The Night Before Christmas...Jackie Style...

'Twas Five Days Before Christmas, When All Through The House

Lots of Creatures Were Stirring, But Hopefully No Mouse!

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care

In Hopes That St. Nicholas Would Soon Be There.

The Children Were Shuttled Off To Their Schools

And They Were Instructed To Please Not Break Any Rules.

Dad sped off To Work With a Clang And a Clatter

I Went To The Window To See What Was The Matter

A Flat Tire Was Had By The Dad Of The House

"Merry Christmas", Said I, "And At Least We Don't Have a Mouse!"

These Days Before Christmas, As I Check Things Off My List

I Wonder...Hmmm...What's The Point Of All This?

And Then I Remember...The Reason For All This Joy,

It's Because Of The Birth Of A Special Little Boy!

So, Five Days Before Christmas We Are As Busy As Little Bees,

Baking, Wrapping, Shopping And Things Such As These,

We Look Forward To St. Nicholas Stopping By,

And...
Celebrating The Birth of Jesus Christ!

Merry Christmas and See You in 2011!

Christmas Is A Time For Celebration...

I have gotten caught up in all the craziness of this Christmas season.  I have already purchased almost all of our gifts, the house is decorated, I'm deciding if I'm going to send out Christmas cards or not, we're scheduled to attend Christmas gatherings and open houses at the schools, I'm trying to get through the maze of Christmas shoppers who invade the side of town I live on every year right after Thanksgiving, I'm planning our Christmas menu and when we'll visit relatives, I'm trying to figure out when I'm going to wrap the gifts, what cookies to bake...etc...etc...etc...

It's exhausting when I think about all the normal activities I have and then pile all this extra Holiday Cheer on top of it.  Overwhelming Anxiety is what I feel.   

Then...I stop and think about what Christmas is really about.  I take the time to focus on the meaning of this holiday.  The Birth of Jesus.  I take time to think about what that means for me and those I love.  Overwhelming Gratitude is what I feel. 

As I have taken time to dig into the meaning and Purpose of Christmas I discovered the first purpose is...

Christmas Is A Time For Celebration!

So, let's celebrate!  Let's gather together with our family and friends and Celebrate the gift God gave us...Jesus!  Let's give each other gifts, share meals together, enjoy the lights adorning so many homes, bake cookies, decorate trees, and attend Christmas parties.  Jolly Old St. Nick may even visit and bring a few surprises.  No matter how we do it...It's time to Celebrate!

**Photos-one of the many "men" on my Snowman Tree and a corner of my dining room.

Sparse Beauty...

A child on a farm sees a plane fly by overhead and dreams of a faraway place. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home.  

— Carl Burns 

 

 

 

*Photos taken at my Aunt and Uncles farm in NE MO Thanksgiving weekend 

Thanks For Stopping By,

Jackie

Got Cranberries?

   

I looked in my refrigerator on Tuesday and I had 3 bags of Cranberries left over from Thanksgiving.  I found a recipe for Cranberry Cake at Taste of Home so I thought I'd try it out.  It has been a huge hit at our house and I'll definitely make it again.  It is the perfect blend of tart and sweet and it's surprisingly light since there is no frosting.  We top it with whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Cake

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• Whipped cream, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Add butter and extract; beat 2 minutes. Gradually stir in flour just until combined. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
• Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Thanks For Stopping By,


Jackie

An Overdue Thank You...

Good morning!

A few weeks ago I was awarded the Stylish Blogger Award from Melissa of From My Somewhat Serious Mind!  Thanks so much Melissa...I'm honored! I encourage you to visit Melissa's blog...you won't be disappointed!  You should also check out her business website...printhis.biz...she prints invitations, digital  cards, etc...very nice!

The rules are that I must share 7 things about myself and pass on the award.  I confess and say that I'm terrible about choosing who should get these awards and so I'm going to pass this on to all my blog friends...you are all very deserving!!

So here goes...

1.  I'm addicted to magazines!!  The print kind...you know the ones that arrive in your mailbox?  I subscribe to several and buy more at the store.  I still enjoy flipping through the pages more than viewing stuff online.

2.  Speaking of magazines...I tear stuff out of them and stick it in a scrapbook...yeah, I know, your teenage daughter probably does that too.

3.  I've had 3 Cranberry Bliss Bars from Starbucks since they came out this holiday season!  Sshhhh!  P.S. if you check the nutrition information at the above website you'll note that they don't have it available online.  I'm quite sure that is because each bar probably has 852 calories and they don't want anyone to know the truth!

4.  I LOVE to bake bread.  Okay, I use a bread machine for the dough, so it's cheating a little I know.  I love how it makes my house smell.

5.  I really want to go on a vacation all by myself!  I'd love to have a hotel room all to myself.  I'd do LOTS of reading, venture out and take lots of photos and do a LOT of journaling.

6.  I'm going to be 42 years old in 28 days!  All those kids I walk by everyday on campus...I'm definitely old enough to be their mother now!

7.  My kitchen has been half painted for approximately 2 months.  It's going to get done before the end of the year...I'm sure of it!

8.  And a bonus...My husband and I went to our high school senior prom together...23 years ago!  We didn't get married though, until 1997 (ten years after our high school graduation). 

I hope you all have a great December 2nd!

Thanks For Stopping By...


Jackie