Category Archives: Blog Carnival

Joys and Woes Hodgepodge

Speaking of Kentucky this photo is of the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel in Berea, Kentucky. We stayed there on a roadtrip to North Carolina in September of 2021.

Time for this weeks questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, Jo!

1. Did you watch the Kentucky Derby this past weekend?  No

Have you ever been to a horse race? No

Ever ridden a horse? Did you enjoy it?

I just barely remember riding a horse once in my early adult years and it was intimidating.

Have you ever been to Kentucky?

Yes, in 2021 on our road trip to a wedding in North Carolina we drove through Kentucky making stops in Louisville, Shelbyville, Williamstown for The Ark Encounter and on our way out we stayed in Berea at the Historic Boone Tavern Hotel on a college campus.

Do you like Bourbon? 

The bourbon aficionado in the family is Dear and he enjoys it in all it’s forms. Straight or on the rocks or an Old Fashioned, a Black Manhattan, or with a touch of Amaretto. He is not a big fan of the mint julep.

While we were in Kentucky we did schedule one tour at the Bulleit Distillery and enjoyed it and we got the best recommendation for barbecue at the Red State Barbecue in Lexington.

2.  What’s something you wish you’d placed in a time capsule fifteen years ago? 

My very first little white flip phone that was kind of smart.

3. Are you adventurous? Elaborate. 

I am adventurous with conditions. Although I’ve managed to get around on my own in Milan, Italy, while Greg was there for business, foreign countries that are not English speaking are not in my comfort zone. When and if we are able to travel for pleasure, we will always choose the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S.A. I can comfortably travel to places I’ve never been to before in those countries.

I can be adventurous in the kitchen with trying new things.

Truth be told, the older I get the less adventurous I’m becoming.

4. Something you want to make this year? It can be a new recipe, craft, diy project, a milestone you’ve set for yourself…anything at all. 

I’d like to make more of our Russian heritage recipes and pass them along to the next generation.

5. Cinco de Mayo was also celebrated this past weekend…do you like Mexican food? If so what’s your favorite dish?

Mexican food is comfort food for me. I have lots of favorites starting with good salsa. I enjoy street tacos, burritos, chimichangas, carne asada, chile colorado, and other dishes. My favorite is whatever I’m in the mood for that day.

Have you ever been to Mexico? 

Yes. I’ve only been to Tijuana and Tecate along the border with the U.S.A. and there is a long story as to why and what we did there.

Growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles we enjoyed Mexican culture and friendships. My elementary school celebrated Mexican cultural days and one of our field trips was to Olvera Street. I can also remember the smell of pinto beans being cooked on the burner in our Mexican neighbor’s kitchen.

Olvera Street, commonly known by its Spanish name Calle Olvera, is a historic pedestrian street in El Pueblo de Los Ángeles, the historic center of Los Angeles.

In California we studied the California Missions in fourth grade. The elementary school that our sons attended in Ventura, California was named after Father Junipero Serra. He is credited with being the founder of the California missions.

Margarita-yes or no?

On the rocks, no salt, please.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m slowly going through my blog posts and weeding out photos so that I can to get down below my photo limit. OYE! If that wasn’t enough, now my blogroll on my sidebar has disappeared from view.  I get a failed to load plug-ins message. This is very inconvenient and takes a lot of time to try to remedy.

Hope all is well in your corners!

 

Hello May Hodgepodge!

It’s the Merry Month of May and time for our first May Hodgepodge. Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for the timely questions.

I’ll be using photos from my archives for many posts until I can figure out how to be able to add more media to my site. Such a revolting development.

1. Mayday! Mayday!…when was the last time (or a recent time) you literally or figuratively needed to call for help? Elaborate. 

A few months back we had to call our son to help with our water heater that wasn’t putting out any hot water. Brrr. He was a huge help scraping out a bunch of residue and helping Greg with draining the thing and installing some new parts.

2. May Day…when was the last time you danced?

At our brother and sister’s 60th birthday party at a ranch in Texas on July 29th 2023 we enjoyed some line dancing.

Do you have a lot of baskets?

I have a few baskets.

What’s something you keep in a basket?

Napkin rings. I have a lot of napkin rings, y’all. I have sets in ziplock bags. Sets of 4, sets of 6, sets of 8, sets of 10, sets of 12 and some sets over 12. Sets of 6 and under are in a basket. Sets of 8 are in a basket. Sets of 10 and over are in a basket.

