Christmas keepsakes

Brrrrr, baby, it's cold outside. (for here) It is currently 48 and sunny. It drops down to 31 for a low. This morning we had crunchy grass (green weeds) and my poor, California poppies were looking, mighty droopy but had rebounded nicely by this afternoon. 

I continue to 'deck the halls' around my house. I don't remember it taking this many days back when I was younger. 

The above picture is one of my Christmas favorites - I like to leave that one on the wall, till February. 

Happy Birthday to my husband today. He is 66 years old. This morning I gave him my present - and I bought a cheesecake and I took him out for the "all you can eat, soup, salad and breadsticks" at Olive Garden. Still a good deal at $9.99 each. 

This cute little kissing couple is OLD - dating back to the '50s. 

My first mother-in-law gave me these figurines at least 40+ years ago. 

The Christmas Kissing couple Bells is a Vintage Geo Z Lefton #019.  Bell has its Clapper. Made in Japan. Still dons the red sticker on the inside of the bell. 

I looked for it on the internet and found just the boy on eBay for $50.00 Mine is in good condition with no cracks - the paint on the hat is a bit discolored - so I'd give mine a healthy $40 if I were to sell it; which I am not. The girl is in better condition. Etsy has one left - the couple which is in very good condition goes for $375. 

Nope, not selling. I will get them their own box with plush padding to store them in. They deserve at least that! 

Yep, I'm not done with all the kissing - 

Formalities Baum Bros Vintage Christmas Kissing Angels Salt Pepper Shakers Set - They are porcelain. I'm having a hard time dating them - and only found 1 set exactly like mine. 

This little Santa Bell is also a Vintage Geo Z Lefton but I just noticed that part of Santa's hat broke off. I'm guessing, he's 1950's c. 

I looked in the box and can't find it so I will take a little white pom, and glue it on - it's not like it's worth anything to anyone other than me. 

Santa is in the House. 

 

Overseeing all the mischief below is my rag Santa I have had for 37 years. (he's over 36 inches of stuffed rags) Last year, I was down with my rotator cuff surgery and the husband hadn't put him out yet, and Navy asked about him - thinking I must have gotten rid of him. 

Years ago, I had an adorable dog named, Sport. He was a border collie/springer spaniel mix - I used to place Santa on the sofa. One day I came home and caught Sport, shaking him -  in a playful way, of course.  Since then, he always had to sit high above the fray, for his own safety. Sport, would bark at him, and jump up and down...man, there was just something about this rag Santa, that turned Sport on. 

When was the last time, you received a check in the mail you were not expecting? 

Yesterday I opened up a letter from the Dept of Justice - addressed to me. It was a check for $372. 

At first, I didn't trust it and almost place it in the recycle bin - but something told me to read it again. Apparently, this was a class action lawsuit by the DOJ against Epsilon Data Management and KBM Group for supplying consumer data to a fraudulent mass-mailing scheme. My husband has been part of a large class action lawsuit and the most he ever got was about $40. 

I checked online at the DOJ and sure enough, it is legit. 

I had no idea my data was involved in such - 

The husband baked some raisin bread in the bread machine. It smells so homey in the house now - well I best be getting back to decking those halls - I'm almost done but I do keep stopping to make some repairs - gluing, and such. All my Christmas keepsakes are getting old, just like me. 

Have a nice evening - and take care. 

Christmas ornaments, a Movie, and snuggling with my fur babies

Late yesterday and into the early evening, we put up our tree. 

This is an old one - made of tin. 

Each year I pull out the ornaments and each year I have to put aside those that have gotten so old, that I dare not place them on the tree and are too sentimental to just toss them. 

We don't have AC in our garage - and that is where we store all the Christmas decor. So with our 110+ temps in the summer, our garage gets very hot. It takes a toll. 

The wood crafts stay together well - sometimes I have to re-glue them...

I bought these from IKEA a few years ago 

I've had this one since my boys were little - 

I used to collect Santas 

A simple wooden dove I made 30 years ago - 

 Another one from when my boys were small. They still look for them on the tree and they are 38 and 42. 

Guess they are sentimental like their Mom. 

Today I finally received my new debit card - except they mail the password separately a day or so after the card in case someone stole the mail and got the card and the password - 

Makes sense but it's still annoying. 

