Look what came in the mail today!

My husbands parents always give us "mad money" for Christmas. When times were tight we spent it on necessities and it always came in handy and was much appreciated. For the last few years we have put it towards something that we liked but would never purchase for ourselves.

I have had my eye on a line of bags for the last five years...hoping that one they would come out with a different color and two the price would come down. ( I know but I'm an optimist!)
Well this year they did it! They came out with a different color (no of course the price didn't drop, but it's mad money!) and in my desired breed. Can you guess? I found the red color irresistible...

Look at all the room, it has pockets around the inside for keys, cell phone, not pad and of course doggy treats! And a nice Ziploc bag with one of my knitting projects!

Weird the things that give us joy isn't it? Well if you want one you can get it here.

Foggy

No, not the weather outside, my head inside. I have been fighting off a cold or some such. It isn't something that has kept me in bed (although I did sleep around 12 hours, last night). Just enough to make you miserable and (most likely miserable to be around). I think I caught it from my cousin Kim. Hey, if my computer can catch a virus while I am online, I bet I can too!

Good nutrition is the answer I think and so before I left for work this morning I put 16 bean soup on in the crockpot with the leftover ham, carrots, onions and parsley. Then added half a packet of cajun seasoning that came with the beans. Should be delicious. And the work is done soooo....

My personal schedule will be (if allowed by other influences);)

• Dinner
• Rid up the kitchen
• Feed the hounds
• Hot Bath
• Nice big glass of OJ
• Pile into bed with the electric blanket turned up. (and probably two pups!)
• With knitting in hand till I get drowsy!

Will post more tomorrow as I am sure I will be feeling better by then!

Catching up...

Where to start?

We have had so much going on around here. Last Saturday, my cousin Lindsey got married in an evening wedding that was so beautiful, all red and white and Christmasy. Then Sunday we went to a reception/anniversary celebration for dear friends of ours, Ted and Diane's son Ray and his wife Julie. Julie had been in the military and Ray was living in New Mexico so they had their wedding last year, away from home. This was the first chance that we had to celebrate with them and to meet Julie.

Today we will be celebrating another wedding. My husband's Aunt Pat who has been widowed for a couple of years is getting married! She 71 years old (which she doesn't look or act) and her new husband is as well. I think it is wonderful. She has such an adventurous spirit. I think it is wonderful when people find happiness, and aren't afraid to go for it!

Of course all the Christmas festivities were absolutely wonderful. The Christmas Eve service was lovely and so nice to have some of your loved ones beside you to sing the carols with you.

Getting together with relatives, enjoying each others company was great. From the smaller gatherings to larger ones it was wonderful. And even the ones that took place via the telephone, still there was a feeling of togetherness.

Yesterday, Kerry and I were able to take the pups down to the bike trail for a much needed hike. At midway, we stopped to sit on a picnic table to watch the river flowing by. We saw geese flying overhead, some type of diving bird scooping up a fish for his dinner, a hawk sitting silently on a branch on the look out for an unsuspecting bunny and heard birds singing. The weather was fit and warmer then has been lately. It was absolutely lovely and peaceful. I made mention to Kerry that it was simple things like just that moment that made me so inexplicably happy and my heart to sing. Just sitting there with him, and our hounds, enjoying being together, silently in sync appreciating the moment.

I will have had five whole days off from work when I return to the office on Monday. It has been wonderful and I will treasure the memory.

Where ever you are and what ever you are doing, I hope today is your day and special and memorable for you too!

A Picture is worth a thousand woofs...

A great big thank you from Honey Dew, Sampson, myself and Casper (the cat for his kitty treats too!) To Mindy and Zeus!

Mindy especially went the extra mile to have the ornaments made to look just like Dew and Sampson ( I am sure Zeus would have helped if he had digits lol!).

We are enjoying everything and I have to say I have enjoyed participating in this internet swap both the shopping for and watching the pups excitement with their package!

Thank you again and Merry Christmas All!

The list....

...goes on and on. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying myself immensely. And I truly have accomplished quite a lot with out overwhelming myself.

But I did forget my Dogs on Thursday post. Actually I thought yesterday was Wednesday. So somewhere I lost a day anyway!

My knitting projects are almost completed. There will be one gift that will be late. The recipient knows that it is coming but not what it is, (tee hee).

Delegate is the word for today or rather tomorrow. I am going to suggest a couple of college students go,pick out a tree,cut it down and haul it home...heh, it will give them something fun to do (and keep me on track and out of the cold!)

We have a wedding this weekend, and a reception/anniversary party to go to also.

It is such a fun time of the year! The family get togethers, the decorations, music, packages coming and going, anticipation. My favorite part is the Christmas Eve Service. We always go to the 10:00PM Service. It is wonderful, thought provoking, more deliberate I think.

However you celebrate Christmas, in all the busyness of preparation, please take a moment to realize, appreciate, savor, and give thanks for the reason for the season...

Luke 2:1-20

I took an IQ test....here is the scoring system:

130+ Very superior
120-129 Superior
110-119 High average
90-109 Average
80-89 Low average
70-79 Borderline
Below 70 Extremely low

This was my result:

Take a Free IQ Test.




Ha Ha Ha,gaffaw, gaffaw snort, whew that was funny! Those of you who know me know why I am laughing so hard!!!

Another 2:00 AM Phone Call...

Ring....Ring.... (actually the ring is some tune on the cellphone), Next a lot of fumbling for the phone...

Husband: Who on earth is calling in the middle of the night?!

