HOUSTON...We Have SNOW!

A snow event for us is big news.  We live about 1 hour inland from the North Carolina Coast and it's just not something that happens for us.  Any snow...is big news for us!  We get 1/2 inch and businesses close, schools close...in other words...we SHUT down!  I know that may seem awfully silly to some of you.  But one reason is that we don't have the emergency preparedness  that other locations have.  I guess we do have a salt truck...but not sure I have ever seen one here nor a plow!  Funny I know.  But I have seem many Christmases where we wear shorts and tank tops...yep...hot is our name around here!

When the forecast came that it looked favorable, I like everyone else made sure we had the staples.  But I didn't just go for bread and milk...I planned my snow day menu!  Chili Beans!  Yum...and corn bread muffins!  Last night, we didn't even have the predicted rain by bedtime. I was quite discouraged when I went to bed around 12.  But I awaken around 5-ish and there it was...I had even left the deck light on so I could see if it had been snowing out my bedroom window.  And it had...and it did...and a lot!  Actually, it has snowed all day today.  Sometimes big flakes, some times fine flakes.  But snow.

I have spent much of the day right here on the sofa in a room I call my Sun~Porch.  Most folks would call it a Florida Room I guess...but sun~porch it is.  Anyway, it has 3 walls of glass 1/2 way up.  I love it out here...especially when it snows.  It is heated space, so that is not an issue.  My dog Chloe has enjoyed my being out here as well.  She will get on the top of the sofa and look all around at the snow and such.  It has been very peaceful.  No TV on, no one but me and Chloe in here, and my new laptop! 

Another benefit of snow is snow cream.  Now...I don't know if any of you grew up like I did, but the rule of thumb was NO SNOW CREAM from the first snow of the season!  Well, living where I live, that rule got ditched years ago!  It was believed to have something to do with purifying the air....whatever...I eat it when I get it!  I now add a little Coconut Rum to the mixture and that makes it all the more relaxing & yummy!

My 88 year old father in law lives with us.  Well, I should say we share a house together...because he does so much for us and is not a burden at all.  Very healthy, self sufficient.  But anyway, he was worried about the birds finding food  a while ago.  Gammie, my 3 year departed Mother in law, was a bird lover.  She was always concerned about the little birds.  He mentioned she would be worried if she were here and he was going to get bundled up and go out to give them some bread. So I proceeded to get bread and go out quickly so he would not have to and it would ease his mind.  I have bread everywhere...but haven't seen a bird near it!!!  Oh well...maybe they will get it later this evening.  The dog did have a few pieces when she went out to potty though!

Well...a pure winter wonderland for us.  It is gorgeous.  I  love it.  But maybe that is because I can stay in and not be out in it!  If you have snow, enjoy...if not, then feel free to enjoy my pictures! 

Christmas Trees & Stuff...

Just getting over Thanksgiving wears me out.  If you read my blog, you know that we have 32 folks...for 4-5 days.  So I spend the week following just resting...seriously.  Of course I have to work, but usually when I get home, I am wiped out and don't want to do anything extra.  I do "fix" a few little things each day like gather the "pumpkin" themed items to one place like candles and all...but not much else. 

So then comes the first weekend of December.  That is usually when I finally start transitioning items from Thanksgiving to Christmas.   Well, there is a great possibility that my son, his wife and the granddaughters are not going to come back here for Christmas.  They live in TN and the 7 hour drive turns into 9 hours for them due to potty breaks, stop breaks, walk breaks...it is hard for little ones to travel in booster seats and seat belts that are restricting.  I totally understand.  We are so grateful to have had them here for Thanksgiving for an entire week. It was awesome and like a healing balm to a wound!  So we all are trying to figure out how to get together for Christmas/New Years.  I have said all of that to say this...I don't think I will put up a BIG tree this year.  After having discussed this with my 88 year old Father-in-law who lives with us, we both agreed... wholeheartedly.  My husband doesn't mind at all, just so he doesn't have to do any of it!

So with that decision made, I decided to have several Mini-Tree's and some of our routine Christmas decorations.  This all sort of came to me as the day progressed.  I spotted my Mother-in-law's ceramic tree that she made back around 1970.  She loved that little tree and I have tried to use it somewhere every Christmas.  Gammie, as she was lovingly known by the grand kids, died in our home 3 years ago with Hospice.  She had desired cremation and for her urn to be buried in a grave plot beside her parents.  The burial was planned, and about 3 days prior, my Father-in-law said he just couldn't do it yet.  After reassuring him that was his choice, we decided to wait until he was ready.  He still isn't.  So Mom's urn sits in a corner of our Living Room.  Dad set it up with pictures, her father's bible, a Tiffany lamp she loved and a few other items.  It is like a memorial for her.  And that is OK.  He speaks to her each morning.  They were married 61 years.  So this year, I placed the little ceramic tree oh her table.  She loved to "hand-quilt" and made many little table runners.  I decided to place one there as well.  As I was setting this up, I noticed the tree base has a music box inside.  Never knew that.  I wound it up and it played Silent Night...it turned out to be a special little place for her...Dad was pleased.

