Dreaming............Carnival Cruise Dreaming

Hello Y'all!!!!!    I do hope and pray that Feb., March and April has been and is playing well with everyone.      It's wet one day here and windy the next in my neck of the woods, but I'll take that over tornadic weather any day, yes I surely will.   We just now got all the debris cleaned up around our driveway and back yard from the last snow we had (in my last post).    It's such a shame to walk out and look up the sides of those big beautiful pine trees and see how badly damaged they are.    I feel like someone will eventually cut them down.      The property that the trees are on is up for sale now and has been for quite a while, and the trees may be something that is hindering the sale.    I know I wouldn't purchase something with huge trees that could be liabilities under the right circumstances.     We have got to where we dread the snow and ice and also the windy times.     I fear the wind toppling one over on our house or garage and that is a very real possibility.   But, so far, we are and continue to be blessed that it's just branches and limbs that we have to deal with.     Anyway, I just hope and pray that where ever y'all are, it is beautiful and the "SON" is shining in your soul!!!!!

Ok y'all, look at the title of my post today.    That was a hint and I wonder if anyone caught it.      I have a friend that has been on several cruises and my mom went last year with her and some others on a cruise and I had been wanting to go on a cruise for a while, but didn't figure I would ever get to go.     My hubby, as wonderful to me as he is, he always said, "this country feller ain't goin' on a cruise".     hahaha     I get it, really I do.     There's things that I will not ever be interested in doing.     But........he never said I couldn't go on one.     hahahaha        And so he gifted me with a cruise!!!!!!!!   Yay, I got to go on a cruise with my Mom!!!!!!     Yes, I sure did!!!!!      She and I started saving our pennies, and pinched Abe Lincoln till he cried "uncle" and we scraped up enough change to go!!!!!   Whoopee, yay, hot dog!!!!!    

So I will put pictures on this post and try to explain as well as I can about each one, or each group of pics and please excuse any misspelling and anything else you may notice.   I've been working on this for so long and it's just time to get it posted, mistakes and all.    hahahaha

We took the 7 day Western Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Dream out of New Orleans on January 31st and back to port on February 7th.     Our ports of call were Mahogany Bay on Roatan, Belize and Cozumel Mexico.    The cruise itself was such an awesome adventure for my mom and I to do together!!!!!     All I can say is that we had a ball!!!!!!      We never laughed as much in our lives as we did on the cruise.      We had rough seas, or so they say anyway.      I do know there was some bad weather to come ashore from the rolling seas we had.      But all in all the weather was pretty good for us.     There was one day that it misted on us, and that was our last post of call, at Cozumel, Mexico.

We spent a couple of nights in Slidell, Louisiana before we headed to the Carnival Dream in New Orleans on Sunday morning.      The motel we stayed at was right next to a Waffle House.       So mom and I would get up and head over there for breakfast or whatever meal we happened to be there for.        I haven't been a really huge fan of WH for many years.       They do have good food and good coffee, but just not appealing to me in some way.      Anyway, we had a window seat and was sipping on our coffee and waiting for our meal and I was just watching out the window, looking at the traffic go by and taking in some of the scenery and sort of got lost in that for a few seconds.   Mom didn't see this, I don't think, but I was sitting there staring out the window and it seemed like there was a shadow that came over the place from the outside.      You know what I'm talking about, like when an airplane flies between the earth and the sun, it creates a shadow for a split second.       Well, that's what happened and I looked outside up in the air, and I will tell you I almost fainted for a second.      It looked just like a pterodactyl, you know, from the movies, and I kept looking and looking and all of a sudden it came into closer view.         Hehehe, it was just a brown pelican!!!!!!!     Yes it was!!!!  It just about scared the life out of me though!!!!!        hahaha   I was ready to pack my bags and head back to good ole TN, land that I love,,,,(we don't have pterodactyl pelicans there) but, alas......it was just a pelican!!!!        Some of the people we were with got a good laugh over that one.  I can laugh now, but at the time, I was kinda freaked out.        I was remembering Tippie Hedron in the movie "The Birds" and that wasn't fun at all!!!!!

On the ship, after we got settled in and decided to brave it, mom and I started going to shows and comedy acts, puppet shows and karaoke and just doing what ever we could find to do, and that was a lot of fun.       We really had to coordinate our time and make some tough decisions about what we really wanted to see and maybe miss something else that we wanted to see.      It could be tough at times to make the decision.

A good pic of the Carnival Dream Cruise ship (when we was at Mahogany Bay, Roatan Honduras)

Leaving New Orleans.

Mom and me outside on the deck of our stateroom before leaving N. O. LA

Mom looking out over the waters after we had set sail.

We took in an art show one day and had plans to go back to it later on, but there was something else we wanted to do too, so we opted to do the other thing and I can't remember what it was.      I wish I could though.       We really enjoyed the art show.       I wish I had taken pics and notes because I don't remember who the artists were.       And I really don't know if picture taking would have been allowed anyway.       One of them was into mixed media art and what he done was so awesome!!!!!!! There was a butterfly that was painted in metallic colors and that thing looked just like it would fly off the canvas.      It was soooooo beautiful!!!!!         Both of the artists was from the southwest United States so their work reflected the landscape and the beautiful rich colors associated with the southwest.       We both really enjoyed that and wished we had taken in more of the art show.       We just knew when it came time for the auction, we couldn't afford what we had seen.       Plus, we was afraid we might reach up to rub our nose and make a bid on a $20,000 piece of art and hear someone say "SOLD"!!!!      Hubby would not have liked that at all!!!     hahahaha

Floor 3 Atrium 

Atrium from floor 5 overlooking the stage where a musician/singer was most of the time.

A comedian on stage in the Encor Lounge.

The cruise ship entertainment director.

I had mentioned too that we loved to take in karaoke.       Now, we didn't sing, we just listened.       But we both soon learned that it doesn't take a lot of skill to do karaoke, just lots of "GUTS"!!!!!!     hahahaha       You talk about fun, we had fun with a capital "F-U-N"!!!!!!       It was just too fun.   Especially when you are inadvertently made a part of the stage show!!!!        We had just gotten out of a comedy show and was looking for something else to do.       It was about 10 pm and entirely too early to go back to our room.        We walked out of the Burgundy Lounge which is where the comedy show was, and to the left of that exit was "The Song" room and to the right was "Sam's Piano Bar".       We looked at each door and decided on the "The Song" because there was familiar sounds coming from that small room.      It was just about full and the only place we seen was seats right on the front row, just about 2 feet from the small stage.       So we sat down and started enjoying the singing.       There was a man singing George Straight songs, another one singing Frank Sinatra, a woman singing Loretta Lynn, another woman singing Crystal Gayle, another man was an Elvis impersonator and just so many more.       These that I mentioned could actually sing pretty great.       One guy sang a James Brown song, "I Feel Good".        We had heard him several times and that was one of his go to songs.      This night, someone was singing when we came in and sat down.     We got nestled into our seats and was getting into the music.      This persons song was over and the emcee called another one to the stage and it was the David,  "I Feel Good" singer.       He had on sunglasses, ball cap, t shirt, shorts and tennis shoes.      He was a funny guy and we loved him already.        We was so close to the stage and as he grabbed the mic, the music started and he jumped about 3 feet off the stage and hit the stage and about the time his feet landed he screamed in the mic "I feel good" and mom squealed to the top of her lungs!!!     I thought something had happened to her and I started reaching for her and asking what's wrong, she finally lowered her hands from her face and said "he scared me"!!!     I just screamed out laughing when I found out she was alright and he kept on singing and we sat there and laughed all during his song, we could not help it.      Everyone behind us noticed and heard us.       How could they not!!!!!!    He finished his song and left the stage and we was still sitting there cracking up at what had just happened.       Then the Frank Sinatra wannabe went to the stage and before his music started, he told the guy that had just gotten off the stage that he just about scared these two ladies sitting at the stage half to death and we kept cracking up and everyone in there was laughing.        After Frank got done with his song, that David was called back to the stage and on his way up, he stopped by us and reached his hands out to both of us and shook our hands and apologized for startling us.     We just laughed and said it was just too funny and that he didn't owe us an apology.       Of course, our giggle boxes was on and in high gear and we laughed the rest of the evening.        hahaha        So, be careful where you sit, you may get startled and then be a part of the act.

There was a lot of great singing, but for all the great singing, there was a lot that wasn't so great.   But, that is part of the fun of karaoke and one reason you will NEVER hear me singing like that.   hahaha        We really enjoyed it and it would certainly be on my go to list of things to take in if I ever get to go on another cruise.

When there was time between our planned out list of things to do, we would go to the 4th floor and sit down around the area overlooking the Atrium that was on the 3rd floor and there was a small stage about one and a half levels up, between 4th and 5th floors, that had a glassed in stair case up to it and then the stair case went on up to the the 5th floor.        On the stage, there was room for a singer and a musician and there was usually someone singing and playing a guitar or a keyboard and then sometimes they would also have a drummer with them.     These were employees of Carnival and they were great singers.      We would sit and listen to them sing and watch people as they got up and danced.       There was several older couples that could really do some good ball room dancing.

When there wasn't dancing going on in that area, they was playing corn hole.       We really loved to watch that.       I have never played corn hole before, but Mom loves it.       One of my brothers made her some corn hole boards for the Village where she lives and they play every chance they get.      So, I know she was wanting to go down and get in on the corn hole games, and I told her we could go and she could play but we didn't.        If I had it to do over again, I would have played.       But it was fun watching it every chance we got.

4th floor view of atrium and cornhole players.

There was an area on level 5 that was called the Fun Shops.       We spent a lot of time and money up on 5.         Every day, they would run special sales on all kinds of good stuff.      We got purses, hats, scarves, necklace and earring sets and t shirts, just all kinds of stuff.      I got a gray wrap that I really love.      We wore our hats and purses when ever we got off the ship and we wore our purse when was on the ship too, it was the perfect size for a camera and a water bottle.

Mom and I and our sassy selves!!!    See that bag I'm wearing, I got us those at the Carnival Fun Shops and we rally loved them.   Just the perfect size.

This was at the very back of the ship and that is where the pic above was made also.    So happy no one pushed us overboard.   hahahaha

One day between running here and there to catch this show or see this comedian or what ever, there was a line dancing class on the itinerary.        We went to that and had a ball, you guessed it, just watching, but it was soooooooo much fun to just watch that.      Just like singing is not everyone's gifting, guess what, neither is dancing!!!!     hahahaha     But big kudos to the ones that gave it their best effort.      Needless to say, they weren't handing out trophies, but it was still fun!!!!  

An upward view of the glass elevators from the Atrium.

Mom and me up to some meanness!!!   hahahaha

Mom and me up to some more meanness!!!    hahahaha    There was no alcohol in those drinks, I promobleised, uh, I promise.   hahahaha

A shot from our balcony.   Can you see the cross in the circle in the cloud?    I just now noticed that.    Wow!!!

One of the best things was meeting all the people.       We met some great folks from all over the United States and the world.       The waiters was some really outstanding people and they were from all over the world.       Every night we ate in the formal dining room that our group was assigned to and the staff made it so pleasurable and enjoyable!!!!!!        Mom and I wanted to bring them home with us just because they were so fun and made dining a great experience.

Allan, one of the server team and my Mom!!!   We loved him!

Servers putting on  a show during our dinner.  

More dancing.

More dancing.

J. J. waving at the camera.   We loved him too!!!

Beautiful Ni Ny, she was an amazing young lady, we wanted to bring her home with us!

The server crew was getting ready to sing to us.

Allan and Ni Ny singing "happy birthday" to Mom on Saturday night.

Some of the servers dancing with the children.

One thing I will have to say, the food is not what I expected it to be.        Some of it was great!!!!!     On the other hand, some of if I wouldn't feed to the hogs y'all!!!!!!        Yeah, I know, some of it is because of my southern roots and the cooking that comes with that.        You know, there are some dishes, traditional dishes, that you just don't monkey with!!!!!!       hehehe     You just can't!!!!!!        When something is as good as it gets, leave it alone!!!!!!!         You can't improve on perfection, really, you can't.        Say for instance, there is no humanly way to improve upon southern fried frog legs!!!!!!       Sorry for that, but you just can't.       Ok, you know where I'm going with this by now, don't you.       "Frog legs" was on the menu one night in the appetizer section of the menu.       I thought, OH BOY, this is gonna be so goooood.        I had that thought way too soon.        Don't ever think something is gonna be good till after you at least see it.      hahahaha         Did you notice I did not say "southern fried frog legs"?   For good reason, they were just sauteed in a little bit of oil of some kind and put in a little oval dish.     Let me tell you, this little southern gal was just totally heart broken.      I believe in eating what God put on earth for us to eat, that includes southern fried frog legs, but I am beginning to think that God should have put some guide lines in the Bible, like some foods should always be breaded and deep fried!!!!       With frog legs being at the top of the list.   hahahaha

Another dreaded appetizer, was another deep fried southern delicacy.       Fried green tomatoes.      I love fried green tomatoes and fried frog legs so much in fact, that every time I go to mom's for a couple of days, we go to Slappyz in Russellville and that's what I get!!!      Well, I got fried green tomatoes for an appetizer and when they brought it out, it had some kind of pico or something on it that just made me sick to look it.      Not because it was so displeasing, but because if you go to the trouble of deep frying something, you don't want to sog up the good crust it has on it.     Boohoohoo!!!!!        I told mom she needs to see about getting a job as the "master" southern chef on one of the cruise lines.       Lordy knows they could use her 65-70 years of southern cuisine expertise on the cruise we were on.        hahahaha

These were the little baby towel animals.   They were so cute!!!

This was some of the larger towel animals.  They were fun to see.

Now, for the good stuff, really good stuff.       Warm Chocolate Melting Cake!!!!!!!!!!!       Baked and served in a small souffle dish.       Oh my goshie, was that "thang" ever delicious!!!!!!!!         That deserves 3 thumbs up and before I had surgery I could have given it 3 thumbs up!!!!!        Just kidding, throwing in a little weird humor here.        I still have all 3 thumbs!!!!!!       hahahaha       Done it again, sorry.     Just 2 thumbs, but if I could, I would certainly give 3 thumbs for this delicacy!!!      It was warm and chocolaty and when you stuck your spoon in the top of it, it was so ooie gooie runny inside and it was fab!!!!!!       You got one little scoop of vanilla ice cream with it and I always just put it on top of the cake and stirred it in.     It was sooo luscious and creamy and yummy!!!!        Oh my goodness, I wish I had one right now, make that two!!!!        hehehe         I also got a really good lobster mac and cheese.       I enjoyed that.        They had a bbq area set up on the back side of the ship and they were grilling hamburgers, wieners, sausages, pulled pork, mixed veggies, baked beans and that kind of stuff and we had that for a couple of lunches.      Sometimes it was so windy that you had a hard time packing your plates and going inside to eat, but it was good.

One of things that we got to where we would do is get some of the drinks minus the liquor.       Since mom and I neither one drink, we still wanted to enjoy the drinks.        So, when we went to a show or what ever we was doing, we would order us a drink minus the liquor and get to enjoy all the frozen fruit juices, yummy for the tummy is all I can say for some of them.       The one I enjoyed most was one with lots of frozen mango and peach juices and then it had a generous streak of grenadine for color.     Beautiful and delicious!!!!!!        In total, I think we got 5 or 6 different ones to try.    I can't remember all the ones we tried, but it was fun trying them.        When we got off at Cozumel, we went to Fat Tuesdays and got a frozen strawberry daiquiri without liquor and we enjoyed that a lot.

