I Been...Ditched...

She ditched me...Her OWN Mother...Crystal's at it again! Can you believe she decided she has had enough of FaceBook?? OMG...Do you think she's FINALLY come to her senses? She has now decided to RETURN to BLOGGING! All of this is "tongue-in-cheek" of course and I can't say I blame her. With all the changes that FB keeps doing, you get weary just trying to keep up. I have an account and when I do use it, it's mostly political happenings that I post about (someone has to do it...Hahaaa), or to see what's up with my friends. No biggie. If I bother to spend a whole five minutes on there, it's unusual. I like it to keep up with my kids and grankids and I doubt I'll ever cancel it, but it's not my favorite venue for socializing... I do the...Twitter. It's Fast, Clean and to the Point! I get to follow and BE followed by "like-minded" people which IS mainly...Hahahaa....political...WHAT??Hahaaaa....Well, SOMEONE has to save the world!!! I'm opinionated, so it works for me. So I suppose the long and short of this post is to say, Welcome Back Crystal! To me, there is just NO Where else that you can make wonderful "friends" from All Over The World like you can, by blogging...
Go welcome her home guys or chew her out for leaving in the first place...Hahaaa....I'll catch up with you all in a bit...I'm still pickin' ditch-dirt out from my fingernails...

It Begins....

I bought this ornament the year my Dad passed...love it.
The "Good" witch...Wizard of Oz
Our Buddy telling Daddy what he wants for Christmas...
Our tree which is NOT finished...more to do...


Well, Here it is again...Christmas! I LOVE this time of the year! Thanksgiving is wonderful of course, but you get to be Thankful AND tell Jesus Happy Birthday, for one whole month! Now that's what I call a celebration...

I always begin by watching Scrooge...the 1938 version...love it! I have all the filmed versions and the book. To me, the moral of the story is all about love...and if you have love in your heart for your fellow man, things all around you are seen in a totally different light. It's not about the "getting"...it's about the "giving"...reaching out to make someones day go just a little bit easier. These times are getting tougher. More and more people are loosing their jobs and even their homes. The word we'll be looking for is Patience. I think we can achieve much just by using it...Moms in grocery store lines with screaming babies...people that you know see you but pretend not to, as they rush into the stores and the door slams in your face...that guy that rides your bumper...the checkout lady who seems to have had the life slammed out of her...old people who just don't know how they'll eat today. These things are everywhere. I just truly believe that with Patience and "giving", we can all breathe a little easier. I try to give sourpusses my smile...hugs to those needing the touch of someone who cares and a few bucks to the little old lady who wants to buy her cat a treat but can't decide whether to put back the canned corn or the flour. We can make it happen! You know...that "thing" that makes it Christmas!
Do I believe in Santa Claus? You bet I do...he's...us.
Hope you're having a Wonderful start to all the festivities...It begins.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanting to wish all my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow! May your birds not be burned and your cranberries...succulent. Enjoy your holiday!!!

Thanksgiving Week...

Morning Everyone! This Harvest Cake comes from one of the Best cooks around...Miz Junie Rose! I saw she had posted this recipe on Facebook and JUST had to have it. All I had to do, was ask! Thank you Junie! It was Wonderful! For those of you that wanted it...here it is!

HARVEST CAKE

Harvest Loaf

I 3/4 cups flour (reg.) sifted
1 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp.ginger
1/4 tsp.ground cloves
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped nuts (chopped finer than they usually are in package)

Oven @350

9x5 greased and floured pan

Combine flour, soda, salt and spices.

Cream butter well - gradually add sugar - Blend in eggs - beat well.

...to this...

add dry ingredients, alternately with pumpkin, beginning and ending
with dry ingredients.

Stir in chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup nuts.

Turn into pan and top with remaining nuts.

Bake 65 to 75 minutes. (or until tooth pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean)

Let cool about 10 minutes. Run knife around all edges and turn out
onto rack to finish cooling!

I usually put a powdered sugar icing on top - in strips going both ways.
(as seen in photo!)

Recipe can be found on box of sugar.

(or mix well, powdered sugar (sm, amount) with a couple
spoons of cream or canned milk and few drops vanilla- mix until smooth and thick
enough to pour from a big spoon-onto your cake) :)

***Note About Pumpkin:
One can pumpkin -net wt. 15 oz.- is just enough for 2 Harvest Loaves-
so I usually make 2 cakes and don't have that half can of pumpkin left!***
Junie

As for me, I left out the chocolate pieces. The ginger in the recipe gives it a slight lemony taste which I LOVE! I also just used chopped walnuts for the topping and mixed some into the cake batter. I'll be making this Every Year!

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend because things are going to start getting busy! We have Thanksgiving on Thursday and that means the opening of a Very busy month! All the kids are suppose to be coming for lunch and then after that, it's...Say it With Me...Christmas Tree Time!! Yeah! I love Thanksgiving but I Love, Love, Christmas Time! Now hopefully, my new tree lights up like it's suppose to! The GranBabies will be spending the night Thursday (Tradition) to help decorate and watch movies and eat popcorn...It's always a fun night. God has been SO good to me...
Well. guess I'll try to pay attention to work chores...the computer is screaming at me to get busy. Hope you all have a Great Day!!

Monday...

Good morning everyone! Hope you all had a Sweet and peaceful weekend. Hubby and I didn't really do Squat. I went to town Saturday to get a couple of birthday presents for this coming week...When I asked Hubby if he wanted to tag along, the answer was a resounding, No!Hahaaa...men and shopping just don't mix.
All the shopping I've done so far for Christmas was immediately brought home and WRAPPED! I just want to put up the tree and pop those presents under it! I, ALONE, do all the wrapping every year and by the time I get it done, my neck and back are killing me. Not This Year!Hahaaa.....I'm one up on Santa!
Well, guess I'll turn my attention to something useful here at work...I've just noticed my coffee cup is empty...That's just Not right! Happy day Guys!

Tomorrow's Veteran's Day...

Even though you may feel afraid about the direction that our Country is heading...please try to loose that fear. One day, our Flag will once again fly high...and Free. From a tiny sliver, can come, much!
Thank you to all those Veterans of our past and present...We won't throw away all that you've done for us! May God Bless and Keep you all.

Wordless Wednesday...

SIL Tim and Daughter, Crystal...Happy Wednesday everyone! For more WW, Go HERE.

Rollin' and Smokin'....and Believin'

I have always admired Smokin' Joe Frazier...Not only was he a great boxer, but he's an honorable man. I remember this fight between Mohammed Ali (Cassius Clay) and Frazier... KnockOUT in the 15th round by Smokin' Joe!! Great fight! (Picture me jumping up and down screaming, "WHUP HIS ASS!!!....I'm so ashamed....Hahaaa...not!) Of course, Ali came back to win the next two but, hey...no problem. While Frazier never ran from a fight in his life, Ali managed to skip out on Viet Nam as a conscientious objector. Muslim you know...wasn't Always a Muslim...oh well, best shut up and get ON with it. Smokin' Joe now has the battle of his life going on right now...You've probably heard he has liver cancer and is in hospice...so sad. If you want to read about it, go HERE. UPDATE: Joe Frazier passed away November 7th...Bless his heart....
There was ALSO an Earthquake in...wait for it...Oklahoma! 5.6!! I know there's tiny ones all the time but this was unheard of in Our lifetime! Bunch of damage...with roads being torn apart! If you want to read about it, go HERE.
Got out and did some more Christmas shopping yesterday...not much but I think I'll be glad that I didn't wait. You NEVER know when something unbelievable will happen like THIS. Like I believe the WH on Anything these days!Hahahaaa.....Sometimes...you just haffta' BELIEVE!
Sweet Sunday to Everyone!

SkyWatch Friday

Open skies of New Mexico....Hope you all are having a good week! It's been getting colder here in Texas...finally. Not much going on. Just looking forward to Friday and a peaceful weekend. I really need to get out and about with my camera! I seem to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to photos. I constantly seem to be just doing two things...working and going home...period. I think it's called, being in a rut. Oh well, got a few Christmas things to wrap (hate doing the wrapping at the last minute!) and list to make out...should keep me busy for a little while...Enjoy your day and have a cuppa coffee on me!!

Wordless Wednesday...

Just a couple of loves in my life...Hubby and grandson, Will. Happy Wordless Wednesday!