Good Friday

 

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I hate that my sin sent Jesus to the cross, but I'm so grateful to God for his plan for redemption. I am a recipient of His grace and mercy.

I pray you know Him as savior as well.

Ramp To The House

 There have always been wonky things about our home. Like how our linen closet door and the bathroom door get their knobs stuck, how our front door barely misses hitting the knob on the coat closet. The biggest hurdle over the years for a short woman is how the step into the kitchen door is not proper height.

It had one slab. So a few years ago as my parents aged, he built a wooden step. That helped me too, with my bad lower back and tight hip flexors. 

But now with my parents in their late 70's and early 80's that step situation became a real challenge to get into the house. The front steps are more with no railing so it was still better to come in through the kitchen door.

On Friday Tim designed a ramp, and bought the wood for it. On Saturday he began to build, and with a bit of help from Kyle they got it done before dark.

My dad tried it out right away, and everyone who has come has mentioned how nice it is. 

He still plans a few steps off the front of the side. He built to to ADA guidelines. What a blessing to have a handy husband.

Today I continue my bit by bit decorating. Hoping to finish before the weekend. It was flurrying a bit this morning when I rose for the day.

Happy Tuesday, Friends.

Weekend

 Our weekend was full of beauty and pain. Hard things due to choices by people we love. It's hard to watch. But we pray, and we love, and we put them into God's hands. Prayers for our hearts appreciated!

Tim and Kyle cut our tree on Friday, and we put it into water and decorated it on Saturday.

Here it is on Saturday evening.

Here it is this morning.

My brother and sister in law have been in town all week, and it's been very good to be together. I'm thankful for them. Last night we took them and my parents to see the Christmas lights at Herr's Snack Foods in Nottingham. This is a free light display the company does for the community. We've been going every year and multiple times a year for 27 years!

I will continue to hang my greens, ribbons, and lights this week.

Tim designed and built a ramp into the house for my parents. I'll get photos of it today and share it with you. Kyle helped him on this project.

I hung our stockings with care (there are 17 stockings), but looking at the photo I realize if I turn the ladder upside down, there will be more usable rungs to hang them on, and they'll look better! I'll do it today!

I hope you had a good weekend. The year has flown by and Christmas is upon us! What a glorious time of year. Advent is meaningful to me, as I look at Jesus' coming into the world, for us all.

Enjoy this gorgeous version of  "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" from the Choir of King's College, Cambridge.

Good News Friday (and photos of our Thanksgiving)

 I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We did. If you want to see photos of our day, scroll down!

CDC Admits Crushing Rights of Naturally Immune Without Proof They Transmit the Virus! 

You would assume that if the CDC was going to crush the civil and individual rights of those with natural immunity by having them expelled from school, fired from their jobs, separated from the military, and worse, the CDC would have proof of at least one instance of an unvaccinated, naturally immune individual transmitting the COVID-19 virus to another individual.  If you thought this, you would be wrong.

My firm, on behalf of ICAN, asked the CDC for precisely this proof (see below).  ICAN wanted to see proof of any instance in which someone who previously had COVID-19 became reinfected with and transmitted the virus to someone else.  The CDC’s incredible response is that it does not have a single document reflecting that this has ever occurred.  Not one.  (See below.)

Read more {here.} The CDC has no evidence that 

The Governor of Kansas, Laura Kelly is to sign a bill that allows broad exemptions to Cov*d jab requirements. Read about that {here.}

Over 600 Google employees sign a manifesto against the jab mandate. Article {here.}

Tokyo in particular is kicking Cov*d's butt with IVM - fewest hospitalized since before the pandemic. wake up wake up wake up

SAVE AMERICA
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
BEDMINSTER, NJ

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

A very interesting time in our Country, but do not worry, we will be great again—and we will all do it together. America will never fail, and we will never allow it to go in the wrong direction. Too many generations of greatness are counting on us. Enjoy your Thanksgiving knowing that a wonderful future lies ahead!

A student wrote a letter to 45 and got this letter back from DJT and the First Lady.

The day started with some of our group going to cheer on Joseph and Weston as they ran a Turkey Trot in the morning.

Then we went to set up our table at our church.