What’s your favorite purple flower? 

Oh, this is a hard one. I love purple flowers. I’ll go with lavender even though we won’t see fields like these until July.

This collage is from several years ago at the Annual lavender festival held in Sequim, Washington.

3. What’s something you may do this month? 

We might be putting out our outdoor furniture soon.

4. Do you like eggplant? Quick topic changes lol? If you said yes in answer to the eggplant question how do you like yours prepared? Of the following purple foods, which one is your favorite…plums, purple carrots, purple asparagus, eggplant, acai berries, blackberries, purple cauliflower, elderberries, purple potatoes, or passion fruit? 

Not a huge fan of eggplant and I don’t think I’ve ever cooked eggplant. In my Russian culinary heritage there is a dish called Ikra that is a popular dish to spread on bread or crackers to enjoy, an eggplant caviar. My mother did make it and my sister Vera has made it. The recipe is in our family cookbook that Vera put together.

  • 1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
  • 1-2 carrots, grated
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  1. Saute onion in oil until tender.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until eggplant is soft, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
  3. If it gets too dry, add more tomato sauce.
  4. Another method is to bake the eggplant in the oven until it is soft and then peel and chop it. This will reduce the simmering time.

From the list of purple things, Blackberries are my favorite.

5. The calendar turns on Hodgepodge Day…

“Then you have to remember to be thankful; but in May one simply can’t help being thankful that they are alive, if for nothing else.”-L.M. Montgomery

Tell us one thing you’re thankful for today. 

Just one!? I’m thankful for how our Grands are growing and learning about our God who created them and loves them.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Tonight is Awana Awards night. These photos are from the last couple years. JJ graduates from Cubbies tonight and next year he’ll be a Sparky. Addy will get some awards tonight because she finished all her books and all her verses and then did some extra books and verses! She will still be a Sparky next year.

This is Addy two years ago when she was still a Cubby.

Happy May everyone!

Planning with the Hodgepodge

The photo above is of me on an old bridge in Scotland in 1973 or 1974. It is too bad that I do not know where in Scotland this was taken. This was during one of the summers we toured with our Christian ‘Rock’ Music Group.

Thanks to Jo From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. When did you last have cancelled plans? Were you happy about that or disappointed? 

Nothing recently that I can think of. Our 2020 trip to England was the big trip where our airfare and housing was purchased and we had to cancel because of Covid. We were disappointed and were happier about the cancelled plans when we got totally reimbursed for all we had put out in advance.

2. On a scale of 1-10 how much of a planner are you? 

1= I go where the wind takes me  
10=I’ve got a power point on it, no matter what it is
I can let the wind take me on small whim day trips. When we look out the window at a beautiful day and have nothing on our calendar, we are free to pick a direction to drive to and just drive stopping when we feel like it.
~
For other trips where either airfare is involved or we drive several days to a destination via car, I’m a obsessed planner! There have been so many things we missed because we just didn’t know it was there. On trips to the United Kingdom there will always be things we miss because of time and energy but I want to know as much as I can to pick and choose what we should not miss.
~
For the day to day stuff, I use a calendar and list of things I need to accomplish in any given week and I love to cross things off on that list.

3. Do you have a menu plan for the week? If so tell us one or two things that are on it. If not, what’s your plan for not having a plan lol? 

Shocking that a Home Economics major has never had a menu plan! I plan a meal as to what is in the fridge and cupboard or head to the store to buy what I need to make an inspired meal or head to somewhere to do a take-out meal. I might have planned better when our kids were little but that was over 30 years ago!

4. The Hodgepodge lands on National Bucket List Day. Do you have a bucket list?

Kind of…

Is it written down or just in your head?

Mostly in my head…

What is one thing on your bucket list? If you don’t have a list, what is one thing you’d add to a list if you did? Yes I’m going to make you think about it. 

Spending some time in the north east part of the U.S. and crossing into Canada going as far as Prince Edward Island.

At present I’m in the detailed gathering of information stage as to where to go and what to see in Scotland. Lord willing, we will be traveling with Josh and Laura to Scotland in September. Once we nail down our dates and flights the real planning can begin with bookings, etc.  Part of my gathering of information is reading a book about John Knox.

