Hello everyone. I was busy wrapping a present for David's bank's annual Christmas dinner and gift exchange and didn't get to the library as early as I had hoped, so it will be a quick note tonight.

     After a very mild fall, we have settled into a cold spell. Thank you, Lord, for our woodstove.

     I talked to Maria on the phone today. She is loving being with her friends in Bozeman and spent most of her day doing her Christmas shopping. Tonight there will be a get together at the home of one of the Montana Bible College instructors. That will give her an opportunity to see even more of her friends and acquaintances, so she was looking forward to it.

     Since her car is in the shop, she has mine. She mentioned that she feels embarrassed driving a car with a Bowtech sticker in the window. Must be the redneck connotation. Heh, heh!

     We have a busy weekend coming up. We will attend the dinner tomorrow night. On Saturday,  we will drive to the town of Fairfield, an hour away, for an arts and crafts show. We'll take our Montana Christmas ornaments and pray for a profitable and enjoyable day.

     On Sunday, David and I will facilitate a  morning Sunday school class. We will show a video and follow up with some questions.

     When time allows I have been baking breads for holiday giving: challah braids, pumpernickle and Italian olive bread. Most people don't want too many sweets for the holidays, so breads are well received.

     Better get ready to open the library. Blessings to all of you.

                                                                                                   Denise (prairiemom)

• 1 sleeve (about 37) saltine crackers
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. butter
• 12 oz. (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. chopped nuts *I used walnuts

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Line a 10 X 15" cookie sheet with foil; spray very lightly with cooking spray.  Cover cookie sheeet with saltines.  Boil sugar and butter for 3 minutes.  Pour mixture over saltines and spread evenly.  Bake at 400* for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Let set 1 minute, then spread melted chips with spatula.  Sprinkle 3/4 c. chopped nuts over this and press down lightly.  Cut on diagonal immediately or cool until firm, then break up; pieces can be frozen.

Yields: 30 pieces

In our house all the gift wrapping belongs to the one who doesn't particularly like wrapping gifts....ME! 

I just don't like doing it.  Probably b/c I ALWAYS get to.  I wrap all the gifts & then I bring them out of the wrapping center (our bathroom!) & give them to my girls to decorate. 

One way we keep the children confused is in the wrapping itself.  I NEVER put name tags on the gifts!  I simply wrap each child's gifts in a different paper & I don't tell them who's paper is who's until Christmas day.  LOL!!  Like this year I wrapped all of one child's gifts in Santa Clause paper & then the other's gifts in snowman paper.  The gifts that are for both girls are wrapped in a solid color this year.  So when the girls are decorating the gifts with bows & ribbons they still don't know who's is who's. 

So fun!

It's great to keep children confused!  Especially when they are 12 & 15!!

Are you a little confused with the title? 

Let me explain.

I'VE LOST 5 1/2" IN 2 WEEKS BY LISTENING TO COUNTRY MUSIC!!!

Nov. 17 I started working out....more!

I had been doing light weights Monday, Wednesdays & Fridays & then on Tuesdays & Thursdays I would go to the gym & walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes.  That worked well until I quit going to the gym & walking.  I put back on all the inches that I lost!  Well, then I decided to just walk outside around my block.  I think I did that once before it got too cold.  Hmmm....what to do?  Our gym membership is over!  So I decided to continue with the weight lifting on Mon., Wed., & Fri. but to also do my stepper for a half hour EACH day!  Yes, that's 5 days a week!  Let me tell ya, the first day I thought that I was going to throw up!  I tried doing the stepper & watching my Little House series but that didn't work very well b/c I just couldn't follow the story while exercising.  Then I decided to do the stepper while watching CMT.  That's the ticket!  It's working!  Music just makes everything easier!  It also helps to see all those skinny women singers.  Kind of motivates you!  I want to be skinny too!  ~Smile~ 

So I lose inches but I don't lose weight!    One out of 2 isn't bad!  As long as the body gets smaller!  I don't lose weight b/c I like to eat!  I get very agitated when I have to give up the food that I like to eat.  ~Smile~  I would rather exercise than watch what I eat!  I only have to do that ONCE a day!  lol!

