Is it Christmas ALREADY?????

When I was a child, December was a long time coming. Maybe because it was hard to try to be ever so good. I knew that I had to be on my best behavior as Santa might fill my stocking with nothing but rocks or coal if I was naughty.

Now, as I approach Old age (did I say that?) December comes about every 3 months. No kidding, I just get over thinking I did a pretty good job on gifts this year when it is time to start over. I love Christmas and the season it represents but someimes I don't like what it has become.

There are sooooo many things. And that is just what they are....THINGS. At this age in my life, which is really middle age, (tee hee) there is nothing that I really need. Now my grandchildren all need things. Most of them, I don't even know what they are and I am not into technology enough to even find out. I know every year I go through this.

I love that the little ones really don't know about all of the Things that are available. They are happy with what they get. As they get older, I try to get something they really want, but there comes a time when Money is the answer. It is always the right size and color and they hardly ever want me to take it back.

Myself, There is nothing that I really want. I have so much clutter that I have become attached to and my house is just not that big. I guess what I really want is for the season to be what God intended it to be. A celebration of the birth of a Savior. I am so thankful for this gift. It is also one size fits all and once you have it, you won't send it back. God gave of Himself and that is the most wonderful gift of all.

A little Box of Treasures

I was recently visiting with my mother and she was trying to clean out things that had belonged to my paternal grandmother. She gave me a couple of boxes to bring home to sort through. The boxes are small and have newspaper articles and a lot of papers with writing on them.

My grandmother was a poet. She was also very frugal and never wasted anything. She also was a keeper of things. It was an interesting afternoon going through the papers.

I found a wrapper for cigarette papers with a birthday greeting written on it,

Some will send cards
With Birthday wishes
I came to visit
And help with the dishes.

Everything she gave had a little verse written on it. I know this is something that came to her and she didn't want to forget.

I found a letter from a little girl written in 1954.

Dear Grandma,

How are you, We are doing okay. We hope to come and visit you soon. I am learning Barbara how to write her abc's. She is writing to you to.

The little girl was me. The letter was still in the envelope. I enjoyed finding it.

There was a list of names. Neighbors and family of my grandparents. At the bottom of the list was written. "Guests in our home for Sunday dinner, August 17, 1923."

There were obituaries of family members and friends.

Poetry,

A lot of pictures and information about Gutherie, Oklahoma and area at the time of the "Land Run".

Pictures, letters and plans for reunions of the Coulter School in Indian Territory.
She was one of the first students to attend this school when it was established in the early 1890's. There was a letter from her teacher, Mr. Coulter, for whom the school was named. There was also a Christmas card from him dated in 1941. He must have been very young when he started teaching in that little one room school.

I could go on about what I found, but what I really found was a good visit with my grandmother and some of the things that she treasured for many years. That is a treasure to me.

I know that I will keep what is in that little box. I will make copies and share but even the little notes written on scrap paper and the back of advertisements are valuable to me.

Will we be able to leave these same things to our grandchildren? Well, maybe, if we put it all on a disc.

I am Thankful

I can never begin to tell all of the things that I am thankful for. The list is unending and gladness comes into my heart as I sit and think about so many of the things.

I am Thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who loved me so much that He provided a way for me to spend eternity with Him. I am thankful for Jesus who made it possible.

I am Thankful for my family. The one that I grew up in, my parents, sisters, brothers and the grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. So many happy memories were made spending Thanksgiving Days with them.

I am Thankful for my husbend, the Rancher and the family that we have. Our Children, their spouses, grandchildren and each one as they join our family circle. They have each brought something special into my life.

I am Thankful for my friends, the ones who have passsed through and gone on and the ones that have remained a part of my life throughout the years. Each one was there at the right time.

I am Thankful for my Church, the community that I live in and the people who make it what it is.

I am Thankful that I live in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. It is my country and I am proud. I cannot imagine living anywhere else.

