Yes! It is easier than I thought it would be.
Except I can’t seem to post photos from here.
still thinking what to say on the vlog post next week.
Yes! It is easier than I thought it would be.
Except I can’t seem to post photos from here.
still thinking what to say on the vlog post next week.
It’s almost a new year! And I am going to be super-productive…or at least very good at playing words with friends, angry birds, and bookworm. My wonderful husband knows how much I LOVE technology and he gave me an iPad2 for Christmas.
I’m wondering if he realized if I had this I would leave him alone during every single football game?
So this is a post about making memories, almost forgot that! Me and my iPad are going places this year. Might just be to the front porch I don’t know but I can see us swinging on the porch swing and creating all kinds of worlds.
This is the last post for the Jolly Daze Meme. This morning after reading an email from Patty, I realized how easy these are to do. Next week is not going to be easy! I’m doing a vlog post. Yep, trying the video thing again. Am I freaking out? Yes! Who does a video blog the week after Christmas goodies?
So if you think you’re eyes can take it come back next week to see how this turns out.
for more jolly Daze 4u & me click here.
Where the Wildflowers Bloom is what I call a couch, blanket and a cup of cocoa book. From the first page you want to snuggle under a quilt and read all day–even better if it is a rainy day.
Faith Lindberg dreams of the day Royal Baxter returns, and if he doesn’t come home soon she’s leaving Nobel Springs, Missouri. She’s taking her grandfather and heading west to Oregon–far from the painful memories of family that were killed in the war, or died of disease.
Shorey adds details to the setting in such a way you feel that you are in the Lindberg Mercantile while she dusts the merchandise, and when she walks home at night you can see it. That’s it! This book felt like I was watching a moving take place rather than reading it.
Back Cover:
The Civil War stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg–as well a Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away form the memories that haunt her.But first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family’s mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for generations.
when Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows herself to hope that she and royal will finally wed. but does he truly love her? Or will another man claim her heart?
I’d love to post a photo of the cover, but I’m still without my computer. Instead I’ll leave you a link of where to preorder this charming book.
Where Wildflowers Bloom get it here!
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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First let me apologize if this blog post turns out odd. My laptop caught a nasty virus so I’m working on my tiny netbook.
This is my hometown. After Thanksgiving my brother and I would beg to drive buy the cliff to see if the nativity scene was up yet.
Nativity Pacific, MO |
Here it is up close. Ed and I drove through town a few weeks ago and I was so happy it is still being set up.
Now Ed and I have a new tradition. Our church has lists of families in our community that are in need. At Christmas the church has a list of what food to buy to provide an nice Christmas dinner. The families range in sizes from 1-5 or more. We get a printed sheet of what and how much to purchase.
We like to pick a family of 5 because before some of our kids married we were a family of 5. It’s so much fun to pick up the groceries because we never can stick to the list. We do get what’s on the list, but then we start adding, “Wouldn’t it be fun if we put ? in the bags too?” It’s one of my favorite church activities.
Once I was able to help deliver the bags to one family. The hope and joy that showed on their faces makes me want to continue every year.
What do you do to help others this time of year?
Visit Patty Wysong for more Jolly Daze.
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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With Smitten Lumber closing, residents wonder if their town can stay afloat. Then four friends and local business owners-Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese–decide the town is worth saving. How will they do it? They’ll turn Smitten into a honeymoon destination!
As Natalie, Julia, Shelby, and Reese work to save the town, each discovers romance in her own life. Meanwhile, the faith of a little child reminds the whole town what it means to have real faith in the God who is the always and forever Love.
Discover a novel written by four of Christian fiction’s most popular romance novelists- friends in real life who’ve drawn an amazing story of four friends! Includes a Reading Group Guide as well as “Conversation over Coffee with the Authors”.
This recipe only makes about 12-16 cookies. I always double it (at least) when I make them.
Thanks Colleen!
You can read more about Colleen here http://www.colleencoble.com/
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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Mary happened to be one of the best cooks in our church, until they moved. (Now it’s Janice!)
I digress, sorry.
Mary made the best baked goods and contributed recipes to the church cookbook.
The one I made wasn’t in this book though, she gave me her special recipe on an index card. I no longer have it so I can’t share it with you.
I can tell you there were Rhodes buns, caramel and then I’m lost. Now I had tasted this yummy bliss (before being gluten free) and knew it would be perfect for Christmas.
So while the boys played with their new toys, Ed cleaned up the papers and tags, I put this special dish in the oven and went upstairs to get dressed–okay I took a nap, too. I had plenty of time! Don’t judge me! This dish had to bake for 45 min.
There was a bit of yelling downstairs–something about fire? I have never been so alert after a nap.
Smoke rose up the stairs as I came running down.
Smoke was everywhere and there were flames in the oven. Yep, my own little Christmas fire.