One of the funniest things, every morning to start the day, one of the guys on the ship would come over the intercom system and no matter where you were, you could hear him.       He would tell about the upcoming events of the day and what ever needed to be told.       Something he always said was, "bye, I said bye" and then that was it.         Everywhere you went you heard people saying "bye, I said bye".       We was on the elevator one night coming back to our room after a great evening and there was several of us on the elevator.     When the elevator stopped at our floor, most everyone got off and we all talking as we got off.       We took several steps and my mom stopped and looked back at the people that was still talking and she said "bye, I said bye" and I thought they was gonna get down and roll.       There was a younger girl in the crowd and she said, "I was really hoping someone would say that before the night was over!"       Leave it to my mom!!!!        She's a comedian in her own right!!!!!

We got off at Mahogany Bay on the Isle of Roatan, Honduras.        I believe that is the one that is owned privately by Carnival.      The day before, we had gotten the itinerary for the stop at Mahogany Bay and it gave all the excursions you could go on.        Since we don't swim, we figured snorkeling was out.      Not much on dirt biking or canoeing or any of the other 75 different things to do, but low and behold, the angels were singing and the harpists were playing their harps when my eyes rested upon this one excursion!!!!!!!!        Not only was it something that we both could do, but we both wanted to do it, and it was in our price range, almost free!!!!!!        hehehehe         It was called "Magical Chairs", and it was a ski lift that took you over the main part of the island that was open for us to see!!!!!!!       Now, that's right up my ally and mom's too!!!!        We rode it down to the area of the beach and gift shops and walked around for a bit and looked and seen what we wanted to see and then we got back on the ski lift and went back to the starting place and asked if we had to get off.     hehehe     We didn't!!!!       That guy said we could ride it all day if we chose too.      We didn't ride it all day, but we did ride it another round or two and it was so much fun!!!!!       I could ride that again and really enjoy every second of it.

Mahogany Bay from our balcony window.   You can also see one of the jacuzzi's on the ship. 

Mom and I at the official Mahogany Bay welcome sign.

Beautiful flowers at the sign.

One of the views from Mahogany Bay.    Our ship in the background.

Mom and I gracefully getting on the Magical Chairs.    hahahaha     Our one wild excursion.   hahaha

Our ride to the beach and shopping area.   It was such fun.

Overlooking the shopping area.

The sign to Mahogany Beach.

View of Mahogany Bay and Beach from our balcony.    You can also see the giant chess board down on deck 5.  We was on level 9.

This is our sassy selves sporting our little hats that we got at the Fun Shops up on level 5.  We love our hats. 

Mahogany Bay.   The water goes all the way around this little island.  You can see the roped off beach area and there is also a small private beach that you could pay a wazoo amount to spend a few hours in and they had fancy chaise lounges and all kinds of perks.

Every day the people looking after our rooms and taking care of us would leave towel animals.      We couldn't wait from one day till the next to see what we was gonna get.      It was always such a fun treat.       Up by the main pool area was a desk outside where you could get extra towels and stuff like that and they always had some of the towel animals on display.      One morning we went through for breakfast, and on that desk was three little baby chicks made from wash clothes with a sign that said "Just Hatched".        They were the cutest things I ever seen!!!!!!      They even had a day where the employees would make the animals and put them on display in the foyer just off the elevators on level 10 for the guests to vote on.        The worst thing was that they just had them on display for a very short amount of time.      When we came back through from breakfast, they were all gone and I didn't get any pictures of them and I was so grieved over that.

Tender boat coming to our ship to take guests to Belize.   We didn't go. We didn't want to ride that thing 45 minutes to Belize. They were hop skip and jumping across the waves, just bouncing on every 5th wave, not for me at all.  hahaha

Another tender boat coming back to a ship.   There was 4 or 5 ships anchored out in the ocean while the tender boats took people to and fro all day;

One of the comedians talked about when he was a kid and all of his jokes were clean, by the way, but mom and I sat there and listened to him and we just about got down in the floor and rolled.       Mom said "multiply that by 5, and that's what it was like in my house with five boys"!!!!!        Neither one of us could remember a one of his jokes if our lives was dependent on it, but he was just plain funny.     We laughed and laughed and laughed till our sides were sore and I finally decided that is what we were meant to do, just laugh till we couldn't laugh any more and then laugh some more.       It wasn't meant to be remembered as much for his jokes as it was for mom and I laughing so much that our sides were sore and us wanting to laugh even more and we did.       Most nights we just fall into our room laughing and wake up in the middle of the night laughing and get up in the morning laughing.

Looking out at Cozumel Mexico. It was misting and the wind was bad you could hardly stand up straight.

Walking the "plank" to the customs building at Mexico.   The wind almost blew us off this thing!!!

Main street in the shopping area just passed customs.  That's where they suggested we stay and Mom and I did.

Man and woman singing and playing musical instruments on the area close to the sandy area.  Just behind them are some of the ships that was docked.

Mom and her pet burro.   hehehe

Just taking a break at Fat Tuesday's before we headed back to the ship.   We had alcohol free strawberry daiquiri.  It was delicious.   Wish I had one right now.  The mist and wind really done a number on our hair!

Proof that we was at Fat Tuesday.   hahaha    My brothers just don't have any idea what all fun we had, and it's better off that way!!!!  hahahahaha   

Some of the little shopping huts down the streets.   I bought some little bottles of shells and sand and I will mix that sand with the sand that I scooped off the beach in Mahogany Bay and make some craft projects with them.

There was a time or two that we just looked at each other and said "what happens on the ship, stays on the ship" and then crack up laughing even more!!!!!         The ship furnishes these really plush white robes.       Some people used them at the pool, other just used them at night  sitting on the balcony and other people wore them around on the outside decks at night if they were out strolling. We was getting ready for bed one night real late, or maybe it was early morning, I don't remember.   I had already gotten into my bed clothes and mom was in the bathroom.        I was looking at my cell phone or something and she came out of the bathroom and I glanced at her and thought to myself that she looked like a little sumo wrestler.       She walked by me and stopped, jumped and took on a karate stance and done a little yell and I screamed and fell back on my bed and laughed till I thought I was gonna pass out!!!!!!!     She did too!!!!!!        She said, "I just don't know where that came from!" I thought to myself, "I don't either, and I hope she goes back to where she came from and leaves my momma alone!"        hahahahaha         We have laughed over that till I just crack up all over again!!!! Some time after we got home, the sun was shining and she was feeling pretty good and she sent me a text saying she felt like she wanted to give someone a karate chop.       I told her to be careful, because I wasn't in the mood to visit her in the slammer for letting her "cruise alter ego" get her in trouble.       For some reason, I just don't think the judge would find it as funny as we did!!!!        Again, we laughed till our sides hurt!!!!!

There's a lot more I would love to share with y'all and many more pictures than time and space will allow, but I am so thankful and grateful that Mom and I got to share this adventure together!!!!!!      I wouldn't take nothing for this time well spent with her.      I am so happy that my husband and love him all the more that he made it happen for me.    It is truly an experience that I'll never forget as long as God allows me to remember it.      I hope and pray that these are memories that I will have as long as I live.

Just as a cautionary note, if you are gonna go somewhere with other people, make sure you know who you will be going with and ask questions.     You have the right to know if someone smokes, or drinks or does drugs or whatever else you can fill the blank with, and then you can make decisions based on your own health and well being.     After Mom and I already had our trip payed for, someone else decided she wanted to go and neither one of us knew her.      I had no idea I should have asked questions, so I didn't.     I blame no one but myself on this matter.        Having said that, I used to be a smoker.     I know how harmful it is to self and everyone around you.      It's really hard to quit, been there done that, so I don't want to be harsh on smokers.   It has been a long time since I have smoked and been around smokers.       Had it not been for God, I might even still be a smoker.     If I didn't have a reaction to it like I do now, I would NOT care at all.      But, over the years I have developed many many allergies, and lost a lot of my hearing due to sinus infections and bronchitis and infected Eustachian tubes, and one of my big allergies is smoke, smoking and second hand smoke and I now wear hearing aids due to my loss of hearing and deal with debilitating vertigo from time to time.       Smoke cuts my throat like breathing razor blades.       For example, I can walk thru the WalMart parking lot and walk thru someones second hand smoke and have a scratchy throat by the time I get inside and then if walk thru more when I leave, I can and will get bronchitis from that.     Were it not for that, I wouldn't care what anyone does, because I can't make anyone care about other people.

