* I WONDER *

Time for another I Wonder

There happens to be quite a few things I've been wondering about the past few days, but I'll only share two of them. My mind is usually like that Christmas song....I Wonder as I Wander.

                 

I Wonder:  Where the heck does the time go?? I get up early, and sometimes stay up late, too....and I'm busy, really busy doing things, yet nothing seems to get accomplished. On the contrary!

I Wonder: How many of you are familiar with the site Tiny Lights? I'm one of the writers who submits monthly answers to unique questions posed by Tiny Lights Guru -- Susan Bono. That area is called: Searchlights & Signal Flares.  Anyone can submit answers. Got that? Anyone! There is no payment, but it's certainly a great site for others to find your writing. Check out the guidelines and Go For It!

** Just added Saturday morning: Click here and be taken to my answer to Susan's latest question, What do you do when a story resists you?

(courtesy of: Tiny Lights - A Journal of Personal Narrative)

Welcome to my newest followers, Jean Tuthill & Glenn R. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

"I am a conservative type of person, so sometimes when I'm chilling with myself, people always come ask me, 'What's wrong with you? What are you wondering about?'" -- Wayne Wonder

* Nostalgic Sundays *

It's time for another Nostalgic Sunday.

As I said in last week's Nostalgic Sunday, I'm highlighting Christmases past during December.

On Thursday of this week I actually made some homemade Christmas cookies. (Well, if truth be told, they were from a package mix, but at least they weren't purchased at the bakery.) My motivation was because of an invitation to a Cookie Exchange/Chili Luncheon. I love cookie exchanges and I haven't been to one in years, therefore I was excited about doing some baking.

I made 2 dozen Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. I'm dangerous around these cookies...or is it they are dangerous around me?!

Then, I made something I haven't made since my youngest son (age 24) was a little boy. Christmas Cut-Out Sugar Cookies! I used a mixture of old and new tools. My handy-dandy Pampered Chef pizza and dough roller, and three of my mom's cookie cutters! I can't tell you how happy I am to have them.

I've never had cookies turn out so well. Not too brown on the edges or bottoms....

This is the bottom of a star cookie. All I can say is....it must be the parchment paper!

I've never used it before! (I'm sure there are some voices saying, "You haven't?!")

I'm a true believer and will always use it from now on.

Some of the finished product!

I SO thought of my mom while I made these. When I was a little girl she always let me help: Rolling out the dough, pushing a cookie cutter into the dough, learning to put it on the cookie sheet without it tearing, and of course, the sprinkling of colored sugars on top!

I was home alone when I made these, except for Vern snoozing in the family room. I also had some Christmas music playing and I truly had fun. I was surprised at my feelings because I thought I'd be sad making these by myself. I did feel a bit melancholy but I also had fond, happy memories mixed in. I had a major "Aha moment," too, which was quite powerful and I hope it will help with my writing. (You just never know when those epiphanies will occur.)

I was either six or seven here. (1959 or 1960) I'm modeling the new robe I got for Christmas. Behind me is my sister Marian who I thought was so pretty and looked just like Betty Anderson, on "Father Knows Best." I was the flower girl in her wedding around this same time, too.

Here's another picture from the same evening. We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve, after Midnight Mass. Notice my brother, Mike, also received a new robe. I can't tell what he's holding, but it looks kind of like a pocket-watch. I don't remember anything about that. I do remember the chess/checkers game he got and the "Learn to Draw with Jon Gnagy" book. We both got one of those and I loved mine. I vividly remember drawing a dog; a boxer. I also see a couple of books there, which does not surprise me one bit. We grew up with books!

Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Someday soon, we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now. (lyrics from Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Martin/Bane)

 

This Christmas song has begun to mean more to me over the past few years....must be that aging thing.

Doris Day Saved My Life

As I blog hopped the other day, I came across one that really intrigued me....but do I remember whose it was, or how I got there? Of course not. One of the things I liked about this particular blog was that in her Profile, she said she loved Doris Day movies. But it's not because of Doris or any of her leading men. I think it had something to do with the furniture decor in the 60s, and she may have mentioned Doris' costumes, too....but I'm not sure.



(Doris in the 1950s - courtesy Google)



When I first saw the name "Doris Day," I thought, OMG, another Doris Day fan! But it wasn't the case, and that's okay. I won't hold it against her! ☺



(Doris in the 1960s - courtesy Google)

Just last night I read an article about Doris releasing a CD this Friday. What a surprise, because she chose to walk away from the Hollywood lifestyle many years ago.

And as far as Doris saving my life.....I can honestly say that she did, in more ways than one. A chapter in my memoir explains it all.

Welcome to my newest followers, Laura Barnes & Cheryl. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!


Que sera sera
Whatever will be will be
The future's not ours to see
Que sera sera

* Nostalgic Sundays *

Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday

Since this is the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and the TV weather folks say we may get a few snow flurries today, I'm definitely feeling Christmasy!

Let's take a look at some Christmases past:

I bought this hat Christmas 2008

 when I worked at Barnes & Noble during the holidays.

I sewed the red ribbon on it to tie under my neck,

because it wouldn't stay on.

