My Favorite Wreath

 

I don't know if I can say it's my favorite, as I really like all the wreaths I make. It's like your children - you love them all, but each one is unique.

I used this wreath last year in the same place but I changed out the silver bell, for this set of four brass bells.

Have you begun to decorate for Christmas? I've seen some amazing home tours, but as the years go by, I've come to the simple style I love. Garland and lights, ribbon, greens tucked here and there. 

We had to move a chair out of the living room to put the tree in, so we played a bit of musical chairs. We moved the old chair out of our room and into the basement, and put the wingback from the living room into our bedroom. I like the way the wingback looks in my bedroom, but it will need to move back into the living room at the end of the season. 

It's going to be a quiet home day today. Tim and my dad have colds, the little girls have colds and are staying home. It's rainy, too. 

I'm going to use the day to dehydrate orange slices for the co-op Christmas party on Friday, and tomorrow I'm helping decorate at church. Saturday we are going to see 'I Heard The Bells' Sight and Sound's first motion picture! It's playing in theaters starting this weekend. You can find out more {here}. We know several people who were involved in this film, some in the acting, some in the production end.

If you get the opportunity, it would be worth seeing.

Tea on Tuesday

 I hosted a tea yesterday afternoon, for my mom, my friend Jennifer, and her mil and my friend Ruth.

I didn't get a photo of the table before we started but I made mini quiche, and homemade scones. We had shortbread cookies, and I made cream for the scones, and I used the lemon curd I purchased at Trader Joe's.

It was lovely.

As you can see, Jennifer's son and Kyle were playing Mario Kart in the living room. They did well to not be loud! LOL!

I used four small tea pots so we each had our own, and I also used some Johnson Brothers Old English Castles dishes. 

I played instrumental Christmas music in the background. After tea we sat in the living room (the boys went outside), and we visited. Our friend Denny, who knows our friends as well, arrived and we all had a good visit.

I've been wanting to do a Christmas tea for a few years and yesterday I finally did it!

I'm grateful for Kyle's help with finishing the Christmas decor, and taking the leaves out of the table, etc. He's a great young man.

Today, I'm going to hang the stockings, do school with the kids, and work on dehydrating orange slices.

Weekend

 

We had a lovely weekend. On Saturday we took Weston and Rachel to the airport, then drove around Philadelphia with Sarah, Annie, and Denny. Then we went to one of my favorite places for inspiration - Terrain.

Saturday was Denny's birthday, too, so we ate lunch at Terrain.

After Terrain, we went to Trader Joe's, then came home. I cut up some beef summer sausage, and made a board of meat, cheese, crackers and clementines. Then we played some Quiddler.

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Now that Thanksgiving is over, I've brought out all my plaids, both in my home decor and in my wardrobe! 

We got our tree on Friday, and spent the weekend adding ornaments. I'm hosting a Christmas party in five days, so I'm working hard to have the house ready! I'm almost done. Just a few things to do.

Yesterday we had church, then came home for lunch. Kaidence has started to go to church with us, so after lunch she went home for a nap. Sarah and Annie went out, Sarah was meeting a friend at a cafe, and the afternoon was quiet.

We had good conversation with Sarah, on her last night here, and this morning they are on their way back to school, and Tim is off on a job.

We'll get school done this morning, then the girls will go home, 

as my friend Jennifer and her mother in law Ruth, who is also my friend, will be coming for Tea and conversation with me and my mom! I have mini quiches and I'm going to make some scones. I'll have cream, lemon curd, and jam for the scones, and I bought some shortbread cookies at Trader Joe's.

Jennifer is Kyle's friend Daniel's mom, so Daniel will be coming as well. I'm really looking forward to it.

I hope you had an excellent weekend. We've entered the advent season, and I'm looking forward to a focus on Jesus' coming. 

Here is a favorite Christmas Carol. 

Information Friday

 I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. I only have a few photos. We end up with lots of action in a small space, and not very conducive for photos. Thankfully we had mild weather yesterday and there was a lot of outdoor playing. In the evening we went to see the Christmas lights and the kids piled on Kyle!

A photo during our meal from my seat at the table.

Kennedy eating the whipped cream and mini chocolate chips off the Chocolate Cream pie I made.

Sarah and the grands piling on Kyle!

This week I have somethings to share with you, but I want to encourage you that while it is stressful, and scary at times, I do believe that the truth of what has been happening in our nation for many years (just beginning to really see it the last few) is now beginning to pour out. It's all out there to see, and many people are truly beginning to see it. When the majority sees it, we will demand change!

