HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope everyone will have a safe and happy New Year's Eve party! Enjoy each other's company and welcome the new year in with love, kindness & thoughtfulness! May God bless you all!

Grouchy Old Man

I have been reading how I can add a video clip to this blog. It might be faster than sending it individually to a number of people so thought I would try it. My hubby might not want this to be shown but he did a good job even though I missed most of it. I was 'watching' instead of 'videoing' his performance. Anyway, I got a few words taped. My camera is not the best and I didn't even realize that the sound would work but "oh my gosh, it did"! This was his part in the Christmas Eve service. It was a drama segment. He is definitely NOT a grouchy old man so he played his part well.

Along with this little drama was a lot of music. The venue was broken up into three different segments for different pastors to share. Very well done. I wish I had the whole video clip now. Oh well, this performance will have to do.

Computers

I was'off line' for most of yesterday' until about 9 pm last night. Then, I was so frustrated with this computer that I just shut down!  Bah computers!

I was trying to work on my e-Reader yesterday downloading some free uploads from a few sites and also tried to do some downloading of some music. I somehow got on the Imesh site and must have allowed it to become my main page because from that point on ... I had caos on my computer. There was a battle going on inside with the 'little guys' as my Internet Explorer did not want to give up ownership of the hard drive and thus shut itself down! (that's my explanation).

Anyway, my neighbor came over and spent about 2 hrs trying to UNinstall Imesh from all the places it attached itself. It was too much for me to take in. I am not even sure now what he did! He was getting frustrated himself so I know things were not going well. However, long story short, he was able to UNinstall and delete and he REinstalled Internet Explorer even though I did not find my operation disk for him to install it. He copied it from our downstairs computer. What a process.

All this time I thought I was covered by Norton through our other computer. Alas, silly me, I was not and still am not so definitely need to do that this morning. No more searching out sites until I get that done! Did I say, bah humbug yet?

My Eyes are Dim

I received a Sony e-Reader for Christmas. The past few days have been reading instructions and downloading stuff. An expensive gift that keeps on giving as you need to purchase books to download - Oh I know you get some free books too and I have spent lots of time going through them and downloading also.I feel much like that song ... 'my eyes are dim I cannot see, I do not have my specs with me!" Except, I do have my specs on and my eyes still are getting dim. Too much time spent reading instructions, watching the green bar as it downloads and checking out where these things are going on my computer.  It is like the 'black hole' as I download and then wonder where it has placed itself!!! I am totally at it's mercy. Computers make me realize how little I know and how much more information is out there. BUT do I really care?!

Merry Christmas

I truly understand what a lot of people are saying when they comment that Christmas is 'a lot of work' and many say they are 'happy when it's over'.  I, on the other hand, LOVE Christmas. This year I must admit was a bit different. I often 'bordered' on the same emotion as others. I say that only  because our daughter and her family were NOT with us for the first time in her life. Melancholy? you bet I was!  I had to give myself a 'schlap' once in awhile and tell myself to 'get with the program'. Fortunately, we were busy 'getting ready' for other company on Christmas Day. Christmas Eve also was busy as my husband was in the Christmas Eve pagent as a 'grouchy old man' and so he was involved in rehearsals and just thinking of his lines. We also were invited out after the production to a few different places and ended up in our friend's home having a casual, relaxed evening.

Christmas morning I was up early (at 6 am) to my shagrin! I wanted to sleep in since I had no 'little people' around this year. That was not to be.  I got up, made coffee and read the Christmas story to myself as my hubby had got up very early and had fallen asleep in the basement. So, I left him to dream his dreams and waited patiently for him to awaken. About 7:15 he came upstairs and we both had another cup of coffee and began to open our gifts for each other. Christmas tree lights are on, and I had put on the DVD we got from our Christmas Santa party and enjoyed a fake fire on our 42" HD screen which was accompanied by Christmas carols on it as well. So...with our atmosphere now fully established, I played Santa and handed out the gifts. He outnumbered me in the amount of gifts he received. That is simply because I like to give a lot of gifts for the same amount of money that he gives me one!!! So, we started with him, then him again, then, me and then him! It was all very organized.  I was thoroughly surprised and delighted to receive a Sony E-Reader (which I still have to download and connect). He received a book (hard copy) and some crossword puzzles (which he loves to do), a new sweatshirt (FINALLY!!) and a pair of lounging pj's and an indoor/outdoor digital  thermometer with remote sensor. Nothing big but he liked them all. The book is the latest of Joel Rosenberg's The Twelfth Imam. It is very thick and I am sure he will be in it for a few days (at least).

