What We Wore

I trust you had a wonderful Day of Giving Thanks with family and/or friends this past Thursday.

Our daughter Christy and husband Chuck, always host their parents and Chuck's sister who lives nearby.

This is not a big dress-up, formal affair for any of us, but we do like to look nice.

This year for some reason, with the exception of Ava Grace, found us in dark colors.

I wore a black sweater with jeans and boots

This bat-wing sweater was featured on Lea's blog, CiCi's Corner a few weeks ago.  It was one of her favorite Amazon Prime purchases.  I am so glad I took her recommendation because I have already worn it a couple times.  It will be ideal for layering when we go north for Christmas.  But, it was also perfect for the damp cool weather in Dallas for Thanksgiving.

My jeans are old but still some of my favorites.  They are Jag jeans and can be found HERE.

These statement boots are Remonte and I bought them last year in Shipshawana, Indiana.  They are super comfortable and I simply love the combination of colors.  I only wear them with solid color clothing because they demand attention.

My only jewelry was this pair of dangling earrings.

Christy was comfortable and cozy in this pretty deep burgundy sweater and black leggings.

Our fashionista, Cassidy put us all to shame with this adorable black sweater dress and nude suede boots.

Adorable 13 year old Ava Grace's leopard jeans and tan cowl neck sweater, was the bright spot of the day as is also her personality.

The beautiful table wore the most colorful tones.

We missed Emily and David who were celebrating their first Thanksgiving as a married couple with family in Arkansas.

Chandler and Brad were colorfully and appropriately dressed for their day spent in the jungles of Bali.

And that's how we dressed for our Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks and Happy Links

Wow, can you believe it is actually the day before Thanksgiving in the year of 2019?

Where has this year gone?  I say this every year, but each year seems to have a time table of its own.  When I get to this particular season of the year and reflect back, it seems like January 1 was only a couple days ago.

Thankfully God still gives us 365 days each year and it is still up to us how we use those days regardless how fast they seem to come and go.

There is so much for which to be grateful this time of year as we look back.

We are grateful for health, for time spent with our children and grandchildren, for God's protection and intervention, for our extended family and especially for God's miracle work in the life of our little Charlotte.

We are most grateful that God saw fit to send His Son into the world to love and forgive us and give us hope, peace and eternal life with Him.

Tomorrow we will be driving to Dallas to be with our daughter Christy and her family, minus two daughters and their husbands.  We will reflect on God's mercies and His blessings, while enjoying a delicious meal and time around a beautiful table.

May this be a Happy Grateful Day for you as well.

I am including several links to blogs that I found interesting and inspiring this morning.

Marsha is a blogger friend from Houston and shared how to truly observe Giving Thanks Day tomorrow.

Splendarosa

Should you need to make a quick escape from the hub bub, you might enjoy seeing these amazing homes in San Francisco and take a last-minute Fall Home Tour on the the blog The Dedicated House

Again this week, we have been reminded that we cannot predict tomorrow, with the death of a dear and long-time friend.

"Because time here is short, you have to know the long game that wins forever.

Life is a vapour and wisdom is knowing how to inhale every breath."

This is a quote from Ann Voscamp's post this morning.  It is very timely and thought provoking to help us deal with the unknowns of life.

She also gives us 3 Keys to the Best Family Advent to help us focus on what Advent means and how to prepare ourselves for it.

If you are interested in making your own cranberry sauce for your guests tomorrow, Leslie at Lemon Grove Lane gave us her Easy Cranberry Sauce recipe.

She also shared some quick and easy tips for doing Christmas Touches in the Kitchen

Brenda Emmons at Emerging Life Ministries wrote an interesting post dealing with  "Do we really have a reason to be angry?" Sometimes we are guilty of telling God what His will is for us, don't we. Brenda speaks to this today.

May your Giving Thanks Day be blessed!

A Willy Wonka Weekend

This past weekend, our youngest granddaughter, Ava Grace performed in the North Dallas Performing Arts production of Willy Wonka.  She played the role of Mrs. Bucket, Charlie's mother.

She did such a great job as did all these talented kids.

These are a few of my favorite pictures of her.

Poor Mrs. Bucket is wondering where the next meal will come from.

But there is always plenty of love, laughter and "thinking positive" in their home.

