Merry Christmas....Post Views....15,226

A BLESSED 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL......

"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.'

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them."

Twas' Two Nights Before Christmas....Post Views...15,197

And Grandma G unexpectedly had a tooth pulled....

I went in to get a crown and came out with a hole in my jaw.....

Dentist said in all his 20 years of practice he saw only 4 other teeth in that bad of condition......

He took off an old crown with plans of prepping the tooth for a new crown and then decided on a root canal and then the extraction....if it needed to come out, then it needed to come out.....

Grandma G's lovely tree.....

Last year's....

No tree this year.....time and energy ran  out.....

The tree is not Christmas.....

Christmas is family, friends.....

Celebrating and appreciating the birth of Jesus, our Savior....
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      The lights did come on and the rain stopped long enough last Friday for me to decorate outside.....in 55 degree temperature

 

     

 Also discovered the makings of a new friend.....

Mr. Sweet Potato Man....

      Need a last minute homemade gift idea?   (All rights and profits the property of Grandma G.)   

       I found that a sweet potato in the pantry was starting to grow leaves.  I remembered many years ago growing a sweet potato vine...so decided to do that....Friday night I "saw" this cute face ....simply added the eyes, nose and mouth.....

an instant companion overlooking my cooking....

           Hair growing....5 days later.....another scenario.....It's not good to leave Grandma G home alone on a late December Friday night.....

 Saturday was rain....rain...rain....after water aerobics I spent the day inside, energetically cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, practicing piano.

      Sunday was the morning of our Christmas service at church....a short play by the kids, followed by carols and snacks...

Later in the day we visited a nursing home in Portland (I didn't have to drive) and performed the play again and sang more carols.....

I ended my day out by having chili and a visit at Deb's.  Then home to bed......after making plans with Angie and Jake to go to the movie on Monday.  (Out here one does not go to the "show".)

And the movie is.....

The Hobbit....

Christmas Eve will be spent at Grandma Carole and Papa Frank's have a soft version of tacos for me and then a sleep over with Christmas day at the Millers.......

And Yes.......there is long lasting snow out here

soft and cottonie.....

And to all 

a very blessed, Merry Christmas.....

       This has been a good 5 "night before Christmas" days in the life of Grandma G.

       "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child." (Luke 2: 4-5)

Sometimes Things Don't Go As Planned.....Post Views...14,984

   After our senior excursion on Saturday I was rather tired out on Sunday.  After church I spent the afternoon watching Christmas movies while writing out cards to my 18 grandkids.


  I remember The Grinch and a story about the nativity.  I also remember having a meal of yummy Cajun seasoned ribs....left overs from a half rack, measuring about 8 by 4 inches, that was my restaurant dinner the day before. (Should have gotten a picture...duh). 

      I actually don't remember much about Monday other than I ate the remaining Cajun seasoned ribs.  I also remember waking up about 11:45 that night with a serious case of heart burn....Oh, ya. 
Remember, too, the Maalox, ginger tea, water, water, water and Tylenol.   Oh, ya....  and at what point does one call 911? Eventually I went back to sleep.  Even at this moment the twinges linger.... 

     And I remember Tuesday....went to water aerobics after the fitful night.  When we were done a couple ladies beckoned me to join them in the hot tub.  Should have gone with my first instinct to decline.  But....it looked inviting....so I stepped in, forgetting that the first step is about 2 feet rather than a few inches.  When my foot failed to touch the bottom before my other foot left the floor I tumbled not very gracefully head first into the water and just kind of rolled in....with the lady next to me holding me up "so I wouldn't drown".  Awkward...
    Early afternoon Louie called, sounding all excited.  He had just gotten his hearing aids and was delighted with all he could hear.  On the way home he asked Burt what was the noise he was hearing in the car.  Burt said it was the fan on the heater....Lou hadn't heard it before.   He is eager to come out here on January 17 for a month.
   Later in the afternoon I went to Fred Meyer's for some shopping and stopped at the service center to inquire about them approving my ads for piano lessons.  I was informed that they only post notices for non-profit or neighborhood activities.....so they WERE taking them down all this time.   No advertising here.....bummer.

   Wednesday was lunch out with 2 elderly lady friends I haven't visited with for several months.  Good conversation about Alaska.

Squash soup, chicken salad with pecans and cranberries sandwich, AND marionberry pie

Church play practice in the evening....

      

     This morning I got to drive 25 minutes to the endodontist for him to check on the tooth he did a "redo" of a root canal.  Even after having the lower molar extracted 8 weeks ago the upper tooth is still aching.  Appears the root canal tooth is looking good, though I need a new crown.  More waiting and more dental work.  
    While I was in that area I decided to check out a possible recording studio for the children's CD and DVD I want to produce. I talked with the owner 3 years ago and then lost contact with him after 6 months.  Though his web info is still available there is no response from him.  Yet his address is only 1/2 mile from the endodontist.  After some searching I found the address.....it is a package shipping and receiving location.  Part of the mystery solved....part of it even more mysterious.   Probably means I will look for a different recording studio.  Oh, my....
     While driving home amid the huge evergreens  I realized what it is that I like about Vancouver in spite of the traffic.....Vancouver is a "forest city".  There are no high rises.  The various roads, businesses and housing areas are interspersed among trees and greenery, fields and yards housing horses and goats and views of mountain peeks.  That's my VC..... 
     On the way I stopped at a shop that buys and sells gold and silver.  I have a few pieces of jewelry I have wondered what their value is.  I was amazed at how much (how little) they are worth compared to what I paid for them.  I do have a gold crown (that I didn't have with me since it is not in my mouth any longer) which he said  goes for between $20-$40.  Might get a little something for the stress....
     Back home after sitting around for awhile I decided to do some outdoor decorating.  (Christmas is a week away and no decorations up yet.)  Rain was forecast to move in about 5:15. That allowed about 2 hours to work outside.  Well.....this is the PNW.  So....after rummaging through the garage to find the scattered items and rummaging through the house to find other items I headed to the front yard....worked about 5 minutes before I felt little wet drops on my head....then bigger and more of them.....this is the PNW.  Decorating will have to wait.....rain forecast for the next 7 days.....

