I have to run to work, but just wanted to stop in and say 'hi'. Burrrr, there is frost outsde again. What happened to the fall??? LOL

I stopped at gordon food service yesterday after work to pick up a desert for christmas that my dad really likes. I'm in charge of the desserts for christmas. Well, I spent $$$ there buying desserts. Theirs is so much better than what I could bake myself. Since this is my last day of work befor christmas, I am taking a nice HUGE chocolate truffle brownie sheet to work for everyone. Sure wish I could send you all a bit of it. :o)

I promise to come back tonight or tommorrow and say more.
Sharon

Got back from Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Thought of you Canna while there, the weather was just gorgeous..Really didn't seem like Christmas with 68-70 degree weather but loved it anyway.

Gloria-Got your great Christmas swap box and all I can say is thank you, thank you. I love it all.

{{gwi:1319315}}

Watering can-I absolutely love it..love the colors and will never let a drop of water enter it. LOL I am putting a roof over my deck and will definetely use this out there. They are working on it now and should have it done by the first of next week. Yeah.
Avon rich moisture cream---You know I love this stuff
Milk chocolate candy bar-Yum
Paperwhites for forcing-I can't wait to see these in bloom
Journal-Plan to use this, always needed.
Candy canes
Peppermint candy
Amaryllis 'Clown'-I love these...thanks a bunch
Plaque/with my name on it...Oh as you can see it is just beautiful..Another treasure to put out on my new covered deck.
Cross ornament inscribed with the Lord's prayer-Oh I will treasure this forever. I love things like this and will remember every Christmas when I place it on the tree who gave it to me.
What a nice surprise to come home to such a nice package.

Shirley

Oh no Shirley... you said the "G" word.

Well, it seems life has gotten in the way of few people from posting what they received. Instead of waiting I say
"LET THE GUESSING BEGIN!"
You can either post your guesses here or email me privately. I will tally up all the correct guesses and declare the winner on 12/24. As a reminder, participants are: Cindy, Shirley, Dawn, Marea, Jo, Sharon, Mary S, Debbie, Mary B, Anita, Meghan, Deni, Susan, Lisa, Carmen,
Betty, Carol, Rebecca, Gloria, Dianne, Paul, Ellen, and Laura. if you need a reminder of what each person received, let me know.

My apologies to those that sent gifts but their partner has not posted. I hope they will still go ahead and post what they received. Also, there may be a lost box, which I hope gets found.

Thanks,
Paul

Paul, I'm in the mood for a little guessing this morning.
First I will make some educated guesses, then I will make some WILD guesses. LOL

I think...
Gloria sent to Shirley :o)
Marea sent to Debbie
Paul sent to Anita

Now for the Wild Guesses ...
Deni sent to Canna
Anita sent to Dawn
Sharon sent to Cindy
Shirley sent to Carol
Carol sent to Gloria
Canna sent to Sharon
Debbie sent to Carmen
Cindy sent to Paul
Mary S sent to Meghan
Meghan sent to Laura
Laura .... Mary S
Dianne sent to Betty
Betty .... Marea
Mary B .... Deni
Jo ... Dianne
Dawn ... Jo
Ellen sent to Susan
Susan ... Anita
Carmen ... Rebecca
Rebecca ... Lisa
Lisa ... Ellen
Ellen ... Mary B

Ok, that was fun! It will be interesting to see if any of my WILD Guesses were right.
Sharon

To my Secret Santa, my daughter had her progressive Girl Scout dinner last Thursday and we used the Christmas Napkins. The Paperwhites you sent are doing well, growing with a ton of roots already!

Carol, how cool to hang the wolf throw on your wall, and I loved the picture of your pot ghetto. I'm thinking I may have a Lily pot ghetto some day. Got a chuckle out of the little kitty cats at the end of your post. :o)
Thats hard news to hear about your Grandaughter. It's ok to be disappointed and to even let her know you are disappointed in her. But you are looking at the positive side and if she has family to support her, she will do well in life.

Dawn, have you found out the sex of Baby Biird yet? I too really liked Nancy's idea of saving the 'headless Prego' pictures.

Cindy, did you get those stockings filled?
I was outbid on those seeds. Just as well.
Can I post one of my all time favorite dls?
Here goes ... You know who ... it's Debbie Smith.

Barb, what a cute picture of your Daughter! You sound like you are keeping really busy with all of the things you are making.
Sorry to hear about your pump going out. I can sympathize. Our stove hood died, then our microwave is dieing, so for Christmas I'm getting a combination hood and microwave. We have bought it but are waiting till hubby gets time off after Christmas to put it in. Now our oven won't light. Hubby wants to work on it, but that scares me ... and it is already 15 years old. And we are spending big bucks to have all the wood trim on the house replaced with siding. Should have done that years ago. Hubby is getting too old and 'big' to do that on a 2-story house. We just laugh and tighten the belt a little more. Kind of wish we hadn't bought the cottage, but the kids keep saying it is worth it.

