Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy every moment!

Day of Preparation...

It's the Day of Preparation at my house. Yours too?
Helpful tip of the day....
Taste your batter, fillings, and everything.  You never know if you missed an ingredient like sugar.  Yes, sugar!  One year I was making pumpkin pies.  I poured the filling into the shells and slid them into the oven.  While cleaning up the bowls and beaters, I tasted the pumpkin pie filling -- ick!  No sugar!  Thankfully I was able to pull the pies out of the oven poured the filling back into the bowl so I could add sugar.  One little lick of the spoon or beaters just might save the day!


Happy Thanksgiving!

April Fools!

 

This is the speed limit sign we put up years ago when the grankids started toddling around.

It's placed  on our road just before you enter the area where our houses are,

and where the children and pets roam free.

 

 

This was the funny joke Hubby played on me by putting black tape on

the sign to make the one into a four.

I didn't notice it for a long time,

but our UPS driver did!

He knew better than to drive 45 mph into the yard.

He's a good guy.

Any jokes at your house?

 

Valentine cookies, Raisinets, and Pistachios....

Soon it will be Valentine's Day.  We aren't big celebraters of the day, but we like to give a little chocolate and nuts to each other.  Today Hubby and I shopped together for groceries, and I threw in a bag of Dark Chocolate Raisinets (from him) and he chose Pistachios (from me) for Valentine's Day.  Yeah, we are weird like that.  In addition to this lavish display of love and affection, I did have a little "heart fun" by baking one of my favorite cookies -- iced sugar cookies with red hot centers.  I really like a red hot candy with every bite of cookie, so you might spot a cookie or two in the pic below that I WILL eat!  I totally made the cookies for my grandchildren and their families, but I saved a few back just for us.  (That's romantic, isn't it?)

When I was a girl we had a local bakery downtown that  made these delicious heart-shaped sugar cookies with red hot centers for Valentine's Day.  I think they were a nickle apiece back then, and I couldn't wait to walk to the bakery after school to buy myself a heart cookie.  I never forgot those hearts and when I got old enough to make my own cut-out cookies, I made sure to bake up some of those beauties to celebrate Heart Day.  The recipe is my mom's, and if I do say so myself, they are The Best Sugar Cookies Ever.  Yes, they really are.    You should try them.  Want to?  Ok.  Here ya go!

Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 c. Crisco shortening

1 c. powdered sugar

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

4 1/2 c. flour (plus a little more for rolling out)

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

1 t. vanilla

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars.  Add eggs.  Add dry ingredients and then vanilla.  Mix well, scraping down sides of bowl.  Chill in the frig for several hours.  If rolling out dough for cut-out cookies, you may need to add a little more flour.  You don't want dough too sticky.  

Divide the dough into four chunks and roll out on a floured cupboard for cut-out cookies or roll dough into 1 inch balls and flatten with a sugared glass bottom.  You may also like to sprinkle some extra colored sugar on these.  Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.  Do not over-bake.  You barely want a golden tinge on the edge.

If you like, you may frost the cookies with an icing mixing:  powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a little almond extract.  Make as thick or thin as you want.  Add sprinkles.  This recipe makes a large batch, approximately 4 dozen cookies or more.

**Famous Christmas, Valentine’s Day or Easter cookies.

Keeping Christmas simple...

Brita as Iduna.                          Christmas Morning
Art by Carl Larsson

Dear Friends,
I know it's not Christmas yet, but if you're like me, you are already hunting for those special little things that you want to give to your loved ones.  Things that tell them they are loved and special.  Sometimes it's hard to find just the perfect gift and sometimes the big holiday can't be attended by every family member.  What do you do?  Well, tonight I found this little love letter from a mother to her daughters (and son), and it meant so much to me and said pretty much what I feel in my heart, so I wanted to share it with you too because maybe you feel this way, and you wish your children could know it.  I passed it on to my grown-up kids.  They were glad, I think.

Dear Daughters (On Keeping Christmas Simple)

Be blessed,
Jody

Rancher Christmas lights....in town

One of my favorite Christmas light displays is at an implement dealership in town.  Every year the owners light up one of the tractors in their lot.  It looks even more impressive when night falls.  The display isn't fancy, a professional light tech didn't create it and it doesn't blink to music, but it makes me smile because it remind me that these are my people; this is where I'm from.  Where I come from we decorate tractors with lights at Christmastime, and many of us have a lit creche in the yard.  We're ordinary people with big hearts. 

