Happy New Year!!

We had a wonderful time at Joe & Darlene's house!!  I'll be posting photos another day.  We were on the road home for six hours. Traffic was not good, though we didn't see any accidents!  We won't be staying up to usher in the new year and I'm too tired to get the photos posted.

Tomorrow (January 1st) we are going over to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando (at Disney) to meet up with our niece, Dawn, and watch her daughter Hannah play soccer.  We haven't seen either of them in a couple of years, so are looking forward to seeing them.

I see over 60 blogs in my Feedly account. I will not be able to get to them all, but will try to see as  many as possible before the weekend is over.

Thanks for stopping by!! I wish you a very blessed and happy 2016!!

Last Hodgepodge of 2015....

Thanks to Joyce for a fun year of Hodgepodge questions! Hard to believe we are at the end of 2015. Wow.

Join in on the Hodgepodge fun HERE, answer the questions, link up with all the other Hodgepodgers and enjoy!!

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Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 249

Happy New Year Hodgepodgers! Thanks so much for hanging in there with me this year.  I'm looking forward to lots more fun and random in 2016...now on with the show-

Here are the questions to the last Hodgepodge of 2015. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here tomorrow to share answers with all the other revelers.

1. Share a favorite memory/moment from the week of Christmas.  It was all great.  Joe and I celebrated on the 23rd, opening our gifts to each other and our stockings. Then we went to Naples and got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our grandchildren. If you saw my blog on Monday, you saw my pictures and heard about the fun we had.

2.  If someone wrote a book about your life based on the past year, what genre would it fall under?  Ha! A very boring documentary, I think.   What would the title be?  I've answered this before...."Snore"!! 

3. What made you feel patriotic this year?  I feel pretty patriotic when I attend DAR meetings and when I work on my genealogy.  I have five revolutionary ancestors and am very proud of them and their service to our great country.

4. What experience from this past year would you like to do all over again?  Our trip to New Orleans for our 30th anniversary, and/or our family reunion at the beach.

5. What song lyric sums up or is a reflection of your 2015?  I can't think of any. I'm just not that "into" music. I listen to oldies in the car and sometimes on my desktop at work. 

6. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate 2015?  10.  (10=stellar) Why? Every year, even with all the ups and downs, is always stellar. Praise God!!

7. What part of the upcoming year are you most excited about?  Getting closer to retirement!!  

8. Insert your own random thought here.  “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”  ― Robert Frost

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We had a great day yesterday with our son and daughter -in-law!  We toured Jekyll Island.  Yes, I have a lot of photos to share.  We are enjoying our time with them in their home, here in Brunswick GA.  Today we are touring historic Brunswick and will slip over to St. Simons Island.  More photo ops!!

Thanks for your visit today!  Our year is nearly over.  Time flies much too fast.  Peace & hugs!!

Christmas Photos.....

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, down in Naples, FL, visiting with our two grandchildren, their mom and step-dad. We are very blessed to have a good relationship with Kathy and her husband Jim. It makes it so easy to see Lauren and Tristan. We are always made to feel welcome and loved.

I posted a few photos on Facebook and Instagram, but here are those plus a few more....

Tristan's cat, Astrid, getting a turkey treat before dinner on Christmas Day.

Christmas Eve place setting.

The Christmas Eve dinner table was so beautiful.

Kathy was cooking in her lovely and backless dress.

From the front with her Mrs. Santa apron. 

Kathy made blackberry syrup for special Christmas Eve Cocktails.

Champagne, blackberry syrup and rosemary sprigs...gold sugar on the rim. Yum.

Kathy and Tristan made Gingerbread Men cookies...

and they made a few JIMberbread cookies.  He thought it was pretty funny. 

Enlarge the photo to see the cookie he is holding.

Kathy made a Yule Log cake for Christmas Eve dessert.

It was DELICIOUS!

Lauren and Tristan, ready for Christmas Eve dinner.

Lauren put her mom's glasses on and posed as Sarah Palin.

Very funny!

Opening gifts Christmas morning. Lauren got a keyboard!

(Out of order) The kids opened one gift on Christmas Eve.

More of Christmas morning...

Joe got a SMU golf shirt.

The tree was beautiful, and loaded with gifts.

Joe and I went to Mass at St. Ann's on Christmas Eve. We went early so we

could be sure to get seats. There were probably 100 people standing, so we were lucky.

 Me and my sweetie...

Can you see me in the tree?

The boys on Christmas Eve, all dressed up.

 Joe carved the turkey on Christmas Day.

I made the Red Velvet Cake for Christmas Day dessert.

The girls on Christmas Eve.

Stockings hung (no chimney).

The grand piano and the tree in their living room.

Looking at cookies through my nearly empty wine glass.

Joe, Lauren, me and Tristan on Christmas Day evening.

We took a walk down 5th Avenue - Old Naples - to look at the decorations.

