Category: Holidays

I think I was probably 3 years old when this picture was taken! That’s my big brother, Dickie, and my sister, Melodie and that little bit of a thing, is me.

I miss my brother, who died far too young, and every day in every way, I am grateful for having the best big sister, ever!

This was Easter 1961. We always dressed up in new clothes, new shoes and our baskets for the holiday. Both sets of grandparents came down and quite often my mother’s brother Bob and his wife Cynthia and their kids, Carl and Rikki and their families joined us. Holidays were always a big deal for us. In my mind the holidays still are.

I bought my ham today and large potatoes for making baked stuffed potatoes, and lots of vegetables!! I just love Easter.

One of the things I love best about Christmas, is hearing from my family and friends around the world. I take the cards, and I tape them to the cabinets in my family room, so that all through the season I see their beauty. Some shimmer and shine, others have sparkles and most importantly, they all show scenes of happiness and joy.

It will not be the same after the cabinets are striped of the Christmas Finery!

I was sitting here checking a few things out on the Internet when I saw a Greeting Card Sale at Current Cards. They had the nicest, cutest cards, both classic, old fashioned and modern, and so I ordered my cards for next year! Anyone who wants to be on my snail mail list private email me and you will go on the list for next year (email to the right in the sidebar).

I love sharing the joy of the season. Do you send cards? Do you enjoy getting them?

So a very Happy Thursday to you all!

Last night I looked at Jack, and then smiled and wished him Happy New Year and good night! This was at 8:30 PM! It was a very quiet and uneventful New Years Eve for us. But that’s okay.

Jack has had a cold since just after Christmas and yesterday it hit me like a ton of bricks! Fever, congestion and cough. Still this does not dampen my spirits and finds me happy that 2018 is here and I look forward to a happy year ahead!

So what have I been up to while I drink orange juice, sip soup, tea and try to get over this cold? Watching Dr. Pol on National Geographic Channel. Have you seen him?

The show follows Dutch-American veterinarian Jan Pol, and his family and employees, at his practice in rural Weidman, Michigan.

I love it because they don’t just deal with dogs and cats, but cows, goats, donkeys horses, and today even one of Santa’s Reindeer!

In a little while the Rose Bowl Parade will be on and then it will be nap time for me once again!

I was thinking as I lay in bed last night trying to get to sleep, that the last year has been crazy. The surgeries, the infection and of course dealing with my health insurance company, who refused to pay a large chunk of the infection expenses, that I wish 2017 had never happened!

But then, it dawned on me! I am so blessed!

It started at the very beginning of the year with all the loving family and friends who prayed for me, during the surgery and infection time. I know, if it had not been for you all, I would not have gotten through. Your calls, cards, emails and prayers gave me the strength to get through.

Then, I look at the love of my daughter, Mandy and grandchildren Savannah & Quinn, and I know that every hug and kiss and smile, giggle and joke (Savannah loves jokes!) pulled me out of depression and made me feel alive again!

Mandy, Matt, Savannah & Quinn!

A friend from Germany came for a surprise visit, and spent a week with us. Karin is such a sweet and kind woman, and I am so happy she and I have become good friends.

Even Jack’s amputation had positive things happening around it. Our family and friends were wonderful, and I learned something about myself. I learned that I truly am strong and can handle a crisis. I also learned to care for Jack in a new way, and this drew us closer together.

I was in touch with my step children. Well, not really children anymore, but this year found me reconnecting with them and their spouses and I feel really good about that!

I went to my 40th High School Reunion and had a chance to spend one evening with people I have known since Nursery School. Although not everyone in our class came, it was a fabulous turnout!

And since I was going to Falmouth for the weekend, my sister Melodie, and cousin Janet, came with me and we shared a hotel room and had one heck of a pajama party! We got to walk on the beach along the shore, visit homes where we had lived and even sat quietly soaking up the ocean air! This is something that brings all three of us great peace!

Janet, Melodie & Me!

A dear friend from the past found her way back into my life, and brought with her a husband and their first child. If you look back at entries from eleven years ago when Arnie and Anneliese were born, (December 10, click here) you will see pictures of Emily as a child. She is all grown up and back to talking and texting with me!

Since I was rather house-bound this year I did two things to prepare for Christmas. I took advantage of Amazon Prime Day and I crocheted my granddaughter a very special afghan. Thus, by the end of November all my shopping was done and I spent only one afternoon wrapping. This was truly a no stress Pre-Christmas time for me.

I spent a day in October with my cousin to go for a girls luncheon at one of our favorite restaurants. Afterward we drove around the back roads of New Hampshire enjoying the foliage!

Then in November, we had Janet and Dave up for Thanksgiving, along with Dave’s son Kevin and grandson, Isaiah. It was a wonderful day, and although I was a tad disappointed with two of the dishes I’d cooked, I think all in all, the meal was a success!

Thanksgiving!

Christmas was so wonderful this year. It was a combination of three families, who love the children, getting together and enjoying the heck out of the day. In fact I think one of the nicest things that has happened over the last few years is that my former husband and I have become friends again, so we can enjoy times with our daughter and grandchildren together. And after 10 years, Matt’s parent are now family as well.

Greta is doing fairly well. At nearly 14, Greta is comfortable due to a wonderful medication. She can’t see too well, and her hearing is going, but she is happy and snuggles with me every day. She still loves life, and that is all I ask.