 (creche that my parents made for each of their children and grandchildren)

Frog Eye Salad....

 

                       (source)

The salad is a long-standing family tradition made only for holidays or big celebrations like graduations or weddings.  Why is it we don't have these family favorites more often instead of just for holidays?  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the recipe makes a gallon of salad!  Could be.  The Left-Handed Housewife (whose son makes pies) asked for the recipe so here it is.  Enjoy.

Frog Eye Salad

~ inherited from my MIL

3 cans (11 oz) mandarin oranges

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

2 cans (20 oz) tidbit pineapple

Drain all fruits and reserve juice in 2 qt. pot.

Add:

1 ¾ c. (of reserved juice)

1 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 T. lemon juice

½ t. salt

Mix sugar and cornstarch together first and then combine the rest and whisk over medium heat until thickened.  Cool.

16 oz. acini di pepe  - cook according to package directions and rinse under cool water.

In a very large bowl, combine fruit, sauce mixture & pasta.  Chill.

Before serving, add the following and fold together.

8 oz. Cool Whip

2 c. mini marshmallows (more or less)

1 c. shredded coconut

Makes about 1 gallon of salad.

May halve the recipe.

Happy Birthday America....

From Hometown, USA

Independence Day is a Big Deal in my little hometown.  We have the biggest parade in the area with lots of flags and military vets; horses, kids, and queens; floats, Model T's and Tractors, firetrucks and fire hoses.  We even had the local Cowboy Marching Band, Wyoming Drums & Bagpipes, and  Trash Can Drummers.  There will be three days of rodeos, singing in the park, and a carnival that's set up Downtown. The parade started with sunshine and then there was a downpour at the end of it.  Umbrellas popped up and people kept watching as long as the parade kept coming down the street.  The sun broke through and we had a warm afternoon barbequing with family and friends and fireworks topped it all off at dusk.  It was one glorious 4th of July day when we salute our Vets and Troops, and all who love Freedom give thanks and celebrate America.  I hope you had a spectacular Day.

Bountiful baskets & other tidbits...

 Tomorrow is pick-up day for Bountiful Baskets all over the USA.  This will be my second basket and I'm so excited to see what's inside.  OnlyDaughter will be our pick-up girl and on Easter Sunday she will deliver to NextDoorDaughter and me here at the ranch. We are still figuring out how much produce the three of us can smartly use over a week's time until the next basket must be ordered and picked up.  The first basket was very good.  I got this sweet little Living Lettuce in my portion. See it's roots below?  It was delicious and reminded me of my own summer lettuce because I always plant Buttercrunch.  I have never bought a head of lettuce with roots this way, have you? 

Along with the head of lettuce, we received several big, beautiful russet potatoes, lots of onions, a big bunch of asparagus, a head each of broccoli and cauliflower and for fruits we received bananas, tangelos, and grapefruit.  All very delicious.  If you've never tried Bountiful Baskets, you should.  It's a food co-op which buys fruits and vegetables and a few other things and distributes it amongst its contributing members.  A regular basket comes with whatever is in season -- half fruit and half veg.  If you want to, for a little extra money, you can add in breads, granola, extra veggies or select in-season fruits in bulk.  It's really a good buy too.  The standard basket is $15 (add on $1.50 service fee charge and a first-time charge of $3).  We were most pleased with the quality and the amount of produce we found in our baskets and we are excited to carry on this spring and through the year.  I'm thinking it will be nice to have fresh produce when the garden is not producing and when the garden is at full-production, we can opt not to get a basket.  If you'd like to check out Bountiful Baskets for your area, click HERE.  One more thing --BB has a blog so if you get a fruit or veggie that you've never used before, you can go there and find some good recipes and ideas on how to cook it or eat it.
.............................................................

In other news around home, Hubs and I got our vitamin D3 levels tested.  It was really kind of nifty.  We bought two kits online from The Vitamin D Council, filled out the questionnaires, and did the blood tests ourselves.  We sent the tests back to the lab and received our results in an email notice in just a couple days.  Our D levels were at the edge of the optimal range (50-80 ng/ml).  I was actually a 46 so I am boosting my D3 intake through additional supplements, and I'm working harder at getting some natural D by sitting in the sun on warmish days.  Our sun right now is ok, but still fairly weak in strength so I don't feel like I'm getting a "good dose" of D yet.  The good thing is that it only takes about 15-20 minutes of sitting in the sun with a tank top and shorts for the body to produce 10,000 IUs of D3. 