Jean and Jo, glad your hubbies are doing well.

Jo, love the idea of a purple dollhouse. Years ago my sister in law built a wood dollhouse for her daughter. It was a big hit then. She is saving it for her Granddaughter, whenever that is.

Shirley, very nice box you received!

Sorry I rambled on so long.
sharon

Oh good grief...It hit me this morning what I did..Hey guess who my secret santa is!!!!! I should never have posted when in the frame of mind I was in last evening. I have never been so UPSET in my entire life. I have carpenters covering a deck on my house. Well unknown to me my DH decides to have them build an extension to another porch on the house. They did this over one of my flowerbeds. Needless to say I have daylilies, japanese irises, siberians, etc under concrete. They had the nerve
to tell me there wasn't anything there when they were digging to pour the posts. Hello I planted all that stuff with labels and I know the plants were there. I knew I was going to either cry or explode, it was the latter. I told DH he could get out that I never wanted to see his face again. It was bad. I just kept going out there with a flash light to try to make heads or tail of what was left. I am still mad this morning, all the guys here at work scattered when they saw I was in a bad mood.
Hope this passes soon it makes my head hurt.

Shirley

Fellow DL friends..

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I want you all to know that Mary B. Sent me a box and it apparently has been lost in the mail. The status says del. but it was not del. here.. THIS is ok.. I appreciate her time and thoughtfullness in preparing a box for me and she has sent me an email apologizing which was not needed from her. I did however ask her NOT (I REPEAT NOT, MARY ARE YOU LISTENING). to send me another box. I did however ask her to go to the dollar store and pick up some mittons and hats and take them to her local shelter or inner city ER where they can be given to little children in need.. Sometimes, this maybe the only gift they get. I have worked as a Nurse Practitioner in an inner city hospital for over 8 years now and to see the little faces light up is a gift beyond words. Besides, sometimes the parents can not afford to get their children these items due to the cost of the childs medications (esp. those with Asthama) I am blessed to have what I do, my health, family and friends.. Mary please do not send me anything else. I sent you an email, Lauren's grape poppy if you can find seeds would be great.. If not, then lets hosta swap in spring..
To everyone else.. Mary is a blessing and I appreciate her kindness, Please remember how blessed you are this Christmas for your health, new babies, homes and family. Oh and friends.. But remember that their are children who do get nothing.. Probably like me, your local dollar store sells gloves two for a dollar. One pair can make a difference.. SO can you.
Thanks again Mary and thanks Paul for hosting..
Merry Christmas to all....
Laura (beans)

Hello everyone! Thank you for the warm welcome! I just wanted to quickly mention that my family & I are anxiously waiting to hear about my niece-or-nephew-to-be!! Which will it be?? We are so excited, and we will love that baby so much! The pictures don't do Dawn justice...She is much cuter in person!
Have a wonderful holiday!
Jenna (auntiebirrd)

My Santa Box:)
{{gwi:1319316}}

Yeeesh! Dawn where are yooooooouuuuuu! Your killing me!

Aunt Canna

Thank you guys for the Birthday Wishes, spent the evening at a local bar with a bunch of friends. Couldn't ask for anything better.

I just can't find time to post. The boys are running my ragged. They are so excited for Santa to come. The oldest wants a Hamster and the little guy a Hover Craft. I can't wait for the Hamster.

Nancy your floor looks great. That is on my to do list-a kitchen floor in the tiled looked and wood in the dining room. Hopefully I will get that accomplished in 2007.

Carol-just try and help out your grand-daughter as much as you can. It is hard to people that young having babies. It is such a huge in their life.

OH that puppy is the cutest little thing.

Cindy on stocking stuffers- gloves, small cologne, flashlights, small tools-drill bits , just go to the automotive section!!! Love that spacecoast! I have to check if that is one I bought this summer.

Laura-I don't think I have welcomed you yet. I have been missing in action lately! But welcome to our group.

Shirley don't be too hard on DH, but I sure would be peed off too. My dad is good at coming over and weed whacking. It last year or the year before he took down a huge section of Trumpet Lily's!!! I about cried!

Dawn- boy-girl???

Well off to a hair appointment. Talk to you all soon.

Angie

But most importantly, the baby is healthy and everything looked perfect to the ultrasound technician. We are so relieved and happy I can't even tell you. And to find out we are having a boy is just wonderful! We're walking on air right now. : )

The u/s tech. was just great and she made a video of the entire ultrasound and gave me a whole bunch of pics. Here you can see our sweet little guy, and in the 2nd pic he's even waving at us. : )

He was extremely active during the u/s and was just moving all over the place. Just sooooo neat!

