Thankful Tues/Christmas Cards

This is my Christmas Card assembly line~ On this thankful Tues/Wed. I'm thankful for the cards I get and for the cards I send.

This will be my 49th year of doing this and I love it just as much today as I did the first year I was married.

My Card sending has evolved over these years. At first I just bought pretty cards and hand wrote everywhere from a note to a long letter in each one. It would depend on if it was people I saw. Then when I had two little girls I would slip in their little birthday picture of the year. I know everyone didn't get a picture because we couldn't afford to buy that many.

That pretty much went on as the norm until Daniel and then I would try to pose them or find a picture with the 3 of them and order some copies and enclose them. I remember those days I would get the cards that were all different and I would pick just the one I thought each person would like.

Then the big change started taking over the cards I was receiving. They were "form letter" cards, I use to call them and hated them. Those that used them and added a personal note I appreciated, those that sent printed pictures on paper of people I didn't know doing things I didn't know always irritated me. At least identify the people in the pictures! So it was about that time I started cutting back on my cards, I could sort of tell the ones that I was "just on a list" and those that wanted to hear from me.

I've never kept up with who sent what because that wasn't why I sent my Christmas cards but I did drop some that I felt were becoming an obligation.

After 30 some years of pretty much doing it the same way I got my computer :) And I discovered cards and photo's that could be slipped in to the front of the card. Gone were all the pretty cards to look at, but it sure did save me some time and that was a busy few years in there. I continued to hand write a letter or note for each card though.

Then I gave in to my own lack of time and laziness I guess after realizing I was sending pretty much the same letter to everyone. I made up two letters.. The long form for those I didn't see or hear from much and the short one for those that did. On the back of each card though I wrote a personal note to my friends, family and loved ones. And I printed a few photo's of children and grandchildren along the way.

Of course, the evolution just kept coming until I just ordered photo cards, printed the family letter and printed more photo's(But I do Identify them!) I did continue to write a little note on each one. I also think it was about this time that I ordered the return labels to match and I discovered a wonderful service. Very inexpensive, I just have to send them my names and addresses and they send them to me ready to peel and stick! It's cheaper then the ink I was buying for the labels. All I have to do is keep my address book up to date.

Now, I just pick the family (Penny and her siblings) picture, Print my letter and print a page full of photo's, Fold letter's, stuff them in with the cards, apply a snowflakes to the back, two labels on the front and a stamp! This year, I'm given up the personal hand written letters and that makes me sad, because I love getting them, but such is life.

So on this Thankful Tues, that is what I'm thankful for.. My Christmas Cards.. Both the ones I get and the ones I send. I just love the process as it's done. It's fun for me and brings me pleasure, I've never thought of it as a chore. So if you get one, know that it's done with love and sent to you because I want to.

Thankful Tues/Thanksgiving

I apologize for the long delay in posts, but stuff happens and you have to regroup and try to get back on track.

On This Thankful Tues. before our Thanksgiving I'm so very thankful for memories of past Thanksgivings. While I was growing up, there was no stress about who would be where and how we would get there etc. etc. We were always just together! We were a family and of course we were together. I can't say I have a single memory of the food but I have memories of the love.

Sorry that Cynthia's cut off in this pic. Donna was still hanging on a star :) Happy Thanksgiving Uncle Lyle!

Thanksgiving is a truly American Holiday, with only Canada having one also(but I bet they copied us) :) The story behind Thanksgiving is a beautiful story and as a teacher I've read it and told it and and done art projects and relived the Pilgrims and the Indians many many times. But some how it never got old! I love the story. Two very different peoples came together and gave thanks and shared what they had and had fellowship together. What an amazing concept.

The very first Thanksgiving Brownie and I had together was wonderful! I'm sure we drove on down the road and celebrated with my Mother later but I fixed enough food for all of McChord AFB I think. I know I have a least a roll of pictures of the food alone!

