Tag - Holidays

This is Halloween

They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—

…the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

O, it sets my hart a-clickin’ like the tickin’ of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock.

from When the Frost is on the Punkin by James Whitcomb Riley

Updates

Remember when Pumpkin Girl was cast in the Marzipan Dance in Nutcracker, but it was her very least favorite variation? She said it was because she didn’t understand how they wanted her to hold her arms during the audition. After the first rehearsal she told me that she was put in Marzipan because they liked the way she held her arms. I laughed so hard when she said that! Even she got the irony and laughed, too. She’s been enjoying the rehearsals and is over the disappointment.

We figured out our heater right as we headed to bed last night. The temperature in the house was close to 60 and getting colder, so I was glad to hear the fan start up and catch a whiff of that familiar scent of hot lint.

Turns out our deck did have a final inspection, it just failed. Then was repaired, then the permit ran out, then the company went out of business. The contractor can’t (or won’t, I’m not sure which) just repair it, since it never passed. The whole thing has to come down. I guess it is for the best in the long run, since the material is not the right type for the weather here. I liked the contractor who came to do the estimate. He said all the right things before we even asked, he was up front about the need for permits, he had copies of his liability and workers comp insurance. He had references and even recommended that we go to a current work site to see a deck in progress. (Alas, he was not Mike Holmes.)

On the up side with the deck, we’ll be getting a composite material that does well with the temps here. We’ll get to add some decorative elements of our choosing, including stair and post lighting. And we found out that we can use a movable fire pit as long as we stick something called dura-stone under it.

Hello Again

I have returned.

When I said I had a lot to do before Easter, I didn’t mention that those plans included a road trip to Tucson. Philip and I sponsored one more person in the Church at the Easter Vigil this year.  We’re getting very good at this.  We might have to start charging for our services.

Just kidding!

I do enjoy the Easter Vigil. I don’t mind how long it is, I just wish it wasn’t so late at night.  Though this year mass started at a very awkward time.  We had to be there at 5 PM for the 3 hour mass that started at 6 PM.  Hello?  Just when were we supposed to eat dinner? We ended up having an early first lunch then a later second lunch and all was well.

OK, so other than food issues, the mass was beautiful.  I love coming in to a dark church and sitting there, listening to the readings chronicling man’s history without salvation.  In the dark.  Like us, during Lent. Then we get to the Gloria, the lights come on and we’re all standing and singing “Glory to God in the Highest…” It’s an awesome moment.  Boo glanced over to me and said, “We made it!”  It’d been a long, dark Lent and we were glad it was over.  Glad to be living in the light.

Then…the best Gospel of the year – earthquakes and angels and empty tombs.  He has Risen, Alleluia, Alleluia.

And onward to the baptisms and confirmations.  This church does full immersion baptisms, which just so totally rocks. A good time was had by all.

On Monday, we headed home.  The drive out to Tucson was fun, as we all looked forward to seeing our cousins and there were lots of new sights to see along the way.  The ride home was painful.  The scenery was exactly the same as it was 2 days earlier, the kids were getting on each other’s nerves and John Denver’s lyrics “It’s a long way from this place to Denver” kept running through my head.  The wind was absolutely wicked on the way home, and on the last day we saw 2 semis that had tipped over in the wind.  We came up on the first one after the sheriff did, but before all the other first responders. The driver was walking away with the help of the sheriff, thank God.  Made us very nervous about passing semis for the rest of the trip. But we made it home safely.

The next day it snowed.  School closing and late openings, soccer practice cancelled.  Good to be home.

And now, I have some work to do on my blog. I need to upload a newer version of my template, then change the code to be what I want.  Bottom line – my blog will be sporting  coffee theme for a little bit while I work behind the scenes.  Then it’ll be back to its usual Easter theme.

Merry Christmas

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For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.   Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  I hope your Christmas is filled with love, peace and hope.

Christmas Foyer

This is for my friend Tami.  The first thing she said when she arrived at our house, after my family finished mugging hugging hers, was that our banister was going to look great for Christmas.

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The candy garland is from my childhood.

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This buffet table is about 90 years old and newly restored to its former glory.  The dining room is too small to fit the whole set, so this piece moved here.  Philip actually came up with the idea to put it here, and I like the weight it gives to the entry way.   Plus, it provides some nice display area.

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Right now it has our lighted Nativity.  I bought this so long ago that I can’t even remember when.  This is the first time we’ve had room to put it out.  Originally we had Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and animals all set up, too, with Baby Jesus safely tucked away until Christmas and the Wise Men waiting off to the side to begin their journey.  Then one of the children said that maybe we should put Mary and Joseph away, too.  And boom!  It hit me.  Boo has a statue of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem.   We packed everyone away and put the statue out instead.  Now we are reminded of Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey all through the Advent season.

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I smile when I see this statue.  Mary’s patient, resigned face is so telling of her end of pregnancy state.  I have been pregnant for two Advents, both times just about ready to pop, too.  In fact, my girls were each born at 8 pm, one 3 days before Christmas and one 3 days after.  I am eternally grateful for the comfort of our car instead of having to sit on a donkey.

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So here’s today’s Design Delemma.  The staircase seems to need something (during the rest of the year, mostly).  Or does it?  It curves, so it’s tricky to hang anything up, but I suppose we could make it work.  My original thought was to put a round table in the space, but with the buffet table we’d just end up zig-zagging around.  So what say you?  Attempt to hang something on the curved wall?  Leave it as is? Here’s a different view, capturing the whole hallway.