Oh really?

Dr. McCullough is one of the doctors that has had his license revoked because of his refuting the narrative on C19.

Bob Chapek took Disney openly woke, and the company has been losing value ever since. 

I'm going to start my Christmas decorating today. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I've Got Plenty To Be Thankful For

 

This song makes me think of all the things we have to be Thankful for!

Sarah and her friend Annie arrived safely last night. Another girl Ruth drove up with them and they dropped her off at her home which is about 10 minutes from our house! I'm thankful.

Today, Tim, our friend Denny, Kyle, Sarah, and Annie are on their way to sight see in NYC! Denny lived there for years. It's a fun time of year to be in the Big Apple. We are trusting God for safety and a good time. It is Kyle's first time going and Annie's. Sarah was a young girl the last time she was there. 

We are on a short school break so my time is my own today. I'll work on a chocolate pie for tomorrow, and maybe and English Apple pie. 

My table decor tomorrow will be some mums in jars, a pumpkin or two, and some white taper candles. Cloth napkins, my Johnson Brothers Friendly Village plates, silverplate flatware, and pretty cups.

We always do a buffet with the food. I'm thankful for my 9 foot long counter! That may require relocating the Keurig and the mugs, however. We'll see.

I enjoy Thanksgiving and sitting down all together to share what we are thankful for, and to thank the Lord for his many blessings.

I'm enjoying a Vintage Thanksgiving Playlist on YT right now. You can find it {here}. This one is nice, too.

This is a hymn called In Heavenly Love Abiding. My friend Jane shared it with me a few years ago. May it be an encouragement and a blessing to you.

In Heavenly Love Abiding

1. In heav’nly love abiding,
   No change my heart shall fear;
   And safe is such confiding,
   For nothing changes here.
   The storm may roar without me,
   My heart may low be laid,
   But God is round about me,
   And can I be dismayed?
2. Wherever He may guide me,
   No want shall turn me back;
   My Shepherd is beside me,
   And nothing can I lack.
   His wisdom ever waketh,
   His sight is never dim;
   He knows the way He taketh,
   And I will walk with Him.
3. Green pastures are before me,
   Which yet I have not seen;
   Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
   Where darkest clouds have been.
   My hope I cannot measure,
   My path to life is free;
   My Savior has my treasure,
   And He will walk with me.

Anna L. Waring

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

I Know It's Only Two Days Until Thanksgiving, But

 Let's talk Christmas!

In my home, Kyle likes things to be done in their proper time, and so no Christmas decor before Thanksgiving! However, with it just a few days away, let's talk about this most wonderful time of the year!

I love Christmas. Not only because it is the time we celebrate the coming of Jesus, but because of the sights and sounds of the season.

In my home I do mostly natural decor, greens, dried oranges or oranges with cloves, lights, ribbons. I love to hang garlands, and decorate my tree. I love a bit of Christmas in every room.

As the season approaches, I always take time to think through what I am going to do to make the season special for me, and also for my family. When I had lots of kids in the home, we built traditions for our family. Many we still keep and love, but some have changed. 

As a family we always go to see the lights at Herr's Snack Foods corporate campus. {here} It's a wonderful light display and it's free. We always get coffee (hot cocoa for me) and donuts, and drive through the display. We've been doing that for 28 years. We always go more than once during the season, and if you're visiting us during that time, you can bet we'll be taking you to see the lights!

Tim's birthday is Christmas Eve so the first part of the day is spent celebrating him! Lunch out with family and friends, and later we transition to opening stockings. For years we watched The Nativity Story before stockings, but this year, we might do it after. We have a lot of little grands and they get restless. Doing it after would mean that Nate and Kayleigh can take the kids home, and get the littles to bed.

As for things I will do for myself this season the number one thing is listen to Behold The Lamb of God by Russ Ramsey. {here} I bought it on Audible last year, and we listened every evening after dinner. It was excellent. This year, I plan to do the same thing. 

2. Reread Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon. I try to do this every year.

3. Go to tea at my favorite Tea Shop.

4. Host a Christmas party for our co-op moms!

5. Listen to Christmas music, and make a new playlist.

6. Have a tea gathering at my home for friends.

7. Watch White Christmas with my girls! This year we are wanting to go see White Christmas at the Fulton in Lancaster!

8. I like to go to Terrain at Christmastime, and then swing down into Delaware and shop at Trader Joe's. 

9. Wrap gifts.

10. Use red plaid in my decorating!

My list could go on and on but I'll stop for now.