With that said, the other person was a smoker.     She didn't smoke in the vehicle, but she had to have the window cracked (blowing on us in the back) and air conditioning full blast (blowing on us in the back, not even on her,) because she is claustrophobic.      Anyway, an 8 hour trip was 13.5 hours due to smoke breaks.       She said it was due to her back, I really don't know!      I just know she always had to have a cigarette or two at every stop and then we got to smell and breathe her ashtry breath.     Before we got out of the state of TN I had a sore scratchy throat and it got worse by the minute.       I finally just said that if mom and I would have had all the info we should have had, we wouldn't have been on this trip and that I will have pneumonia by the time we get home.     I know what happens to my body when I am exposed to that much smoke and it did happen. I have just now gotten over the pneumonia, bronchitis and sinus infection due to not having all the info to make a healthy decision.     I have been about as sick as I have ever been in my life with this. My throat is still very scratchy and I still have a terrible cough and days that I don't feel good at all, but I am getting over it and hope to make a full recovery in the near future.      I just praise God every day that my mother did not get sick from this!!!!!!      That was my prayer when I realized what we was in for.   Hubby said for mom and me to get a motel room somewhere and he would come get us and had it not been for the loss of her money and mine, we would have done that.       There is more I could say on the matter, but no use beating a dead horse.      With this experience, I just know now that I DO have the right to ask questions and should ask questions and tell you that you too, have the right to ask questions to help you make healthy choices.     I know I will be exercising that right from now on and so should you.

I already want to go on another cruise.    That is just wishful thinking, but I can say this, I will know more about who I will go with than I did this time.        I will ask questions so I can make a healthy informed decision based on all the facts.      Now, with all that said, I would not take all the money in the world for the time that my mother and I was blessed to share!!!!!      That was and is truly priceless!!!!!!!       I am so blessed that I got to do this with my mother.       My hearts desire is that we get to go on another cruise together!!!!!!        Who knows, it just might happen again, until then, I will keep laughing and remembering this Carnival Dream cruise, because it was a dream come true (minus pneumonia)!!!!!

Scripture says: Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.  Psalm37:4

I just have to say Amen and Amen to this scripture!!!   Isn't is awesome and exciting to see how God wants to bless us when we are joyfully in a right relationship with Him and seek to spend time with our Creator.    It was awesome to look out over the ocean and to think that God had this time marked on His calendar for Mom and I to enjoy together.   He truly gave me the desire of my heart and I will forever be thankful to Him for that.

Hope and pray y'all enjoyed just a glimpse into our cruise.   I would loved to have shared all of with y'all, but as I said earlier, space and time won't allow.    Hope y'all come back soon.    Remember that God is waiting to give you the desires of you heart, just delight yourself in Him.

Till next time, God loves y'all and so do I!!    hugs, Patty

Wanna Build a Snowman?

I don't know what y'alls answer for that question is, but I don't want to!!!!   I could if I wanted to, but I don't want to.    You know how when you hear the weather news and you're thinking, "naw, that ain't gonna happen here", well, it happened here!!!!   hahaha    Yes, it did!     It just came a blizzard and it's still coming down as of 6:57 pm.     My youngest brother texted me a while ago and said, "Years from now people will be asking you if you remember the blizzard of 2016".     I texted him back and said, "I haven't survived it yet; people may be saying "the blizzard of 2016 took her out, remember that?"   hahahaha  

I did get out and walk around and took a few pictures this morning before noon.     It's always fun to do that.     Last year when we had one of our snowfalls, my winter boots had blow outs and I had to order a new pair and they got tied up in a snow bank somewhere before they finally made it to me.     I can report to y'all, they work really well!!!     I had fun in them today and took a few pictures. and wanted to share them with y'all.    Enjoy!

The snow on this rail is another 2-3 inches higher than it is there.   uggghhhh

This is in front of the garage door.   I was still on the deck and didn't know how bad it was.

 I was still on the deck here looking back between the garage and the house just to see the weight on the pine trees.

This is the partial fence that we have at the back of the house for just a bit of privacy.   It always makes for some fun pictures.

This is almost out to the road.    I didn't go all the way out.    It was really hard trudging thru the snow and I forgot my glasses too, so I was in a hurry to get back closer to the house.

This is looking down our driveway.   You can see all the pine branches broken off the neighbors pine trees.    It will take quite a bit of time for hubby to get all this cleaned up.    Thank you snow.   hahaha

This was just a little bit of a branch that had broken off and was about to be covered by snow.    I took a pic before it was completely covered.

This was another branch about to be hidden by the snow.

This is behind the garage looking at the fence area.   You can see the branches down  and more will be down before morning.

 This is really such a shame.    The last three years has really taken its toll on the neighbors pine trees.

This is another branch that has broken off.   There was 3 or 4 big ones that broke off so far, as well as as many smaller ones.

This is one of the holly trees on either end of the front of our house, taken from the back side of the tree.

This was just an iced over twig of a lilac bush.    I took a bunch of pictures close up, but it was with a new camera, and I'm not good with it yet, but this was one of the better ones.

This is some ice "tickles" hanging on the partial fence at the side of the house.    I call them "tickles" because they tickle me.   I love seeing them.   I don't enjoy the large ones that can be dangerous, but I do enjoy the smaller ones.    That's why I call them ice "tickles".   hahaha

 Just a few more ice "tickles"'

Another shot of the ice and snow covered lilac bush twigs.

Well, this is all the news that is the news from my neck of the woods.     I hope and pray that where ever y'all are tonight that you are warm and safe.    I am always reminded that while I may be safe and tucked away in the warmth of my home, that there are others that are not so fortunate.

Thinking about all the snow today got me to reminiscing about the days of yore!    hahaha      Makes me sound ancient, doesn't it.    It actually was quite a few years ago.    Where did the time go?   Oh well, the year I was the sophomore and my brother was a senior, it snowed a blizzard just before we was to go back to school from the Christmas break.     It was the perfect storm, so to speak, for snow. It was a snow that packed really well.    It was wet and heavy.   I got out and built a snowman that was as tall as I am.    It was really heavy for me to get it stacked, but I managed to do it all by myself.  I was so proud of my snowman!!!!!    He had everything that made him special.   A hat, a scarf, stick arms, a coal face and a carrot nose and coal for buttons down his belly.    He was quite the snowman.   I admired my snowman and watched him every day, for sooooo long!!!!     School was actually out for quite a bit of time.     But, the weather got better and we got back to school.     Every day the sun would shine and my snowman would refreeze at night.    No significant melting took place for weeks and weeks.    It finally turned into an ice cube snowman.    January ended, February came and went, March came and went and my snowman was still standing tall and strong.    April came and he started melting bit by bit.    He started getting skinny, but he was still holding his own.     One day my brother and I got off the school bus and he tossed his books to the ground and went running toward my snowman and done a kung-fu kick in the air and destroyed my snowman!!!!!    Boy was I mad!!!!!     I was so hot under the collar, I just couldn't believe he had done such a thing!!!     How could he!!!!!      I wanted to see just how long he would last, but nooooo, he had to destroy my snowman!!!!     Sounds kinda like I still hold a little grudge doesn't it.    hahaha    Well, I do, just a little.    hahaha     Not really.     I just thought about that after he texted today and I laughed about it.   So I thought I would share it with y'all.

I hope and pray that every one has a blessed, warm and safe night.    I know they are calling for really bad weather along eastern and north eastern area of the US.    Parts of the area are already without electricity.    I pray for safety for all of those people and for the people that will be out in this weather trying to fix what the ice and snow has torn down.    Take care every one.    

Stay safe Ladybug!!!    Sweetpea loves you and is sending warm thoughts your way and still counting the days!     Yay!!!!