I have another new bottle baby.  The little fella's mom was a c-section and I guess the experience did her in.  She didn't want anything to do with her calf and after days of trying to get her to take him, we turned her out and started bottle feeding him.  So now I have Bette and Bobby.  I've been noticing that once in a while Bette is sucking one of the mama cows in the pen.  Now I see Bobby has picked up on the idea.  It amazes me that the cows will let them nurse.  Mainly, they rob milk when the cows are at the hay rack eating.  Smart li'l bummies.

 

God sent a sweet gift to me early this morning.  I was sound asleep in my comfy bed with my window slightly cracked open when all of the sudden I heard -- whether in a dream or real, I wasn't sure -- robin-song.  I stirred and awoke, and sure enough, there was real robin-song coming from the window by my bed.  I just lay there awhile enjoying the long awaited song, smiling and thanking God for His simple gifts.  Later on that morning I saw my First  Robin of Spring.

I've been tidying up the house a little bit each day in expectation of our Easter guests.  All the kids and their families, fiance', cousin, and friends along with grandparents will be joining us on Easter Sunday for dinner.  Everybody brings a little something to add to the traditional ham dinner so it is always a day of faith, food, family and fun.  Too bad it is supposed to snow.  We'll hunt Easter eggs in the house and be grateful for the moisture.  I wish you a joyful day of preparation and a Happy Easter.

Starz...

 It's time to be making paper stars again.  This is a re-run of an old post, but with some updated photos.  This is a fun project to do with kids and the results are very impressive.

What you will need:

Star pattern
Card stock
pencil
scissors
exacto-knife or sharp knife
adhesive spray
clear crystal glitter

What to do:

You will want to begin this project by finding a good five-point star pattern to print and trace. I found three sizes here and a large star template here.  Just print stars onto card stock and cut them out or you can cut them out and trace several on a sheet of card stock.

Lay your star onto a cutting board. Take a heavy ruler and lay it across the star at each point and angle. Gently score with an exacto-knife or sharp paring knife, making nice, straight lines through the middle each time. Next, you will gently fold the star on each line and then lay it on the table to squinch up the star so that each point is folded upward and each angle is folded downward. You'll see what I mean when you start to play with your stars.

Now the fun begins! Take your folded stars, newspaper, adhesive spray, and glitter and go to the garage. The smell of the spray is a little strong so you want to do this in a well-ventilated area. Spray a light coat of adhesive onto each star and quickly sprinkle clear crystal glitter over each one. Shake them off and turn them over onto a dry sheet of newspaper to glitter the backside if you want to. Allow your stars to dry indoors especially if it's cold in the garage. Pour your excess glitter back into the bottle.

You can set up your stars on a mantel, shelf, or hang them by punching one tip of your star with a needle and thread. Hang in windows at varying lengths for a pretty effect. I have also hung stars on the Christmas tree. I think they'd be cute on a gift or tucked into a wreath. These are every bit as attractive as the tin stars that I have seen in gift shops.

I made a new tree topper today out of pages from an old hymnal and then glued a glitter star into the middle.  I was inspired by Dawn at 4:53.   I'm happy!  You too?

Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee...

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is setting up the creche.  

This year it sits on a log underneath the Christmas tree.

Our creche is very small -- just 2.75" tall, but the details are large.

See the faces of the determined ones who say,

"Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, 

and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

(Luke 2:15)

 Young and old seek Him....

...so do the wise, the rich, and the poor, 
the strong, and those who are weak.

Angels adored Him...

...and proclaimed Him singing out to those who had ears to hear,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, 
peace, good will toward men."

(Luke 2:14)

His name is Emmanuel

 which means, "God with us."

 

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.

(sharing a Pause in Advent) 

O Come, O come Emmanuel 

The moon, Little Women, and twinkle lights...

 Full Moon taken at 7:30 pm MST

Have you been out to look at the moon tonight?  Oh, it's glorious as always, but tonight at our house there is a rainbow-type ring around it which usually means moisture is in the air or that it's coming soon.  We call it a "moon dog."  I'm not sure if it's a real term for this phenom, but I know that a sun dog is a true term for a ring around the sun.  What all of us will see near the moon tonight is the planet Jupiter and the bright star Aldebaran with faint Pleiades above.  I brought over this good picture from Sky & Telescope where I like to check out the things I see in the sky.  I love this site. 

