Hope your Thanksgiving was fabulous.
After an overload of turkey and all the trimmings at two different dinners, a quick 5:30 a.m. jaunt to the mall, and the out-with-the-Thanksgiving theme and furniture arrangement, I'm ready to face Christmas.
Thanksgiving high-points....
Lily and Lola didn't bust through the door barriers and snoodle all the guests.
The turkey, only the second one I've ever cooked, was delicious.
We have an abundance of cute babies in the family. It amazes me how many new and improved baby things there are out there. Sheesh. It's a wonder any of us ever survived and thrived without all the gadgets and gizmos.
Conversation was rich with sarcasm and snap and there was some depth of spirituality that has been missing in the past. One of my nephews has recently accepted Christ and I can't tell you what a blessing it is to watch him bloom right before my eyes. Lesson within, never, never, never give up on someone, think you can read them, or second guess God. He uses some amazing skills to capture peoples' hearts. This young man was always quiet and usually sat outside of the inner circle. All of a sudden, he's sharing truth and excitement over the things of God. He was just baptized last week and I cried as he shared his testimony in front of the church. I had no clue that he was even interested in God. Like I said, what a blessing!
Scott, the Settlers of Catan master still sits on his throne. Three more wins under his belt. Sigh. Which makes me a three-time loser, again!
All said, I am so grateful for my family and my God who never ceases to amaze and humble me. Thank you, Lord.
Now. I'm going to go put my absolutely bee-yo-ti-ful new comforter on my bed. Just arrived and it's way nicer than I expected.
Happy weekend. Here's hoping it's restful, blessed and full of all those leftover Turkey Day treats.
My room is clean and organized. My CLOSETS are clean and organized. Trust me, this is huge. I can breathe, knowing that when my Thanksgiving guests arrive, that a sudden avalanche of junk will not bust down a door and come rolling out over their heads, crushing the very life out of them.
Not only that. I'm good for Christmas Eve, too. I won't have to worry about what lurks within while I think about our guests and festivities. I even, while organizing the gifts I've been collecting throughout the year and the wrapping paper and bags, wrapped some gifts.
I am now enjoying one of my all time favorite movies, Stranger than Fiction, and basking in the knowledge that my inner sanctum is in order.
Twenty-two is feeling better, too. She had a bad bug yesterday and spent some time hugging the waste basket. But she's back in fine form and ready to rumble. Her plans include doing lots of cooking and learning the art of throwing a Thanksgiving dinner party.
So far the rest of us are feeling fine.
My new bedset is even on its way. Suppose it will arrive tomorrow? Either way. I'm ready.
But this gratitude is secondary to the gratitude I feel for the blessing of hearth and home. Both current, with my peeps, and future with my secure knowledge of eternity and what has been promised to me.
Here's wishing you deep satisfaction during your holiday preparations.
Score!
I got my bed set. I gave E-Bay one more try. Probably because that was the only place I was going to find anything even close to what I wanted for what I wanted to pay.
It was my first choice, too. And I ended up getting it for $6.00 less than I was willing to pay and no shipping.
Right now, I'm a fan again. We'll see what happens next time I have a on-line shopping itch.
And now for another E-Bay moment. One of the older ladies at church, who probably does NOT have a computer, was filling me in on her granddaughters' upcoming baby. Seems this young lady is so anxious for baby that she already has the car seat installed three months before the blessed arrival.
Grandma went on to tell me that her pregnant granddaughter has purchased both boy and girl accessories and has all the nursery furniture installed and is ready to go. I inquired about the boy and girl themes. I was told that the couple doesn't want to know the sex ahead of time and they want to be ready for either gender. But that it was okay. The cost was minimal because her granddaughter bought everything on Baywatch.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Really. So the room is a beach theme?
Christian publishing has crossed a barrier with the publication of The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips.
For starters, this story is compelling. Told through the narration of Andy Myers' son. The son he never wanted, I might add. Narration is not my favorite point of view because it tends to lack intimacy. But I connected with the characters in Death and Life. I also love crime fiction and Death and Life is full of cop/legal drama. The writing is creative and easy to read and the story is positively page turning.
I mentioned that Christian publishing has crossed a barrier with this story because the dialogue is peppered with raw language -- think PG-13. I am not super offended by language and am able to watch or read something and not get caught up in coarseness if the story is compelling enough. Death and Life is full of three, four and five letter words that will stomp on sensitive toes.
Interestingly, I've seen a lot of debate in Christian author loops that discusses this issue and the challenge of writing real and raw when the characters are limited to "Aw, shucks, Ma'am." The fact that Stephen Baldwin has opened the door is going to ease things for the storytellers who want to write real if it includes raw. The bottom line consensus in this debate seems to be that story does rule. And in this case, The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips shares a story that is worth reading.
Click here for a taste of the novel. 
Just for the record.
I DIDN'T get the sweet comforter I bid on.
And I missed it by....drum roll........... Wait, let me digress for a moment.
Okay. The Wii I missed by a hundred. That I dealt with by going to a local store and actually finding one on the shelf. Take that E-Bay entrepreneurs.
The items I won were great deals. Three out of twenty and counting. But they were a bit of work. I think we could call it sweat equity. Very stressful watching to make sure someone doesn't swoop in and beat you by a few dollars.
Today was a crazy busy day. I checked once, three hours to go it looked like I still had the winning bid.
Then, I checked my e-mail. The dreaded notice. I lost it by a ....resume drum roll.... a stinking dollar!!!!!
Grrr.
Now I'm determined. And I'm really going to dig deep. Chocolate brown, great-priced comforters/quilts, consider yourself on notice. You are hunted and fair game. Do not make me send Josh after you.
I had never even gone to the iconic and culturally shaping empire known as E-Bay...until the search for something very specific sent me Googling and eventually to the E of the Bay. I am now no longer an E-Bay novice. I've bid, and bid and bid, watched dozens of similar products and purchased three things. I've lost even more. And not just what I was bidding on. I'm talking time, baby. This could become an issue.
On my short cut trip to home I encountered a trotting turkey. Apparently, the little fellow is brave or very, very stupid. Since he hurtled out in front of my van, I'm voting for stupid. You should have seen the drumsticks on that little bugger.
Mouth-watering? Well, that's probably because you didn't see the rest of him. Let's just say childish art work is very flattering compared to the real thing.
Now. I have to get back to E-Bay. I'm bidding on some bedding. Twenty-one hours and five minutes to go. Baby needs that chocolate brown bed-set!