Thanks for stopping in this evening y'all.    Just remember, God loves y'all and so do I!   hugs, Patty

Christmas and New Years is over, Now What?

WooHoo!!!!     Good morning, in the middle of January 2016!     I do hope that everyone had an awesome Christmas and that you kept the true meaning of Christmas in the forefront of all of your festivities.     I will tell y'all that I really tried to be ever mindful of the birthday of Christ.    I have got to where I try hard to not get wrapped up in all the secular hub bub and running and going and doing.    That has helped me a lot!!!!!     Don't get me wrong, I do things and try to stay connected with friends and family, but I don't have to be everywhere and do everything.    I try to choose the special things and the things that I know will help me stay focused on Christ.    I missed the Vesper Service at church on Christmas Eve and for that, I am really sad.    That is always such an awesome night, but I was unable to attend this year.    But I am still blown away by the Christmas Cantata that my little church sang.   The choir is less than 20 people strong, but you would think you was listening to a 100 strong choir.   They sing as if singing before the Lord, which in fact, is what they done!

My family got together at my Mom's Christmas and it was an awesome day!     One of my brothers did not make it, he was having Christmas with his family and that is certainly ok, but he and his wife were truly missed.   Had they been there, they certainly would have added to the joy and laughter.   There is always something going on, someone telling a story, or someone trying to reenact a particular event, and I'm telling ya, sometimes it gets down right hilarious!!!!    That is the joy of having come from a big family.     There is always new stories to tell each time we are together, and some of them are great story tellers and know how to get you involved so it makes you feel like you are right there in it.    And food!!!!!    Can we talk about the food for just a second?    Well, some of the best food in the world is always found at our family get togethers!    And none of us are what you would call "skin and bones" either.    Sometimes, I really wish the food wasn't as good as it is!   Seriously, I do.     On the other hand, I am thankful that we can all cook and know how to make food appealing to look at and taste good.  

My mom is the pie baker.     My hubby and I was talking on our drive home Christmas evening about my mom's pies.    He loves chocolate pie!!!!    That is his all time favorite pie.    He said that my mom's pies are the only pies he has ever eaten that had the same taste as the pies that his mom used to make.    Everyone that has ever eaten my mom's pies always rave about them.    My aunt and uncle still love my mom's chocolate pies.     So, back to the chocolate pies.     She didn't make any chocolate pies this Christmas!!!!     Oh NO she didn't!!!     Hubby went to the dessert table and was searching high and low, only to NOT find chocolate pie.    He did find coconut pie though!!!    That's what she made this year.    He said it was really good, considering it wasn't chocolate.    hahaha     Y'all know how I am about purple, right?     Well, that's how hubby is about chocolate pie!!!!     Yeah, right!    I know, it's a bit scary, isn't it?    hahaha    Oh well, he enjoyed the coconut pie and came home with a couple of pieces.    hahaha

We didn't do much on New Years, just stayed close to home and then went up to visit with my Mom for a little bit and enjoyed the day together.    We're not much on getting out and being a part of the crowd.   I'd rather be at home with hubby and just enjoy that time together.    

Look back at the title of today's post.     That is what I wanted to look at today.     What did we learned during this past Christmas season that we can remember all year long?   Lets look at Matthew 2: 1-10 for a minute.

Matthew 2:1  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,   2 Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him.   3 And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.    4 And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born.    5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet,   6 And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come forth a governor, Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.   7 Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared.   8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him.   9 And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.   10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

As we look at this scripture, we see that it was a star that led the wise men to Jesus.    This star appeared in the night sky.    They had studied scripture and had long awaited the appearance of this star.    This star led them to Christ, the long awaited King.    The only purpose of the star was to point people to Jesus.    When the wise men followed the star that stopped right over where Jesus was, they went in and worshiped the King, that was birthed in a tiny baby's body.    As I pointed out, these men had studied scripture of old and believed what they had read and then believed what God had allowed them to see!    We know the story of Herod, how he wanted to worship the babe, but in reality, he was a jealous, power hungry beast that only wanted to kill baby Jesus.    That is not necessarily what I want to focus on, but needed us to be aware of that part of the story at hand.    God's plan was carried out as He had planned.    The wise men seen Jesus and worshiped Him, believing what they had seen. We have two accounts that scripture backs up of shepherds and wise men encountering angels and a star to lead them to the Christ Child.     The Savior of the world was born, and people have been drawn to Him and have had their lives changed ever since that day.

What was the purpose of the star that the wise men seen?    Have you ever thought of that?     If you are fortunate enough to live in a part of the country where you can still see the night sky, you are very blessed.     In most of the areas around cities, there is enough city lights that light up the night, that the stars are not as bright as they are out under a night sky far far away from the city.    I remember nights sitting out under the blanket of stars on the hill where my grand parents lived when I was a younger.     It was as if you could reach and pluck a star from the sky.    Just as stars have a purpose, so do we.   

The star that led the wise men to Jesus done what God had created it to do.    Just like the star that guided those men to Jesus, like wise, you and I are to do the same.    We are to shine for Jesus in the darkness that is around us.    Darkness makes a star shine brighter.    No star ever shines for itself.    It shines for others to be able to see in the darkness.    Just like that particular star, during the time of Jesus' birth, we are to be shining to point others to Him also.    If you or I are shining, only to bring others to us, then our star will dim and quit shining.     But, if we are shining with the sole purpose of directing others to Jesus, then you will shine just like the stars in heaven.    That is what we have to decide.   Do we shine for self for a short period of time and then burn out, or do we shine brightly pointing others to Christ with every breath we take, putting Him in the forefront?    Let me say that again, if you are a born again believer in Christ Jesus, then you are a star, pointing others to Him!!!     Matthew 5:16  Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Now what?    Point others to Christ!!!   Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!!!!!    Over the next few short months, we will start looking toward the Cross.     The birth of Christ is what made the Cross experience possible, which in turn, makes it possible for us to be in right relationship with God, thru the shed blood of Christ.    Talk about a GIFT!!!!!     Let your light shine, be a shining star for someone to see Jesus, pass that GIFT on!!!!

As we progress thru the beginning of a new year, let us do so with joy and exuberance and the dedication of pointing others to Christ.    As we remember the days of 2015, let us do so with joy also.   I know it can be painful to do for some.     Every one of us have been toughed by sadness and grief this past year.    When we experience the loss of loved ones, whether it's family or friends, it can be hard getting thru the grief.     My church experienced significant loss thru the deaths of several members in 2015.  We are still grieving and will for a long time to come, I'm sure.     One of my precious friends just lost her mom during December.     I pray for her and her family as they go thru this transition period without their mother.    So, it was a tough time for her and her family in one sense, but also joyous in another sense.     

I too, am so sad to say, one of the best friends I ever had, went home to be with Jesus on Dec. 11th.     She was 53 years young, much too young for this to have happened.    We were what we called "soul" sisters.     She was Pearl Love and I am Pearl Joy.    We weren't afraid to say the hard things to each other.    I love to be around people that make me feel better about myself by pointing out who I am in Christ.    That's what we did for each other.    When we would be struggling with something, God would give us fresh insight on a scripture to share with each other.   Our relationship was based on who Jesus Christ is and how He alone, has changed us from the inside out.    We both wanted more of Christ and tried to be a star pointing each other and others to Him.    She would call me out on an unbecoming attitude and I in turn would do the same thing and felt nothing but love for each other for doing so, because I knew her heart and she knew mine.     We had prayed for a miracle for her and believed with all our hearts she would get it, and she did!!!!!     She got to spend this Christmas with our Lord and Savior!!!!!     Pearl Love, I am so thrilled you are not in pain any more!!!!!!     I was reading some of our conversations in texting and cracked up at all the "basil" jokes that you come up with for me one time.     I am so thankful to God for the time He blessed us with to be friends and sisters in Christ.    I know there are many other ladies that can say the same thing.    There are numerous lives, around the world, that you touched and changed through your relationship with Christ.   You are missed and forever will be.    I can see you dancing around the streets of gold now with your pink tutu.  That was the first image that I had in my head when I found out of your home going.     I said, "Thank you God that she is now at peace and pain free!"     Till we meet again, my dear friend!!!!!!

If you have someone in your life that you love and they are experiencing changes that just don't seem quite right.     They may just not feel up to par.    They may have different complaints of something just not feeling quite right, please INSIST on them going to the dr.    Take them, if necessary.     Go with them, if necessary!!!    Just don't take no for an answer!!!!     Their life may be in the balance.   Same goes for yourself.    If something doesn't feel quite right; if you notice changes in your body of any kind; if you just don't feel like yourself, go to the dr and find out what's going on.    Go to the second and third dr till you get to the bottom of it.   Find out what it is and deal with it.   Do not put your health off, please!    Put yourself on your "to do" list, as a gift of you, for the people you love and those who love you.

I hope and pray that each end every one of y'all have a Happy New Year and that you ring it in with Christ in your heart and that your resolution for the New Year will be to be a "star" of revival that points others to Christ!    Make plans to spend 2016 with Jesus Christ at forefront of all you do!!!!    Get revived!!!!    Grow deeper in your relationship with Christ!!!!     Revival starts within ones self, and then it can spread like wild fire.    Make 2016 the year of Revival!!!

I have a few craft projects that I want to share with y'all very soon, but I felt the need to get this blog post out, so that's why it's without a project.    God bless y'all as you go thru the days ahead.    I think winter has finally hit my area on the map and I must say that I'm not loving it!!!    Not at all!!!    But I am truly thankful to God for heat and I bet y'all are too.    So, we make the best of it and have lots of hot soup on cold days.    It may be cold outside but the Son keeps us warm on the inside!!!!    Take care of yourselves and check on anyone whom you know that may have needs during this cold spell; you could be the difference between life and death.

Ladybug, I'm counting down the days and I know you are too!!!   Love you and see you soon!   Sweetpea

Hope y'all have a wonderful day and remember that God loves you and so do I!!!    hugs, Patty

My Christmas Tree

Good morning Y'all!!!     It is a bright sunshiny day this morning and I am loving it.  Hope y'all are too.     Got to get busy here in a little bit, but I wanted to share a bit with y'all today before I do get busy.     We had Christmas caroling last night at church and it was fun.    We split up into four groups and went to four different nursing facilities.   We had an awesome time and all the people enjoyed it.    It was a blessing for them and us.

A couple of weeks or so ago I took on a mini craft project for my craft room.     I wanted to share that with y'all.    I took a few pics of what I made and what hubby got me for early Christmas present.

I ordered a couple of those four tiered whirly thingies from Harbor Freight.     One of my friends on Google+ was telling some of us about it and I knew I needed to have some.     So, thanks +Penny Duncan , I am sure the stock for HF just went up a bit.   hahaha    They hold tons of stuff and it's all at your finger tips.    Yay!!!

Next, I took a couple of small boxes and cut the flaps off them and covered them with zebra contact vinyl.    Love that stuff.   Then I took  paper towel rolls and  cut them in half and covered just the first inch or so , inside and out, with the contact vinyl and then glued them inside the boxes to store tools and pens and markers and stuff in.

You have to put the whirlie thingies together, but it's not hard, just time consuming.

This is what it look like down in the boxes.   I really like them a lot.    I believe it was +Sylvia Tabor over in the Google Kraafters Kommunity who showed us how to make these holders with empty paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls.

Here, you can see the tall ink pad storage.   I used a couple of boxes that I get peanut butter crackers in at Walmart.   I get those to put in hubby's lunch box for work and they are perfect for ink pad storage.   I took pizza boxes and cut them down to size and made shelves and I can get 19 ink pads in each one.   I will get a couple more of those made in the future.     This really cleaned up a big big mess on my work desk.   I am so thrilled about that.

My Christmas Tree

What if I asked you to decorate a Christmas Tree and put only things on it that would describe you, your relationship with Jesus and your relationship with others.    Could you do it?     Would you do it?    I was sitting in church service Sunday morning and as the Pastor spoke, I was concentrating on his sermon and all the time I kept getting this mental picture.     Do any of y'all ever get that mental picture that you just can't get out of your head?    I do.    Sometimes mine is an all out comedy skit of something that he is preaching on.    Yeah, I know, only I could find the humor in some of the things that he preaches on and, by the way, every bit of it is scriptural.    I just have say that I know God has a very good sense of humor, because He gave me a pretty good one, if I do say so myself.    So, I can actually blame it on Him, right.    Anyway, as he was speaking, I kept seeing a Christmas Tree in my mind.    I finally just had to ask God what that was.     Well, it was a Christmas Tree that was decorated with things that represented my relationship with Jesus and the people in  my life.     I didn't get a really clear image of it though.     I was so intrigued by the idea that I thought I would try to mentally decorate a Christmas Tree for y'all and describe it as I go.

So, first off it would have to be a Cedar Tree.   A Cedar tree never looses it branches and it stays green all the time.     It will grow in places that a lot of other trees can't.   It has a smell that only the cedar tree has.    I love the smell of cedar.     As a small child, I would pick up cedar shavings and smell them.    I would actually rub them on my nose and sleep with them and get them tangled in my hair.    Anyway, that's what we always had growing up and I remember all the fun I had when I got to help decorate it.    Sometimes, I would get to decorate it more than once if it fell over.     hehehe      Redecorating is not as fun as it was to decorate it the first time.    So, Cedar Tree it is. 

Next I would put lots of colored lights on it.     I do love the clear lights, but I am a colorful person and I love lots of color, so colored lights it is.    God didn't say anything about colored lights or clear, He just said to let our light shine for others to see.    And we are not to put our light under a bushel, but to have it out and shining bright.   So, I do believe a lot of colored lights on my tree would be seen.    So, colored lights, it is.

Next, for garland, I might string some popcorn and put that on my tree.     Most everyone likes or loves popcorn.     It does smell wonderful when it's popping.     What is the first thing you smell when you go to the movie theater?     Yeah, popcorn.    The smell of it is inviting and pleasing.    Have you every thought about popcorn?    It takes a lot of heat, to make that kernel of corn transform into something that is so delicious.    It has to "go thru the fire", so to speak, for it to be transformed into something that we love so much.     Guess what, we have to "go thru the fire" also, to be transformed into something useful that God can use.    Notice I said "go" thru the fire to be made into useful.    If popcorn stays in the fire too long, it goes from delectable to detestable in just a matter of seconds.    Sometimes we take our eyes off the popcorn and it burns.    God will never take His eyes off us and He goes thru the fire with us.     We are never alone.     So, popcorn it is.

Next comes the decorations.     First, I think I would want a box of crayons.     They represent the big box of 64 that I had as a child.    I loved those crayons and the many hours of pleasure they brought me.    They also represent the fact that it's ok to color outside the lines.     Our artistic skill, love and abilities come  from God, so I will embrace my artistic side with the crayons.    Next, I think there would be some big beautiful colorful buttons scattered about on my tree.     I have always loved buttons.    I learned to count with buttons.     I always loved to play with buttons while Mom was sewing.    Buttons are very useful.    They hold stuff together.    They can be plain and be useful.    They can be very ornate and still be just as useful.    So, a few buttons goes on my tree, just to make sure I stay buttoned up and together.     Next, I would want at least eight different cookie cutters hanging on my tree.       Six to represent the guys in our house; dad and five brothers. Then two to represent mom and me.     Cookies was always a special treat.     I would want them all to be different, because we are all different.    God made all His children different, so mine would have to be different too.

Next I would want some glass ornaments.    Glass ornaments of all different shapes colors and sizes.    God made us in His image in all different shapes colors and sizes, but none the less, all still in His image.     The glass represents how fragile we are.   If not handled correctly, they shatter.     So do we, when we are not handled correctly.    

