Merry Christmas to You

I hope you all are having a joyful Christmas season with your loved ones. 

Christmas is a time for families. 

~ Celebrating the moments of Christmas ~

~ Selecting the tree ~

~ Christmas Baking ~

~ Cozy evenings by the fireside ~

 ~ A little Christmas humor ~

{A comic I made from my children's conversation.}

 ~ The night before Christmas ~

~~~♥~~~ 

  ~ I am taking a Christmas holiday and will not be back until after Christmas ~

Memorable Moments

A Nativity scene made by my husband's mother while visiting us one Christmas 

when my children were very young.  

 My daughter and I regularly go to AMPM weekend mornings 

to get our pumpkin spice coffee.

The sweet girl who works there is always so kind to everyone.

This weekend, she eagerly presented this gift she had waiting for us.

Isn't it just the cutest can of popcorn!

~~~♥~~~

Oh, So Many Tasty Temptations!

This is a photo from another year, but it still represents me BEFORE I started my diet (August 27 - 14 long weeks ago) this year.

After three days of delicious Thanksgiving feasting, I slipped up four pound on the scale. I have been working hard all week to shed that holiday cheer.

Last night, I was SO tempted to eat a slice of fresh homemade BREAD with BUTTER! But I made it through the evening, and I am happy to say that this morning, a week later, I am back to where I was before Thanksgiving.

I am determined to work diligently for the next three weeks before the Christmas Eve– hoping to lose five by then.

Focus! That word keeps me on track. It is a simple word, but so powerful.

So many tempting delights EVERYWHERE I look. Pinterest is such a wonderful distraction. However, I try to avoid the food world on Pinterest. Instead, I look at cozy rooms and holiday settings.

I wanted to post a photo from Pinterest, but I was not able to get permission, so you get a picture of my living room, instead.

~ Now you can see where I sit when I am visiting you ~

Through My Window

~ A View through my front window on this first day of December ~
~~~♥~~~
I am come a light into the world,
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
(John 12:46  )

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Linking up today with:

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Holiday Fun

~ Thanksgiving dinner ~

Today, I set the tree and put the lights on it...
12 strings - 6 white and 6 colored.

 ~ Stringing popcorn ~

This evening, we are stringing popcorn while watching White Christmas.

 ~ Placing popcorn on the tree~

I am still in the process... We need more popcorn strings.

~ Christmas lights ~

 My husband put up the lights last weekend to be ready for Thanksgiving Day.

I Appreciate Your Sweet Comments

It's Thanksgiving Day!

~5:00 a.m.~

Both of my older children came home to spend the night with us. What joy to have all five children together! We watched a couple of movies last night, and then enjoyed a bit of Brian Regan on Youtube. At 11:30, I headed to bed and left the children to their visiting. They did not go to bed until around 2:00 this morning. 

I got up at 3:30 to straighten up the house for our big day. I love the quietness of the early morning - enjoying the fire in the wood stove, morning coffee, and preparing for the day.

 ~Breakfast~

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
1 Chronicles 16:34

{Pinterest}

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Sketch of Thanksgiving Day

~ A drawing I did nearly 30 YEARS ago ~

This was drawn from my own imagination.

I usually draw from some photo or picture inspiration.
My drawings tend to be SO two dimensional. 

You can see where I messed up - 

See the patch on my paper in my struggle to draw the father?

I don't draw men well.

~~~♥~~~

Tomorrow IS Thanksgiving Day!

{Pinterest}

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My Rose Petal Blessings

I got up at 1:00 this morning to check the fire in the wood stove. It had gone out – completely.

I knew it would take a while to get going again, so I decided to chillax using the computer while I waited.

For entertainment, I went to Rose Petal Blessings Stephanie’s Etsy shop to browse her lovely handmade gifts.

 

These two beautiful tote bags were my favorite items. I thought about how nice it would be to send one to my sister Rita. I also thought about what fun it would be to have one for myself. But I could not decide between the two.

At 3:00 a.m., I decided to go back to bed. But I could not sleep. For 45 minutes I lay awake, imagining all the good ways I could use Stephanie's tote. I decided to get up and purchase both bags.

What lovely gifts they would make. Although I really wanted one for myself, I could not justify spending the money on myself, so I settled on sending both totes to two of my sisters.

My sister Joy is always doing nice things for me. She sent me this adorable teapot picture frame...

And this very homey tablecloth. 

I think she would like to receive a special something in the mail.

I am excited about these totes arriving at their destination and the pleasure they will bring to my dear sisters. Thank you, Stephanie, for your pretty little totes.

 

By the way – I did get myself a little something extra special - 

Stephanie's Tea Cup Coasters.

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Only 2 days until Thanksgiving Day!

 {Pinterest}

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Persimmon Bread Recipe

Persimmon Bread 

Makes two 9x4x3-inch loaf

• 1 cup persimmon pulp (I used 3 very softened ripe persimmons)
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• (1/3 cup water if needed to puree the persimmons) 
• Note: I did not need the water for my ripe fruit.

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Grease two 9x4x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Puree Persimmons in blender. (Add a little bit of water if needed.)

In a small bowl, whisk together persimmon pulp and baking soda. This will thicken the pulp a bit.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, oil, eggs, and spices. Add walnuts. Once ingredients are well incorporated, whisk in the persimmon mixture, all at once, into the dry ingredients. Fold to incorporate. Once no flour remains, pour into the loaf pan and place in the oven.

Bake loaf for 55 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the loaf comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before serving. Loaf lasts well wrapped at room temperature for up to five days.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

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Linking up today with:

Making Your Home Sing Monday
and

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Only 4 days until Thanksgiving Day!

{Pinterest}

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Morning at the American River

This week, my husband and I went down to the river at 7:00 with our morning coffee.

What We Called a Photo Safari - (Riveting ☺) story HERE.
~~~♥~~~

Next time, I should wear galoshes.

It was a beautiful morning.

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Only 5 days until Thanksgiving Day!

 {Pinterest}
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Morning by the Fireside

You know how much I love sitting by my wood stove.

Cozy by the fireside, I am working on a doll for one of my nieces.

Here I am having fun with the watercolor setting on my camera.

So many great ways to waste time with a digital camera.

I take photos of everything!

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Only 8 days until Thanksgiving Day!

 

{Source}

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A Happy Mess

I woke up this morning to find this cute little mess. 

My daughter had been working on building her gingerbread house the night before and left it to dry.
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Only  9 day until Thanksgiving Day!

 {Pinterest}
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Lovely Gifts of Autumn

~ Our dentist gave us these lovely chrysanthemums and persimmon fruit ~

~ So sweet and delicious! ~

~~~♥~~~

Only 16 days until Thanksgiving Day!

{Pinterest}

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