Hodgepodge - Christmas Style

  I've been away from blogging for a week and it has become such a part of my life that I miss it when I am gone.  And, I can't think of a better way to come back than with Hodgepodge.  Thanks Joyce, I thoroughly enjoyed this week's questions.
 

1. How will you spend 'the night before Christmas'?
Our family Christmas is generally on Christmas Eve. We will have our meal around 3:30 that afternoon and then attend a Christmas Eve Service at 5:30.  We will come home, have a birthday party for Jesus (complete with cake and all) and then have our gift exchange. It's a jam packed few hours with my favorite people.
 
2.  What is one thing you are not?
Unkempt...........Okay, go ahead and laugh, but it is the truth.  I am going to have makeup on, hair fixed, lips lined and glossed and earrings on everyday, no matter what I might be doing or where I might be going.  I know, weird, but "it is what it is" and I'm likely not gonna change. ~big laugh~
 
3.  Fudge-are you a fan?  Your favorite flavor?
Well, since I make about 40 - 50 pounds of fudge every Christmas, you would think that I would be a HUGE fan.  But, believe it or not, I do not eat fudge.  I know, crazy!  But, when I was a young lass, I overindulged in fudge that my Grandmother had made and I got sick.  Since that time I have never eaten fudge again.  But, since I am  one of the few folks that does not eat it, I enjoy making and sharing it with others during the holiday season.  It is something I have been doing for over 15 years and something that I thoroughly enjoy.  And, I have been known to lick the spoon when I am finished. ~ yummy~
 
4. Did you attend any craft/vendor fairs in the month of December?  Do you prefer homemade goodies or the more professional stalls? Are you giving any homemade gifts this year?
I do not think that I have ever attended a craft fair in the month of December.  I enjoy some homemade goodies if I personally know the vendor.  Otherwise, no!  I suppose I prefer the professional stalls best.  Guess I answered the 3rd part of this question above.
 
5. What's your favorite type of holiday gathering?
A real "down home" affair would be my favorite.  By that I mean, being with dear friends that are a part of my life day in and day out and have been with me through "thick and thin."  Well, this is second to being with my family, that goes without saying.
 
6.  We're approaching a new year...what's going to be different in 2013?
Oh, my, I wish I knew! I have a lot of personal things that I pray are different.  I am a very organized and structured person and want to think that I use my time wisely.  But, I am afraid that I could do a much better job in that area by doing more things with eternal value.  I pray that's what is going to be different in 2013.
 
7. Share a favorite scripture, quote, saying, or song lyric relating to peace.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.  John 14:27
 
8.  Insert your own random thought here.
 As with many today, my heart is so heavy. There is the loss of all the precious children in the senseless shooting, there are those dealing with life threatening illness, and there are families dealing with who knows what all.  This makes for such sadness and dark times for many.  But, as I think of all of this I am reminded of that precious baby that was born in a manager to give us life abundant, no matter what we may be facing. 

I leave you with this.........Hubby reading the Christmas story (as sweet Clancy looks on) before our gift exchange with our Kansas family this past weekend.

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Well, I had not planned to participate this week because we are in route to Kansas.  I'm relaxing in a lovely hotel room in downtown Oklahoma City and decided that I just had to get in one more post before the Christmas fun begins with our Kansas kids.  Now, I know you are tickled too death! ~grin~

Thanks Joyce for always "showing up."

1.  So, when did you last take a walk in the woods? A stroll along the beach? A drive going nowhere in particular in the car? 

Well, can't remember the exact date of walking in the woods, but it was some time ago.  I went with Hubby to put corn in his deer feeders.  It's been about a year and a half since I strolled on the beach.  Hubby and I were in beautiful Fairhope, Alabama at The Grand Hotel.  About once a month Hubby and I get in the car and just ride with no particular purpose in mind.

2.  Are you sending Christmas cards this year?  About how many do you send?  Photo card or something more traditional?  How do you display the cards you receive?

