GETTING THERE LITTLE BY LITTLE

Wow,  have you looked outside at that big full moon? I kind of felt like howling tonight and I was wondering  why... lol.

I lost a calf yesterday as the cow wouldn't come in the barn to the calving pen and my husband tried three times and she kept getting away from him so he let her be. She had her calf by the gate inside the shelter  in the afternoon but instead of having her calf on the dry hay, she chose to drop it in the water by the gate. The poor calf probably drowned when it tried to breath. It was raining hard the day before and water had puddled by the gate.
On a happy note, all my calves are drinking from the pail and it saves me lots of time at feeding time.

After two weeks of my dishwasher sitting in the entrance, my hubby finally got time to install it this past Sunday. You guessed it, I bought it on sale and now I'm having a bit more time to spend on Blogger... lol... The old one was broken for at least 20 some years and I never really missed it until I got really tired of washing dishes one day and I saw this on sale at the Co-op.

I've been putting up Christmas decorations here and there in the house. I got this nativity in 2000  from my daughter Christine and I love it. I want to make some kind of stable for it of papier mache some day. I put those two small trees but I'll probably will move them somewhere's else. I'm not really fond of them there.

  I kind of like snowmen and bought a few more this year at Value Village. I just buy when the price is right for me and so far I've been lucky. The stuffed one are on the mantle and in the tree. The paint on the wall is sage green and looks gray on this photo.

 My Christmas tree has ornaments from all over the world that my traveling girls brought back from their travels and some old ornaments from my kids when they were younger. I cherish all those ornaments as they all have some special meaning to me. It's nice to look at them and remember the days gone by

A friend of mine gave me that victorian handmade angel when I was going through chemo and I cherish it. I've been collecting some small nativity scene of the Holy Family and I've grouped them here.

I've found another house to add to my set of homemade ceramic village,  (the one on the right), it's porcelain.  Unfortunately it will never be complete as I lost all my village molds in the flood, I still have a school to paint but never got around to painting it. This year I added a little hill and a tree in the background and a small  birch that is partially seen on the left edge and a small gate with two cardinals in the center of the picture.

A large stuffed snowman bought at our Co-op last year and a gingerbread man bought this year from the Co-op   and a Value Village basket and pine cones. The bow came from a gifted poinsettia last year.

I couldn't resist the woodsman snowman to add to my Value Village finds.

I couldn't believe that I got this heavy three dimensional country crock snowman  for only $4.99. I better remove the price sticker.

I went to a Christmas party last evening for my husband's fraternity organization and won this poinsettia as a door prize. I win one every year it seems.

This little bear is hanging on my back door closet.

I found this Lost Mittens sign for $.99. It's prim and I love it. I embrace all kind of style of decorations.

I couldn't resist this cute glittery snowman stocking. I have another one hanging on my front door but will show it later. I already have too many pictures. I haven't shown all my decorations and I'll call it  enough for now. I admire the creativity that goes in to these decorations.

I still have some shopping to do and more baking. I especially have some serious thinking to do to get ready. I have a few homemade presents to finish. This week I've been getting my senior drug prescription and health plans in order.

I'm slowly taking out my Christmas mugs as I need them. I'm slowly getting in the Christmas spirit but not very exited yet. Could be that I'm just too tired from working every day.

Today I had my two grandsons helping on the farm and I had 5 males with big appetites for lunch and made a huge pot of spaghetti and a pan of date squares. I never took a picture of the men at the table as it never occurred to me.

I hope that you are getting the Christmas Spirit with joy in your heart at remembering that the best gift of all at Christmas is the gift of LOVE, PEACE and  JOY that Jesus gave us. It surpasses anything that you can possibly get this Christmas.  Hugs,  JB

HAVING A CHAT ON PATRICE'S PORCH

I wonder what's going on with my blogger friends. Most are loosing their Holiday Spirit this season. They lost their Mojo, including me. Some even have lost their blogging Mojo...

It's not that I'm getting too old for Christmas,  joy is for everyone. It's the Grinch I tell you. That evil is up to no good in the heart of men and women and even children...

Why, he's so undermindedly  crafty that he stocks up the shelves and bins,  the minute Halloween is over. We don't even have time to take the decorations down, he rears his ugly head and dumps mountains of most hideous toys for boys and girls that they MUST have... He send Santa's wish list catalogues to those who have shopped in the past. The stores are overflowing with merchandise and every creation is done in overkill. Nothing is unique anymore. At every corner someone is collecting money for this and that...
I don't do crowds very well. I usually return home empty handed.

Music is blaring with subliminal message of spend, spend, spend. The thing that gets me is that all this starts so early that we don't have time to decompress from the previous holiday. Our list gets longer and more complicated every year.  We've forgotten why we celebrate Christmas. We are more rushed than in the past and more people are dysfunctional.

I have no clue as to what to give anybody for Christmas except one person.

What used to take me an afternoon to set the Christmas tree took me 5 days this week, really... It's no matter I thought that today was Thursday. Geez...

On Saturday I put the tree up and fluffed up the branches. On Sunday I put on the lights. On Monday I put on the garland. On Tuesday I took down the totes of decorations. Today on Wednesday I decorated the tree. I didn't take a picture as it was too dark. I didn't even turned the Christmas music on...

To me Christmas is family, food and laughter and the birthday of Jesus. I love the little traditions that gives it a bit of familiar for the family.

I'll find my MOJO back but I'm just saying...

In the mean time I"m having a little chat with Patrice   from Everyday Ruralty.

here are my answers to her questions.

1,  Yes I've had a blog slump but mostly not having enough spare time keeps me from posting.

2,  I love hot Chocolate with miniature marshmallow floating on top.

3,  When I think that I know a person that I can't place, I just tell them that I know who they are but I'm having a senior moment and have  forgotten their name as I know that it happens to most everyone and it's nothing to be ashamed of.

4,  I was born the 3rd in a family of 17 kids.

5,  I accumulate possession but I place myself somewhere between a pack-rat and a minimalist.  I do a cleansing on a regular basis depending on what possession it is.

Thanks for the chat Patrice.