Blue Monday

Posted on January 5, 2009 by Barbara Harper

Smiling Sally hosts a Blue Monday in which we can post about anything blue — pretty, ugly, serious or funny — and then link up to other Blue Monday participants.

This is one of my favorite “blue” pictures:

Several years ago when we were home schooling, I had the boys more involved in the everyday housework. I had them bring their hampers from their upstairs bedrooms downstairs to the laundry room when it was time to do laundry. At some point after the clothes got dumped out, Jesse would often climb in one of the hampers while one of the other boys put another on top. It was just one of those weird but fun things that somehow got started that became part of the routine they looked forward to.

Blue Monday: More Blue Christmas

Posted on December 22, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Smiling Sally hosts a Blue Monday in which we can post about anything blue — pretty, ugly, serious or funny — and then link up to other Blue Monday participants.

Believe it or not, I actually forgot one of my favorite blue ornaments in my list of them last week.

This is a Boyd’s Bear ornament my dear friend Carol gave me:

And, believe it or not, blue really isn’t the predominant color of my Christmas decorations, though it might look like it with the things I showed last week. We have multicolored decorations. But I like blue as a Christmas color. In fact, our wedding was blue and silver because I didn’t want a typical red wedding for December. (Maybe I should have shown blue wedding photos in light of our anniversary yesterday!! But as it is already midday and I’d need to scan them, I think I’ll wait.)

I did want to show a couple more blue ornaments I got last week at the Christian bookstore. They look like they are from the same artist who did the “Believe” and “Rejoice” ornaments I showed last week, but they are a little different style.

Then I also found there this beautiful blue heart. If you’ve read here long, you know I love hearts, and this was just gorgeous.

I’ve thought about putting all my blue ornaments on a skinny tree in the family room where the predominant color is blue. I’ll have to see if any more of those trees are left in the store — or plan for it next year.

Then this little guy usually greets people at the front door, but we forgot him this year.

With all the rain we’ve been having, it is probably for the best that he wasn’t out in it. And I do believe in saying “Merry Christmas” but I’ve also said “Happy Holidays” for years to include both Christmas and New Year’s, not to be politically correct. More thoughts on that here.

I hope you all have a blessed Christmas! I’ll be back with a few things between now and then, but I likely won’t see many “Blue Monday” folks til next week.

Meme catch-up

Posted on December 20, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Julie at Joyful Days tagged me for a meme about six things that make me happy.

1. God.

2. The Bible

3. My family

4. Friends

5. Books

6. Good food

It’s hard to stop on that one once you get started!

Then Smiling Sally tagged me with the Game of Addictions in which I am supposed to name five things I am addicted to.

1. Chocolate

2. Blogging

3. Word games

4. Pink roses

5. Reading

Then I saw this meme of Christmas favorites at Melli’s as well as several other places I forgot to make note of:

*Favorite Christmas Song*
It’s hard to pick just one, but if I had to it would be Infant Holy, Infant Lowly.

*Favorite Christmas Movie*
“A Christmas Carol” with George C. Scott. Or maybe “White Christmas.”

*Favorite Christmas Gift to Give*
I really like to tailor the gift to the specific person, so there is not one gift I like to give everyone, but I love to give books if the person likes to read, and CDs of good Christian music as well as something personal and handmade if possible.

*Favorite Christmas Gift to Get*
Probably books.

*Favorite Christmas Cookie*
Gingerbread Bears, though I don’t make them every year because they’re labor intensive. I still hope to this year, and if I do I’ll post pictures and the recipe.

*Favorite Christmas Candy*
I can’t think of a specifically Christmas candy I like — just all the usuals “dressed up” for Christmas: Reese’s and M&Ms would top the list, though come to think of it, last year I did discover Lindor truffles last year….sooo good.

*Favorite Christmas Color*
Green.

*Favorite Christmas Tradition*
Decorating the tree together as a family and reading the Christmas story on Christmas morning.

It’s such a busy time of year, I won’t tag anyone, but feel free to do any or all of these and let me know so I can come see your answers.

680050_christmas_decorations2

(Photo courtesy of the stock.xchng.)