Oh, yes, I always send Christmas cards and probably always will.  I know that many folks no longer do, but it is something that I really enjoy and I'm hopeful that those on the receiving end enjoy them.  I think I sent about 125 this year and they are a tri-fold photo card.  I used an online card service called Send Out Cards
and I created the card with their online software and then they mail them on the date I specified.  How cool is that?  It's the easiest card sending I've ever done and I use them for all my card sending year around.  Okay, back to the subject at hand........I have no great way to display my cards.  I lay them on a shelf in our family room and we enjoy picking them up from time to time and re-looking at all of them
 

3. What's a word you've heard too much of in the past week?

Holiday instead of Christmas. It's crazy how often I've heard Happy Holidays where it use to be Merry Christmas.  Just another sign of the times we are living in.  So very sad!

4. December 13th is National Cocoa Day-are you a fan?  Plain or flavored?  Marshmallows or no marshmallows?

I do not indulge in hot cocoa often, but I do like it.  I like it with the whipped topping you spray out of the can.  Talk about good, that is yummy!  Marshmallows are too sticky! ~ grin~

5. What is something you do to help alleviate the hectic pace of the Christmas season?

I start thinking about Christmas way in advance.  I get my shopping done very early, and I do most of my goodie making early.  I decorate as soon as Thanksgiving is over and I am able to just really enjoy the weeks leading up to Christmas.  I enjoy a little "hustle and bustle" but I cannot stand to be or feel hurried.

6. Besides jewelry, what's a favorite sparkly-glittery item in your home or closet?

I have several tops and jackets with bling and I love them, especially at this time of year.  I like for it to be tasteful, but a little bling is fun! My favorite "bling maker" is Christine Alexander.  Her line of clothes is just the best and the bling absolutely never comes off if you care for it the way the label states.

7. Share a favorite line or two from any Christmas carol.

Mary, Did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Lord of all creation?

Mary, Did you know that your Baby Boy

Will one day rule the nations? 

Did you know that your Baby Boy

Is Heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child your holding

Is the great I AM! 

 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
 As I mentioned earlier, Hubby and I are staying in downtown Oklahoma City tonight in route to Dodge City.  We have really had a fun time today as we left home around 7:00 this morning.  We arrived here around 4:30, had a lovely dinner at Mickey Mantle's Steakhouse (delicious food) and then rambled around Bricktown looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights.  We did all this on foot as we are staying within walking distance.  We ended up at Bass Pro Shop and enjoyed browsing around there.  It was all about the journey today but tomorrow will likely be all about the destination - Dodge City here we come!

Miscellany Monday

I'm so glad that in the midst of all Carissa has going on these days that she stops long enough to host MM each Monday.  I bet it gets her week off to as good of a start as it does ours.  

 
Inquiring minds want to know......

After posting last Monday about using buckets instead of stockings for our kiddos, I had several requests to show what they looked like.  So, here you go!  One is plastic and one is metal and I have two of each of them.  These are for the adults and I haven't really been able to find suitable buckets for the Grans just yet.  But, I'm on the look out and I'm just sure I'll find some soon.  As I said, I found these about 5-6 years ago at Wal-Mart and I haven't seen any like them since.  So, I take extra good care of them.  They hold all different shapes and sizes of stuff very well.


True Southern Belles..........

  Yes, The Formidible Women are true Southern Belles and we take great pride in that fact. ~ grin~ This past Friday I hosted my annual Christmas Brunch for them.  We all bring a gift and then have a gift exchange.  It is always a fun time for us to kick back for a couple of hours and just enjoy being together and celebrating a "Formidible Women style Christmas."

Dirty Santa.........

Saturday evening we attended our Sunday School Department party and after dinner, we played Dirty Santa.  Well, as the pictures show, it was most interesting.  Someone brought the cute Snowman entrance rug and when Mary Lynn got it, she did not plan to let go of it.  You can see that when Becky came to take it away, Mary Lynn got down on her knees begging her not to take it.  But, Becky did not give in and very happily took it and she didn't intend to let it go either.  But, Mary K. had other plans and she very politely took it from Becky and she left the party the happy new owner of the Snowman rug.  Can I just say it was more fun "than a barrel of monkeys."  

