NANA NOTES

THE ABC's of LIFE

Accept differences       Be kind      Count your blessings     Dream     Express thanks      Forgive      Give freely      Harm no one      Imagine more     Jettison anger      Keep confidences     Love truly     Master something      Nurture hope      Open your mind      Pack lightly     Quell rumors       Reciprocate       Seek wisdom      Touch hearts      Understand      Value truth      Win graciously     Xerioscape       Yearn for peace      Zealously support a worthy cause

A couple of weeks ago I did this post and lost it.  I just found it again in a magazine.  It's a wall hanging on "How to Live Gracefully".  I liked it the first time I read it and I like it tonight.    The rules--basic, simple, good---I like that.

THE BEST ONE EVER...

Thanksgiving this year was a good one.  Cooking went smoothly and everything was delicious.  The only person missing was Josh (who will be here for Christmas!!!)  Cookie and Tommy came, and Becky (Ed's oldest sister) Barry and Hillary from Baton Rouge.  We all love Hillary.  She is the highlight of our day when she's around.  Hillary is twenty-four and has Downs Syndrome.  Hillary is witty, smart and fun.  She works at a neighborhood McDonald's in Baton Rouge four hours a day. The regulars there depend on her and leave her tips!  She's quite proud of that.  She saves part of her money and buys CD's and gets manicures and pedicures with the rest of it.  Hillary loves structure and has copied The Secret Garden three times!!  Her handwriting is BEAUTIFUL!!   She delights in showing us what's in her purse.  This time she brought UNO cards.  After lunch and getting the kitchen all cleaned up several of us sat down with her to play a game of cards.  What fun we had.

Although this picture is not really a good one, it reminds me of how it used to be at my greatgrandmother's house when I was very young.  We would sit in straight-back chairs in front of the fireplace and talk for hours (at least the grown-ups would).  My grandfather would smoke his pipe and poke at the fire.  The rest of the house was cold except for this room which had the roaring fire.  It kept the family close and that's the way it was on Thursday.  We were all together and we liked it that way.

TODAY IS THE DAY...

TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.  Don't eat too much turkey and dressing and enjoy your family and friends.  That's what we plan to do.  Mom will be here and that will be a good thing.  Love you all!

PAPA GETS A BIG ONE!!

It's only fair to report that Papa got a big deer.  He's the head hunt master around here and has worked hard to provide the first rate "hunting ground" for the kids.  However, the fever has gotten to him.  He just couldn't stand it.  I got a call last night to "come take my picture!"  He wouldn't let me take it before.  Now you see why--- This is a very nice 10 point--actually one that Ryan thought he hit on youth weekend.  Sorry Ryan. All is well though.  Ryan was happy for Papa and besides, he knows where the "Big Boy" is!

(Sorry Papa that your eyes were closed in the pictures--they were closed in all of them--bright lights, bright lights!!)

DEER STORIES

This past week was Youth Week for deer hunting.  With nine grandchildren that all love to hunt this place was a "terminal" deer camp!!  Everybody but Bryden and Sam got one; Bryden missed his, but he'll get it next time and Sam, well---he's only three. Ben has just begun to shoot his gun and he's dead on!  I'm glad I got his picture. Those sparkling blue eyes don't begin to tell you how happy he was about his deer.  A nice little six point for a first deer is a good thing.

Graham's deer was hit but ran on him.  Papa found it the next day.  You'll have to ask them for their story.  It's a humdinger.  They even called in the dogs to sniff it out. Any grown man would be proud of that perfect heavy horned eight point.  Ask Papa!! 

Opening Day was Saturday.  Papa went and stayed for about 30 minutes.  Jody went that afternoon to the same stand. He got a ten point with awesome brow tines. Score:Papa-0:Jody-1  Same song, different verse.  Dogs called in--bugger barked!!

Check out Tiffany's blog for pictures of Emily, Abbey and Hayden with their trophies. She's already got them blogged. www.jtherring.typepad.com

Way to go Camp Cotten Branch!

5 and 1/2 POUNDS

Remember when I had the garden beds all worked up and ready to plant?  Remember when they got planted with those sweet little plants?  Well, take a look at this!!  Five and a half pounds of beautiful fresh broccoli!  We've been eating fresh lettuce for a couple of months.  There are at least 18 cabbages out there almost ready to harvest.  And NO BUG HOLES!!!  No one is excited about my rutabaga but ME!!  They all say that fits right up there with the eggplant! There are some beautiful salad tomatoes but I'm sure the cold has gotten to them by now.  I wanted to dig them up and put them in the greenhouse but everyone said it wouldn't work.  I should have tried it anyway. The tomatoes were beautiful.

Oh, and have I mentioned the collards? We've eaten lots of collards and even put some in the freezer.  Food gardening is fun and filling!

WOOHOO BULLDOGS!!!

THEY WON! THEY WON! OH MY GOSH, THE BULLDOGS WON!!  BULLDOGS 17--COLLINS 13--WAY TO GO DOGS!

WASTE NOT; WANT NOT...

Sam helped me make blankets for the bazaar.  We had scraps left over and my grandmother taught me never to throw "good things" away.  I held on to the squares we cut from the corners of the blankets.  What to do with those squares---hmmmmm.  Now Sam has a new blanket to use when we take naps after lunch.  Warm and snuggly--that's what I like--that and a nap with Sam!

SEEING AN OLD FRIEND...