Blue Monday: Blue Christmas and more on the engagement

Posted on December 15, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Thanks so much for your thoughts and wishes in response to my son’s engagement. This is a first for our family and we’re very excited! One quick funny story in connection with it: He is going to her home over Christmas break, and I thought he would probably ask her then, so I wasn’t expecting it to happen now. When they came in Saturday they were dropping all kinds of hints, and I just wasn’t getting it. We had pizza, and she reached right in front of me with the hand that had the ring, and I didn’t see it, then she asked, “Mrs. H___, when Jason marries me, what should I call you?” I said, “Well, whatever you feel comfortable with.” “Well, when should I start?” “Well, whenever you want to.” Finally she just held her hand up with the ring, and I think I just said, “Oh!!” They said my expression was priceless.

They went back downtown yesterday to “reenact” the event for Jeremy to photograph, and I loved this picture taken near the downtown Christmas tree, where Jason did the honors.

On to Blue Monday!

Smiling Sally hosts a Blue Monday in which we can post about anything blue — pretty, ugly, serious or funny — and then link up to other Blue Monday participants.

I thought I’d show some of our Christmas ornaments and decorations that have blue in them.

The first two are the newest. I just got them at the Christmas bookstore last week — saw them and loved them.

I got this at a craft show some years back:

I took a class in “One Stroke Painting” at Michael’s and made this.

It’s not much like the original!! The shadowy parts look dirty and his face isn’t as round as it is supposed to be. I’d love to do more of that kind of thing. I had a goal once to make one ornament of every craft I tried. Ornaments are actually a good way to try a new craft, since they’re usually smaller, easier projects.

A blue ball of styrafoam and fabric and ribbon I made eons ago:

This was a gift from a friend:

Part of our tree skirt:

Snowmen candle holders my son’s girlfriend’s fiancee’s mom gave us last year:

A little snow globe on the windowsill:

A little blurry snowman figurine:

My mom gave me this several years ago. You push a button on the back and it plays songs and lights flash in the windows.

Serving dish and dish towel I just received last week:

A little Nativity musical figurine:

I got this sign at a craft show a few years ago. It’s one of my favorite things:

Stop by Sally’s for more Blue Monday. Have a great Monday!

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on December 12, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details.

So here are my favorites from the past week:

1. Chocolate pianos. Why would I need a chocolate piano, you ask? Jesse’s piano recital was last night, and though we don’t always get his teacher a gift, for some reason this year I decided to try to find a chocolate piano for her. And. voila, I found several online. I chose this one from Ann Hemyng Candy, Inc.’s Chocolate Factory. It came nicely packaged as well. I thought it was really cute.

2. Secret Sisters. Our ladies’ group gives ladies the option of participating as a “secret sister” through the year. We chose a name for the year and secretly, anonymously pray for each other and give little gifts, then reveal our secret identities at the Christmas party in December. We just had our party on Monday, and the lady who had my name is a long-time friend. I am surprised I didn’t figure out it was her! I actually suspected at one point, but then one day a man at church made it a point to tell me there was something for me at the back table, so I began to suspect it was his wife, and that threw me off. But my secret sister gave me this cute snowman dish and dishtowel.

I’d been wanting a new serving dish for the holidays…the one I had was plastic and cracking in places.

3. Winning things! I won these sweet little dove ornaments made by Dawn at 4:53 am, one of my favorite craft blogs.

4. Jesse’s first basketball game. Though I’ve been inwardly moaning about having to be out two nights this week for basketball along with everything else going on, I did rediscover the enjoyment of going to the games and visiting with other parents. Jesse not only started but played the whole game. This is him in the air.

Their first game was against a much bigger, better, more experienced school, so they weren’t expecting to win, but considering their opponent and the fact that this was their first game, and, for a few of them, like Jesse, their first year on the team, they did well. They only lost by 9 points.

5. Sunshine. We’ve been low on rainfall for a long time and needed the rain, but after two days of it I was so glad to see the sunshine this morning.

Bonuses:

6. Hobby Lobby! I’ve been wanting to put a little miniature Christmas tee on the dry sink in my kitchen but have had a hard time getting it together. I got a tree a year or tow ago in an after Christmas sale, and had a set of a few ornaments, but couldn’t seem to find the right accessories. But Hobby Lobby this week not only had everything I needed, it was all marked 50% off! I was surprised to see it marked down before the holidays.

