Sails

♫music♫*

I like a little guitar any day, especially if played by Chet Atkins. The complement picture is a sailboat knick-knack circa 1940-something. There are two and they sail through the treetops around here day after day. They are pretty representative of my corner. Say, what knick-knack would represent the essence of your corner? 

Answering two questions today and then sailing off because chores are demanding attention.

1. The name of the story is Sankewi. You can always find it on my sidebar directly beneath "My Friends and Favorite Blogs."

2. John chose place over chair. He is just starting to shift as of this morning when I found him on his chair instead of in his place. Ha!

* The first video was removed at You Tube. Drat. I loved the interaction between Steve Wariner and Chet Atkins. Chet told Steve that he learned the song from him. The first was instrumental; this is Steve singing, beautifully I might add, and the two of them on a guitar duet.  We're back to instrumental as of January 23, 2019. You Tube links are a challenge.

Friday Morning

I should be run out of Blogdom on a rail for what I'm about to pass off as blog fodder. Really. It's pitiful. I can almost hear the whoosh as you run back out the door.

There has been a substantial shift here in the morning. Perhaps newspapers across the land would like to sit up and pay attention. John, weary of the bias in our local paper and lousy reporting or rehashing of subjects from the mainstream news agencies gave up his morning paper. We're saving a fortune—$38 a month. Now John reads his Kindle Fire (a Christmas gift) and stays perfectly up to date. 

Here's a fun little experiment to try...a shift of another sort...move your hubby's favorite chair to a new corner. Replace it with an inferior chair and see if he is more drawn to the chair or to the spot where it used to be. Want to make a guess as to what I discovered? [The answer is *here.*]

Here's a photo just because I can as Auntie sez. Auntie doesn't know this yet, but I have been having a lot of fun with something she taught her readers awhile ago. 

If you would like to check that out, visit My Friends and Favorites in my sidebar where I employed her methods of creating my own background. The fun thing about creating one's own backgrounds is that there are no limits to color and design. Also, the background shows up on my iPad whereas the others only show up in bits here and there. If you'd like to read Auntie's Tutorial, you'll find it *here.*

Thanks to all who've been following along with my little story. I hope to have another portion up today.

A lovely day to you!

Progress

You'll be happy to know that I took your advice and a great many strings of lights are now in the bin.

I did manage to rescue this little puddle of lights, which I've tossed unceremoniously around the mercury glass tree. It gets left out through February. Not sure how long it will be attended by the adoring crowd.

Whoever asked me if my fingers were hurting—yes! That's when I finally learned that the little gadget has a tool for removing those wee little bulbs. I really should pay better attention to that 41-minute teaching video.

There was a fair amount of tidying up the place as I went along yesterday. I've left this where a grand may find his missing robot. I'm sure that I could have used a working robot the past few days and I'm pretty sure that that is what the grand thinks, too, as this one is just for looks. Just for looks? Right. It does nothing! What kind of a toy is that? A futuristic doll. Pah!

The Volkswagens were shoved about and now one of them holds the place where the tree once stood. A very poor substitute for a tree, I must say.

Today begins the work upstairs. I am so happy to have the new iPad so that I can check in from time to time without coming down the stairs. That way, I may truly accomplish something.

How goes it at your place?

It's a Jumble Over Here

Why? Because before Christmas I purchased one of those Light fixing kits. Need I say more?

And now that I'm an expert a novice on fixing light sets, I can truthfully say that perhaps one would be better served to use her funds on new lights. At the very least, have lots and lots and lots of replacement bulbs on hand.

John is getting ready to take down the tree so I must go pay homage.

I've not forgotten my promise...

I Won the Most Lovely Christmas Apron

Oh, yes I did!

She came all the way east from Washington state arriving Friday in time to get acquainted with the girls.

She's so lovely inside and out. Look at that lining!

And all those beautiful cardinals. I love cardinals.

Susan at My Mother's Apron Strings gives away an apron every single month. I know! That is a lot of aprons. Susan is an amazing gal. She shares many wonderful recipes. Do you know what? She also tucked in some Tahitian vanilla beans for me to try. She says that they are "the best." Susan, thank you so much for both the apron and the beans. I promise that I will not freeze the vanilla beans!