I went to the grocery store and it was so crowded - Just a mess. Where are these people during the rest of the year? The parking lot is full, the store is crowded...and it was before 11am and usually not at all busy. Plus they stand in the aisles and catch up with their friends and neighbors - blocking everyone. Grrrrrr. 

My lower back has been flaring up - walking helps but it must be the cold and we are having such cold weather that it might snow on Saturday! We usually get a dusting in December. I hope it does snow...

Right now we are at 49 degrees as a high. That's COLD!!!! 

The husband was called into work at a private movie showing at the theater - 

It's called the Jesus Revolution. 

Inspired by a true movement, JESUS REVOLUTION tells the story of a young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) being raised by his struggling mother, Charlene (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) in the 1970s. Laurie and a sea of young people descend on sunny Southern California to redefine truth through all means of liberation. Everything changes when Laurie meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie street preacher, and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer) who have thrown open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to a stream of wandering youth. What unfolds becomes the greatest spiritual awakening in American history. Rock and roll, radical love, and newfound faith lead to a JESUS REVOLUTION that turns one counterculture movement into a revival that changes the world.

I remember those days when we called them Jesus freaks - would hitchhike up and down the coast of California. I knew many high school kids who left to join up. I was not yet a Christian at this time -  

Years later, I used to go to several Calvary Chapels here in California. I used to listen to Pastor Chuck Smith on the Christian radio for years so I am very interested in seeing this movie. My husband gets a sneak peek tonight.

   

Since it is a cold day and I am a bit down in my back, the girls and I have been keeping cozy and snuggly this afternoon. 

SMALL WORLD

This photo is for Pam over at Closed Doors, Open Windows

Yesterday she posted about a cousin who passed away - and she showed a photo and I thought the wife looked like someone I used to know. 

"No, it can't be?" 

"Just a lookalike - they say everyone has a double somewhere."

It was even more interesting as the name of her cousin's wife was Joy. Same first name as the woman I was thinking of. 

"No, it can't be?" 

Well, they are one and the same. Isn't that something? I knew my Joy back in the mid-1980s - she owned a decorating company based out of Brazoria, Texas and I was the California manager. It was a direct sales company through home shows. It was such a fun time in my life. 

Oh, I am at the bottom right-hand side. This was taken in the late 1980s - 1990?

That's it for me on this cold cold day. Back to snuggling in the blanket on the sofa with a kitty keeping my feet warm. What could be better than that???

 

The all day errand

Yesterday, we had to go down to Beale AFB so I could renew my military-dependent ID card. 

It was an all-day trip.

About Beale AFB

The host unit at Beale is the 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW), assigned to the Sixteenth Air Force, Air Combat Command. The Wing collects intelligence essential for presidential and Congressional decisions critical to the national defense. The Wing flies the USAF fleet of Lockheed U-2 "Dragon Ladies" and Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, and operates associated ground support equipment. It also maintains a high state of readiness in its combat support and combat service support forces, ready to deploy, if ordered, to carry out military operations.

After we left the base we drove through Marysville - a small town in the Central Valley - since we brought Laydee with us, we took her for a walk around this little lake in the middle of their downtown.  

Laydee must have thought we were cruel - here she is a black lab, loves water to swim, and is a bird dog. There were geese and coots everywhere. 

She was drooling - 

They were friendly - probably used to being fed by humans. Soon, they realized I had no food for them and paddled away.

It was a lovely day - a bit cooler than I like but still didn't need a coat - if you walk fast, you're warm. 

Pretty little gazebo. The city park and lake were built in 1940. 

 

It was such a charming park - but in certain areas of the park, I saw guys using drugs - some passed out. Seems Marysville suffers from some of the big city woes with homelessness, crime, and drugs. 

I bet in 1940 when the park was built, they didn't have these issues - or they weren't as bad as they are today. Beale AFB was established in 1942 and is only a few miles from Marysville. 

One thing Marysville has going for them is an abundance of really good, Mexican Food. So we stopped at a local taqueria and it did not disappoint. There is a huge migrant community, due to the central valley farms. 

Due to its close proximity to the gold country, it has a neat historical past having to do with mining and people coming from all over the world to set up mining camps - thus springing up small towns - many just boom towns that faded away - Marysville has stood the test of time. 

They have an old Chinese temple that sprung up during the gold rush days - we just didn't have time to visit but need to go back. 

It was a very pleasant day and we got that necessary errand out of the way. 

This and That on the Day After

My son texted me this photo when on a hike. It probably happened in the '80s. It ran over a cliff - and this is where it landed. 

