Saturday, November 26, 2011

Thanksgiving Has Come And Gone...

Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had a truly wonderful holiday with much to be thankful for. Twenty-two family members gathered at my dad's house on Thursday for turkey, dressing, ham, potatoes, baked beans, corn, yams, deviled eggs, banana pudding, apple pie and a host of other goodies.
We come from a family of musicians that love to play "Texas 42", so after feasting comes great music and then games of "42" that last into the wee hours of the morning with champions that have bragging rights until our next family get-together. Here is a clip of my oldest brother playing an old fiddle tune called "Billy in the Lowground" and across from him is my youngest brother playing guitar.
On Friday we gathered again. This time at my daughter's house for a feast that rivaled the one from the day before. We took the annual photos of the grandkids.
This will be my last post until Dec. 5th. I will not have internet access until then.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and survived Black Friday.   

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gobble, Gobble...


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope you all have a great Holiday!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Thanksgiving Proclamation 1789...

I had never read this before and for that matter didn't even realize it existed. Our preacher put it in the bulletin this week and I thought I would share. The very words that President Washington used in this proclamation tells me for sure that the separation of church and state was not intended to be interpreted the way our government, justices and the ACLU interprets it today. I am interested to know what you think.  


George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

     Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor;
       and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."
     Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
     And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
     Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789.




G. Washington

Have a wonderful and grateful week.


Friday, November 18, 2011

Fuzzy Friday & The Friday 56...

Here's wishing you a warm and "Fuzzy Friday".


p. 56 "We got those fine-lookin brown eggs you like."-At Home in Mitford

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

I had to go out of town yesterday, so I took my little point-and-shoot hoping to capture some fall beauty.
Here it is: a plethera of color all bunched up in one spot. Thank you Lord for reminding us that beauty is everywhere if we just stop and look.

Have a great evening!!!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Crisp Peppernuts...

Today I started preparations for the holidays and part of those preparations include making Crisp Peppernuts. Peppernuts are wonderful little cookies about the size of a quarter. The recipe is similar to that of ginger snaps, but includes Anise. Anise has a licorice-like flavor, although if you don't like licorice you will still like these cookies.

 At the beginning of the holidays my youngest always calls me with this question, "Are you making those little cookies this year?" I call them buttons due to there tiny size. Give me a steaming mug of coffee and a handful of buttons and the holidays have begun.
  
Ingredients:
 1 1/2 cups of butter * 2 1/4 cups of sugar * 3 Tbs. of molasses * 3 eggs, beaten * 5 5/8 sifted flour *  3 tsp. soda * 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon * 1 1/2 tsp. cloves * 1 1/2 tsp. ginger * 1 1/2 tsp. Anise oil

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Let set in fridge over night. Roll in rope shape (about 1/2 inch round) slice and put on cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven about 7-8 minutes.
 One Christmas I received these little cookies along with a coffee mug from Hubby's sister who lives in Kansas. She said some people put more Anise than others and some add nuts and other items. I have always followed the recipe, but you can adjust them to your own taste. Hubby thinks they would be good with lemon, so this time I divided the dough and added lemon extract. We'll see.
Enjoy and have a great day!!!

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Unexpected Events Make An Eventful Week...


I hope this week turns out to be a little less eventful than last week. As most of you know Hubby came home last week and brought Crazy Hair with him. We had a delightful weekend filled with homemade pizza, Root Beer floats, movies, snacks, reading, and a giant box that Crazy Hair wanted to spend the night in.

The big box is the reason for my story. The big box was delivered on Friday afternoon about 3:00. Inside the box was a very large, very heavy Bar-B-Que grill. It was supposed to be a Father's Day present for Hubby, but it took him until now to figure out exactly which grill he wanted. I finally convinced him he needed to figure it out and get it ordered because his birthday, anniversary and Christmas are all coming up in that order.

He arrived home Friday night and immediately began putting the grill together. By the time he completed it several hours later his back was hurting so bad he could barely walk. The rest of the weekend he took Hydrocodone and stayed in bed. He couldn't walk, sit or stand. By Monday it was obvious it wasn't getting better. I called the doctor and he ordered a Cortisone injection for Tuesday. This is not Hubby's "first rodeo". He has had two back surgeries, and previous injections. You would think he would learn, but do men ever learn? I kept telling him not to pick up those heavy pieces.

