time... I will be required to see him and be examined every three months for a year.....
     This coming Wednesday we will be having 2 other couples over to play cards.. share conversation and refreshments with...  I will need to plan the refreshment within the next couple days... Then comes the finalizing for the Moser { Tom's side of the family} which will consist of close to 70 people... With Tom coming from a family of 10 children the size of the group is way too many for our size home so we rent a hall in Archbold in the park.... As hosts this year we will provide the meat... provisions and set the hall and add the table decorations... Each member then brings a covered dish... I send announcements of the date and time and ask they to bring a certain dish of kind so we have a nice variety... Everyone helps with the cleanup so it does go quite smoothly... I have the centerpieces about completed and will finish them and the purchasing of needed items next week....
     I have most of my Christmas completed... Had plans on creating a few more paper altered art items but will see how it goes next week as I seem to have lost focus the last couple days... Just have the desire to CHILL today after the appointment yesterday even though I tried to stay calm it was hard to do when I was made to sit on the exam table with my bottom hanging out for one hour and fifteen minutes waiting for the doctor to come in the room.. He said he was running BEHIND as my BEHIND was freezing... So today it's taking it a bit easier and relaxing the body and mind... Tonight we will be traveling to Miller City to watch the first game of the basketball season for the Tinora Boys...
     I have been enjoying several Christmas movies, mainly shows on the Hallmark channel.. Nothing can brighten a night like a great movie and a roaring fire that adds beauty to the twinkling lights and decorations.. Just a perfect way to start the months of winter rich in beauty itself.. A lovely lighted Christmas snowy village sit on a glittery snowy cotton blanket when viewing it takes you to moments of relaxing... Vintage objects displays in glass of Christmas is also very lovely to the eye.. I am not afraid of excess when it comes to Christmas decorating.. all with just a touch of feminine... Many lovely dishes of candy and special treats not maybe normally found in everyday will be found sitting around for ourself and others that may visit to enjoy... While in Toledo today.. for anyone who lives close knows when you stop at Anderson's many arrays of bulk and special treats can be found there... We felt like we needed a few of those special treats and it consisted of things like sesame seed mix... cashews... bridge mix... wrapped candies.. hard candies...chocolate covered cherries... cookie assortment... ect... when we checked out with the cashier just the goodies was 70.00... Tom and I just looked at each other and smiled... yikes... maybe we should have eaten first....
   OK, I must get this posted and quit the gibbering and work on the laundry I have in the washer... Wishing you all a peaceful weekend and a whole big handful of  everyday blessings there for the taking... ENJOY!!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Tuesday Musings

The sun is shinning this afternoon making it deceiving that it is warm but it is in fact somewhat nippy and close to freezing for the temp... I have been viewing from my large front picture window deer hunters as they travel the roads and walk the local fields and woods around our home...
     I am not too active today as I seem to be in a recovery period from the Thanksgiving holiday... which was very pleasant.... Yesterday Tom and I traveled into Defiance as I wanted to purchase a couple gifts for my kids and one for my granddaughter... {We started out going to BOB EVANS for breakfast and thanks to Sandi posting on her Face book about getting coupons for free meals and breakfast if you go on their Internet site and sign up for free coupons, we ate a nice breakfast meal on them... if you buy one you use the coupon for the second one free of equal value... or less of course..They email these coupons to you every week or so.. it is worth the time of you enjoy dining at Bob Evans...}
     Tom knew I had been wanting a different printer for a couple years now as mine was getting older and used quite a bit  ... so he asked if I would like to go to Office Max and look around for one... I have a Apple Ipad Mini that should be arriving any day now and have been reading about the technology that is available for all these neat things ... While reading I knew to be able to print from the new Ipad mini it would require the Air print tech .... in the printer... I understand our Ipad that we use now is not equipped to use with the wireless printer... He did purchase a HP all in one wireless printer and yesterday afternoon and evening and again this morning I got it set up and was learning how to use it...Pretty neat....
   We are going to the Tinora Girls basketball first home game this evening and tomorrow is going to be house cleaning day as I normally clean on Thursdays for the weekend but this Thursday I will be going to see the surgeon that preformed my surgery for cancer for my three month check up...  I don't really know what to expect at the office call but I know I will be glad when it is over... We will travel to Toledo for the appointment... Otherwise once I have this completed I will have to  think of the coming holiday... The following week we plan on having the 2 couples over that we play cards with for some holiday cheer and some game playing... Then I must get working on finishing my list for we are the hosts for Tom's family Christmas and that is about 70 people...and takes some purchasing and planning... I have started the table decorations but do not have them 100 percent completed... The holiday of Christmas is arriving and I have been enjoying all the Hallmark Christmas movies on their channel and Lifetime... To my delight they have several new movies for this year but I watch the old ones also... Lucky { my puppy} usually cuddles up on my lap and we watch them together... I rather love those peaceful moments and hours of relaxing and enjoying ....
     I have been enjoying the post of which many of my favorite bloggers have been posting some of their creations and home decorations... wow..  some of them have just blown me away they are so lovely.... Keep those posts coming as I love to sit in the mornings and read and view the posts...

