Decking The Halls . . .

It's the last day of November

which means it's time to . . .

Today I'll finish packing away the Fall

decorations and begin

decorating for Christmas.

I love this Norman Rockwell picture.

It reminds me of the trees

that grocery stores

sold when I was a kid.

Giving Thanks 2009 . . .

Our Thanksgiving gathering

was so much fun!

This was the greeting at the front door.

The family who gathered around the table were
Ethan, Kari, Bobby,my sister Mary, Bob,
brother~in~law Howard, Howard's niece Ashley,
his sister Sharon, and yours truly behind the camera.


The place card holders were pumpkins
of different colors & sizes.





Ethan was so cute in his
Thanksgiving shirt.

Ethan & Aunt Mary had a

great time getting to know each other.

I hope you & yours had a wonderful
weekend celebrating your blessings!

Thanksgiving Trivia . . .

Did you know in 1939 the great Thanksgiving Day calendar controversy began? Beginning in 1863, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Until 1939 that is.

Under pressure to boost spending during the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in order to kick off the holiday shopping season early. Not only did FDR catch flack from everyone from calendar makers to schools with scheduled football games, some states even rebelled against the change and celebrated on the original day. FDR held the change for two more years, but public outcry was so strong, Congress passed a law on December 26, 1941 to make Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday of November permanently.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Don't forget to count your blessings!

Thankful & Heritage Trees . . .

Thanksgiving

2009

Thankful & Heritage Trees

'Thankful Tree'

Late Sunday night Kari helped me

decorate the trees.

We had such a good time!

This year our new 9 ft. tree

is decorated with all of my Thanksgiving pretties

that I usually scatter all over the house.

We also added glittery pine cones & autumn leaves.

Click on the picture for a better look.

Here is a close up view.

'Heritage Tree'


This tree features family photos from the past & present.

My grandparents, Ralph & Ruby
& Ethan & Kari.

I'm thankful for the heritage our

parents & grandparents gave us!

Preparing For Turkey Day . . .

I've been busy the past several days

getting ready for

Turkey Day.

I've been shopping, cleaning,

and putting the finishing touches

on the Thanksgiving decor.

Come back tomorrow to see the

2009 edition

of our

'Heritage & 'Thankful'

Thanksgiving trees.

Happy 2nd Birthday ! ! !

I've been very busy today,

but I couldn't let the day end without

wishing our sweet,

great niece

E

a very happy 2nd birthday!

We love you very much!

P.P.P. ! ! !

Poor, Pitiful, Pansies . . .

In all the years we've planted

pansies this has never happened!

A few days after we planted our pansies we noticed that the beautiful blooms & most of the greenery had disappeared!

We keep hoping to see new growth & blooms appear, but apparently our little rabbit friends are enjoying frequent snacks!

I wonder if this is a sign of a cold, snowy, winter?

Does anyone have a gardening tip to prevent this from happening?

Give Thanks . . .

You don't need a turkey to celebrate thanksgiving. All you need is a reason. God has given you more reasons to be thankful than He's created stars in the sky. So, why wait?

Start with what you see ~~ the clothes you're wearing, the food in the fridge, the beauty of an Autumn day. Then, think about the people you love and how they've touched your life. Next, consider what God's given you that can't be held in your hands ~~ things like hope, forgiveness, and your future home in Heaven. Sit quietly as God brings even more reasons to mind.

Stopping to say "thanks" will remind you of how big God is and how good your life is when He's in it, no matter what day it is.

A humble mind is the soil out of

which thanks naturally grows.

Henry Ward Beecher

Taken from ~ God's Daily answer

A Recipe Worth Repeating . . .

Last year about this time I posted

this recipe for Dilly Bread.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Today I want to share a recipe that has become a holiday tradition in our family. I can't remember the first time my mom made this bread for Thanksgiving dinner, probably 1975, not really sure. It was an instant hit with everyone.

She also made it for Christmas dinner that year.

