Our Sunday Drive:

Christmas is a Child:

a friend and I began this 3 years ago...
she gave me a call and said I need your help...

I am the organizer and pr person...

she's the begger...

we both haul and haul...Craig and I are the sorters...Craig is the table set up guy...

We have six tables full- less than half of what we had last year and not very many big money items- last year each child got 2 big money items, 2 medium and 2 of the lesser value- gloves, hats and a candy bag with tooth brushes and tooth paste.

This year it will go 1,1 and 2. There are no hats and gloves and there is not enough money to make the candy bags.

This is what we did this morning at 8 AM.

We hear the beating of wings over Bethlehem and a light that is not of the sun or of the stars shines in the midnight sky. Let the beauty of the story take away all narrowness, all thought of formal creeds. Let it be remembered as a story that has happened again and again, to men of many different races, that has been expressed through many religions, that has been called by many different names. Time and space and language lay no limitations upon human brotherhood. ~New York Times, 25 December 1937, quoted in Quotations for Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938, published by The H.W. Wilson Company, New York

Decorating day...

Steve got today off and has to work tomorrow...
so the guys worked outside and I helped a little...

I think this is all we will do outside...just waiting for it to get dark to see how it looks...

got the tree up and a little bit done on the inside...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving...

... we stuffed this old turkey and then sent him waddling home...
...we went for a quick walk around the side yard and then back in...wind chill is in the 20s today...

...if you have never tried this...you need to...dutch apple cheesecake...oh, is it good...my new favorite thing...

... the next time I post this...the season will have changed...

...we changed up our menu this year...steak, baked potatoes and salad...and the dutch apple cheesecake and Harold brought an apple cake...the pumpkin pie wasn't even touched...maybe later...

The thing I am most thankful for...

...that Heaven exists and I have been invited to dwell there for all eternity...
what are you most thankful for?

Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. Alphonse Karr

Went shopping...

picked up a few things while I was at Kyle's...
this is a plate shelf...

a couple of funky tassels to mix in with the Christmas decorations this weekend...

We rearranged the front windows of the store...

used the same big pieces but just moved them slightly for a different angle and then took away and added...

he is selling my painted Christmas items...

the store is very full...

and it looks good...

the last time we went up, Alaina and her mom were there...mom was decorating their tree on the square until big, cold raindrops started falling...

the other side...

from outside...

the square and all the trees...

more trees...

Birkey's tree with my 2 signs on it and I just love the Santa pole...

Thank you, God, for this good life and forgive us if we do not love it enough.
Garrison Keillor

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

Tiffany will be leaving soon...

I asked her to leave tonight, so she will be moving out soon. Hopefully before we begin to decorate for Christmas. We just have different lifestyles and she is not willing to mold into ours.

I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

it's almost 60 out today...
no coats, no sweaters...

Chrissy came over to play...

the neighbor is putting up her Christmas decorations...

she had part of them out last night when we went for a walk...