It Starts Out a Little Sappy, But Oh It's Beautiful! Prepared

1. Our voices unite in a song of prayer. These lyrics break my heart and soul because they are so beautifully true. 

"These inward trials I employ

From self and pride to set thee free

And break thy schemes of earthly joy

That thou may'st find thy all in me."

2. To stand shoulder to shoulder with one hundred other people in song is such a gift. Some of us can't sing worth a lick, but when it's all swirled together it always sounds beautiful. This is the way I imagine Heaven will be. Billions of voices from all eternity raised in praise to God.

3. A warm-up has arrived. We go around the yard, tossing out the pumpkins, gourds, and dead mums. We put the lawnmower away and generally prepare for winter. I think we're all tucked away now.

Done Deal, You Lookin' At Me?, Evening Out

1. Steve chose the son-in-laws' gifts online and BAM!, Christmas shopping is done.
2. Cows are funny, curious animals. When Henri and I walked to the mailbox, the herd turned and walked toward us en masse. It's hard to believe Henri and I are that interesting.
3. We met up with Steve's co-worker and wife at Blue Five for dinner and live music. Melissa and the Growlers perform Blues, Funk, and Soul.

What's All the Fuss About?, My Choice, Advanced Style

1. Daughter #4 and her friends left the house before sunrise so they could go to the mall to see what Black Friday was all about. They've never been. I told them the word of the day is 'patience'. She texted me a while later and said there was no one there and nothing that made it worth all the fuss. I gladly rest my case.
1a. She was very excited about her one purchase, though.

Prada $300. Some store at the mall $9

2. Now me, on the other hand, I went to Walmart. And only because we had the pressing need to get Advent candles before Sunday. I reasoned that since I was feeling very mellow from all the food I ate the day prior and patience was my virtue today, I could handle Walmart, at high noon on Black Friday, no problem. I'm happy to report that we sailed right in and out of there without even anyone in front of us at the checkout. It was painless. Well...as painless as Walmart can be.
3. I watched this movie tonight. It has me thinking a lot. It's more about attitude than style. I told Steve that I think I need to be eccentric as I age. He said I am already eccentric. Ha!

Together, Here and There, Telephone Pictionary, Sharing Thoughts

 1. The snow cover makes it feel more like Christmas than Thanksgiving. That's okay. The bottom line is that it's a holiday and we're gathering round the table.
2. We make and receive phone calls to loved ones who are faraway and cannot be with us.
3. One of our guests brought a bottle of Muscato- one of my favorites! I sip one glass with dinner and another when the day is done and my feet are up.
4. When we were finished dining and settled into comfortable chairs, we played one of our favorite games. It's guaranteed for lots of laughs. Instructions HERE.
5. It's a rare opportunity to sit and have a long length of time to talk with a daughter, one-on-one. I'm so glad the opportunity presented itself tonight. I was shocked to look at the clock and see that it was midnight when we finally went to bed.

People's Kindnesses Saved the Day, Including Husband's

1. We woke to a persistent, heavy snow! To everyone's surprise, school was in session and it was a morning of telephone chaos at the office. Right in the midst of it, our third grade teacher's husband came in with Panera bagels, a large carton of coffee and a box of Krispy Cream donuts. How we thanked him for his generosity! It was appreciated beyond words.
2. The snow and the winter wonderland it gave us was really beautiful. Yes, it was inconvenient, uncomfortable, and too early in the season, but it was so pretty.
3. Steve drove us to work in his four-wheel-drive so, we arrived home together this afternoon. We walked into a freezing cold house and a power outage. Steve set to building a fire in the woodstove and starting up the generator. I'm so thankful he was here.
3a.We dined on S'mores and then popcorn for dinner.
3a. Power was restored at 7:00pm and by 7:30 two pies were in the oven. (The generator can run everything but the oven. We cycle the other utilities on and off as needed such as lights, heat, and water.)
4. Our mailbox was knocked down into the ditch. It happens more frequently than we care for. We were waiting for packages to arrive, so Steve parked his truck at the end of the drive and waited an hour to catch the mailman as he went by.

Simmering, For Me?, Getting Ready

1. I LOVE to create something from practically nothing. Chicken and turkey stock is one of those things. I had two turkey breast carcasses left from Sunday and I used a simple recipe to make a ton of stock. The stock is then poured into one-cup portions and frozen. I used Styrofoam cups because I had plenty on hand. Once frozen, I tear them out of the foam and store them in Ziploc bags for use all winter long.

Find a simple chicken stock recipe here.

2. I received two beautiful gifts from out of nowhere today : )

2a. B. left a pottery bowl filled with candies along with my eggs this week. It is the prettiest form with a beautiful profile.

2b. K. dropped by with a gigondo poinsettia in shades of pink. I have the perfect spot for it. The house is beginning to look festive!

3.It's still so mild outside that it's hard to believe we're talking about a possible snowfall for tomorrow. I sweep up the porch and make it winter-ready. The winters and summers seem to muddle themselves together sometimes.

In Hand, Puzzling, Helping

Flickr photo by Muffet/liz west.

1. I captured a milkweed fairy and brought it inside. It sits under the cloche in company with the peacock feather and bird's nest.
2. Adding pantry items to already full shelves was like solving a puzzle: If I move this there, then I can slide that over... It was also a game of chance: If I stack this on top, will it topple over?
3. A friend emailed to tell me she found boiler and pearl onions somewhere and do I want her to pick some up for me.