My Favorite Picture of the Year

Thank you obsessivelystitching.blogspot.com for this awesome picture. I love me some little people.

Advent

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And, gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.

O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
And peace to men on earth.
How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.
O holy Child of Bethlehem!

Descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,

Our Lord Emmanuel!

We sang this song at church this week. I was struck by the verses that I had not heard before. The words to this carol were written in 1860 by an Episcopal priest Phillip Brooks. He was inspired by his visit to the Holy Lands and wanted to write a poem for the children of his congregation. It's told that he wrote the first verse that we know so well and then went to bed. He woke in the middle of the night and quickly jotted down the rest as it was impressed upon his heart.

5th Day of Advent

Common Book of Prayer readings: Psalm 6, 13, 22, Isaiah 5:8-6:11, Mark 2:1-12, Revelation 7:1-4, 7-11

"Surrounded by a loving, supportive community, Advent and Christmas seem pure joy. But let me not forget my lonely moments because it does not take much to make that loneliness reappear. If I am able to remember loneliness during joy, I might be able in the future to remember joy during loneliness and so be stronger to face it and help others face it. In 1970 I felt so lonely that I could not give; now I feel so joyful giving seems easy. I hope that the day will come when the memory of my present joy will give me the strength to keep giving even when loneliness gnaws at my heart. When Jesus was loneliest, he gave most, That realization should help to deepen my commitment to service and let my desire to give become independent of my actual experience of joy. Only a deepening of my life in Christ will make that possible."

-Henri Nouwen

Second Day of Advent

Advent readings from the Common Book of Prayer:
Psalm 7, Psalm 11, 12, Isaiah 1:21-2:5, Mark 1:14-28, Revelation 4

I have many impressions from today, the second day of Advent. I experienced honesty and reconciliation. It was a anxious event but blessed. It made me think of God's desire to heal the world. When we allow ourselves to forgive and be forgiven we can catch a glimpse of God's longing and hope for His creation.

I want to share part of a passage from Psalm 4 that particularly spoke to me.
"Many are asking, "Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
then when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety."
Psalm 4: 6-8

I think that many are asking, "Who can show us any good?" this Christmas season.
The light of God's face is His glory. When Moses asked to see it he glowed for the rest of his life. He was premanently changed. The light of God's face is something we can't grasp. But we know what the light from the face of love can do. The Psalmist doesn't ask God to look down upon us and see us and change us or change the pain. He only asks God that the light of His face shine upon us. It is a great hope and mercy.

First Day of Advent

Readings from the Common Book of Prayer: Psalm 1,3,4,8, Isaiah 1:1-20,
Mark 1:1-13


Day of Visitation,
Greetings,
Knock upon the door,
"So happy to see you."
Listening,
Knowing nods,
Beautiful chaos,
Breaking bread,
The unexpected,
should never be unexpected.
No meeting is by chance.

"As we move into Advent we are called to listen, something we seldom take time to do in this frenetic world of over-activity. But waiting for birth, waiting for death----these are listening times, when the normal distractions of life have lost their power to take us away from God's call to center in Christ.

During Advent we are traditionally called to contemplate death, judgment, hell and heaven. To give birth to a baby is also a kind of death----death to the incredible intimacy of carrying a child, death to old ways of life and birth into new-----and it is as strange for parents as for the baby. Judgment: John of the Cross says that in the evening of life we shall be judged on love; not on our accomplishments, not on our successes and failures in the worldly sense; but solely on love.
Once again, as happened during the past nearly two thousand years, predictions are being made of the time of this Second Coming, which, Jesus emphasized. "even the angels in heaven do not know." But we human creatures, who are "a little lower than the angels," too frequently try to set ourselves above them with our predictions and our arrogant assumption of knowledge which God hid even from the angels. Advent is not a time to declare, but to listen, to listen to whatever God may want to tell us through the singing of the stars, the quickening of a baby, the gallantry of a dying man.
Listen. Quietly. Humbly. Without arrogance."

Madeline L'Engle

Winter Happenings

This was taken before our 80's party. James is supposed to be Brian Setzer from the Stray Cats and Lucy is Belinda.
I love this picture of Lucy reading to her bath time baby.
James is modelin a hat for me for my Etsy site.

The Blackest Black

I have never been out on black Friday to get a "door buster". I decided to go out this year to get James a Leapster 2. Walmart had them for $25.00. I was already up baking cookies so I figured I might as well. From what I understood from the flyer, the sale started at 12:01. I left at 11:30 just in case there was a line. Justin laughed at me. "There is not going to be a line at midnight Mary. Those sales go on all day tomorrow," he said. Oh how wrong he was.

I drove out of the garage wondering how many people would be there. I thought there seemed to be a lot of cars on the road at 11:30 P.M. I was sure it was just people going home after Thanksgiving. But then I got to the traffic light in front of Walmart. I think only a poem can do justice to the horror of my experience.


first frost Thanksgiving
my ears ringing
nostrils flared
beauty and quiet before me
little rabbit darting home to the warmth of family

twisting and turning
the road before me
lights blurring my vision
what lies ahead?

why are there so many policemen on the road tonight?
What's that up yonder around the curve in the road?

procession of metal and rubber
being called to the freak show
that can't stop or slow down
they follow the yearning wild invitation

i too join in the trance
walking, running to the sliding doors
door buster drugs promising to soothe me
mark downs, prices slashed

Why are there so many people wearing sweat pants and cowboy boots?
Why am I the only one with a coat?
Why is someone attempting to operate a wheel chair?

pushing, shoving walking crowds

Oh, here are the Leap Pads. Why are they in the middle of the aisle with plastic wrap all around them?

Angry faces,
growling, nashing teeth,
mothers like orcs waiting for man flesh,
slapping hands,
cuffing hands,
charging bulls
12:01

like a wild stallion I break from the trance
I accomplish my purpose
I run free and happy
I buy reduced sugar frosted flakes,
I never look back.

Good bye Walmart
I will shower now and hope to remember always my glimpse in to the dark side.

The Best Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Here is a picture of my family with our inflatable turkey. We love it. You should definitely buy one asap. Check out my other fun Thanksgiving finds.................
This is the really only necessary Thanksgiving decoration. I bought one on a recent shopping trip in Washington, IL. It is so amazing and every family should have one.
My kids love these little sticker books. You can order them on Amazon.com but I buy them at Cracker Barrel.

No more wrong turkey dangling ear rings. This is the only necessary accessory. www.treasuredcharms.etsy.com

I have to find time to make these. How awesome are they?

Thanks again Gooseberry patch ladies. Once again, not really my style at all but their recipes are the bomb and they have some great ideas. This little book is a great hostess gift. I bought one for Ms. Paula and Ms. Candace.

This is an awesome idea. I found this on etsy. Here is the link: www.treandyprints.etsy.com

Things that are CHANGING my life.....................

I bought Norwex's bath scrubber for 22 bones. I was sure I was getting ripped off. It is the best thing ever. I will never have to buy bathroom cleaner again. Please get one. It's like a really durable magic erasure.
This is my new face wash. 80% Olive Oil and 20% Castor Oil. Massage in to face and then steam with a scalding hot wash cloth several times. Then remove with the washcloth and warm water. It is the best thing ever. Almost all my blackheads were gone the first time. The second time I got a few zits but that is normal when your skin is being purified. I look awesome!

This may make most of you shudder. Oh well. I have forcing celery into James' mouth every time he whines. It is the best solution I have ever found. And who cares if he never likes it?

Halloween Fun

Snuggie Wizard casting a spell
The whole LeRoy crew: James Anakin Skywalker, Avery Tiger, Serena Chicken, Lucy Ghostie, Kenley Peacock
Anakin Skywalker and Kenley Peacock
Little Ghostie!

Strange and Disturbing Halloween

O.K. folks. I have discovered the winner of the frightening Christian propaganda contest in the form of a Jack O' Lantern Poem. Maybe you didn't know about the contest. Well, I didn't know about it either until I found this. Maybe some of you will find it inspiring so I suppose I am sorry for offending you. I find it strange and slightly disturbing. So here it goes:

Jack O' Lantern Poem

I am a Jack O' Lantern
My lights will shine so bright
For I'm a Christian pumpkin
My symbols tell what's right

My nose is like the cross (I thought it was a triangle)
On which our Savior died
To set us free from sin
We need no longer hide (I would like to hide inside the Jack O' Lantern especially since it's a Christian.)

