Friday Photos

 Hi everyone.  

Thought I'd share some photographs I've taken recently.  Hope you enjoy.

This was a fun puzzle to work

This was a favorite one

Hubby and I watched our favorite Christmas movie 

Beautiful sunset on Sunday evening on our way to church. 
 I was driving so I stopped in the middle of the road to
 be able to take this.  Thankfully no one was behind us

Our church lit up for our Christmas Candlelight Carol Sing

Some of our Christmas decorations this year

Love our little fiberoptic tree

Usually Lucy won't look at me for a picture, but she let me take several of her this night.

My mother-in-law makes the best pasta salad

My daughter took this picture.  Colton got a leopard
gecko for Christmas, so we bought him this t-shirt.

A group of us cousins got together today for lunch at Bob Evans.  We had so much fun.  I realized we are getting so old.  We range in age from 50 something to 85.  That was a little shocking!  No matter the age I love these people and we always have a good time together.

I just finished this puzzle tonight before I started writing this post.

Cathy

Christmas Day - 2024

Cathy

Just for Fun!

I have posted this several times on my blog and I still love it and it makes me laugh, so here it is again.  I also found the little poster and it's the first time I've posted it.  Hope you enjoy and laugh along with me!

My husband found this and used it in a sermon in 2008. I loved it so much then and posted it. I decided I wanted to share it with you again. Hope it makes you laugh like it does me.

Ever wonder what it would’ve been like if the wise men had been women? When they arrived at the manger, you can bet they would have:

1. asked for directions;
2. arrived on time;
3. helped deliver the baby;
4. cleaned the stable;
5. brought practical gifts; and
6. made a casserole!

And a couple of our ladies added another one.
7. They would have made reservations ahead of time!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have many opportunities to laugh today!

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good morning.  It's warmed up around here some, but unfortunately, it's very cloudy and raining this morning and it looks like we will have rain around most of the day.  But that's okay.  At least it's not ice!

I know I haven't been around here much lately, but I have been keeping up with reading a lot of your blog posts.  I have just felt like I needed to spend a little more time with the Lord and it's been good.  Sometimes I just have to get my priorities straightened around.

I've been reading some (I'm currently reading Melania's new biography), working jigsaw puzzles (I just picked up 5 more from my sister, who has a humongous stash of puzzles),watching lots of Hallmark Christmas movies with my hubby and spending lots of time at home, which I have been loving.  We've always spent a lot of time running around and eating out and just being busy and it's been nice to slow down some. We still are going into the church office 2 or 3 times a week, and I love that.  But we are both enjoying the time at home (and Lucy loves it that we are home more now too).  Here are the latest 2 puzzles I've completed.

I talked with Colton a week or so ago and he showed me his early Christmas present.  He lot a leopard gecko.  Let me just say, this is one time I'm glad he's not here and I'm not there.  Lizards are definitely not my thing.  lol

  

When I was decorating the tree, I broke one of my favorite ornaments that said Joy on it.  Unbeknownst to me, while I went on decorating, hubby went on line and bought we a new Joy ornament.  What a sweetie and he picked good!

Here's our tree this year

Hubby and I are doing an Advent Bible study called, The Marvel and Miracle of Advent with Lisa Harper and Christine Caine.  I'm really enjoying it.

Last night we picked up hubby's mom and went out to see some Christmas lights.  I didn't take a single picture, but we sure did enjoy it.  Hope you all are doing well and I hope you have a great day.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

Good Monday Morning:

I hope it's warm where you are, because it sure is not warm here.  It's just 5 degrees outside right now.  5 degrees!!  That's crazy!  Well, actually it really isn't...that's normal here in Ohio for this time of year.  But also, like normal, I really hope it doesn't stay like this for too many days.  Anyway, it's fairly warm here inside my little office at the church. Now, I just turned on my little ceramic heater and it'll be even warmer in here in just a few minutes.  I love time being here alone in my office and knowing that Tracy is just on the other side of the sanctuary in his office.

We picked up some breakfast on the way in and I enjoyed my eggs and sausage and listening to the 15th chapter of John being read by Annie F Downs and the podcast called "Let's Read the Gospels".  And now, I'm writing this post.  So here's a bit about my weekend.

I took down all the decorations and boxed most of them up.  On Saturday after getting some lunch I ran into the grocery and picked up a couple of gift cards and checked out their Christmas aisle and they had some really nice bins on sale for $6.99 and I bought 3, as I needed some to finish packing up the Christmas stuff.  They were not super big, which makes it so much easier for me to handle.  I have 3 big boxes of Christmas stuff ready to donate.  I was pretty ruthless as I went through them when decorating.  I got rid of things we no longer use and even though there are great memories connected to this stuff, it's time for me to get rid of them.  And guess what, I still have the memories.  I'll be contacting the Vietnam Vets of America today to set up a time to get this stuff.  