I know that this year, we are all feeling the pinch of higher prices in all areas of life. I am determined however to celebrate the coming of Christ all the more! The light of the world has come!

John 8:12 - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Salvation has come into the world through Jesus. That is worth celebrating. 

Back tomorrow with some Thanksgiving thoughts!

Weekend

 It was cold here overnight! 20 degrees and it felt like a January or February night! I was happily tucked under my down alternative comforter and slept very well.

We had a puttering kind of weekend. I made Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice soup for dinner on Saturday, and put a roast into the crock pot Saturday night for Sunday lunch. I made fried potatoes to go with it and a salad.

I did small things, and I ordered a few shirts for Kyle, did some gift research, had conversations with my people.

Yesterday afternoon, I watched Nate and Kay's little girls for a few hours. Kaidence went to church with us yesterday, and they later brought Kennedy down to our place. Neither girl got their regular nap, and got pretty cranky. Kenni finally couldn't hold out any longer and fell asleep on my lap.

This week will be a short school week, just Monday and Tuesday. Sarah gets home tomorrow night, and I want to have my schedule free for the time she is home.

Can you believe it's almost Thanksgiving? Oh, guess what? Tim had loaned an old trailer to our Amish neighbor who told him if he ever wanted to sell it let him know. So Tim made a deal with him for one of the organic turkeys, they raise and sell, and two pumpkin pies!

 I have the fresh turkey in my fridge and I'll be putting my turkey in the oven Wednesday evening. You can read {here}how to slow roast the best tasting turkey you'll ever eat! It makes the day a bit easier to have the star of the show already cooking away in the oven when you get up on Thanksgiving day!

I hope your weekends were nice, too! We got a light snow Friday night, but it didn't really lay here. 

information Friday

 

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Autumn is on the wane here and next week is Thanksgiving. I find that many people are feeling bad about things but I want to encourage you. 

Information is being revealed and investigations are really taking place. It takes time for all the hidden corruption to come out, but it is coming. Brace yourselves, it's not going to be easy to accept.

Let's start here with this important story that came out this week. Money laundering 101.

Joe and the Dems trying to get more money laundered before the Republicans take over in January. Watch the money fly to Ukraine. This is criminal what they've been doing.

{Here}is an article about Bankman-Fried's family. These people are never random 'success' stories. They always have connections.

It's not just Dems who got money from FTX. McConnell did, too, and I am sure there are more Republicans who benefited. I did read that a Dem and a Rep who received money from FTX have donated the amount received to charity.

One of many reasons that Mitch should not be in the Senate or in the leadership. Let's see what happens.

Senator Hawley is right! 

They can hide the truth for a while but eventually it all comes out.

This case will be heard somewhere before November 2023. The wheels move slow, people. But this is a fascinating case!

Dems have all sorts of assets who run media agencies, etc. This guy is leaving one of them to start one that will try to counteract republican investigations. This means propaganda will be at an all time high! Learn to discern truth from propaganda!

In the last few years we've learned about false flags. What happened this week with the Russia bombing Poland story collapsing so quickly is evidence that it was a false flag. Of course, Ukraine, who really fired it, won't take responsibility and still blame Russia.

The reason for this false flag is that the deep state knew Trump was going to make an important announcement. They did not know what it was going to be though. There was so much feeling that it would be about corruption (which they know he has on them) that they fired a false flag to try to distract from Trump's announcement. By the end of the day and after Trump's announcement that he's running again, they had to come out and say, "Well, it looks like it wasn't Russia after all." 

This is why Trump strung them along for several days about having a big announcement. He got them to act out in someway that wakes people up. Try not to react to some of his statements etc, they are often not for us but for deep state actors. Like his statements about DeSantis.

Let's learn to discern and not react. This is what the deep state want. 

After this meeting is when they came out and started to say it wasn't Russia who fired the missile into Poland.

This is the way we take back our power. Not through violence, but through the vote. Keep voting. It matters.

Some interesting thoughts about what may be ahead for us. Trump mentioned that not everyone was awake enough to see the corruption yet. 

I hope you all have a good weekend. Be encouraged, friends. 

Walk with God, enjoy the beauty of this time of year, prepare your hearts to celebrate Thanksgiving. We truly have so much for which to be Thankful!