Friday, November 23, 2012

Every Home Tells A Story

Every home tells a story.. especially at the different holidays... Remember when we looked forward to going over the river and through the woods to Grandma's house we go? What made this so special and terribly exciting was special thoughts and loving extra work was added to make us feel so loved..
    When no effort is placed ... it's reflection comes back to everyone.. when a home is filled with luscious aromas and is twinkling from room to room, it's " The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year"... just like the song of the past.. Our homes was filled with these moments yesterday as we shared with our families... and our tummies delighted with all the goodies.. Humm.. left overs today..  Always give without remembering and receive without forgetting....and remember..."No man was ever honored for what he received.. He was honored for what he Gave"  Calvin Coolidge

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Ideal Thanksgiving Is Sharing

Pic.unknown
In 1621 the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is still acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of Thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't till 1863 in the midst of the Civil War, that president Lincoln proclaimed a National holiday of Thanksgiving Day to be held each November... Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November.
   The ideal Thanksgiving is sharing our warmth and comfort with family. A warm and inviting day filled with family and tables of wonderful harvest of nourishment... a tradition desired by all.
     As we are about to celebrate our FAT AMERICAN DAY as some may call it let us not forget the main reason... to offer THANKS for our families and the nourishment we are able to share... when we can give thanks we need to do it with cheerfulness.. remembering whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously...

Father we thank you for this opportunity to give and share. We thank you for those who have an offering to give today as well as those whom have a desire to give, but are not able to. We pray a blessing over each giver.. In Jesus name. Amen

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

The Legend Of The Poinsettia



I wanted to share some pics this morning on steps for making crepe paper poinsettias that I used in budget decorating this year.... It was back to grade school time creating these... So simple but they turn out quite lovely.... I used thin wire to cluster together and tie and finished off with a set of rhinestone antique buttons... The ones on the mirror I just used some old beads from a vintage necklace and placed them on a thin wire.... When the poinsettia is clustered I oh so gently take my finger nail and run down the center to make a vein and it will make your poinsettia petal turn down and look very realistic... My decorating has been done so very much in .. no dollars spent this year..................................................................................................................