My mouth is like a fish (? what?, doesn't really look like a fish)
The whole wide world to show
That Christians live in this house
And love their Savior so! (I must not be a credible witness of Christ because I haven't even carved my pumpkin. In fact, today I noticed that it was lying on the ground with a huge hole chewed in the side infested with bugs. I wonder what message that is sending to my neighbors.)

The story starts at Christmas (didn't know the Christian year ended on Halloween. Man, the really conservative Christians are going to be mad they didn't get the memo because they think Halloween is the devil's holiday.)
My eyes are like the star (no they really aren't)
That shone on baby Jesus
And wise man saw from far

My color, it is orange
Just like the big bright sun
That rose on Easter Day
Along with God's own Son

And so on Halloween
Let's set our pumpkins out
And tell the trick or treaters
What God's love is all about (I am sure the little devils' will fall on their knees and repent right on your front porch.)

Something Earth Shattering

"We do have to give up everything we have to follow Jesus. We do have to love him in a way that makes our closest realtionships in this world look like hate. And it is entirely possible that he will tell us to sell everything and give it to the poor.
But we don't want to believe it. We are afraid of what it might mean for our lives. So we rationalize these passages away. "Jesus wouldn't really tell us not to bury our father or say good-bye to our family. Jesus didn't literally mean to sell all we have and give it to the poor. What Jesus meant was..............."
And this is where we need to pause. Because we are starting to redefine Christianity. We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him in to a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with.
A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest realtionships so that he recieves all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger all together. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American Dream.
But do you realize what we are doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our image. He is begining to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church building and lift up our hands i worship, we may not be worshiping the Jesus Christ of the Bible. INSTEAD WE MAY BE WORSHIPING OURSELVES."
-"Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream" by David Platt

Humbled Knowing

I keep having the same experience over and over again in every part of my life. Every situation that occurs in my daily life and every conversation I have fill me with an intense flood of opposing thoughts and emotion. When this happens I start with anxiety, sadness, anger, hurt and frustration. As I think through things more and pray to God for clarity I move to a place of hope, action and an intense drive to change things. Then I come to a place of "knowing". Most people would say that this is a sense of peace and in the past I would have agreed. I call it "knowing" because it is filled with resolve, justification, sureness and goodness. When I get to this place something happens to where I am knocked to my knees by my foolishness. It is devastating and life changing. I now realize that the "peace" I always thought was so important is really just my selfishness. That place of knowing is what causes the most hurt in all my relationships. I am learning that the moment I feel so right and sure about something is the moment I need to be falling to my knees in love for another person.

Astro Man in Wilmington, IL on the original Rt. 66. Horrible place to eat but fun statue.

Sweet faces of Autumn

Another photo of me. This was taken after bible study.

This a picture of me at a women's bible study I go to.

A Really Nice Recipe for Donut Holes

Pioneer women did baking once a week usually on a Saturday. They baked bread, cookies, donuts, pies and cakes of all kinds. I am still trying to figure out how they kept things even mildly fresh. Maybe they didn't and everyone was just used to stale baked goods. Maybe the lard that they used preserved things longer. I am not really about to use lard to find out unless someone can give me a really good reason. Anyway, I bake bread in my bread maker several times a week. And I was inspired to start making donuts regularly too by Mrs. Wilder. Here is a recipe that I found that was really good. I know they were good because my husband is the doughnut master and he said that the cinnamon ones were so good he wanted to make out with me that instant. HA! I am not a fan of shortening so I did use butter instead.

Beat well 2 Eggs
Beat in 1 Cup Sugar, 2 TB Soft Butter
Stir in 3/4 Cups Milk
Sift together and stir in 3 1/2 Cups Flour(I used wheat),4 tsp Baking Powder, 1/2 tsp. Salt, 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Chill dough for two hours.

Heat up Vegetable oil to medium heat. Drop nickel size balls into the oil and cook till brown. Let cool on paper towel and then roll in anything wonderful you can think of.

Thoughts for Today

I am happiest when I stay home and turn off most electronic equipment. I am best at being a mom with a minor in the art of homemaking. These days I am trying to find a nice fusion between 2010 and pioneer life. I also want to be a master breadsmith. lol

Lucy loves to read in this spot every day. So sweet.