On Sunday we had a great morning service, but hubby cancelled the evening service because we didn't want people out in the bitter cold after dark.  We picked up some chicken at KFC and came home and ate lunch and then took a nap.  After that, I went to the garage and swept and moved some things around and then carried out all the Christmas boxes and now that is finished and ready for next year.  After that, we watched some TV and I napped through a couple of the shows.

Here's the pre-recorded Sunday morning sermon.  This is the 2nd sermon in the series, "Outrageous Grace" which is about Jonah.  I've really been enjoying what I've been learning.

 

So this is bits and pieces of my weekend.  How was yours?

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

I was reading another blog and it was mentioned that 2023 was a hard year, but that God had been with them and they were hoping 2024 would be better.  This scripture came to mind so I went and looked it up.  I think this verse is such an encouraging one for starting out a new year.  Deuteronomy 31:8 "And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed."  I believe God is already in our days of 2024, preparing the way to help us accomplish the things He wants us to and to help us grow closer to Him and maybe help or encourage others along the way. 

A few things from the past week.  

*  We had a nice Christmas with my mother-in-law and also one of Tracy's cousins and her husband.  We were a small group, but we had a good time together.  Lots of fun stories told and some really good food.  While it was sad, more of the family couldn't be there because of other obligations, we had a great time together,  The girls did Christmas together as both of their husbands were out in the field and/or driving a truck and couldn't be home.  They filmed Colton opening his gifts so we could watch.  It's not ideal, but we've learned to adjust and make the best of things.

*  We spent some time at church this week and I'm learning some jobs that I hope will help hubby out with all the things he does.  He does so much, so anything I can take off his plate is a good thing.  

*  I had mentioned in an earlier post that Lucy hasn't been feeling well and has not been eating very well either.  After taking her to the vet and he checked her out and also did a blood work-up and couldn't really find anything wrong.  He gave her a couple shots and she finally started eating again that evening,  She seems to be pretty much back to normal now.   

    

Here's Lucy sleeping in her bed in the middle of the night last night.  I couldn't sleep, so I got up and grabbed this picture of her in the dark room.  I couldn't see her very well, so I had to kinda guess where she was laying.  I cut off her head, the first time.  lol

*  I finished a good book this week and have started 2 more, but these two will count toward my GoodReads Challenge for 2024.  I had a goal of reading 50 books in 2023 and ended up reading 61.  I plan to set my 2024 goal at 50 again.  

*  We had church Sunday morning as usual (the pre-recorded sermon is posted below) and then we picked up some lunch from Chipotle watched another episode of a documentary on the Challenger and then we both took a nap and I worked on a post for my blog and read some.  We went back to church for the evening service and picked up a piece of hot fudge cake from Frisch's for the last treat of the New Year.  We didn't plan to, but we stayed up until midnight and wished each other Happy New Year and we actually got a text from our oldest wishing us the same.  And then 2023 was over and it is 2024. 

Happy New Year to all.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

We've had another nice quiet weekend.  I wanted to take just a moment to post yesterday's pre-recorded sermon.  It was the 5th in the series about the names of Jesus!  The Prince of Peace, Sar Shalome.  

 

Merry Christmas to all!

Cathy

Wednesday Hodgepodge

 

1. Oxford's Word of the Year for 2023 is 'rizz'. Hmmm...before today had you ever heard the word? No Do you know what it means? No (Apparently it's short for charisma) Have you ever used the word? No If you were in charge of the world, what word would you declare word of the year for 2023? I have no idea.  However, I would love to hear everyone praising Jesus!  I'd love to hear His name being used in praise all the time.

2. What's one word you tend to abbreviate in your writing or speech? (as in rizz for charisma) I can't think of anything right now.  When on social media, I guess I use lol a lot.

3. Are you a Hallmark movie watcher this time of year? Yes What's your favorite character from a holiday- themed movie, book, or TV special? All 4 of the main characters in White Christmas.

4. Something you look forward to eating this month? Nothing in particular.  We're planning to do a ham for Christmas and that will be good.  

5. What's the most stressful part of the holiday season for you? So far I think this year there isn't much stress for me.  I hope it stays that way.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. I post this most every year and I never get tired of it.

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Bits of This and That

 

It's been a good weekend.  I hope yours was too.

On Friday evening hubby and I picked up his mom and we got a quick bite to eat and then drove around and looked at Christmas lights.  It was so fun and something we do a couple of times during the Christmas season.

This picture and the one below are from a display we've been going to see for multiple years.  It's interactive and just a lot of fun to see.   And yes, this is someone's home in the middle of a subdivision.  It's a favorite.

These next 2 are from the same neighborhood and were very beautiful too!