5. Rain buckets, a drop in the bucket, couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, sweat buckets, cry buckets…which ‘bucket’ idiom applies to your life in some way currently? 

Currently, a drop in the bucket seems appropriate as we are entering weeding season and my efforts are always just a drop of what could be done!

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

A couple photos from 2004 when we were in Scotland with our daughter Katie.

We were also in Scotland in 2006. Both of these times were before we had digital cameras.

Happy Hodgepodge to all of you!

Got Skills?

Our grandson turned 5 this week and his new bike is already getting a workout. Riding a bicycle is a good skill to have! JJ at 5 already has many good life skills! We enjoyed a fun bowling party to celebrate JJ this past Saturday.

Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for skillfully posting questions each week for Wednesday Hodgepodge! 

1. What’s a skill you think everyone should have? 

Tying your shoes. Personal Hygiene. Use of basic tools. Cooking skills enough to be able to feed yourself. Basic Math. Reading. Writing. Following a Map. Driving. Putting gas in a vehicle. Earning money. Making a bed. Cleaning a toilet. Running a washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher. How to use a computer.

I could not stop at just one.

2. Do you have a special place or organizational system for gift wrapping?

I have a general bin with gift bags, wrapping paper and tissue and a separate Christmas bin with the same items. I also have a basic ribbon bin and a Christmas ribbon bin.

Do you still buy ‘real’ cards to send for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well, etc? 

I do still have real cards that I send for these events. TIP: Buy your cards at the Dollar stores where many cards are 2 for a dollar or a dollar each!

3. It’s National Banana Day…are you a fan? What’s your favorite thing to make with bananas or, if you’re not a cook, your favorite thing to eat that contains banana? 

We don’t keep bananas around here typically but when we do have bananas that have fully ripened we enjoy our favorite, Banana Bread.

4. Do you believe in second chances? Elaborate. 

Where would any of us be without second chances? We all fall, fail, make mistakes. We need to be forgiven and we need to forgive. We need reconciliation in this world.

Matthew 18:21-22  Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

5. What is your idea of fun? 

Fun for me is any event that makes me smile at the end of the day. The feeling of satisfaction that comes from time together, good conversations, worthwhile projects completed. Good things and good interactions that satisfy and improve your heart and mind. Time well spent.

Something specific that I enjoy is planning a trip. I like to research areas and consider all the choices of things to see and do. This is a fun exercise for me.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Besides all the birthday fun for JJ, Addy had her first Irish Dance Recital with the Haran Dancers.

Full post coming soon.

Have Patience Hodgepodge

On Tuesday we took our first walk of the year on the Rotary Trail here in Colville. What a beautiful day!

Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. Do you complete your own tax returns or hire out? Something you’ve found taxing lately? 

When we have to complete tax returns, we’ve always hired out.

I am finding weeding and other planter upkeep more and more taxing on my body the older I get. Just getting down and up again can be a challenge. Using the weed wacker and the hedge trimmer is harder and harder.

2. It’s spring (in the northern hemisphere anyway)…would you rather spend the day hiking in the great outdoors or planting a garden? Do you/will you have a garden this year? Flowers, vegetables, or a bit of both?

I’m not a hiker or a gardener. I will walk on relatively flat areas with gentle slopes in the great outdoors and I will weed the planters and mow in the grassy areas. We have a wonderful array of perennials that pop up every year without any help from me. I owe those lovely spots of color to previous owners of our country bungalow. Besides peonies, columbines, lavender, day lilies, lily of the valley, we have a relentless rhubarb plant and some garlic that emerges without help from us.

3. Do you consider yourself a patient person?

On the outside I can be very patient. I’m a Born Again follower of Jesus and because of that I am in a lifelong Sanctification process where the Holy Spirit is working on my inside changing my mind about a lot of things through what I read in God’s Word, The Bible. Part of that process is in making me more patient on the inside.

In what sort of situation is patience not desirable?

When your house is on fire or when a life is at risk it is time to abandon patience!

Are you happy with the degree of patience you have in your daily life? If not, what can you do to cultivate more of this quality in your life? 

In many situations I pray that God would give me a ‘Mary’ attitude instead of a ‘Martha’ attitude.

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42

The good portion is Jesus, believing on Him, sitting at His feet, following Him and learning more about Him and loving Him more and more which develops into a solid trust.