 In Mexico, it is a old custom to take a flower to church on Christmas Eve.... in honor of the Christ Child. According to legend, long ago in a small mountain village in Mexico, there lived a boy named Mario. Each year Mario watched the villagers walk to the church Christmas Eve carrying bundles of fresh flowers... Mario could not afford to buy fresh flowers, so he would look in the fields for wildflowers that might have survived the cold winter up on the mountains. One Christmas eve, as he was walking, searching for wildflowers, a voice called out to him, "Mario, pick up the weeds growing where you kneel and take them to the Christ Child." Mario answered " I cannot take these weeds to the Baby Jesus" The voice gently replied " The simplest gift, when given with love, will be the most beautiful to him." Mario listened to the voice and placed the green weeds around the manger, as other children teased him... But to every one's astonishment the weeds turned into a beautiful red flower with bright green leaves... Mario could not believe his eyes... it was the most beautiful flower he had ever seen... The other villagers who witnessed the miracle knelt before the manger... Mario understood what the angelic voice was trying to tell him.. He then knew the most important gift for the Christ Child was the gift of LOVE. The plant was brought from Mexico to America in 1836 by Dr. Joel Poinsett, the first American minister to Mexico... It was introduced to him by Mexicans who called it the "Flower of the holy night" The plant was cultivated in the 1890's by Albert Ecke in California. The city of Ventura, California is called the "Poinsettia City " today the poinsettia plant is still considered a Christmas symbol and brought into homes in early December... There beauty remains throughout the holiday season....
The poinsettia plant itself is very lovely and over the years has become available in many varieties and colors. I believe the meaning behind the plant is really important thought to carry with us during the holiday season... Again re-enforcing our need to not be caught up on all the holiday pressures and remember those gentle words.... " The Simplest gifts when given with love, will be the most beautiful to him"......
" Don't despair if you are short of cash. Be creative, looking back, you will discover that the Christmases when you had the least money were the ones that left you with the best memories"

Friday, November 16, 2012

Peace and Goodwill

mi9.com
Peace and goodwill in each loving home. Beauty and magic so surely your own. Sweet Christmas angels-moments of Love, part of the wonder God sends from above...  Garnett Ann Schultz
 
     In everyday living and especially at the holiday season I have a sparkle obsession.. I love the glimmer and shimmer and command embellishment that has this on display.. Seems I always have glitter or mica hanging on me during this time as I work with it in decorating... My puppy even has some yesterday... I think he had his nose in the Christmas village.... I sprinkle this in most all my vignettes and have generous amount for cleanup after the first of the year... Love visiting shoppes and homes during this season of special decorating and preparation... I will also be visiting my favorite blogs as they share their mantels and doors draped in the finest greenery and offer spiced beverages to toast the season..
    Baking even seems to prove to be more pleasurable when enveloped with burning candles of lovely scents and soft music to the ear in the background playing our favorite holiday words...
      Every November awakens me to decorate and baking and desires to enjoy the special moments.
    Unless you allow yourself this time of pleasure you tend to become overwhelmed and is the gifts that the season can bring...The day of Thanksgiving is drawing very near... Take time.. make your list... and shop early so you may enjoy some sit down time as you prepare nourishment for yourself and your loved ones...

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The True Measure

" NOT WHAT WE SAY ABOUT OUR BLESSINGS, BUT HOW WE USE THEM, IS THE TRUE MEASURE OF OUR THANKSGIVING"

Place A Peppermint Twist On Your Holiday







The story of the candy cane maker....
There once was a candy maker who wanted to make a candy cane because he knew he would include a lot of signs and symbols to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.
He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. He used white as a symbol of the solid rock on which the church was founded.
He bent over the top of the candy cane to make it look like a symbol like a Shepard's staff. He remembered that Jesus calls himself " The Good Shepard". The candy maker remembered too that the first people who come to worship Jesus at the manger after he was born was the shepards. Then the candy maker looked at his candy cane and thought it looked a little plain. "It needs some color" he said." Something red" he thought. First he put on 3 thin red stripes. You see, he remembered Jesus went through terrible torture before he died and was whipped across the back.. The candy maker decided the red stripes of the cane would remind everyone that Jesus shed his blood for us and he died on the cross on Good Friday.
The candy maker was doing well with his candy cane. He had a lot of signs of Jesus in there but he wasn't satisfied. He began to pray.. " Dear Jesus, help me to make my candy cane show the true meaning of Christmas. Then the candy slipped from his hands and landed up side down on the floor. When he looked, he noticed that the candy cane was no longer a cane but it was the letter "J" for Jesus. Jesus is really what Christmas is all about...
We have a candy company not too many miles from us called Spangler Candy Co. in Bryan, Ohio, since 1906 that make candy canes and Dum Dum Pops and other candies... They have been making candy canes since before I was born... Chances are the candy canes you purchase for your holiday may be just made by this company... On their fact sheet they manufacture 2.7 million candy canes a day... { 1.5 million in Bryan and 1.2 million in their factory on Juarez, Mexico. Now that's a lot of candy canes.....
Pictures from...http://www.goodhousekeeping.com