Aunt Canna, sorry it took so long. My appt. was at 4pm, but they were running VERY behind and didn't take me in until after 5. DH celebrated with a Dominion Oak Barrel Stoudt. I had a water on the rocks. ; )

Angie (or anyone Mom or Grandmom to boys), i'd love all the advice you could give me. Our family is filled with girls and this is pretty much the first baby boy. We have NO boy experience. : )

auntiebirrd, I am so excited for our babies to grow up together. What fun we are going to have. : ) You are the best!

Shirley, I feel your aggravation. I'd be steaming mad too. I hope you are able to salvage at least some of the plants, and that you are feeling better today. HUGS

Laura, that was a wonderful post. I will do my part to donate to the needy this winter. And I hope the box turns up. If it was from Mary B., i'm sure it was filled with love.

Nancy, no walls up yet, but we have got lots of them built. DH said the longer we wait to stand them up, the better. What we are thinking now is that it's time to start the fireplace/chimney that runs up through the center of the house. Besides being decorative, it is structural as well. We will probably run that up before standing the walls in place. We won't face it yet....basically it will just be the "guts" of the fireplace.

It's killing me to wait to see the walls go up, but i'm being patient.

We bought 2 massive logs from a log home dealer yesterday to use as exposed beams in the dining room and living room. We aren't sure we really like them now and think we'll use them in the bedroom and get something different. I'd really like some old hand hewn barn beams if I can find them.

Anita, nice loot from your Secret Santa. : ) What will Santa be bringing baby David??

Susan, sorry I didn't get back to you yet....that email was so very interesting and I enjoyed the pictures. I printed it off and am keeping it. I've got some stuff to tell you and will write soon. It's wierd how much we have in common. : ) HUGS

Lots more to say, but I better go lay down for a bit. I want to relax and enjoy this special feeling I have. Words just can't describe how wonderful I feel. : )

HUGS to all,
~Dawn (mamabirrd)

Dawn-????legs crossed special????

Paul - i guess i sent Shirley my DH.

so sorry Shirley :(, he tries in his own sort of way. ill send postage so you can send the concrete king elsewhere :)

Barb - just loved your DD pic and posts. would love to see the drape :). i picked out some fabric for the LR windows but 7 years later (since we started looking), im waiting to replace some carpet to see if it will match. grin.

Sharon lol. what would you have done with all those seed anyway? ooohhh loved the Debbie Smith pic. ive wanted that one since you first posted and it just always seems to elude me....

Jean, maybe you'll come back and share some pics of that beautiful garden of yours? the newer ones havent seen and I need to drool a bit :). glad to see you post and happy to hear DH is doing well.

Carol, simple congrats here. My great gma came to my college graduation. She was so proud. So was I.

Annie, hows your sis doing?. Susan could do much more justice on the cats meds, but mine i crumble them with a simple mortar and pestle and put it in cat food with gravy. no problem at all, but shes a huge food monger.

Lauara, so sorry to hear Maryb's box is mia. her boxes are awesome. you are a kind and genereous soul. :)

Nancy, eewww even the name of that surgury sounds painful. i hope your feeeling better now and after the next. will keep you in thoughts and prayers. and happy to try and help with the id's when you are better :).

Angie, so happy to see you post. next set of pics i will post some of the perennial garden in a box you sent me :). next year i will be in the automotive lane. already done this one, wwwhhheweww....

Jo, aw i have to post the pics to get over the "brown" time of year. i havent heard that expression before but it is so apt. glad you liked. and so neat on your purple dollhouse, your GD will never forget :)

Terry Lynninger

Thumbprint

Cindy O

Dawn, posting while you are. so HAPPY a big healthy BOY!!!

Cindy I want Terry!!! Darn it!!!
Dawn, I was balling my a$$ off when jo called me, I will have to get back to you:)

Hi BABY! Yay! I knew he was a boy. Now Jason can buy him a football!

Whew, I was worried about you. I was starting to think something was wrong! But, I check before going to bed and saw little TJ waving at us! Doug said that TJ Schoedel sounds like a great name for a Steeler QB or receiver, LOL!

((Big Hugs))
Aunt Canna

Dawn, Congrats on the boy! Great to hear he was very active in the u/s. As he gets bigger he won't have as much room to move so he won't be as outrageously active as he is at this stage.

Cindy, remind me in the spring and I should have an extra fan of Debbie Smith to send you. She sets pods easily. :o)

Ok, I couldn't stand it, I've started my Head Turner x Head Turner seeds.

