Our Christmas Jar

With the fast pace of the Christmas season, I didn’t get a chance to tell you how my ‘sealed pot’ Christmas jar ended out. 

We opened it at the beginning of the holiday season, pouring out the contents on the table.  It didn’t look like much until I realized a lot of it was in quarters.  Then the counting began.

Once it was all sorted out we found out our grand total was $267!  All from pocket change!

Then came the fun part…spending it!

We gave a generous donation to a single parent family with 2 boys that our Sunday School class adopted.  We bought some clothes for a homeless student.  We sent some items to a missionary in Alaska.

So much fun!

And I have a plan for this next Christmas that will involve the babies…

January Photo Album

Time for January’s photo album! 

 

We had a visit from our fox squirrel.  She rarely comes up to the house and we do enjoy seeing her.  She has much better manners than the grey squirrels who are always getting into things.

 

 

Another photo for my series of church windows and pews. 

 

The next four are from a mini vacation Himself and I took.  I’ll be writing more about it later this month. 

  

 

 

 

 

Lovely old buildings.

 

 

 

An icy foggy morning.

 

 

Peace on Earth

Happy New Year! Keep on keeping on!

Simplify.  Lose weight.  Get fit.  In with the new, out with the old.  Declutter.  Organize. 

 

Same old song… except in 2013 I made excellent strides in each.

 

I am well into the routine of living at a slower pace.  I’ve weeded out the unimportant and I now have (and make) time for what is valuable.  Doing the Lord’s work.  Being with my family.  Spending time with friends.  And I take time for myself every single day. 

 

I am consistent in drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day (sometimes more – the more overweight you are, the more water you should drink).  I’ve cut my portion size greatly and have been ‘juicing’ to get my veggies and fruits.  I rarely take ‘seconds’.  I’ve done fairly well with using my elliptical machine.  I am 25 pounds lighter today than I was 1 January 2013!

 

I am bringing fewer ‘things’ into our home and have been donating/giving away/trashing things I don’t have a need or use for anymore. A lot of things have left our home and shed last year.   Himself and I have set a schedule that will finish our decluttering and organizing by the end of March:  In January we will finish our entire house – less my studio and his study, in February we will finish those two rooms, and March will be the month to clear out and organize the shed.

 

So for 2014 I have only one New Year’s resolution… keep going!!

Joyful Christmas!

Taking a Christmas Break

(A photo from our ice storm Sunday.)

 

 

Things are so busy here at The Sticks that I am going to take a Christmas break from blogging.  When I'm back in January I'll have new recipes to share, project updates, more stories from The Pilgrimage to MN and WI, updates on Little Bird & Little Hoss... and much more.

 

I wish for blessings of this season of Jesus' birth for you and yours.

 

Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!!!

Photo Album: From the road trip

There are always good photos taken along the trip that don’t make it into a blog.  The ‘Pilgrimage’ trip is no different.  So here are some of the ones I’d like to share –

 

 

Corn shocks in an Amish farmer’s field.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful autumn fields.

 

 

Ponds… thawed…

 

 

and frozen.

 

 

 

 

More autumn.

 

 

OK…not a great shot but he was fun to see!

 

 

First snow geese I’ve ever seen.

 

 

Snow geese flying in a V.

 

 

 

A friend’s barn cats.

 

 

 

Lovely horses.

 

 

 

Faded flowers

 

 

 

And a faded home.

Favorites: Roadside Produce Stands

One of my favorite roadside stops during traveling is at a local produce/fruit stand.  Not only do you get to sample different fresh local produce, it gives you a chance to visit with people from the area. 

 

 

This stand is on the large side…but it was still a fun stop.

 

 

There were so many apple varieties available to purchase!

 

 

Most were packed in bags with each variety in a different section of the large tables.  There were also small baskets with each variety for you to taste.

 

 

Want more than a little bag?  There were bushel boxes for sale too.

 

 

 

I always look for a variety I’ve never had.  This year it was “Ambrosia”.  I got several bags and sent one to Missouri for the babies.  They are very good and do hold up to baking nicely.

 

 

Besides produce, this stand had a bakery.  Their apple cider donuts were fantastic, as were the turnovers.

 

 

There were also many handmade items for sale, such as this quilt.

 

 

Outside were pumpkins and gourds.

 

 

In a separate area caramel candied apples were being dipped. 

 

 

Himself sneaked back in and snagged one of those caramel apples! 

 

Yep…it was a good stop!!