Today we are on the road again, on our way to Brunswick, Georgia, to spend a few days with our son Joe and daughter-in-law Darlene. We are excited to see (finally!) their almost new home there. More pictures of our time there will follow before the year ends!

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs.

A Year-End Sunday Stealing....

We arrived home safely from Naples and a lovely Christmas celebration with our grandkids. Kathy created a beautiful home and holiday for everyone.  I still have to sort through photos and will get some of that done today (I hope). We are heading out for a pre-New Year's Day celebration for a few days with our son and daughter-in-law, and it will also be a great celebration with even more photo opportunities!  

Until I get to the photos, Kwizgiver has given us a 2015 Year End Meme.... join in HERE if you want to participate!  Thanks to Kwizgiver!!

The 2015 Year End Meme

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. First, we always credit the blog that we stole it from and we will “fess up” to the blog owner where we stole the meme. We also provide a link to the victim's post. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") We do sometimes edit the original meme, usually to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, sometimes to select that meme's best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from either this new meme or recently asked questions from a prior featured meme.  

Let's go!!!

The 2015 Year End Meme

 From the archives!

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?  Organized a family beach reunion vacation for the Willman side of my family.  It was a success and so much fun!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?  I don't make resolutions.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?  Yes, one of our nieces had a little girl.
4. Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2015?  Each year I become a little more patient (I think!). Being patient accomplishes so much more than not being patient!
5. What was your favorite new TV program?  Too many new ones we watched....too many!
6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?   A winning lottery ticket!
7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?  May 11, 2015, was our 30th wedding anniversary and we went to New Orleans to celebrate!  Lots of good memories.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?  I can't think of anything 'big'.... Joe said I should put that I completed 18 years at the Museum. I guess that's kind of big.
9. What was your biggest failure?  Staying on a diet....
10. What was the best thing you bought?  A new Keurig coffee maker...our second.  Also the new landscaping plants out front. It looks so much better now!
11. Whose behavior merited celebration?  My sister, Tammy, has been such a good caregiver for her husband, who had a stroke last year.  She is amazing.
12. Whose behavior made you appalled and disgusted? Michelle Obama's, second only to her husband.
13. What song will always remind you of 2015?   I can't think of one. Not that into music this year.
14. What do you wish you’d done more of?  Exercise....at least walking.
15. What do you wish you’d done less of?   Eating.
16. What was the best book you read?  I've read so many good ones this year.
17. What one thing would have made your year measurably more satisfying? Winning the lottery!
18.  Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.  Blessed Beyond Measure  (in spite of not winning the lottery!!)  I have been so blessed.

Wishing you all a good week ahead and we slide right into 2016!  Time is just going much too fast. Thanks for your visit!! Peace & hugs.

Merry Day After!

As you read this, we are most likely on the road back to Lakeland.  We sure had a great Christmas and special times with our loved ones. I do have photos to share and will be doing that soon.

I will also catch up with everyone when we get home and get situated.

Sending love & hugs. Thanks for your visit.

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

 The Baby Jesus

It was the day after Christmas at a church in San Francisco. 

The pastor of the church was looking over the lawn when he 

noticed that the baby Jesus was missing from among the figures.  

He hurried outside and saw a little boy with a red wagon and in 

the wagon was the figure of the little infant Jesus. 

So he walked up to the boy 

and said, "Well, where did you get your 

passenger, my fine friend?" 

The little boy replied, "I 

got Him at church." "And 

why did you take Him?" 

The boy explained, "Well, 

about a week before Christmas I prayed 

to the little Lord Jesus and I told Him if He would bring 

me a red wagon for Christmas I would give Him a ride around 

the block in it." 

Christmas Eve Throwback Thursday!

Wishing everyone a blessed, joyful and safe Christmas holiday!  While we are on the road today, I thought I would share a (very) old family photo of a Christmas past. I think I've posted it before, but here it is again!

Christmas 1958

That is me with the dress on and my knobby knees showing!  I had probably just turned seven in this picture. Only my 'baby' sister Tammy is missing. She didn't make an appearance for another three years.

Part of the joys of Christmas are the memories we have of family, friends, parties, presents, Christmas concerts (when public schools could still have Christmas music!), Mom's Christmas Cantata with the church choir, cookies and fudge....oh my.  We also have some sad memories, but even those have eventually made our hearts sing for the blessings we have had. Loved ones gone too soon still live in our hearts.

Be safe!! Be happy!! Make memories!!  Merry Christmas Eve, with love & hugs!

My Wednesday Feels Warped Without Hodgepodge!!

What is there to write about without the Hodgepodge?  I don't hold it against Joyce at all for skipping Christmas week!!  But what are we to do?

Play this Christmas Balls game!!!  Click on the link and have fun!!

Christmas Balls

Or how about this one....Christmas Crunch!

Christmas Crunch

Dinner with Sheila was good last night. We went to Texas Roadhouse and had fun catching up with her and all that's going on with her boys and the grandchildren. She is getting her house ready to sell. We will miss having her down the street.  Now that she is there alone, the house is too big for her. She is looking for smaller, and I don't blame her at all. She reminded us she will still be in town.