After breakfast we organized some of our fixin's for our supper that evening and at 10:30 we joined our neighbors next door for brunch. They had their family home for Christmas and wanted us to join them - which we did. Thank you for the lovely meal! About 12:30 we headed back to our place and spent the rest of the afternoon putting together the meal we served at 4 pm. Lots of work but it was a good time together. Our friends arrived and for the next number of hours we totally enjoyed ourselves, laughing and joking and eating. It was great.  Before they left for home, we had the dishes in the dishwasher, pots and pans cleaned and the turkey deboned and into the pot for soup. Just before I headed to bed, I finished that process and am now looking forward to making soup next week.

As I reminisce now about Christmas Day, I realize how blessed we are.  We have family and friends we share our lives with and though we are not always able to be with them on special occasions, we know we are loved. Thanks be to God. Happy Birthday, Jesus.

You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Psalm 23:5

Is It Noise or Silence?

A couple of days have gone by and I haven't felt the need or urge to write in my blog. Not that things aren't happening - because they are - but more 'cause I just haven't felt like it.  That causes me to think INWARD and wonder WHY?  I didn't do that for long - as you can tell - I am back on the blog.  I was just reading another blog lady who said her computer got a virus and so the store says it may not be repaired until after the holiday weekend. She figures she will be 'fasting' - not food - but internet! I laughed when I read it but ... that's not a bad idea.  Perhaps we have too many things happening in our lives - no time to sit and listen -  hear the silence. We always have to be 'doing' something. What happens if we are NOT always 'doing'? Guilty conscience? boredom? do the fingers start tapping? Feeling aimless? No direction?  Yes to all.

It is only three sleeps till Christmas morning. It will be different this year as our kids won't be here with us. Usually they are with us for Christmas day or Christmas Eve. Either way, we see them. Not this year. They are staying put and having the other grandparents visit. I am happy for them but as I said...it will be different.

Maybe we will have to try and do something different - something we wouldn't normally do if we had all the family home. Not sure what that is right now but maybe there will be something to report in a few days. In the meantime, I am enjoying the odd 'wholesome' Christmas tv special. Sometimes it means watching something made in the 50's or 60's or even earlier! Wholesome is an uncommon word these days.

Well, if I decide to 'tune out' to the noise and 'tune in' to the silence over the next few days, I may as well say "Merry Christmas and God bless ". Be good to each other. We're all we have.

A quick visit

Baba in her new red sweater

It snowed a lot on Tues and Wed and we were happy to see that roads all plowed when we headed out Thur morning for Bonnyville. It was good to see mom - 101 years old. Amazing. We had an early Christmas celebration with her and we gave her our gift - a beautiful red sweater. I did not get a picture of her 'all dolled up' for her Christmas party that evening but she did try it on for us and she said she liked it. She wore a silky white blouse with bow ties and a silver broach with black slacks. I am sure she looked wonderful!

We spent some time at the farm also. They have had lots of snow so it was more beautiful than usual. Got a few pics of the sky there at sunset. I love the cloud formations the way they develop in their neck of the woods! Beautiful.


Sunset on the farm

On Fri evening we attended the piano recital for our four great neices - 6, 8, 12, 14 years of age. They also sang 'Away in a Manger' for everyone. It was a nice evening. It was held at the senior lodge in Cherry Hill.



Here we are with our great neices

Sunrise this morning was beautiful again with the clouds. They are my favourite part of the day!

Sunrise on the farm

On our way home we drove by the hotel in Bonnyville which had a big fire on Wed night and all day Thursday. We saw the smoke in  the air as we approached the town. The main road was blocked off all day. 11 people were safely removed but one is still missing. Very sad. Hopefully that person is out of town and not in the hotel. They will do a search today. It was amazing to see the ice packed and hanging on the walls from the fire hoses.



Fire in the still occupied 1950's hotel.

An easy ride home. The roads are all ploughed and we are ready for the next snowfall which I believe is coming on Sunday. It is already snowing lightly now.