New Year's Eve Menu

* Cranberry Ginger Ale
* Steamed Shrimp
* Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
* Pepper Jack Cheese & Deer Bologna
* Potato Chips
* Cocktail Sausages in Barbecue Sauce
* Chocolate Mint Brownies
* Merry Mocha Nog

Happy New Year's!!

Christmas Memories

Christmas Eve:

* A quiet morning to meditate on the wise men's journey
* Lots of boys ice skating on the pond
* Appetizers & stockings in the afternoon
* A sing-along, musical game, and lots of laughter at the open house
* Crab balls, Merry Mocha Nog and fruit salad with green cherries in the evening


Christmas Day:

* More ice skating
* Unwrapping the lovely wooden box Caleb made me to hold the records for my new record player
* My sister's beautiful home in all its' Christmas splendor
* My brother-in-law's incredible ham with sides of sweet potatoes, broccoli casserole and baked corn
* Playing Christmas BINGO with my extended family
* Talk over tea and coffee Christmas night at M.'s sister's

A Christmas Eve Gift

To their great joy, the boys discovered that the pond is frozen enough to skate on, so that's where they're spending their Christmas Eve morning.

Christmas Beauty

My sister has a love of and knack for decorating. Her home especially shines at Christmastime . . .

The Tree

Insights on Joseph

This week in the early mornings I've been reading through parts of the Christmas story. The passage from today was from Matthew 1:19 -25 - the portion that speaks of Joseph's response to Mary's pregnancy - before and after the angel's affirmation that all was well. After reading through the passage, I then read Matthew Henry's Commentary on the portion. Two insights were revealed that I hadn't thought on before:

1.) The fact that Joseph "thought about these things" (vs. 20). When Joseph finds out about Mary's pregnancy, he thinks on his response. Joseph seemingly doesn't just react and begin to make radical decisions based on his feelings. The Scripture intimates that he spent some time thinking about how to handle the situation. Wow! If that was me, I am sure that I would have reacted by rashly making some decisions that I would probably later regret! There is definitely wisdom in thinking rationally through things - especially situations that look seemingly hopeless. Think, don't just react.

2.) The other insight has more to do with God than Joseph but does directly involve him. Matthew Henry makes the point that God didn't just choose a v**gin but a betrothed one. Though Mary was about to go through an incredibly difficult time; i.e., in regard to her reputation, circumstances, etc., God had a willing, obedient husband waiting in the wings for her. She would have someone to be of support to her in a time when many others doubted her, someone who KNEW the truth. This shouted to me of God's great care, protection and grace towards us. Even in the midst of being asked to do something incredibly hard for Him, He provides for us even before we realize that which we'll have need of. How great God's grace is towards to us!

To Meditate On

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for He has visited and redeemed His people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days."

-- Luke 1:68-75

Amen.

A Christmas Tea

Needing an excuse to use the Christmas tea dishes my mom gave me for my birthday, I invited a friend for tea one afternoon last week. While our kids had a ball playing outside, we enjoyed exchanging gifts, having lunch and some great conversation.

Our menu:

* Crab Salad - fresh greens with imitation crab meat, Romano cheese, sliced almonds and Viadalia onion dressing
* Banana-Walnut Bread
* Tangelo Slices - a delicious cross between tangerines and oranges
* A Dessert Plate of White Chocolate Raspberry Scones, Gingerbread Men, Choco Caramel Bars and M&M Pretzel Candies
* A teapot of Twinings Four Red Fruits Black Tea (with strawberries, cherries, raspberries & red currants)

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

A Sledding Party

What a beautiful day it was today - the sunshine looked so lovely reflecting off the snowy masterpiece that God created yesterday. We decided it was a perfect day for an impromptu sledding party, so this afternoon our snowy fields were alive with family and friends on sleds and snowmobiles. The party later moved into the house for cocoa, cookies and visiting galore. Thank You, Lord, for an early Christmas gift!

Let It Snow . . .

