Christmas Season

         

This hasn't been the greatest of days for me.  On Tuesday, I did something to my back which has resulted in a painful few days.  I can walk a little bit, lie down, but cannot stay in a sitting position.  It's a major pain in the sit-down.  This too shall pass. 

 

Notice my ornament above?  It's most important to have your packages ready to go before Monday if you are shipping to Afghanistan or Iraq. The last safe date to mail off these packages to service men and women overseas is December 4th.  Also, send off your cards and letters at the same time.  For more information, go to www.usps.com

 

We are getting ready to put up Christmas decorations.  I'm really excited.  It will be so cool to see all those cheerful pieces in our living room.  I have a whole set of cherubs for Christmas and Rob has a whole set of nutcrackers.  The tree this year is about 2 ft high, ceramic with fiber-optic lights.  I like it a lot.  Since Andrea will be with her big sister Heather ~ there will be just the two of us to decorate for this year.  I hope to get some pictures for posting this year. 

 

Tomorrow is December 1st and we begin the Season of Advent.  When I was young, my mother would always purchase an Advent calendar at the Lutheran or Presbyterian church.  Each night we would open a tiny door revealing a scripture.  Mom would open the Bible while I sat as close to her as possible and read that verse.  It's hard to find those calendars today.  Most of them are filled with chocolate or cartoon characters.  Times have changed a lot.  It's nearly a crime to say Merry Christmas now.  Back then we just all greetedeach other with our respective holiday.  Happy Hanukkah, Lori, Merry Christmas, Krissy, it wasn't a matter of offending one another, it was a matter of sharing each other's joy.

 

So this weekend, I hope to share your joy for the month of December.  I celebrate Christmas in December as the birth of Jesus.  How and/or what do you celebrate?  I'd love to hear from you.  Blessings to you all,

               

 

 

 

Tags: Blogplugs, Back pain, Mailing overseas, USPS.com, whoo celebrates

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Prayers Needed

     

 This is a very serious entry for me to make. Our John and Krissy are in need of prayer. Most of you who know them, are aware of their 2-year struggle with cancer, bone marrow transplant and more.

John is in the hospital once again. Currently they are at the local hospital instead of Hershey. He is not stable enough to move right now. John's fever has jumped from 102.6 to 103 and is vacilating between 103 and 104. He has some sort of infection and is neutropenic, which means his body can't fight back. He is in a special room at the hospital. It has two doors - in the outer area, Krissy must wash up and gown up so she won't pass any germs to him. Staff, doctors, etc., must also go through the same processes.

GOOD NEWS!! As I have been writing this, John's fever has dropped! Krissy called to let me know. This does not mean that John is out of the woods. Right now, they are giving a general antibiotic. The type of infection has to be identified (1-3 days) and the proper antibiotic given.

Please keep John and Krissy in your prayers until thiscrisis is over. If you don't pray . . . will you make an exception and do this for our friends. Your prayers mean the world to them.

Blessings and thank you.

Tags: Prayer needed, John, Krissy, fevers, infection, Neutropenia, good news, keep praying

Thanks to Sugar for this lovely graphic

This is the day!! Time to give Thanks to the Lord for all we have today and all we have had ~ who knows what joy we'll have after today.

I am thankful for my mom who raised 4 girls by herself. Mom taught me how to live confidently, respectfully and Christian.

I am thankful for my sisters ~ Sylvia, Charlotte and Sharon ~ I learned a lot about life from them.

I have some friends (2 or 3) that have lasted the test of time ~ I am grateful for them.  Also in the last 3 + years, I have made friends here in J-Land. There are some I share with more deeply than others ~ they know who they are :) Funny how we can be so close when some are way way east of me. But I love them and am thankful for them.

We have some pets that we love so much that it can't be explained except by other pet owners. My little black Pommie (I named her Precious ~ Rob calls her Pee-Wee) is with me everywhere. I feel better when she is next to me.

I am grateful that I am alive in this day and age. I've seen so many changes since my childhood. I can't name them all but here are 2: We were the first in our neighborhood to have a television set. I thought that the people lived in there and that when we opened the doors and turned the set on they would come back in the same place they were when the set was turned off :) #2 ~ Sputnick Such advances in the span of 59 years. I'm so grateful to see it all.

And at the end of day when all is said and done.

My thanks go to God who sent His only Son

to save us and set us free.

I love and pray for you all and ask His blessings upon you. Even on those days that I am not online.

 

Tags: blogplugs, thanks to the Lord, Mother, Sisters, Friends, J-Land, Pets, Precious, this day and time, changes, 1954 television, Sputnik,

Thanksgiving ALREADY?

I've not been here in a while . . . for multiple boring reasons I need not share. I've missed a lot in the last 5 to 6 weeks. I missed Columbus Day. No big deal, but it is always fun for me to look up some obscure information to share along with, of course, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Then I missed Veteran's Day, for heaven's sake! I'm married to a Veteran. It is these times I like to write up what a wonderful job our Veterans have done and ask others to support and thank each and every one of them for their sacrifice.

I don't do Halloween, so I didn't miss that.  However I do love autumn (even though we don't see it much here in SoCal) and snagged quite a few neat graphics.

Isn't this one heartwarming? Reminds me of way back then when someone else's family was getting all the fun and a bonfire to boot! My son lives where there is winter, spring, summer and fall. I'm a bit jealous of him, really. He gets to see all the changes throughout the year.I have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I'd like to share some of that with you here. It's been a very stress-filled year fraught with illnesses and both big and small problems. That's the way it is. So here is my personal gratitude list :

We have a God who loves so much, that He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us.

1. I have finally begun to lose weight - 45 lbs so far

2.  I have seen how deep the love of family is . . . even when things are extreme . . . also the love of a friend is sweet when I need to talk and so precious when that friend is a trusted Internet buddy (you know who you are) that you have never met.

3.  The basic stuff is so important - there are a lot of people who have not even the least of these.  We have a roof over our heads, too much food in the 'fridge, hot water to wash our bodies and the dishes and we have a goodly amount clothing. We are comfortable here.  I can't tell you how grateful I am for all of this.  There have been time when some of this has been absent.

4.  I am grateful for my wonderful husband.  The Lord sent him to me had been widowed for over 3 years.  He takes care of me when I am ill or hurting, and cleans up when I am unable.

I'll  tell you more things I am thankful for in the next entry.   In the meantime, it would be so cool if you woul d write your list and let me know either in the comments, in  your journal, or in an e-mail..

I love you all and wish you all the Lord's blessings, 

                                                   

                                   

Tags: blogplugs, missing, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, God, Thankful list,