And did I mention to you ladies and guys that I bought varigated Cliva seeds from ebay a while back? 12 seeds + bonus in fact. Well, I did, and most of them have germinated. Then several weeks later, the seller (from China) sends me an email asking if I had received the seeds ... I emailed back saying yes I had and that I had already emailed her and had posted pos. rating and that I was extremely happy since most of the seeds had germinated. Then, I get a package with 13 more seeds!!!!! I emailed her back letting her know I had gotten the extra seeds and what to do? The seeds were kind of brown from the cold weather. She says just to keep them. I wasn't sure if they were still viable, but I planted them anyway and some of them are germinating ... So in a year of 2 I'm going to have a TON - way more than I want to keep - of Clivias!!!! Hint - you may be seeing these pop up in your gift boxes!!!!
I figured they were an early Christmas present. grin

Angie, glad to see you posting! And joy of all joys you didn't have a tree fall in your yard. LOL I got a chuckle out of going to the 'automotive section' for stocking stuffers. My hubby has been hinting all year that he wants a nice Maglite flashlight. So I told the kids to get him that for Christmas. They came back with the HUGEST one you can buy! About 2 1/2 feet long! HaHa! I had them go back out and buy 2 smaller ones to go with it. Of course I didn't say anything bad about the BIG one, just said a couple smaller ones with it would be even better.

Jenna, Talking about Joy of all Joys, you will have a little nephew to play with your daughter! smiling here.

Shirley, I'm heart broken for you. Can't think of anything to say to make you feel better...
Well, now you get to buy more plants to replace those you've lost ... does that help just a little?

Laura, sorry to hear about you not getting your SS gift, but your solution is Heart Warming.

Off to the dollar store to pick up little gifts for those Christmas Games (thanks Carmen). And then to the book store to pick up Moving Mars (thanks for the tip Marea).

Sharon

Dawn Congratulations I am so happy for you.

Little boys pockets hold amazing things, fish worms, apple cores, a mess of string. But nothing compares to the wealth one finds in little boys hearts and little boys minds.

Sounds like everyone had great SS boxes.

Laura~ Maryb is just an awesome trader, hope it shows up, because you would be in for a real treat, Ive traded with her the last 4-5 years. Bless your heart for the suggestion that you made.

Gee, the post goes so fast that it is hard to keep up, so if I miss anyone I assure you it was not intentional.

Cindy~ thanks for asking about my family. Sisters are doing great, and Shelby has to have some dental work done. Even though he goes to the dentist every 6 months, his teeth started going pot after the chemo. He never had a cavity before his insurance will not cover all the expense and Im glad we are able to help him out.

Barb~ I love the black and white picture of your daughter. They grow up so fast and before you know it out the door they go.

Carol~ your babies are so cute. It is going to break your heart when they go to new homes, or have you change your mind and are you going keep them :O)

Nancy~ My prayers are going out to you, I hope you get feeling better soon. Spring is just around the corner, it feels like it here anyway.

Shirley~My heart goes out to you and if there is anything that I have extra of you are so welcome to. Just let me know and it is yours. I would be honored to send you some plants in the spring for you to make a new garden.

Jo, and Jean glad to hear your DH are doing better.

Im off now until Christmas night, and boy am I happy for that. They made the mistake of putting packages under the trees, and they are like kids in a candy store. It wouldnt surprise me if they are all open by now.

My brother-in-laws birthday is Christmas and we are having a surprise party for him tonight. I better go and see what I can help out with.

Again, if I've left anyone out I sure didn't mean to.

LIFE IS GOOD,
Annie

Just a quick post to rub in that I said boy, carol rules!!!
hugs Dawn, I have two boys and they were a joy, one still is
hugs to allCarol

Veeja, that's too funny. One still is.
I raised two boys, too. They were loud, rambunctious, fast, always into something, always climbing, building, taking things apart, breaking something. Then they got older and got louder and deeper and smellier and more expensive.
Through it all, they were loving and kind and respectful and boys, then men, that any parent would be proud to claim.
My sister had two girls. They whined a lot.
God knew what he was doing sending me boys.

Son up to son down,
A mother's work is never done.

Boys rock!

HI all. :)

Dawn, congrats on that little boy, he looks like he's already a football player.:) A little boy will keep you a little busier but nothing replaces the love a little boy has for his mama.

Annie, I love that poem. It so perfectly describes little boys.

Cindy, I love your pics as usual. Do you hide the good ones when I come??? Is there a hidden bed I am not allowed to see? LOL

Sharon, awesome on the seeds. You can never have to many.
Love your pics, you have such a perfect collection of daylilies.:)

Barb, I can certainly sympathize with you. It seems everything in my house has broken in the last month. My microwave, coffee maker, toaster and the biggest expense was my bathtub faucet just busted loose a ridiculous leak which ended up costing 400.00. Glad you were able to get it fixed and not let it ruin the holidays.
You should have your daughter photograph those dogs in front of the wood stove in black and white, would make great postcards or even christmas cards to send.

I would also like to welcome auntiebird to our group, glad to have anyone associated with our mamabird.:)

Everyone have a wonderful christmas and I will see you all back here afterward to tell us what your best and favorite gift was.:) Sherri

Shirley, you have to forgive the poor man, it is xmas.:) I know how you feel though, I had a clematis that was just huge growing on my fence and hubby tried to help me weed when I was pregnant and lo and behold he whacked the clematis at the base. I could have killed him. Down side, he refused to help me weed anymore. Good side, he doesn't know a flower from a weed.:)

Dawn congrats!!!A baby boy..smiles..had two myself.Good times..mine both love sitting in my lap and snuggling.Teddybears,trucks..and so much more.