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Harvest Of Blessings

Do not get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time.... Galations 6:9
                                                          TRADITIONS
     A couple years ago I posted on traditions of the holiday season and thought since I have added different followers it would be interesting to share some of those traditions over the next couple weeks again...
    With Thanksgiving upon us the mincemeat is thought of.. Mincemeat is a British tradition, but many Americans love it although I believe it to be a love or hate thing... It first was made of chopped meat or liver, boiled eggs, ginger, dried fruit and other sweet ingredients. It was fried or baked... Then later replaced with sweet, or beef mutton fat.. By the 19 th century mincemeat usually contained no meat... Today's pies traditionally filled with fruit mincemeat such as dried fruit [raisins, currants, cherries, apricots, candied peels, spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, nuts { walnuts or almonds}, alcohol{brandy or rum}

*Traditions... Mincemeat pie is a favorite of Father Christmas { Santa}, so children should leave a plate of mincemeat pie by the chimney.
*Only stir mincemeat when cooking clockwise because stirring counter clockwise is bad luck for the coming years..
*While eating the first mince pie of the season you are to make a wish...
*Mincemeat should have a star on the top of the pie depicting the Christmas star that led the Magi and Sheppard's to baby Jesus.


                                        It's A Family Tradition.....

    As we have much to be thankful for we relish celebrating our day with family.. Pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving always seems to be the star of the show.. Pumpkin is a symbol of harvest time and also a feature of Halloween.. The pumpkin is native to the continent of N. America. The flesh of this pompion and spices was quickly accepted as a pie filler and became very common and is our favorite to this day.. We are blessed to have our canned pumpkin for a easier fixing today...

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

A Circus Of Emotions

A circus of emotions develop as we enter the weeks of the holiday season... Many families once again this year will have a real struggle to just place nourishment on their tables for their family... To those to whom this may be true and also to those who can afford the finest.. remember gifts need not be necessary.. but rich is heart certainly is...
     Our Thanksgiving and holiday season will once again be spent remembering the good old days and sticking by our ways of just family remains delightfully stress free. Just large bites of pumpkin pie oozing with whipped creme and generous taste of fresh baked cookies can make any holiday memories... It is the peace we feel at these moments when simple sharing takes place that really matters..
     When coming to my blog you are experiencing the lack of sharing of purchases from antique or gift shoppes as it has all but stopped... Not that things we ever plentiful but now they are even less.. It now consists of musings and very simple ways... I have learned even more generous portions of taking time and enjoying small things and taking the moments to reflect and give thanks for them.. I love the peaceful presence I enjoy in my home..{ well now once in awhile things get out of hand with our little rescue puppy as we continue to adjust to one another... but he has become family}.. I hope you all will take a few seconds and reflect on how many lovely blessings we do have daily...

   Give us this day our daily bread, O Father in heaven, and grant that we who are filled with good things from your open hand, may never close our hearts to the hungry, the homeless, and the poor, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.....