Then as we moved apart and started our own traditions, the food and love continued, although I have to admit that a whole lot of holiday's for this fireman's wife were spent alone with 2 little girls ~

When I was the Director and teacher at our Church's Preschool Program, we always had a "feast". Where everyone brought in all sort's of little finger foods and the kids just wiped noses and reached thru it all :) This past week Liam had his and it was very much the same.

I can honestly say the most "FUN" I had for any Thanksgiving was when I had my home day care "MzSharon's House". That was a HUGE day. It was held on Wed before Thanksgiving so in later years the kids started getting out of 'big' school on that day and they ALL wanted to come to my house for Thanksgiving. I don't have pictures handy of the REALLY huge crowds of days but you will get my point. I would get them breakfast and get the kitchen cleaned, get babies changed and then just let them play, watch TV(which we didn't do during play time normally) and I hit the kitchen. I fixed little Cornish Hens, so they thought they were just little turkeys :) and EVERYTHING else you could want or think that goes with Thanksgiving dinner, I cooked it that day. I took a break and had a story and lesson while stuff baked etc. and then they got to pick a video to wait on the big production. And they were so excited. I am not sure if they or I was more excited actually! They all came to the kitchen and looked over all the food and at MzSharon's house you didn't say "Ick" or I don't want that. Thank was a house rule!

Little eyes were enormous and then took their places at the table. Later when the big kids started coming back we used our dining table and anything we could put a plate on. I dished up the babies first in their 3 high chair's with paper plates and plastic utensils napkins and cups all with Turkey's and the like put on. Then I dished up something of everything for all the kids. They did not have to eat it all, but they had to at least touch their tongue to it! and some of them ate about 2 cups of olives and a quart of green beans and a good size bowl of creamed potatoes all by themselves! Everyone ate though, no one turned down everything and they all loved the whole day and felt stuffed! LONG naps on Thanksgiving Wednesday :)

As years past, our Caroline was born Nov 20, which is almost always Thanksgiving week



so the Garner extended family became a part of our Thanksgiving tradition and it moved to Suzy's house.

Some of those years took place in Tupelo but at least 6 or 7 in Lawrencburg. Everyone chipped in to cook and Suzy always had it so well organized, it went off swimmingly!

And Usually, Lindsey, Brownie and Ernie cleaned up! Then out came the birthday presents :)

Then 11 years later our Jimmy made his entrance into the world on Nov 15. So now we have 2 birthdays and Thanksgiving to try to coordinate! You would think out of all the days in the year, our first two grandchildren would not have had birthdays 5 days apart! But on we go~~

One time a few years ago, our whole family went out to the base and had Thanksgiving with Papa at the Fire hall. For some reason, he could not get off, so we went to him. I think the Garners were in Massachusetts at that time. We had a great time and the little boys went wild riding the fire trucks and ambulances, although Liam was just a little baby at that time.

Last year was a year of grieving for our family so we didn't get together. Brownie and I went up to Fall Creek Falls SP and ate at the banquet hall. It was a fantastic meal and still lots of color and it was nice to get away and reflect.

This year we had Thanksgiving on Jimmy's birthday, the 15th. It was a beautiful warm fall day and half of our family were outside eating on the deck and the kids got to play till they dropped!

On Thursday we are going to sneak away to an undisclosed location and have another peaceful day of reflection. Lots going on right now and we had our good day with Jimmy.

So happy Thanksgiving to all. Thank you God for blessing me with this wonderful extended family and thank you for the love the washes thru us. Thank you.

This is a very old picture of the "Foreman" family past, from which I descend. I don't know if this was Thanksgiving for sure but it might have been by the clothing etc. I love the pic. My Grandfather is the back row 2nd in.

Thankful Tuesday/Veterans Day

On this thankful Tuesday I would like to say thank you to ALL our veterans(in honor of Veterans Day tomorrow)! I love American history and I love hearing and knowing about my ancestries participation in our Armed forces and making this country what it is. I love being an American and would not want to be anything else. I'm very proud and thankful for our veterans!