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Well Protected

A  squad of snow soldiers keep silent vigil over  the entrance to our house.

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These guys claim the foyer for the USA.

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LTC Freeze’s battalion has seized the high ground in defense against the children that are rumored to be in the area.  Freeze is the 3rd guy from the right, with the red hat and green scarf.

rsz_dsc02147(hmm, next time I’ll close the cabinet door for  a better picture)

Snowman Army all present, sir!

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Candle Lighting

How are your holiday preparations going?  I don’t mind saying “holidays” instead of “Christmas” because there are many celebrations at this time of year, which include the Feast of St. Nicholas, St. Lucia Day, the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Guadalupe and continue through New Year’s Day and Epiphany.

This time of year can be so wonderful, the beauty of the decorations, the thrill of impending presents and the love and joy that abounds everywhere.   But all that happiness and love and togetherness can be very difficult for those of us who have lost a child.

The phrase, “at least we’re all together” rings hollow when a child is missing from the gathering.  All that merriness can be a bunch of bah humbug when your heart is broken.  And all that talk of a child being born – ack, can it get any worse?

This coming Sunday, December 13 is the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting to remember the children who have died.

I would like to invite you all to participate.  At 7 PM local time on December 13, just light a candle and keep it burning for one hour.  In this way, we can create a wave of light for 24 hours to remember the children.

I ask you to do this for me, to remember our Rebecca.  When you do, please say a prayer, not just for me, but for all the families who have been left behind.  Please remember especially, those families who have lost a child this year.  Please also pray for those who do not have a faith to rely on, or who have turned away from God in their grief.  But lastly, please thank the Lord for those children who, though they stayed with us too briefly, brought us immense joy.

Thanksgiving Traditions

I have to say that I think my favorite thing of all on Thanksgiving is when it’s time for Philip to wash and prep the turkey.  Of course he just doesn’t wash, salt, oil and season it.  Oh no…he makes it dance.

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Imagine if you will, Philip humming can-can music.

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The  children thought it was hysterical.

Pre-Holiday Madness

My plans for today are:

prepare jello salad.  Why this qualifies as a salad, I have no idea, but my mom’s recipe clearly states that it is a Thanksgiving Jello Salad.  And it’s green, so I guess it qualifies as a salad.  Don’t let it be said that I don’t prepare well rounded meals.

Make pumpkin pie with the children.  Boo, while under the pretense of finding appropriate preschool programing on On Demand for his brother, found a clip for making the Best Pumpkin Pie Ever.  He then told me all about it and requested, nay -demanded that I make this pie.  So we searched for it online and I dutifully wrote down the recipe.  It is suspiciously similar to the recipe I use, but that’s ok.   Let me tell you, baking with 3 children is not for the weak of heart.  Even if it is something as simple as pumpkin pie.  The pie is happily baking in the oven as we speak and Boo is lurking around the corner to supervise the turning down of the oven temp to 350.  Just in case I couldn’t manage.

Sit for hours while Pumpkin Girl gets fitted for her Nutcracker Costume, learns the blocking for her part and rehearses with the orchestra.  She’s a sheep.  No, I didn’t know there were sheep in the Nutcracker, either.  They are part of the Shepherd’s Dance, duh.  Apparently, many of the parts are cast with little eye toward actual dance ability, but rather which costume you’ll fit in to.  Short kids are sheep.  Ba-a-a-h humbug, as it were.  So from 4 PM til, oh, I don’t know…whenever they’re done, I’ll sit and wait while she’s fitted and blocked.  Then we’ll head out for dinner and return for her 8:45 rehearsal.  I’m bringing along some knitting, but really, how long can I keep that up for.

Charge my iPhone.  Sitting for hours will give me a chance to improve my gaming skills with the cools aps I’ve got loaded up.  I can also text all my friends.

Go to the library.  When the knitting and iPhone games get old, I can always read. Old school, I know, but you’ve got to go with what you’ve got.

Obligatory Halloween Pictures

Our first Halloween in our new neighborhood was quite a success.  The weather warmed up and the snow melted, though it was a bit chilly once the sun went down.  The neighborhood children were out in force and we only had one set of teenagers without costumes.

We bedecked our house inside and out:
rsz_dsc02061Next year I’m going to figure out a way to stick a pumpkin on that cavalry statue without breaking it.

rsz_dsc02063I made this fireplace screen back in 2003 and this is the first time we’ve had a fireplace to put it in front of!  I put my little trick or treaters in front to look like they’re trick or treating at the stores.  Here’s a close up:

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This little guy is new this year and I stuck him on our front porch with a fake pumpkin.
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The only bummer this year was that we didn’t get a chance to carve pumpkins.  We usually don’t buy pumpkins until the day or two before Halloween because in the past, we haven’t really had room for them in the house and leaving them outside was an invitation for the squirrels to have a feast.  WalMart had tons, tons I say!, of pumpkins not long ago, but sadly they were piled up outside and froze.  None of the local stores had pumpkins either, so we were out of luck this year.  The children actually didn’t mind at all.

Speaking of children…
rsz_dsc02089Check it out – after spending boocoo bucks on costumes the last couple of years, we got off easy this time.  Boo was a vampire, dressed in black jeans, white button down shirt, his dad’s bow tie, the red vest I knit him a couple of years ago, the cape from his magic kit and a $1 set of vampire teeth.  Bip loved Pumpkin Girl’s dinosaur costume from a few years ago, and we found Pumpkin Girl’s Cleopatra costume at Marshall’s for a song.  Cute and inexpensive!   Doesn’t get better than that.

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