Saying Good bye

It's been a year of saying goodbye for me. I went to a funeral today for a dear friend's mother. As I sat singing hymns it struck me that just like teething and potty training and learning to walk we will all experience death. It's the last big milestone we hit. It is comforting to me that I am ready. It is the same feeling I have when I lay in bed with James and stare at his face. I feel intense love and loss. It is hard to give up my control over his growth and change.

Rest Time Movie of the Day Trivia

Why didn't Noah let Gonzo on the Ark?

What is Miss Piggy's job at the TV station?

What actor plays the crazed lab rat guy?

Why does Gonzo think he is an alien?

What is Kermit's nephew's name?

ADD

The best way to think of ADD is not as a mental disorder but as a collection of traits and tendencies that define a way of being in the world.

Having ADD is like listening to a ball game on the radio station that's coming in with alot of static. The harder you strain to hear what's going on, the more frustrated you get. Once in a while a static free interval blesses the airwaves, and you can hear the ball game clear as a bell. A cat may meow in the background, but you know it is just a cat, not more static, and the clear signal from the radio allows you to focus on the game, How good this feels! But then, like an unresolved feud, the static returns,a dn you become more frustrated. You get mad. You want to break the radio, or kick the cat, or scream at whatever human makes the terrible mistake of inquiring right then as to how you might be feeling.

-from "Delivered from Distraction" By Edward Hallowell M.D. and John Ratey, M.D.

This book is opening my eyes to myself for the first time ever.

Sunset over Lake Michigan

A Day At The Dunes With Buddies

Kenley Lucy and James. We had a wonderful day at the beach together. The kids love running down the big dunes. Kenley had a great time in the water. Everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch and dinner.

Autograph Book

When the name that I write here
Is dim on the page
And the leaves of your album
Are yellow with age,
Still think of me kindly
And do not forget
That wherever I am
I remember you yet.

-Unknown

It's hard to think of a time when people only shared a short time of their life with each other. Friends were for a season. People had to move on and work hard. Without telephone or even timely mail people would struggle to hear from family. Autograph books were a good way to keep a piece of your loved ones with you. I think I might make one for myself since it is my goal to work as hard as possible and live the life of a total recluse. lol

Wisdom's Ways

If wisdom's ways you wisely seek,
Five things observe with care,
To whom you speak,
Of whom you speak,
And how, and when, and where

C. L. Ingalls

Our Visit with Adele

We have so much fun with Adele when she comes to visit. James is so comfortable with her even when he doesn't see her for awhile. It's so sweet.

My New Favorite Soap!

Justin and I love this soap so much we are never buying anything else. It lathers awesome and it so soft and has a nice tingly feeling which is extra nice for the backside!

I Want To Live in It!

Life

"The prairie looks so beautiful and gentle," Laura said. "But I wonder what it will do next. Seems like we have to fight it all the time."
"This earthly life is a battle," said Ma. "If it isn't one thing to contend with, it's another. It always has been so, and it always will be. The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are, and the more thankful for your pleasures."
-Laura and Ma Ingalls

Ma is right. It was true 120 years ago and it is true today.

I make my beans really simply. And I love to eat them with a fresh tomato and dill pickles. First you have to rinse and sort the beans. Then bring them to a boil. Next take them off the heat and let them sit for an hour. Finally bring them back to a boil and let them simmer for a few hours. I like to add garlic, onion, salt and pepper. If I have a little bacon I add that too. So yummy!

Beans

I have been reading the Little House series to James every night for the last few months. The Long Winter has me thinking about many serious things and many things not so serious like Pinto Beans. They eat a lot of beans in this book because they didn't have much else to eat. Actually, beans are kind of a staple in pioneer life.

My Grandma Mitchell has eaten bean soup almost every day for most of her life. She has always told me that it was a staple in her West Virginian home. Grandma grew up in a home with 7 siblings. Her father was a country Dr. so they had more than most but they still had beans everyday for lunch. All of Grandma's siblings enjoyed long lives and Grandma is alost 90 herself with very few health problems. I wonder if it has anything to do with the beans she eats.

Anyway I made a huge pot of pinto beans Tuesday and have been feasting on them all week.