I can trace family members back to the Civil War for certain. I'm strongly convinced that their was a Massengill in the Revolutionary War, but I don't have documents to substantiate it.

This was my Great Grandmother, Sierra Nevada Little's older brother, Jonathon Little. He actually died in the Civil War in the very town I live in right now. I find that amazing. I would love to know where he was buried, but so far we have not been able to determine that.

I also have a Great Grandfather Foreman who fought in the Civil War and was seriously wounded. Although he lived to be quite old, so I'm surmising he survived it quite well. I have visited the spot where the battle took place in Virginia. Some day I'll have all those pictures on my X drive so I don't have to sort thru mounds of pictures.

Great Grandfather Foreman was VERY funny... I have read some of the things he wrote and some of the stories he told. According to him, he was shot in the chest and it moved his heart so he didn't die :)

Thank you Jonathon and thank you GGrandfather Foreman

My Grandma Foreman's brother David McConnell fought in WWI.. I also have a picture of him somewhere in his uniform(next time I'll be more prepared) I was always told that he was "gassed" and he lived a very debilitated life until he died at a fairly young age. How rough and terrifying it must have been for those young men to go to all those places in the world during those years to fight such a horrible war.

Thank you Uncle Dave

Toward the end of WWII, I actually have very spotty distant memories. I can remember where we were living, very near military bases. I can remember putting blankets over our windows at night and I remember the very low flying black airplanes that flew very low when I was outside playing and it frightened me.
This is my cousin Herb who served during WWII and I also had several other cousins that I remember seeing in uniform during that time.

Thank you to all my cousins!

So many of my parents generation were lost during that terrible war.

Here is my dear Uncle Lyle.. How young and handsome he was! I remember very clearly visiting him at Ft. Lewis. It may have been because he was leaving and my Grandma was his mother so that might have been why we went. I know Uncle Lyle served in Porto Rico and really liked it there. He's talked to me about wanting to go back to visit it.

I REALLY wish I had a picture of my Uncle George, but it's in this abyss! He served in Scotland and I've seen a lot of his home movies he took while he was there. I've always wanted to visit Scotland because of him telling me about it.

Thank you Uncle Lyle and thank you Uncle George.

So then we move on to the Korean War or the "Police Action" as it was referred to. I don't know of any close friend or family who fought during that war but I did work for a man named Ed at Weyerhauser, who was a Korean War Veteran

My husband was stationed in Korea for a year in 1958/1959..It wasn't a very pleasant place to be but he has many funny stories so I don't think it was ALL bad :) AND he has also said if he could go back and look around he would, but he's not fond of leaving the country any more.

Thank you Ed.

And then of course their was Vietnam. Our "TV" war. Nothing was withheld from us during that war! We witnessed everything nightly on our news. Walter Cronkite took us on a trip there daily.

My husbands childhood friend Bobby Starnes, was sent there.. He was sent there during the worst of worse times.. It a was horrible, scary time. His first child was born while he was there. I remember attending the Coffee County Fair with his Mother while he was there. Her eyes stayed flooded with tears all the time you talked to her. But Bobby came home and never spoke of the war ever. I remember going to the lake and swimming with him when we first moved back to Tennessee, he was so fun loving and happy, he was never the same. He went on to raise 3 wonderful girls and just a few years ago he and his wife both died within a year of one another.
Thank you Bobby.

And then there was the "First" Gulf War that hit us really close to home and kept us in knots for over a year. We were so sure that our Daddy was going to be called up, but it ended before he had to go. I really felt like we dodged a bullet. A very good friend and fellow Fireman, Eugene London, did have to go and I remember the parades and the celebrations that followed their return. I'll never forget him running into my husbands arms and them high fiving one another :)

Thank you Eugene.

And here is my personal Veteran on the day he graduated from NCO school. Daniel and I attended and we were VERY proud of him and he was proud of himself, because he too is very proud of his country. Believe it or not Democrats can be patriotic and serve with pride! what a concept :)

Thank you my dear ~

I would just LOVE to be in New York this week to see the USS New York made from the Steel taken from the Twin Towers. What an amazing thing to do to honor those Americans. I saw one of the Sailors that was stationed on that ship and he was SO PROUD!