Mr. and Mrs. Bucket find great enjoyment in the antics of their son Charlie and two sets of grandparents who also live in the home.

Charlie finds one of the hidden golden tickets and is chosen by the retiring Willy Wonka to run the candy factory.

She did a beautiful job on her solo.

And before we were ready, it was over and this group of talented kids were taking their bows.

Needless to say, we were the most proud grandparents there.

After attending Sunday morning worship service together, the afternoon brought two more performances and our trip back home.  It was a short visit but such a good one.

This sweetheart puppy dog had to have her right eye removed a few weeks ago, but she doesn't seem to be bothered by it at all.  She is adorable and loves her Bibby!

Now, BIG news!

The casting director of Ava Grace's upcoming Cinemark debut posted this on her Facebook page.  We can hardly wait to see our girl on the big screen.

I will be letting you know when it's out.

DO I HAVE TO?

I am seeing so many bloggers post about getting signs of Christmas into their homes.  They are calling it early decorating.

I look around at my house and think,

DO I HAVE TO?

I love seeing all the comforting colors of Fall that make me happy and I don't want to let go.  Yet!

On these pleasant early November afternoons, Dick and I so enjoy sitting out on the back porch with these touches of ambiance.  I know we could enjoy it with red candles and a Christmasy cloth on the table.  But, for some reason it doesn't seem like it would be as warm and inviting.

I love this little vignette on my kitchen counter, 

and the apple spice fragrance coming from this lovely arrangement on my table.

I love walking by this side table and seeing all the mingled colors of fall in the glistening glass.

In the evenings, we so enjoy seeing the glow from inside this large pumpkin in the living room.  It also casts the warmest glow through the glass front door out into the street.  To me it says, "we are cozy and warm inside this house."

I just don't want to let go of these gorgeous rich colors yet.

I especially am not ready to let go of my beloved clothes that say "I love Fall!"

So, when I think of climbing up the attic stairs to bring down the few items we use for decorating the house while we are gone most of the month of December, I want to shout,

DO I HAVE TO?

What is wrong with leaving out all these things that make me happy until I decide it's time to move on?

After all, it's my house.  Right?

Now, that I have that off my chest, I may get past Thanksgiving, and my ailing hand has had time to heal some more, and decide it's time.

I will keep you posted.  But in the meantime, I will continue to enjoy all the Christmas touches you bloggers are adding to your lovely homes without the least bit of envy.

Who knows, I may get some much needed inspiration.

Wednesday Medley

Welcome to this week's edition of Wednesday Medley.

Click this LINK to join other bloggers.

Wednesday Medley for November 20th.

1. Avast, ye mateys! On this date in 1820, a whale rammed and sank the Essex. This

served as inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby-Dick which was a commercial failure.

Not until years after Melville's passing was the book regarded as a masterpiece.

Do you know of something that was considered a failure only to have that very same

idea eventually become a success?

I read that bubble wrap began as an interesting idea for wallpaper, only to fail.  It was

then considered as a possible insulation for buildings.  Needless to say this didn't fly

either.  It was only when IBM used some to package a computer for shipping that it
became the huge success it is today.

2. Today we celebrate National Absurdity Day. We are encouraged to do crazy and zany

things. Please share a crazy and zany thing you've done ⁠— as long as the statute of limitations has expired!

Stairs leading to the top can be seen on the right side.

Back in the early 60's my college boyfriend and I, along with another couple climbed
the railing stairs (see above) to the tip top of a new and yet to be opened expansion
bridge over a river.  We sat at the very top for a while, dangling our legs over the side,
before realizing that we had to go back down in the dark.  I never drove over that
bridge without thinking what a crazy/stupid thing that had been.

3. Today is National Peanut Butter Fudge Day. Tomorrow is National Gingerbread Cookie

Day. Would you rather be celebrating with peanut butter fudge or a gingerbread man?

Definitely peanut butter fudge!

4. This is National Farm⁠ — City Week. During this week, the importance of agriculture in everyday life and learning about healthy food choices is stressed. Do you avoid fast food

and convenience foods? Try to maintain a balance?

We rarely eat fast food of any description.

5. And we shoot the Nerf gun at the laptop screen to select our birthday celebrant.... Happy Birthday, Chiyono Hasegawa! (1896–2011). She achieved one hundred and fifteen years of age!