On Saturday we had Olive Garden for lunch (I'm so hooked on their soups this time of year).  Then I ran into the grocery and picked up some items and then we were home.  I spent the rest of the day doing laundry, napping some, reading, and watching Christmas movies.  This is my favorite kind of day!

On Sunday, we went to church and had a great service.  Hubby's pre-recorded sermon is posted below.  We had put a chuck roast in the crock pot on Saturday night so we had a delicious meal of beef and noodles after church.  We also have leftovers and will be having beef and something tonight for dinner.

So, this is about a perfect weekend for us.  I hope you had a good one too.

Cathy

Currently - December 2023

 

Today, I'm writing my December Currently Post. It was supposed to be Wednesday, so I'm rather late.  But better late than never, right?  You can link up with Jennifer here, as she is the hostess.  In December, we are talking about what we're currently loving, gifting, wrapping, hoping, and attending this month.

Loving:  I'm loving the new Christmas Tree we bought this year.  For the last couple of years, we've only been using a fiber optic tree that stands maybe 2 feet tall and the branches are not strong enough for any ornaments.  So this year, I decided I missed my ornaments, so we bought a 4 foot tree and I love it.  And I now have my sister's ceramic tree and we still have the fiber optic tree.

Those cords are hidden a little better now.  lol

My sister's tree.  The snowman wearing blue in the front was made by my mother.

The fiber optic tree is on the left.

Gifting:  I have Amazon gift lists for both girls and their hubbies and the grandson.  I have no idea what I'm getting, but it will be from those lists.

Wrapping:  I won't be doing much wrapping as I'll have them mailed directly to their home and they will then wrap it...without opening it.  They plan to do the same for us.

Hoping:  That hubby will feel better soon and that we'll stay healthy for the holidays.  I'm also hoping that we'll get out soon to see all the Christmas lights in our area.  Planning to go tomorrow night with his mom to see some of them.  This is an annual tradition with us and we all love it.

Attending this month:  I think the girl cousins are all planning to meet up next week for a lunch together.  It's been several months since we done this.

Thanks for visiting and I hope you have a wonderful December.

Cathy

Bits of This and That - Christmas Weekend

The snow started Thursday night.  Here are a couple of pictures in the dark with a flashlight that show how much the wind was blowing and how hard the snow was coming down.  They were reporting that we were going to have extremely hard winds on Friday, so I took in all of our outside decorations, so nothing would get broken or blown away.  I'm really glad I did that.

  

On Friday the temperatures were so frigid.  Trying to take Lucy out was horrible.  I think with the sub-zero temperature and then the wind chill factor even lower, her little feet couldn't take it. So basically we stayed inside most all day Friday.  We watched movies, did some reading of blogs and a book. Hubby made chili that was delicious as always.   

Saturday, we ventured out for a short time,  Hubby was trying to decide what to do about church.  We drove over to the church and the lot had been scraped by one of hubby's friends.  He finally decided that he was going to cancel church, as the sidewalks were still covered and also we knew with the frigid temperatures, it would all freeze over again overnight.  He just didn't want to take any chances that someone would fall and get injured.  And also the roads weren't that great either.  So while we were out we grabbed lunch from a drive-thru and came home for the night.  Actually, it's Monday at 2:13 while I'm typing this and we haven't moved the car since we came home on Saturday.  It's very rare for us to be home this much!  We ate leftover chili on Saturday for dinner.

Sunday-Christmas Day was quiet.  Again just hubby, me and Lucy.  We talked with both girls and our grandson a couple of times throughout the day.  We were supposed to have church, then lunch at my sister's, but they were sick and we had to cancel out.  But I did talk to my brother and both sisters that day on the phone.  We baked a ham for lunch along with mashed potatoes and broccoli and cauliflower.  It was all delicious.  We watched White Christmas and napped a little and just tried to enjoy the day for what it was.  Things don't always go as planned, but we can choose to be joyful or we can choose to be miserable.  I choose joy!

Here is the pre-recorded sermon for Sunday for the 5th week of Advent.

So how was your Christmas?  I'd love to hear about it.  Thanks for visiting.

Cathy

Christmas Conversation

I borrowed these questions from Myra's blog, Respice, Prospice and you can click here to see her questions and answer on her blog or on your own.  I did ask her and she gave me permission.  She said she would be giving her answers on Thursday or Friday.

Message from Myra "Today's questions are taken from The Christmas Conversation Piece, a little book that's been part of my holiday collection for a while now.

You can choose to answer any one -- or all.   Perhaps you'd enjoying posing them to your family and friends! I chose to answer all of them here on my blog."  

You're the author of a new Christmas novel that you hope will one day become a classic. What would you choose as the setting for your Christmas story?

I believe I would like my story to be in the Smokey's but I have no idea what the story would be.

Someone has graciously offered to make you and your entire family a Christmas quilt. It will be made up of many quilt squares, each one representing a different family member.  What specific design and image would you want on your square?

