Monday, December 31, 2007

Year End

Well... Christmas was a mixtures of things. It was a good day spent with family. The kids are so much fun. J. was is the play at church and he was so funny! S. came to church and sang in the choir on Christmas Eve with J. and that was special. I had a small meltdown on Xmas Eve in church because it hit me that I really missed my mom. I felt sad and lonely but joyous all at the same time! J's sister had back surgery on Xmas Eve morning and so we visited her on Xmas Day and she is doing fine. We also were robbed on Sunday night! We were at church watching J. play a "robber" in the Xmas play (he was trying to steal the manger scene) and we were being robbed! The worst part is that I think it is someone that we know - they seemed to know right where to go and they just took specific things. All of the Xmas presents were wrapped and under the tree but not touched. Anyway - I figured that whoever did it has to live with what he did. It certainly didn't ruin my life. Honked me off - but didn't stop me!

The new year starts tomorrow!! I'm going to add my grandmother's diary to my writings. It will be fun to get a glimpse of life in 1917.

Pastor P. talked yesterday about how we are given one day at a time. We can't do anything about yesterday and tomorrow isn't here. God gives us one day at a time to live - we really can't handle more than that. That's a good way to start a new year - one day at a time.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Tis the Season.....

I was driving in to work this morning and listening to my "Charlie Brown Christmas" CD and it really mellows me out. I always have a Christmas panic attack - ever had one of those? When you realize that Christmas is only a week or so away and you don't have your cards done, the shopping isn't finished, need money to finish the shopping, gifts to ship that haven't been bought yet, cookies that you would love to bake, laundry to do (so you have something to wear on Christmas), the house to clean and finish decorating and plan food for when everyone comes over for the holidays! Oh yeah - nothing is wrapped yet either!

But you know what? If I had to have Christmas right now - this very minute - it would be ok! I have more food in my freezer, fridg, and cupboards right now than my family could eat in a week! I have some presents bought so the little ones would be taken care of. I have a home where we could all come and enjoy being together, play games, eat, and have a good day. We are all relatively happy and healthy- some of us are definitly more energetic than others. And I have the stuff to make a birthday cake. A birthday cake to celebrate the birth of my Lord and that's what it is all about. When I think of one thing that I really want to do on Christmas - it is to go to my cozy little church on Christmas Eve and sit with my family and hold a candle and celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Merry Christmas to all!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Boys, Boys, Boys.....

I babysat my three grandsons for the weekend. What fun! They are growing so fast! They are 12, 9, and 6! It is fun to spend time with them. We went to the movies and watched football! They went to church with J and I. I am so blessed to live close enough that I can see them everyday and enjoy there life. I am also blessed to have a son and daughter-in-law who enjoy having us around too!

I remember one year when we watched them and they were smaller, we stayed in our PJ's the entire weekend!

Friday, November 23, 2007

MMMMM.....

Boy - do I like Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie! I even liked the scalloped oysters! My brother made them this year and did a wonderful job! Thanksgiving was a very nice day. We listened to our "Thanksgiving" CD on the way to my brothers and the The Muppets and John Denver Christmas CD on the way home. We watched some old home movies, some took naps, & marveled at my sister-in-laws new oven - which included a "warming oven"! Wow - that made things alot easier.

My sister brought a diary that was our grandmothers. We never met her because she died in childbirth when my mom was 3 yrs. old. But for one year (1917) we have a glimpse into her life. I don't know if she kept a diary for any other years - it seems like she should have because she was so faithful for this one. I think she has written something for every day. It is the year before she married Grandpa. I think when the new year starts - I will work her diary into my blog. It is so neat to have something of hers.

So - now that I am thankful for all the wonderfull things in my life .... I need to start my lists for the Christmas Holidays! I know I have two cookie exchanges, cards (home made ??) decorating, shopping and a 2 day trip to a water park to plan for in the next month. I want to do it all and have time to sit in front of the fire and enjoy the season.

Till next time - C.

Friday, November 16, 2007

The Turkey is coming!!!

Well - Thanksgiving Week is almost here! We were just going to stay home and re-coup from the past 6 weeks but have decided to go to my brothers house. My two sisters will be there also. I'm glad we will all be together. Memories and stories will be plentiful! I'm going to fix my mom's stuffing. I am so glad that I had her teach me how to make it! There is no recipe - but it sure is yummy!! My brother will probably fix Mom's scalloped oysters. That is another dish that Mom always fixed and taught us how to make - "don't get the crackers too moist"!!

When I was little, I can remember my Aunt D. coming out the night before Thanksgiving to help get everything ready. It was such a big deal! They would spend hours making batch after batch of stuffing, getting the tables set, getting the turkey ready and it would go in the oven in the middle of the night and cook for hours and fill the house with the BEST smell! All of us kids sat at the "kid" table - I think you had to get married to get promoted to the adult table!

What fun and what beautiful memories! That is probably why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. We get together just because we want to - we love each other - and I am so thankful for my life.

The last couple of years, we have rented a house at Lakeside for Thanksgiving week and just taken off and had a great, quiet, fun week in a house by the lake. It is becoming a tradition that my kids and grandkids will remember. We play games, watch movies, fish off the dock, take walks, bake cookies, take naps and get some Christmas shopping done. It doesn't matter there if we eat off of mismatched plates or drink wine out of paper cups! That's the magic of it!

So - the next few days will be spent making lists, buying groceries, getting the cards and games ready to go to G's, talking with my sisters and sister-in-law and daughter about what everyone is fixing, sending flowers to my son and daughter-in-law for their Thanksgiving Feast with S's family, & cleaning the house (notice that is last on my list!).

Mom - we will miss you this Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 2, 2007

Ok - I'm Learning!

Ok - so my lists are not to great! I'm learning this blogging stuff!

Things my mom liked:
Her family (me best)
Her church
The color pink
Tap dancers and nurses (she always wanted one of us to either be a nurse or learn to tap dance and none of us ever did!)
She loved baseball - She (and my dad) used to be Reds fans - National League all the way - but later she switched to the Indians because she could get it on her radio better.
Wine and a good whiskey sour!
Playing cards
Going for rides in the car - anywhere

Things my mom didn't like:
White meat chicken (she hated chicken breasts!)
Turkey - too much like chicken
Turtle neck sweaters
Animals in the house

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Remembering Mama

I guess I don't know what direction I want this blog to take. I just know I want to record my thoughts and feelings. I want to remember my mom. She just passed away last week at the beautiful age of 88. She was sick in bed for three weeks. She asked for two things when she found out that she had stage 4 cancer of the liver, spleen, and bones. She asked that she not have any pain and that she not die alone. So, we (my brother and sisters) got some help from hospice, got her some morphine, and didn't leave her side. We laughed, cried, held hands, prayed, fed her, bathed her and loved her right into heaven.

My mom loved: Mom didn't like:
Her family White meat chicken
Her church Potatoe pancakes
the color pink
tap dancers and nurses (she always
wanted one of her kids to do tap
dance or be a nurse - none of us did)


I will keep adding this list - thoughts keep coming to me in the middle of the night and countless times of the day.

Remembering Mama