The scene outside our house looks very much like this one. Well, not the house of course, but all the snow. Yes, we got dumped on. If what's outside our side door is any inclination, we got between 8 inches to a foot of snow. That is a lot and we are to get approximately the same amount on Sunday. I'm not sure where we're going to put it all and then the weatherman is predicting 4 inches for Christmas Eve. I love to have a white Christmas but this is a little whiter than I prefer.

Friday night about 8pm, the snowplow went by and left a three-foot ridge in the middle of our street behind the driveway. I called the city and told them that hubby couldn't shovel because he has a heart condition and asked if a snowplow that was in the vicinity could clear it a little. I was flabberghasted when the snowplow driver came by, stopped, looked at the mess he'd made and then continued up the street. So much for Christmas spirit.

However, my faith in human kind was reestablished when I saw a pickup truck with a blade on the front plowing out my neighbor's driveway. I quickly donned my boots and coat and went out and asked him how much to clear the ridge from our driveway. I almost fainted when he said $40. I offered him $30 because it had to be done. Hubby has to work tonight and MUST be able to get out. I knew I couldn't clear all of that snow in that amount of time and if hubby did, he could have another heart attack. At first he said no, he had too much to do. Well, I don't give up easily and said, "Ah, come on, it's Christmas and my husband has a heart condition." He immediately agreed and I gave him the last $30 in the house. Now I have to go to the bank tomorrow. Dang!

I will try to get photos of the snow sometime today. If you live where there is a lot of snow, be careful on slippery streets and roads. Stay in where it is safe and warm, if possible. And if you have a neighbor who is elderly or disabled and you are healthy or have a snowblower, please think of them and clear their sidewalk and driveway. It will mean a lot, as they are not able to do it for themselves. The Christmas Spirit was alive and well at my house last night. I am thankful for random acts of kindness. ~Blessings, Mary~

Today was a pretty good day. It seems the antibiotics are working and though I am really tired, I'm feeling a little better.

I picked Brandon up from school at noon because there was a dance this afternoon and he doesn't like to go. So we went out and bought Grandpa a Christmas present and then came back here and baked some cookies. Once that was done, he showed me what he's doing on NeoPets. Both he and Jordan enjoy the site. They have adopted pets and play games, collect things and try to get their hands on the rarest items. During December there is an Advent Calender where you can get something free everyday. They have done this every year since they were very young. It is something that they really look forward to. This is a very nice site for kids.

A little Christmas decorating got done and the boys will be coming on Sunday to help decorate the tree. Hubby and I need to get it set up on Saturday and get the lights on it. The boys don't help with the lights, but they do put most of the other decorations on. We've done this as a family since they were tiny and the tradition continues.

We have about six inches of snow. It is to snow overnight and all day tomorrow. The weatherman said we could get a lot and then it is to do the same again on Sunday. So, we shall see if the predictions are correct. I sure hope not. I like snow but not so much at once. It's difficult to shovel, especially if it is wet snow. We don't have a lot of space to put it in. Some years our lawn is piled three feet deep from where we shovel the snow from the sidewalk. That makes shoveling even more difficult because you have to throw it up on top of a three-foot bank. I do want a white Christmas, but two feet of snow over the weekend is not something I look forward to. I guess I'm getting old. I used to delight in such snowstorms.

Enjoy the season. This is a stressful time of year and we just need to sit back and take a deep breath every once in a while, so we can focus on what Christmas really means. Take care and enjoy the weekend. ~Blessings, Mary~

Twenty Years Ago

Twenty years ago, on December 17th, hubby and I were married at 3pm. We didn't have a big wedding, just a small get-together at Mom's house. We were married in front of the fireplace in the living room. My daughter was my Maid of Honor, my niece was my bridesmaid. My niece has two boys, Griffyn 17 months and Tarryn 4 months.

My nephew was 2 years old and was the ring bearer. He is 22 today and has kids of his own, including a set of twins. Dwight's best man was his brother. His oldest brother brought his girlfriend and her little boy. The boy and his mother both died in a house fire a few years later.

Hubby and I didn't do much today. We went to the doctor and he gave us antibiotics for our sinus problems and my ear infection. That nasty bug that was a virus turned into a bacterial infection. We ordered out for supper and had chicken and ribs. Neither of us felt like going out.