When meeting someone of an advanced age, are you in awe of all the wondrous (and terrifying) things that person witnessed?

At 75 I am considered a person of advanced age!  But, yes there are older folks than

myself and I do look at them in amazement at what all they have witnessed in their

lifetime.  I also know that to many of them, witnessing the decline of civility, morality,

and common sense in our world today, is a sad and disappointing thing.

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.

This has been a week of physical rehab on my right hand that is going well in spite

of still having a good bit of discomfort and pain.

Hubby will be getting the stitches out following his eyelid surgery last Thursday.  He

has done amazingly well and I can't wait to see the completely healed after.

The best part of our week is yet to come this weekend.

We will be going to Dallas on Saturday morning to spend some time with our daughter

and her family.  We will also get to see Ava Grace perform in the North Dallas

Performing Arts Theater production of "Willy Wonka."  She will play the role of

Charlie's mother and I can't wait to hear her solo.

Speaking of our beautiful Granddaughter, she had an exciting thing happen this week
when she learned her orthodontist will be posting her new and gorgeous smile on the
wall of his office.  Now how fun is that!

Saturday 9: Judy Garland

It is good to be joining the other Saturday 9 posters after being out for a few weeks.  Click on the link to join us and see how the others have answered these fun questions relating to some of the Judy Garland songs from this 1961 performance.

Judy at Carnegie Hall (1961)

Song #1: "When You're Smiling." What made you smile this week?

There have been a number of things that have brought a smile to my face, actually.  The simple joy of a text from my daughter; a phone call from my son and my sweet husband doing a thoughtful act; talking to my sister and hearing a happy tone in her voice; reading about God's unconditional love for me from His Word; speaking to a lovely group of ladies and seeing their facial responses to what I said; and the lovely appreciation gift they gave me.

Song #2: "Almost Like Being in Love." We've all had many crushes, but love is rare. How many times have you fallen in love?

Oh I thought I was in love a few times, but my real love has lasted just short of 55 years.

Song #3: "This Can't Be Love." This Rodgers and Hart song was introduced in the play, The Boys from Syracuse. Syracuse is the county seat of Onondaga County, NY. What county do you hail from?

I am from Louisiana and we have parishes instead of counties.  I was born in Lincoln Parish, grew up mostly in Evangeline Parish, spent the greatest amount of time (33 years) in Morehouse Parish, and now have resided in Caddo Parish for 17 years.

Song #4: "Do It Again." What's something you'd do again, if only you had the time or money? (A book you'd like to reread, a recipe or pattern you'd like to make again, a vacation destination you'd like to revisit, etc.)

I would like to see and hold my two babies for the first time again.  We think at the time, we will never forget those moments and yet we do.  That was 50 and 48 years ago.

Song #5: "You Go to My Head." Judy forgets the lyrics, but gamely keeps going. Tell us about a recent moment when you chose to keep going, no matter what.

I had hand surgery about 4 weeks ago and started therapy this week to hopefully regain the full use of my hand.  I am determined to keep on keeping on regardless of the pain and discomfort involved.

Song #6: "Alone Together." Is anyone there with you as you answer these questions, or are you alone?

I am all alone but not lonely.

Song #7: "Who Cares?" This song was written by brothers George and Ira Gershwin. They had a lesser known brother, stockbroker Arthur. Are you more creative and artistic, like George and Ira? Or more analytical and methodical, like Arthur?

I am a combination of both.  The analytical and methodical part of me dictates the more structural aspect of my creativity.

Song #8: "Puttin' on the Ritz." Judy sings that The Ritz is the place in New York "where fashion sits." If we wanted to see everyone "all gussied up" in your town, where would we go?

It probably would be one of the Mardi Gras Krewe Balls of which I am not a part.  People dress nicely for the symphony but that is not a formal event like the balls would be.  Both men and women still dress very nicely at our church on Sundays.

Song #9: "How Long Has This Been Going On?" Judy sings about discovering how glorious romance can be. Have you made any new discoveries lately? It doesn't have to be as groundbreaking as Judy's. A new podcast or a faster route to work counts, too. 

I really can't think of anything new, but I have been reminded of some pretty amazing things if that counts.

If you're wondering why there are no Garland hits here ... these are her first numbers in the order that she performed them. She saved her better-known songs for the end of concert. Who am I to second guess Judy?