7. Online shopping!!

Happy Friday!

Christmas Spirit award and tag

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Barbara Harper

chirstmasaward Jewel at Down in My Little Valley gave me a Christmas Spirit Award with the following tag:

“The rules are to tag someone with this award that I know loves Christmas, and has Christmas spirit. They must link back to my blog to indicate where they were tagged, and they need to add 1 to 45 reasons why they love Christmas.”

1. I love Christmas first of all because it’s the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

2. Christmas music.

3. Christmas lights. OK, some can be a little on the gaudy side. But I love that so many people put lights outside their houses as well as in, and I love lights on the tree.

4. The Christmas tree. In itself it may seem a little strange to bring a tree inside and hang decorations on it…but I love it.

5. Christmas ornaments, little miniature decorations, often with a story of how it came to be, who gave it to whom, etc.

6. Christmas cards, the opportunity to send and receive greetings with friends and loved ones.

7. Christmas newsletters. Yes, I love them! I enjoy catching up with what’s been going on with people.

8. Christmas events. Though it does tend to make the calendar more full than usual, I love attending our kids’ plays, our Sunday School Christmas party, events in town, etc.

9. Christmas foods.

10. Time off. The kids are off from school, and my husband often takes a few vacation days.

11. Calling loved ones on Christmas Day.

12. Giving gifts.

If you love Christmas consider yourself tagged!

I’ve been tagged with a couple of other memes and was originally going to do them all together…but I think this one needs to stand alone. So I’ll do the others later on. This may be meme week as Real Life is incredibly busy!

Friday’s Fave Five

Posted on December 5, 2008 by Barbara Harper

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details.

1. My thermostat. We forget what a luxury it is to be able to heat our homes with the push of a button. I’ve been sp grateful for that this week!

2. My nice warm winter coat. It really came in handy this week for…

3. “Dickens of a Christmas.” An annual holiday event where Main Street downtown is blocked from traffic, there are store window displays of people acting out scenes from Dickens’ era (including one ballet group who performs “The Nutcracker” every year) — not from his books necessarily, but just from those times. There are different groups who sing or play instruments, anyone who wants to can dress in in period attire. Then there is a carol sing and lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. There’s a food court and one group who gives out free apple cider. It’s just a fun time to get out and about and even run into people you know. Here are a few scenes as recorded by my oldest son.

A choir:

A dance group:

This is my favorite musical group. I wish we had recorded them. Good, fun music, and they were just off the main sidewalk where everyone could still see and hear them, but there was room to gather around.

Christmas lights downtown:

4. Goodies. I had ordered some things from Hydrangea Home through the weekly Pink Friday sales event from the Make Mine Pink shops (which I could list an another favorite thing. They have a theme every Friday for kind of an online sidewalk sale — kitchen things, tea things, beach things, etc. This week it’s “last minute Christmas gifts.”), and they came in this week.

I am borrowing her pictures since I haven’t had a chance to take any, and hers are so much better than mine would be anyway, but I don’t think she’ll mind since I am linking back to her. 🙂 Everything was packaged so beautifully. and she added in a free ornament and some pretty notecards.

5. Krispy Kreme donuts, especially when the “Hot Donuts Now” sign is one. We went there after the Dickens event.

Krispy Kreme

6. If I could add a sixth “bonus” one, it would be the encouragement of friends. Thanks to those who commented on yesterday’s post. That first incident mentioned happened at church — where you’d expect people to smile and greet everyone. I do agree with what everyone said about shyness. I so want to write a post about that — I used to be painfully shy, so much that I would panic if someone spoke to me in a group. The Lord has helped me with that a lot. It’s still my default setting, but by His grace I can extend myself. But that will have to wait probably til early next week — I have a deadline today for another responsibility. I’ll be around to visit later on!

Happy Friday!

WFMW: Geeky Gifts For Guys

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I have a husband and three sons. They’re not sports fans or hunters or golfers, but they do like technology and gadgets. For anything really technical I need to get the exact name, product code, etc., but these are some “other” gifts they’ve enjoyed receiving over the years.

