Monday Morning Question

Krissy asked us if we liked to ride around looking at Christmas lights when we were kids and if we still liked to do it today.  Well, I could have just written yes and yes in her comments and be done with it.

But not Penny!  Nope!   Gotta tell a story.

I grew up in and around the city of Pasadena, California.  As I have told you before, my mom loved to get "lost".  I call it a serendipity now.  When I was very small, mom would take us up the hill to a place called Chaney Flats or the hills above Altadena.  She would tell us we were lost, but she always managed to park high enough up those hill to be able to see the lights of the whole Los Angeles basin.  There was no smog yet, no smog alerts, just twinkling lights before us.

In Altadena, there is a street they call Christmas Tree Lane.  There are conifers that line both sides of the street and reach way up to the sky.  It's an amazing two blocks of trees.  At Christmastime, the city and private parties would work to cover the trees completely with lights.  Ahh, I loved that!  It was like being in a wonderland where stars had many colors.  Before I became a teen, the town decided to just cover the front of the trees.  There really is a difference.

There was a housing development in Pasadena called Hastings Ranch, where my mom and I would go every year to see the homes.  One curving block had little stars in all the parkways.  They decorated not only their homes, but the parkways as well.  You do know parkways don't you?  Well, anyway the stars would light up as you drove by.  This was a special tradition in that development that one of the conditions of sale of a home there was that the new owner continue with the tradition.  They had Candy Cane lane which went several blocks.  The homes were decorated so beautifully!  Seeing the lights was always a Christmas favorite for me.  I wonder if the tradition is history now?

As I have gotten older, my love for decorated homeshas not waned.  I can go alone or with others and "ooh" and "ahh" still escape my mouth as I see the lights adorning each home. 

I love the celebration of Christmas.  It has always meant the celebration of the birth of Christ to me.  A long time ago when I was a kid, there wasn't any controversy and often Jews and Christians alike would come together to celebrate.  I did this with my friend Mady whose home was decorated with lights and a Menorah.  I listened to her parents tell the story of the Miracle of Lights. We sang songs that sounded foreign to me, but I gladly sang along to learn how they celebrated. 

Then Mady would come to my house to share Christmas with me.  She would listen as my mom read the Christmas story and sing our carols with us.  Mady and I would exchange small gifts at each celebration.

I still have wonder at Christmastime.  I never want to forget Who I am celebrating whether this is the actual time of His birth or not.  I like the lights, films and stories about Jesus and films and stories about Santa Claus and the other characters we associate with Christmas.  I love to see a Menorah shining in a window.  I love to hear the story again. 

Enjoy the lights.  Relish in their glow.  I will relish as well the glow of the Eternal Light.

Pearl Harbor

              

Is your flag outside today?  Today is the day that will stand forever as our entrance into the second world war.  65 years ago, at Pearl Harbor a surprise attack by the Japanese changed the U.S.A.  forever.  Entombed in Pearl Harbor to this day is the U.S.S. Arizona with her men.  There is still oil slowly bubbling up from below.

Flying our flags today shows that we remember now and will continue to remember the men and women who lost their lives that day.

To learn more about Pearl Harbor Day go to Pearl Harbor Day Remembered or use you own search engine to look it up.

As we remember this day, let us pray for the men and women of the armed forces of the U.S.A. serving around the world.

 

 

fun & Games

 I got this from Val at There Is a Season.  Thought I'd play along.  Have you tried it yet?  Just write out your own answers, post and leave your link with Val. 

              

 

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  Paper

2. Real tree or artificial?   Ours is a pre-lit artificial.  It's very pretty, but I'm going to hang evergreen garlands around for the delicious aroma.

3. When do you put up the tree?  Ours is up - we start decorating the week after Thanksgiving.

4. When do you take the tree down?  Rob wants to take it down almost the day after Christmas.  I prefer to leave it until January 6.

5. Do you like eggnog?  Mmmmmmmmmmmm... YES!  Mine has to be soy, however..
 
6. Favorite gift received as a child?  More likely than not it was a Ginny doll or a Mme. Alexander doll.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?  Yes!  More than one!