First cousins once removed. This is my brothers' oldest grandson Cayden, with Kyle. Kyle is first cousins with Cayden's dad, Ryan.

My brother's family who were able to come!

Family hayride!

Our oldest son Nate with his youngest daughter Kennedy.

My brother contributed five pies to our feast! Apple, chocolate, pecan, cherry, and pumpkin. Delicious!

My nephew and his family are on the road this morning. Headed back to Tennessee. My brother and sister in law are here until Monday. Their daughter and son in law leave Saturday.

My mom is doing well. She and my dad enjoyed having so much family around yesterday, and parts of this week.

Now to test the waters and see when I can get our tree! I'd like to do it while Sarah is here so I can have more help. My back has been very painful lately, and I'm moving slowly.

Have a great weekend!

 

Tables From Thanksgivings Past

 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Every year, every day really, we have so much for which to be thankful. 

Today, I'm sharing photos of past Thanksgiving tables. I love to set a pretty table, and Thanksgiving is a time to go all out.

This table was from a 'Friendsgiving' Rachel and Wes hosted before they were married.

This is one of my personal favorite tables.

This one is from last Thanksgiving. Our daughter in law had cov*d so our day was very different than normal. For dinner it was just Sarah, Tim, Kyle, and me. We did have a very good day, and we were thankful to be together!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day giving thanks for all the many blessings we have been given.  

Weekend

 

It was a quiet weekend, not without some stresses though. Mom had to go back to the ER, and they found, as her doctor suspected, a small blood clot in her lung. Now we have an answer to her oxygenation issues. They admitted her for a few days and we are hopeful she will be home today. Everything else is excellent, and she is doing very well. I learned that the clot will dissolve on it's own, the blood thinner is to keep them from getting bigger! We are thankful for her primary care doctor following her gut instinct about the clot.

I won't tell you about the doc at a different hospital who wanted to admit her for pneumonia and start treatment right away. Even though the chest x-ray and now two subsequent chest x-rays show that her lungs are clear! Sigh. We followed our gut instincts on that one, and went to a different hospital. Take charge of your healthcare friends!

Anyway, while mom rested at the hospital, I rested here, and did a bit of preparation for Sarah's arrival Saturday afternoon! She and a friend from school are here for the week. Wes and Rachel came over after dinner and we played Redneck Life, and Mary, Sarah's friend, got to know our craziness! Ha!

Church was good yesterday, and we spent the rest of the day at home. I FaceTimed with my brother and sister in law last night, they arrive today, and we laughed and laughed. I'm looking forward to everyone being here this week!

Well, everyone but E and family. She is 24 weeks pregnant, and with my parents so recently ill, they've chosen to stay home. We're all disappointed but we understand. We will miss them so much.

I made pulled pork sandwiches for lunch yesterday. I simply put two smallish pork loins into my crock pot, on high, overnight. I woke up in the early morning and decided to turn them to low and went back to bed. When we got home from church, I shredded the meat, put homemade slaw sauce on the cole slaw, and heated up some beans.

Easy meal and everyone loved it.

I hope you had a delightful weekend. 

Good News Friday

 This week has been busy with care for my mom, our last co-op day, and preparing for Thanksgiving, so this may be a shorter post. 

Let's get started!

A court here in PA upheld ending our governors mask mandates for schools! This is good because that means even child care centers will be free to unmask.

New Jersey state senate president finally conceded his race to truck driver Edward Durr. When he called, Durr thanked him and told him if he told Stephen Sweeney that if he ever needed anything to give him a call, "After all, said Durr, I'm his state senator!" {grin}

Yesterday Senator Kennedy told Bid*n's banking nominee, "I don't know whether to call you professor or comrade." You can see a video of that {here.}

Big News! OSHA has suspended its implementation of Bid*n's unconstitutional mandate on companies regarding the jab. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said there were grave constitutional problems with the mandate. 

If you are paying attention, there are resignations all over the place. There is a website {here}that tracks resignations from all over the world, politicians, CEO, etc. Some are normal, they are retiring or moving on to a different company. But some make you go "hmmm."