If you read her recent post entitled Gratitude, you'll get much more of a sense of who Susan is than I could possibly convey. When you visit, would you please tell her that I sent you and give her some of that warmth and love that my readers are known for? Cuz you are the best. (And I get told so all the time.)

Oh, you think I should dare to try my apron on? Right. In a month or two. I'm waddling around like a duck just now and so I'd prefer to get back to my svelte self. *Cough* *Sputter* *Choke*

Off to do some packing...

William Who?~Mosaic Monday

I used the graveyard beside the church as my background photo for both of these mosaics.

Fascinating the things a gal can learn if she stops long enough to read one of those plaques on a rock in the churchyard on the ridge above her home. (Yes, I do love a prepositional phrase.) Honestly, I never knew. I'll spare you and send you to Wikipedia instead, if you are curious.

So nice to see Mary's links up early. Because of today's activities, it works out well for me; however, I am not happy to learn the reason why. 

Follow along at Mary's Little Red House.

Pressing On

I am not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. ~Philippians 3:12–14 (The Message)

Yes, I did get out yesterday. Took a picture or two and a blogging buddy's advice. Such moments are always liberating. God is so good and patient with me, one who is alternately timid as a mouse and then the resident loudmouth. And today, I'll drive in the snow by myself to church (not this one) where we'll sing "Standing at the Portal" because another blogging buddy featured it on her blog last week and I liked it so well that I just happened to email the pastor about it and he liked it so well that...

Embrace and enjoy this *Day of Epiphany. Think what you might do. It's not too late! My table is set, the menu is planned, the food is waiting, my heart is full and ready. 

Many blessings to you this Sunday and all week through!


*Edited to Add: There is no epiphany greater than meeting God.

Dare

So you wish to hear a little more about my word for the year. Dare is the word and, just because I am so timid and fearful about many things, I am afraid to tell you how I hope to use the word; therefore, I am going to do it anyway.

I have shared briefly and from time to time that I have been writing. I have always written. My mother packed my construction paper bound stories away in a wee trunk. Funny little stories that are mostly reworkings of Wagon Train scripts. I do crack myself up. In adulthood, I've continued to write essays and short stories.

As most of you know, any first novel (written by anyone) is largely autobiographical. I have been working on such a book for years. It gets put away and I can't find it for years and then I find it again and it all begins over again. To put an end to my torment of never finishing anything I start, I have decided/dared to post it here. It will be on a separate page. I'll probably post it one chapter/portion at a time and it will be your choice to read or not. There will be no comments removing any difficulty one might have of not knowing how to tell me that it's all drivel. I am not selling it. I am not planning to ever publish it elsewhere. It's just a way to get it off my chest. [Edited to Add: "Off my chest" as in the not finishing of a thing and not any angst that might be associated with my life. Though this little book is autobiographical, it is most definitely not an autobiography.] Since these portions do not exist on a disk or on my computer, I must retype them. The first chapter should be up sometime next week. I'll mention it that day and then I'll not be mentioning it further.

There are a great many other ways that I hope to use the word and I may share them as we go. It's already begun today. For example, I wanted to go to "the city" and enlisted John's going along. I really dislike going anywhere alone. I can do it, though only with great effort. Now that I see how cold and windy it is out there, I'm talking myself completely out of it. And so it goes... I can become one very happy cabin queer gal in winter perfectly content in my own little realm.

***

Tomorrow is the final day of Christmas until next December. Do you love, as I do, that a year begins and ends with Christmas?

I hope that not all of you have put away your Nativity Sets. Epiphany is the perfect day to bring the Nativity set to the table using it as the focal point.

Yes, I do appreciate symbolism — metaphor, simile, motif — it's all good. 

I'm almost ready to pack Christmas away, though if you decide to read here, there are at least two more Christmas posts in the wings. Yup, I dare to do it.

A Reader's Favorite

Note the year... 