Cutie Patootie.........

Just take a look at our Princess in her cute Christmas outfit.  And, by all means, please notice the red shoes with the lime green poka dots.  For heaven's sakes, how much cuter can it get?  She was matching from her head to her toes and notice the "My Little Pony" that she has in her hand.  Yep, that was her Mama's in 1983!  DIL got it out last week and gave it to Hanna Beth and she hasn't put it down since.  How funny!
  

Christmas in Dodge City...........

  On Tuesday morning Hubby and I will board our sleigh and head out to Dodge City to see this "cutie pie" and to celebrate Christmas with he and his parents.  This is what you do when many miles separate you and those you love at Christmas - you make it work.  We will celebrate Christmas next Saturday and then return home on Monday and get ready to celebrate with our family here.  Looks like we are in for some very Christmasey weather that includes cold temps and a whole lotta wind.  Oh, me! chills me to the bone just thinking about it. ~Bur-r-r-r~

I'll be "laying low" in blogland the next week, but never fear, I'll be back with lots of pictures and tales!

  

Friday Favorites - Christmas Style

 I'm excited about joining with Rachel today for Friday Favorites.

We've been celebrating the Christmas season in full force around here this week and it's been so much fun.  

I've had the decorations up since the weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm always ready to put them up as soon as Thanksgiving is over but I'm also just as ready to get them down.  This picture doesn't really do our front porch and door justice but you'll just have to take my word for it. ~smile~  The twinkle lights are really pretty at night and we have spot lights that shine on the red glittered 
Fleur -de-Lis. (And, in case you are wondering what that sign says on our front door........it is to remind the USPS, UPS and FEDEX that they are NOT to leave packages on the porch. Our dogs think that any and all packages are for them.)

  I use to decorate in "grand style" but now I decorate in "mini grand style."  It is just too difficult to carry all the decorations up and down our very steep stairs and since I'm the one that does the carrying, I have simplified things quite a bit.  But, it is still very pretty and definitely feels "Christmasey" around here.  For now, I'll hold you in suspense as to what our tree looks like. 

Since we will be loading up our sleigh and heading towards Dodge City this next Tuesday, I decided to do any entertaining I was going to do this week.  We will return home on the 17th, but I didn't want to come in and have anything to do except do my fudge deliveries. ~smile~  So, it has been a busy week of entertaining and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Every year I have Hubby's staff for lunch during the Christmas season.   Our son and 4 great gals make up his staff and as I often say, they are "the grease behind the wheel."  They do a great job and we look forward to sharing this special time of year with them.

I always fix up some kind of "Christmas happie" for the girls and this year it was Vera Bradley  totes filled to the brim with all kinds of goodies.  VB had a big sale this summer on this particular tote and I could not resist getting them one. I think they were pleased.

After they enjoyed digging through their happies they presented Hubby and I some Christmas goodies as well.

They gave me a charm for my Pandora bracelet and Hubby got a beautiful Scrimshaw engraved knife. And, they gave us a nice gift card to Longhorn's.  Yea!

We appreciate these gals and our son and their hard work and it's always a privilege to share this special time with them each Christmas. And, I enjoy a cuppa Java with them 2 or 3 times a week too. ~grin~

Last night we had a holiday dinner to attend  and then today I'm hosting my annual brunch for The Formidible Women (my birthday group - pictures will be forth coming). Tomorrow evening is our Sunday School  gathering.   Indeed, it's been a week full of favorite holiday gatherings! 

Christmas blessings to you!

   

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Thanks Joyce for another week of great questions.  It's always such fun to visit others and see their answers and the different ways we all interrupt your questions. Here goes to another week of Hodgepodge!