Arnie and Anneliese, at 11 years old are doing very well. In fact I think Arnie is probably the healthiest of the dachshunds, as he acts rather like a puppy still. His sister, Anneliese has become friends with Lili, in fact, when Anneliese goes outside, should she disappear in our yard, I tell Lili “Go get Anneliese!” and she does, and she herds her back home. Occasionally at night, Anneliese will asked to leave our bedroom and go and sleep snuggled with Lili!

So, I am happy this year, despite the rough ride. Love has won out and as 2017 comes to a close, I feel so very blessed! As Clarence the Angel tells George Bailey in ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’,

“Dear George, Remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love, Clarence.”

 

Christmas came and went, almost in the blink of an eye! It started the night before up here, with a forecast for a Christmas Day Snow Storm.

Jack and I got up, peered out the window to find a heavy dropping of snow on the ground and on the driveway! We had loaded up the car the night before, and so we ate a nice breakfast with German Stollen Bread, and then dressed in our Christmas finery and tossed on an extra blanket, shovel and gloves, and headed out to drive the 73 miles to my daughter’s home in southern New Hampshire.

It took us well over two hours to make a one hour and fifteen minute trip! The first roads we drove, routes 104 and 95 south, had not even been plowed! Fortunately, our Highlander is really good in the snow and Jack is an excellent driver! Once we got south of Concord, (the Capital of New Hampshire), the roads had been plowed and we didn’t have too much trouble.

When we arrived, Matt was snow blowing their drive, and so we were able to pull right up to the house. Good thing, as our car was loaded with presents and food!

The tree was laden with gifts and before we knew it, the kids and adults were all tearing into their gifts. It was a wonderful magical time.

This year, I made Savannah an afghan. She opened that first and came running to me, with the blanket wrapped around her, telling me how much she loved it!

Quinn was busy tearing into his gifts. He acts so grown up, that several times we remarked that it is hard to believe he is not yet two!

The next hour or so was organized chaos as both kids and adults alike, opened their gifts and drank Christmas cheer! Savi opened her American Girl doll and clothes and of course, being the girlie girl she is, fell in love. She has renamed Willa, Leah!

Quinn got Little People Trucks and cars as well as a Cars III Lightening McQueen! His favorite! He also got a Bolt stuffed animal and he knew who that was and kept saying Bolt, Bolt, Bolt!

Before we knew it, and we had filled three trash cans and two trash bags with wrapping, the presents were opened and we all sat back to enjoy our presents.

My most unbelievable and best present was a gorgeous, navy blue ladies COACH handbag! I have seen COACH bags in my day, but never owned one. This year, my daughter decided it was time that I did! It is gorgeous!

Then Mandy and I got into the kitchen to cook the dinner. She did all the work, and I was simply the table setter and back up. We had Ham and Cod, and Shrimp with mashed potatoes, green beans and my carrot casserole, which Savannah wasn’t sure she would like, but it turned out she did! Oh and I made yeast rolls, but next time I will cook them about 5 minutes longer!

Dessert was apple pie and ice cream, and then we set about watching the kids play until Quinn climbed into his Mommy’s lap and fell asleep!

It was this picture that made me realize that Quinn really is still a baby, even though he does his best to act like a grown up child like his sister.

There was so much love there yesterday and I feel very grateful to have all of my family. It truly was  Merry Christmas!

 

From our home to yours

(Greta, with her first litter, including Arnie Blue collar & Anneliese, green collar),

Merry Christmas!!!

When I was a little girl, Mom always made sure we had things under the tree. She was the primary shopper and I guess you could say she was Santa’s Helper. Dad was there. He posed for pictures and laughed and enjoyed those days, but present buying wasn’t his thing. Here is a picture when I was about 3 or 4 years old. Back then, I was Daddy’s little girl.

But when we got into our teen years something wonderful happened. Dad, who had previously not known what to get us for Christmas, discovered that the Pharmacy was open every Christmas morning! He would go out to get the news papers and do a little shopping for us. Dolls, life savers, crossword puzzles, horoscope books for the year, chap stick, funny hats, books, etc. I loved it. It was all sorts of crazy, funny, stuff, but to me it was priceless, because it had come from my Dad.

Me, age 12, Christmas.

I look back now and I realize how wonderfully special this was. No, Dad didn’t spend a lot of money, but he did, every year, go out and buy me gifts just from him.

Wednesday I woke up, sipped my coffee and went over a list of everything I wanted to get done the day before Thanksgiving. I admit, looking at it was a little daunting. But I got my handy Henckel knife, and started chopping up the vegetables for the stuffing, and one by one, I check off the items on my list, until at 6 PM in the evening, I was finally done. Exhausted, but done!

As I chopped and cooked and did dishes and then cooked some more (three, four full dishwasher loads) I started thinking about my Mom. For years and years Mom cooked Thanksgiving for our extended family. Gram and Uncle Betty used to help her, but mostly she did the work on her own. Just like me. Here are some of the things I made.

My famous Chestnut Stuffing.

My Apple Crisp.

Pumpkin Pie.

Mince Tart.

I’m using almost all of her recipes now, and as I was doing my cooking, I could almost feel Mom around me. It made me think of the movie “Julie & Julia”. Julie could feel Julia when she cooked and today I could feel Mom while I cooked. And the nice part is, everything came out really well. At least so far.

Tomorrow my biggest jobs will be cooking the turkey, the squash and the potatoes. Aside from that everything is pretty much done and ready to go.

I’m pretty tired tonight (Wednesday) so I’ll be in bed by 9 o’clock!  After all, in the morning I am up to stuff and get that pretty 15 pound bird into the oven!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!