It's looking a lot like Christmas.....

(NOT my house....)

(Did you know they have green snow out here?)

       This has been a good 5 "things don't go as planned" days in the life of Grandma G.

      "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel." (Matthew 2:6)

       
      

Christmas in the (PNW) Woods.....Post Views....14, 886

Senior Ladies Unplugged!!!

Nancy

Jo

Grandma G

       How did we get there?

Well, it started with Comet and Cupid.......AND

Nancy at the Senior center

On a winter's foggy Saturday afternoon.....

       

 

          

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

Then in the park's van with fogged up inside windows....

(View from the very back, next to the back panel.....guess who got to sit there.....Grandma G and Nancy....at one point we were glad for the seat belts when the van [driver] made a sudden stop....we could see ourselves sliding down that middle aisle.... no seats in front of us) 

      After a 90 minute drive to Silverton, OR we drove into the Oregon Gardens resort....along with a multitude of other visitors. 

 A tunnel of lights ushered us into our foggy evening's adventure through the twinkling forest and craft vendors....

 Warming up on a frosty 40 degree evening.....

(with souvenir mugs full of hot cider)

A beautiful "otherworldly" forest scene

     This has been a good "in the PNW woods" day in the life of Grandma G.

    "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows after me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life'."  (John 8:12) 

Christmas in the PNW....Post Views....14,877

        Grandma G's Formal Christmas Outing...... 

Myrtle's Tea House.....

....And Gift Shop......

In Ridgefield, WA.....

Our Ladies' Out to Lunch....13 of us....

(about a half hour rainy ride from home....I didn't drive...)

(rainy.....the start of the Pineapple Express)

 A 
tea lover's

delight.....

 Guests are served three selections of tea.....
Each guest has a unique cup....

      Raspberry sorbet to clear the palate
              (Yay!  start with dessert....)

                 Cream of potato soup.....assortment of finger sandwiches...fruit cup.....

                                                                   

Finished with a selection of yummy sweets......and.....YES.. CHOCOLATE MINT TEA.....

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     Thursday there was a pause in the rain (Pineapple Express)....

A few hours of a "sun break".   Great opportunity for a 50 minute walk.....

      Wisconsin DOES have nicer "creeks"
This is "Burnt Bridge" creek that runs through most of the area.....though I think it is more impressive in other locations......

The Pineapple Express moving back in....







One of the many big birds that fly over my house.....
I love hearing them.
(Reminds me of early youth with my foster family..... me lying in bed and hearing the frogs croak) 


       By 4PM the wind picked up to 40-50 MPH with some mighty gusts.  Several thousand people were without power in Portland. Here in my house the lights blinked 2 times.   
      That evening was the night of our park "pitch in" Christmas dinner.  I wasn't sure how many would be there considering the strong wind.  (The temperature was in the 50's and no rain.)  The meal proceeded as planned. Lights blinked only once. I, for one, had brought a flashlight in case of power outage.  Several folks were there. (No pictures)  We had a great time of visiting and singing a few carols.  Woo!  Woo! By 8pm all the wind had passed.
(The Pineapple Express is the name given to a particular weather pattern, originating in the Hawaiian Islands, that brings strong winds and a deluge of rain  to the west coast.  Mid and northern California received huge amounts of rainfall.) 
    Later in the evening on TV I found the movie Seven Years in Tibet.  Great movie....highly recommend it...

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     Friday was another day..... of rain......what to do......sleep in a bit...
Clean the kitchen....try wiping the floor with vinegar water...nice




What to do with a sweet potato that thinks its bloomin' sweet potato.....I remembered many years ago growing a sweet potato vine.  I recall it grew quite large before whatever happened to it happened....



Time to grow another one.....no need for an amaryllis this year...

I will keep you posted on how the vine is vining.....

        Friday was also a great day to clean out tons of paper nuisance.  With all the emphasis on being "green" there seems to be an explosion of paper, paper, paper.....There is recycling....I have boxes of paper recycle constantly.....Figure that one....

      Finally closed out my "stay at home" day watching TV as Admiral Kirk and his crew went looking for Spock and getting him back home so he could regenerate....love those Star Trek adventures....helps pass the time as one is doing 90 minutes of stretches....Ahhhh.....   

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS...

    "And a partridge in a bare tree....."

    What?    

     Oh.....

     ..............

    "And a partridge in a pear tree....."




     
      This has been a good 3 "Christmas in the PNW" days in the life of Grandma G.

     "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights as sons."  (Galatians 4:4)