A snowstorm is blowing through the Hollow right now (as well as a large chunk of our state). A foot is expected here - the boys are LOVING it and are out snowmobiling and snowboarding as I type . . .

Mom's Christmas Present

(A photo of Mamie Eisenhower which hangs in the living room.)

For Mom's Christmas present this year, I took her for a tour yesterday of President Eisenhower's farm in Gettysburg. Though we've toured various parts of Gettysburg before, neither of us had ever seen the President's farm. It was especially pretty as it was decorated for Christmas as it would have been in the '50s and '60s when the President and his wife, Mamie, still lived there. We had several excellent tour guides (including one who went to school with President Eisenhower's grandchildren) and enjoyed wandering through the humble home and around the farm. The farmhouse is very obviously from the '50s era - it felt like stepping back in time. In some ways, it felt as if I was in my grandparents' home. The only fancy room in the house is the living room - it's got lots of wonderful knick-knacks including two bird figurines from Queen Elizabeth, a rug from the Shah of Iran, and a beautiful marble fireplace that was once in the White House. We enjoyed seeing the encased guest book in which Mamie had world leaders and her grandchildren sign everytime they came, Mrs. Eisenhower's pink bathroom (everything was pink, including the toilet and bathtub!) and the wooden floor in the humble office of the President where you can still see the holes from his golf shoes. After the tour, we enjoyed a hearty lunch close to the fireplace in the restaurant of the beautiful, new Gettysburg Visitors' Center. (I definitely want to bring the boys sometime soon to tour the exhibits and see the Cyclorama show.) We ended the day with a visit to some of the outlet stores in town before heading home.


(In the living room - my favorite room of the farmhouse.)


(A photo of the little guest house that sits off to the side of the main farmhouse. I, unfortunately, didn't get any shots of the farmhouse - my camera batteries died!)

The Gingerbread Men Are Here

(Photo by Eli)

One afternoon this week we continued our annual tradition of baking gingerbread men (with a gingerbread goat and Alvin the Chipmunk thrown in for good measure). I really like Eli's version of Napoleon - go figure?! E. and C. got especially creative this year after being inspired by a video segment they saw on decorating gingerbread men. They cut out pieces of raw dough into ties, beards, pockets, bonnets, etc., and placed them on top of the unbaked cookies. After baking them, they appear slightly 3D.

A delicious annual tradition in Skunk Hollow . . .

With Haste . . .

""Who were these shepherds?" he (Reverend Simon) thundered. His magnified brown eyes roamed the small classroom as if demanding an answer, but no one raised a hand.

"They were merely a few local boys from over the hill! Boys like you, Tom, and you, Chester, and you, Timothy!

"When they received the word from the heavenly host and recovered from their fright, what did they do? They didn't dillydally, they didn't put it off 'til morning, they didn't wait 'til they fried up some bacon, they made haste! "And they came with haste," St. Luke tells us, they came lickety-split toward that bright and shining star, to see the wonder of the Savior, to experience His glory, to observe His mystery.""

- Jan Karon, Shepherds Abiding

O, God, that I, too, would come with haste to the Savior.

Scones & Snowflakes

Last evening we spent time with old friends enjoying:

* cocoa and scones
* learning a new card game
* listening to the youngest ones playing piano together
* the blessing before supper with everyone holding hands in a big circle
* hearing the big boys howling with delight over a game
* big, beautiful paper snowflakes that K. and E. made
* cooking barbecue and mixing up cookies together
* remembering old times and creating new memories

Advent Reflections

I just found this the other day - a listing of Advent Reflections to read when decorating a Jesse Tree. Eventually I would like to make my own Jesse Tree ornaments. For now though, I have been enjoying reading every morning the Scripture passages that are on this list. It's definitely helping prepare my heart for this season when we remember Christ's birth and first coming.

Another Christmas Luncheon

What a week - a Christmas luncheon at the beginning and another one at the end! Yesterday afternoon I had lunch with the two ladies that I used to work for at our local Girl Scout Council before the boys were born. It's become an annual tradition for us to gather at Christmastime and have lunch, exchange gifts and catch up on one another's lives. It's something I always look forward to and yesterday was no exception. We gathered at one of my friend's homes and enjoyed the lunch she prepared for us. It was fun catching up and continuing our Christmas tradition.