Pictues of my garden...Hmmmm

Joan Senior and Wild Mustang
Then to the brownest...

Then came the snow...so pretty...smiles

Sigh then back to the brownest again...no snow for us on christmas

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
Hope all your homes are filled with family,noise and love...
Hugs Jean

Dawn, congratulations. Amazing stuff.

Well... so far I only have two guesses: canna and Carol. I guess everyone's busy with Christmas and all... Remember, the guesses are due when the clock turns to Christmas.

Thanks,
Paul

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

{{gwi:1319327}}

Sharon

Hi everyone and Happy Christmas Eve!

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday. Santa will be coming soon!
I received the best gift today.....DH took the day off! He totally surprised me this morning and got up and began to get ready to go work on the new house as usual. Just as I was about to give him a kiss and send him on his way he said, "I'm staying home today!". I was so surprised and very happy he decided to take a rest.

Tomorrow will be spent visiting and our first stop is my Sister Amanda's house. This will be her first gathering as a married woman in her new home. : ) They are making orange-glazed ham.
Then it's off to see FIL, then we will be going to MIL's.

I will be back to catch up with all your posts, but want to thank you all for the wonderful comments about boys. : ) I had tears welling as I read them. You are all so great.....thank you!

Baby is moving around quite a bit. I am feeling him more everyday. DH is dusting off the ol' VCR and we are about to watch the tape from the ultrasound. Should make for a very special Christmas Eve.

You are all in my thoughts and I hope Santa is good to each of you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love & Hugs,
~Dawn (mamabirrd)

Dawn, you're looking good and the baby waving with one hand and sucking his thumb on the other one is just to precious for words. Watching the video is something you'll always remember to tell him about his first (well, it is, lol) Christmas!

Jean, I think you got all the seasons in there. That's just perfect since we seem to be experiencing them every one this month. I love the snow pic, we don't get enough of that for me.

Cindy, thanks for offering to help me name my D/Ls when we get time. Shirley, I hope you'll at least let him come in for saying grace and give him a turkey leg so he won't starve. lol I'm so sorry he buried your flowers. I know that had to hurt since you have so many nice ones. Thanks for the well wishes and for the offer of

Annie I hope you had a great party for your birthday. Thanks for your prayers, I'll need them all.

The kids were here for the weekend but left after dinner today so they can be home tomorrow with Jacey for Christmas day. She was supposed to come here but her Auntie just adopted two babies and she wanted to play Santa for them. She said since she doesn't believe in Santa anymore it would be just too much fun to be him! lol I can't wait to see pics.

Angie, I'm so glad to see you again. I thought you had left us. Merry Christmas! Be good to those boys for Christmas and don't make them sleep late.

It sounds like there are a lot of boys in this family. No wonder we love 'em so much!

My sister's grand-daughter asked if 6:30 was too early for them to get up for Santa tomorrow morning and her parents didn't answer so Susan said, "6:30"? are you kidding? Your mom and aunts were ALWAYS up by 4:00!!! LOL Do ya'll think that may have been payback? Of course mom and dad decided that 6:30 was quite early enough.
I don't think I welcomed Laura and auntiebird either but we're so happy that ya'll decided to join us.

Merry Christmas to all and I didn't mean to leave anybody out. I hope Santa is good to all and that Jesus is looking down on your babies in their cribs tonight no matter how old they are. God bless!

Nancy

It's Christmas and I'm the first to type it. Ho Ho HO!
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Just waiting for the kids to wake up and check out their stockings!

I just love the puppy pics.

And a boy for Dawn. Congrats! They are so much easier than girls!

Loving all the flower and house pics too. You folks really went all out on our Christmas boxes. NIce warm fuzzies hugs.

Oh the kids are up... Let the mayhem begin!

Karen/cheerpeople/gaga

Merry Christmas to my favorite Daylily peeps!

Love to you all!
Canna

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Baby D gave me his bug for Christmas, so I won't be doing anything today:(Anita

Merry Christmas All,

It sounds like everyone is having a good one, and I'm glad to hear that.

Nancy, thanks for the birthday wishes, but it is not my birthday LOL. Hey, the years pass by quick enough. I really don't care that I am getting older, and I don't worry about the grey hair but I do miss the energy.

It is quiet around here today. Shelby is at his in-laws,and that is fine,they spoil him rotten. I would be sad if they didn't.

I did go in to work for an hour this morning to help a new girl with the van lift, I remember how afraid I was of it when I first started. Paper was flying when I walked in, they were having a grand time opening their gifts. It is amazing the little things that make them happy. It makes one appreciate the things we do have.