So, how's everyone this day after Thanksgiving? I am thankful it is over. And to think I didn't host or cook. We had a nice time at my son's home - a lot of people and many were glued to their cell phones except us older ones.

Like my husband said, "it's their home, their rules." 

My son wasn't on his and joined in on our lively discussions. 

This is where my husband and Foodie camped the other day. 

We got up to 78 yesterday. Hot in the house with that turkey cooking. Before going over to Navy's home, we sat outside most of the day. 

Off the beaten trail -

This morning we drove over to the new Costco - they closed the one closest to us. Now the empty one will be revamped into a restaurant and a small mall.  Just what we need; another mini-mall. That will probably take about a year - so meanwhile, it will be a mess. 

No, this is not a train tunnel -it is a water tunnel that diverts the water. You wouldn't want to be caught in one of these during a flash flood. 

We decided to do a simpler family gift exchange since Char doesn't understand it. We've been doing it for years, but she gets confused. So us women buy a female gift and the men buy a guy gift. These gift exchanges stress her out. 

Sometimes you have to make accommodations. 

I haven't seen her since Easter - she is having a textual relationship - as she told me. That means, her guy lives in another place and all they do is text. 

I keep my mouth shut - 

Anyway, I bought my gift - online this afternoon. Now, that's done. 

We were sent home, with leftovers - not too much. I don't care for turkey leftovers. So that is what's for dinner tonight. 

Today I had plans to put away all the Fall decor - and dust the shelves but instead, did nothing. Tomorrow I will start. I did take a nap this afternoon on the sofa. That was nice and I guess I needed it.  

Take Care

Happy Thanksgiving

I was sitting outside and enjoying this beautiful day. 

So grateful and THANKFUL I am not the one cooking today. I do have to make a big batch of mashed potatoes. 

Our dinner won't start for another 5 hours - Navy works today - who doesn't like double time and a half? He gets off work at 3:30 so it's not a big deal to wait.

We've always done it this way, with many in the family working in hospitals and medical and care facilities. 

I then went into the backyard - I could hear families beginning to gather. I'm hearing children squeal with delight - 

We're at 75 degrees which to me is perfect. If I was hosting,  we'd sit outside to eat. We are getting a very warm breeze...feels nice. It's cold in my house so I come outside to warm up. 

To kill time I will bake blueberry bread, just for us. I already made some pumpkin mini bread to give away. 

We both made our phone calls to the VIPs in our life...friends, and family who live far away. 

I am thankful for all of you - I enjoy so much reading about your lives and families. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours. 
 

We were skimmed -

 

My former "nanny" boss and her husband came for a visit on Saturday - It was good to see them again. I thought it had been 10 years but they said more like 15. Time sure flies by fast. They gifted me with this beautiful HUGE poinsettia plant - 36 inches in height and you can see, it hides the cuckoo clock to the side. Since they are dangerous to cats - I had a hard time finding a place Susie couldn't get to. She chews on fake and natural plants. Grrrrr. 

It will go outside on the patio - 

We've been SKIMMED 

Credit card skimming is a fraudulent act where a skimmer fits a small device on a real card reader to capture your credit card information. These devices sit flush with the machine and are not easy to spot unless you proactively examine the machine. 

Last Thursday I noticed the fraudulent activity on my checking account - I called the bank and they canceled my debit card since it was a POS entry.  Today I checked again and the total, they have taken out is close to $200. That person asked about my husband's debit card - for some reason we just assumed it was mine - NOT! It was his. So they have canceled his. 

He is out camping with Foodie. (Today is Foodie's birthday)  I've tried reaching him to no avail. So both of us are without debit capabilities. I have to write a check to get some cash to bid us over till the cards come in. 

I think I know where this came from - the gas station. To get cheaper gas, he goes over to a more seedy part of town - He can still do this - just use cash from now on for gas. We will get the money returned - might take a month or so. I'm waiting for the form to fill out. 

WHAT A HASSLE. 

But it's not the end of the world and it could have been worse. They could have drained us. Now this will start my husband's rant about using nothing but cash. I don't want to carry around a lot of cash. Plus that constant worry, if you have enough when you go grocery shopping. Using checks makes for dirty looks - I don't want that. When I order online, I always use a credit card with cash-back rewards - then pay it off. 

Oh well, at least I caught it. Imagine those who never look at their checking accounts...

