Shades of White

New Year's Moon with Venus

Dusky colored moon

Nighttime beauty

Wordless Wednesday

Home Again

We are back from another visit to the Shriners Hospital. It is less than two weeks from now that my son will go in for back surgery. I'll be back to post more later. It has been a long couple of days.

Merry sixth day of Christmas!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

I love this time of year!

The cousins are visiting, so my hubby and all the boys squeezed their long legs into my van and headed out for a daytrip to Cabela's. Do you have any idea how many hours six men can shop in that store? My daughter and I will have plenty of quiet time! Today I would like to try making some Orange Gumdrops—I’ve never made them, but they do look scrumptious!

Every year we put together a puzzle during the holiday celebration. This year we are doing one by Bob Byerley called "The Healing Arts."

As you can see, we have not gotten very far!

I never did get out to decorate my light post with pine boughs and lights. It is raining outside right now…so I’ll wait for a better time. I’d hate to go without it getting done this year. We still have nine more days of Christmas to do it, though. What do you think the neighbors will think, though, when we put it up so many days AFTER Christmas?!?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Day

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

The Birth of Jesus

    In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

    So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

    And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

    Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

    So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Christmas Eve

In my home, Christmas Eve is the day we begin the Christmas celebration. Before the evening Church service we make a favorite evening meal, which always includes Cream of Parsley Soup:

Cream of Parsley Soup

2 cups chopped fresh parsley

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ cup margarine

3 cups vegetable broth (I use water)

1 cup water

2 tablespoons whole wheat flour

2 cups milk

2/3 cup powdered milk

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

2/3 cup grated cheddar

 

Simmer parsley, onions, margarine, and broth until parsley is dark and limp (about 15 minutes).  Stir water and flour together into smooth paste.  Add to parsley mixture.  Stir and cook until thickened.  Add milk and powdered milk.  Continue stirring until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste. (I add 1 and 1/4 teaspoon salt.)  Five minutes before serving, add cheeses.  Cook until cheeses are melted and soup is heated through. 6 Servings.

 

After supper we attend the candlelight Christmas Eve service.

 

This is my favorite day of the year.

Christmas Wishes

I would like to wish each of you a very wonderful and joyful Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

 

Herding Cattle

Yesterday the boys helped hubby herd the cattle up to the shed. Cotton, my donkey, had rather red eyes, so they checked her to make sure that it was not pink eye--I think it was the strong winds causing eye irritation. The breeder came, and the best of our purebred Simmentals were artificially inseminated. It was a cold day to be working outside!

Missing...

I wrote it, proofed it, changed the font...and posted. So where are the last two paragraphs in my last post? I just reread what I had written and realized the ending was missing!

I talked about the 12 Days of Christmas that we were going to celebrate--time to relax and spend time with family.

??

Maybe tomorrow...

A Time of Contemplation; A Time of Celebration

Advent is a contemplative time, time to ponder what the coming of the Christ child means to us. It is also when we prepare for our Christmas celebration. But Advent is coming to an end, and soon we will be celebrating Christmas!

I have two more days to get the preparations done. I need to shop for groceries. I need to have the children wrap presents. I need to mail cards and packages. (I know, they will not arrive on time!)

I would prefer to wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree (my Grandmother did this--she would decorate it after the children went to bed), but my children always ask for the tree to be put up as soon as we break for school. So we will probably put the tree up this afternoon. Maybe we will decorate the lamp post today, too--or maybe we will wait for a day that is not -10F and -52 wind chill.

And then... Christmas Eve! We will make a special meal to enjoy before we go to the candlelit service, and when we get home, we will have cheese and crackers and any other treats the family wants. This will be family time. On Christmas morning we will open gifts, enjoy a lazy morning around the house, and eat more than anyone should at Grandmother's house!

Priceless

This Morning...

Winter is beautiful

Our skid steer is in the shop. This borrowed one is twice the size of ours and made the morning plowing go quickly.

The stream

The bird feeder--the birds say thank you

Blue vs. Red

When the Blue Jays come to my feeder, the other birds sit in the trees waiting for them to leave...unless a Red-bellied Woodpecker is around.

Even the Blue Jays allow this visitor to eat first. The woodpeckers are camera shy and do not usually stay at the feeder long, but they love suet--and when they need a new block of it, I will place it on the side of the feeder that is closer to the window; perhaps I will get a better picture.

Wordless Wednesday