Gingerbread House

This gingerbread house was created by my son, Bil Wood.

Our Christmas Traditions - Crackers and the Pickle

Christmas Crackers

After some research, I found the story of Christmas Crackers. They were invented by an English baker called Tom Smith. The Cracker is a tube that when the ends are pulled to open it, there is a popping noise or “crack”. The Cracker first included wrapped sweets or “bon bon”. The sweet was dropped and a small novelty gift was included. Soon jokes and/or witty sayings were included in the Cracker. Tom’s son started including a paper hat. The first Christmas crackers went on sale in London in 1847. The Cracker can be used for occasions other than Christmas and more expensive gifts can be included in them.

Our tradition for Christmas is putting Christmas Crackers in the tree and on Christmas morning each person takes a Cracker and opens it. You enjoy the gift, put on the silly hat, and read the jokes. We also share them with visitors during the holidays.

Here are some of the jokes that were included in our Christmas Crackers:

What do you call a blind dinosaur?
Do you think he saw us!

What lies in a pram and wobbles?
A jelly baby!

Why is an elephant large grey and wrinkly?
Because if it were small, white and smooth it would be an aspirin!

How do you start a teddy bear race?
Ready, teddy, go!

What is the most popular gardening magazine in the world?
Weeders Digest!

Customer: “This steak is terrible I want the manager”.
Waiter: “Sorry sir, he isn't on the menu”

What do they sing at a snowman's birthday party?
Freeze a jolly good fellow!

What does Santa Claus use to weed his garden?
His hoe hoe hoe!

How do you stop a rhino from charging?
Take away his credit cards!

Christmas Pickle

After research on the Christmas Pickle, it seems that no one really knows where this tradition originated. The tradition we use is the last person up on Christmas eve hangs an ornament shaped like a pickle on the Christmas Tree. On Christmas morning, excluding the person who “hid” the pickle, the other people search the tree for the pickle and the person who finds it gets a surprise gift.



Image Courtesy of www.freeimages.co.uk


Copyright © 2007 Sylvia A. Feeley All Rights Reserved

I Am Getting Old - Part Twenty-Seven

I am getting older because....I can't believe that another year has passed by. It is Thanksgiving eve, November 26. I am no longer in Arizona with the nice warm weather. As the song goes, I am back in Indiana. The weather, well it is the weather. Snow on the ground, cool and crisp today. There is more snow forecast for the remainder of this week and most of next week. I will close for now and say to everyone HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Help!

If anyone has any ideas as to the type of lamp, the manufacturer, cost or any other information regarding the lamp in this photograph, please leave a comment for me. Thank You.
(There are 3 "flicker" candle bulbs in the base of the lamp.)

Under the Weather

I have been a little under the weather and recently had to have a stress test. The good news is that I do indeed have a heart and at this time, it is working as God intended and has no blockages. I had been down in the dumps until I got the results and was feeling sorry for myself. After reading the July 18, 2008 post on Down River Drivel (on my list of favorites) I will never feel sorry for myself again. Anyone reading this should visit that site and read the post. Jeni is the author of that site and deserves some kind of award. I will now have a mission to find something appropriate for her. She is amazing as far as I am concerned.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

I have a new diet. It is called " I can't afford the gas for the car to go to the grocery store and even if I could, groceries are to high to buy, therefore I lose weight". Seriously, every day I go by the service station, I almost have a heart attack. The prices just keep rising. Some days, they change two times. Our vehicle has to use premium gas and in town it gets about 13 miles per gallon if we are lucky and 19 miles per gallon on the road. It is a 1997 model, in excellent shape, other than is sucks the gas up like a thirsty person. If we could afford to, it would be traded in for a car that gets better gas mileage, but being on a limited income, a car payment right now is out of the question. Needless to say, I do not drive much in town. I try to plan my trips and make as many stops in a day as I can rather than spreading them out over several days. We are on Social Security and the "WONDERFUL COST OF LIVING RAISE" (if you can call it that) is so small each year that by the time Medicare and the supplemental insurance increases, we net about 5.00 per month. Our two combined payments are higher than most people on Social Security, so I am thankful for that. A word of advice to any young people that might read this, SAVE, SAVE, SAVE. Even though you may be young, it is never to early to plan for the day when you will be in the situation that many older Americans find themselves today. Believe it or not, one day you will be an "older American". Well it is time for me to decide if I drive to the grocery store or walk or go hungry today. Just kidding. Until next time, so long.

Other Things

I have been up since 4:30 AM and catching up on my favorite blogs. So much has happened since the last time I visited them. Some of my favorites are no longer there and it makes me wonder what has happened to those people and makes me sad that I was away so long and lost touch with so many good people. I have become a recluse (lol), well not really, just lazy I think. There is so much I want to write about but don't know where to start so I will let this short paragraph suffice for today. See you soon.

Quotes I found today on Worry. I have been taking a long break from posting and reading my favorite blogs. I am about ready to join the human race again and not hide away anymore. I am back in Indiana and during the time I have been not writing, my brain has accumulated tons of things to write about. So in a few days, I will start to clear my mind of these mundane things.

Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weights you down. ~Toni Morrison

We experience moments absolutely free from worry. These brief respites are called panic. ~Cullen Hightower

For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe. ~Author Unknown

Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face. ~Nelson DeMille

I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time. ~Charlie Brown (Charles Schulz)

Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy. ~Leo Buscaglia

If things go wrong, don't go with them. ~Roger Babson

Transition

I will be in a transition period moving from one city to another as of February 1, 2008. I will not have an internet connection for about 1 month so needless to say I won't be posting. I hope that everything is going well for all the blogger friends I have made and I will miss each and everyone of you.

Love

Greetings

The holiday season is almost over and a new year is about to arrive. I truly hope this new year brings better things for each and everyone. I have been taking some time off from writing and visiting my favorite blogs. I needed some down time and I will get back to my writing and favorite blogs in the new year. I do not intend to make any resolutions for 2008 because I never keep them anyway, so why make them. lol

I only have one more thing to say today and that is:

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!:

Sounds of Rain

It is raining right now which is an oddity in Phoenix. The higher elevations in the state are expecting heavy snow and some flash flood warnings have been issued for the area. It reminds me of Indiana and winter storm warnings. You might think it is just rain for heavens sake but you have to know the area to understand why panic sets in when it does rain. When it rains very hard for a period of time, the run off has no place to go and all the "washes" fill with water and flood homes, etc. When you look for a place to live, one of the most important things to look for is there a "wash" close by and does it flood. There are canal systems in and around Phoenix but sometimes even those do not work when the rain is heavy.

Anyway, I am sort of enjoying the sound of rain. The rain is coming straight down so I can have my windows open. Makes me want to take a nap. The rain is forecast to continue overnight so maybe I will be able to hear that wonderful sound. On second thought, do I want to nap because of the rain or is it because I am getting older and need more rest. lol

A Prayer

This was sent to me by a very good friend.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly.

This is my prayer. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

My New Life

I am getting settled in my new place. Thursday we moved a couch and coffee table into my apartment. I am using the couch for a bed until I can get one. I got my computer moved. My son setup a wireless network in his apartment (right downstairs from me) and I get Internet connection in mine. Thank you God for that. I will not have to pay for the connection. Frank loaned me a television and I will get cable as soon as I can. Right now I have the local channels and that has been good. I may decide not to get cable because I hardly ever watched those channels anyway. We'll see. We went shopping Friday afternoon. Went to the 99 cent store and boy does a dollar go a long way. Nothing in the store cost more than 99 cents. I got supplies for the kitchen. We went to Tuesday Morning and I bought a coat (we need them at night now) and a mixer there. Hit the Family Dollar Store for a shower curtain, some snacks and condiments.

This morning, I got up, had coffee and toast, got dressed and walked to Walgreens, McDonalds and the grocery store. Came back home and turned on the TV, parked myself on the couch and watched football and snacked all afternoon. I managed to get in a nap. I just got dressed for bed and guess what, there is another football game and I am ready to lay back, cover up, get nice and toasty and watch the game. Probably will fall asleep but I can do that if I want. As you can see I am enjoying my new place and the freedom to do what I want, the way I want it. I am thankful for the things that I do have and for the new beginning. Thank you God.