 
I also like to read about the names of the full moons so here's what the Farmer's Almanac tells me:  "Full Beaver Moon – November This was the time to set beaver traps before the swamps froze, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs. Another interpretation suggests that the name Full Beaver Moon comes from the fact that the beavers are now actively preparing for winter. It is sometimes also referred to as the Frosty Moon."  We have beaver on the river where we lease some land.  It is absolutely fascinating to me how those big yellow beaver teeth can cut down great, old cottonwoods in a very little time.  They are quite destructive and it's sad to see such beautiful trees that took so long to grow destroyed.

Besides moon-gazing, I've been reading on my "Christmas Book," Little Women.  Oh, how I'm enjoying it!  Just take a listen to this part:

'What in the world are you going to do now, Jo?' asked Meg, one snowy afternoon, as her sister came  tramping through the hall, in rubber boots, old sack and hood, with a broom in one hand and a shovel in the other.

'Going out for exercise,' answered Jo, with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

'I should think two long walks this morning would have been enough.  It's cold and dull out, and I advise you to stay, warm and dry, by the fire, as I do,' said Meg, with a shiver.

'Never take advice!  Can't keep still all day, and, not being a pussy-cat, I don't like to doze by the fire.  I like adventures, and I'm going to find some.'

Meg went back to toast her feet and read 'Ivanhoe;' and Jo began to dig paths with great energy.  The snow was light, and with her broom she soon swept a path all round the garden for Beth to walk in when the sun came out; and the invalid dolls needed air.

 Isn't that just fun reading?  I think so too.  I feel much like Jo a lot of the time.  As much as I enjoy a good book to read, I really can't sit still for very long before my hands get fidgety and my legs begin to ache for want of exercise or something to do -- mostly outdoors.  Are you more of an adventurer like Jo or a pussy-cat like Meg?  Or perhaps you are like Beth, taking care of her invalid baby dolls or Amy who is petted and spoilt by her older sisters.  Each girl has her noble qualities and each has her shortcomings, but    altogether they compliment each other and challenge one another to be better people, moving ever closer to that Palace Beautiful as told in their Pilgrim's Progress.
........................................

Ours is still the only house "on the block" which doesn't have it's Christmas lights strung  and lit.  Peach asked me why I didn't have my Christmas lights up, and I replied to her,  I had the porch light on, wasn't that good enough?  Bless her heart, she told me it was very nice, but it was not a Christmas light.  One thing Hubby and I did put up is The Star on the Barn.  Travelers-by will see it shining in the night, and I hope they think about that Star of Bethlehem.  The Littles love to go see it at dark.  It's a mile up the road to the barn so someone has to take them, just like you would in town when you want to go out driving up and down the streets to see the neighborhood Christmas lights.  Simple little things is what they love most.  Me too.  I hope your eyes light up with each strand of twinkle lights you hang and every candle you light.  You are making someone's holiday special when you do it. Every new day brings us a little closer to that Joyful Day.

The day after...

 

As I sit here typing at the computer, I'm chewing on the last leg of the two turkeys I made for Thanksgiving.  Oh, we had a jolly day with all the family home, minus one son and one fiance'.  There was lots of delicious food and I must say, I enjoyed the flavors and textures of this year's dinner more than any other.  I think it has to do with the fact that Hubby and I have been eating healthier -- no sugar, not much starch, and mostly eating meat & veg.  It's a great way to eat and feel good, but I admit that I really looked forward to the country dressing, the cranberries and the pumpkin pie.  I was not disappointed.  Today, we're back to the everyday food of our everyday lives.  The goodies were all packed away and sent home with the kids who will appreciate nibbling on leftovers this weekend.

Back when I was a young mom with lots of kids at home, I loved Thanksgiving Dinner mostly for the leftovers.  I made enough food so that I didn't have to cook for the next couple of days.  It was glorious to have time to do some of the things I wanted to do without having to stop and cook meals.  The family was free to graze from the fridge and I was free to sew or embroider or read.  

This weekend I will carry on the tradition of spending some time doing those same creative things.  Because I am a responsible, first-born, I have finished up my bookkeeping in the office first so I can spend the afternoon reading Little Women and drinking hot tea, thanks to the suggestion of the Left-handed Housewife.  I've wanted to read that book during the Christmas season for years and years, and never have gotten to it. Today, however, is the day that I will begin it.  I am so looking forward to it!  I also have another tea towel on the hoop and I will spend some hours stitching on it too. 

The evening sunsets have been gorgeous against the dark leafless trees.  The young owl was out again, but it was much too dark to get a good photo of him.  Tonight we hope to see a good display of Northern Lights.  We'll stay up late to see what we can see, or we might set our alarm clocks to get up in the early, early morning hours to see what's happening in the sky.  This is the time when secluded, country darkness is a good thing.

I hope you all had a happy, bellyful of Thanksgiving, and I hope you'll have a weekend of enjoying special-to-you things to do -- even if that means a nap.  A nap sounds lovely too, doesn't it?  Now I'm going to throw the dog a bone!

Take joy...

 

 A photo that reminds me of my hometown's Christmas lights from childhood

Cumberland, MD

Way back when I was a young girl, Christmas lights were a fascination.  I remember our little town's downtown being beautifully decorated and lit up for Christmas.  There were lines that crossed over our main street -- which was really called State Street --  on which garlands were draped along with jumbo red lights and wreaths.  There was a giant sized Christmas tree at the end of Main Street near the town hall  which was trimmed out with multicolored big-bulb lights, and was decorated by the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts who sprinkled tinsel, strung garland and added a few handmade ornaments on the very bottom branches as far up as they could reach.   Every store owner had worked hard to display their most desirable merchandise, decking store front windows with Christmas lights and aluminum Christmas trees to coax the shoppers in the door.  There were loud speakers croaking out Christmas music to the street below.  As a child, I thought it was simply magical to be out shopping downtown with snow falling, people bustling, and Bing Crosby singing Silver Bells all the while. 

During the Christmas season Mom always pressed Dad into taking the family for a drive around town to see the Christmas lights.  There was one house, I especially recall -- the Higashi's -- who always had a holiday theme.  One year they had a Holiday Train in their front yard and the lights on the wheels spun around like it was moving and there were cartoon people and toys bobbing up and down, waving from the train cars.  Santa was always perched at the chimney, all lit up with a spotlight and waving at us as we drove by.  Mr. Higashi must have loved planning his yearly Christmas light show anticipating  all the townsfolk driving by night after night.  Most people lit the traditional Christmas evergreen trees and some trimmed their windows and the peaks of their houses all in lights.  No matter what was lit up, as a child, I was in awe and overjoyed by it all.

This year as Hubby and I were cruising a few streets looking at the lights, I promised him that I wouldn't make fun of all the inflated Santas and Rudolphs or the overdone house trimmings.  As a grownup now, I've turned into a bit of a minimalist when it comes to Christmas lighting so I sometimes get overwhelmed by seeing a fully-lit, moving carousel in someone's front yard.  I did hollered out, "Holy Inflatables!" when I saw a bigger-than-life-sized inflated Santa and Frosty the Snowman on 5th Avenue, but I am trying, really trying to see the lights and the decorating as I did when I was eight.  It's more fun appreciating the efforts that some have made to light up the world with Christmas Joy than it is to be a critic.

So today, I wish for you the ability to see things through the eyes of a child, to let the Christmas lights thrill you and remind you that during this special season, all the world adds an extra light, a candle, a string of lights or an inflatable Frosty to bring a smile to a dark world.  Take Joy!

Oh, one more thing....do you know the book called Take Joy by Tasha Tudor?  It's an old book full of timeless stories, poems and songs, along with Tasha Tudor drawings, all about Christmas. Your library may have it.  If you get a chance, read it to your children or to your grandchildren or read it for yourself.  Lovely.

This is the third post of A Childlike Christmas hosted by dear Pom Pom.  You can read all the other posts about a Childlike Christmas in the sidebar of her blog.

Breath of Heaven (Mary's song)....

Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, 

and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life....~Genesis 2:7

I have traveled many moonless night

Cold and weary, with a babe inside

And I wonder what I've done

Holy Father, you have come

And chosen me now

To carry your son

I am waiting in a silent prayer

I am frightened by the load I bear

In a world as cold as stone,

Must I walk this path alone?

Be with me now

Be with me now

Chorus:

Breath of heaven

Hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of heaven

Breath of heaven

Light up my darkness

Pour over me your holiness

For you are holy

Breath of heaven

Do you wonder as you watch my face

If a wiser one one should have had my place

But I offer all I am

For the mercy of your plan

Help me be strong

Help me be

Help me

Breath of heaven

Hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of heaven

Breath of heaven

Light up my darkness

Pour over me your holiness

For you are holy

Breath of heaven

A Charlie Brown Christmas....