Do you use cash instead of your debit????

OMG, is this not the yuckiest bird ever? I found this on my photo cloud. For the last few years, I kept meaning to post this on my blog and always forgot. 

This was the actual turkey of an acquaintance I used to know - who moved to Arkansas a few years ago from here in California.  She posted this, as her turkey before she place it in the oven or a smoker... Immediately I thought it was a joke - but it wasn't. Good thing I didn't comment with a "laughing" emoji. 

I hope this post finds you all well - and anticipating the big feast tomorrow. We'll be enjoying the big bird at Navy and his wife's home. Her Mom and Grandma will be there as well, as her brother, sister-in-law, niece, and then all of us. Foodie and Char will be there as well. 

I'm glad she is doing it. I'm looking forward to it. 

Sunday I made stuffing for the all-church Thanksgiving potluck - I've baked some small mini pumpkin bread for Sara's mom and grandma. We had a chocolate advent calendar for the little girl. I baked some banana nut bread for us. 

I plan to start my Christmas decorating on Friday and this weekend. I can't wait. 

A Wordy Wednesday

This morning, I sanded a wooden step stool - in the backyard so I thought I would walk around and glory at all the signs of Fall in my yard - with some summer sprinkles here and there...

I love grouping California poppies and Lavender together. I want to have more of this but poppies have their own minds as to where they will root and scatter.

On the hill some of the wildflower mix we threw around, is starting to come up. That's the thing with those mixes - you scatter them and then think, they didn't take - when they were just waiting for their optimum time for your area. 

I'm glad they picked this time to come up - the yellows and oranges compliment the Fall season.

I hope more of these pop up - they are fairly big and so pretty. I'll have to look them up...

I tend to plant the colors orange, yellows, and blues -

 

 

I'm appreciating my neighbors trees -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The tree at the top right has a beautiful orange when it turns - I can't wait for that one! 

 

 

 

 

 The mums from last year are looking good. I do need to trim and cut out the dead stuff before moving it to the front yard.

 

 

 

 The last of the summer marigolds...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomato plants have been pulled up - I want to move this raised planter - 

 

 

 

My husband told me that our friends, who are old enough to be our children - Josh and Ashley called to invite us to their thanksgiving. How sweet of them. Of course he had to decline the invitation, it was still awfully sweet to be thought of. We do think of Josh and his family as part of our own. 

 

And since I will probably never have grandchildren - we do enjoy their 3 children. 

 

Regarding grandchildren.

 

 Here I am, pushing 69 (March) and I do not have grandchildren. I'm okay with it - It's only when people "assume" we are dreadfully unhappy with this circumstance that we find ourselves in. My son told me, he doubts very much if they will continue - Yeah I could have mentioned, adopting or other remedies but bottom-line, its not about me or my happiness. I'm more concerned about his feelings and yes, he is disappointed. All I did was tell him, I love him and Sara and it makes no difference to us - whatever they decided. I figure she is getting enough flack from her Larger than Large LDS family. 

I did notice the other day at Bible study - the leader saying something that assumed all us women were "grandmas". Yeah I noticed that. And for the first time, I felt uncomfortable. 

It's the way it is. I can't make people change what they say because it hurts my feelings -  she didn't mean it. And it didn't hurt my feelings - I did feel conspicuous and a bit left out but I did my old, "self-talk" trick and just smiled and left it at that.  I honestly don't mind people sharing their grandchildren's photos or such with me. I enjoy it. What kind of selfish narcissist would I be if I could not celebrate with others about their grandchildren? 

What I do think I don't like is when others tell me, they are sorry. There is nothing to be sorry about. It happens. So lets move on.

I can't wallow in obsessing about this - it does me no good. I do know of a woman who is so bitterly unhappy that she has no grandchildren - she badgers her children all the time - and she is risking her marriage over her obsession. I don't want to be that way.  If it should happen, then what a wonderful surprise that would be - but I am not going to live any differently and since I do tend to be a pro-active person, I just am able to love on other peoples grandchildren, freely. 

What is truly sad - is that I am unable to love on my late sister's grandchildren. This could set me crazy if I dwelled on it 24/7. I can love them from afar, keep things in a box that I will give to them one day, when they come looking for me. 

 

I confess - I do troll their grandfather's Instagram page for recent photos of the kids. 

 So that is my extra WORDY Wednesday.

 

Have a great day!