Keep moving those bodies ladies!

Tomorrow is December 1st and with that begins the gift giving for me. I not only have Christmas gifts to purchase but I also have over a dozen or so birthdays, including my husband and three kids. This madness will continue untill my dd's  26th birthday on January 31st. There is almost one every week with 2 nephews, 1 niece, my 3  kids, one dh, 2 brothers in law, a mother in law, a brother, a best friend,  and a cousin or two for good measure.  With times being the way they are, some of these special people will get some baked goods and maybe a card or two.  All this gift giving also comes with a whole lot of baking added in too. That's not too good for someone who is on a diet, ME. I think that's going to be the toughest of all things to handle, not being able to eat cake and other goodies. Oh oh.

   Well the weekend was a rainy one for a couple of days, so Zach and I decided it was a good time to take out the Christmas decorations and do up the house.  I ended up going through each box and decided that I had way too much "stuff", so I've put aside a car trunk full of thrift store donations. It's all still good stuff that I hope someone else might need. I tend to keep ALL the handmade thing-a-ma-jigs that the kiddos made growing up. You know how that is, you just can't let go of those. That's the stuff you give to your new son and daughters in law. LOL I can't wait for that.

   I waited untill today to do the outside of the house. I had to go get some new red ribbon and bows for the porch post. I love the red, green,  and white look of decorations. I'm not much for shinny items or too many lights. I don't remember the last time I put lights on the outside of the house, probably years ago when my son Eric was helping and climbing the ladder for me.  Since I broke my foot five years ago, I do not climb up anything higher than a chair, and even that gives me the willys. LOL.

   Well everyone has finished supper, so I'll head off to do some dishes. Then later I think I  will pop some popcorn and catch a Christmas movie or two. I saw White Christmas last night, LOVED it.

Everything went OK yesterday, the turkey was a hit. I saw on one of the shows on the Food Network, they put a sliced orange and a sliced lemon in the cavity of the turkey to help it stay juicy. Well it worked! I also used some cajun injector for seasoning the inside of the meat, that too adds so much flavor. So it was a hit, thank you God, lol.

I, as usual, made too much food. I sent some home with my daughter, fed some inlaws, twice, ate supper, fed strangers that stopped by to say hello, and STILL had tons of food left.  The strangers were only strangers to me, my dh knew these men from work. Grinding keeps going on 24/7 here, there are no holidays as for as the mill bosses are concerned. Things keep running. So there were truck and tractor drivers that were stopping by the house to say hello, and I felt bad and fed them.  My husband did put his foot down on not giving away the coconut cake tho, lol.

So what do you do  with all the cornbread dressing you have left, you eat some of it for breakfast.........and lunch.............and supper. If there is any left by the end of the day, I may have to give some it the cats. LOL

I will be heading out later to face the crowds at Wal-mart, ONLY because I need a new toilet seat and some packing tape. Otherwise, I wouldn't face the crowds. I'm not one for all this shopping madness. Besides, I looked threw all the sales papers, and there wasn't anything that I wanted, lol.

Have a good day, and be safe if your out in the craziness.

What's Your Pilgrim Name?  Miki

Your Pilgrim Name Is...

Prudence Soule

What's Your Pilgrim Name?  Mikal

Your Pilgrim Name Is...

Desire Warren

What's Your Native American Name? Miki

Your Native American Name Is...

Anevay Amitola Your name means: Superior Rainbow

What's Your Native American Name?  Mikal

Your Native American Name Is...

Olathe Ehawee Your name means: Beautiful Laughing Maiden

What Your Thanksgiving Meal Says About You

When it comes to the holidays, you follow and love the big traditions. You look forward to them every year. You see the holidays as a time to think about what's important to you. It's a good time to reflect and regroup. You like the aspects of the holiday that remind you of your childhood - opening presents, treats, and old favorite foods. During the holidays, you are likely to feel comforted. At your worst, you feel a bit over-indulgent. You consider yourself a big kid, and you're proud of it. You tend to spend your holidays relaxing. Holidays are your down time.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatdoesyourthanksgivingmealsayaboutyouquiz/

          


    

                     DRINKING FROM MY SAUCER

                         I've never made a fortune
                         And its probably to late now,
                         But I don't worry about that much
                         I'm happy anyhow.