Our Christmas luncheon menu included:

* Homemade Chicken Barley Soup
* Fruit & Nut Salad (a salad containing fresh greens and pear slices, grape halves, dried cranberries and cherries, cheddar cheese, toasted & brown-sugared pecans and a smattering of Italian dressing - unusual but delicious!)
* Corn Muffins
* Clodhoppers (a Canadian cookie that resembles bits of graham crackers and Rice Krispies coated in chocolate - addicting!)

E. and I Finished Watching Over Breakfast

Soap Success

Three weeks ago, Eli and I set aside an afternoon to make homemade cinnamon-scented soap. With detailed instructions written out by my friend, Terry, we took the plunge. All went well except that when I poured it into the mold, something wasn't right with the way I had tucked the freezer paper into the mold. The soap leaked down into the mold between the folds of paper. Ahhh! We improvised and just pulled the paper out. After curing for three weeks, I had to cut the bars out of the mold instead of being able to just lift the papered soap out of the mold. It was a little messy, but they came out - and I think quite well, too! I wrapped them up for Christmas the other evening and have plans to make a batch of lavendar-scented hearts for Valentine's Day . . .

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

Since flavored coffee creamers were on sale and I had a coupon in addition, I decided that White Chocolate Raspberry Scones would be on my baking list this week. I made a batch while the boys were finishing up their schoolwork. Then we headed out to buy the goats' Christmas present - goat treats from the feed store. We also stopped for a visit and to deliver Christmas cookies at my grandparents' home. Home again, home again, where I taste-tested one of these delicious scones with a glass of milk. (I then promptly ran up and down the stairway 10 tens for some exercise!)

White Chocolate Raspberry Scones

4 1/2 C. (+ a bit extra) flour
1 tabl. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 C. White Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Creamer

Mix 4 1/2 C. of the flour, the baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Add the creamer and mix well. (If the dough is too sticky to handle, add extra flour.) Shape into two circles and cut each into 8 wedges. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Re-cut the wedges and pull them apart so they can bake more thoroughly in the middle. Bake about 7-10 minutes more until done through and golden brown. When cool, you can drizzle with a 10x/milk glaze. Let icing set. Makes 16 large wedges. (I freeze them and warm them up for our breakfast or teatime.)

Ladies' Christmas Luncheon

Each Christmas our Pastor's wife and mother host a luncheon for the ladies of the church. Yesterday we got together once again amidst lovely holiday decorations and delicious smells emanating from the kitchen. We began the afternoon singing a Christmas hymn. How beautiful it is to hear two rooms-full of women's voices - how lovely it must sound to the Lord! One of the ladies taught a devotion on some different aspects of the Christmas story that we might not have thought of before. Next came a few games about Christmas carols - my dear friend and I were one of the teams that won. Starbucks gift cards were the prizes - a hot chocolate and piece of iced lemon pound cake are in my near future! We then spent the rest of the afternoon eating and visiting.

Here's our luncheon menu:

* Cream of Asparagus Soup
* Italian Wedding Soup
* Cucumber Sandwiches
* Parmesan Bites
* Pizza Cups
* Bruschetta
* Apple, Pear & Nut Salad
* Carrot Cake
* Pumpkin Cheesecake (WOW!)
* Apple Turnovers
* Hot coffee, tea, and cocoa
* Holiday punch

After the feast (!), we were each sent home with a small, wooden sled or glittery sleigh to decorate our homes. Yet another sweet Christmas memory . . .