8. Hardest person to buy for?  My husband, Rob.  If we have the $$ he pretty much buys it when he wants it.

9. Easiest person to buy for?  Our friend Hank - he's going nautical this year.

10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards?  I have a few people we will send cards snail mail to - maybe 20 or so.  Some others I will send e-mail because I don't have an address for them.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?  My Auntie Merrie cameto our house to bring gifts. My older sisters got really cool stuff - then Auntie Merrie handed me a small but beautifully wrapped gift.  I couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 years old.  I ripped the paper off and opened the box to reveal a bow-tie!!
 
12. Favorite Christmas Movie?  Mine is "A Christmas Carol"  new or old. color or black and white, it doesn't matter.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?  I start thinking about it in October, buy some in November and buy the rest right up until Christmas Eve.
 
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?  No I haven't

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?  Turkey or Roast beef, mince pie with hard sauce, pumpkin roll, veggies with onion sauce, rolls with real butter, eggnog, I could go on forever . . .

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? The more colors, the better

17. Favorite Christmas song(s)?  "The Carol of the Bells"  "O Holy Night"   "Angels We Have Heard on High"

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?  Definitely stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?  "On Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, on Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen!"... and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer (copied from Val.  I could only remember three + Rudolph.)
 
20. Angel on the tree top or a star?  We have a star on our tree, but I prefer an angel.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?  Christmas Day.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year?  Lack of courtesy.  It seems like everyone is focused on themselves and will walk over you to get what they want.  I have to use an electric cart and people just don't see me.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  I like the ornaments to reflect who we are.  Rob collects nutcrackers - we have a ton of them.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner?  Food, glorious food, hot sausage and mustard.

25. Do you have Jesus in your heart this Christmas? Absolutely positively!

Thanks, Val.  This was fun to do.  Blessings in Christ,  Penny 

                

Angels Among Us

 

                      

 

Psalm 55:22 --- you really need to read this. "Friends are God's way of taking care of us."

Just a note:  I'm so glad you all think so highly of me,but this is not my good deed, but the one of the Denver Hospice Physician - I just passed it on.  Blessings, Penny

Written by a Metro Denver hospice physician.

                          ************************

I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.

When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It wasa nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying," so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me."

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"

This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hearthe flutter of their wings...

Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."

Please think now of family, friends, Internet friends and those you have seen or heard of that need a touch from the Lord.  Say a prayer for them now.  They need you most just now as they struggle through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's with their griefs and fears.  As we lift up one another, the song of Angels will surely pierce the heavens and call the Lord's attention to our petitions.

        Be blessed as you prepare for Christmas,

                     

received in a forward with minor changes - Pen

My Sister Char Sent This . . .

Isn’t it amazing that these things actually appear on packaging. I n Honor of Stupid People . . . In case you needed further proof that the human race is doomed through stupidity, here are some actual label instructions o n consumer goods.

On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) -- "Do not turn upside down." (well...duh, a bit late, huh!)

                    

On Sainsbury's peanuts -- "Warning: contains nuts." (talk about a news flash)

                         

 

On Boot's Children Cough Medicine -- "Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication." (We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5 year-olds with head-colds off those bulldozers.

                    

 

 On Marks &Spencer Bread Pudding -- "Product will be hot after heating." (...and you thought????...)

                    

                      

On a Sears hairdryer -- Do not use while sleeping. (That's the only time I have to work on my hair.) 

                          

 On a bag of Fritos -- You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside. (the shoplifter special?)

                                                      

 On a bar of Dial soap -- "Directions: Use like regular soap." (and that would be???....)

                 

 On some Swanson frozen dinners -- "Serving suggestion: Defrost." (but, it's just a suggestion.)

                              

 On packaging for a Rowenta iron -- "Do not iron clothes on body." (but wouldn't this save me time?)

                             

 

 On Nytol Sleep Aid -- "Warning: May cause drowsiness." (..I'm taking this because???....)

                           

 

 On most brands of Christmas lights -- "For indoor or outdoor use only." (as opposed to what?)

           

 On a Japanese food processor -- "Not to be used for the other use." (now, somebody out there, help me on this. I'm a bit curious.) ??????

                                 

 On an American Airlines packet of nuts -- "Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts." (Step 3: say what?)

 

                       

 On a child's Superman costume -- "Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly." (I don't blame the company. I blame the parents for this one.)

                       

On a Swedish chainsaw -- "Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals." (Oh my gosh..was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)

                               

and  . . .

                                    

Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread the stupidity to someone you want to bring a smile to (maybe even chuckle)...

I chuckled a lot!

           

 

On to Christmas

 

        

With Thanksgiving over nearly a week, it's time for us to look forward to Christmas.  All over the Internet,  there are tags and snags, but none so wonderful as our own J-Land friends who are offering graphics to us free of charge.  Please check out their journals if you have not done so:

Cab's Creations

Missie's Magical Creations

A Derasta Creation

D's Designs - She made the graphic above

Sazzy Kreations 

While you are there visiting, thank these people for the wonderful work they do.  If you know of another talented graphics artist, snf the link here in my journal, The next tip is that my friend Krissy has set up a Christmas journal called Joy to the World.  This is a beautiful journal that Krissy and her sister Val have created.  Go by and check it out.  The first entry is now up.

I way over did on Thanksgiving day and the day before.  By the time we sat down to eat, my hip was hurting as well as my back.  Next morning I was unable to walk with out assistance.  I sit up in the living room now for a few hours then have to go to bed again.  It's been 6 days and I am better, but still in tremendous pain in my hip and back.  I'm getting depressed - those of you who suffer chronic pain know how it is -in the middle of it, you feel like it will never end.  I know it will end, but I feel like I don't have enough faith right now.  I would like to ask for prayer for myself and also for John who is in the hospital again and for his wife Krissy.  I qm thankful to all of you who support me and this journal.

Blessings to all of you as we prepare for Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  Some of you celebrate Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights.  Others celebrate Kwanza.  Honestly\y, I don't quite understand this one.  Bless you all.

In Christ,

                               =

The Big Day is Over

        

Well, we had the big blow-out yesterday.  I baked two pies on Wednesday, got up at 5 am on Thursday so I could have a cup of coffee or two to get the old engines going ( never did  get up a full head of steam).  By  6:30 Andrea and I had the pumpkin roll in the oven.

         

I had to take little breaks all day long because I just couldn't stand too much.  We had told Kayla's uncle that we were going to eat around 4 pm.  He showed up here at about 12:30 to see the girls and a couple of minutes later his brother Monroe showed up with his intended.  Hostess that I am, I wouldn't leave the room to work in the kitchen.  Oops! turkey delay.  Rob was watching football and the two uncles were lovin' it while my turkey was "patiently" waiting for me to return.   

                          

Uncle Eddie asked if he could take Kayla and Lupe to see the cousins, etc. while the turkey baked.  I looked at the clock and told him we would now eat at around 5:30 or 6:00 pm.  Smiling, I waved as 2 of the 3 girls were whisked away from the holiday madness.

The next thing that happened was that I found some stuff in the body cavity and put it to the side to use later.  I then stuffed the bird, had Rob help me load it buttered, slathered and slippery into a cooking bag and lift it into the oven.  I had cooked the giblets and added to the stuffing, so other than making "smashed" potatoes and veggies, there was a little down time.

I sat in the living room for a while, listened to football and played on my computer for a while.  It was a very nice diversion. Then I got up from my chair and ambled into the kitchen to check th progress of the turkey.  It was browning well.  Now was the time to start making side dishes.  Andrea scrubbed and cut potatoes while I cleaned up my workspace and started water to boil.  After we got the potatoes in the pan, we started to work on the rolls.  Silently, Andrea and I rolled the dough into little balls - tried crescent, couldn't do it - and placed them in the pan to rise a little on top of the stove along with the extra stuffing (it was baking on top) and the turkey neck simmering for broth.  Then it was time for another break.

                                      

After some time reading a couple of journals and playing a bit of Pogo, Andrea and I went back into the kitchen.  The turkey wasn't ready so I went online to look up an onion sauce.  Never found one. Went solo.  Mmmmmmm! scrumptious.  I whipped the potatoes, heated the vegetables and had Rob take turkey out of the oven.  Lupe, Kayla and Uncle Eddie come in while I am whipping the potatoes.  "Is that how you do it?  I thought they came in a box"  Thank goodness she went straight to the living room.  I wouldn't have been able to hold it back too long.  As it was, I nearly wet my pants.  I must be getting really old. 

We put the rolls in the oven, poured the onion sauce over the vegetables, finished making the gravy and set the table with fine china.  It was wonderful.

                  

After the main meal, Rob and I went in the kitchen to start the clean-up and prepare to give them pie and pumpkin roll.  Both went over well.  We finished up in the kitchen.  We ate a lot!  Still,  there were some leftovers . . .          .