Some practical steps I’ve practiced lately…

Let someone go ahead of me in line. Plan ahead and give myself all the time necessary to accomplish tasks or get to an appointment on time. Think about the other person in a situation and consider what they might be going through. Don’t think too highly of myself and my importance. Consider the other person as important. Tell myself, I’m not in charge of the World, God is.

4. Do you like the flavor cinnamon? If so what’s your favorite something made with cinnamon? 

I do enjoy cinnamon. I don’t have them often but I won’t turn down a fresh out of the oven cinnamon roll!

5. Learn by watching or learn by doing? Elaborate. 

I need both the watching and the doing. After watching I can dive in and do and then I am more confident and better equipped to do.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Do any of you remember the Kids Psalty song ‘Have Patience’ from the 80’s?

Have patience, have patience, don’t be in such a hurry. When you get impatient you only start to worry. Remember, remember, that God is patient, too. And think of all the times that others had to wait for you. 

An Old Mind Hodgepodge

Our daffodils have finally pushed out some blooms! I love it when this happens.

It’s that time again…Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond!

1. What’s a talent you wish you had? 

Retention! I wish my brain retained things I read and hear more easily. Is that a talent?

2. In one word, what’s your state of mind right now? 
Recuperation.

3. What’s the next major purchase you need to make? Will it happen this month? This year?

Getting our septic system pumped. It will happen this year.

4. Tuesday (April 2nd) was National PB and J Day…did you celebrate? Is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich something you eat weekly or more? What’s your favorite kind of jelly? 

No PBJ celebrations here. I do not eat it weekly. I eat it when I crave it. Lately I like PB on a toasted muffin with honey. Raspberry jam and strawberry jam are my favorites.

5. Are you easily intimidated? Who or what intimidates you? 

Generally no, I’m not easily intimidated. The thing that does intimidate me is having to speak in front of a crowd larger than 10 people.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had to leave early on Monday of this week for a follow-up appointment for Greg in Spokane. It was a beautiful day. After the appointment we parked close to this amazing building thinking about having lunch at a nearby restaurant. We were frustrated since all the parking meters now want you to scan something to pay using your phone/app. Oye…I’m old. We just decided to drive away and go somewhere with a parking lot.

Here’s a little info on Spokane’s Castle Courthouse.

“You might not expect to come upon a castle while visiting Spokane, but that is exactly what you will do if you visit the Spokane County courthouse. Most of us associate such architecture with romantic old castles in Europe, or perhaps something out of the world of Walt Disney or fairy tales. To find such a building in the center of a modern, growing regional hub city such as Spokane is a bit startling. How did this come about? You’d expect such a building must have a colorful past, and our courthouse does not disappoint!”

Next time we are close to this building I want to walk around it and also go inside of it.

More info about this Spokane County courthouse Castle can be found here.

Happy April everyone!

What’s Your View Hodgepodge

Joyce, From This Side of the Pond has new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge to inspire the Thinker in us.

I love this view from August of 2019 when a few of our MGCC (Mennonite Girls Can Cook) friends came to camp in our front acre for a few days. Such a fun time of eating and fellowship together.

1. What kind of thinker are you-doer concrete thinking) analyst (analytical and abstract thinking), orator (logical thinking) inventor (imaginative thinking) or original thinker (creative)? What makes you say so? You can try this little quiz (link here) to help with your answer. 

I scored the highest in Doer/Original Thinker. Get er done people! 🙂

2. Do you own a crock pot, air fryer, and/or instapot? Do you leave said small appliance sitting out? How often do you use it/them? Favorite thing to make in one of these? 

Just a Crock pot. We had an instapot for awhile but I gave it to our kids because it mostly sat in the cupboard. Crock pot is in my pantry. I use it infrequently. I like to use it for a roast or for Carnitas.

3. What’s something you hold a strong opinion on that matters not at all in the grand scheme of things? 

Coffee should be black and unadulterated. No flavored coffee for me, please. Freshly ground, too, please. And strong, please. Make it strong. Is that a strong enough opinion?