Yuletide at Wheatland

My mom, sister and I spent part of today on a Yuletide tour of Wheatland - the home of our 15th president, James Buchanan. We started out this morning amidst flurries of snow, fortified with Christmas cookies. When we reached the pretty estate, we were given a tour of the decorated home by various members of the household. It was 1861 and the servants were in the process of "preparing for a Christmas party and overnight guests." We met a Civil War soldier who was keeping an eye out for "rebel" soldiers; a Civil War Santa whose unique look came into being during the War; various servants preparing the home for the Yuletide celebration; and Harriet Lane, the niece and "First Lady" of our only bachelor president. After our tour we visited the greens sale that was being held out on the lawn by a local garden club - my sister bought several bunches of beautiful holly and boxwood, branches of spruce and lovely red dogwood branches to decorate her home. (While we toured and shopped for greens, a local news reporter kept snapping our pictures for the Sunday News. We felt like we had our own personal paparazzi!) We drove down the road then for a warming lunch of soup, sandwiches and hot tea at a little pharmacy before heading home through the snow.

E. and I Watched Last Evening

E. and I Played Last Evening

Watched This Morning With My Teens

Cookie Day 2009

Yesterday we spent 10 hours at the home of my sister-in-law baking Christmas cookies with her, M.'s mom and his aunt. The house smelled SO good all day long (until the very end when the bar cookies oozed out of their pan!) and was full of lots of fun, noise and seasonal hub-bub. We made nine different kinds:

* Sand Tarts
* Soft Ginger Cookies
* Coconut Philly Bon-Bons
* Sugar Cakes
* Chocolate Crinkles
* Chocolate Chip Cookies
* Chocolate Cherry Cookies
* Peanut Butter Classics
* Choco Caramel Bars

The kids sat at a long table in the basement and decorated sand-tarts for hours by Christmas music - what wonderful memories they'll have to remember. My sister-in-law even made us tuna melts for lunch - what a delicious day all around!

Sand Tarts

10 oz. butter
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
4 C. flour

Mix well to form a soft dough. Refrigerate overnight. Working with a fist-sized hunk of dough at a time, roll out thinly. (The thinner, the better). Cut with cookie cutters, transfer to a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet and brush with beaten egg. Decorate with sprinkles. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes - do not overbake.

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas . . .

Frosty descended from the attic yesterday. When I was a little girl, he stood at attention in front of my grandparents' home. Now he stands at our's . . .


The chocolate Advent calendars have come out of hiding . . .


And Eli is finger-knitting a red garland for the Christmas tree . . .

Ingratitude

"Paul David Tripp, writing in The Journal of Biblical Counseling, recalled a scene he had witnessed more than once on his various travels to India. But this time, for some reason known only to the Holy Spirit, the Lord struck him with the gravity of it all at a deeper level than he'd ever experienced before.

Passing through New Delhi, in one of the most horrible slums in the world, he stood transfixed before a three-year-old boy leaning against the cot of his ailing, perhaps dying, mother. The boy's eyes were hollow, his stomach distended, his face fly-infested - the very picture of massive, helpless, noxious poverty.

The tears that streamed down Paul's cheeks in observing this tragedy were indeed the heartfelt evidence of his compassion. He longed to sweep this boy and his mother into his arms, away from these dreaded depths of sorrow and endless need.

But it was more than mere compassion he felt. It was an awareness that neither he nor this little boy had chosen their circumstances in life. The blessings of being raised among plenty, nurtured by godly parents, educated in quality schools, and given over to Christ at a young age began to roll over him in waves, even as he did his best to comfort and console the needy pair before him.

""You cannot explain the difference between that little boy and me by anything other than the Lord," he wrote. "Standing there in that slum, I felt all the complaints I had ever spoken as if they were a weight on my shoulders. I was filled with deeper gratitude than I think I have ever felt in my life."

Not long after he arrived back home, Paul was visiting with a church leader from India who had come to the States to study. In the midst of their conversation, he asked the man what he thought of Americans, to which his guest responded - in polite, Asian style - "Do you want me to be honest?"

"Yes, I do," Paul answered.

But who could really be ready for this: "You have no idea how much you have, the man said, "and yet you always complain."

We'd all have to agree, wouldn't we? At many levels, America can be rightly accused of gross ingratitude. But can the church and the Christians in America be accused of the same thing?

Can you? Can I?"

-- Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy