So, as I contemplate this clean-up that needs to take place, I wanted to share a few favorite things with you that I am enjoying...
Every year my sweet sister gives me the new "Teapot & Tea" calendar. I actually save them from year to year because they are so full of lovely pictures, recipes and history of tea times. Here is this year's calendar, along with a sweet little miniature china teapot and linen tea-towel! I will treasure this always.
And for my "owl" friends out there...you know who you are...I received this beautiful owl ornament...the picture doesn't do it justice as it is really silver in color, but the lighting in here doesn't show it that way. It is very unique and beautiful...given to me by a dear friend who knows about my "love affair" with owls. Also what makes this special is that it was created by the artist Ken Kantro , founder and designer of "Lovell Designs" in Lovell, Maine. We used to live in that general area, and my friend who gave me this gift grew up in that area and collects these special pieces. I feel honored to receive one as a gift, and I will treasure it.
Another dear friend must have been on the same wave-length, and gave me this beautiful calendar with gorgeous photographs of owls for each month! Again, I feel so deeply grateful for these wonderful gifts and friends and loved ones who went out of their way to find exactly the right gift for me! (and yes, I use all the calendars I received...they go in different places in the house where I can see them and they help me remember what day it is! LOL)
Among the many cards we received my eyes were drawn especially to cards depicting little white churches...because as most of you know, the church we attend is a very beautiful little white church that has been there in the community since the mid 1800's! I love these cards because they remind me of our wonderful church...
But we do have lovely people inside and the Spirit of the Lord is alive an well in our little white church...and that is what matters most!
Here's my sweet family on New Year's Day...we had an impromptu New Year's Dinner...
Thanks to my wonderful daughter in law, we had black-eyed peas and hamloaf! (Click HERE for that recipe!) She adapted my grandmother's recipe and spiced it up a little, and it was great. I also roasted a pork roast with sauerkraut, and we added mashed potatoes and green beans and a fresh fruit salad. Not bad for an impromptu dinner! And we covered both the northern and the southern traditions for New Year's Day, so we should have "Good Luck" all year long...actually we believe in "God's BLESSINGS", not luck...and His mercy and grace.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)
20. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21. to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
(This is going to be my verse of the year to go along with my One Word "Abundance")
Okay...Let's go over and visit Deb at Breathing in Grace and see what our other "Friday Foto Friends" have been up to this week!! Happy New Year Everyone!!!
Boy your meal takes me back to my childhood. Looks so good! I'm ready to come over for dinner! #FridayFotoFriends
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry you didn't come...but I'm afraid all the leftovers are gone now. It was good while it lasted!! Happy New year!
DeleteOh... I'm now on the lookout for an owl calendar! I love the ornament, too! Your church is just beautiful! Hope 2019 holds lots of blessings for you and your precious family, my Friend! 💜
ReplyDeleteI saw it at Walmart yesterday! The very same one! So...if you hurry...you might find one there before they are all gone. (owl calendar, that is). Thank you for your kind wishes and blessings. praying the same for you and yours.
DeleteI love all things tea so your little tea pot and calendar really caught my eye! So sweet! The owl calendar will for sure bring a smile to you face throughout the year. Every time I see a photo of an owl, I think of you!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melanie. I am glad you enjoyed the tea pot and calendar. I do wish we could've had that tea party before you left Florida. Thank you for thinking of me with the owls. Did we know each other when I was going through all of that with the owls, or did you just read about it later? I will have to go back and see when we actually "met". God bless you...Praying for you in the New year to continue to be happy and blessed in your new home.
DeleteI raise my hand to say, "Guilty as charged" because our decorations are not only put away, but we've already hauled some of them to our storage locker in Ocala! Ha-ha! But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea of sitting quietly beside the Christmas tree after the holiday is over to just be still and be at peace.
ReplyDeleteThe gifts you received are lovely. And speaking of calendars, like you, I need to have them all over the house (both calendars and clocks). I like to know what time it is and what day it is!
Yes, I recognized your sweet church building. We pass it often when our route to and from Ocala takes us that way (we go a variety of ways). I always breathe a little prayer for you when I see it.
Aw, I love that you often pass by our little church. If it was ever on a Sunday morning you should come on in and worship with us! Church starts at 10 am. I know you probably don't travel on Sunday mornings, but always know you would be welcome! Thank you for the prayers. Our little congregation and Pastor can always use the prayers. Especially in this year. There is much happening in the denomination that is NOT good, and our church is NOT happy about that...so we will be seeing some things possibly change in this year. prayers are much appreciated.
DeletePam: Just so you know. I have not put away ALL our Christmas decorations yet. Also, the assisted living facility and one of the nursing homes I visited today still have their Christmas trees up. The assisted living has at least four trees inside the facility,with two small ones in the vestibule. The nursing home has the one in the lobby still up. Maybe they are leaving them up until after Epiphany, twelfth night which is tomorrow. Just a thought. Peace and blessings.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was growing up we never took down our tree or decorations until after January 6th, or Epiphany. Actually, I thought it was because that was also my mother's birthday, and she said her family never took them down until then either. She thought it was because of her birthday too. But now we see that her birthday coincides with Epiphany, so that is probably the real reason. Oh my! My mother would be 102 tomorrow! So hard to believe. She has been gone since 2006. Peace and blessings to you and yours too.
DeletePamela, I sure hear you about leaving the Christmas decorations up. Taking them down before Epiphany was not the usual thing for me, but since we put everything up the day after Thanksgiving, I had actually had more than enough quiet moments to savor the lights and decorations. Oh, and how I love that owl ornament your friend gave you - it reminds me of Reverend! :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and blessings in abundance!
Everyone must do what is best for them. Every year it is different for me. Sometimes I take them down earlier, but most times I leave it up until Jan. 6th, or Epiphany, because that was my family's tradition growing up. My mother's birthday is Jan. 6th, and I always thought that was why we waited, until her birthday, because that is what her family did too. Tomorrow she would be 102! Amazing. How I miss her.
DeleteJust putting things away now...
ReplyDeleteI am really touched by how thankful you are. It is a good thing! :)
Oh, Sandi...Thankfulness is something that I need to remind myself to be...sometimes I take things for granted and then I feel bad that I forgot to be thankful. Have you ever read Ann Voskamp's book "One Thousand Gifts"? That really helped me to see everything through the lens of thankfulness.
DeleteDinner looks delicious! And the owl ornament is so pretty. I love your beautiful little white church. I often take photographs of little churches. I just love them.
ReplyDeleteI have always been attracted to little white churches too, just never really attended one until now, and there is something so special about it...but I know it is because of the people inside and the Holy Spirit Who embodies them. Thank you for stopping by. Come for dinner any time!
DeleteOoh that dinner makes me hungry. Looks like home cookin'! I like your owls. I got everything put away right after Christmas this year. Have a beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen. It was some good home cookin'. I'm so proud of my DIL, who loves to cook and has blessed us with many yummy things! I am loving the owls too...they are special to me, and this is really a thoughtful gift. Hope your New Year is filled with joy and blessings.
DeleteNo, I haven't put anything away since Orthodox Christmas(on the original calendar) is January 7th which is also the Little's birthday. After that, they come down right away. And there are 12 days of Christmas after all!
ReplyDeleteNormal is everything that is right and good I guess.
New Years Eve we ate appetizers for the evening. New Years day was Manicotti with sauce and another pasta with Francaise sauce.
The tiny teapot is so cute.
I love your traditions. My mother's birthday is January 6th, and she would be 102 tomorrow. We never took down our decorations until after her birthday when we were growing up. Her family never did either. I just thought it was because of her birthday, but learned as I grew up that there was spiritual significance to this tradition as well. Your New Year's meals sound wonderful. Would love to visit you at the holidays sometime! I just know you do things really well!!! Thank you for visiting. Please come have tea with me. We can use the tiny teapot for fun! :)
DeleteOur decorations are all packed away but are not in the shed yet. We need help with that. My grandma used to make ham loaf and her recipe is just about the same as yours. I need to get it out and give it a try one of these days. Love your photos and I'm glad you had such a good impromptu celebration!
ReplyDeleteYour grandma and mine must have been related! Wouldn't that be fun? We'd be cousins! Or something! LOL. I think it is a Pennsylvania dutch or German recipe. Happy New Year to you all.
DeleteThat little teapot is adorable. Yep, everything is put away here (except the two front door wreathes). Do you know, I did not do the traditional southern meal, nope. We had ham and mac and cheese (homemade). We have been living here in western NY now for 6 years, not that I will loose that southern upbringing, but sometimes, change can be good. smiles
ReplyDeleteI never had blackeyed peas growing up as my mother was a "Yankee cook", and she would not eat them or cook them! So I learned that from my hubby's family. But we have lived up north enough to adopt other traditions as well. Hence the pork roast with sauerkraut. I love that. I love mac and cheese with ham too. That is always a good combo! I am taking down a few things here and there, but still haven't tackled the tree. It's just too pretty and I don't feel like making a mess. LOL. Thank goodness it is artificial. Otherwise it would have to go down. Happy New Year to you and your family!! Enjoy some snow for me.
DeletePam, once again you have such amazing photos and captions! I'm so behind this year that I still have Christmas cards to get out...yes, I'm going to be late (fashionably?) with them. It's the thought that counts, right? It looks like you received some nice, thoughtful gifts and cards. I did as well.
ReplyDeleteChristmas was fine for me--I felt rather neutral about it (which is healthy according to my mentor who has solid background in counseling)--an improvement over the previous years where I struggled with sadness and simply feeling blue.
May God bless you richly during 2019!
Blessings!