On My Way

Packing

Packing is the worst part of a trip-what will I need?!!!

Getting a Hand at Lunch

At Outback for a late lunch and my friend Debby not in the mood for pictures .... Or she has a question.  She is a school teacher.

Panera's and Water Mitty Kind of Day

Twister!!!

Twister or a new form of yoga.  It's up for debate.

Photo To Come

Here is my gift from my nephew!  We took the picture yesterday and will be ordering it from Walgreens.  Fun times!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve Project

Ada and I worked on gingerbread men and a gingerbread house.

Christmas Present

I have been trying to load a video - no luck!  Oh well.

Hungry Birds!

Snow on the ground brings hungry birds!

On the Phone and Brunch

I noticed mother and daughter both on the phone, so I got mine out and made it my picture of the day.

Making A List and Checking it Twice

While we're gone on Christmas/New Year's break, the office is being rid of asbestos!  So, that means for us stripping our offices of everything on top of furniture, removing chairs, taking pictures off the wall, and even our computers and phones have to be tucked away.  I tried to label everything in boxes, and I double checked the office before I left…maybe I should have left cookies and milk…...

Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest and the Office Lunch

Here's Kandy, ready for another day at school.  And it was ugly Christmas Sweater day with the potential of winning a prize for the ugliest! Debby, our friend, did a fine job with her Wally World finds and I thought of the final touch - the Christmas pick with a nest and bird for the top of her head!  She didn't win.  But, maybe next year!!!  The kids loved it.  I used the portrait setting - auto again.  Over the Christmas break, I hope to read up on my camera to venture out more with the settings.  And Jil has been talking about Lightroom that sounds like something I would like try.

 Our insurance broker treated the whole office to lunch!  Johnny's Italian Steakhouse.  It was yummy!  The broker didn't attend, he stayed in Chicago, or where ever it is that he is from.   Apparently, that's lucky for us.  He can make coffee nervous.

Sun Rise, Sun Set

Sunrise, Sunset,
Sunrise, Sunset,
Swiftly fly the years

One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

Waiting at the Car Wash

I always think of that song, Working at the Car Wash...better than digging a ditch!  And I always feel a little better when I get my car cleaned after salted and sanded roads!

The Christmas Story

 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:   “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Candy Cane Christmas

I made some cookies for the office snack day tomorrow.  My favorites, Candy Cane cookies.  They aren't the easiest, but they are the cookies we always asked mom to make.   And every year, she would make them for us.  I think I miss my mom at Christmas time the most.  She loved making cookies and goodies.

Christmas concert

I wa going to take a picture of the concert   tonight, but the program says no photography , so here is the sage of the concert .

Around the Christmas Tree

 It was a cold winter's night.  Freezing rain brought icy streets and slippery walkways.  A good night to stay in with some movies.  Okay, I slept through the third one!  But not before I got these pictures of some pretty ornaments on the tree.  And the cat.  (Not my cat, mind you, I'm a dog person).  She likes to curl up under the tree in the evenings.  I think, for a cat, under the tree is a wonderful place to take a nap!  She didn't stay awake for even the first movie.

Throwback Thursday and a Pink Flamingo

A friend did this from an old picture I had - he did a wonderful job!!!  He just finished it recently (for Christmas last year).  Such a great gift!!!

This picture was taken back in the 60's and I was probably around 7 years old.  From my hat and shoes, I call tell it was an Easter Sunday morning on our way to church.

Here's the original picture.

Running on Empty

Okay, I admit it, I go too long between fill ups in the winter!  It's that silly discount I get at Price Chopper!  I never ever get to save on a full 20 gallons because my car holds about 15, so I make every penny count.

Frosted Window PAINS

I know that's not how the song goes, but that was what I was singing this morning.  One of those things I do not like about winter - scraping the windshield.  What a pain.  If I didn't have to go to work, and if it wasn't so bitterly cold, it would be kind of pretty.

Still a pain.

Deer Christmas

Another Pier One thing - only this time I arranged it myself.  The little deer is just too cute.  The commercials are right - they really do speak to you!

Christmas at Rehab

  Twas the night before Christmas
Down Rehab Lane.
It was peaceful and quiet,
Something hard to explain.

The night nurse had just checked
Each patient with care
And found them all sleeping
And comfortable there.

The Ivacs were quiet
As they flashed in the night.
The call bells were silent.
Everything seemed all right.

