Thankfulness

 I am thankful for.......

  the One true God

  Jesus, My Saviour

  the true and living WORD

  my family and friends

  my home

  my country

  countless blessings~

November Happenings!

                            White ceramic pumpkins decorate my dining table.

 
                        Maple sugar scented candles glow on the counter.

  I'll be getting out the recipes in a day or two to prepare for Thanksgiving!  I never appreciated how much work went into all these dishes when I was young and growing up.  The food just seemed to appear on the table when it was time to eat.  I was too busy playing Chinese checkers, hide and go seek and Mother-May-I with my sisters and uncles, and cousins to notice that Mama and Grandmama spent two days in the kitchen cooking!
                       Then, they had to clean it up........
  I am sure they felt it was worth it.  Tired feet and backs are a small price to pay for a gathering of families and friends in thankfulness for all we have.  Thank you, Lord, for the blessings you pour upon us.

Someone had a birthday last week!  

     Ansley is seven years old.  We partied a few days early with Hello Kitty!  I made her a strawberry cake, at her request.  It is turning into the family favorite.

                                                   Pink was the color of the day.

  
All the girls made Hello Kitty bags to take home.  Addison made a Superman LUNCH bag.

    I don't think Ansley looks TOO excited, does she?

Girls Weekend!

I got to spend some time with two of my sisters, and my cousin over the weekend.  Such fun!

We made the rounds to the Christmas Open House events in the local stores.  Lots of fun, shopping and great eating ;)  

I was able to get in a little Christmas shopping.  

The picture above of the three little ones, is my twin sisters and me!  

Girls in Grandmother Faces

                          
                            My heart is overflowing.  My head is foggy. But, I am still smiling........

   This past weekend, seven high school friends (aka: bobkittens) congregated in one city, in one house, with one mind- to have a blast and to reconnect-for a few days of relaxing, sharing and laughing.
   We succeeded.  We have changed from young girls to mostly grandmothers and parents of children leaving the nest.  As you can imagine, girlie squeals assailed the foyer as each one arrived.  Yep.  We were seventeen again.  Our brains and voices were set at that sweet young age, but our bodies didn't hear the yell.  We were definitely grandmotherly, a few didn't fit the bill, but as for me, I most certainly looked the part as the grand Nonnie I am.  I don't mind.  My grand kids really don't care how many rolls or wrinkles I have!  And, neither did my friends.

Bobkittens,  Oct. 23, 2010

Meet and Greet with other high school friends, Oct. 21, 2010

    We started the long weekend with a meet and greet of several outside our group of seven, with others who we had been close to and wanted to include.  I wish I had a audio tape of the evening.  Chatter here and chatter there, and chatter everywhere.  At one point I slipped away and got out my camera.  As I walked around the house and caught tiny bits of conversation, I was just so moved at the tenderness of the words, the compassion of the listener and the soft laughs of memories gone by.  Oh, how sweet is the aroma of friendship.

Special cake made by our host's daughter

    We were able to visit several of our parents who are still in our home area.  They were thrilled to see the girls that grew up with their daughters!  It was hard to catch up with all of us in the short time we had.

    Never underestimate the power of our Heavenly Father to move mountains and oceans to gather together seven (yes, seven~that number of perfection) of the saints to strengthen, support and share their lives.  Thank you, Lord, for this time, and for setting our paths on this journey to gather together.  We had five states represented.  We birthed twenty-two babies in our younger days, and we are grandmothers to fifteen, SO FAR.  I am sure that number will rise considerably in the years to come.

Key chains, but more importantly loving arms 

and ministering hands.  (gift bracelets from one of the Bobkittens)

     Can you remember laughing so hard you can't breath?  Is there ever any moment sweeter than remembering and telling about precious moments about your children?   Do you know how strange it is to walk the places of your teenage years and the memories come flooding back?  And ride around the neighborhoods and call back the events of elementary and high school friends, dances, ball games, dates, parties, church functions, and Christian youth gatherings?   Have you ever sat with long ago friends and closed your eyes and listened to their voices and realize they sound the same as forty years ago?

              Take time to contact your long ago friends.  You won't be sorry.  You will be blessed.

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 

Matthew 18:20

Oops!

I hope no one made Holly's pumpkin muffins before I added how much FLOUR you needed in the batter! DUH.  So sorry.  I went to make them this morning and BIG oops  ; o

So, the recipe should be right.  I'll let you know in a bit  : /
      nonnie


YES, it is right, now.  I made them for the Bobkitten weekend, and they were perfect :)

Friends forever

 I am attending a very special event/weekend very soon!  I have been anticipating it for a few months, and now, it is nearly here.  A group of very close friends from long long ago are gathering!

   In contacting one another we found even though the years have been many, it was as if we talked last week, and we just had a bit of catching up to do.  Isn't that funny?  So much has happened, marriages, children, jobs, moving, heartaches, deaths, grandchildren, and so much more in between the many years we have fellowshipped together.

   I know the time will be fun, sweet, sorrowful, and tender.  We have so much to share.  Most of us have mentioned our aging bodies, sagging skin, extra pounds, graying hair, limps, aches, pains, and all kinds of issues kin to our ages.  What is wonderful is that we are all the same age and share similar woes.

   I dreamed about us a month or so ago.  I dreamed we were living in the now era, but we looked like we did then.  We even decided to go and have retro 'dos' at a salon.  We came out with wonderful 'flips' of the late sixties and seventies.  That was a real feat since my hair is very very short.  But, you can do anything in a dream.  Remember, we all looked eighteen again!

   I don't doubt that we will talk into the wee hours, shed tears of heartaches as well as joys, laugh until we can't breath, and pour out our hearts.  We will share and pray and cover each other with love of Jesus.  I can sense the sweet smell of fellowship where old friends come together with open hearts.

I'll let you know how much fun we had, after this very special weekend coming up!

But, until then,

the loft is nearly finished!  I hope to have everything done this week.  

I am very excited, but still need to focus on the finish line.  So, just let me close and go get the drill.  I need to hang some 'stuff '.  Watch out...here I come.