LIFE IS GOOD,
Annie

Merry Christmas to everyone. Hope Santa was good to each and everyone. I'm feeling some better about the concrete and flowers, but still sad about it all.

Annie-Thanks for wanting to share your flowers with me but not necessary as I still have lots. Do hope we can do some trading in 2007. I didn't have any hostas or bearded irises in that bed. I meant to write down all the flowers in that bed but never did. That's what I get for putting things off.

Anita-Sorry to hear you have a bug. Alot of the kids at our get together Sat. night were sick. They just sat on parents laps and did not play or anything. That is the first sign a child is not feeling well. Hope Little David had a Merry Christmas. I'm sure he did with grandma Anita buying. Dawson and his sister Brittney are the only grandkids on three sides so they are very lucky. They get all the attention and presents.

Dawson on Christmas Eve:

Sharon-If you get my name in swaps next year I love clivias. The varigated would be awesome.

Dawn-A little boy...how wonderful....I think the first child being a boy is special...I had a daughter first but wanted a little boy first. Yes it is very different raising little boys. Dawson loves carrying things in his pockets. It is a little boy thing. He picks out all my rocks in the indoor plants and puts them in his pocket when he is here.

Jean-We haven't seen any snow thus far this year. It is raining here today. We have actually gone through entire winters with no snow. Like your pictures.

Nancy-DH swore he told the carpenters there were flowers in that bed and they would have to dig them up and put them in buckets but who knows. He knew I would be mad when he saw what they did. Not a flower did they dig up and put in any buckets. I wonder if they are that dumb???
Sorry Paul and Cody but there is a thing called common sense.

Sherrie-DH doesn't know flowers from weeds either. But he will call me and ask alot of the time when he is weed-eating.

Sharon-After I pay this roof bill I won't have money to buy a tulip bulb. LOL I had no idea it was going to be this expensive. I was thinking around $5,000.00 not even close. $5,000.00 won't even pay the carpenters. I told DH if I had known it would cost this kind of money I would have chosen a garage over the deck roof.

Cindy-How much postage money do you have? LOL

Angie-That is so sweet of your Dad to help you out. It's hard to get mad at someone trying to help.

Paul-I will sit down and try to figure out the guesses for the Christmas boxes. Thanks for hosting such a fun swap this month.

Shirley

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I hope it's been a great one.

Sorry Annie, my bad, I meant to say I hope your party for your Brother-in-Law was a good one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIRLEY
2 DAYS LATE!

Shirley, I knew your birthay was right around Christmas and I was so disappointed when I checked today and it said the 24th. Anywho, I thought of you!
I see that Cutie Dawson having a blast on Christmas Eve!
Here's to hoping that I get your name in a swap and WILL send you clivias!!!

Jean, great pictures.

Paul, I made some guesses, but I made them on this forum, don't bother looking for them though, most of the quesses are wrong for sure.
Hey, did you get that email from me about the SS gift?

At our Christmas Gathering we played several of the Christmas games from the website and had a great time!

Sharon

Happy Belated Birthday Shirley! hope it was a very wonderful one :)

bbl

I hope your birthday was happy, sorry I'm late but the wishes are just as strong.

Nancy

Well, everyone, there was a mix-up earlier. I was in 2 Secret Santa Swaps. I thought the first box I received was from the TD Secret Santa, so I posted here what I got in that box.

But just today, Dec. 27th, I received my Secret Santa box from my TD's Secret Santa.

I felt pretty bad about the mix-up since the person from the other swap thought her box had been lost in the mail. She personally delivered me a second box on Christmas Eve. Her and her husband drove out of their way on Christmas Eve to make sure I received my Christmas box before Christmas.

Here is what I received from my TD Secret Santa:
Candle Wall Sconce
Beef Steak Nuggets
Pay Day Candy bar
Christmas kitchen towel
4 books about cats
pear candle
Lubriderm lotion
hand sanitizer
wreath ornament
dangling earrings

Thank you,
sharon

Happy Belated Birthday Shirley, I'm so sorry we missed it:(
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, still not up to par yet but Baby D is over it now, thank the lord, was not much fun having Ritz crackers & chicken broth for Christmas, but is was better than nothing:)Anita

Secret Santa Swap Winner:

CONGRATULATIONS CAROL!!!color>

Whoever has the TD trophy please pass it on to Carol.color>

It was a tie so I made an executive decision. Gave the prize to the person with the most uneducated guesses... they say sometimes it's better to be lucky than good :-).