O.K. rest of story. I took him to Dallas Monday night, stayed in a motel,  and went to the doctor Tuesday morning where he received the injection.
Wednesday we stayed in Fort Worth and had supper with my dad at Cracker Barrel. I planned on leaving for home Thursday. Thursday morning Dad called. He thought he was having a heart attack. I took him to the ER where we spent 6 hours before they decided to admit him and another 6 hours before I left him there in good hands.

Friday morning I went back to the hospital until 1:00pm at which time I left for home leaving Dad in sister's capable hands. He is now home from the hospital and doing well. Hubby is going to try to go back to work in the morning. All is well. I just hope this week isn't as eventful as last week.

Have a great week!! 

Friday, November 11, 2011

Fuzzy Friday...

Here's wishing you a warm and Fuzzy Friday!!! 

Thursday, November 10, 2011

One Thousand Gifts...

"Christ incarnated in the parent is the only hope of incarnating Christ in the child."


One Thousand Gifts:A Dare To Live Fully Right Where You Are
Is a book that "invites you to embrace everyday blessings and embark on the transformative spiritual discipline of chronicling God's gifts". ~~Amazon

Author: Ann Voskamp
Published: 2010
Purchase: Amazon.com

My Review:
Let me start this review by saying it is only my opinion. This book is well liked by most readers and anything less than 4 or 5 stars is not going to be well received by the majority. This review is in no way a personal attack on the author. I feel certain the message she is trying to get across is sincere and heartfelt, but the book for me was difficult to read, difficult to keep my focus, and eventually left me confused. Confused by the writing style, some of the biblical interpretations and why so many are seemingly devouring this book. The last chapter left me perplexed at the need to describe perfect communion with God in sexual terms such as "making love" with Him.
While I don't agree with some of her theology I do agree that we should be thankful in every circumstance and I like her idea of a gratitude journal. If you choose to read this book I would recommend referring to the Bible to make sure that her interpretation lines up with scripture in every circumstance. I give this book two stars. It's worth reading.
Have a nice day!!!    

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Sunday, November 6, 2011

The Invention of Hugo Cabret...

           "If you lose your purpose ... it's like your broken."

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
"Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." ~~Book Cover

Author: Brian Selznik
Published: 2007 
Age Level: 9 and up
Purchase: Amazon.com

Review:
I started helping my 6 year-old grandson read this book Friday night and he loves it. You read a few pages and then are carried along by the magnificent drawings of author Brian Selznick. This book is 533 pages long, but with 1/3 of it being illustrations it doesn't take long to reach the end. Imagine the accomplishment a 6-9 year-old feels when he completes it. My grandson and I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait for the movie to open on November 23rd. I give it 4 stars. We couldn't put it down.
Happy Reading!!!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Pizza Quick...

I have a wee house guest this weekend. He arrived about 8:30 Friday night and will leave at 6:45 Sunday night. We made pizza for lunch today. This is a simple recipe. It's fun and easy to make with kids. If memory serves me it came from a Tupperware party in the 70's. I used it when my kids were growing up.

Crust:
1 cup of flour * 2 eggs * 2/3 cup of milk* 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Mix well.
Pour into pizza pan sprayed with Pam.
 Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes remove from oven and put on your favorite toppings.
Return to oven and bake an additional 25 minutes.
While crust is cooking make the sauce.
Sauce:
16 oz. tomato sauce * 1 tsp. garlic powder * 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Spread on after crust is cooked, top with cheese and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!!!
Suggestion:
I've heard diet coke, Cheetos and
vanilla ice cream are tasty additions to this meal. 
 I think it was a success.
Have a great weekend!!!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Fuzzy Friday...


Here's hoping whatever gives you that "warm & Fuzzy" feeling is yours today.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Bread & Butter Jalapeno Peppers...

Ingredients:
 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 2 cups vinegar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 4 teaspoons celery seeds, 4 teaspoons mustard seeds, and lots and lots of jalapenos and onions.
Mix first six ingredients together and pour over the sliced jalapenos and onions.
Let boil 5 minutes before bottling.
Serve with chips or crackers.
I double this recipe when I make it. Makes 7 pints.
Enjoy!!!



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