4. Describe the view from your window. 

When we were looking for our retirement home in 2018, one of the desires I expressed was to have views out my windows that did not include a neighbor’s carport or any building in close proximity. I’m so grateful for our views. This is our kitchen sink window view. We see trees and mountains and horses and barns in the distance. Sometimes we see haystacks or rolls of hay. Frequently we are visited by deer, turkeys, quail, barn swallows and occasionally we smell a skunk. Just to keep it real we also get that foul smell in the air sometimes because there are lots of cows around us. It reminds us that we live in the country.

5. Do you have a favorite brand? Explain.

Toyota. We love our Toyotas. Our Toyotas have served us well and lasted a long time. Our Toyota Van was the first brand new Toyota we bought in 1985 just before Katie was born. Our 1992 Toyota Corolla all track was such a great car in the snow. We gifted our used Toyotas to our kids and they served them well, too.  Our 1999 Camry was gifted to Katie and Andrew. Katie and I drove it across the U.S. from the Seattle area to Camp LeJeune, Jacksonville N.C. in 2014 to set up an apartment for K & A upon Andrew’s return from Afghanistan. That car made it back from Jacksonville with Katie and Andrew after Andrew’s service was completed and they used it until 2020ish.  That Toyota was then gifted to our Grand Nephew who lives in Southern California. Unfortunately it was totaled in an accident last year. Our Grand Nephew was not injured in that accident and it was not his fault. In total we’ve purchased 5 new Toyotas. We also purchased 4 used Toyotas. Currently we still have our 2007 Camry and we have a 2019 Toyota Highlander.

On our cross country trip in 2014, our first stop from our home in Kenmore for the night was in Bozeman, Montana. When we woke up and looked out the window we saw the car covered with snow. That was not something we anticipated. We put our big girl pants on and soldiered on with God’s help to our next stop in Rapid City, South Dakota.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

Seajack 6 pentax-001

This is the rear view mirror of that 1999 Camry looking back on the highway during our epic journey across the USA in 2014. It was fun to look back and remember this trip with my daughter with all it’s twists and turns.

Sweet ‘Little’ Memories Hodgepodge

Our first Wednesday Hodgepodge in February is bringing back special memories of our dear Babushka Vera. We also called her our ‘little babushka’. The photo above was taken at Greg and my wedding in December of 1974.

Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for her questions this week.

1. Something you’ve waited for recently? 

Dependable hot water.

2. What’s something you loved to do as a child? 

So many things: Hide n Seek, Jacks, Tetherball

One of the best family memories is stopping at 31 Flavors (Ice Cream shop) on Beverly Blvd. after a church event for our two or three scoops! I chose orange sherbet and chocolate chip. One of my brothers always chose vanilla.

3. Something you learned from a grandparent? 

From our little babushka Vera we learned you could still do amazing things with only one hand. Her left arm was amputated at the elbow when she was very young. With one arm and hand, she managed raising children, cooking blintzes, baking piroshky and creating beautiful embroidery just to name a few. The photo of her above was taken at Greg and my wedding shower at Bethany Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

She made all those goodies on her kitchen table for Christmas breakfast before we walked a few doors down for church. All her ‘people’ would stop into her apartment before church for a treat and the most Merry Christmas start to the day.

This embroidered tablecloth and napkins was my little babushka’s wedding gift to us.

4. The most visited cities in the world last year (according to this site) were-Bangkok, Paris, London, Dubai, and Singapore. Have you been to any of the cities mentioned? Which would you most like to see? How do you feel about international travel in general these days? 

Of these cities, I’ve only been to London and would choose London to see again from this list of cities. Still hopeful for travel to the United Kingdom. I’m a comfort traveler so I’d avoid any country where I wouldn’t feel comfortable about language barriers, etc. There are enough wonderful International adventures for me in the UK.

5. February is the perfect month to ______________________.

February is the perfect month to be loving and kind to one another.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our Babushka Vera was promoted to heaven to be with her Savior in March of 1980. She was a Godly woman who prayed for all her grandchildren and for all her grandchildren’s future spouses. She prayed for our Pop’s salvation and for the salvation of her own husband. After they were married and he became a follower of Christ, our Dzedushka Fedot became a Baptist Minister. He was killed in Iran just after our parents immigrated to the USA after World War II. Our little Babushka immigrated to the USA with my Uncle and his family without her husband. I am so looking forward to seeing Babushka in heaven and seeing Dzedushka for the first time in heaven.

A long post about our Little Babushka is here.

