Happy New Year!!!

Have a great one, eh?

From our house to yours....HAPPY NEW YEAR....may you find what you're looking for, needing, and desiring....and may God be a part of all of it.

Oh, and good health to each of you!!

Visitors on the 2nd last day of 2009...

A female Downy woodpecker, a Nuthatch and that illusive Blue Jay all came to the feeding stations at once today....and I happened to have my camera ready.

Whenever I hear the Jay screeching, I run from wherever I am in the house, grabbing the camera, turning it on while running, stopping abruptly before reaching the kitchen window so I don't scare the dang Jay away and ever-so-slowly aiming the camera in the general direction of the peanut feeder....I click. If I'm lucky, he's there.

I stood there at the open window with the camera clicking feverishly at the little Downy woodpecker though. She wasn't frightened in the least. I know it's a female because the males have the little red caps and this one had no scarlet in sight. She's a pretty little thing, isn't she? Clinging with her claws to the feeder she pecked and pecked like mad, eating the little frozen nuts within. I think I can see why they're called "Downy" too. Their feathers really do look like down....all fuzzy and warm.

The Jay flew in, grabbed a peanut and flew out within three seconds!!! I really need to get a shot of him in flight with all his blue showing. That will be a challenge...

If we have any more visitors tomorrow, I'll let you know.

Winterpeg....

I just took a memory stroll down the streets of Winnipeg and thought about our trip there last spring. It was a good trip...in so many ways, and very difficult in so many other ways.

I would still like to go there in the summertime and take pictures when the foliage is all full and lush. It's a very pretty city....and very photogenic. I think it needs a summer name like Windypeg....:-)

So many places to photograph...so little time......

Things I received for Christmas....

See that hurricane lamp up above in my "Rose of Sharon" header? Ya, that beautiful lamp with the candle lit up which was sitting so lovely atop our cabinet on Christmas Eve....that was from my Secret Santa at work. Isn't it cozy? I do love it ALOT!!! So thanks, secret Santa, whoever you are!!!

Some new picture frames. Perhaps one day you may be the (un)fortunate person who gets to hang it up in your office/home with one of my (in)famous camera pics in the middle of it!!! lol

Dill pickles and canned raspberries. My dear co-worker Twila, gave me a quart sealer of her famous dill pickles not to mention a pint of her marvelous raspberries. I will open the berries on a very "special" occasion....like Valentines Day or perhaps our anniversary. Thanks Twila!!! There is just something very special about receiving a gift that a person has put themselves into, don't you think!

Then my co-worker Carole, gave me a beautiful hand carved tree ornament from the West Bank in Israel. It was in the shape of a Christmas bell, carved out on one side with the Nativity scene in the middle. I hung it near the top of our tree and will admire it for many years to come...and think of her. Thanks for your thoughtfulness, Carole!

Another great co-worker Val, gave me a gorgeous glass tree angel with a snowflake for wings. She said it reminded her of me....who would have thought!!!!!???? I received it with much gratitude and thanked her for her love and friendship also. She is an angel to me........

Oh, and I received a gift certificate from Shananigan's Coffee Shop too. Someone will join me there one day and I shall treat them.

As well, my boss gave a gift certificate to the Bison Cafe. Very thoughtful and such good taste!!! And another co-worker gave us two "Chocolate Logs" with very expensive chocolates inside!! Yum.....

My good friend Eunice hand made a festive tree skirt a while back and it sat proudly around the base of our Christmas tree this year. I had the opportunity to thank her in person (and hug her too) when she handed it to me! Such thoughtfulness...for her to do that just for me. Even though we don't see one another much anymore, she remains a good and faithful friend...as always.

There were cards, and hugs and kisses and good wishes from family members. Those are the real things families are made of....not anything tangible....but things of the heart. Oh, it's great to receive material gifts of one sort or another....but receiving heartfelt words, to me, are just as meaningful....if not moreso.

I keep saying I am a blessed person.....and I am. How grateful I am to have family and friends who so generously give of themselves.....to me no less.......sometimes it's really difficult receiving that much love....but I accept it and take it into my heart which in turn, makes me a better person for having received a part of their lives.

That's how God's love goes too. He gives and gives and gives to us...and all we are required to do is to receive it....and it makes us better people.

So, I know I am a much better person this Christmas because of love....and bigger too....but that has to do with over-eating.:-(

I'm married to a senior citizen....

Sixty-five years ago today, Helen (then 36) and John Kent (then 39) had their fifth child and named him Kenneth Ted Kent. Their first born child was then 16 and their fourth child was 12.

And then along came Kenny! He had a ready-made babysitter with his only sister being 14. As he grew and his siblings began working at various jobs and his sister entering nursing school, he was never very far from pretty much anything he wanted. He said he was spoiled and who wouldn't be!!! Dimes and quarters were always just an arms length away and no one would dare harm their dear little Kenny! He grew very close to his mother as she was always the one at home when the rest of his brothers and sister were out working or getting married and having children of their own.

We were talking about all of this today and realized that his parents were the same age as we were when we had Matthew. Funny how things sometimes repeat themselves.

Anyway, being married to a senior citizen isn't all that bad.....so far. I'm sure that as time progresses we will experience the things that all seniors experience.....poor health, less money and watching for that particular time when nursing homes may be the only option. Depressing eh?

In the meantime, we will enjoy reasonably good health, living in a home that we have chosen and having a tiny bit of cash to give to those in need and buy ourselves coffee and toast at A&W on a Saturday morning. Life can't get much better than that.

So Happy 65th Birthday to my ever-lovin' man!!! I'll be catching up to his status in 3 more years, so I'll be his much younger wife until then!!! :-)

A Christmas blessing...

It's been a great Christmas.

Candle light service last evening...

We have so much to be thankful for...family, friends, food, fireside and apple muffins!!

Much was consumed. Very few gifts this year. It made more time for reflection....on what it's all about.

Phone call to son for over an hour was wonderful...

Now to sleep....perchance to dream.....

My wish for you.....

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

My prayer is that for each of you........that this night, the night of miracles, would come to you with tenderness and holiness and that you may catch a glimpse of heavenly peace found in the manger in Bethlehem.

Merry Christmas...with my love.....