The wonderful yummy sauce that made itself had leaked out of the angel food pan and snuggled up tight to the oven coils. I was supposed to use a bundt pan, but didn’t have one and thought it wouldn’t make a difference.
Ed put the fire out, breakfast went in the trash and windows were opened to clear the smoke. A new tradition was born. Cinnamon rolls from the store or cookies for breakfast became the Christmas breakfast.
And that recipe? I’m not sure what happened to it. I think someone threw it away.
What kind of cooking surprises have happened in your kitchen?
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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When you blend two families together holidays can be–okay the truth is they can be over-the-top stressful.
My first husband, John had grown up with Dec. 6 being a day to wake up and find candy in his shoes.
I woke up as a child on Dec. 6 with nothing in my shoes!
When we married I learned about St. Nick’s Day. We chose to celebrate it by hanging stockings and putting in chocolate coins and a few small toys.
After John went to live in Heaven, and I married Ed, I introduced the joy of St. Nick’s to Andy. He didn’t mind adding an extra tradition that brought surprise goodies in the morning. His stocking is in the middle. It’s the one his mom, Debbi, picked out for him. I think it blends in nicely between Ben and Josh’s.
After the first year of being a blended family we began giving each boy a small ornament to hang on the tree. Those ornaments would go with them when they married, or moved out and began putting up their own trees. Later we began adding pieces to a Nativity scene.
It didn’t take long for 3 small boys to realize St. Nick’s day meant it wouldn’t be long before the Christmas tree would be decorated and cookies baking.
Do you celebrate St. Nick’s?
* from Wikipedia St. Nicolas comes primarily in Alsace, Lorraine and Nord-Pas-de-Calais (French Flanders). St. Nicolas is patron of Lorraine. A little donkey carries baskets filled with children’s gifts, cookies and sweets. The whole family gets ready for the saint’s arrival on December 6, with grandparents telling stories of the saint. The most popular one is of three children who wandered away and got lost. Cold and hungry, a wicked butcher lured them into his shop where he attacked and salted them away in a large tub. Through the intervention of St. Nicolas the boys were restored to their families. This story led to Nicolas being recognized as the protector of children. In France statues and paintings often portray this event, showing the saint with children in a barrel. The evil butcher became Père Fouettard, who has followed St Nicolas in shame ever since. This story is also a popular French children’s song. Meanwhile bakeries and home kitchens are a hive of activity as spiced gingerbread cookies and mannala, brioche shaped like the good saint, are baked. At school children learn St. Nicolas songs and poems and draw and paint St. Nicolas pictures and crafts. Saint Nicolas visits nursery schools, giving children chocolates and sometimes even a little present. Though Père Fouettard carries switches to threaten the children, what they really fear is that he may advise Saint Nicolas to pass them by on his gift-giving rounds.
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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I had so much fun doing the a2z meme I decided to join Patty’s newest Jolly Daze 4u & me. If you have a blog head over to her site and find out how it works. You don’t have to be a writer to play along.
Today it’s abut THANKSGIVING MEMORIES!
This is one of those times I’m really glad my mom doesn’t use a computer.
Yep, it’s one of ‘those’ stories.
Before D&D (death and divorce) came to our house we spent Thanksgiving at my grandparents home–my dad’s side.
I was so small I had to tiptoe to see all the yummy pies on top of the sideboard. Chocolate and lemon meringue, pumpkin, mincemeat, cherry and apple. I couldn’t wait for the dinner part to be over. I wanted my mom’s pies. Chocolate was the best and favored by many of this group so you had to get your piece fast.
The moment arrived and those of us with Mom’s pie dove in and got a surprise. She’d forgotten to bake the pie shells! We didn’t care. We ate the meringue and chocolate anyway and left the shell.
Mom was and still is embarrassed by this story. I love it because it is a solid memory for me of laughter and good times. After the kitchen was cleaned we’d sit, some of us piled up on parents, some on the flour and sing Christmas carols with the grown-ups before hurrying home to plug in the tree lights to see how many needed to be replaced.
What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory?
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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The Great Zandini |
Now we’ve come to the end of the alphabet and the a2z meme that
Patty Wysong created. It’s been fun thinking of a blog post for each letter.
Z is for Zandini. On our mini vacation to St. Joesph, Michigan in August I found this guy in a corner of the carousel building.
I couldn’t help but remember the Tom Hanks movie Big, in case you don’t know the movie, Hank’s character puts in his money and wishes to be big. His wish is granted and he wakes up with an adult body.
I had .25 cents but not a wish that would/could be granted by The Great Zandini, he may have been predicting futures I’m not sure. The idea of know what lies ahead creeps me out. I’d rather let each day come to me the way God wants it to.
Then again if he were granting wishes…just one… I would have wished for more days to spend walking the beach with my husband.
What about you what would you wish for?
posted by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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