                         And as I go along life's way
                         I'm reaping better than I sow.
                         I'm drinking from my saucer
                         'Cause my cup has overflowed!

                         Haven't got a lot of riches
                         And sometimes the going's tough,
                         But I've got loving ones around me
                         And that makes me rich enough.

                         I thank God for His blessings
                         And the mercies He's bestowed.
                         I'm drinking from my saucer
                         'Cause my cup has overflowed!

                         Oh, I remember times when things went wrong
                         And my faith wore somewhat thin.
                         But all at once the dark clouds broke
                         And sun peeped through again.

                         So Lord, help me not to gripe
                         About the tough rows that I've hoed.
                         I'm drinking from my saucer
                         "Cause my cup has overflowed!

                         If God gives me strength and courage
                         When the way grows steep and rough,
                         I'll not ask for other blessings
                         I'm already blessed enough.

                         And may I never be too busy
                         To help others bear their loads,
                         Them I'll keep drinking from my saucer
                         'Cause my cup has overflowed!

             From a song by: Michael Combs
     
     Therefore; Thanks be to God for His wonderful
gifts.  For through Him all blessings flow indeed.  Amen!        
                              ( 2 Corinthians 9:15 )

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear friends here on the blog. Have a love filled day........Kitty

You panic! That's what I did.

Here's the story. Years ago when my youngest son was still attending public school he made  a friend. The cutest little black boy named Kia. He  spent many nights and weekends at our house for  years. He was a good child to say the least.  He is one of three children that his single mom is trying to raise. I had no problems with him at all. Then once I took Zack out of school we didn't see the little fellow as much. But they still talked on the phone from time to time. I was sad that they didn't remain close close.

Then last night around 8:45 there is a knock at my door. I freak, as I ususally do when there  is a knock late at night. You always fear the worse for a moment. He had grown a good bit so I didn't recognize him at first and was wondering what the hey is this kid that I don't know doing at my house this late. Then when he said my name I realized who he was. He was crying and informs me that he had ran away from home. His story was unclear about why he was doing this, buy I did get that his mom would be very very upset with him for something that he had done and in his words, "kill him". At first I thought he was exaggerating, but through more conversation with him I found out, if his story is true, that his mom is abusive to him, he even mentioned a baseball bat.  To see this women, whom I never really got to know all that well, you wouldn't think she would do this. But as my husband said, "you never know what people are truly like behind closed doors."

So as we sat on the front porch swing I prayed for God to help me give this child the right words. I told him that he could spend the night here with us IF he called his mom and let me speak to her. He didn't like that, he didn't want her to know where he was. The child was really frightened of what he was facing.  I offered to bring where ever he wanted to go. His grandfather lived not too far from my home. He said no. I offered to call anyone he thought might help him, a friend, a relative, a teacher, a pastor, anyone. I didn't know what to do for him. I didn't know where he lived since they had moved in the past year, I didn't know any phone numbers or even names of his relatives. I felt useless and helpless. He had come to me and I was not helping him.

After almost an hour, he promised me that he was going to go straight to his grandfather's house, but I knew better since he wouldn't allow me to bring him there. I prayed for him, hugged him and watched him walk down my dark road.

I cryed and then decided to call the police. After about 20 minutes of them trying to decide what department to give me and my problem to, they told me thay would send out a car to look for him. They also told me that they would contact me with any more info on him. I stayed dressed and up untill the wee hours of the morning, and never heard from anyone. And as I said I don't have any phone numbers to call and check up on him.

 I pray that this child was helped in some manner by someone. I felt helpless in the whole situation. I wanted to just invite him into my home and let him stay forever if  that's what he wanted. But that wouldn't have been fair to his mother. And I also didn't want to cross any legal lines, you know how thin those lines are now days.

I just hope God is watching over Kia today and always. Could I have done anything different?