The garden club program I did in Ferriday, LA last week was fun.  I waited until the last minute almost to plan what I was going to do because I couldn't think of anything.  Then when I did start thinking of things, I really got on a roll.  One of my biggest faults is procrastinating.  I'm going to work on that!  When I got to the bank in Ferriday, I unloaded my "stuff" and was setting up and all the ladies were talking about "Ms Pearl" coming to the meeting.  They said she hadn't been in a while and they were excited that she was coming to this one.  When "Ms Pearl" walked in I nearly cried.  I've known "Ms Pearl" for as long as I can remember.  She was judging when I first started out back in the 80's.  She's 93 years young and as you can see, she looked beautiful that day. I told her all the ladies were excited about her being there and she said she came just to see me do the program.  That made me feel so good.  She looked at the fresh design I had done and said, "You still do good ones!" Wasn't that sweet?    I want to be like "Ms Pearl".  She sat there in the meeting and participated and enjoyed the other members.  Young at heart at 93!!  Yep, that's what I want to be.

CRAFTY NANA

Why did I wait until I am nearly 60 (don't read that!!) to start enjoying crafts!!  I used to get panic attacks when I walked into a craft store.  I didn't do sticks, glue or material and stuff!! Counted cross-stitch WAS my only craft.  You can only use so much of that!  And doing it makes me nervous. Now, since I started back scrapbooking, I am addicted to "making things".  Two years ago Traci gave me a beautiful lighted block that she had made. I loved it so much that after Christmas I bought TONS of stuff (all on sale--cheap, cheap) to make some.  I just got the time to make one. What do you think?  Isn't he cute?  Don't you just love snowmen?  I do!  I hear the power drill calling--hot glue is dripping and the ribbon is rolling!  "Crafty Nana" is at it again!

GIRL'S IN CHARGE!!

I'm waiting for Tiffany to post this and I realize finally that I'm the only one with a picture!!  This is "Youth Weekend" in the deer hunting world.  You know what all our grandchildren were doing. Shelby was the first to "bring home the meat". She fits right in with all these boys and has a great time. You can tell that she was excited about her first deer.

Hayden killed one during the afternoon hunt but I was gone to choir practice and wasn't there to use the camera.  The guys didn't take a picture. He was a proud little fellow too.  Way to go, Smitherrings!!

LOST IT!!!!!

I worked for almost an hour on a post last night and pushed the wrong button.  Darn!  I'll try again today. And it was a good one too.

MAKE MINE MISSISSIPPI...

I love walking and finding things.  Pennies from heaven are my favorite.  There's a story about those and maybe sometime I'll blog it.  Today I've got something different.  Saturday was a busy day and I was "dashing" out to the car in the church parking lot when I spied this rock.  I'm surprised I slowed down enough to see it but I did.  And I even stopped to pick it up.  What do you see?  I immediately saw our beautiful state of Mississippi! It was a "God thing".  I was too busy and too scattered, and the day was going to be a fun day.  It was God's way of telling me to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the fruits of my labor.  He sent a rock and He is the rock.  You can bet that I won't ever throw this one away.

BLESSED BEYOND BELIEF!!

THE MUMC BAZAAR WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!  The proceeds from the bazaar at the church were over $5000.00.  Can you believe that??  We had a great day.  My day started out with a beautiful fire and hot chocolate with Ed. (Wasn't that sweet!?)  It was a great calmer downer for jittery nerves!  I got to the church a little before 8:00 AM and there were people already there buying things!  I couldn't believe it.  Tables that were empty the night before had suddenly filled with warm homebaked bread, beautiful cakes, barbed wire crosses, African violets, bluebird houses, spiced tea, cookie mix in a jar, peanut brittle and lots of other goodies.  The tree was decorated and Christmas music filled the room.  The smell of sausage and biscuits and coffee filled the air.  What a glorious day!

The Jolly Elders had beautiful lamps and potpourri pots.  They really worked hard and became quite a close group in the process. My clocks and blankets did ok too.  I have orders for some more of the clocks.

Beverly's wreath table made a beautiful display.  She sold several and they are still selling.

Jean's stained glass always goes fast.  She didn't even  make it in the door with some of it. The altered clipboards sold quickly.  Thanks for the special orders.

 

Bubba's beautiful writing desk was the hot item of the day.  He auctioned it off and it did great.  Thanks Bubba!  The other auction items did well too.

Doris Jean's jelly is always a "wanted" item.  Thanks for providing it so freely!

I keep adding pictures and thinking of beautiful stuff you should see.  I guess I'll just end it here and tell you that we had a BLESSED DAY at MUMC!  THANKS EVERYBODY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRYDEN!!

We celebrated last Sunday, but today is Bryden's 7th birthday. He's got the "candle blowing" thing down just fine!  It's hard to believe he's getting so big--he got a big bike for his birthday.  Take a look at Tiffany's blog (www.jtherring.typepad.com) to see a picture of him with the bike.  As usual we had fun--cake, ice cream and presents. We love you big boy, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

RUDY BURNS?????

Our Trick or Treaters were slim on Tuesday.  One of the few happened to be someone we know well-someone who's been here every year for the last several--in a different body!! Rudy Burns--the Rodeo Clown!  I think Graham, Ben, and now Sam have "honored" Rudy with their version of his clown outfit.  They love Rudy.  He wasn't bashful and did well with his three stops.

The Smitherring's didn't make it out to the farm.  They had a hayride in town.  Tiffany sent me pictures.  I see the Cox kids and other than that I don't have a clue.  I would have to guess that the Smitherring's are in there somewhere. I know they all had a good time.  That "corner" always has a good time.  They are carrying on the tradition of the neighborhood.

Thanks, Heather, for the comment about the popcorn balls.  Everybody remembers that but ME!!