Thank you all of the Veterans past and present!

It's Picture Day~

Christmas picture day! This is because Mom can't find but ONE pic of her and Good Ole Dad this whole year. And it wasn't very good.

Now it's Mom's idea that all of us Canine and Feline children be in the picture and have red neck ribbons besides :) Not "redneck" ribbons but RED. NECK. Ribbons..heheheh

Well let me tell you how all of this went.. First of all Lil Bro Spike has been in a mood for 2 days..he chased Annoying in to Mom's lap last night. Which we all found amusing.

Dad tried his pretty red harness on him first.. He played "Dead Cat..Flat Cat" again! So Mom got the red velvet ribbon cut and placed on each of us respectfully.. That's about the highlight of the picture taking.. It went down hill RAPIDLY!
Can't you just see the look in Lil Bro's face???????? ewwww.. this is not going to be pretty.

I think right here is when he started warning Dad! You know that deep scary growly thing he does when he goes to the Spa? Same sound.

As you can see I am bored with it at this point and am checking out Jesus and the 7th Dwarfs and Annoying, is ready to sprint across the lawn to chase another dog! AND about this time Spike inserted his claw into Good Ole Dad's palm !

And this photo was taken about 1 second before Good Ole Dad THREW Lil Bro :) Notice I AM trying to keep the peace!We finally decided that having Spike in the picture just wasn't worth it.. This pic would have been fine but me and good ole Dad have our mouths open like we are catching flies and Mom thinks it makes her butt look big :)

You'll just have to wait for the winning PICTURE!

And Mom has decided NO MORE group pictures. She tried and tried to find one.. Thought she had and realized sister Tina wasn't in it.ooooops. No more tongues sticking out, ugly faces being made, lips pouting, faces hidden, someone hiding behind someone or someone holding a small dog in front of their face!

It's Always About Me :)

It's Me it's Me it's Penny the Wonderdog..guarder of Emmett Stone Lane~



So Here I am with my beautiful ear with the stitches still intact!!!!! HELLO I was told today I got to go see Dr. Amy and get them out! Sigh~~ They want my ear to heal more so I have to wait the WHOLE weekend.. Not that I wanted the stinging oweeeeeee stuff that goes along with stitch removal BUT I get to see my girls, and they love me:)



So off Down the Road goes Good Ole Dad in his white truck and you know who(ANNOYING (IN CAPS ) gets to go with him.. EXCUSE me this was suppose to be a day about me! So I just sort of follow Dad's truck just a little bit on My Lane! then I do realize that I can't go in to town..sooooooooooooo I go back get my pass.. DID YOU READ THAT.. I got my PASS

And I went behind all the houses down the road.. Said hello to black Bill as I went and greeted my other friends that have to stay all confined! And I go to visit my friends at Schiemed!

Well you won't believe this, you just WILL NOT believe this but even after Dad has told them to just open the gate and let me out this Nosey Office Lady( errrrr very nice caring lady) calls my Dad again to tell him I'm down there. I'm visiting! I have my pass. I hurt nothing.. I just like my head patted and attention. and that nasty little sister of mine has got all the attention and went to town.

Well just about the time they were snitching on me I slipped out of there and just beat it on home! I ran fast in case "THAT LADY" decided to 'help' again. By the time I got home I was really panting and stopped at 'my water' dish aka the fish pond and drank and drank.. Then Mom let me in the house:) Mom's like that, she loves the things I do and never gets mad at me:)

She just wants me to stay healthy and not get hurt, so I will try to do better~

So Dad arrives home and it is a beautiful day.. A BEAUTIFUL day. and he decides to put all the swimming stuff up for the winter. He puts most of it under the house. There is a little door under the house and he can stuff all kinds of stuff in there. There are also all kinds of spider webs under there. (insert Mom's shudder) So I'm busily supervising this project and Mom is handing him stuff and Annoying is doing her annoying stuff and Lil Bro shows up.. Now Lil Bro Spike is a cat. A CURIOUS cat.

