Christmas Quiz Fun

Akelamalu, at Everything or Nothing is hosting a Christmas Quiz. This is what is listed on her post.

Just to get you in the mood for Christmas.

Remember the Nursery Rhyme quizzes? Well this is a bit like those only the initials represent the first line of Christmas Carols and Songs.

Here's an example:

O.I.R.D.C. - Once In Royal David's City - get the idea?

Email Akelamalu your answers to by Friday and on Saturday she'll post the answers and the winner(s).

All those who get any right can claim this snazzy Christmas badge for their blog.

Follow the link at the top of this post in order to participate in the Christmas fun.

A Bit About My Writing

Since Show and Tell Friday is on hiatus because of the Thanksgiving holiday, I am going to tell you a bit about my writing and my favorite places on the Web that I visit when I'm not blogging.

I write web content, poetry and stories. If you would like to read a couple of my childhood memories stories, please visit my Treasures To Me blog. I enjoy writing these kind of stories. They are my favorite things to write about and I have had many of them published in anthologies, such as Chocolate for Women and Guideposts.

If you decide to visit the Chocolate for Women website, be sure to check out the Story Excerpts to read a sampling of what the Chocolate for Women series was all about. Kay Allenbaugh compiled this series and did a marvelous job. You can see my bio there under Contributors.

I sold many of my family stories to Guideposts and they appeared in the series, Listening to the Animals and Comfort from Beyond. The books are full of great inspirational stories that will make your spirits soar. Guideposts is a great source of inspirational reading material. I have also had stories published in Angels on Earth Magazine.

Ideal contacted me one day by email and asked if they could publish a blurb from one of my stories in The Blessings of a Grandfather's Love. I was delighted. It's not often that a publisher contacts a writer to ask to use their writing.

After 911, I was very honored to have a story published in 911: The Day America Cried. This is a Collection of Poems, Letters and Stories of an American Tragedy, as stated on the book's cover. It was compiled by Victoria Walker and published by Obediah Press. All proceeds from this book were donated to the Todd M. Beamer Foundation.

Articles that I've had published online are many. I have written for Life in Italy, At the Fence, Windowbox, Suite101, as well as many others. My favorite is eCountryLifestyle. I am going to write a review on this website soon. If you enjoy a country lifestyle, this website is one that you will enjoy visiting. There is so much to do there.

I hope you will pick up some of the print publications that I have written for. They are all inspirational and you will enjoy reading the stories that are included in these anthologies. Until my next post, be safe. ~Mary~

Happy Birthday, Violetlady

My friend, Violetlady is celebrating her birthday today. Please drop by her blog and wish her a Happy Birthday.


Girly glitter comments from www.GirlyTags.com

What's Happening Here

Well, the picture above tells you what's been happening in our neck of the woods. Yesterday it poured all day. I picked the grandsons up from school and they were soaked just running from the school to the car. Thank goodness they had on good winter coats that help keep the dampness out. I took them home and hung their coats up to day.

Sometime overnight, the rain turned to sleet and then snow. When I woke up this morning, there was a light coating of snow on everything. I took Meeko for his walk and then went out with the camera to get a few shots. I know that many of you like seeing the snow. This is a very light snowfall for my area. Above is a photo of my snapdragons that have been blooming in the garden. Very unusual.

Below is the sedum coated with a fine layer of snow. You can see it as it was yesterday, HERE. It hadn't changed at all since October 20th.


Below is a photo of my blanket flowers and Hungarian geraniums (at least that's what my neighbor calls them.) I posted a photo of these on November 9th for my Show and Tell Friday. You can see them HERE. They were still that beautiful yesterday. How quickly things change. I'm surprised that we've had any blooms this long.

Above is a picture of the park across the street. There's not much snow, but we do know that Old Man Winter is on his way. As of 7:30 pm it was minus 3 Celsius but felt like minus 10 with the windchill factor. I took Jordan to the farm today and the wind was nasty. The cold bit at our toes and fingers, even through boots and mittens.

Above is a photo of our neighbor's house. There was quite a little bit of snow on the roof, but nothing much on the sidewalks and street. The sidewalks were slippery though and I had to watch my step when walking Meeko.

Tonight it's to go down to minus 8 Celsius and tomorrow with the windchill factor it is to feel like minus 16. Yes, Old Man Winter is sneaking up on us finally.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of the snow in my garden and neighborhood. I'm sure before the winter is over you will see much more snow in my outdoor photos.

I hope that all of my friends in the United States have enjoyed Thanksgiving and are stuffed with delicious food right now. Please save a leftover piece of turkey for me.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the United States. May you Thanksgiving table be laden with delicious food and the love and laughter of family and friends.

This will be the last Thanks and Giving Challenge for this Thanksgiving. Today I'm thankful for all blessing received, including my family and friends, both locally and online. I'm thankful that we live in countries where we are allowed the freedom of religion, which also allows us to celebrate Thanksgiving.

The giving is the postcard graphic above. You may click and save if you wish. It is one of the postcards from my collection. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and remember to give thanks for blessings received.

Thanks and Giving Challenge

Blogger was acting up last night and I couldn't upload the graphics for my Thanks and Giving Challenge. So, today you are going to get a double dose.

Yesterday I was thankful for getting to spend time with my oldest grandson. Brandon and I visited the farm and then he came home with me for supper. After we ate, we played a game of Isolation and then three games of Superman Uno. We had a great time.

Today I am thankful for getting some things done that have needed doing for a while. It seems that time gets away from me and then I end up with a pile of work to do. I'm also thankful for a husband that is willing to lend me a helping hand.

I am always thankful for all of my online friends. Today I am especially thankful for Denise of Shortybear's Place and Mary of Isabella's Closet. Thank you Ladies.

Now for the giving. Today I'm going to give all of my readers two graphics - one for yesterday when I couldn't upload it:

And for today, this one:

Enjoy! Remember to check back tomorrow for another in my series of Thanks and Giving posts.

I wish all of my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving that's filled with the love of family and friends and the gift of laughter around their tables.

~Mary~

Discount Furniture Warehouse

I was surfing the Web today and ran across the website of Discount Furniture Warehouse. If you are looking for some new furniture for the holiday season, this is the place to go. Please take a few minutes to explore their site, which is located in Long Beach, California.

Manufacturers that supply Discount Furniture Warehouse include Collezione Europa, Wesley Allen, Lane Furniture and American Drew. The furniture on this website is absolutely gorgeous.

Bedroom Furniture includes an American Drew Bob Mackie Leather Bedroom set, an Ashley (Millenium) Martini Canopy Bedroom Suite, a Collezione Euroopa B11000 Poster Bed, as well as many others. My personal favorite is the Ashley (Millenium) Corona Park Bed.

Bar Furniture includes an Elite Furniture Avanti Freestanding Bar, a Coaster Fine Furniture Metaluma High Diner, an Elite Furniture Martini Bar in pearl white and a large selection of other bar accessories.

The Dining Room Furniture on the Discount Furniture Warehouse website is beautiful. Be sure to visit for a peek at a variety of dining room furniture to put on your wish list. While you are there, check out the Hot Holiday Deals section. There are a variety of dining room sets on sale and a lovely Coaster Fine Furniture Jeffrey Convertible Sofa that is being sold at the reasonable price of $388.

Remember, Discount Furniture Warehouse delivers anywhere in the US and in some areas of Canada. I wonder if they deliver in my area of Canada? I would sure love to have that sofa. For a delivery quote, be sure to call the toll free number 1- 800 267-5691.

Wax-Dipped Bear Room Freshners

Now blogger is going to upload my photos, so will post the thread I was going to earlier. This afternoon, I made some more 12-inch wax-dipped bear room freshners. I made some during the summer and fall and sold them and now I've made some to give for Christmas gifts.

These little guys were made previously. They are dipped in wax and then I fluff the fur to make them look rugged and rustic. I put raffia on them for ties. Everyone loves them and they are so nice as I scent the wax. These room freshners will fill any room in your home with a wonderful fragrance - and they last for years. If the scent diminishes, all you have to do is heat the bear carefully with a hair drying or heat gun and the fragrance is revived.

When the wax has completely dried, I wrap them in cellophane and then tie a ribbon around them and curl it. They make a lovely presentation. So, that is what I was doing this afternoon before I took my grandson to the farm (see post below.)

As far as my thanks and giving challenge post, I will put that up tomorrow.

It's Been a Busy Day

It's been a busy day. This morning I continued to declutter the house of things that I haven't used for some time. I'll be glad to give this to people who are less fortunate than I. All clothing that no longer fits or that we don't wear any longer is on it's way to the Salvation Army. I'm sure there are people who can make use of it. All good clothing items that we want to get rid of are always donated to this organization. Anything that can be given to the Christmas Baskets program is sent there. This includes decorations that we no longer need or use, books and other items that can be given to adults or children for Christmas.

I have a London Fog coat here that was given to me. It's brand new and for a male. It is size XL. I would like to find a street person to give it to. It would be as warm as toast.

This afternoon was Brandon's day to go to the farm. It was a lovely day, but I wore my winter coat and boots. I'm glad I did because by the time we got ready to leave the farm, my feet were getting a little cold.

There were lots of animals inside today. There were two horses inside that just won't stop escaping through the fence. Cassie was one of them and she wasn't happy about being inside. She kept kicking at the gate of the stall with her front foot. We gave her a little attention and then she settled down a bit. King was a little rambunctious and so were a few of the mares. I believe they are looking for a little love. Whisper has her eye on King, but he isn't sure about her. He did nuzzle her a little, but then she bit him and he wasn't happy about that. I don't blame him at all. Brandon was Wow! What was that about? I told him that the horses were a little frisky. He wanted to know if they were in heat. LOL I told him yes. He is a fast learner and has taken in a lot of the animal's habits since we started going to the farm in March.

I was going to show and tell you about something else I did today, but blogger is being difficult and I can't upload photos, so that will have to wait for another day.

As far as my thanks and giving challenge, it will also have to wait. I apologize for not being able to upload today's graphic, but just think... tomorrow (if blogger is uploading photos) I will add two graphics for your enjoyment.

Hope you are having a great evening and that you're looking forward to your Thanksgiving Day feast.

My dear friend, Denise, at Shortybear's Place is celebrating her birthday today. Please drop over to her blog and wish her Happy Birthday.

Thanks and Giving Challenge

Today I continue my thanks and giving challenge in honor of US Thanksgiving.

Today I'm thankful for sharing some time with my grandsons after school. I took them out and they showed me a few things they'd like for Christmas. That way I know I'm getting them something that they will like. Later, my daughter and I will collaberate on who is getting what so there aren't any duplications.

I just like spending time with the boys. We had a good talk today about what's happening in their lives. They are very open with me and I hope that will always continue. The boys bring me great joy.

Now, for the giving. I would like to give everyone this beautiful graphic at the top of this post. If you like it, it is yours. Just click and save to your computer.

Want to Win $50 US?

Do you want to win $50 US? We can all use extra money during the holiday season, can't we? Well, Mel in a Nutshell is giving away $50.

The rules are simple and easy. This is what Mel has to say:

Yep, you read right! I am giving away $50 (USD). Why you ask? Well, this money is purely money I've earned doing paid posts & in order to get more paid posts I need to increase my google page rank. So in an effort to do that I'm puting a competiton on here - got to spend money to make money right? First off let me say that you absolutely have to have a pay pal account to enter this comp, payment will ONLY be made via pay pal. You also need to have a blog - but thats it. So what do you have to do to enter? Find out by clicking HERE and reading Mel's post.

Memory Verse Monday

Karen at Karen Ramblings is the host for Memory Verse Monday. If you would like to participate, just check out her post.

The verse I've chosen for this week is:

Genesis 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Yes, God created light for the world. Today He still brings light into the world. Have you been trudging through a dark valley? If so, lean on Him. God will bring light back into your life. He has done this for me many times during my life and continues to do so. God can bring light to the very darkest moments. He is The Light.

Canadian Soldiers Die in Kandahar

Two Canadian soldiers died on Saturday when their LAV hit a roadside landmine 40 kilometers west of Kandahar City. Three others were wounded and flown to Kandahar Air Field where they are listed in stable condition in hospital.

Please pray for these men and their families. For more information on the incident, please click HERE.

Please include all men and women in the coalition forces in your prayers. Every one of these soldiers are heroes in their own right for what they are doing to protect the world from terrorism. Whether or not you believe in the war in Afghanistan or Iraq, please support our troops.

Green Thumb Sunday

It's time for Green Thumb Sunday. This is the day of the week when we share photos of our garden or house plants with our readers. Thanks to Tricia at As the Garden Grows for hosting Green Thumb Sunday. If you'd like to join in, just click HERE.

Today I would like to show and tell you about the red poppies that grow in my garden each spring. These poppies came to me quite by accident and I consider them a blessing. I love the deep, rich red color and the contrasting black centers. One spring about sevean years ago, a fern like leaf came up in my flower bed early in the spring. My husband was going to uproot it but I asked him to wait until we found out what it was. Lo and behold, this was what appeared a few weeks later. Beautiful, red poppies. I imagine the gift was bestowed on us from a bird's droppings or maybe the wind. I'm thankful for these beautiful flowers that bloom each spring in my garden. They are magnificient! One year there were 30 blooms on the plant. Since then, it hasn't done near as well, but is hanging on and this year produced ten blooms. Last year there were only four.

I can't believe that I still have flowers blooming in my garden. We've had a few hard frosts and also a bit of snow. It snowed today and as I write this, there is snow on the roofs of the cars, but little accumulated elsewhere. This is what my snapdragons and mums look like. I may have showed you this photo before, but things haven't changed.

Well, that is it for Green Thumb Sunday for this week. Join me here again next week for another episode.

Today's Thanks and Give Post

Today I'm thankful for the love of family, my online friends and the people in this blogging community. I blogged with another community where people were rude and mean. This community means a lot to me. The people here are loving and giving and so welcoming to all new bloggers. Thanks to each of you for your love, support and friendship.

Now for the giving. Did I ever tell you that I love to give? Giving brings me a lot of joy and I would like to share this lovely graphic with all of you. It is one of the postcards from my collection. Since taking this photo, I framed this postcard and gave it to a friend. I hope it brings you as much enjoyment as it has me.