Who does not thank for little will not thank for much....  Estonian proverb

Monday, November 12, 2012

Trees In Showroom

Saying a rainy "hello" from NW Ohio today... Taking a short break before preparing lunch a few household chores... Just went to storage and took a Santa Suit that was purchased at Chicago Gift Mart years ago on a buying trip there for the Floral and Gift Shoppe strictly meant for decorating display and want to find a spot to fit it in this year... It may be a touch difficult as I have decorated in pinks and it is a deep burgundy but I will make it work somewhere as I think my little granddaughter will enjoy it.... She will be coming to stay this Wednesday morning for a couple hours...
    I am sharing a site I think you will enjoy .... I purchased for many years from this company as it was one of my favorites...  Always in awe as you moved around the showroom and always found many ideas and inspiration and of course many items for purchase for shoppe... The showrooms and trees are created by designers and most are fabulous... I created many similar trees when in the industry but now choose a simple little tree to enjoy for my personal home... not one that would be found in a showroom... It is much easier to create when you have endless inventory to work with and not the smaller amount you would have for ones self... Hope you enjoy the RAZ trees ... I have only shown two of my favorites.. Please go on site and there is also a place to click to see previous years trees... http://www.trendytree.com/imagegallery/2012-raz-christmas-tree  Click on IMAGE GALLERY.... What is your favorite?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Preparations

Now that my Christmas decorating has sprouted in every corner of our home ... the time has come for cleaning and thoughts of preparing for a family dinner for the beautiful day of Thanksgiving is nearing... The country cupboards will be filled with luscious gifts of nourishment and shared with family... It is always so nice doing something nice for others{ although the clean up doesn't excite us} the idea of family and making precious memories certainly does.. Life for me would not be the same without all the memories of times past.. I know this is not the case for everyone but I hope the thought of making memories for someone else makes them at peace... It can be so very wonderful to have a mind jammed-packed with lovely thoughts of wonderful moments...
     We associate much of our celebrating with the aromas of wondrous baking and the simmering of nourishment all through the coming weeks and should be aware how very fortunate we are to be able to enjoy all these pleasures... Through our decorating we add to the setting of a very cozy and inviting home and set a mood with the candles and mini white lights of Christmastime..and when preparing early can be also enjoyed for the Thanksgiving holiday... Will be sharing more decorating and thoughts with you the coming weeks... Best wishes....

Friday, November 9, 2012

Being Different, That's Alright

Being different... that's alright... Some may say I am different and a bit out of my mind having my Christmas decorating 99 percent completed... We all do and enjoy things differently.. I personally have always enjoyed the making of decorations since early childhood.. maybe because I was blessed with some artistic ability... I also enjoy baking for the holidays but do very little anymore since it would be Tom and I enjoying it... In the past very large amounts were baked but those are memories and that's quite ok. 
    If one doesn't enjoy these pleasures.. nor may not have the time there are always great options available these days with bakeries and local stores... The main purpose is to make ones self and others happy and there are so many varies available... I talked with a gal in her 50's just the other day and a couple of my friends are saying there are not even placing a tree up... I can't imagine being without the beautiful Christmas twinkle.. I will always as long as I can place at least a small tree up...
    When crystals are on the windows and fields are filled with snow there is not a more beautiful sight in my eyes than the twinkling of mini white Christmas lights... Sparkling candles, blankets and pillows make it very possible and oh so enjoying ,when the temps are freezing to create the lovely crystals... Nothing better in the world than a cozy decorated home...conversation with family and friends... all enjoying the charms and passions of ones love....
   The above pics are little vignettes that are completed in my home... I will take more pics next week and share with you... As soon as I post I am of to finish laundry  and clean and mop the kitchen... There seems to be little paw prints from the puppy that when outside in the frosty grass this morning and little pieces of mica and glitter from finishing some vignettes this morning... Tonight I plan on turning on all the Christmas lights and make sure I  have sprinklings of lights and glitter everywhere as I enjoy some TV viewing... I was told today at 3:30 the girls and later the guys OHIO STATE basketball season begins and I am sure Tom plans on pulling in from golfing this morning about that time....
     Sending best wishes to all for a lovely weekend...