Next, I would have 36 small gold wedding rings hanging on my tree for all to see.     Those would be as a reminder of the all the Christmases my husband and I have spent together.     Representing all the good times and the bad, knowing that God was in the midst of it all.      With the hopes of adding many more as each year rolls around.     The circle also represents the un-ending love that God has for His children.   Yes, a few gold wedding bands it is.     

Next, I would want a few beautifully decorated acorns.     Those remind me of times when my husband and I have gone on acorn hunts and found some really big acorns.    I bake them in a low temp oven (to kill any insects or eggs that may be in them) for a couple hours, and turn the oven off, leave them over night and the next day they are ready to decorate.     From a small acorn comes the mighty oak.     They grow really tall on the upside of the ground.     On the underside, where we can't see, they put down really deep roots!      So, I want to represent Jesus Christ well when you see me, but I also want to know that I am firmly rooted in Christ.    The roots are very important when the storms of life come thru, they determine whether you survive it.    Everything above ground can be damaged, but as long as the root system is ok, the tree can come out of it.    I may be shaken, but if I'm rooted in Christ, I can survive any storm.

Next, I think I would like to have some trumpets on my Christmas Tree.    I have a few now, and when I do decorate, I love using them.     I love the sound of the trumpet.    Of course, I couldn't make a sound come out of one if my life depended on it.    But, I do enjoy the sound of them.     And I do keep my ear pealed, listening for the great trumpet blast that will take place when Jesus comes again.     So, yes I will have a few trumpets.      Next, I would have to have one small broken ornament on my tree.     Why that, you ask?     If we are honest with ourselves and God, we are all broken, in some way.     That's what sin does, it causes brokenness, and we can't fix it.     God can and does when we come to Him with our sin.    So, that one small broken ornament would be a reminder to me, that although it is broken, it is still loved and useful.    God can use each and every one of us, even with our brokenness, to His benefit and glory.

Next, y'all know I love me some purple!     If you don't, it's not because I haven't told ya!  hahaha     Yeah, I think I would have some purple scraps of fabric on my Christmas Tree.     Why just scraps of fabric?     I am reminded of Lydia.    The lady from the Bible.     She was a seller of purple cloth and she also loved the Lord.     Purple is a symbol of royalty.     Since I am a daughter of the Most High God, I think just a few purple scraps would do me well on my tree.     Next, I think I would have to have me some pearls on my tree.     Pearl is my birthstone and fittingly so.      Pearls are the result of an irritation that takes place in the oyster.     Think about how bad an ulcer hurts, that's about similar to the kind of irritation that produces a pearl.     The Bible speaks of pearls as having great value.     The gates of Heaven will be made from pearls.    Each gate will be made from one large pearl.      That's one large source of irritation for each pearl!!!      One of my very dear friends and I have special names for each other.     She is Pearl Love, because she is the epitome of Love, Gods love!!!!      I am Pearl Joy.     My Joy comes from the Lord.      There is also scripture that says not to cast your pearls before swine.      So, pearls it is.

Next I would have to have to have a ladybug on my tree.    The red one, that is.     Who doesn't love a ladybug.     Scientists done an experiment on ladybugs a few years ago and found out they are possibly the strongest creature on earth.    They can pick up over 600 times their own body weight with those little suction feet of theirs.    Pretty amazing, huh!    They are very strong little buggers.    The ladybug would represent my mom, one of the strongest people I have ever known.    That's what I call my mom sometimes too.     Next, I would have to have a little sweet pea flower on my Christmas Tree.     They are a small, dainty flower; everything that I ain't!   hahaha    The wild ones found in nature are usually purple, woohoo.     They do smell good.     They are considered to be a good gift.    They represent "good fortune", so I say that my good fortune can be found only in what Jesus Christ has done for me.    This is what my mom calls me sometimes too.    So, sweet pea it is.

Next, I love to have candy canes shaped like a shepherds staff.     The shepherds staff reminds me that the shepherd looks after his sheep.     Shepherds were the lowest of the low, but God chose them to announce His plans to that night in the fields while watching their sheep.    Wow, talk about a chosen group of men that night!     The shepherds staff was a useful tool to.     Sometimes he has to use his staff to get one of the sheep that may have fallen in a crevice or something like that.  He can just reach out and pull a sheep back to where it belongs.    But the shepherd always has his sheep's best interest at heart.     The sheep knows the shepherds voice, the shepherd knows the voice of his sheep.     So it is with Christ as our Shepherd, He always has our best interests at heart.     Next, I think I would need a few heart shaped ornaments on my tree.    The heart represents great love.     We see the heart of Christ form the beginning to end of the Bible.     We also have learned to love, because Christ loved us first.    Sometimes it is hard for us to love as Christ loves.    But He has taught us to love others, even our enemies.     So, I will have a few hearts on my tree as a reminder to love others.  

When I get it all decorated with all the different ornaments and items I want on my tree, there's just a couple of things left.     I would take a few hands full of glitter and toss it on the tree.     Why glitter?     It sparkles, it shines, and it shimmers!!!!     It makes you smile when you see it.     If you get close enough to someones glitter, you get it on you.    It's a reminder that you was with that person and enjoyed time spent with them.      I can just imagine how the streets of gold are gonna glimmer, sparkle and shimmer.     So glitter, it is.

Last but not least, by any means is the tree topper.     My tree topper would be a Cross.     The symbol of what Christ has done for me and who I am in Him.     It would not have to be the finest Cross ever made.      I'll gladly take a rough cut, precariously nailed cross for my tree topper.     The Cross was not ever meant to be a thing of beauty.    The only way the Cross becomes a symbol of beauty is when it represents the transformation that has taken place in my life as a result of the finished work of Christ on the cross.    If you see someone wearing a cross, ask them what it means to them.     See if it means the same thing to them that it means to you.    If not, share with them what the cross represents to you.    So, a Cross it is for my topper.

There you have it.    A Cedar Tree, colored lights, popcorn, crayons, buttons, cookie cutters, glass ornaments, acorns, gold wedding rings, small broken ornament, trumpets, purple fabric scraps, pearls, a lady bug, a sweet pea flower, shepherd staff candy cane, hearts, glitter and a cross.     These are the things that would make up my Christmas Tree to describe who I am.

What would you use to describe who you are?       Think about it.     When I got done putting everything down to describe my tree, then it all came into focus and this is exactly what I saw when my Pastor was preaching Sunday morning.      His sermon was about what came from Bethlehem, such a small and obscure little town.  How in the world I got this from his sermon, I'll never know.      Other than it just being what I call a God "thang".     I do have to say that I am quite pleased with my Christmas Tree.     I hope you will do the same thing this Christmas season and share your Christmas Tree with those around you.

I pray everyone has an awesome day.    Share Christ where ever you go, what ever you do.    You won't regret it.     Ladybug, I pray you have a wonderful day and hope I get to see you soon.    Sweet pea loves you so much!!!!

I hope y'all will come back real soon to check out what I have been up to.     Would love to hear from you too.    Till next time, God loves y'all and so do I!!   hugs, Patty

Happy "Belated" Thanksgiving

Good day Y'all!    Did y'all have a Happy Thanksgiving?    I hope and pray that the Thanksgiving season hasn't stopped for you.    At church, for the month of November, we was challenged to take time every day of the month and thank God for something every day.    I always do every day anyway, but it was so much more meaningful and purposeful when I do it with an attitude of gratitude.    Thanking God for the things that I don't even think about as being blessings from God.    Hot water, clean clothes, shoes on my feet, tooth brush, soap, dishes, a pillow, heat on a cold morning, a comb, food, a lamp.................are you thankful for any of those?    There are oh so many more things that could be listed.    What about the fact that you woke up this morning?    Did you get out of bed?    Can you walk?    Can you speak?    Oh, is your heart beating?     What about those, are you thankful?    I sure I am!!!