She made it for our holiday meals for years.

I have continued the tradition.

If you don't want to take the time to knead the dough you can make it in your bread machine. Very simple.

Dilly Bread
1 package yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup cottage cheese (heated to lukewarm, I do this in the microwave)
2 T. sugar
1 T. instant minced onion
3 T. butter
2 tsp. dill seed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. soda
1 egg
2 1/4 cup sifted flour
Soften yeast in water. Combine in mixing bowl cottage cheese, sugar, onion, butter, dill seed, salt, soda, beaten egg and softened yeast. Add flour to form a stiff dough, beating well after each addition. Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes. Knead down dough and turn into well greased 2 1/2 qt. casserole. Let rise in warm place until light, 40 minutes or so. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 25 minutes until brown (crust will be dark brown). Brush with butter.

The combination of dill & cottage cheese

really make this delicious.

Hope you try it for your Thanksgiving meal.

Never Forget . . .

Today I'm paying tribute to our nephew, Craig, who was a POW during the Gulf War in 1991.

On Monday, January 28, 1991 Craig was on a bombing mission in his Harrier jet over Kuwait when his aircraft was shot down. Other airmen in the area saw the Harrier explode when it hit the ground, but were unable to determine if Craig ejected from the aircraft. The following day our family was notified that he was missing in action. The Marine Corps requested that our family not make public statements regarding the situation. We had hope that maybe he got out of the plane before it crashed. We did not know if he was dead or alive. We were in constant prayer and were glued to the television in hopes of hearing any news about Craig. On March 5, 1991, our prayers were answered. Craig was released by the Iraqis in a group of 15 American POWS. He had been held near Basra. We later were told on his first day as a POW, his captors broke his left leg with a metal pipe and beat him with on ax handle. His leg was not treated. He was kept blindfolded, and handcuffed so tightly the nerves in his hand were crushed.

I want to say how grateful I am to all those who served in the past and those presently in the military. For those that have lost someone in war or the terrible incident at Fort Hood, my prayer is that God will comfort you as you grieve the loss of your loved one.

Make It Easy On Yourself . . .

I don't think it's too early for some Christmas

inspiration or a little song to brighten your day!

Enjoy. . .

Here's a nifty idea to make your outdoor

Christmas decorating simple!

It's easy on the budget and gives you more time

for shopping, baking, and other holiday activities.

Don't forget. . .only 46 more days until Christmas!

Sunday Thoughts . . .

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7

It's not hard to be relaxed and peaceful when everything is going smoothly and your problems are all under control. But that's not real peace. Real peace is the inner calm God's Spirit gives you even when the world around you is chaotic, stress is bearing down on you, and things are going right off the rails at work and at home.

You get that kind of peace by trusting God and keeping your heart focused on Him. In return, His peace will keep you calm and under control. . .better able to process solutions and deal effectively with circumstances. Don't settle for a fragile peace that can't handle all that life is handing you. Put your hand in God's hand.

Christ alone can bring lasting peace. . .

peace with God . . .peace among men and nations. . .

and peace within our hearts.

Billy Graham

Taken from 'God's Daily Answer'. . .

Gorgeous Oklahoma Weather . . .

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous all week!

Clear blue skies, temperatures in the

upper 70s, & no rain.

I took a little time this morning

to snap some photos

of our beautiful front yard tree.

I hope you're having great weather in your neck of the woods!

Halloween 2009 . . .

Saturday night was a beautiful night to trick~or~treat.

This is what the little goblins saw when they rang the doorbell.

Our favorite visitors were
50s Housewife (Kari),
Charlie Brown (Ethan),
&
Rocker Dude (Bobby).
(for the record, Bobby's arms are not covered with real tattoos)

Some friendly faces.
OSU fan with huge cowboy hat
& cute tiger.


Stylish chicks!


A fancy butterfly.



We didn't have very many trick~or ~treaters.
Note to self . . . buy less candy next year!