I am Thankful that I live in this desolate land of the Panhandle and can look out and see the sunrises and sunsets that God so lovingly paints in the sky.

I am Thankful for the cardinals that are feeding at the feeder and the quail on the ground.

Does this sound boring. I could just go on and on but the list is unending.

Count your blessing this week instead of your sorrows and woes and you will know that you too are truely blessed and have so much to be Thankful for.

The Rockies in the Fall

When we visited the Rockies in September, I did not have my head on. When I started to take pictures, my camera kept showing it was out of memory. Now I knew that I had cleaned my chip up when I put it in my computer. Bingo! my chip was at home in the computer. My sister took so many great pictures and she sent them to me. He is a great picture of the colors.


Wayne enjoyed doing some trout fishing. He never caught anything but finally learned how to make the line wave in the air as he was casting it out. Almost made you think you were watching "A River Runs Through It." We had a great time. and for the life of me I cannot remember how to get these pictures where I want them. Enjoy anyhow.

Trees

I know it is fall as the leaves are turning and drifting to the ground. There are piles of them under the China Berry and apricot trees. The Wind bent Elms selfishly hang on to theirs. The Elms on the plains are not graceful, but they bend in the wind and eventually grow in a northward arch. We have more south wind. My mother was astounded that I would let an elm tree grow on this barren hill, 45 years ago. I had planted many varieties ordered from catalogs and purchased at nurseries. Our clay and caliche soil refused to let them mature.

After many dollars, a lot of digging, and trying one kind of tree after another, I learned to appreciate what God had planted. The elm seeds drifted in from the neighbors to the south and perched in my garden, flowerbeds and right in the holes that I had dreamed of a large maple growing to shade the house. I cut them down, I hoed them up, I pulled them and even sprayed them. The maple trees died, the elms did not.

I finally gave up and moved my garden spot so the elms could grow and let God shade my yard in his own fashion. Elms and elm beatles are not my favorite but the shade that the tree offers as I sit in the swing, with a cold drink, after working in the yard is a blessing from God. He knew what would grow on the hill and I thank Him for showing me.

Over the years, we have a wonderful shelterbelt of pines and cedars. Hidden in them are mulberry, hackberry and olive trees. There are even a few locust and elms. I let them all be and enjoy the bounty of birds that visit my yard each day. Cardinals at the feeder by the window, were a blessing from God this morning.

Cream of the Seasons

This poem was in our church bulletin today. I don't know who the Author is but it is just so full of color and has a truth of the Autumn.


The harvest moon has long since passed;
Our crops are taken in at last--
North wind's blowing bleak and chill;
Frost coats the valleys, fog the hills.

As colored leaves drift slowly down,
The earth takes on a patchwork gown--
Now all can snuggle safe and sound;
No need to venture far around.

The farm assumes a quiet peace,
As frantic paces can decrease,
And one can sit and muse and dream--
Fall is the country's richest cream.


And now that the time has changed, the pace will slow down and evenings will be for sharing and playing games with family, friends but mostly the Rancher who lets me win an occassional game.

Early Morning Trips

Starting out early in the morning, traveling down the highway, is an adventure. In our desolate area of the state, we don't worry about the traffic so much as we do the wildlife. We pray we can keep the lights on bright and it takes all eyes on the road in front of us.

Early yesterday, we needed to make a trip to the City. This is a 4 hour trip so we left very early. The deer were very cooperative and stayed on the shoulders of the road as we passed by. We had gone about 40 miles when the rancher and I both went into a panic. A skunk was running at a high speed towards our side of the road.

He went in front of us....

The Rancher was applying the brakes......

By the grace of God, we did not hear a thud, feel a crunch or smell the tell tale of our victim.

We missed him.

As we traveled home last night, I watched in the area we had encountered Mr. Skunk (or was is Miss Skunk) and there was no evidence that one had been in that area.
No road Kill.

Thank you God for letting us make the trip and not be offensive as we sit in parking lots. I think the skunk was even too scared to leave his calling card. We were blessed.