I had a delightful email from a reader named Peggy yesterday. She said: Since 2007 I have always gone back to one of your Christmas vignettes and used it during the Christmas season as a background on the computer. It's the picture of the peppermints in a jar - sitting by a basket lamp that holds pinecones, with the December 2007 calendar behind it. This year I decided to let you know!

Thank you, Peggy. Much appreciated and glad I am that you enjoy that photo even if it was taken with an old point and shoot.  

I had forgotten all about that photo so had to go see it again for myself and I smiled to note the sweet little tree that we (my sister and I) used to set in the bowl somewhere in the kitchen...no room for it anymore. There's the pink depression glass containing the starlight mints, a bottle of liqueur so that we could serve it to anyone who enjoyed a special something at Christmastime. It's a pretty bottle and, if I still had it, I'd be tempted to display it again. 

I am not opposed to an occasional drink, but when I married a man who had given up alcohol years ago, I gave it up, too, as a way to honor him. I didn't want him to ever smell it on my breath. 

And there's my wonky lamp that now pays service in the sewing room. I was a bit more of a prim person in those days than I am now. 

So this whole photography thing has me thinking about photos. There are many blogs where one photo stands out in my memory. I always see Mt. Cheam when I think of Judy's Front Porch. I think of King's Landing when I think of Pam's Playing With My Camera. Eagles and bears come immediately to mind when I think of Donna at Cottage Days and Journeys. Name a blog and I can name a photo I have loved there. I'll name one more...Jill's work with snowflake photography has been exceptional.

Oh, if anyone was wondering, my word for 2013 is DARE.

Have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend!

I Remember the Night

I remember lots of nights listening to my grandmother play The Tennessee Waltz. It was a favorite in her home and with her friends. My mother would often hum it and my father could sing it word for word and with great feeling. I'm sure that many of you (of a certain age) remember the song well. 

My first memory of Patti Page probably comes from her photograph on the sheet music that adorned my grandmother's piano. There was this one, of course, and How Much is that Doggie in the Window, Allegheny Moon, and definitely Old Cape Cod.

Years later, I would impress the family by telling them I was going to school with one of her nephews.☺ (She grew up in a large family and had a great many nieces and nephews.)

Most recently, and that was five years ago, I wrote about attending a concert at the Fryeburg Fair...

But I wasn't there for any of the above, I just wanted to see Patti Page who was the featured performer of the evening. She of "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" and "Tennessee Waltz" fame. My earliest memories of her are from her picture featured on sheet music that sat on my grandmother's piano. Last night Miss Page was in fine voice singing before an extremely large crowd...standing room only. (I was one of the chain link fence huggers.) I learned a few new things about her last evening and one is that she's in the maple syrup business as she and her husband own a farm in New Hampshire where they harvest maple syrup.

I see from the treasures I have of that evening that somewhere in this house is a cd of Christmas music. I'm on a search.

Patti Page left us on New Year's Day, though we have our memories and recordings of her smooth, mellow voice. I will remember her as one who had a great deal of pluck right into her senior years.

Do you have a favorite Patti Page song?

Tea and Cookies

I don't feel very much like Pooh today, said Pooh. There, there, said Piglet, I'll bring you tea and honey until you do.

A good pot of tea can set a great many things to rights and that's the truth. This is my new Christmas tea pot, which I will use all year through because it pours so nicely. Until now, all I've owned have leaky spouts. Not fun. Some of them are going to be donated very soon and I will be so kind as to put a small card in that says "spout leaks." 

This pot is so very new that I tempered it again by sticking a long handled tea spoon in the pot and very carefully pouring the hot water on the spoon rather than directly into the tea pot.

Isn't she lovely? I do think so. I ordered mine online through Amazon using a dear friend's Amazon widget. If you have a blogging buddy who has one, you might like to order that way, too, so that she may get points. It's easy and just one minor extra step of going to visit your friend and gaining access that way.

I don't usually select a word for the year, but when you are looking smack dab at a great word perhaps the Lord is speaking. Which word do you think I may have chosen? These are the last of the cookies, Niki. I will savor them. (I'm actually down to the last one now. I am taking wee mousy bites.)

