Ah, motherhood

I hope all the moms I know had a wonderful day yesterday!


I enjoyed my day. Ralph and children made a delicious dinner for me and my mother.  ;-)


I think every day should be Mothers Day.  (or is that Mother's Day?) We deserve it.

This 'n that at holiday time

Don't know what else to call the post I'm about to write.

I love writing and feel kinda icky when I don't get to it on a daily basis. 

But the work schedule has been hectic, and the energy has been (temporarily) diminished.

And there are those four (4!) farms I must tend. Insanity, I tell you. I like working on the new one, Winter Wonderland.   

Anyhow, yesterday I was brave and went to Tar-jay. It wasn't too crazy there. I got some things for our family's wacky Yankee Swap on Christmas Eve. A few years ago we gave up trying to buy for people and started the swap idea.

It really takes the pressure off! I just buy "unisex" items ~ can you say 'Ove Glove'? I brought one two years ago and it caused a few chuckles, so I got another one for this year.

I also bought a snow globe with Santa inside..it plays "Jolly Old St. Nicholas." 

And a Nutcracker ~ a throwback to the old days, when Ralph's parents collected them. I forgot to mention that our niece who is hosting the party has proclaimed a theme for the holiday fare this year. 

It's Retro. "Vintage Villers." 

Ralph is going to bring redskin peanuts, because their grandfather (Ralph the First) always brought them when he visited on Christmas. 

Our nephew is bringing potato chips and onion dip, I hear. Another fancy and festive item that they used to have on their holiday table.  ;-)  

Can't wait to see what other delectable foodstuff will be there. Sounds like a lot of fun. 

What's the rush?

All over the neighborhood I see nothing but Christmas decorations.

Ack! It's November, people. 
I really love Christmas, but this weekend I've been feeling like Scrooge. 

Bah Humbug!

Leftovers, anyone?

Radiation: Days 6 & 7

I don't want to jinx myself here but the treatments continue to go along fine...no side effects yet.

That's something for which I am thankful, especially in this season of Thanksgiving.

Today our Cameron comes home for a long holiday weekend ~ yay! 

And tomorrow is his birthday ~ double yay! 
I wonder what kind of cake he would like?

* More on the historic Osborne homestead

I love to visit the beautiful Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, Ct. I used two photos featuring holiday decorations in a dining room of the Colonial Revival home for Ruby Tuesday and thought I'd share a few more today.

This year's decorating theme was "Wonders of Nature." This fireplace is in the library. The Derby Garden Society's task was to adorn the room with decorations created out of pine cones.

This snow globe display is in the "milk room." The homestead was once part of a dairy farm, and the room was used as an office, if I recall correctly. The group that decorated this room had to follow a "Snow and Ice" theme.

And some more *snow and ice* decor.

Does this look like a house that would make you forget about any winter weather howling outside?

I know it would make me forget...

~

This last photo features a ring-necked pheasant as part of a natural centerpiece of greens sitting on deer antlers on a second dining table, this one found in a dark-paneled room known as the studio.

I have more photos of this lovely home. Stay tuned...

Ruby Tuesday ~ holiday time is here

Here are Kid Two (left) and Kid One posing for their Aunt Brenda on Thanksgiving Day.

We give thanks every day that we have such great kids.

And below are two views of the formal dining room at the Osborne Homestead Museum in Derby, Ct., which is decked out for the Christmas season. I did a story about the beautiful home, which is decorated every year by local garden clubs. You can read it here.

To see many photos featuring the color red, visit Mary T at Work of the Poet.

Gobble, gobble

We missed out on the tantalizing smells of turkey roasting in the oven yesterday. Our blog friend, Empress Bee, wrote about those cooking smells here. I agree with her that they're awesome.

We spent Thanksgiving at Ralph's sister Michele's house and had a wonderful time. Lots of family stopped in and everyone seemed happy and healthy.

She gave us the decimated turkey frame, which I am boiling right now for future soup-making.

Yay!

Tomorrow a good friend will bring over a complete turkey dinner and the six of us will enjoy another Thanksgiving at home. Double yay! Good thing we all like turkey. The cats may even get a few shards of it tomorrow. If' they're good.

I am going to work today; no Black Friday running around for me. Unless it's on the Internet.

Happy day after Turkey Day!

A day to count our blessings ...

Tuesday night I attended an interfaith Thanksgiving service at a Roman Catholic Church in our town to support our pastor, who was one of the clergy participating in it.

It was a wonderful service and I decided to write a story about it, since clergy members hope to make it a Thanksgiving tradition. I hadn't planned to do so, but it worked out.

This is my story published in today's New Haven Register:

"ANSONIA — Tuesday was a time for Valley residents to celebrate their blessings as local clergy took part in an Interfaith Service of Thanksgiving. Nearly 200 people attended the event at Church of the Assumption.

The participating clergy hailed from several faith traditions: Roman Catholic; Congregational; Episcopal; Jewish; and Buddhist.

The Rev. Robert F. Condron, pastor, Church of the Assumption, welcomed worshippers to the evening service. The Rev. Ed Stueckle, pastor, Second Congregational Church, Derby, read aloud President Obama’s Thanksgiving proclamation.