I’m way behind this week after a busy full and wonderful weekend and then our Hot Water Tank repair job that took our son Dan and Greg all morning into the afternoon on Monday to fix. Hey…but we have some hot reliable water now and it will hopefully last a while.

Shoveling the Hodgepodge

Here are the latest questions Joyce From This Side of the Pond has come up with for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What’s a change you’d like or need to make this year? 

Physically, I need to be more active throughout the year, not just in fair weather. Mentally, I need to be less selfish.

2. Break the ice, on thin ice, ice skating, tip of the iceberg, ice cold...which icy idiom applies to your life right now? Explain. 

I’ll go with ‘tip of the iceberg’. I need to continue my efforts in getting rid of many of my possessions! Decluttering the storage areas in our home.

3. What’s a project you’ve been putting off? Will you get to it this month? This year?

See #2

4. Of the fruits that grow well in winter which ones have you tried? Which is your favorite? 

pomegranates, clementines, persimmons, passion fruit, pears, grapefruit, lemons, pomelos, kumquats

I believe I have tried all but a pomelo which looks like it’s pretty close to a grapefruit. Since I’m supposed to pick a favorite, I’ll go with lemons.

5. What do you think it means to be courageous? 

To fear God rather than man and have my actions, words and lifestyle reflect that.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had 6 inches of snow fall Monday night into Tuesday. Snow Hats are in fashion…

Less Stress More Peace Hodgepodge

Time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you to Joyce From This Side of the Pond for the questions!

1. Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2023 is ‘rizz’. Hmmm…before today had you ever heard the word? Do you know what it means? (Apparently it’s short for charisma) Have you ever used the word? If you were in charge of the world, what word would you declare word of the year for 2023?

I have not ever heard that word before today and I did not know what it meant. It sounded more like a nickname for a person to me.

The first word that came to my mind to declare to the world is REPENT! Our world is in a mess.

2. What’s one word you tend to abbreviate in your writing or speech? (as in rizz for charisma)

I’m drawing a blank here except for FYI. It probably will become clearer when I read your answers to this question.

3. Are you a Hallmark movie watcher this time of year? What’s your favorite character from a holiday- themed movie, book, or TV special? 

We do watch some Hallmark movies. Because I’ve had to think so hard and long to come up with a favorite, I don’t think I have a favorite. 🙂 I enjoy the Christmas specials in ongoing series like Call the Midwife or All Creatures Great and Small.

4. Something you look forward to eating this month? 
Our Christmas dinner, all the things on the plate together, prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, creamed corn, roasted vegetables.

5. What’s the most stressful part of the holiday season for you? 

Over the years the stress has decreased because I’m learning to adjust my expectations. Those adjustments have made things less stressful. Sometimes it is hard to admit that I am the one causing the undo stress and I’m the one who needs to adjust. I need to remember to let the peace of Christ rule in my heart.

Getting the Christmas letter/photo/cards out probably has the most time/deadline stress.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I’m reading a Christmas Advent Devotional these days leading up to the 25th of December. The writer is covering several Christmas Carols/Hymns/Songs, some very familiar ones and some not so familiar. On Day 12 this was the song that was covered, written by Jester Hairston in 1956.

Mary’s Boy Child

Long time ago in Bethlehem so the Holy Bible say, Mary’s Boy Child, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas Day!

Hark! Now hear the angels sing: “A New King born today, And man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day!

Trumpets sound and angels sing, listen to what they say, That man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day!

While angels watched their flocks by night They saw a bright new shining star, And heard a choir from heaven sing the music came from afar.

Now Joseph and his wife Mary came to Bethlehem that night. They found no place to bear her Child, not a single room was in sight.

Hark! Now hear the angels sing: “A New King born today, And man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day!”

By and by they found a little nook in a stable all forlorn. And in a manger cold and dark Mary’s little Boy Child was born.

Hark! Now hear the angels sing: “A New King born today, And man will live forevermore because of Christmas Day!”

From the devotional:

A memorable line, repeated four times, is this: Man will live forevermore, because of Christmas Day.” It seems rare for a carol to emphasize eternal life, but this line is ‘spot on’. If it weren’t for Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection, there would be no eternal life for any man, woman, or child. Among the many things that Christmas means, this is not the least–Christmas means we can have eternal life! 

Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.