OH NOOOOOOOOOOO... He's disappeared under the house with the spider webs.. I TOLD THEM AND TOLD THEM.. no one listens to me~ That boy is CURIOUS!

And of course Annoying is SO helping Dad get him out (NOT)

HELLO PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! Look close,, I see him do you????????? Oh that little Sneaky Snake, and he has that real satisfied look on his face~

So Good Ole Dad lures him out with kitty treats and pounces on him. He stomps off and immediately starts grooming himself because he's covered from head to toe with Spider Webs!!!!! ewwwww ick.........

After the pool toy job, Mom has this wonderful idea about what to do with the Acorns. And it doesn't involve Panty hose :) She gathers acorns, dad gets the hot glue gun and before you know it... WE have roofed TWO houses!



Mom is very impressed with herself and is considering doing the entire neighborhood. :)


I on the other hand found this activity to be a bit on the boring side so I found a sunny spot and laid there and soaked in the rays.. Cuz it is about me :)

Thoughtful Thursday...I can't think!

I wish I could think of some gem to just grab every ones attention! But I'm tired. I'm not thinking good. There are days like this. Yesterday I was able to drive to town, first time in many months, today we walked down the road but it was hard. But I'm grateful that I was able to walk down the road. It's cold though and I don't like cold. I should have worn a hood:)

Today is my daughter's birthday.. I love her.. She now has a teenager who is almost 17 :) Caroline is all I ever prayed for~ You know the kid that screams bloody murder in the grocery store when you tell her NO.. and you just want to get OUT.. yes, she did that to Suzy ...heh heh.. In fact I think she's done lots.. But Caroline is really a good girl and so was and is Suzy. They are both just so full of....... SOMETHING!

Then I had a daughter that was so quiet and peaceful, you would forget she was even there! She would have been an easy child to just neglect, but she wasn't neglected and she made up for all the sweetness when she hit puberty. I can even remember the day. I was brushing her hair, and this sweet obedient child just grabbed the brush and screamed I'LL DO IT MYSELF.. I think aliens got her.

Then there was a long pause and I had a little boy. He was tiny and sweet and very spoiled. But he was always very well behaved. Maybe too well behaved. He was sort of like me and always a rule follower in school. But he made up for it on the skateboard:)

I read and hear from my own kids about how they are up half the night with their kids and I don't relate at all. I think my kids woke to be fed for about a month and then they went to their own beds and slept. It didn't occur to me that it would be any other way. And I would have heard if one of them lost an eyelash! They woke up early and watched cartoons when they got older and Daniel would get scared and come get in bed with us but I don't remember any of this all night stuff. When they were sick I'd be up with them. Tina use to get high fevers and get very weird. She says she still sees strange stuff when he temp gets high.

Penny gets her stitches out tomorrow.. She had a happy face all day. I hope this doesn't hurt her.

Jimmy went to the doctor today and is getting a change in medicine. I hope it makes him feel better. Tina has so much to do.

The Saint and I cooked dinner together tonight. It was very good! I let him clean up:) I'm generous that way.

I watched Survivor and it was better this week. Last week I was about ready to stop watching.

I hate what happened in Ft. Hood.. I just can't wait to hear FOX news reports on this. I won't know though, cuz I have that channel tuned out.. Not cuz the president said to, I did it years ago. It was just easier on my blood pressure.

I saw Bill O on The View this morning and he said Whoopie was jealous of him LOLOLOL.. I just started laughing, she almost came unglued as did the rest of the panel. I'm guessin he probably won't be playing that little bit on his show :) I tried to think later, what he thought anyone would be jealous of him for?

Spike is curled up over here beside me. He shares my office every night just until it's time for him to be put up and then he evaporates!

Mass Murder???????