The twelve o'clock meds
Had been given and charted.
A doctor peeked in
And then quickly departed.

When out in the hall
There arose such a clatter
The nurse went at once
To see what was the matter.

As she strode down the hall
To locate the noise,
She met a fat man
With a sack full of toys.

He had a bushy white beard,
(no doubt loaded with staph)
And was covered with soot
And in need of a bath.

He wore a grimy red suit
And his boots were a mess!
How he'd slipped through Security
Was anyone's guess.

He not only looked odd
But appeared to be daft
As he smiled a big smile
And laughed a big laugh.His jolly "Ho, Ho, Ho's"
Echoed down the long hall
As they bounded and rebounded
Off of each wall.

The night nurse was furious
And glared as she hissed,
"You can't come in here
And disturb things like this!"
He lowered his sack
To the floor with a grunt,
Then chuckled and winked,
Quite pleased with his stunt.

He pulled out his pipe
And lit up with a puff.
But the night nurse was outraged!
She'd had quite enough!

"Can't you read?" she cried out,
"You ignorant clown?
There's oxygen going!
You'll burn the place down!"

He muttered some nonsense
About a sled and some deer,
But the nurse cut him short with
"You're NOT allowed here!!!"

The nurse knew just how
To handle this fellow;
She picked up the phone
And called a Code Yellow.
The EMT's came quickly
And put the guy in restraints
As they listened to the nurse
List her many complaints.
While the nurse dialed the number
Of the psychiatrist on-call,
The strange midnight visitor
Was firmly steered down the hall.

But she heard him exclaim
As he vanished from sight,
"Merry Christmas to all
and to all a Good Night!"

Written in 1980 by Betty Ann Cassano, RN, BSN and rearranged a little by me! 

The Colors of Christmas

Cardinals and pine trees, even nature has it's way of decorating for the season!

I Need a Silent Night

This is the Nativity set my mother crocheted for me.  I love the black faced sheep and the camel!  I so enjoy looking at this Nativity set during the Christmas season.  Silent night, holy night, one of my favorite songs, too.  Who wouldn't like a silent night now and then with such a busy time of the year?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow….somewhere else.

Brr, it's cold outside!  We had a little snow that recked havoc for some going to work this morning.  I'm thankful I didn't have any problems.  And I'm thankful we didn't get the ice!

Joy Among Us

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

Joy. Webster defines it as: The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight

My definition of joy is summed up in my friend, Joy. I got to know her through my job at the university. She worked in our Student Accounts/Cashiers Office and often dealt with delinquent accounts; that is, angry parents and unhappy students. Not an easy job, but she did it with grace and a smile that would warm the coldest heart. Her name fits her so well, Joy is a joy to know and have as a friend. We are close in age, and I knew some of her husband’s family before I knew her, so we enjoyed sharing stories and life experiences with one another. She left the university about the time she and her husband bought an auto repair place, which I frequented. We kept up with each other’s lives over oil changes and tire rotations. Even after she took a bank job, we went to lunch a couple of times. Lately, I’ve kept up with her on Facebook and a blog her husband writes.

Which brings me to my picture of the day. It’s of a group of ladies that meet over their lunch hour twice a month for a prayer shawl ministry. Now mind you, I do not consider myself a knitter or a crocheter, but my mom was, so I thought I’d give it a try. I don’t knit, and I’m not sure I want to try, but if I have a simple enough pattern, I can make a crocheted shawl. I have lost count how many I have made, but with each one I have wondered who it would go to; and I have prayed for the recipient and what ever adversity they are facing. I know when I went through some difficult days of uncertainty and loss; the smallest acts of kindness and words of comfort meant so much. The shawls we make are representative of the arms of God wrapping the person in love and a tangible reminder that someone is praying for them.

I believe even in adversity, God gives joy. I can’t explain it, other than I know it. Not the laugh out loud with giddy happiness, but a deep, down in the soul joy. It’s the knowledge I possess something of great value, an eternal love. Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit and told us we would never be alone. To think the God of the universe is with me everyday gives reason to my joy. Another of my favorite quotes, God isn’t interested in my comfort, He’s interested in my character. Adversity brings out the best in those that believe. Joy isn’t dependent on circumstances, health, wealth, or fame. It resides within. Adversity makes us totally dependent on God, and who better to depend on than our Creator?

My friend Joy posted a picture of herself on Facebook a month or so ago, wrapped in a turquoise shawl I had made over this past summer. She was on a doctor’s exam table waiting her first round of chemotherapy. She had a double mastectomy and has a couple of months of chemo to go through. She had the same lovely smile on her face as always. Joy knows pain, uncertainty, waiting, hoping, and seeing your loved ones with tears in their eyes when they look at you. But, in her smile and in her eyes I see joy because God knows Joy, and she knows Him.

I had no idea this summer as I worked on the shawl it would be for someone I knew personally. I didn’t know the prayers I prayed where for my friend Joy. I’m thankful for the opportunity.

One of my recent favorite songs is Won’t You Be My Love by Mercy Me. Making shawls may not seem like much, but by doing it, in some small way, our group is sending out His love, and His joy, to the Joys among us. The last lines of the song go like this:

We will be your voice calling
We will be your hands healing
We will be your feet walking
Into a broken world

We will be your chain breaker
We will be your peace maker
We will be your hope and joy
We will be your love

We will be your love

Click here to hear Mercy Me's Won't You Be My Love?

Granny Franny Chapel Tuesday

Shortly after our university President arrived, he requested all faculty and staff to attend chapel, so we close offices on Tuesday mornings and go to chapel with the students.  Today was a special treat.  The infamous Granny Franny got to share her thoughts.  She's the 82-year young student that was featured in our school paper.  This article hit Facebook and then a local new station came for an interview.  Before we knew it, we had a celebrity on campus!  Granny Franny was crowned Homecoming Granny, got to be on the Queen Latifah Show, was featured in People Magazine, National Inquirer and will be on the Weekend Today Show December 13th!  She has put MNU on the map like no one else ever has!  My favorite piece of advice to the students:  "I don't want to read or see on TV that a MNU student was in a car accident because they were texting.  Don't text and drive.  Or excessive speeding, don't do that…."  She's a cutie!  And a go-getter.  And a perfect example that no matter how old you are, learning keeps you young.  And God can use you in ways you never though possible!   I imagine she had no idea what a semester at MNU would hold for her, let alone the publicity she and MNU would receive!  Go Granny!

Camelot Morning to Kansas Sunset

The morning started foggy and gray.  The kind of fog that reminds me of a European medieval morning with castles, drawbridges, bows, arrows, jeweled and gold clothing.

I had stayed in a castle in Germany that overlooked the Rhine River on a vacation with my friends. The room I was in had arrow slits for windows.  In the morning a fog rolled in and created a mysterious and magical feel.  I had to pass by a suit of armor to breakfast which was assorted meats, cheese, breads and Nutella, strong coffee and fresh orange juice.  A breakfast fit for a King and Queen!

This morning my breakfast was Peanut Butter Cheerios, I crossed the Kansas River to get to work and the most mysterious thing in my day was "What did I pack this time for lunch?"  But, I had the fog, and the feeling was there - especially going over the river, looking down and seeing the mist rising from it.  It sends me back to a time I never knew.   But I can imagine.

Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment, that was known as Camelot.

Fog does that for me - I'm in that castle again, looking out over the Rhine River.  Feeling a little like King Arthur, Guinevere, and Merlin will soon show up.

As I left work, the fog was gone, but it left in it's place a beautiful Kansas sunset.  I don't think Camelot could top this one.   Well, maybe a knight on a white horse riding off into the sunset…..

Getting My Christmas On….Oh What a Merry Mess

I am trying to get a little decorating done, but I am making more of a mess than getting it done.  I found some clothes to take to Goodwill, some mail I needed to shred and got some text messages and  emails I needed to write back a response.  I have pulled out plastic tubs full of nutcrackers, a handmade nativity set, tree decorations, and packed my Thanksgiving decorations away.  But that's about it.  I keep finding other things to do! And now it's 8:30 pm and I realized I hadn't taken a picture yet - so, another excuse.

I thought this Santa was appropriate.  He is busy making toys, but I don't see any around his chair.  Maybe he thought of other things to do, too, like feeding the reindeer, eating a cookie, and making a snowman…..

Hopefully he will get on track and get all the toys ready in the next few short weeks he has left until Christmas.  It will be here and gone before we know it.  Maybe I should put on my list that Round Tuit I needed in October.

Now to find my Christmas cards…….

Jingle Bells and Peppermint

I  got this center piece for my table at Pier One year before last.  I saw it displayed on a table.  It was everything I wanted, and it looked so good all together.  I took my basket and loaded the whole display into it.  It was a whole lot easier than hunting everything down!