…so I’ll be better prepared to gaze upon His glory!
I’ll be back sometime soon. Just don’t know when. I’m going to concentrate on our Christmas letter and getting the greetings out, family birthdays, our anniversary, and decorating the house. The tree arrives on Saturday and our son is traveling over the passes to spend some time here this weekend. Hope all your preparations are going well. Blessings…
…with the Christmas decorating.
This sign was my one new purchase on the girls day out after Thanksgiving. It will be going up on the wall in our eating area. Here’s a little Christmas Prayer from Hilltop Verses and Prayers by Ralph Spaulding Cushman that helps me focus on what Christmas is all about.
CHRISTMAS PRAYER
Let not our hearts be busy inns,
That have no room for Thee,
But cradles for the living Christ
And His nativity.
Still driven by a thousand cares
The pilgrims come and go;
The hurried caravans press on;
The inns are crowded so!
Here are the rich and busy ones,
With things that must be sold,
No room for simple things within
This hostelry of gold.
Yet hunger dwells within these walls,
These shining walls and bright,
And blindness groping here and there
Without a ray of light.
Let not our hearts be busy inns,
That have no room for Thee
But cradles for the living Christ
And His nativity.
I wanted to post some leftovers from our long Thanksgiving weekend before I head into the “most wonderful time of the year”. I lifted a couple of these photos from Facebook. Thanks Bob and Kristin!
Here’s Dear carving the Thanksgiving Turkey. He’s the master!
We had to treat our out of town guests to the best doughnuts on earth so a morning run to Frost Doughnuts was in order. We bought the Smokey Bacon Maple Bar, Pumpkin Silk w/Walnuts Bismarck, Marcona Almond & Tart Cherry Bismarck, Salted Caramel, French Toast Twist, Bourbon Caramel Pecan, and Lemon Bismarck.
Love this photo of my mommy and daddy that my niece took at the festivities in Southern California.
On Saturday evening we were invited to my sister Lana’s house for her husband Steve’s birthday. We had a wonderful Greek meal of Avgolemono soup (Greek lemon soup), lamb, rice, and tabbouleh. Lana had her house decorated for Christmas and her table was set beautifully for our dinner.
Today our Thanksgiving Company fly back to Southern California. Later I’ll see about having Dear bring down the Christmas boxes from the attic. Haven’t had much luck with cyber Monday purchases. We have more celebrations ahead before Christmas, too. What’s up in your neck of the woods?
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
For the last 3 years on the day after Thanksgiving the girls make their annual trek to Goodwill, Tea, and anything else that meets our fancy. This year after tea at 3 Cups of Tea, we made a visit to Country Village in Bothell and shopped at two of our favorite stores there, Cranberry Cottage and The Weed Patch. I’ll see about sharing my purchases later in the week. This year it was just the 4 of us, Lana, Laura, Letty and me.
Please visit Mary at Little Red House to join in the fun of Mosaic Monday.
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
Lift Up Your Heads, Rejoice
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now breathes a softer air, now shines a milder sky;
The early trees put forth their new and tender leaf;
Hushed is the moaning wind that told of winter’s grief.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
Now mount the laden clouds, now flames the darkening sky;
The early scattered drops descend with heavy fall,
And to the waiting earth the hidden thunders call.
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh;
O note the varying signs of earth, and air, and sky;
The God of glory comes in gentleness and might,
To comfort and alarm, to succor and to smite.
He comes, the wide world’s King, He comes, the true heart’s Friend,
New gladness to begin, and ancient wrong to end;
He comes, to fill with light the weary waiting eye;
Lift up your heads, rejoice, redemption draweth nigh.
Words: Thomas T. Lynch
This is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. The tradition is marked with an Advent Wreath and 5 candles. Each of the 4 Sundays a candle is lit with the 5th candle, the center candle being lit on Christmas Eve.
The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of an Anointed One, a Messiah, that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history.
We’ve been sharing a Thanksgiving meal at the Spiro house for many years. They have always generously included any Thanksgiving company we might have. This year with their extended family, friends, and our group there were 40 for the meal.
This is the young adult table in the kitchen area of the home with places for 14. You can see the Puget Sound out the window. The older adult table is in the dining area and seated 20 this time around. The kids table was in the foyer with places for 6.
My brother Tim and his wife Letty are staying with us for the holiday.
My BIL Steve, Tim, Letty, and my sister Lana.
My friend Jan with my sister Lana.
Two of the 3 Spiro girls, Lucy and Bridget with Bridget’s youngest little guy Oliver.
I missed getting photos of our host and hostess and lots of the other 40 people. Some years I’m on, some years not so much.
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
Well all this white stuff has disappeared and we have had some heavy rains. Our temps are well above freezing so it’s all systems go for our annual day after Thanksgiving girls day. We are sticking to tradition and going to Goodwill, then Tea, and then Country Village for some specialty shopping, too. Fun times! Just in case you were concerned about the men folk here, no worries. The girls are shopping and the guys are shooting. It’s a win win situation.
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day tomorrow. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing I hope that thankfulness fills your heart! My Thanksgiving company has arrived and I’m just not sure if you’ll see me around bloggy world. Blessings!
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Woke up to this scene looking out my stairwell window.
The welcome mat
Our front walk with just enough snow not to bother shoveling.
I like the new snow blooms!
What are we in for:
Sitting at home avoiding the icy roads and spin outs.
Canceling any appointments.
Hours and hours of weather news on all our major channels.
Overeating- I don’t know why it just happens.
Spiking stuff like eggnog, etc.
Talking about the snow to anyone we see.
Pulling out all the wool and boots and gloves!
Hoping that our power does not go out.
Have a good day y’all. You know where you can find me.
I’m linking up to Susan’s Outdoor Wednesday.
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
Early snow for us in the Seattle area. Snow in the Seattle area is always a surprise, this early snow is doubly so. My hummingbird feeder has a nice layer on it. I watched as a poor little hummer tried to find the feeder source. So sad! I’ll have to run out there and knock the snow off!
To see more Ruby Tuesday visit Mary at Work of the Poet.
And in late breaking news: Katie made it on an earlier flight then her original one out of Seattle on Monday afternoon and thankfully so or else she would have missed her connecting flight in San Jose. Her 4:00 flight finally departed at 6:11. This will still put her into San Jose in time for her connection. We are so fortunate and thankful to God for watching over her and us as we drove her to the airport. Snow has a way of paralyzing people and the roads in Seattle!
Photobucket replaced all my photos with ugly black and grey boxes and they are holding my photos hostage until I pay them lots of money. I’m slowly going through all my posts and trying to clean them up and replacing some photos. Such a bother.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 