 A Charlie Brown Christmas isn't *just* a cutsie cartoon about a funny bald-headed boy and his spirited (sometimes annoying) dog Snoopy.  It's not even a very jolly Christmas cartoon, but it does touch my heart about some very real issues that always seem to sneak up around Christmastime.  I look for joy in places that always disappoint. 

 

 No one thinks to send a Christmas card.

  

I am sent to find the perfect Christmas tree and fail.

 Someone is always interrupting our special moments.

  

Just like Charlie Brown, I cry out in frustration, 

"Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"

Then Linus brings the truth....

I always cry after Linus tells me again that it's about the Baby in The Manger,
Christ the Lord.
Now let's all sing, Hark the Herald Angels Sing! 
together with Charlie Brown's friends.

It's so simple.

What child can resist The Christmas Story?

It's a Childlike Christmas and friends of Pom Pom's are sharing.

Before I go, I must share my all-time favorite Christmas CD.  Of course, it's A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi.  Click here to listen!  

A ranchwife's Christmas decor....

This is what I call a true Cowboy Christmas Tree.  You don't need a hatchet or saw to cut it down, and you don't need to tromp through the forest all day to find the perfect tree.  All you need to do is take a little walk on the prairie near a fence line and pick your favorite tumbleweed from among the many.  

One year when we were flat busted-broke and we were snowed-in-up-to-our-eyeballs, there was no Christmas tree to be had.  For some reason, I thought a tumbleweed looked something like a tree and I figured some white lights would make it look just right.  And that was our Christmas tree.  It worked beautifully.  The other day as Hubs and I were out feeding cows, there was a perfect tumbleweed caught in the fence, and I decided that I would take it home and it could be a Christmas tree somewhere.  Right now it's in the living room poked in an old white boot and perched on a backless, white chair.  It may eventually have to move over to another room when we get the Big Tree, but for now, it's basking in the limelight.  The tiny rice lights looks terrific on my Cowboy Christmas tree.  I might add a few white ornaments, but honestly, I like it simple with just lights.  That boot was not originally white.  I spray painted it.  Nobody was wearing that pair of boots anyway, so I thought, "Why not?"

This sweet, old Dazey Butter Churn belonged to my mother-in-love.  She gave it to me one year when the kids and I were reading through the Little House on the Prairie books.  Our Middle Child was determined to churn butter and when his grandma heard about it, she brought out this churn so we could take it for a spin.  It is about one gallon in capacity, and I cannot even imagine churning THAT much cream into butter at a whack.  Of course, you'd want some head room in the jar for sloshing about, but still!  I remember that we all took turns cranking the churn and  it took a long time before we had butter.  This Christmas season it's holding my favorite white glittered pine cone lights.  I tied some red calico onto the cord for a little extra color.  It sits on my kitchen counter making me happy.

Eldest Child dragged in this old, rusted hunk of barbed wire from the pasture some years ago and gave it to me.  How did he know I would love it?  It left it's former job of keeping cows out (or in) and has retired to hanging out as a  wreath-on-the door for several years now.  Sometimes I weave in dried grasses and pods and sometimes berries or evergreen.  

I'm still in the process of holiday decorating so there may be more fun things to share in the days to come.  I hope you are happily bringing out all those treasured Christmas things that have special memories of loved ones attached to them.  I'm so glad that God gave us memories.  What a gift!

They look'ed up and saw a star....

 Tonight was the night we hung the star on the barn.  It's a big deal for me -- probably bigger than the Christmas tree, at least for me.  We went up and found the old star in disrepair and had to take it down and bring it home for a light make-over.  Once repaired, Hubby and I went back up to the Big Shed, hung it up, and plugged it in.  Immediately my heart began to sing the verse from The First Noel....

They looked up and saw a star

Shining in the East beyond them far

And to the earth it gave great light

And so it continued both day and night.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel

Born is the King of Israel!

 It's not a fancy star by any means, and it's not located on a busy street or a super highway, but those who pass by on our lonely gravel road will see its light shining out from the darkness.  I hope they think about the  Star that pointed to Jesus, and I hope it thrills their hearts as much as it does my own.     

NOEL!