Actually, I have a quilt like that.  It was made for my mom and dad and has pictures of all of us in the family.  When mom and dad passed, I was given the quilt.  I love it.

Which of the following three events would you most enjoy attending during the holiday season:

A stage production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol ...

a choral concert of Handel's Messiah ...

or a performance of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker?

Dickens' A Christmas Carol, for sure.

If you won $5,000 the week before Christmas, where do you think you'd go for a Christmas vacation?

Check the answer to the first question, Christmas in the Smokey's.  We did that with the girls and all of Tracy's family in 2006 and it was so fun!

Cousins with the grandparents at the Aquarium in Gatlinburg

Cousins in front of the fireplace at our hotel.

If you were playing Name That Tune! which Christmas song do you think you could identify in the least number of notes?

Probably Silent Night

Thanks Myra for sharing.  This was really fun!

It's -8 here this morning and we're supposed to get wind gusts up in the 50's today.  We have some snow and it's drifted up on our front porch, which normally stays pretty clear.  I took down at the outdoor decorations last night so nothing would get broken.  We're planning to stay inside for the day and hubby's going to make chili for us today.  Stay safe and warm wherever you are today!

Cathy

Something Fun

My husband found this and used it in a sermon in 2008. I loved it so much then and posted it. I decided I wanted to share it with you again (in 2012). ( in 2021) and again today.. Hope it makes you laugh like it does me. 

Ever wonder what it would’ve been like if the wise men had been women? When they arrived at the manger, you can bet they would have:

1. asked for directions;
2. arrived on time;
3. helped deliver the baby;
4. cleaned the stable;
5. brought practical gifts; and
6. made a casserole!

And a couple of our ladies at church added another one.

7. They would have made reservations ahead of time!

Below are three more pictures of nativities we have.

We've displayed this one for years.  I don't even remember where I got it.  It's on the top of my piano and that candy cane was painted by my grandson last year and gifted to us.

I love this lighted one.  I bought it a couple years ago at
 the Christmas Mouse Shop in Myrtle Beach/

This one was painted by my mom (actually mom, grandma and my older sister painted
sets of this and I believe this is a compilation of them and the manger was made by my dad) and was there through many years of growing up.  I ended up with it a couple of years ago and really treasure it.

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy 

Tuesday 4 - Counting Down to Christmas

Counting Down to Christmas

Message from Annie who hosts Tuesday 4.  "Hello and welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's  Tuesday 4 where we hope that 4 questions help you to blog, meet people and think about things in general.     Sometimes the simplest questions can be a bit difficult to answer. 

I do hope you are enjoying these questions...but if you can think up better themes and questions, please let me know!   I want to keep this going and make it nice for you."

Link up is here.

Let's talk about the countdown to Christmas or Chanukah or both!

1. What was the countdown to the holidays like for you as a child?  Special projects at school.. at home.. with friends?      Was a big deal made of the month in your family or town?  What does your countdown look like now?  As a child we always had a program to participate in at church.  Kids were given a poem to memorize and then share at church.  It used to scare me to death, but we did it every year.  I remember going to see Santa in our small town and we'd visit the fire station in the town where our church was and get some candy.  We also always got a bag of hard candy and chocolate drops and an orange from our church.  Lots of Christmas breaks our family would go to Florida for a week to spend some time with my dad's parents who were snowbirds and lived there in the winter.  Now, our Christmases are very simple.

2. As a kid did  your family stay home on the holidays or go visiting around ... what do you do now? We went to my grandparents (mom's parents) on Christmas Day for lunch.   We did Christmas at home first.  When our kids came along, we did Christmas Eve at my parents and our Christmas on Christmas morning and then lunch in the afternoon at hubby's parents.  Busy, busy days.  Christmas now changes from year to year.  This year too much of the family is sick so plans are to wait a couple weeks and try it again, maybe.

3. What foods did Mom and Grandma make for those  days?   What snacks were out?   What is the food situation in your home today?  My dad would make the ham, mom did many things, but one of my favorites was Waldorf Salad (apple salad) and grandma did chicken and dumplings and pickled beans.  There were all kinds of dessert, pies, cake, cookies, homemade candy, etc.

4.  Did you have a traditional way of spending the day with time to open gifts, visit,  special breakfasts, special dinner, guests?    What do you do now?  Hubby and I usually have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then just relax.  We typically don't do presents for each other any more.  Then sometime during the day we'll hear from each of the girls.  Some years we'll get with his family and some years with mine.  

Christmas will definitely be a lot quieter this year, but I think it will still be good.  Actually, since it's on Sunday, we'll be going to church and then have the rest of the day free, as far as I know.  Now, we'll just wait and see what's going to happen.

Thanks for visiting.

Cathy