I will have my computer with me over the holidays, but plan to spend all the time I can with the grandchildren.  Know that we are enjoying all the holiday holds for us, as I know you will be also!

If we miss each other over the next couple of days, I wish you and yours a blessed and happy Christmas!!  Safe travels to you and or your families.  Keep Jesus at the center of the celebration!!

Love & hugs!!

Tuesday Tidbits....

Back at work this week, through tomorrow. There are always things that need to be done including payroll, which is on the top of my to-do list today.

I still have packages to wrap and want to make some candy to take to Naples. I keep thinking I have more time than I do and I know I'm going to come up short on time unless I get moving!!

Tonight we are finally connecting with our friend and neighbor, Sheila.  It's been too long, with Joe and I both being sick a month ago and for the last two weeks with this new cold (still coughing and blowing, but feeling okay).  Since we will be gone for most of the holidays we asked to take her out to dinner tonight.  It will be good to catch up. She has a new grandbaby (plus two older ones) so Christmas will be lively and fun for her, her boys and their families (all local).

I hope this finds all of you in better shape than I am, this close to the big day! Thanks for popping in for a visit!  Peace, hugs and Merry Christmas!!

Monday's Weekend Run-down....

Good Monday morning.  Christmas is coming!!

Friday night was the Museum staff Christmas Party.  We had such a nice time, with the party held at the Oak-K Farm.  They had Christmas lights, poinsettias, a Christmas tree and fed us quite well with BBQ ribs, chicken, baked ziti, baked beans, coleslaw, garlic bread and we brought cupcakes for dessert.

We learned who our Secret Santas were.  Mine was Gregory - our techie guy and good friend.  Lots of fun!  We also did a "Dirty Santa" gift exchange which was also lots of fun.  Since it was a family party, we had lots of kids there and (co-worker) Ellen had some games planned for entertainment.

 This game had (first the kids) then the adults shaking little foil balls out of tissue boxes that were on their backsides....shake your booty and the first to get all the balls out won.  Hilarious! 

 Everyone enjoyed the food.

 And this little guy was SO into the cupcake icing!

 Another game was to wrap your partner with an entire roll of toilet paper, then stick on a carrot nose and paper buttons to make a snowman.  Very cute!

 The inside was decorated nicely, but so was the outside approach to the party room.

Saturday we didn't do much of anything until time for church. After church we grabbed a bite to eat at Chick Fil-A, then went to Publix for a few things.

Sunday we had our dear friends Helen and Cheryl over for an early Christmas dinner and celebration. We have always had Christmas with them, but celebrated early since we will be going down to Naples this year.  Joe took this picture before we sat down to eat ham, sweet potatoes, mixed veggies, rolls, and salad.  I made a red velvet cake for dessert, with my mom's delicious buttery icing.

Back to work today. I have to do payroll before Christmas and I think there may only be a half dozen of us at work this week.  We do get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.  I am off all next week - hooray!!

Wishing you a great week as we head into this blessed holiday.  Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs.

Sunday Stealing....Christmas Questions!

Christmas questions:

Welcome back to Sunday Stealing which originated on WTIT: The Blog authored by Bud Weiser. Here we will steal all types of memes from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent memes. You may have heard of the expression, “honor amongst thieves”. In that age-old tradition, we also have our rules. First, we always credit the blog that we stole it from and we will “fess up” to the blog owner where we stole the meme. We also provide a link to the victim's post. (It's our way of saying "Thanks!") We do sometimes edit the original meme, usually to make it more relevant to our global players, to challenge our players, sometimes to select that meme's best questions, or simply to make it less repetitive from either this new meme or recently asked questions from a prior featured meme.  

Let's go!!!

Christmas Questions Meme

From the archives!




1. Have you been naughty or nice this year?   Nice, definitely nice.

2. What do you want most for Christmas?   To have time to relax.

3. What is your favorite Christmas movie?  A Christmas Story. Love it.

4. How many Christmas cards do you normally send out?  This year it was 123.

5. Do you still get a stocking?  Yes!

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?   Mary, Did You Know.

7. What is your favorite Christmas tv special?  It used to be The King Family Christmas.

8. What is your favorite way to wrap gifts?  With pretty paper and bows.

9. What do you look forward to most at Christmas?  Watching loved ones open gifts.

10. What did you do for Christmas this year?  It's not Christmas yet.....

11. Who do you want to kiss under the mistletoe?  My sweet Joe, of course.

12. What kind of Christmas tree do you have?  Artificial 7 foot pencil tree.

13. Did you take part in a Secret Santa?  Yes!!

14. Did you go to any Christmas parties?  Yes!!

15. How early do you wake up on Christmas morning?  8:00 or 8:30 usually.

Thanks to Kwizgiver for another fun Sunday Stealing!  You can join in on this meme HERE.

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs.