Pearl Harbor Day Hodgepodge

PM1910

PM1910. This postcard is from a stash I have that Dear’s Great Great Aunt Emma Danielson collected. Many who knew her would send her postcards over the years. This one was postmarked 1910 with a 1 cent stamp on it.

1. Let’s talk holiday decorating. On a scale of 1-10 where do you fall? (1=Scrooge and 10= Clark Griswold). What’s your favorite corner-room-table-space to decorate? Is it done?

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My best guess is that I’m about a 6 since I only decorate 2 rooms and a small area outside. I don’t have a fine large porch and my Dear is not a hang the lights kind of guy. He does hang my lighted star and the lights on the tree. We don’t have our tree yet this year. I like the old china secretary passed down to us from Dear’s parents all lit up at Christmas. Decorating is not done this year yet. The photos I’m sharing are from Christmas Past.

2. Is there a nativity scene in your decorating somewhere? Post a picture or, if it’s special to you in some way, tell us why. Or do both-it’s Christmas!

This little wooden nativity is the very first one we bought from Disneyland when our boys were young and before we had our little girl. I wanted something that they could handle and that would not be broken easily. Lately I’ve collected a few nativities and enjoy putting them here and there and everywhere. Here are some of them.

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This last one is a Wee Forest Folk nativity. These pieces were given me individually over the last several years and the set is now complete.

3.  Do you live in a social neighborhood? If so are you glad? If not do you wish you did?

Our neighborhood is not social. I’ve been tempted to have an open house but have never followed through. In the past in other neighborhoods we would have 4th of July block parties or Christmas open houses.

4.  As the saying goes, ‘there’s no time like the present‘. How does that ring true in your life right now?

This rings true as we are getting older. I’ve said that we better get out there now while we can still walk and have the time. Also we are reminded more than ever that life is unpredictable and we need to enjoy our friends and loved ones. Hand in hand with “there’s no time like the present” is…”Don’t put off until tomorrow…”

5. Do you dread Mondays? Why or why not?

I don’t dread Mondays anymore. When I was younger I dreaded them because it meant back to school. When I worked it meant back to work. Now I’m okay with Mondays. My mother had a bad relationship with Mondays and I’ve had to get over that influence.

6.  Poinsettia, Christmas Cactus, Amaryllis-which on the list is your favorite holiday plant? Are any of these on display in your home right now?

I’m not a Christmas plant person and generally house plants end up dead. None on display right now. I do like live wreaths and garland.

7. Share a favorite quote from a Christmas movie.

“Merry Christmas you filthy animal!”  “No, You’ll shoot your eye out”

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

This is the 75th Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was 10 years before I was born and before my parents immigrated to the United States.

“Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.”

When Dear and I were choosing our wedding date we decided on December 6th instead of the 7th because we didn’t want our wedding to be on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Today Dear and I are heading to La Conner to enjoy an anniversary meal a day late. Dear is getting over being sick and we decided to wait a day so his taste buds would be more ready to enjoy food.

Hope you all are in the midst of the Wonder of it all this Christmas season.

Linking to Hodgepodge Wednesday with Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Thank you Joyce! Is it Hodgepodge Wednesday or Wednesday Hodgepodge??

 

Boxing Day Favorites

Boy was I wiped out after a wonderful full day of celebrating with our kids yesterday. My kids are all adults so I can only imagine how much more wiped out I’d be if there were little ones to chase about the house and entertain…

Xmas Eve & morning 012The favorite new tradition were our Christmas Crackers/Poppers. We got such a kick out of the cheesy little gifts and jokes that popped out and we all wore our tissue crowns through breakfast. Josh and Katie pretty much wore their crowns all day long…fun times.

Santa really loaded up our stockings this year…

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It would be great if in the U.S.A. Boxing day was a holiday, too, like Great Britain and Canada or St. Stephens Day in Ireland. Dear has been at work for many hours already. Dan will be hitting the road to cross the Cascade Mountain range later this morning. He should make it home in 5 or so hours.

I read up about Boxing Day online and it’s interesting to read some of the history. Here’s a little view of all our Christmas Boxes. This year was a banner year for boxes.

Xmas Eve & morning 003When Katie and I were in Vancouver B.C. I bought one thing at the Christmas Market, this pretty little bird.

Christmas Eve 004Another new ornament that is perfect on my tree is this next one from Lovella. Joy really is fulfilled in Christmas.

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This year my Wee Forest Folk Nativity is now complete. The last piece needed was the Wise Man in a Turban. He was under the tree this year…

2013-12-26 Christmas Day

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I know lots of you are celebrating with your loved ones today. When your family expands you need to be flexible and go with the flow. Are you a Boxing day shopper? Do you rush out the day after to add to your Christmas stash from the clearance sales?  For the rest of you I hope you have time to reflect and relax on this Boxing Day 2013.

Five Amazing Things…

I have time this Friday to join in with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five! It’s been awhile and it will probably be a couple weeks before I can join in again.

This is a post about amazing things. The most amazing thing is that Jesus Christ laid down his perfect life to save all who are lost in their own sin. I was lost in myself and now I see how big my God is and how he saved me with His perfection…Jesus Christ.

Our son Dan sent me this photo from his yard over the internet. Amazing things…beautiful lilac, a lovely butterfly and the internet where I can enjoy this photo minutes after our son took it from 6 hours driving distance away!

Amazing how time flies! Weren’t we just celebrating Christmas!? Here we are on the brink of June!

It’s amazing to me that we are planning a trip to Great Britain in September with our son and his dear wife. Their first time, Dear and my 6th time together. Very excited to see England on our son and daughter in law’s terms. Each of our children are different and England holds so much to see to cover each of their particular interests. With Katie it was mostly literary, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen. With Josh it has to include Soccer! Laura and I will push for the quaint and lovely and probably a play or musical to enjoy…

Last amazing thing is related to our daughter’s literary interests. We found this Christmas card/offer from Dear to our Katie to read a book out loud to her when she was 3. She turned 4 just after Christmas that year and asked Dear to read her The Hobbit. He read it out loud to her and she recalls the fact that he used several different voices for the different characters in the book. Dear bought this copy of The Hobbit on one of his trips to England in the early 70’s. Our Katie to this day is the most interested in reading and enjoys several literary styles. The card had an expiration date on it added by her dad and Katie crossed it out and added the “Not expirable”. Katie is quite amazing as she was reading and understanding a wide vocabulary at a very early age.

I’m so looking forward to catching up with all the FFF participants and seeing what’s new in your worlds…

Celebrating Sixty Two!

This year we celebrated my birthday on two different continents and 2 states! We arrived in Milan on my birthday but after being airborne for many hours and arriving in Amsterdam and then Milan, Italy I had to be reminded it was my day. After we arrived back to Seattle our oldest and our lovely DIL decided we should head out to celebrate after the fact.

Josh and Laura picked a restaurant for brunch in Seattle close to Queen Anne Hill. They offered several great dishes to choose from.

The name of the restaurant was Toulouse Petit Kitchen and Lounge. There was a long line up but it was worth the wait.

This is the front door to the restaurant. I’m not sure what the story of the cross in the door is. I like it!

We headed to Kerry Park after brunch to get a view of Seattle from above.

Someone was blowing bubbles at the park and I was happy to catch this one on the bottom of the photo!

Before my birthday we celebrated a wee bit early with my family in Southern California along with celebrating Katie and Andrew’s 2nd Anniversary at Julienne in San Marino.

This is my brother Steve with Katie and me.

My nephew Joe, nieces Michelle and Melissa, and grand nephew Jack.

Katie, niece Debbee, and Laura.

My sister Kathy. My sister in law Kelly and grand niece Avery were at breakfast, too, but I failed to capture them in a photo.

Here’s what my kids ordered for my birthday gift …

They delivered it to me on Easter. I thought that was so appropriate bringing our celebrations full circle from the birth of Christ to His death and resurrection. Now my nativity scene with Wee Forest Folk is complete except for one wise man.

We are looking forward to a weekend of celebrating with friends at a wedding on Saturday evening and a breakfast on Sunday. What do you have planned?