Friday Foto Friends Better Late than Never...

 Here it is the Friday before Christmas, (which is on Sunday this year, just for future reference), and people are scurrying everywhere doing their last minute shopping for food, gifts, and also in preparation for the very cold frigid weather we are going to be getting, starting tonight and lasting for several days. I know many of you are already experiencing blizzard conditions and sub zero wind chills. I am sure many may have had to change their travel plans for Christmas due to the weather. The most important thing is to stay safe and warm. Praying for those without power already. May God watch over our friends and loved ones and keep them safe in this winter storm. 

We are all cozy and cuddly and ready for winter here...(as long as the power doesn't go out!)

And here's the extent of my baking so far:

My favorite Blueberry Bran muffins for breakfast this morning...(Recipe can be found on this post HERE)

I am really not planning to do a lot of baking for Christmas. My DIL is baking an apple pie, and we have one guest coming to join us on Christmas day (a single friend from our church), and she is bringing a Chocolate Cream Pie and maybe a Cherry Cheesecake pie, and if our son Scott gets here on time tomorrow he may bake some cookies, and some people have given us some gifts of peanut butter fudge and a few cookies already, so why do I need to bake???? I mean, how many sweets can one eat? However, we never turn any away if they arrive on our doorstep or table. LOL. 

But if I do decide to do any extra baking or cooking, this little cookbook that I just got has lots of great ideas for Christmas yummies:

I first learned about this cookbook on Mrs. T's Christmas Kitchen Blog, when she did a book review of this particular cookbook.  Mrs. T. loves the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and refers to them often in this blog and also on her other blog Across My Kitchen Table. It looked interesting to me so I ordered it online through a used book site since it was printed in 2013. It has lots of great recipes and ideas for fun family times especially for the holidays. I am looking forward to trying some of the recipes in the near future.

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts regarding my shopping woes, etc.  I am happy to say my shopping is done, and everything will be wrapped in time for Christmas...I did have a little scare the other day while shopping that I am only sharing because I want to give thanks to God for His protection over me, and also as a bit of a warning to others to always be aware when shopping or out alone.  

While I was loading my purchases into the back of my vehicle in the Walmart parking lot, I was suddenly startled to see a young Hispanic man standing very close to me when I turned around from my shopping cart to put a bag in the car. I never heard him approach and was really caught off guard. His appearance was rather strange as he had some kind of  red and peeling blotches of skin all over his face.  He spoke very broken English and held up his cell phone and asked if I could charge his phone for him because he needed to make a phone call to someone in Atlanta, or something like that. I couldn't quite figure out the whole gist of what he was asking except that he wanted me to charge his phone.  All the while I am thinking of what to do and realizing that my purse was sitting out in the cart, very accessible, and that also I was parked quite a ways out from the store due to the large crowds of shoppers that day. I tried to be very kind but I told him that I could not charge his phone as that would take too long and I really had to be getting back home. (not to mention the fact that in order to charge his phone the engine would have to be running)  He then backed away from me and asked, "You cannot help me?" And I said that I was sorry I could not, but I suggested that perhaps someone in the store would be able to help him. My mind was racing and my eyes were searching around me to make sure there weren't others with him who might be coming up from behind.  I was quite relieved when he then turned and just walked away and I hurried up and got inside my car and locked it and left as quickly as I could. I then called my husband and told him what had happened and the realization hit me of how close I might have been to something really terrible happening...but God was with me and protected me.  I don't know if that young man meant to do me any harm, but something about the way he backed away from me made me think there was an Angel standing between us at that very moment, and if he had intended any harm, his plans were changed. I actually prayed for the young man, that God would take care of his request if he were truly in need, but I also thanked and praised God for His protection over me.  I actually cried  and prayed and rejoiced all the way home. 

Lesson learned...always be aware of your surroundings when in a parking lot. Never leave your purse unattended in your shopping cart...and pray for wisdom quickly in any such situation. God is always ready to help us...and I do believe He sends His angels to guard and protect us.

Moving right along...since I really didn't have any interesting new pictures to share today, I took a few photos this morning of the different Christmas books I have sitting on the coffee table and in the kitchen and other places...Thought you'd enjoy seeing them. Maybe you have some of these or others that are special Christmas books that you like...

Who doesn't love Thomas Kinkade paintings? So lovey and nostalgic!

Remember the Christmas Ideals (and other Ideals books?)  And Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol", and Max Lucado , "In the Manger",

Some special Christmas tea books...

And another special book with pictures to go along with the words to "O Holy Night".

I know some of you are fans of Jan Karon's Mitford series...I did have the whole series but have shared them with others...I still have these two little Christmas books that are special...

That snowman above actually goes along with the Mitford Snowmen story.

And the other one, "Esther's Gift", tells about the Mitford character Esther Bolick, who always made her famous and scrumptious orange marmalade cakes for every special occasion in Mitford.  Over the years she had given away hundreds of these very rich and sweet cakes to many dear people.

But this year she thought she should figure out just how much money it took to bake these cakes, and when her hubby helped her tally up the cost of everything that went into the cakes, including her time for baking it, the cakes were worth over $40.00 a piece...and here she was going to give away at least 6 or 7 cakes to different people in town for Christmas.  Well, she started thinking she couldn't afford to do that anymore and kind of lost her Christmas spirit of giving when she realized how much money she was spending.

But then she heard some Christmas music playing and started thinking about the smiles on the faces of the different ones to whom she had planned to give the cakes, and how happy it would make them, and suddenly she had a change of heart and went ahead and baked the cakes and cheerfully delivered them to the special people in town who really appreciated the gift so much.

Re-reading this little story today kind of also changed my spirit about giving gifts... I know I grumble about shopping and wrapping and all of that, but when it comes right down to it...to see the joy on people's faces, to hear the laughter and/or the sincere thankfulness upon opening a special gift...well, that makes it worth it all. It also makes me want to try a little harder next year to plan a bit better and further ahead.  You can see below how happy all the friends and family in Pamela's Victorian Cottage are when their lovely "Auntie" from the city comes to visit for Christmas and always brings such special gifts for them.   (you can click on that link for another story about this!)

I kind of feel like I've had a "Scrooge" experience, with the scare in the Walmart parking lot, and then reading this little story, and my heart is overflowing with thankfulness to God for His mercy and grace and so much love...and to think, He sent Jesus, His ONLY begotten Son down to earth, for me!! (and for YOU).  

That's a pretty amazing gift.

I am in awe.

Thank You, God!

Amen.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!