MMMMMMMMMMM Kay it's me Penny the Wonderdog, just in case you don't know and I have LOTS to report on! Something needs to be done..just sayin~

Last week Dad came home from work early in the morning and I uncurled myself and met him at the truck. Good Ole Dad brought me BBQ ribs that morning. I always love the mornings he comes from work cuz it means I am going to eat WELL!

I might add that it was pouring down rain.. I mean POURING. Dad went in the house and I went out to do my ....... ah hem..... business...

Now this is where it gets hazy cuz I'm not sure exactly what happened but something got my EAR! I just went directly make to bed and took at nap. I think naps are the best thing in the world.

So Mom has been trying to walk every day and even though it was POURING, she convinced Dear Ole Dad that this was a good thing to be doing. And I'm ALWAYS up for a walk, I'd rather walk with Mom then eat...well...lets not get carried away..

So anyway, off we went out the side door umbrella's in hand to walk up Angel Crest Lane... Now you know WHO was the leader of the pack(Annoying little sister) and you know who is NOWHERE to be seen in the rain (Lil Bro Spike).. he might dissolve ya know :)

We had a wonderful walk..warm and wonderful and pouring down rain! Down Angel Crest and back up Angel Crest and across the front yard and into the garage........ now this is where it gets interesting...uhhhh ya remember the ear part? Well, were guessing cause I was running and bouncing and having so much fun that it just open up and started bleeding!

At first Mom and Dad did not know where all the blood was coming from.. It was all over the floor, all over Mom's white car, all over Little Bitty's Gator and it just kept flying cuz by then it was bugging me and I was shaking me head....... oooooops I know, not a good idea.

Dad gets into his rag pile and Mom has a hold of my collar and they discover where the injury is. It's a very clean 2ish inch cut right thru my beautiful ear! Dad tries to hold the rag on the cut to stop the bleeding but I pulled it out cuz it smarted! and I shook my head ALL OVER THEM.. I know I'm so ashamed but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girls gotta do.

So Dad leaves Mom to hold the ear and goes to find gauze or something and tape to see if he can tape it closed so to stop the bleeding.. uhhhhhhh doesn't work.. Remember the rain??? wet????? Tape is not working~

So off to Dr. Amy's I go. Dad puts me in the back of his truck and I'm fine with that, I know all good things happen when I go in the truck. We arrive at Dr Amy's office and she's a lunch...kinda what they expected so they put me in a nice warm kennel with some paper and tell dad they will call.

In the mean time poor Mom has had to wash coats, clothes, the garage floor, a Gator and her white car! It did look like MASS MURDER in there!

WELL....after Dad leaves and Dr. Amy arrives it's decided that they cannot put a shot in my ear to hold me still while they sew it up.. SOOOOOOO I'm put off in La La land... and when I wake up I feel just awful.. Just terrible awful.. This is not like the Spa treatment I usually get! I can't stay awake, I am having trouble standing, I don't want to eat.. oh the misery the misery. All night I stay there and sleep and am just miserable.. my ear hurts, I feel weird and I wanna go home!

My beautiful poor stitched up ear!

Ahhhhh Good Ole Dad is there first thing in the morning to retrieve me. I'm so glad to see him but I still feel very bad and very sad.

He brought me home and for the next three days I'm sadder then sad! but then I start to feel better and Mom doesn't think I need to lay in front of the fireplace any longer! hmmmph, so I go to my igloo with the heater aimed at me :)

So this has been my week... Every day I feel better and fitter and I am loving eating now and my muscles are not sore any longer! Tomorrow I get my stitches removed:) I am a Wonder Dog!

Just one thing, in case anyone asks... there is this Volks Wagon that goes down Emmett Stone Lane and I HATE that car. I can hear it coming from a mile a way and I hate hate hate it. I have tried to sort of catch it but I stop. If I ever get the chance I'm going to eat it!

Mom and Dad bought me something new since I don't hear so good any more:) This is so people can see me... Can you see me??????

Mom calls me "Flash" :)