Correct answers were:
Cindy to MaryS
Shirley to Rebecca
Dawn to Carmen
Marea to Debbie (most got this correct)
Jo to Carol
Sharon to Jo
Mary S to Deni
Debbie to Lisa
Mary B to Laura
Anita to Dianne
Meghan to MaryB
Deni to Susan
Susan to Dawn
Lisa to Betty
Carmen to Marea
Betty to Cindy
Carol to Meghan
Rebecca to Gloria
Gloria to Shirley (all got this one)
Dianne to Ellen
Paul to Anita (all got this one too :-)
Ellen to Sharon
Laura to Paul

I hope y'all had fun. Thanks and happy new year!
Paul

Oops... I forgot to say thanks to Sharon for "guessing" wrong on who she sent to... I assume to throw everyone off :-). I counted that one correct :-).

Congrats Carol on winning the Secret Santa Swap!!!

Congrats Carol..smiles

Sending wishes out to all of YOU
For a Happy New Years!!!

Hey we got snow,or should I say its snowing.

Hugs to all,Jean

Hi Everyone,

I have been MIA again, sorry.

Happy Belated Birthday Shirley!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carol,
Big Congrats, I will get the trophy ready to go out ASAP.

Well,
DH had his tests, and we just got home today. He did get the defib implant. He is a bit tender, but otherwise he is fine. I am breathing easier. I lived in constant fear he would have another fatal one when no one was there to help. But, now I know he will be ok. I have been saying prayers. Things got changed all around and instead of driving for 30 minutes to the local heart and vascular hospital, we had to drive nearly 2 hours to a different one, as the surgeon couldn't come down to do the surgery there, like he had planned. But, all is well, and we are planning on celebrating big time (without any alcohol) for New years.
We had a good Christmas, but our oldest son did not make it after all. I had a good cry, but am thankful the reasons he couldn't make it were nothing bad. We do not know when we may be able to get together again, as our youngest will be going to Iraq in March. So, I will just continue to say prayers, and try to keep the faith that sometime we may all get to spend Christmas together.

Paul,
Thank you so much for hosting such a fun swap, and another big thank you to my secret santa Sharon for a wonderful box of goodies.

hugs to all,
Jo

Dear Jo, It's been ages since I posted, but I do keep up on reading them. But when I read about your husband and sons, I just felt I needed to say something. How wonderful for hubby, you, and family that he finally had the surgery. An answer to prayers, praise God! I can also feel your hurt at not seeing your son over Christmas. I do wish there was something I could do to ease that. Having our son out of easy driving distance makes for tough times, too. We had not seen him since August. As for your youngest, he has my utmost respect! Also being his mom, you must be proud but also apprehensive. I will be adding him to my list of people that I pray for. May I know his name? I hope your New Year brings your glorious and joyous times with your family. Mary Ellen/Mellen

Hi - Sorry I haven't been posting much. A touch of winter gloom, I think.

We had a nice little Christmas with 2 of our 4 daughters home. GD Marie was here, still not quite walking but doing absolutely everything but! She ate an amazing amount of pancakes this morning, then DD and husband bundled her off to his parents. They fly home tomorrow. Boy, the house was littered! Baby is in the container phase - put things in, take things out, etc. It was fun watching her open presents - she sure can do that efficiently! She's my perfect wintertime blossom.

Marie Playing with Acorns

I received a Night Blooming Cereus. With the cuttings Susan sent, it seems I suddenly have 5 Epis! I will be emailing you, Paul!

Paul, I think everybody enjoyed your Secret Santa Swap!

Jo - So glad to hear your husband's heart is safer now.

Happy New Year and Birthday both, Shirley! I thought of you before, I remembered it after, does that count???

The lining for my new drapes came - again! The well pump went out and we had to spend mucho dinero to get it fixed, but our water pressure is up and we have our wonderful clear water again. That has been the best well!! The dryer of course broke down just when all the family was here, and baby needing a change of clothes all the time. DH fixed it. He got the railing up on the big loft room over the Big Room so Marie wouldn't fall off. That is one more house detail done!

Jo - That crazy huge Helleborus foetidus you sent is preparing some enormous, bizarre, over the top blooming fit. A smaller one is doing a more modest show.

And Harry Lauder is in bloom! Which is remarkable because DH nearly burned him to the ground when the rain got in his power plug to a string of lights and caught fire. Harry never looked so festive! But little damage was done.

Such a busy holiday! Oh, and DD#@ arrived with almost no brakes on her car and a job to return to in MI in 2 days. Our good local mechanic, may he be blessed and rewarded!, fixed it THAT DAY!!

Watching and worrying about everybody who is sick. Reaching out in my heart to sons and daughters overseas. Love to your old folks, too, as our parents now need all the love we can gather. Teensy hugs to Baby Schoedel! Bigger hugs to all the other kids.

Happy New Year, the best to all of you!

Barb

Thank you Mary Ellen and Barb.