1.  Share your traditions surrounding the Christmas stocking.

Well, our children would be the first to tell you that they get more excited over their stockings than their gifts.  Except that they do not have stockings (well, they have stockings, as you can see from the photo above, but we do not fill them), they have buckets.  Several years ago I ran across the cutest Christmas buckets, about a gallon in size, and they are so, so much easier to fill than a stocking.  They are the very last thing that is opened and might I add, they are filled with some really neat and fabulous items. ~smile~  I think about them all year long and when I see items that "grab me," I grab them and save them for the buckets.  

  2.  How many hours of sleep do you average at night?  Is it enough?
I average about 7 - 71/2 hours of sleep and it is plenty.  I am generally asleep by 10:30 PM and I'm "up and at it" at 5:30 AM.  I love the early morning and am my most productive in the early day.  As the day winds down, so do I.

  3.  If you had to give up one thing for the remainder of this year what would it be? 
Well, I'm not sure if this should be something that we really enjoy or if that even matters.  But, I usually drink a Diet Dr. Pepper every day at lunch with my half sandwich and I do really enjoy it.  It's the only one I have all day, so if I had to, I would give it up for the next 26 days.  (I can't wait to see everyone else' answers to this) 

4.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or Wills and Kate as I like to call them) have announced they're expecting a baby. Do you follow news of the Royals? 

 I do not follow William and Kate.  I think they are a lovely looking couple, but I doubt seriously they have a clue about "real life" and I am sure they would like to have a more normal life.  One that doesn't include every "Tom, Dick and Harry" up in their business.  But, it goes with the territory and hopefully they know that.~smile~


5.  For me,  the sound of childhood is__________________.
  The sound of excited giggles, such as when it's almost time to open Christmas presents and they have waited just as long as they possibly can.

  6.  Fruit cake-yay or boo? What's your favorite dessert made with fruit?
 

It's a "boo" for most fruitcake.  I love how they look but I do not want anything in a fruitcake except red candied cherries and pecans.  Forget the green cherries, the rasiens and/or dates and other strange stuff!  Some years I make Icebox Fruitcake and I only put the red cherries and pecans in it and it is "to die for." 
(in my humble opinion)
My favorite cake with fruit would, hands down be, Mandarin Orange Cake.  Oh, me! makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  So, so good, especially on a hot summer's day.

  7. What is one thing you want to accomplish before 2012 comes to an end?
I would like to once and for all realize that some things in life that are just what they are and they are not going to change and the best thing that I can do is ask the good Lord to help me accept them.  Sounds simple enough doesn't it?  Well, I find myself wanting some things to change so badly that I just completely forget that.  Maybe I can realize this once and for all by Dec. 31, 2012. ~hope - hope~ (I bet I am the only Hodgepodger that didn't answer that with some type of project they wanted to finish before the end of the year) ho!ho!ho!


8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

 I had no idea that there were a bazillion recipes for Chex Snack Mix.  If you go to their website here, you will see what I am talking about.  I found one called Cajun Kick Snack Mix and that sounded like something that would be very Louisiana and very good! I made a double batch yesterday afternoon and it took all of 10 minutes.  The microwave has made this task all too easy and what a great "holiday happy" to package in a cute container and give away.  It's for sure, you can't eat just one handful!

 

Miscellany Monday

We only have today and 4 more Mondays left in 2012. Wow! 2013 will be here before we can blink.  Aren't we glad that Carissa is always here on Monday to host our randomness.  Thanks Carissa, you are the bomb!!!

My Magical Fairy............

For many, many years this young lady has been coming to my aid.  Angela is like a "girl Friday", there's nothing that she can't do.  She always decorates our Christmas tree here at the house and the one at Hubby's office.  She has such decorating flair and I love just sitting back and watching her work her magic. I've known her since she was a mere child and now she's all grown up with a daughter in college.  I'm trying to convince her that a part of her job needs to be taking down the tree as well.  She hasn't agreed to that yet. ~grin~  Now, that I've gone to a 4' tree placed on a round decorator table, her job has gotten much easier, but she makes that little tree just come alive when she's through with it. Yea!


