How Can I Be Productive on a Cold Day?

Dear Diary, When the weather is like this, I cook this, take the left-overs and make this. And being the good girl I was this year, Santa left me this!

Jokes

A husband had just finished reading a new book entitled, "You Can Be THE Man of Your House."

He stormed to his wife in the kitchen and announced, "From now on, you need to know that I am the man of this house and my word is Law. You will prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm done eating my meal, you will serve me a scrumptious dessert. After dinner, you are going to go upstairs with me and we will have the kind of love-making that I want! Afterwards, you are going to draw me a bath so I can relax. You will wash my back and towel me dry and bring me my robe. Then, you will massage my feet and hands. Then tomorrow, guess who's going to dress me and comb my hair?"

The wife replied, "The funeral director would be my first guess."

Prayer

Not always, but often times we recite this prayer at the beginning of church.  I really loved it from
the first time I heard it for many reasons: I am admitting that I am a sinner and have sinned in
various ways (the part that always gets me is "in what I have failed to do").  I am asking for
intercessory prayer. True intercessory prayer seeks God's glory, not our own.
After wards, I say a prayer for my brothers & sisters in the congregation that God may
reveal to them their sins (as well for myself) so that we may receive forgiveness and
realize our faults, thereby making changes for the future.  It seems to cover all the bases.
I just really like this prayer and wanted to share it.

I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers
and sisters, that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do; and I ask blessed Mary,
ever virgin, all the angels and saints, and you,
my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

James Patterson Books

Just finished "The Quickie" & "The 5th Horseman" by James Patterson. I enjoy how eloquently the author writes and his word-usage. I recommend The Quickie. It is a face-paced read with a delightful spin on the end. The storyline to The 5th Horseman was just ok. You saw the ending from a mile away, but the epilogue had an interesting twist. He revolves his stories around detectives & PIs like John Grisham utilizes lawyers in his novels. All in all I believe James Patterson to be a skilled writer and I recommend these books.

Pictures

Just some pictures I ran into. (Jer & Stacey's wedding.)

2nd Biggest Shopping Day of the Year

Ok, so call us crazy. Jackie, Bekkah & I went shopping to hit the after-Christmas specials. Bekkah actually bought some presents for next year. We didn't leave @ 4 AM like Jackie did for Black Friday, but we had a full day of fun & discounts, spending whatever moolah we had left over. We hit the shoe sales, Christmas sales, clothes, and books. Target already has their Valentines-Day items out! I bought a new satiny chocolate brown comforter for our bed, Oooo! The roads were very snowy, but all in all a fun day with the girls.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve was with the Brooks'. David had to work so I attended Mass with Kim, Jeff, Jackie, James, Grandma Brooks, and Mark. After we split and met at Ma & Dad Brooks'. We had ham, turkey, chips with spicy dip (& chunks of carpet - inside joke), and sugary treats. We then opened gifts. Jakie & Kim were our secret Santas and Bekkah & James had us. I got a blender, knee-high socks, wine, candles, and soaps, lotions, and perfume. I left around 10 with Grandma, just to get home by 11 due to the snowy roads. Grandma keep the conversation going as I avoided the ditch, praying all the way.
Today we had Candy, Gary, James, Bekkah, Jackie, and Mark over for a Christmas dinner. We had chicken, pork loin, potatoes, corn, cranberries, and don't forget the buns in the oven! It was a beautiful day. Dave and I exchanged presents later by ourselves. We each received a present we wanted, a present we didn't expect, and a tender-hearted card. All in all it was a good day. When that was done, we spent some quality time together, plowing snow! :)
Tonight I made phone calls to family that I couldn't be with today. Unfortunately there's direct line to heaven. As I quietly sang Happy Birthday to Jesus, I wished Dad a Merry 1st Christmas in Heaven. Can you imagine what kind of celebration they have for our Savior in Heaven? Do you think they go ice skating? Bowling? Have Dairy Queen ice cream cake? That's what I would do on my birthday in Heaven. Just trying to expand your mind...think about it. Any-whoo...Merry Christmas and may our Lord and Savior bless you this day and always.

'Twas the night before Christmas

Flem dressed up for the occasion. This is my favorite Christmas poem, actually it's the only one I know. My Mom can recite it by heart in its entirety. It's exactly 23:50 (I like military time). Merry Christmas in 10 minutes!

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
by Clement Clarke Moore
or Henry Livingston

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

This Little Piggy Went into a Blanket...and then into my tummy

Kelly & I made Mom's famous Sarmas (Pigs in a Blanket) yesterday. This was our first attempt without the master cook's presence & tutelage. They turned out spectacular. We even used 2 of Troy's sourheads! Just as good as Mom's (you would have been proud, Ma). The only change was that this year we used my kitchen aide with a meat grinder attachment versus grinding everything by hand. I can't say that I was sad that we weren't able to grind 5# of ham by hand. It went so fast. Even Ruby found the whole thing entertaining, and apparently educational as Kelly explained to her what Auntie Christi was doing. Mmmm! Just the thought of those little piggies in my freezer makes my mouth water!

Caroling, Caroling

My "Young Adults" Bible study group went caroling around the neighborhood tonight. We split into 3 groups and headed for the hills...well, our group went to the nursing home. Granted, only one of us was a real singer, but we managed. And having our priest, Father Ryan, really scored points with the residents. All in all, we brought some Christmas cheer to the residents and had fun wassailing at the same time. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Brecken Edward

We brought the new family pizza last night and got to meet the newest member of the family. Pretty cute little boy...with LOTS of hair and beautiful dark eyes! Brecken was fussing in his crib so David picked him up. He was out again in a flash. Dave has that effect on babies. First time Mommy & Daddy, Stacey & Jeremy are holding up well and learning their little man more every day. Congrats guys!

"Cock-a-doodle-doo"

Dear Diary,
What time do normal people get up in the morning? David has to work 12-hour day shifts this weekend. For some reason or another, after getting up at 5 o'clock all week, I foolishly thought I would sleep in on Saturday. Huh. 4:05 came around and I poke David asking him when he was going to get up (he leaves @ 5:00). He was awake and told me he would get up in a few. So we cuddled for 10 more minutes before his alarm went off. I got up when he got up. Drank coffee together & watched the reply of the "morning" news. Who gets up @ 4:00 on a Saturday? ARG! On the other hand, I can't stand sleeping the day away when there's so much to do, but this is ridiculous. I've got 2 loads of laundry done, checked my bank accounts, email and blogged, and a 1/2 pot of coffee drank...all before 6:00!

Ahh, sweet nostalgia "Records"

I pulled out some of Dad's old records and begged David to hook up the record player. I can crank up those old tunes and listen to it throughout the whole house. It gets me dancing in my seat and puts me in to an immediate good mood. From the 1970s Jackson 5, all the old Christmas tunes of Bing Crosby and Dean Martin to Bullfrogs & Butterflies. I kept about 30 of the records from Dad's. I know you can get a lot of these on CD now, but I like the white popping noise in the background. I know, nuts. :) Actually, do you know what a turntable goes for now-a-days? Some are just stupid expensive! So I guess I'll take my inheritance and keep on grooving! Except to John Denver.

Kids & Dogs

I had to giggle as I opened our Christmas cards today. Christmas card pictures are becoming more popular and so when we're opening the card, we try to guess if the picture inside will be of kids or dogs. Not that there's anything wrong with that. We didn't do a picture greeting this year: a childless couple with a dead fish isn't very photogenic! LOL

Twinkies and Root Beer

Twinkies and Root Beer

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons.

The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer.

Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy? "He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Embrace all equally!

~author unknown~

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Grandma Post & Ironing

Do you ever find yourself doing something that it brings back an automatic memory? One of mine is ironing. I was ironing today and I immediately think of my Great-Grandma Post. I used to sit in the basement of Auntie Darlene & Uncle Tommy's house and watch her iron for hours. Grandma was an animal at ironing. The olfactory glands (smell) are very close to the hippocampus (memory) of the brain. Therefore, I smell the iron, I remember Grandma. It's a nice memory to have, especially when it comes to me while I'm doing my chores!

7th Generation Products = Safe & Effective

We have started using Seventh Generation cleaning products in our home. Did you know that if every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 25 oz petroleum-based dish liquid with a 25 oz bottle of Seventh Generation plant-derived dish liquid, we could save 129,000 barrels of oil? That's enough to heat and cool 7,400 U.S. homes a year! I love my Dawn for its grease-cutting ability, but this is just as good. I like knowing that whatever I wash down the drain and into my septic system is safe by the time it makes it back into my well. http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Pretty Paper, Pretty Ribbons of Blue

David and I went to Duluth yesterday to have a bite at Olive Garden, stop in the mall, and finish up the holiday shopping. The shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, and no one will know what they're getting! Hehe. We didn't receive any Christmas lists this year, so we're shooting from the hip. So if you've dropped anything off @ Goodwill lately, you may be getting it back again...just kidding! I think David was having a little too much fun last night wrapping Jackie's gift and "decorating" it. Jackie: I apologize in advance. If you're looking for some last-minute ideas, Bath & Body Works is having awesome deals for those little add-ons for your presents. They even make shea butter socks now. Who knew? You can buy tissues with lotion, socks with lotion, what next...shirts and pants with lotion? Anyways, I digress...Christmas parties, here we come!

Dad's Flag

My Father-in-Law is a wiz with wood. For Christmas I asked him for a shadow box for Dad's flag and he was able to create one for me much sooner than Christmas. I am very impressed by his talents and am blessed to have both of my fathers represented in this work of art.

Christmas Parties

Gary, Candy, Jackie, Mark, and I Joined Grandma in listening to some good music and partaking in the yummy foods for the annual Christmas party.

Chicken Joke

Q: Why did the chicken cross the beach?
A: To get to the other tide.

Captain, My Captain by Deborah Meroff

I just finished the historical novel Captain, My Captain about a young girl in 1851 who marries a clipper ship captain she barely knew prior. She is wooed by him while on land, but learns she prefers the busy life of Boston over life on her husband's ship. She winds up maturing from a 16 year old girl into a mature, married woman. There were times when one wonders if the harsh feelings these two developed for one another will ever dissolve.The love that eventually grows between Mary & Joshua is apparent and downright palpable. At its peak, Mary finds herself nursing an ill husband, struggling to command a ship, and fighting her own gender as is bad luck for women to even be aboard a ship. It is a classic romance novel with a little adventure mixed in. This was a well written story and I recommend it. ISBN: 0310415519
Yes this is different from "O Captain! My Captain!" a poem written in 1865 by Walt Whitman. :)