Hodgepodge

1. Do you believe in miracles?

Absolutely! They  are around us daily. The sunrise, the sunset, the miracle of each snowflake being different, and most important especially at this time of year is Christ's birth, and God's love for us.

2. What's a recent fad you admit to trying?

I can't think of any fad recently that I have tried. Unless, gasp!, it is texting while driving! Shame on me. Only once or twice and it scared the **ap out of me. I pull over to the shoulder now.

3. Peppermint-are you a fan? If so, what's your favorite food or beverage containing peppermint?

Peppermint is one of my favorite flavors. Right now I am enjoying Coffee Mate Peppermint creamer in my morning coffee. I always, and I mean always have Ice Breakers peppermints with me. Andes mints a wonderful. However, I don,t like candy canes. Yeah, I know I'm weird that way.

4. Break the ice, on thin ice, as cold as ice (emotionally, not literally)...which phrase have you run into most recently? Explain.
As mentioned above I love Ice Breaker mints. Not the same thing I know. I suppose maybe break the ice. My brother was cranky the other night, and ended up wailing at me. Online it is hard to really express your anger, but he did a really very good job at it. So, I discontinued our chat. I don't take kindly to yelling, and he was yelling. So, last night he was online and I broke the ice and asked if he was over his snit. He said he thought I was in a snit, and was just giving it back. A misunderstanding that if left untouched could have seriously damaged our relationship, and we only have each other.

5. Have you ever broken or spilled something in someone else's home? Still friends?

Ever? How about almost always. I have left a trail of my muddy footprints through a friends house. On the carpet, through to the hardwood floor, right into the tiled kitchen. She is my BFF , we have been friends for 40 years.

6.  'Tis the week before Christmas...are you feeling more like Buddy the Elf or theGrinch before his heart grew?

I don't know who Buddy is, but I am certainly not the Grinch. I am stressed out because I have so many thing to accomplish before company comes next week. But, I have found that no matter what everything always seems to get done. I ordered a new tree this year. On December 1st. It has not arrived yet. Just one more thing. The packages are wrapped, I have an empty space in the living room for it, and I have been assured it will be here today. We'll see.

7. Share a favorite quote relating to Christmas.

Trite, but true...It's not the receiving , although that is good too, but the giving that is the spirit of Christmas. I murdered the quote but you get the idea. I also try to remember that Christ is the reason for the season.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The snow just keeps coming. Two weeks ago we got 18-20  inches, and it hasn't really stopped since then. It seems everyday we get 1 or 2 more .inches and wake up to even more that has fallen over night. It has been a long time since we have seem snow like this. This is winter of my childhood. I liked it then, right now I am not a fan. As a child I lived in the city. I remember walking the entire length of my block on the snow mounds people had made when they shoveled the walkway. Some were taller than I was. I remember making "igloos" out of the mounds to use as snow forts. The winter we have just started is already shaping up to be that kind of winter. I wonder where I should build my fort?

Note: The tree came yesterday, but someone made a mistake somewhere along the way. It is a SILVER tree. I know I did not, would not, could not have ordered a silver tree. I am a green tree person. It will have to do for right now, but it will be returned next week or shortly thereafter. I think the whole saga of the tree is a future blog post.

I thought I would a couple of pictures of the Christmas village that gets set up each year. This year my son and his girlfriend did it, and I think they did a fine job.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. According to Oxford Dictionaries, the 2013 word of the year is 'selfie'. Your thoughts? When did you last take a selfie? Do you post them online somewhere?  Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind the lens?

I am not sure I even know what a "selfie" is. Although it seems to be a self pprtrait. No I don't take photos of myself. There are very few photos of me. I don't think I take good pictures. They scare old women and babies. I love being behind the camera.

2. Will you send out Christmas cards this year? If so, are they ready to go? If not, are you glad or sad about leaving that tradition behind?

I still send out a few to people that I won't be spending time with at Christmas. I send a few to friends I have made online. About 8 cards in all. I have not even purchased them yet. I am sad to not get cards in the mail. They always were a fun part of the decorations. I detest the form letters that so many people write now. I never know who is doing the writing, and they are so very impersonal.

3. Do you trust easily?

I trust until I am given a reason not to trust. At that point any kind of relationship ends.

4. Pine-cinnamon-peppermint-vanilla (as in sugar cookie)...of those listed, which one is your favorite December scent?

That's a tough one. I like them all. I would have to chose cinnamon though. It works in any part of the house. 

I have a set of tree ornaments that we used when I was a child. They came scented. Imagine how strong the scent was 40 years ago that I can still smell them now. And the level of scent is perfect.

5. Did you do more talking or more listening yesterday? Was that by choice or necessity?

I did more listening. A friend called in the morning in distress because one of her kids is acting inappropriately. I listened and commiserated, and prayed with her. In the afternoon my husband was all fired up about a Christmas gift he has already received...2 way radios.  So I listened and enjoyed his excitement.

6. What's the last song that got stuck in your head? Sorry if it's back there now :  )

That would be the Thanksgiving song..."Over the River." I don't know if that is the title. The first line is "Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go."  It was a family favorite when I was growing up. My mom would play it on the piano. We would laugh because my grandmother lived with us.

7. Which world explorer (in the whole history of the world) would you most like to have traveled with, and why? 

If you think of Christ as an explorer, and he was of sorts then I would go with him. Because how wonderful it would be to learn at the feet of the great Teacher himself. If you don't consider him an explorer then it would be Lewis and Clark. Because I would have liked to discovered those parts of out country.
8.  Insert your own random thought here.

On Thanksgiving day my son and his girlfriend fixed the appearance of my blog. It had been broken by yours truly. I will start to post more often.Especially after the first of the year. I have many post ideas moving about in my head. I am excited to start a new journey. Again.
We are smack dab in the middle of our first Minnesota snow storm. So far we have about 12 inches and they say we could get 10-12 more today. Then it turns cold. Minus degrees cold. That's winter in Minnesota.