Has anyone ever thought Rep. Paul Ryan's decision to leave the House, after having been Speaker, at age 49. His career was at its peak.

There are now more registered Republicans than Democrats in the State of Florida for the first time in the State's history! The Democratic Governors Association is not planning to make any major contributions to help Democrats unseat DeSantis.

Texans have passed 8 Amendments to the State constitution, including one that strengthens religious freedom. 

Kansas Democratic Governor Kelly came out last week against Bid*n's jab mandate. She is up for reelection.

Wisconsin State Representative Ramthun calls for decertification of the 2020 election. You can read about that {here.}

I'd love to hear any good news you have to share with me! Let's keep encouraging one another!

Have a great weekend!

ps - I answered Babbling Brooks last question in the comments from Wednesday's post, and ellen, I left a comment for you, too!

It's Not Too Early To Speak Of Christmas...

 and good thing too, because I am hosting our Co-op Mom's Christmas Party on December 9th! That's three weeks from tomorrow. 

Let that sink in.

That means that I must have all my Christmas decor up and ready to go. This is no problem to me, I love to get the 'halls' decked around my cottage right after Thanksgiving. I may recruit Sarah and her friend Mary to help me. 

                                          Christmas tree from 2016

I have it down to a science with the basics really. The garlands go on the picket fencing outside, with plaid bows and lights. I just use the outdoor lights that hang on that fence year round. Easy. 

We put a garland and lights on the lamp post most years, but last year I just put a big plaid bow.

I have a wreath that hangs by the front door and one that hangs on the kitchen door. 

Wreath photo from 2014

Some years I use a garland around the kitchen deck door, but with curtains there it makes it hard. However, I have an idea using command strips that may allow it to work. Or I could just take the curtains down, as I rarely close them anyway. 

I'll put my Nativity painting on my big shelf again this year, and I know the spot where my Willow Tree nativity will go. I will hang a garland on my secretary and one on my china hutch as well. I always have lights above my kitchen cabinets, and all I'll have to do there is add my Christmas greens, and a few Christmas decor items.

Photo from 2014

I'm going to add a small tree in my bathroom, change out the shower curtain, and hang a Christmas hand towel in the bathroom.

I'll put a small tree in Sarah's room downstairs with lights, Kyle always has one in his room with color lights. I'll set up my parents skinny tree in their space, and help her decide about what else she may want to put up. 

I may put a wreath at the end of the hall or maybe our icicle lights will make an appearance hanging from the hallway ceiling again this year.

I will use some garlands in my bedroom, too. With my ficus tree on my dresser, I don't think I want to do a tree in my room. A garland on my dresser and on our bookcase should look great. 

I dried orange slices the other day. I put them in a 200 degree oven for about 8 hours, and I turned them twice. I love using natural things in my decorating. I am going to make some orange and clove pomanders, too.

Photo from Christmas 2014

It sounds like a lot but it's really not. Last year, everyone here helped and it was done so quickly. We also have birthdays, and an anniversary during this holiday season, so having our decorating done adds to the charm and specialness of the season.

How or what do you do for decorating at Christmas?

Let's Chat

 

First and foremost I wanted to share a question from the comments - Beside A Babbling Brook asked -

"I wondered about your folks and *IT*!

Glad it was so mostly mild.

YES!!! Natural immunity.

But how did they get it, and no one else did?

Or did some of you, on that trip, have it and not know it and... they being the oldest and least immune, got it?

We wonder...

-smile-"

My parents started with their symptoms while we were away on our trip to celebrate Tim's Moms' 100th birthday. In fact Mom says they started the day we had left.

I'm mostly home other than grocery shopping and co-op, but they have had a lot of doctor appointments since they moved in, and they also go out to pick up Walmart grocery pick up. We don't know where they picked it up, but we are pretty sure Dad gave it to Mom.

The rest of us have been well the whole time.

This was a comment left on my post about planning for Thanksgiving, but obviously this 'unknown' commenter (who comments only about political issues) had read my post from last Friday.

