This Wasn't It

(The music is Kenny G's The Moment) Click if you wish to hear this song.

You know how I have been asking myself, "I wonder what magic will happen to me today?" Well, the beauty of asking myself that question is that I am on the lookout for when something magical happens, and when something happens that is not particularly good, I can say, "That wasn't it!"

Yesterday was a case in point. When I woke up I came down to my laptop only to find it didn't work...which to me means I couldn't get on the internet. When I tried the phone, it didn't work. When I tried the tv, it didn't work. Nope!! All three life necessities which are all tied up in our cable company were not working.

I spent an hour and a half talking with the company and when Tom went down to get the morning paper .. this is what he found.



The snowplow that came through our cul de sac yesterday morning took out our cable pedestal.....cut the cable and rendered me helpless. I am glad to say it was fixed by mid-afternoon and all that remained to be done was having Tom get all four of our computers back online........which he did while I was sleeping.

I guess it is fair to say......the magic happened while I was sleeping.

A Little .. A Lot Of Magic Tonight

(If you would like the music, please click the little arrow on the left. You can turn it off at any time as I hope you will read the previous post and take the time to listen to a special video I have chosen to share from last Christmas Day, 2006)

Now, on to tonight's post.

I went to visit my son Adam's blog tonight. I saw the most wonderful post. It was about 9:15 p.m. and I read and re-read his post. Merry Christmas to me! I love you Adam, Sara Beth, Joseph, Kallsen and Parker. My, do I!! Love, Granma

Here is Adam's post. Sorry honey, I borrowed it from you. Thank you!

A Christmas Wish

"Parker is in a two year-old pre-school class. A project they did this week was to ask the kids in the class questions about Christmas and what they wanted. The teacher writes the questions and then writes the answers each child gives and sends that home on one side of some construction paper with the other side being a picture your child colored during class.

Here's what we learned about Parker. He wants a Diego and dump truck for Christmas. He wants to eat mashed potatoes and moo moo for Christmas dinner. And on Christmas day he wants to spend time with Mommy, Daddy, Brother and Granma.

The above picture was taken at Granma's house last Christmas. "

And, now, I am adding a picture that warms my heart. When Adam and his family were here visiting for my birthday last March, 2006, Parker fell asleep in my arms soon after breakfast. As you might be able to tell, this is an early morning picture.

I just love this picture. What a happy happy end to my day!

Merry Christmas everyone!

A Special Memory From Christmas Day 2006

I am trying to post a video and it might not work. If it does, it will be great. If not, I will try and find another way to see if I can get it to post. X your fingers everyone!

I have chosen to share my family's Christmas Day prayer from 2006. The family last year ranged in ages from my 1 yr old grandson to my 94 year old father and all of us that fell in between those years.

It is tradition for us to stand in a circle around the table holding hands during the prayer. Tom and my brother-in-law, David, are both ordained ministers. Tom is ordained in the Methodist church and David is ordained in the Missouri Synod Lutheran church.

I love this video and am so glad to be able to share it with all of you.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I Wonder What Magic Will Happen To Me Today

I think it was yesterday I decided to ask myself every single day, "I wonder what magic will happen to me today?" It didn't take long today.

Here is the story. Our dishwasher is on the fritz. That is not the magic part! No, it isn't. I was just washing up some dishes. It was 8:45 a.m. and I was enjoying the feel of the warm soapy water on my hands and looking out the window watching the snow fall. Even that is not the magic part, although it could be.

And, then, the phone rang. I dried my hands and picked up the phone. It was my morning call from Sarah and Punkin (Davey) and Derek. Sarah said, "I have something to tell you. Last night Davey fell asleep on my lap on the floor. He moved a little bit and looked up at me and said, 'Mama, call gamma.' and then fell back asleep."

Man, talk about magic!

The pictures are from Christmas Day 2006. Merry Christmas everyone!

Memories That Come With The Decorating

Decorating the house for Christmas has always been fun for me. It is also a little bit of work and sometimes an exercise in creativity. I love to create little settings that give me a feeling. Each year I do a little something different and somehow whatever I do ends up having a bit of sentiment, nostalgia and smiles.

This year the table in the upstairs hallway was the place I found a new and fun thought that makes me smile every time I think about it. And, a smile from the inside is awfully close to the feeling of magic.

The magic is in the last picture. You will see why because I will tell you why. See, even that made me smile!

The hall table upstairs has a new scene on it this year. I made a little setting with two lighted Hummel houses that Tom gave me a few years ago. One building is a church and the other is a house. I have two little lit Christmas trees, a sweet birdhouse with sleds resting on it and the whole setting is surrounded by three angels. I wanted the feeling of love and protection and the good news to surround the little world I created. And let's not forget the snowflakes hanging on the greenery. Everything is nice and safe and warm and cozy.

This is the upstairs scene in the dark of night with just the lights from the table and houses turned on....no overhead light and no flash. This one brings me peace and calm.

And, this picture is the magical one for me. This one is what my little grandchildren would see if they were making their way upstairs and peeked through the railing. I love life seen through a child's eyes.

Merry Christmas everyone!

And The Carolers Came Last Night

It was a wonderful weekend. For some reason the snowstorm on Saturday made me think of snowdays. Remember snowdays when you were little? It meant you got to stay home from school and play. The whole weekend felt magical to me and while I got some important Christmas preparations done, I felt so different on the inside. I relaxed and thought to myself, "Why would anyone go crazy getting ready for something fun?"

Tom got the snow off the front deck just in time for the lovely final memory of the weekend. Some young people from the Bible college right up the road came and sang carols on the front deck. It was nice.

I love Christmas.

Some People Worry About Dust......

I have turned dust into a research project!

Night Fell And It Was Time.....

Yes, night fell and it was time...time to bring out the snowblower for the first time this year. There is always a little bit of uncertainty when you pull the cord for the first time.

WILL IT START? WILL IT START? WILL IT START?

I have to say that Tom was a trooper and solved the problem of the defiant snowblower and ultimately won over the machine. All it needed was a little squirt of ether in the combustion chamber and voila!! It was off and runnng and we have a clear driveway until morning. Thank you Tom!

Following The Snowstorm

By 3:00 in the afternoon the snow was still coming down although there doesn't seem to be much accumulation. The day has been bleak, gray and overcast. Sometimes snowstorms make you feel nostalgic....like when you were a child. This snowstorm doesn't make me feel that way. I am just glad to be safe at home looking forward to having pizza for supper. Doesn't that sound good?

Below are a few pictures of how things look outside now.

There has been a little accumulation, but not much

As you can seen things still look pretty bleak out there

I love the glow of the light over the kitchen sink as you look out onto the back deck. All that is missing is our little deer family who seems to live around here...there is a buck, a doe and a fawn that show up quite often

First Snowstorm Of The Winter Of 2007

We are getting our first snowstorm of the winter today. The weathermen were forecasting the snow would be coming around noon today. It actually started coming down about 8:30 this morning. We are supposed to get between five and eight inches during the day and maybe three to five inches more by morning.

This is not a nice light fluffy romantic snow. How do I know this? I know this because I had to get out to the store and get some food to see us through the next couple of days for sure. The wind was blowing, the small amount of snow on the road was drifting and the snow that hit my face felt more like frozen spittle. Made myself laugh. Somehow spittle doesn't come close to romantic.

Below are some pictures of my house as I am getting it ready for Christmas and of the snowstorm so far.

A little Christmas tree with a little train and music box

Memories of Kallsen and Christmas last year. This little train that is in pieces used to be the train under the little Christmas tree above. When Kallsen was here last year we were all sitting around the fireplace room and before we knew it Kallsen had hold of the little train and it went flying across the room. It was one of those times you just had to laugh. It can be put back together but I like it this way if the truth be known. I love you Kallsen! xo

Front deck with two benches

Wintry scene

The bags of groceries I went out to get this morning putting my life at risk (ok, not really)

I love this little doll looking out the window. I make up stories about her and what she is doing. Today she is watching the storm and reminding me of the four little grandsons who love to stand at this window and look out too

Kind Of An Interesting Thought

You know how they say youth is wasted on the young? I suppose that means when you are young you don't truly appreciate the freedom you have....the time you get to play and be carefree. You take life for granted maybe.

What about the thought I just had.......wisdom is wasted on the old. You can't take your wisdom and live your life over. You can't go back and do things over. There are some things you just don't get do-overs on. And, often the young don't want your wisdom. They want to get their own wisdom.

Perhaps if we mix our wisdom with the spirit of youth..........and make it a point to live life to its fullest each and every day....perhaps if we lift our awareness to the point where we not only live life to the fullest....but appreciate it every single day and give thanks for it....maybe then our wisdom isn't wasted on the old. And, the young people in our lives will be inspired by our example....not our words....our example as we live our lives not taking it for granted.

I have no idea if this makes any sense or not. But, there you are...you have been included in my early morning thoughts on a beautiful, crisp, sunny November day.

(The picture is from the Corn Maze last October, 2006. I think it shows exactly what I am thinking about this morning. You see me on the left at 64 years of age, my dad on the right at 94 years of age and Davey on the bottom at 4 years of age.)

He Said, "I'll Be Busy"

Punkin (Davey, who is 4 years old) calls me just about every day. When he called me yesterday he said he wished it was his birthday. He is going to a little friend's birthday party today, and when that happens, he always wishes it was his birthday. I understand that.

He said on his next birthday he was going to be five. I asked him if I could come to his birthday party and he said, "Absolutely!" Well, needless to say, that made me feel pretty good. So, I asked him if he would come to my next birthday party. He said, "Hmmmmmm, no. I'll be busy."

So, his mom Sarah said, "What will you be doing Davey?" He said, "I'll be cleaning the house." I asked him, "If I have a cake, would you come then?" He said, "Hmmmmmmmmm, no I'll be cleaning the house."

It still makes me laugh. I'm not sure how I will get him to my birthday party. He is so funny!

Back On Track (Made Myself Laugh)

Yep, I am back on track. I am back on track posting some pictures from the train trip Tom, Joe and I took in October. Get it? Back on track? Train track? Ok, I know you get it. Just having a little fun instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing today. And, what is that?

I am supposed to be decorating my formal dining room for Christmas. In fact, when I spoke with Joe earlier today, I told him I was going to lock myself in the dining room until I got it done, no matter how long it took. Since that time I have run an errand, done a little Christmas shopping and bought one Christmas gift and now I am doing this.

The good news is that I have also ironed the tablecloth and runner for the dining room table and taken some of the decoration storage bins to the basement. And, that is how I ended up here. Yep, my recliner and laptop were literally blocking my path and I couldn't get past them without stopping. So, there you have it....the story of my life on Friday, November 23, 2007.

The pictures below are scenes of the Chicago skyline and entering the train station. Chicago isn't exactly considered the back yard of America, but I think the pictures are beautiful and have an airy and ethereal quality to them. I am simply amazed that skyscrapers, highrises, train tracks, and such industrial scenes can look so beautiful against the backdrop of blue sky and white clouds and the late afternoon sun.

(Since I wrote this, I looked back at earlier posts from our trip. I discovered most of these pictures are repeats from one of the slideshows I did. That is ok, since the still shots will give people a chance to stay with any given picture.)













We had a three hour stopover in Chicago. Because we had booked a sleeper suite for the next leg of our journey from Chicago to Washington, D.C. we got to stay in the V.I.P. lounge. That is definitely the way to go. Being in the V.I.P. lounge gave us all a chance to relax, have a complimentary cup of coffee and some free pretzels or chips before we boarded our next train.

It wasn't long before we heard the words......All aboard for Washington, D.C. Wait a minute. I think that was the train we almost missed! Yes, it was. We were lucky to board the train on time. In fact, one of the fellows who is called A Red Cap hurriedly escorted us to the train and got us on board! Bet you forgot that part didn't you Tom and Joe!

Another oops!! It was the train from Washingotn, D.C. to Clemson, SC we almost missed. Thanks Joe!

Before I Forget..........

I was going to let my previous new post stand alone, but I wanted to tell this story before I forgot it.

It was around Halloween time, and Davey (Punkin to me) asked me to come to the bathroom with him. Well, important conversations happen in the bathroom. Punkin and I were talking about something, and I called him Punkin like I always do.

He looked at me very seriously and said, "Gramma, you can't call me Punkin anymore. I am not orange. I am not green. I am a boy. Look at my body!"

I tried not to laugh and asked him what I should call him. He said I could call him Davey W______ W_______ Punkin. So, that is what I called him. As of two days ago, Nov 20, 2007 I have been instructed to call him David Davey W_____ W_______ Punkin.

The phone rang today, Thanksgiving, and I said "Hello." My little Punkin said "Hi, gramma!" I said, "Hi, David Davey W_____ W_______ Punkin!" He laughed and seemed glad I remembered. We talked for a while and then the light snow we got today seemed to invite him to go outside and before we said good bye he said to me, "Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinnnnnnnerrrrrrrrrrr!" And, off he went to share his joy with the outside world. Happy Thanksgiving David Davey W_____ W______ Punkin! I love you! xx

Love,
Gramma

(This picture of Punkin is from September, 2007. I think it was taken on his first day of pre-school this fall. I don't know where the time goes. I just know it is going fast.)

November Sunrise And Sunset

I love the sky. I can see the sunrise from the window in my fireplace room. I can see the sun setting from the window in my formal dining room. When I drive to work I am always aware of the sky. Trips to the grocery store or Walgreens give me reason to watch the sky and see what it is going to show me that day. Will it be whimsical clouds or a brilliant full or crescent moon that will capture my attention?

The sky to me is a never ending story. A few mornings ago I was making coffee and the sky began to turn pink. I ran for my camera and drew open the patio door drapes, opened the patio door and stepped out onto the back deck to be greeted by this beautiful sunrise.



And, tonight, Thanksgiving night, as I was cleaning up the kitchen I turned and saw the sun beginning to set in the sky and shine its light through my dining room window. What a beautiful world we live in.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I love you family and friends and wish you all blessings of the season!

A Side Trip Story

Sarah, Dave, Davey and Derek went to Disneyworld the same week Tom, Joe and I went to South Carolina on the Amtrak. In the two pictures below the boys have their arms around each other, which in itself is darling.

Yesterday, when I was talking to Davey we talked about how nice I thought it was that they had their arms around each other. Davey said, "That is when we are getting along."

I asked him, "Can I put my arm around you too Punkin?" He said, "No, Gramma. You have to put both your arms around me because you are glad to see me!" When my heart was done melting I said, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I can surely do that!

Side trips in life might last but a moment, but I wouldn't miss them for the world!