Friday’s Fave Five

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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, and you can visit Susanne to see the list of others’ favorites or to join in.

So here are five of my favorite things from this past week:

1. Eating out at one of our favorite Mexican food places last weekend. I love the chicken chimichangas at that particular place. I’ve thought about trying to learn to make them…but they do such a great job, I will just enjoy theirs.

2. Jesse’s first JV basketball game of the season. It was nice because all of us were able to be there, even Grandma. And…well, let’s just say last year they didn’t win more than they did win…and they WON their first game this week!! We started out about 10 points behind, but then we got ahead, then it was neck and neck, and then we were ahead the last quarter. It was a pretty exciting game — and I am not normally much of a sports enthusiast! I love it when it’s not a complete slaughter one way or the other.

3. Our town’s annual “Dickens of a Christmas” celebration.

4. A handy husband who knew how to fix the leaky washer — had to replace the pump, which had a crack in it.

5. A sweet daughter-in-law who made meals a couple of days when I was under the weather.

Bonus:

These cute little bottle brush trees ordered from Reflections From the Stone Nest. I think the tallest one is maybe 6″. I’m afraid I am just going to have to leave you with a link to the photo of them on her site, because after spending way more time than I have this morning, I can’t get my photo of them to upload either here on WordPress or on Flickr. But they are cute!

Happy Friday!

Dickens of a Christmas 2009

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Some you may remember my talking about our town’s annual “Dickens of a Christmas” last year, an event where they close off Main Street and have different groups performing, different shops with live scenes from the Victorian era in the display windows, etc. We almost didn’t have it this year. The group that had been organizing it was not going to be able to continue. But another group stepped up and took over, so we were happy to attend again.

I didn’t take many pictures because it held everyone else up and because there were a lot of people and often a clear shot was not available. But here are a few.

This was a dancing group that would occasionally pull in some of the observers.

On the store windows were signs with the names of the participating groups, and one of the signs for this group was:

That made me envision a bunch of dancing nuns. But they were not those kinds of sisters. 🙂

This was a neat window display.

The handbell (…choir? Performers? Players?) group made me think of Quilly.

I thought these were pretty nightgowns…

But the sign said they were…

Sorry about the glare. The photo I took without the flash was blurry.

Here is a scene from A Christmas Carol:

When we came by later, Marley was there, chains and all. Wish I could’ve gotten a shot of that!

Sherlock Holmes:

Quilters:

Florence Nightingale (the guy with the cap is a reflection of someone looking in — he is not in the scene):

Our one big downtown building lit up a window display:

These were not in a window display. 🙂 This is Jason and Mittu looking cute in the matching hats and scarves Mittu’s mom made for them.

Our favorite little brass group from last year wasn’t there — at least not in the place they were last year. If they were there somewhere, we missed them.

There was also a food court where area restaurants could set up a booth. We got a slice of pizza and later on hot chocolate and apple cider.

It was definitely a fun evening, and I hope the tradition continues!

Booking Through Thursday

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btt button The Booking Through Thursday for today is:

What’s your favorite part of Booking Through Thursday? Why do you participate (or not)?

I participate because I like reading and I enjoy discussing books and reading issues with others.

I don’t participate every week, though.  Sometimes it is just due to time constraints, but sometimes I don’t participate because the question would only require an answer of one sentence or even just a few words, not enough to really bother with a blog post. I like questions that require some thought, questions where it would be interesting to discuss and gain insights from other participants. But I do understand that other readers might prefer the light, quick questions, so it is nice that the BTT varies from week to week.

Winner!

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The winner of Sew Pretty Christmas Homestyle by Tone Finnanger is

Ivory Spring!

I’ll be contacting you shortly for your sending address.

Random Dozen

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Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee is the creator and hostess of the  Wednesday Random Dozen.

1. Which Wizard of Oz character are you most like?

The Cowardly Lion

2. When you’re deciding what you’re going to wear each morning, which item do you select first? Why?

I usually wear dresses or jumpers, so that’s about the ony thing to decide on: which one?

3. What kind of animal do you think the world could live without?

Skunks

4. How many Christmas trees are in your home?

I don’t have any up yet, but we usually have the main big one in the living room. I don’t know if these count, but I also have a little 2-ft. or so one and a tiny 6 or 8 inch one.

5. Would you prefer to be emotionless if it mean you didn’t have to feel a heartbreak?

No. I like emotion. But not too much of it.

6. Do you ever experience holiday let-down or depression?

Yes.

7. Do you like Michael Jackson’s music?

No, though I used to listen to the Jackson Five back in the day.

8. Why is it that we never judge people who have their teeth fixed for cosmetic reasons, but every other cosmetic procedure has a stigma?

I think the only cosmetic surgeries that have a real stigma are those involved in trying to look younger. Surgery with all its risks seems a drastic measure for that, and sometimes it can go woefully wrong.

9. Enjoy horseback riding?

No. I don’t like being bounced and jostled, and I am somewhat afraid of horses. When I was little my family all went riding and the horse my mom and I were on together took off running wild, and I still have that fear that a horse will do that and I won’t be able to rein it in, or it will throw me (yes, I’ve watched too much of America’s Funniest Videos) and step on me or hurt me.

10. Shoes–practical or stylish?

Preferably both, but practicality trumps stylishness. I have balance problems so have to wear flats.

It’s sad that so often it has to be one or the other. Why can’t practicality be stylish?!?

11. What was the name of your first pet? Feel free to post a pic.

I don’t remember the early ones, but the first one I remember was a collie named Sam.

12. What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done?

I personally haven’t done any yet, but for what my husband and I were planning on together, he has done about a third of it maybe? I’m not sure.