Mary Ellen,
His name is Devlin. He was very disappointed that his brother didn't make it. He has not seen him in 3 1/2 yrs. I had asked that all 3 of our children be here for Christmas, that was all I wanted, because we have not had all the family together for Christmas in over 10 yrs. When they all said they would be here, I was over the moon. Then, 3 days before, our oldest e-mailed us. (I felt so bad, he said he just couldn't call, he was feeling like a big jerk) He said that there were several reasons he couldn't make it, none by themselves were insurmountable, but stack them together, and he just couldn't get past them all. I know he felt terrible, he wanted to be here so badly. To see us and his brother before he goes. But, it just wasn't to be. I just keep saying prayers, it helps me.
Thank you so much for adding him to your prayer list. All of our young men and women in the military need our prayers so very much. I make it a point to personally thank any I meet. And to give them a hug as well, if they let me. I so truly appreciate all they do, so that we can sleep safe here at home.

Have a great night everyone.
hugs to all,
Jo

Barb, what a cutie. I am happy to be a winner but paul did you have to say you picked the dumbest person to win, I think that may be an insult, but too dumb to be sure. Thankyou for the beautiful note cards. I meant to order some from you but must have forgotten. Jo My prayers are with you, I have one son I don't see,, even tho he lives 20 miles away he send a post card every few weeks to say he is alive and loves me tho. my daughter was in Iraq last year so I know how you must be feeling. give him my love and thankyou for keeping us safe. my kids go next week here is the last pic I took of them{{gwi:1319330}}hugs
Carol

Carol,
Posting same time as you.
thank you so very much.
I will show your thanks to our son. He says very few people he has met ever bother to say much of anything to him, let alone,thank him. So, your thanks will mean A LOT.

big warm hugs,
Jo

Jo-Hate your son did not make it for Christmas, I know how disappointing it must have been. Glad DH is doing fine. I know how relieved you must be now that he has had the surgery. Yes please tell Devlin how thankful all these gardeners are that he is keeping us safe. Prayer is one of the greatest things we can do for our servicemen and women.

Jean-Snowing huh...It is so beautiful coming down, but I always want it gone the next day.

Carol-You are a riot woman....You must keep you DH entertained with your wit and charm. I love the puppy on the left, wish I could have gotten him.

Anita-Hope you are 100% better. Maybe now you can have a feast since you only had soup and crackers to eat for Christmas dinner.

Barb-Oh that Marie is precious...so intent playing with the acorns.

I can't believe everyone guessed Gloria sent my SS box..LOL

I think everyone owes me a prize for giving them that awesome hint.

Shirley

Carol, congratulations on being the big winner and so sorry you are a little on the dim side. Keep hangin' with this bunch and you will learn a lot, garunteeed! Your babies are so, so cute. I have a new granddog/son. He's a 10 week old lab and precious but he sure does have sharp teeth. My DIL said her ankles look terrible from him biting them when she gets out of the shower. Sounds like she's a little dim too. lol

Jo, such great news about your DH. I know you had a huge sigh of relief when you could go back and see him and that you said lots of prayers both before, during and thanksgiving ones after. I thank him for mine constantly! I add my prayers for your son and hope that he will know that we are all truly praying for his and every other soldier's safe return and that they will accomplish what they can. I don't know if I told ya'll that my nephew has joined the Navy. He's 30 years old and I didn't think they'd take anyone that old. It wasn't his first choice but they are the only ones who will. He will go in in March.

Anita, hope you're over the bug and glad baby D got well for Santa. Even though you had soup and crackers it was good for you. You know what mama says, chicken soup is good for the soul.

Jean, thanks for the Happy New Year! I'm so jealous of the snow you're getting. I'm hoping we get some this year. We had a flurry last week but I slept thru it of course. Since I'm not working, I'm staying up almost all night and sleeping way too late but I can't do anything else and the bed feels so good, trust me!

Barb and Shirley both of your little grandchildren are so sweet looking. I just know they're both angels. Barb, now you know how to get things done around the house, INVITE COMPANY to stay with babies. No, I'm really glad you got things fixed. I know what you mean about it being expensive working on the well.

Dawn, I hope everything is going along with your house and that the baby is letting you have a little rest. You'd better get it now. It's so nice that your sis and you both are having them so close together, you can babysit and give each other nights or mommy's days out.

I add my Happy New Year to the rest of them.

God bless all and keep you safe.

Love to all,

Nancy

I read everything here, every word, and I have such concern for all of you with difficulties. If worry ever did any good, then you should have some help on the way! Hugs and more hugs, virtual tho they may be.

Someone asked me to show some of my knitting. I usually pack it up and send it off, and forget to take a picture. Here's the sweater set I made for Marie, and one of the sets of fingerless gloves I did for the daughters.

The buttons are strawberries!

And our Christmas dinner this year was yummy but not too traditional...

Here's the Big Room, it's sort of rectangular to the back, and octagonal to the front, which would be the left in this shot. D'ya think I need more houseplants??

The real triumph was to get that table cleared off. That happens about once a year.

Anybody here ever play Cranium? We had lots of fun with it!

My pictures are all a little blurry this time. Maybe the battery was about to go.

Barb