You sound like a broken record week after week. Frankly you're getting boring and a bit stale. The only thing Americans are waking up to is how corrupt the republicans were and still are. You do know that attorney general Garland is going to get the whole corrupt lot of them don't you? You know that right? He's doting his i's and crossing his t's to make sure when he comes for them he has all he needs to convict each and every one of those criminals. And one by one they're going down. Then he'll go after the leader of that corrupt pack, none other than mob boss donald tRump. I. cannot. wait. As for that little punk Kyle Rittenhouse may he rot in prison for the rest of his racist life. He's going down too. We should know next week what that punk gets. I'm sure he'll cry like the little wuss he is. What an act on that stand. Crying those fake tears. I noticed that criminal donald tRump was nowhere to be found. Too busy grifting money off his toothless cult. What a greedy pig! He'll be burning in hell or rotting in prison soon enough. Or the way dementia is coming for him, banging his head against a wall drooling all over himself. I'll take any one of those three options.

Have you ever heard the term 'projection?' It's where someone projects the wrong doings of themselves or their party onto the other person or party. Think about what is coming out about the Russia collusion hoax. HRC's campaign, and the dems were the ones working with Russians, and Ukraine, and not the DJT campaign. Her comment is all projection. That's what the msm does and the dems. They want to destroy and/or silence, anyone who doesn't think like they do.

My trees in front are basically bare after these past few blustery days. The oak tree in our neighbors yard is what still has leaves.

This tree still has a few on it, but there is not much left.

What a glorious autumn we've had! My burning bush are still in full color and as you can see my neighbors' Japanese maple is gorgeous!

Normally at this time of year, I am wanting to decorate for Christmas and Thanksgiving seems so far away. However this year the month has flown, and now we are a week away!

I always begin to decorate the day after Thanksgiving. My family prefers it and since we still do a real tree, a month is about what we can get out of our tree. I'm fully of the opinion that people should decorate early, if they want too! It's ridiculous to have "rules" about these things! When my grandma wasn't doing well years ago, she mentioned that she hated to take down her little tree. I told her since it brought her so much joy, she should keep it up! So she did! She enjoyed that tree for nine more months!

I am enjoying watching everyone on social media begin to put their decor up, and decorate their trees. The lights add so much to a dark time of year. 

I have already figured out where I will put my tree. I'll have to take one of our chairs downstairs but I have to do that every year anyway!

I realized today that I left these little trees on my secretary bookshelves since last year.

Don't know if they'll stay there this year, but they are sweet.

I'm praying for you all today, that you'll be encouraged, be thankful, and have joy! I am praying that my readers from outside the US are enjoying the build up to Christmas, and that my US friends, are going to be with friends or family or both for Thanksgiving.

Here is a song I like, that I think is fitting for this time of year, and anytime really.

I hope you all have a lovely day. 

Weekend

a beautiful photo I took 3 years ago.

 We had a quiet weekend and it was just what we needed. Last week was stressful. 

Remember I had mentioned that my parents were sick? We wondered if they perhaps had mild cases of cov*d and it turns out that they did. My mom had lost her sense of smell the previous weekend. They'd had low grade fever a day or two in the beginning, (while we were away), then a mild cough for about a week. The main thing for them was exhaustion and weakness. They were so tired. 

Mom's hung on a few days more than dads', so I checked her blood oxygenation, and it was low. A call to her doctor and a trip to two different ER's (Long story and won't go into it here. Sufficient enough to say that all hospitals are not created equal.) Moms' test said that cov*d detected.

Turns out that while active mom's oxygenation drops a bit, and recovers quickly when she is at rest. They sent us home with oxygen. The respiratory therapist said this is very common for virus patients. She'll likely need it two weeks to a month. Yesterday, she didn't need any.

We are beyond grateful that they had such mild cases, now will have great immunity! Just in time to celebrate the holidays!

Don't tell anyone, but mom and I watched a Christmas movie Friday night. We did not have family game night. We were tired!

Saturday we ate good, nutritious, homemade Chicken Noodle Soup! The guys winterized the pool, then it rained. Tim ran errands.

Yesterday, Tim, Kyle and the girls went to church. I stayed home with my parents. Since my parents are no longer contagious, Wes and Rachel came for lunch and left mid afternoon. The kids played outside and then played games inside. 

I went to bed early for me. 

It's all good. 

I hope you all had a good weekend!

Good News Friday

 Well, it's been a crazy few weeks here in my home, but there is a lot of good news out there!

The first good news is that Americans are awake to the mess of this administration. In current polling Bid*n's approval rating is at 38%, and his VP is worse. Harris' approval rating is 28%.

People are voicing their opposition to communist take over by protesting and speaking out. Our constitution gives us the right to do this. The left doesn't like that. They are using all the tools at their disposal to censor, and punish people who have an opposing view to their own view. Sound like any countries you know?

They are using intelligence agency's and law enforcement like their own police force. Arresting those who are in opposition. The media are their other arm - propoganda - telling people what they want them to think is the truth.

An example of this is the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. If you are watching it you see that this young man was simply defending himself. The three men who were attacking him, with guns, were white men with criminal backgrounds. The one who died was a child molester. They had all been released from custody. How did convicted felons get a weapon?

The media is telling people that these men were innocent protestors. Most people have believed they were black men. They are not. They are all white. One of them testified in court this week that Rittenhouse only raised his weapon after he, the attacker, pointed his gun at him. That is self defense, friends. The left would like to use this to do away with our Second Amendment rights. 

The good news is that people see it. They are speaking out against it. Standing for truth.

We've seen the election fraud, we know it has happened all around the country. We see the purposeful open border, the closing of pipelines, and rising fuel costs. Inflation is at a 30 year high.

The fiat monetary system is failing. It is illusionary. Did you know the Fed is not a national bank? It is an independent bank, that prints our money, which we get loaned with interest. The fed is on its own land and not technically subject to the laws of our land. Why? Whoever agreed to this? They've indebted us so badly. We must make changes.

I believe we've need to go through all we've been through in order for 'We The People' to awaken from our slumber! We've all been lulled to sleep and forgot that we were the ones that the government works for, not the other way around.

More good news. Have you read about the 8 year old Florida girl who has been suspended 38 times for not wearing a mask at school? Gov. DeSantis said in July that mask wearing at all Florida schools would be optional, and up to the parents. Fiona Lashells school district was still mandating them. She refuses to wear one, and stood for her right to not wear one. She's in the 2nd grade. I heard yesterday that her school district has now dropped the mask mandate. 

May we have the courage to stand like this young girl!

In Pennsylvania, a court has thrown out the governors mask mandate for schools and childcare centers. Of course the governor appealed so its all on hold. The ruling however stated that the acting Health Secretary's mandate did not comply with the state's law about reviewing and approving regulations, and was adopted without an existing disaster emergency declared by the governor.

The state's disease control law does not give health secretaries "the blanket authority to create new rules and regulations out of whole cloth." The health secretaries authority is clearly outlined in existing law.

Our governor says he'll return the decision about masking to school districts in January but keep them in place for child care centers and early learning centers. That means our very youngest children are under mask mandate while their parents work. (I can't wait to vote this governor out of office!)

However, if the court ruling stands, then even the young children will be unmasked.

Special Counsel Durham has Washington in a panic! The indictments that have been unsealed point to more indictments coming! Durham is laying the cases out very methodically and I think as time goes on we'll see who really did the criminal activity in the Russia Hoax. I don't think they are sleeping well in DC.

If I were Bid*n, I'd be worried about the 25th amendment. This man has had a disastrous trip overseas. His visit with the P*pe, which apparently their was a bathroom accident, and then at the COP26 summit on climate, where he was seen, along with other world leaders, sleeping during sessions. Apparently at a reception while talking with the Duchess of Cornwall, he passed gas. She's been speaking about it and everyone thinks its hilarious. 

His ability to speak is getting worse. I don't think he'll be in office much longer. He is only a puppet, though. We've been lied to for years, and I think we are going to see the lies unravel. How long will that take? 

I don't know.

What I do know is that I have two turkeys in my freezer awaiting a date with my oven in less than two weeks!

What I do know is that my daughter had her ultra sound yesterday and is having a girl! This will make two girls, two boys for their family!

What I do know is that this autumn has been a long and beautiful one.

What I do know is that God is in control. I fully trust Him.

Have a beautiful weekend, friends.