Hubby and I don 't do anniversary gifts. We figure it is too close to Christmas. We usually do go out to dinner, but neither of us felt like it tonight, so we ordered in. We enjoyed our chicken and ribs with baked potato, buns and coleslaw and toasted each other with a glass of sparkling cider. It was a lovely meal and we both enjoyed it.

Twenty years sounds like a long time but it has passed quickly. We've had our ups and downs just like every couple and have climbed mountains and trudged through valleys, but have stuck together through thick and thin. I think we both deserve medals. LOL

Have a great day and remember to do a random act of kindness. ~Blessings, Mary~

One of my Favorite Things: Christmas Books

In late November, I hosted a Christmas book swap. Today I received a wonderful book from my partner, Paula of On A Rainy Night. Our Simple Gifts: Civil War Christmas Tales by Owen Parry beautifully wrapped.

Also in the envelope was a beautiful card, which included a note and The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time. Thank You, Paula. You did a great job of chosing my Christmas book. As you know, I love history and am a Civil War buff. A perfect choice. I look forward to reading both of these books and will definitely being doing reviews as I finish reading them.

If you remember, last week I posted that Peggy of Hidden Haven Homestead had sent me a beautiful book through my Christmas Book Swap. It's a lovely book and I've just finished reading it. There are many beautiful stories included in the book, along with a bit of Christmas history, tales of Christmas at the Graham's, recipes, crafts projects to do with kids and lovely poems and pictures. This makes a marvelous Christmas gift. If you still have to buy for a book lover or for someone who loves Christmas, I highly recommend this book. It is full of the Spirit of Christmas.

A Christmas Memory

I remember as a child looking forward to hearing Christmas songs on TV. Among my favorites were Silent Night, Hark the Harold Angels Sing and O' Holy Night. The Christmas music in those days were not the modern carols of today. My favorite carol at the time was probably O' Little Town of Bethlehem. I was probably drawn to it because I loved babies, loved reading the Christmas story and because I could relate to being in the stable with the animals all around.

Then, in 1957, I heard a song that I had never heard before. I sat on the floor and listened as the words drifted from the old radio that sat on the shelf above the couch. The name of the song was Mary's Boy Child and it was sung by Harry Belafonte. Today, I heard the song on the radio and it triggered this memory. Since I'm still far behind in all my Christmas preparations and am still fighting this virus, I am making this a short post. Enjoy! ~Blessings, Mary!

PS. Be sure to turn the music player off at the bottom of the page in order to hear this lovely Christmas song.

Awards

Once again, I've been presented with some beautiful awards. I am always honored when my blogging friends pass these on to me because I know that others are enjoying their visits here.

This beautiful Friends award was given to me by Sharon at Sit with Me Awhile and Mari at My Little Corner of the World. Thank you, Ladies. I cherish your friendship. All of my friends are welcome to take a copy of this award.

The Christmas Spirit Award was passed on to me by Hootin' Anni and Sharon. Thank you, Ladies. I try to carry the Spirit of Christmas with me all year long. This is for all of those who have done a good deed this Christmas.

Here are the rules for the Christmas award.~~~~~

You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award.

The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.

You must link back to the person who gave you the award.

You must list 5 things that you love about Christmas.

If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going till you run out of space!

Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 1 or 50. It's up to you! But, you must pass it on to at least one person in order to keep the Christmas cheer going! Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment.

The five things I love about Christmas are:

1. Watching all of the children in the family open their presents.

2. The magic and enchantment of the season - the Christmas Spirit.

3. Christmas carols.

4. Shopping for others. I always try to buy something that I know they will love.

5. Getting together with family.

6. Going with hubby and the grandsons to get the tree.

7. The keeping of family traditions.

8. Christmas dinner at my mothers.

9. Reading Christmas stories and watching Christmas movies on TV.

10. Celebrating the birth of Christ.

The Butterfly Award was given to me by Deborah, Mama Bear and Mike. Thank you. I'm glad you all think my blog is cool. If you are reading this post, I would like to pass this award on to you. Enjoy!

It appears that I've been good. Jackie passed this award on to me. Thank you so much, my friend. I really appreciate it.

I would like to pass this award on to all of the blogs I read on a regular basis. I love visiting all of my friends, though I'm a bit behind right now.

And now for an award that I would like to pass to all of my friends, readers and followers. It is another Spirit of Christmas award and one that I gave out last year. Please accept it as my Christmas gift to you. ~Blessings, Mary~

Be sure to drop by and visit Hootin' Anni. She is having a Blog Giveaway. If you haven't met, Anni, you will love getting to know her. She is a wonderful lady with a heart of gold and she's been blessed with many talents.

Local SPCA Makes me Hopping Mad

I am not thrilled with the local SPCA. There was a piece in the newspaper that encouraged people to adopt a pet or give a pet as a Christmas gift. Everyone knows that this is not a good idea. The manager of the SPCA is apparently not familiar with the mischief that pets get into over the Christmas holidays.

Christmas is a dangerous time of year for pets. To begin with, when you bring a new puppy into your home, he should have time to adjust to the family before a lot of guests are welcomed into the home. Imagine yourself as a puppy, being taken out of your familiar and safe environment. You go into a strange place and then dozens of people come in and out of that place for days on end. You are insecure, frightened and have no idea what is going on or what will happen next. There is a strange tree decorated with all types of inticing decorations. There is food left on the coffee table and that chocolate smells so good. You would love to get into it and have a feast. Unfortunately if that happens the puppy will be extremely ill and could even die.

There are strings to chew. You don't realize that these are electric because, whether you are a cat or dog, you have no sense of the danger that lurks inside these wires. You have no conception of electricity. You love playing with those silver things hanging from that strange tree and you eat them. Suddenly you are choking. You gasp for breath and the next thing you know, you are on the way to the vets for emergency treatment.

Another scenario - you are a kitten or puppy and manage to swallow some tinsel and icicles. You seem to be fine but within 24 hours you are in a terrible state. You don't know what is wrong but you are feeling terrible. Next thing you know, you are in the vets office being treated for tinsel that is wrapped around your intestines. You are extremely ill and you hear the vet tell your owner that you may not make it.

Last scenario. (I expect I'm getting my point across by now.) You are a kitten or puppy that is given for a gift to a child. The child has no knowledge of how to care for a pet. For the first couple of weeks, you are a novelty, just like a toy. The child plays with you and pays a lot of attention to you. Suddenly there is no playing, no affection and food and water is only put down sporadically. You have been cast off like a toy because the child looks upon you as a toy instead of a living, breathing pet.

Please do not give animals as gifts this Christmas no matter who tells you that it is okay. It's not okay. Instead give an IOU and wrap up a leash, collar and dog toys if you really want your child to have a pet. He will get the idea and then in January, you can take him to pick out the puppy or kitten of his choice. This will make for a much better relationship between the child and his pet.

By no means give a pet to anyone other than your children. Pets are expensive and there is a committment to the pet for 12 to 15 years and sometimes more. Not everyone can afford to care for a pet and not everyone wants that kind of responsibility.

As a footnote, I want to add that I phoned the SPCA and was told that I didn't know what I was talking about. I told that lady that it was my opinion that they were only trying to get the animals out of the shelter. She said, "Of course. That is our job." I was furious and I don't feel that the people at the local SPCA are cut out for their jobs. I will be investigating this further.




There's not a lot happening here. Hubby and I are now both fighting that nasty virus. I've had it since December 1st and though the symptoms are not as prominent, I'm still sneezing, coughing and have a stuffy head. Nothing seems to help for long. We've been eating chicken soup and sipping both green and Breathe Easy Tea. These help for a little while, but don't last long.

I've been attempting to get the house ready for Christmas, but after a couple of hours I just go and lie down for another nap. Things are not progressing much. Today hubby went to sleep on the couch and I went to the bedroom to read for a bit. Before I knew it, it was 5pm and time to get us a bite to eat. Needless to say I slept away the time I should have been decorating and doing other chores.

Try to keep away from people with this virus. It is nasty and it takes at least 2 weeks to get over it. If I'm not feeling more like myself by Tuesday, I will be going back to the doctor. This is hanging on far too long.

Take care and enjoy time with your family this weekend. ~Blessings, Mary~