1. USB Rocket Launcher plugs into the USB port of your computer. My husband has one on his desk at work that coworkers like to launch.

2. USB Doomsday Device Hub

It has a series of buttons and levers, and people just can’t resist pushing and flipping them to see what will happen, despite the dire warnings. Of course, Jeremy and Jesse wanted to try it out.

3. USB Beverage Cooler

When you don’t want to walk all the way to the kitchen for a cold drink. It holds one drink can.

4. Duct Tape wallet. Because guys can make ANYTHING out of duct tape.

5. Digital Temperature Fork. This is handy if your guy grills: a fork with a meat thermometer built in. Ours came with a set of grilling utensils. We got this from a department store (J. C. Penney’s, I think) one Father’s Day, but I ran a search for it and found several sources online.

6. Digital Bank

Ours, which we found in the men’s department at a store in the mall, is much plainer than this version from SlashGear, but there are several online. It keeps count of the total of the coins as you drop them in. I don’t know how you adjust it if you remove any — maybe that’s motivation not to!

7. Anything from Scottevest, a line of clothing designed to accommodate the wires and cords from electronic devices and all sorts of pockets and compartments. A couple of my guys had their jackets on their “wish list” for years, but they were kind of expensive, so all we ever got was this hat (you can click on the video link there to see where the compartments are).

8. Many of the above items can be found at ThinkGeek, the name of which speaks for itself. Lots of…interesting stuff there. It’s mostly a family-friendly site, but, as with all external links, use caution and discretion.

You can find a plethora of workable tips at Rocks In My Dryer each Wednesday.

Christmas Meme

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Barbara Harper

I received this in an e-mail, and I think I saw it on someone’s blog, but forgot to note where. I added a few questions of my own at the end.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Some of each. For the family it’s mostly wrapped packages unless something is an odd shape. For anyone outside of family it’s often a gift bag.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real so far, but after getting rained out of getting our Christmas tree when we’d planned to I am thinking more about an artificial one.

3. When do you put up the tree? Usually whenever everyone’s schedules can coincide. We like to get the tree and decorate it together as a family. I like the first Sat. in December. This year we were thinking about the day after Thanksgiving since everyone will was off then, but it rained on the day we were going to get it. This Saturday some of he kids works in the afternoon and others of us have events in the evening. So I don’t know when we’ll get to do it.

4. When do you take the tree down? By New Year’s if not before.

5. Do you like eggnog? I don’t, but Jim and the boys do.

6. Favorite gift received as a child. Barbie dolls, because my nickname was Barbie.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My step-father.

8. Easiest person to buy for? Jesse, my youngest.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? No. The closest I have is this little musical figurine my mom gave me.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mostly snail-mail, but a few e-mail.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received. Chocolate covered cherries (Bleah!)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Some time after Thanksgiving usually, but not Black Friday!! When my mom was alive, we would tuck little things away for each other all through the year. I knew what kinds of things she liked and would buy them as I found them. With my boys now, as they grow their tastes and desires change, plus whatever new game or gadget they want won’t be available until closer to Christmas, so I usually wait. (More on gadget gifts for guys tomorrow!)

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I think I may have, though I can’t remember any specifics. I know I have given away Christmas presents I received but didn’t want without presenting them as a gift from me.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Harvest loaf Cake

16. Lights on the tree? Of course.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Too many good ones to have one favorite! But “In The Bleak Mid-winter” and “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” would be at the top of the list. I like the “Carol of the Bells” the first couple of times I hear it.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer? No

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Angel but I’d like to replace it with a star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds in the stores, over-full schedule

23. What theme or color are you using? Usual Christmas colors. We have a wide variety of ornaments and decorations — I never went in for a themed tree — but we do have a lot of snowmen.

24. Favorites for Christmas dinner. Ham, mashed potatoes, pies.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I haven’t thought much about it yet.

26. Do you have a favorite ornament, what? I have several favorites — it is fun to see them and recall the stories behind them as we decorate the tree.

27. Favorite Christmas special on TV? Charlie Brown Christmas would be tops, but also The Little Drummer Boy and The Grinch Stole Christmas.