Son: Hi Mom...

Me: Hi Ben. What's the matter.

Son: Oh nothing, so how are you?

Husband: What is going on? What's wrong!

Me: Shuuusssshhh...

Me: Ben, It is 2:04 in the morning, what is going on?

Ben: Nothing really. But let me tell you about this really weird thing that happened. You know I fell asleep at Jack's and I had this dream that I decided to drive home, and in the dream I woke up and I was in the drive way just like that! And I am. In the drive way.

Me: Ben what....

Ben: Mom, just look out the window...

And there he was.

Husband (who has to be up in 2 and 1/2 hours): I am not getting up, I will wake him up and say good morning at 4:30!

Originally he wasn't coming home from college till tonight, but a professor let him and a friend take their last final in the morning so they could get out before the bad weather (lots of snow predicted) hit.

You know that if I wasn't so happy to see him...it's his sense of humor you see. I had talked to him around 9:30 and he hadn't let on, just said it wouldn't be long before he was home.

If you read my blog regularly the last middle of the night call was a car accident.

And they think I am joking when I point out the gray hairs on my head and tell them, this streak is yours, and this one is yours, and all the scattered ones through out the rest well dear Benjamin...they are all yours!

Oh my! Terribly Exciting!

Honeydew and Sampson have won their first award ever! No, It wasn't in behaviour exhibition, agility (tee hee), or best in breed. They were awarded ...

by their friends in Scotland the Dughallmor Beagles

This award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude.

The rules of this award:Put the logo on your blog or post.

Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

So they were talking (they had a great discussion about this, it was quite enlightning), and while they of course feel that all of our blogging buddies are quite deserving and the Dogs on Thursday Crew really fulfill the requirements (and there are over 10). It seems to us that all that are linked there are involved in charity(s), causes and animal endeavors too.

Honey Dew and Sampson would like to give special recognition however to these individuals who go out of their way to all of their doggy cousins with their thoughtfulness and generosity and who link the rest of us all up!:

GMarie

Paula and Elise

Natalie

Nichole

Dogs On Thursday

We're ready! Come on let us out! Walk time! Hurry!

Woolly Wonders Fiber Guild

Yesterday the Woolly Wonders Fiber Guild met at the Kindred Spirits Yarn Studio. It was my friend Kathie and my first meeting. We went as visitors but decided relatively quickly that we wanted to join. The ladies were so much fun, and as this was the "holiday" (held between Thanksgiving and Christmas) meeting, the concentration was on decorating the tree at the studio and hand knitted ornaments and fiber sheep.

We had show and tell, knitting, meeting news, knitting, refreshments, instruction, sharing, it was great!

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy...

This by far was my favorite picturee. Look at the happiness in that smile!


This was the sweater ornament that I knitted. The hanger was made from florist wire.

I can hardly wait to the next fiber guild meeting. They have a lot of exciting things planned!

Happy Birthday Tim!

Today is my son Tim's 23rd birthday! We did celebrate while he was home the weekend before Thanksgiving. Life sure goes by fast. I think we blinked somewhere, because he was born and then he was gone! When he turned 18 he enlisted in the army as it was something he always wanted to do. He has done a year in Iraq and has advanced in rank quite well as he is a Sergent in the Army Military Police. We are very proud of him but I tell you the last 4 and 1/2 years has been an experience. Although life has gone on, we long for the phone calls, the visits, and the end of his term! So even though we can't be with him today, we want him to know that we love him and are thinking of him on this his 23rd birthday. Thank you Tim for being our son.

Faith Update Too!

Isn't she getting big!

Baby Pictures-Dogs on Thursday Post

Then...

Honeydew November 2003

Sampson October 2007

...and now!

Happy Dogs on Thursday everyone!

Sunrise in PA

Even though we are states apart, my mom and I are often on the same page. Who would have guessed that this morning we both would have been taking pictures of the beautiful sunrise at the same time on the same morning.

Yesterday it was sharing a cup of tea, each with a cup from the same set that was sent purposely for the reason that if we were missing each other, we could still have a cup of tea together with happy thoughts of the other...

Here is the picture mom! But like I said yours was much prettier!

E.T.A. 4/6/09-Yahoo!

As some of you know, we had a mass murderer on the loose in the hen house last summer...since then we have not had the delightful experience of waking up by Rooster crows, farm fresh eggs, or listened to the calming sounds of the little misses out in the chicken yard.

Well that is about to change! Of course we will be hearing peeps in the basement for the first little while.

My husband had asked me what I would like for Christmas. This was my answer. He said get them ordered! (Before he changed his mind!) You know I didn't have to think twice, I was online to McMurray's Hatchery Asap. So 25 and a freebie will be arriving during the week of April 6th.

The Silver Laced is the original Wyandotte and the other varieties were developed from it later with crosses on other breeds. It is an outstanding example of American poultry breeding ingenuity and is one of the most beautiful breeds we offer. It is colorful, hardy, and productive. The broadfeathered, smooth fitting plumage is sharply marked. The general appearance is silvery white and lustrous greenish black as each feather is edged in a contrasting color. The close-fitting rose comb and good body size are valuable assets for winter laying. Cold weather doesn't seem to bother them at all as their hardiness and vigor keep them laying straight through the winter. They lay a nicely shaped, good sized egg, varying from light to rich brown and will set some. This is another excellent variety for exhibition. Baby chicks vary from almost black to light silvery gray and many have contrasting light and dark stripes on the back.

The part in red was obviously very important to me (global warming indeed)!