Book Review: The Heirloom

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The Heirloom by Colleen L. Reece and Julie Reece-DeMarco was a gift to me from my good friend, Carol, some time within the last year. It kept getting buried in my bookshelf and I kept rediscovering it. When I saw it this time, I determined to read it, and it was the perfect time of year for it as the book begins during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season. It could be enjoyed any time of the year, though.

Gorgeously illustrated, it is the story of one man’s sacrifice and the unexpected results of it. We’re not always privileged to know what the Lord does with the things He wants us to give up to Him, but this gives an imaginative journey of the kinds of things that could happen.

I have known some dear, well-meaning souls who take issue with the word “sacrifice,” thinking that whatever we can give to the Lord is our privilege and we should joyfully lay it at His feet. Though there is truth in that aspect, the Bible is honest enough to use the word “sacrifice” in the New Testament as well as the Old.

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. Philippians 2:17.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16.

King David once said, “Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing” (II Samuel 24:24). A sacrifice costs something. Yet God can give us the grace to offer it joyfully, and He promises, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38).

A fairly short 66 pages, this book is a pleasant read and would be a sweet gift to anyone on your list.

Microfiction Monday

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Welcome to Microfiction Monday,
where a picture only paints 140 characters.

microfictionmonday

Susan at Stony River has begun a Microfiction Monday wherein participants write a story in 140 characters based on a particular image that Susan has chosen for the day.  Design 215’s Character Counter helps keep track of the number of characters. It’s a fun exercise in creative conciseness…or concise creativity…

It’s funny how different people’s personalities come out in just 140 characters!

Here’s today’s picture and my story:

“Over the river and through the woods,” they had sung on the way to Grandma’s house. Stuffed and sleepy, they had a much quieter drive home.

Visit Susan’s for different takes on the picture, or to join in the fun yourself!

Notable quotes

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I’m home from church with tummy troubles today, but thought I’d share some words of others that have spoken to me.

The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my riches but my need.
— Spurgeon
(Seen at Strength For Today)

It is hard to enter the kingdom of God–not because an angel is set to keep us out, not because God would surround Himself with a highly selected elite, but because the condition for admittance is renunciation of all other kingdoms.
— Elisabeth Elliot, A Lamp For My Feet

Be hard on yourself and easy on others. Carry your own cross but never lay one on the back of another.
–A.W. Tozer

Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.
–Alexander MacLaren

If, thinking of your frailty, you hold yourselves cheap, value yourselves by the price that was paid for you.
— St. Augustine

When God permits His children to go through the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. His loving heart knows how much and how long.
— Warren Wiersbe
(Saw this one on someone’s blog but neglected to note whose.)

After Thanksgiving

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(My photo hunt picture is below.)

I forgot to mention earlier that traditionally my very kind husband takes over the task of getting all the meat off the turkey after the meal and then cleans the roasting pan for me. I am so grateful — by that point in the day I’m wearing out!

I also forgot to mention in my Fave Five’s that when Jim went to pick up his mom for Thanksgiving dinner, he had his little car with the sunroof open. I guess he had never had it open when she had been in that car before. When she noticed it, she looked up to see out of it better and said, “Hi, God!” Cracked us up.

Edited to add: Here’s my husband’s (much better) version of the story, sent to his family:

I picked mom up in my car which has a sunroof.  Mom loves clouds and she always notices them and tries to figure out what they reminder her of.  So on Thanksgiving when I picked her up, at first, she did not notice the open sunroof (remember she sees with only one eye).  When we turned and the sun shined in her lap she looked up through the open sun roof and exclaimed “Hey!”.  Her head dropped back down to look at the sunshine on her lap, like she was figuring it all out and she looked back up and said, “Hi God!”.  Maybe you had to be there and to hear her squeaky voice say it,  but it was really cute.  Perhaps as long as a Thanksgiving prayer needs to be.

I had a very refreshing lazy day Friday. It was nice after a busy previous couple of days. I stayed in my jammies til after lunch, mainly messing around on the computer.

I hadn’t planned to go out on Black Friday, but Michael’s had a good sale on some things I was interested in, so I ventured out in the late afternoon. It wasn’t bad at all. Not too crowded and everyone was fairly friendly. The cashier and the lady directly behind me and I hadn’t been out in the morning and had, in fact, slept in, so we were pretty fresh! I imagine all those who had been out at 4 or 5 a.m. were taking a nap — or wishing they could. Plus I had some gift cards saved from birthday and Mother’s Day, which took care of 4/5 of what I bought, most of which was 50-60% off. A good excursion!

When I got home I told Jim I had been planning on making turkey bone soup, unless he wanted to take me out. 🙂 Jeremy asked me if that was a threat. I told him, no, I only use tuna casserole for that. 😀 We ended up all going out to a Mexican food restaurant — LOVE their chicken chimichangas!

Overall I’d say I had a pretty good day!

So, it’s turkey bone soup tonight. It is my all time favorite after-Thanksgiving dish. Plus I want to get the turkey carcass out of the refrigerator.

I’m not sure what all else is on the agenda for today besides a little laundry. I probably should sit down and make a game plan so I don’t waste spend another day being lazy. Two lazy days in a row would probably be even more indulgent.

Hope you have a great Saturday!

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Technology

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Theme: Technology | Become a Photo Hunter

We’re a family of techno-geeks. The males are, at least, and I am mighty glad to have people in the house who can figure these things out and show me what to do with them. I could have gone any number of directions with this, but when I walked into Jeremy’s room and saw him sorting through and organizing his technological “stuff” — while using his iPhone and having both his desktop, laptop, and cell phone at the ready — I thought this would be perfect for today.

You can’t use technology without the means to plug it in to a power source!

TN Chick is our Saturday Photo Hunt hostess: you can find there links to others’ interpretation of this week’s theme or join in the fun yourself.