cleaning

I'm in the "organizing mode" these days, but I am stuck! I need help and Lord knows I can't ask the "hub", because he "don't know"! I want to organize the business area in our great room! It's in the corner as you walk into the room. I need to first figure out where to put all the items from this area, which room it needs to go, which room has the most storage for all this businees items and then go get some containers. Sounds like a quick shopping trip to Rice Lake to me!!! I would like to go alone, but somehow I doubt that will happen and questions will be asked, like

"why are you getting that?", "don't you have that already?", "where are you going to put that?" and on it goes!! Bless him, he can't help asking the questions! Wish me luck!!

birthday

Today is Gordon's birthday. Old is he you ask???? Well, old enough now to get medicare!!! He only wanted to be 21(which was the legal drinking age for Illinois when we were young)! Wow, has time flown by and going faster all the time, but to my "hub", Happy birthday, babe!!! Blessings! P.S. picture is from this summer fishing

with our twin granddaughters! What fun we had fishing!!!!

Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone! Isaiah 9:6 " For unto us a child is born. A son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulders. These will be His royal titles "Mighty God,"Everlasting Father",

"Wonderful Counselor", "Prince of Peace." May you all find this child and have faith in Him! Blessings this Christmas Day!!

Christmas Eve

What are your traditions?? We have tried a few over the 40 yrs celebrating, but usually come back to what we enjoyed as kids! Christmas Eve service at church usually starts us off, then coming home and snacking on cheese, crackers, herring, sausage and eggnog, then finishing the night off with bed to wait for Santa! This year will be no different except we already started snacking and the eggnog! Wishing all of a very Happy Christmas and that Christ will be the center of the celebrating! Blessings!

my back

Some of you have asked me about my back and I thought I would respond to all my followers about this ever present issue. I had a CAT scan yesterday, that is the coolest thing ever!!!! Then, I saw the neurosurgeon, he's so nice! He told me exactly what kind of surgery he would do to give me some relief, but left it up to me when I would do it! I'm not sure of the spelling, sorry, but it is called a lamenectomy, which means he would go in and remove that spur that is causing me so much leg pain! That's a great Christmas gift for me to receive! So, I will wait and keep trying PT, now he has added swimming to my plate and using our new toy, the inversion table. Blessings!!!

fruitcake

Someday I'm going to teach myself how to make fruitcake. Gordon and I love a good fruitcake, I know all the jokes about bad fruitcake, but I have had some wonderful fruitcakes in my life! So when we were at Sam's Club yesterday(mind you to pick up a Kindle Fire for yours truly which they were out of), we found a boxed fruitcake and decided to try it! It's very good! Maybe I will pass one on to you??? No, I won't, just kidding! Blessings!

french toast

I made one of the recipes from Friday's Sample Fest for our breakfast. Gordon wasn't thrilled with it and so it will not grace our table again! It was too much like bread pudding and he doesn't like that, but here's the recipe for you all to try! Recipe: (I cut this in half for us otherwise this amount will fit a 9x13 pan greased.) 12 slices of bread, place at least 6 on the bottom of pan, then mix 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, pour half of the milk-egg mixture over bread and

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Pour over bread, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of brown sugar with 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans over the over the slices of bread, repeat layer. Let this soak over night or at least for a few hours. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes or until it puffs up. Make a glaze of milk and powdered sugar to serve over this. YUM(at least I think so). Blessings!

early Christmas

We had Christmas with Kate, Kurt and family today! We had fun and enjoyed the kids! Kurt grilled hamburgers for our lunch. I stopped at Target and got potato salad and cookies(as I forgot the cheesecake in the freezer). Kate cooked some yummy squash for us and we had the usual chips! What a feast!!! The kids enjoyed the gifts and we (us girls) had a shopping spree to Michaels! Blessings!

Oranges

This year it seems like old things are new again like oranges made into pomanders, I love making these and the whole house smells so wonderful!

Anyway, I haven't done these in years and bought some Cuties today with some whole cloves! I only did 5, as I love to eat the Cuties too much to give up any more!
Sample Fest is quickly approaching on Friday. I got a few things done with a lot to do tomorrow! Blessings!

white christmas

I was over at Isabelleathome's blog yesterday morning and came across this recipe! I took it work and discussed the recipe with my boss. We will use next week for sample fest! Congrats, Isabelle!! Anyway, I decided to make some for baskets I am putting together for Christmas gifts! It is tasty and pretty! So here is the recipe which I changed up just a tad! White Christmas recipe: 3 cups of Cheerios, 3 cups of Rice Chex(store brand), 3 cups of Corn Chex(store brand), 1 bag of Christmas peanut M&M's(could use plain), and 2 cups of stick pretzels broken up, and 1 bag of white chips melted using a double boiler. Mix the cereals, prezels and M&M's in huge bowl. Melt the white chips in the double boiler and pour the melted white chocolate chips over the cereal mix. Mix this well and put some muscle into it!! Let it cool and break it up to put in pretty jars or bags for gifts! Blessings!

cards

This year I am struggling to write my Christmas letter. I have no clue why, maybe I don't have so much news to share this year??? Or maybe what I do have to say is boring???? I'm in a rut and I don't like it! I still have time, but what a dilemna this year! Time goes so fast and now the push for getting together with family is on! I wish we lived close enough to see the grandkids Christmas programs or could go see Santa with them, but working and so many miles gets in the way! Well, the rambling goes on and on today, sorry! Blessings!

snow

It snowed late yesterday and it is so pretty out! I'm not a winter lover, but I do enjoy the snow(I like to look at it)! We spent most of yesterday in Duluth, Mn. taking parts back and some shopping! Gordon is not a shopper, I'm just saying because I ended up standing in line for 30 minutes at Michael's for 5 items( the line moved pretty fast), 45 minutes of shopping at Sam's(he bought alot of stuff there, but the lines were short there) and then took me to Olive Garden for a great lunch! So, the answer to what kind of bucket that was featured in Friday's picture is a commode enamel bucket from 30 yrs ago, who knew that a pee bucket could look so cute!! Blessings!

Jenny's

My friend, Ruth and I went to our friend's house for her open house that shows off her crafts! Jenny has a beautiful home and makes wonderful gifts out of practically nothing(I'm so jealous)!! I bought this bucket with the greens in it, because I don't think I will be putting up a tree. No one is coming home for Christmas, so I don't think I want to take the time to put up the tree! We are going to Erika and Trevor's for Christmas Day in their new home! We are hoping to travel to Kate and Kurt's soon to celebrate with them! So enjoy my bucket! Can you guess what it was in it's former life???? I will reveal what it was next time!! We will all laugh! Blessings!

cookies

I made cookies from a bag the other day and all that is left to take a picture of is these 2 cookies on the plate...:-( I bought the sugar cookie

mix by Betty Crocker to make with the kids over the weekend and never got around to it, so I made them on Monday night. One of my bosses had a birthday on Tuesday, who loves cookies, so he got a few, but other cookie monster in the house managed to eat most of the rest( I got 4) of the 2 dozen. I guess that's why he stays so slim....:-)! Blessings!!!