I am so thankful to God that He is in control!!!!    No matter what takes place, we must seek God first.     I don't like it when someone asks me, "What's your opinion of whats happening in the world right now?"    The only opinion that matters to me, EVER, is God's opinion, about anything!     God tells us in His Word that there will be troubles in the last days.   My heart breaks for all the pain and hurt that has gone on and that will continue to go on as long as people have the desire to hurt and terrorize other people.    I just have to know that God sees it all and knows what is happening.    This stuff will keep happening because evil is a reality in the world in which we live.    And sadly, some people have CHOSEN evil over good!     God's Word tells us to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing.    He also says that this world is not our home.    The enemy does all he can to take our focus off God.    We must remain dependent on God in every way and focus on Him!!!     God wins!!!!!!     For that, I am thankful!!!!

The spirit of Thanksgiving still holds true on what ever day it is.     We should always start our day thanking God and praising Him for life itself!    And thanking Him for all the blessings of the day!!!!     As we go from the Thanksgiving season and carrying our thankfulness over in to the Christmas season, let us remember what the Christmas season is supposed to be all about........the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!!     King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!!!

The secular festivities used to mean a whole lot more to me than they do now.     All the decking of the halls and silver and gold and the lights and sights to see are really beautiful, no doubt at all that it is beautiful.     But, what stirs the depths of my soul is to see the beauty in the manger scene, no matter how simple it is or how large and fine it is, it stirs up Holy Spirit in me and we just have to get our worship on!!!!

A night or so after Thanksgiving I was coming home from somewhere out town, and in the front yard of a home along the street was a very simple manger scene.     It had a spot light on it.    It looks to be about 3 feet tall, the tallest piece and spread out over the front lawn in about 10-15 pieces and it looks to be cut from wood of some sort and spray painted white.     It is such a BEAUTIFUL sight coming down the avenue!!!!!     I just start praising God that someone put that out.     It really stirs my soul to see it and I pray that everyone that sees it will have the same experience that I have when looking upon it.     I want to get a picture of it in the dark and post it to show y'all.     It is breath taking!!!!

So back in October, I went up to my mom's and went to church with her on a Sunday morning and spent the day with her.     We had a terrific time.     I had kinda surprised her and in reality, it was a surprise to me too.    Pleasant for both of us.     She had asked me to come and go to church with her, but I just hadn't been feeling up to going and didn't want to get her hopes up and then not feel like going.    So, on Saturday night, I just prayed about it and left it in God's hands.    If I felt like going, I would know it was what He wanted me to do.     I woke up on Sunday morning, and to my joy and happiness, I felt like going.    Before I headed out, I called mom and asked her what she was doing.    "Getting ready for church, what are you doing?"     "Me too" I said.     Then I said, "With you".     And she squealed with joy, and said "Really?"     I said "Yes"!      She was so excited and I was too after I heard her reaction.  

It was hat Sunday.    Now, I don't wear hats on Sunday morning, or any other time for that matter.   I don't have a hat head.     I have a big head and it takes a big hat to fit a big head!    Seriously!!!!     She said I could come on anyway and she would make me stand in a corner when we got to church.     hahahaha     I was heading to a corner, but both back corners was already filled with flags; the Flag of the United States in one corner and the Christian Flag in the other corner.     I was saved by the flags!!!!!     hahaha      Well, we got someone to take our picture with our cell phones, and it didn't break either one of them.    hahahaha      I had changed my profile picture with that pic of me.     Mom seen it and said I should have left her in it.    I said "really, you wouldn't have minded".      She said, "no".      I asked her if I could put the pic on my blog then and said "sure".      So here it is.      I hope you enjoy seeing my mom and me.     I love that she let me share it with y'all.

I think she really rocked her hat!!!      This is NOT coming from a biased daughter at all (hehehe), but her hat was the most beautiful one there and she was the most beautiful lady there, period!!!!!      She is in her very early 80's and she is an awesome lady with a ton and a half of spunk and gets around better than most 40 year olds!!!!     She can out run me any day of the week.     My husband always picks at her and tells her the nut doesn't fall far from the tree.     hahahaha      I do have to admit that she does have a little nut in her and so do I!!!     Truth is truth, what can I say!!!!     I am just so thankful that I get to spend time with her and that we have a great time when I do get to go visit her.      We left church that Sunday and went to local restaurant in her town and as we were driving in to the parking lot, I met one of my sisters-in-law driving out of the parking lot and we waved like silly people, hahaha.      So when we got parked, my brother was coming out of the restaurant, and we got to see him.    (I took a pic of the both of them, but I don't have his permission to share, as I don't like people sharing pics of me without my knowledge.)      But he thought mom looked really nice in her hat too.

We got back to Mom's place that afternoon and she took her hat off.     She came back in the living room and I looked at her for a second.     I said, "Oh no you don't, march back in there and put that hat back on!!!!    I can't stand seeing your "hat hair" now!!!"     We cracked up and she said "that's why I don't like wearing hats".     Me too!     Oh well, it was a great day with lots laughs and I do thank God for those times.

I do hope and pray that as everyone makes their plans for the Christmas season, make room to thank God every day for giving Jesus Christ to a lost, hurting and dying world.     We need Jesus more today than ever before!!!!!     I just pray that you will join me in praying for the planet on which we all live.     It seems to be running rampant with people set on hurting, maiming, and killing others.     The planet earth is covered with people that are in denial of Jesus Christ.    They need our prayers.      It is easy to love and pray for "good" people.      It is easy to pray for the people that we love.     Rubber meets the road when we pray for those that would do us harm.     Rubber meets the road when we pray for the enemies of Christ!      What do I mean by "rubber meets the road"?       We are taught by Jesus Himself, to pray for our enemies.     When we actually put that teaching into practice in our every day lives, then that is where "rubber meets the road" and sometimes it proves to be challenging, at best.     We are then, living out the teaching of Christ.     So, I ask you to join me in living out this teaching.      Pray for those that despise and persecute you for being Christian.    Pray for those that would do you harm.     Pray for those that we would say don't deserve our prayers.     That is true love and compassion.     Father, I pray that you would help me show true love and compassion to the enemies of the Cross!

So, I do have a small craft to share with y'all today.    It is finger crocheted scarves.    They are made from Sashay thread/yarn, the thin kind that I got at Walmart.     I seen it by accident, really!!!!     But when a skein of it jumped in my buggie, (with a little coaxing from me of course, hehehe), I knew I had to do something with it.    Especially since it was purple!!!!!!!!     Have I ever mentioned that I love purple?     Really, have I?      hehehe      Anyway, when I got home with this little treasure, I slipped the paper off it and opened it up to look at the pattern on the back of it and it was "finger crochet".      I said, "that sounds interesting" and in about 10 minutes I had my first scarf made.     As a matter of fact, I have it on in the pic of Mom and me.    So, hop back up there and take a look see at how I have it on.   It finished at about 15-20 feet long and you just wrap and wrap and wrap, till you get  tired of wrapping and then wrap a little bit more.   hahaha     It had been a really big hit.     I went back and got more thread about 2 or 3 times and have made 7 in all, but have given one away.    I have 3 more as presents and will keep the 3 I have already worn.    They are so fun and easy to make!!!!!

The first 3 from left to right are the ones I have already worn.   I do love them!

These are the 3 set aside for gifts and I may have to get some more made.     The blue one is shorter than the others.    It is fuzzy and took up more thread per loop than the others did.   It also does not have any sequins on it.

I tried to get a good close up shot of it so you maybe could see the chain stitch.

This is the close up of the blue one.    It reminds me of those wolly worms you see in the fall that people use to predict how cold the winter will be.    hahaha     These are really simple and so fun to make and I guarantee any one you give one to will love it, (if they don't, just take it back and give them a small lump of coal. hehehe) 

Well, this is it for this time.    I hope y'all read or seen something here that you liked, if you did, share it with someone.     Tell someone you know that there is hope for this sad and hurting world and that hope is found ONLY in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior!!!!!      Nothing less, nothing more, nothing else!!!!!

Ladybug, I can't wait till I get to see you again.    Sweetpea loves you!!!!!

Remember, God loves y'all and so do I!!!!    Till next time, hugs and love, Patty