One of the participants, the Rev. Donna G. Ives, pastor, First Congregational Church in Derby, said a colleague commented before the service that “this is history in the making.” Ives said clergy members “were all amazed with the turnout.”

The Rev. Marcia Eveland, pastor of First Congregational Church in Ansonia, said clergy members plan to make the service an annual Thanksgiving tradition.

She credited the Rev. Amy Welin, pastor of Christ Episcopal Church in Ansonia, with much of the planning. “It all got going after she (Welin) spoke with Father George (Burnett from Church of the Assumption) this past Good Friday. Father George committed to hosting the Thanksgiving service at that time,” she said.

Eveland employed her puppet ministry as she called the children in the congregation down to the front of the sanctuary. She and “Booregard,” her longtime puppet “friend,” entertained them as she talked about religious pilgrims.

People brought offerings of non-perishable food donations for the Valley Food Bank.

Worshippers sang “We Gather Together,” “Come Ye Thankful People,” “God Bless America” and “Now Thank We All Our God.” Cantor Joshua Konigsberg of Congregation B’nai Jacob in Woodbridge sang several prayers in Hebrew.

In addition to Condron, Stueckle, Ives, Eveland, Welin, and Konigsberg, participants included Maj. Theresa Burkholder from The Salvation Army in Ansonia; the Venerable Thick Minh Duc from the Phuoc Long Buddhist Temple, Ansonia, and Jack Brady, deacon, Church of the Assumption.

Sponsors of the service were: Christ Episcopal Church, Ansonia; Church of the Assumption, Ansonia; Congregation B’nai Jacob, Woodbridge; First

Congregational Church, Ansonia; First Congregational Church, Derby; First United Methodist Church, Ansonia; Holy Rosary Church, Ansonia; Phuoc Long Buddhist Temple, Ansonia; St. Joseph Church, Ansonia; St. Mary’s Church, Derby; The Salvation Army, Ansonia; Second Congregational Church, Derby; Three Saints Russian Orthodox Church, Ansonia."

* * *

Summer is unofficially over

I enjoy my work but it's also good to have a day off. Ralph and I are planning to cook on the grill later. It's the unofficial end of summer.

I love fall weather, so it's fine with me.

Have a good holiday!

* * * * *

Ruby Tuesday ~ Christmas angels

Our daughter in 1994. I spy a new Polly Pocket there!

Our son on Christmas Eve in 1996. He looks rather scared, but maybe he's just anticipating Santa Claus' arrival.


My mother's "retro" angel candlesticks from the 1950s. They weren't retro at the time though. They were up-to-date decorations.
If only I had gotten some red taper candles to put in the holders to add to my Ruby Tuesday post.
But alas, my holiday disorganization continues.
To see more Ruby Tuesday entries, visit our hostess, Mary T, The Teach. Thanks, Mary!

Sending wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah ~

Friday night foto fun

The moon was huge last night, did ya see it? I read it was 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than a usual full moon. Next time the moon will be that big is in November 2016, the article said. I took some photos, and these were the best two.

I came in and got all tangled up in pulling out some decorations. I quickly gave up. I'll wait for assistance from our son when he gets home Thursday. He's good at this stuff.



But I did get a good photo of the kitties checking out the lights. Look at these two fellas. I must say they light up my life.

Some turkey giggles and gobbles

Getting into the Thanksgiving spirit early...

If the Pilgrims were alive today, what would they be most famous for?
Their age.

What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?
Plymouth Rock.

Should you have your whole family for Thanksgiving dinner?
No, you should just have the turkey.

What sound does a turkey's phone make?
Wing Wing.

When does Christmas come before Thanksgiving?
In the dictionary.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I was just visiting Vinny Bond, and he was talking about the minutia he sometimes puts on his blog.

Well I'd hazard a guess that I have him beat on the minutia stuff with this post.

Hope you liked the silly riddles you just read. I had an icky day and I needed something to cheer me up, so I am posting this now instead of next week.

Here's a special one I just found for our music expert, Vinny Bond:

Why was the turkey the drummer in the band?


Now think ... you'll get it ...














Because he had the drumsticks!


Tomorrow I shall be serious again.

Baking to forget the weather

We're having a Nor'easter this morning. Snow, sleet, sneet, snice...all kinds of stuff going on. It isn't pretty right now. I took these photos from the front door. Who wants to go out?
The wind is howling. Brrrrrrr. A perfect day for blogging. And drinking coffee and eating breakfast that Ralph has planned.
I may venture into a baking mode and attempt this cookie mix I got the other day.
I usually end up making drop cookies. For some reason the cookie-cutter thing never works out for me.
Apologies to Queen Mimi for stealing a photo idea and just showing part of my face, but of course imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
If anyone thinks I'm obsessed with these little festive trees, well, you'd be right.

Gobble, gobble

I just wrote a long story that included references to Clement Clarke Moore's poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas." I quoted from some of the stanzas that served to inspire local garden clubs to decorate rooms of a historic homestead for Christmas.
Nothing like rushing the season. It's only Nov. 16. But that's the way it goes when some stories have to be written in advance, to highlight upcoming holiday activities.

I'm getting ready to get ready for Thanksgiving. Gobble, gobble.
What about you?