28. Do you give gifts to extended family (adult siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins)? Family gifts or individual ones? Not cousins or aunts or uncles. I like giving to everyone, but it has kind of fallen off over the years. Even when we did it, it wasn’t reciprocated — it just gets too expensive, and not living nearby, we don’t know their tastes any more. But sometimes if we have a really good, inexpensive idea, we’ll go for it, like last year when we ended up with a lot of old family pictures and made a CD of them for everyone plus copied an 8×10 of my mom and step-dad for everyone.

29. Christmas parties? Our Sunday School class has one as does the ladies’ group at church. Only once or twice has my husband’s job had anything that involved spouses.

30. Do you bake Christmas cookies? What kind? We did decorated sugar cookies when the kids were little but haven’t in the last few years. I also make gingerbread teddie bears some years. They’re a lot of work, so I don’t do them every year, but I have been craving them this year. If I make them I’ll show them to you.

31. Special church services? There is always a kid’s play or presentation, an adult choir Christmas cantata, and usually a Christmas Eve service.

32. Christmas events you like to attend? Our town has a “Dickens of a Christmas” evening downtown where there are different groups singing, little plays or ballets in shop windows, etc. There are a couple of places with light displays that we usually drive through. That’s all I can remember we do regularly, but if something else comes up that we’re interested in and have time for, we’ll go.

33. Read the Christmas story on Christmas? Yes, my husband does, usually before we open gifts, usually from Luke 2 but sometimes from other passages.

Let me know if you do this and I’ll come by to see your answers!

(Graphic courtesy of the stock.xchng)

Blue Monday & etc.

Posted on December 1, 2008 by Barbara Harper

We had a bit of drama this morning when Jim’s mom called about 7:30 a.m. saying her hearing aid was broken. He had left already, and I told her to get her old one in the meantime, but she couldn’t find it. I went over, and thankfully figured out that the tube had just come out of the earpiece and was able to easily get it back in. It’s working fine but I am afraid it might happen again when she tales it in and out. Jim said we could probably take it in to get the tube replaced — it’s just probably gotten a little too flexible with use. Then when I went to look for her old hearing aid, I couldn’t find it, either, and almost started to panic. Turns out she had it in — but without a battery. So I replaced the battery in it and showed her where the case was and left a note for the people who work there in case it happens again.

Jesse’s home sick today with a pretty bad cold. I am hoping it doesn’t spread through the family.

Jason and his girlfriend, Mittu, have this one last day before they start back to classes, but they both have papers due, so I expect it will be a pretty quiet day. I had thought about making Christmas cookies today — I have kind of gotten away from that the last few years. But between the work they need to do and Jesse’s cold, it might not be the best time.

I was bummed that Toni and Dallas didn’t make it into the Amazing Race final 3. That was so sad! He’s going to be kicking himself about losing their money and passports for a long time, I’m afraid. The two guys have made so many mistakes I really felt it was their time to go. If they end up winning…I am going to be even more bummed.

The next two weeks are really busy both with stuff to do and things to attend. Sat. night we have out adult Sunday School Christmas party, Sunday is church as usual, Monday is the ladies’ Christmas party, Tuesday is Jesse’s first basketball game, Wed. is prayer meeting as usual, Thursday is Jesse’s piano recital, then Friday is his second BB game. I’m not one who likes to “go and do” that much — I am getting tired just thinking about it! So, since there are so many things to attend next week, I am hoping to get a bunch of stiff done this week. All I really want to do right now is sit here and fiddle around on the computer! But I need to make a master list so I can best use my time this week.

On to Blue Monday:

Smiling Sally hosts a Blue Monday in which we can post about anything blue — pretty, ugly, serious or funny — and then link up to other Blue Monday participants.

This is a Paula Vaughan cross stitch pattern: one of my sisters made it for me several years ago.

I paired it with a quote of Proverbs31:24-26 in calligraphy from Doorposts which I placed in a blue frame and a partially blue mat.

I thought they went well together not only because of the color but because of the reference to clothing in the verse and the dress in the cross stitch — letting our physical clothes remind us of the need to be clothed with strength and honor even in — especially in our homes.