As a child..........

I have the most vivid childhood memories of these little fellas.  Oh, my goodness, Alvin and the Chipmunks were my very favorite and I knew every song they sung by heart.  We did not have a TV until I was 8 years old (can you believe that) so I listened to the radio and played records a lot.  I had all the  45 rpm Chipmunk records and would sing to my hearts content in my Christmas excitement.  Remembering that brings a smile to my face. 


Major changes..........

 About 4 years ago our little town lost the one business that had been making us "tick" for many a year.  International Paper made the decision to close the plant they had here in Bastrop.  Not only was our city forever changed, but the lives of many of the people who live here.  IP has been slowly tearing down the plant over the past 4 years and this past Saturday morning the largest part of the mill was imploded.  It rattled the windows of almost every resident as it crumbled down and the sadness of the closing was relived once again.  But, as in all things, life does go on, maybe not in the same way, but it does go on.


Small town America.........

Hubby and I joined our son, DIL and Hanna Beth for the annual Christmas parade this past Saturday evening.  Hanna Beth didn't care that there wasn't a whole lot to it.   Through her little eyes it was was exciting as The Macy's parade. ~grin~  It made the whole event worth while just to watch her.    Don't Hubby and I look all festive with our Santa blanket? ~big laugh~


A Little Christmas Magic..........

  Let me introduce you to Clifford and Maya!  Two years ago I gave Clancy and Hanna Beth, the Elf on the Shelf.  Of course, they were much to young to get "into" it at that time, but such is not the case this year.  Their Moms brought them out on Saturday and both of them are beside themselves with excitement over their elf.  As you can see Clifford got into the flour Saturday night and wrote Clancy's name in the flour and Maya appeared for the first time hanging in the tree and  brought Hanna Beth the cute pair of PJ's she is wearing.  Oh, the magic of Christmas with these little ones.  Both of them are certainly being taught the real reason for Christmas but there is room for a little magic amidst the serious. ~at least in my opinion~


And......

 

Sunday Social

  

1. What is your favorite holiday season tradition?

Taken last Christmas

 When our son and daughter were little tikes we began having a birthday party for Jesus during our Christmas Eve celebration.  It was a most special time and it is now a special time for us to share with our Grans.  It is such a simple way to show little ones what a special day Christmas is and the One for whom we celebrate.  We continued this tradition long after our children were grown because no matter the age, it is a great reminder of "the reason for the season."

2. Do you have a certain holiday movie you watch more than others? If so what is it?

I'm not one to watch and rewatch movies but what's not to like about "It's a Wonderful Life"  and what's not to like about James Stewart.  This is truly one of the all time classics!


3. Show us your favorite decoration or pinterest decoration you wish you could have.  

I would love to have this gorgeous display on our mailbox but that cannot happen where we live.  First, wandering dogs would likely tackle it first chance they had and then how would something like this fare after heavy rains and wind.  Surely it isn't something that you just take out and attach on a pretty day.  Anyway, loved this Pinterest find!

4. What is your favorite holiday song?
Oh, I love "I'll be Home for Christmas."  I enjoy it sung by most anyone but Rascal Flatts does a grand job but  hearing Bing Crosby sing the original version he wrote back in 1943 will usually bring tears to my eyes.
 

5. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Dessert, why not desserts?  I'm not sure that I can say just one but if it has a dab of chocolate, some coconut and either walnuts or pecans, I'll be a happy gal!  
 

6. What is on your wish list this year?
Well, until a couple of days ago, I couldn't think of a thing I wanted.  But, that has changed.  I have decided that I would enjoy a color laser printer for my computer.  Being creative with my computer is one of my most enjoyable hobbies  and I think having a laser printer would give my creativity a more professional look and be more cost effective than buying ink cartridges. So, we'll see if the little man with the red hat agrees.