I couldn't wear it very long at work,

 though, because my head would get too hot!

~~~~~~~

This goes way back...to Christmas 1977.

That's me on the left and my sister Jo Ann on the right.

I don't know if I've mentioned that she was an artist;

pencil, chalk, oil paintings, sculpture, & wood carving.

This was taken at our mother's apartment in St. Louis.

Jo Ann made the sculpture on her left...probably way back

when she was in college and gave it to mom soon after.

I also lived in St. Louis then, but Jo Ann moved to

 Florida when I was in high school. When she came home for

Christmas, I always hoped she'd get snowed in

and wouldn't be able to fly home until a few days later!

We weren't able to see each other very often for many years,

due to the expense of flying.

* All through December I'll continue to post photos

 of Christmases Past on my Nostalgic Sundays. *

Welcome to my newest follower, Linda Young. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you!

"At Christmas, all roads lead home." -- Marjorie Holmes

Wishing You a Blissful Thanksgiving

Although we had our family Thanksgiving last Saturday, I'll be roasting another turkey tomorrow! The past couple of years The Ronald and I have gone to our best friends' home on Thanksgiving Day, but this year, we're the hosts. I've been having fun setting the dining room table, actually using my china and good silverware.

I put the centerpiece together, just stuck the appropriate foliage in the basket.

Can you see the turkey candle stick holders?

There are tiny personal S&P shakers at the top left of each plate, too, which I think are so cute.

In November 2001, I bought this beautiful Norman Rockwell plate. It gave me such comfort to look at, since it was only two months after the horrible events of Sept. 11, 2001.

As the months went by, I bought the other three plates that are part of this collection called:

 The Four Freedoms

Freedom from Want.

Freedom of Speech.

Freedom of Worship.

Freedom from Fear.

FDR delivered his State of the Union Address on Januray 6, 1941,

 stating these four essential human rights.

This is the best picture I could get this evening.

This picture turned out pretty well, I think....but a little dark maybe?

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has many--not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -- Charles Dickens





It's Almost Wednesday and I'm Wide Awake

Such a busy, rainy day today. First I went to my "Coffee & Critique" group in the morning. Then I ended up spending way too much time on what was supposed to be a simple, one-stop errand. Don't even ask.

By the time I got back home, poor Vern followed me around and pleaded with his eyes. He loves to go on our walks. Fortunately the rain had stopped and it was only misting. But it was cold outside. (Baby, it's cold outside.... ♪♫ ) I bundled myself up and put his new sweater on him. Have I even mentioned that? I don't think I have. Although I'm a dog lover, I used to scoff at people who dressed their dogs in any kind of clothing. But, I discovered that Vern actually does get cold.....so voila'!

(photo taken by Becky)

I think he needs a bigger size! I'm not sure since I don't know how a sweater should fit a dog. I do know that I have to giggle because he reminds me of Porky Pig. Remember how he always wore just a shirt and NO PANTS?! What's up with that?

(courtesy: google)

But Vern seems to really like his sweater, and he lets me put it on him with ease. Have I mentioned how much I love this dog?? Every time we go on our walk, I think, We may have saved his life, but he's also saved mine, to an extent. I've mentioned the weight I've lost, mostly due to walking, which should also effect my cholesterol in a very positive way, etc. I expect to live to be 100!

"If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise." -- Unknown

* Nostalgic Sundays *

Since we had our family Thanksgiving yesterday, I've been trying to think back all those years to my childhood Thanksgivings. At first I found it rather odd that I couldn't seem to remember anything really specific about them. Years ago, though, I heard that the best memories children have aren't those extravagant birthday or Christmas gifts, nor those vacations to Disney World, but they're the ones about snuggling at bedtime and having a book read to them, or the impromptu singing and dancing that their parents did when they heard a certain song on the radio.

I'm fairly certain when I was really young, like four and five years old, my older sisters brought a friend home for Thanksgiving dinner. They were in college at that time and there were always a few students who couldn't go home for the holiday, so they were welcomed at our house.

The only other thing I remember at the moment is that us "kids," my brother Mike and me, were each given one of the turkey legs, the drumsticks. They seemed as big as my arm and I couldn't even finish eating mine.

We didn't live near any other family members, so we never spent Thanksgiving at a relative's home.  But I was perfectly happy with My family and My home, and never felt like I was missing anything.

(As I've mentioned before, these happy memories are from the years before my parents split up.Things changed after that.)

“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” –Cynthia Ozick





Winner of "Sort of a Blog Hop"

Good evening everyone! I apologize for being so late in posting the Winner of my Sort of a Blog Hop, but today was our family Thanksgiving and I was a bit tired when everyone left! Whew! We had a great time and thanks for all the well wishes.

(courtesy: Google)

So, without further adeui, the Winner of either the equally beautiful set of note cards or calendar is..............Becky Dunham of Bloglessinutah!

Congratulations to Becky and a heartfelt thanks to the other fabulous seven bloggers who participated. I truly appreciate your kindness for joining me in my first "Hop."  (And I must add a special note to Miss Sparkle Farkle: Your blog post for this was just awesome! Thanks so much for being your usual creative, crazy, wacky self!) The random-number-drawing-thingy chose number four, Branching Out, which was Becky's post title.

And don't forget, these are very reasonably priced....so buy some for yourself and for Christmas gifts!

To those of you who don't know what Becky won, she will be choosing from the following: A Robert Brault wall calendar for 2012, with beautiful pictures and quotes of his.

Or a set of 12 note cards with the same beautiful pictures and quotes.





Becky, please e-mail me with your mailing address and I'll get your order placed asap! Congrats, again!

I'll end this post as I always do, with a quote, and obviously it's one of my favorite Mr. Brault quotes!

"Looking back you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your life - and it was you. It is not too late to find that person again." -- Robert Brault