When I found two more little gift boxes in the Christmas stationery this morning, I decided to decorate the tree some more. (John is already asking, "How many more days now will the tree be up? ☺)

And in so decorating the tree found a little package for my daughter. I have no idea what is in it so it's kind of exciting. It can't be much because I know that she got her larger gifts. It reminds me of a great post I read just yesterday titled Happy New Year and The One Good Thing About the Aging Process. So funny! And so odd that it has already happened to me this morning!

Off to refresh the cedar. It's getting a bit crispy. Since my Beloved is off for the day, I have much to do...I'll catch you later. I promise!

Calendars

Seems a good day to discuss calendars. Briefly. Actually, that depends upon how inspired I get as I write this down. Let's see...

The calendar says 2013 so it must be true. Doesn't feel much different...yet. Didn't even get whiplash from nearly falling off that cliff that everyone keeps talking about.

Ever buy a calendar based on one picture? It appears that I may have. I love the picture above, which belongs to June. Yikes! Six months to wait!!

I shall miss my former calendar, though you may remember that I have a handy trick for changing out my calendar pictures when I feel like it. Nothing like a stapler to simply attach a former calendar picture to the current one. The staples then are hidden by the frame.

We had considered going to a movie—Les Misérables or The Hobbit—and then decided that waiting for a less crowded day would be preferable. A day at home, tickling the new calendar, seemed just right. John tickles the calendar daily with his scale numbers. He has not liked what he's been seeing so, like half the planet, we'll be back on a better eating plan starting tomorrow or as soon as the food is gone, whichever comes first.

Off to tickle that calendar with doc appointments, eye appointments, car registration, inspection stickers, dog tags...ohhhh...good thing I remembered that one...and all those items of business.

Hope that the first day of your New Year is a little more exciting!

2012 in First Lines

Some have done this meme in the final days of 2012. I read  *A Year in First Lines* yesterday and thought I'd try it myself. Mine is not nearly as well organized and I hope that no one can read anything into these fractured sentences totally out of sequence. =D

Just after Thanksgiving, I heard a report on Black Friday Shopping. Snowflakes...lovely things...do you believe that no two are alike? What is it about March that, even though the calendar says that the new season won't arrive until the 20th, we feel that spring arrives on the 1st? Barely, get it? A few days ago, I was searching Google for an appropriate image to use for this Palm Sunday, I found one showing Christ entering Jerusalem on the back of an ass's colt. Late last evening, I asked John of his plans for this day...the one sunny day in the middle of ten rainy ones. There are times when being a citizen of any country is a challenge. Higher prices — I so remember my grandparents whining (at least, it sounded like whining to my young ears). Since Ashokan Farewell was so popular, let's enjoy another by the same composer: ♫Lover's Waltz♫ Yes, Day Four of rain though there may be a slight brightening. I've been waiting for you a long, long time. Here it is December already!

Saturday evening, we fell asleep to Christmas lights and woke to snow and Christmas lights.

Some of us slept better than others.

He read a book, too. He really did!

Ahhhh, a sunset at day's end. A real sunset! The joy of bare branches and new snow that allow such a scene.

(John and I are currently out for breakfast with Jake. We can't let Sam have all the fun and Jake likes some special time, too. The plan is breakfast out and then play time until he (Jake not John) is ready to go home. I'll keep him as long as he's a happy camper. I'm really hoping that he'll surprise me and stick around awhile.)

Have a terrific New Year's Eve! Have any plans?

2012 in Review~Mosaic Monday

~January 2012~

~February 2012~

~March 2012~

~April 2012~

~May 2012~

~June 2012~

~July 2012~

~August 2012~

~September 2012~

~October 2012~

~November 2012~

~December 2012~

Thank you for indulging me ~ Thank you for visiting me through the year ~ A Very Happy New Year to you!

Linking to Mary's Mosaic Monday at Little Red House.

Christmas or New Days?

I have enjoyed this NOEL sign fresh from The Christmas Tree Shop for a mere $2.99. Perhaps it could stay out for a while. It looks so much like a New England winter.