While I was gathering the ceramic tree, I noticed a plastic grocery bag tied up in my Christmas decorations tub.  I don't usually use those in there b/c I like to "see" what is in the tub and use zip lock bags.  So as I opened it up I realized that they were my Mother's Christmas tree ornaments!  I immediately started to cry.  Mother died in May of this year.  She had been staying with my sister and we made the decision to sell her house.  It had basically been un-lived in for 2 years.  Every now and then, someone would take her by there for a "drive-by" and sometimes I even took her there to spend a weekend.  She wanted us to sell it for her...so we did.  After the sale, we had the job to clear out her things.  That was a job!  Anyway, I remember the "who wants this" type of questions about many things.  I'm not sure why I spoke up about her ornaments...but I did.  We often giggled at Mother's little tree throughout the years.  Her ornaments weren't ornate, nor did they have a certain theme...nor quality.  Most of them were from many years past.  Lots of grandchildren ones, some homemade, and quite a few crocheted angels that probably an elderly friend from church made for Mother.  When I opened the bag, a rush of the past came over me.  I had a table top tree that I put on my foyer table and went about designing a Snowflake & Angels tree as a tribute to my Mother.  It turned out sweet...Mother would be proud.  Feels like I have Mother with me for Christmas.

As I looked further in the tub, I came across these sweet angels of Mother's.  They were really cute.  Love their sweet faces.  Think she always had these in her living room on the drop-leaf table.  Found these balls last week in one of my "thrift" shopping expeditions...they matched perfectly!!!  Almost as if it were planned...hmmm.

Well, while describing my deco, let me go ahead.  Our church supports a local ministry that helps women who are recovering from drug/alcohol addiction.  In our WMU meetings, I had heard of Valley of Hope and the different needs they have there.  Then on Friday, I received our Association's newsletter and again saw a post about Valley of Hope.  But this time, they had just opened a Thrift Store in my town to help meet the needs of the ministry.  Well, let me tell you, I LOVE a thrift store.  Probably b/c my mother took me to them often while I was growing up!  Anyway, I decided to go by there and check it out yesterday.  While there, I found this neat sleigh.  Perfect for a hearth or table arrangement.  Well, I had been asked to "decorate a table" for our churches Senior Citizen Singles Dinner.  Something we do annually for the community seniors who have lost their spouses.  A great outreach.  Well, this sleigh will be my table top center piece!  Love it!!!

As it turns out...and it's not over yet... I am enjoying this "Mini" Christmas this year!  I had no idea it would be so sentimental. 

Even though this is panning out to be a very different Christmas for me...no visit to see my Mother, my grandchildren not being here on Christmas Day, my son and daughter-in-law not here to celebrate with...it is still being special.  I find that Kent & I have been reaching out this season already.  Adopting rest home residents, buying toys for the Toy Store for underprivileged families going through bit of a hard time and the Senior Citizens...it's going to be good...my daughter and her husband will be here...and we'll figure out some New Year's plans for everyone to be together.

Oh dear Lord...I've gotten old...

Last night was our annual Christmas Awards Banquet.  I still have a STACK of clothes on the chair in my bedroom of where I was trying to find something to wear!  Took me 45 minutes to finally pick out something I could live with...do you feel me?!?!?!?  Seriously....I found nothing I was happy with...so I picked the best of "nothing" and went with it.

Once I made the decision to pick something out I made sure my make-up was good and hair too so I would feel good about me.  I knew I had to make a presentation for the "Nurse of the Year" award so I wanted to look half way decent.  Well today, one of my co-workers posted a picture of me.  Now, it was not a posed picture.  I had no idea she took one until now.  It was on my facebook page where she had tagged me.  I promptly "untagged" myself from it!  It was awful.  I was old and saggy!  When did this happen!!!

You know, I don't mind getting old...I don't think.  But I want to do it classicly, with grace.  I looked terrible!!!  Not nearly like I felt "inside"!  I thought I was having a good hair night...you know what I'm saying???  Have you noticed some folks are so photogenic it is amazing....well, not me.  This picture to the left was posed....and cropped!!!

But, alas...the camera doesn't lie....how very dissappointing....who is that old woman!!??!!

New WW...and Me

Well...my Tuesday night WW turned out to be a big FAT "0"!  The meeting was rescheduled due to conflict and was held on Monday night which 1) I didn't know about and 2) didn't matter, I had BOD meeting that night.  So, I found another place to go on Wednesday and got all the materials and heard a brief portion on the meeting.

Well.  Looks like the main emphasis is based on total nutrition...including an emphasis on Carbs...which has not been that way with WW before.  Well...I must confess...I am a HUGE Carb addict...carboholic if you will....!

I don't know if that has anything to do with it...but I am starved today!  First of all...I don't like depriving myself of pleasurable eating.  I'm selfish.  I'm impatient.  I'm a big baby when it comes to food.  I want it now.  The way I want it.  When I want it...and First!

In the past 2 months, I have not been obedient to the WW Plan.  And up until Thanksgiving I had only gained 2-3 lbs.  However, when I weighed in on Thursday at the meeting I had gained 5 lbs.!  Yikes!!!  So, I need to "Just say no"....to ME!!!

So...guess I'm just confessing....

Later...Sue Ellen