Some say that Noel has nothing to do with the Nativity of Christ, that it rather comes from the Gaelic meaning "New Days." In that case, I could use it this winter without any qualms whatsoever. Yet, don't you know that every time I see it, I will think Thank you, Lord, for coming to this earth to be one of us. 

It's incredible to think that Jesus existed before he was born in human form. He didn't need to be born to come into existence as the rest of us did. Why was He willing to become the only baby ever born whose soul mission on earth was to die? Love. Pure love. We need a Savior. He is the Savior. That's the truth—straight up.

So "nativity" or "new days" it's all good with me. He's going to go with us into this new year and that's the best news ever.

...It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end. ~Deuteronomy 11:12 NIV

Is Christmas Staying or Going~Quill Cottage Birds

Thank you for all the sweet comments about this page's background. You can head to the background site I used by clicking on the icon that they so conveniently place in the corner up there to the left.

It's Christmas at my house all over the place. Outside. Inside. I am loving it. I'll enjoy it to the max until I must join the rest of the world in packing it away. Soon, I'll probably stop sharing inside photos because I'll feel ever so slightly awkward each day that we go past New Year's Day with everything still in place. I'll feel awkward with you, not with us.

However, I needed a little change on the blog. Why? Because, though I always find deeper colors cozy colors, I needed something a little brighter. It's purely psychological...we got a lot of that going on...and artificial. I know very well that 2013 is going to be fraught with all manner of challenges. In the U.S., we must pay the piper for the choices made in early November. And pay we shall. This is not an if, but a when. I promise to do my best to keep my spirits up; perhaps yours, too. And the best I can think to remind us of is this: God, and He alone, is our Source. (Not the president, the queen, the parliament, the congress, the prime minister, whoever [one might think] is in charge.) This is going to be important to remember this year. Probably next. Probably forever.

So to that end, I have been packing away Christmas on the blog. My sweet icons on the sidebar have gone. Some links will fade off, but not before sharing this Christmas idea. It's not original with me as I've not had an original thought since 1961.

I've been sharing the most wonderful Christmas ornament/crafting resource in my sidebar. It was a labor of love from Miss Sandy at Quill Cottage. Yesterday, I just wanted to make something...something that I couldn't eat =D. I decided to create a little bird using *these directions* and an old Christmas card. It turned out pretty cute. The little dictionary bird was the first one made a few years ago...love him so much that he stays out year around. Together they show that there are many papers one can use for an almost completely different look. This is a great, easy project for children and seniors and everybody in between. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. Just thought I'd mention it before you pack up those Christmas cards and I remove all traces of Christmas in my sidebar.

I've got a little guest coming for an overnight stay tonight. Ahhh...more Christmas sweetness. ☺

A happy weekend to you!

Oh Sweetness!

That pretty much sums up my comments on any blog these days. I feel as if I am surrounded by sweetness. I love sweetness. Oh, yes, I do.

Oh to be clothed in this fashion. I've not quite arrived, though one day I shall. I'll be in Glory then. Until that day, it's a goal. If I owned a dress shop, this would be framed and hung in the dressing rooms. It would give ladies something to think about.

This little embossed birdie and the first graphic with the verse from Colossians are gifts from Abby who blogs at Little Birdie Blessings. Abby is a dear and generous gal and shares many of her graphics freely with the Blogging Community. If you visit, would you let her know that you did? She is in Boston today with her Beloved who is having some medical tests done. They could use the blessing of knowing that folks are praying today.

***

Now, just for fun, I thought I would share and you could compare the two points of view that came in the form of comments yesterday. They were in response to my tongue-in-cheek comment about not being able to comment anymore.

Cheryl said:
Karen Andreola said it this way, 
I think it is fine to peruse a public post like people used to relax with the newspaper - without necessarily sending a letter to the editor. The 20th century term "lurk" which I am most familiar with, makes the new 21st century blog definition seem a bit harsh and ill-fitting to me.  

Never-the-less it is always nice to be introduced to those of you who, once in a while, resonate with something you've read here.

Michele said:
And heck yes I would miss your comments. They totally make my day.

Oh I just love my commenters! =D

Have a wonderful Friday and a delightful weekend.