Christmas is coming! Are you ready?

Now that we are officially into December, I thought I would pop in and check on how everyone is doing with Christmas preparations?  Me? Getting there....s-l-o-w-l-y.  I am taking this weekend off from homework and using the time for cleaning house and decorating.  We put up our main tree today and hopefully tomorrow can get the outside done (fingers crossed!)  Of course,  I don't do nearly as much decorating as I did in the past, mostly from a lack of time but some from a lack of help in some of the harder to do decorating.  Either way, this year we are again revamping our holiday traditions as it seems change never seems to stop.  

Last night my youngest son, his girlfriend and I enjoyed our town's tree lighting ceremony, complete with Christmas music, beautifully decorated storefronts, and even a Christmas Sweater Contest (my son entered!)  There was snow...yes, snow magically fell from the sky, even with the temperatures in the 60s!  Maybe Santa had something to do with that?  

It did put us in the mood for putting up our tree and beginning to decorate.  So today we decorated and baked cookies and had a relaxed day (very much needed!) But, like everyone else, I have wondered what goodies you may have found that you love for gifting this year or you might want to receive?  Of course, I love jewelry and as I have gotten "more mature" I find I like my jewelry to have some sentimental value.  A day doesn't go by when I don't wear something that connects to my children.  It just makes me feel closer to them.  Along those lines I have seen these beautiful circle necklaces lately and just think they would make a great couples gift or family gift.  

I love these!  Wouldn't they be the perfect, meaningful gift for someone on your Christmas list? 

 Find them here: My Name Necklace

By the way, this is not an affiliated post, I truly just wanted to share something I thought was unique and help you out with those hard to buy for people on your shopping list!  Happy Shopping....and remember this season is about more than gifts!

Robby Ott

I feel at a loss as to whether to write this post or not.   I can never make the words do justice to a Godly man and his amazing wife; but I feel the need to share how honored I am to have known Robby Ott and count he and his family as friends.  The kind of love Robby and his family shared was amazing, it wasn't perfect, but it was unfailing.  Robby was like that with most people, really.  He wasn't one to give up on someone. I know, because I saw it in his ministry to my own family.  He stood in the gap for me and my family on more than one occasion, even when he literally didn't have the strength to do so....and his precious wife, she shared him when they were pulled for time in their own family. 

 

Robby's passing a few days ago has me joyous that he is no longer in pain and struggling physically but hurting for those left behind. Our eternal perspective and our earthly hearts don't always walk hand in hand.  I was awed on Sunday,  as his stronger than me wife, spoke of who Robby was...and to watch the poise in which she shared what Robby truly would have wanted us to focus on....Jesus. 

"How can I glorify you today, God?"

~Robby Ott....everyday.

An excerpt from his obituary....

 

Robert Eugene Ott FLORENCE, SC - Rev. Robert Eugene Ott, 40, of Florence, SC, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Friday, July 14, 2017, at 6:28 a.m. at the McLeod Hospice House. He fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith after a five-year journey with colon cancer. He entered into his eternal reward surrounded by family. Robby was born April 3, 1977, in North Charleston, SC. He was a graduate of Goose Creek High School, where he was a drum major, and developed a passion for the tuba. He graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Youth Ministry. During college, he surrendered his life to full-time ministry and was ordained on July 7, 1998. Robby loved Jesus, his family, the Gamecocks, music, and golf. He was the pastor at The Garden Church of Florence. Robby was a gifted preacher of God's word, and he ministered and brought glory to Christ throughout his life. Robby and his wife, April, were married for 18 years, but he claimed to have loved her his entire life....







Spring is coming!

Are you counting down the days until Spring like I am?  I am sooooo ready for warm days and blooming flowers.  For some reason Winter has felt really long to me this year!

I want to go on a picnic, see the azaleas in bloom, pick daffodils, fall in love with the pink blooms of the Saucer Magnolia just one more time. I want to be lost in tulips.  I want to laugh and hold hands and smile with warm sunshine on my face.  I can't wait to breathe in that sweet Spring air!

What do you want to do to embrace the gift of Spring?

For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

~Song of Solomon 2:11-12 (ESV)

Christmas Cactus & Friendship

This year two of my friends gifted me with Christmas Cacti!  The one above is planted in a gorgeous footed, vintage, cranberry glass dish and literally overflowing with gorgeous pale pink blooms.  I love these crazy plants that bloom with abandon when the season is right because my Grandmother loved them.  I am still the guardian of one of her beloved Christmas Cactus (see it here). 

This one was given to me by my sweet friend, Susan, who is the most talented person I know.  She hand painted and monogrammed the pot herself (in between doing amazing things with refinished furniture.) I keep telling her she needs a blog to share all her finds and inspiration with the rest of us.   I look so forward to being able to cultivate these plants as a reminder of what a blessing friends can be!

I  like Christmas Cacti better than poinsettias mostly because the don't tend to die on me before Christmas actually comes around. 

Happy 3 Months until Christmas!

Yes!  It is only 3 months until Christmas!!!  How are you doing on your preparations?  I got started this week and one gift is taken care of.  It feels good to make some progress and know that is one less stress for closer to the big day! 

Also, I looked at Martha Stewart's Christmas Craft ideas and saw these adorable little pinecone guys.  Aren't they just the cutest?  Check out the link above, I am sure you will find something that wil get you exited about getting a jump on the season.  I do love to do holiday crafts but find if I wait until the seson arrives there is never time to do them, so I love seeing all thise ideas early.

So, y'all.....3 months!  3 MONTHS!

TasteBook...

Seeing as how I have already done 1 post (Have you Checked Your Calendar Today) about the upcoming holiday season, I guess I don't have to give much explanation about why I am thinking about gifts already!  Do you have anyone on your list that you find a bit of a challenge to shop for?  It can be fun trying to come up with something that is unique and special. This year I think I will try creating a TasteBook or two. 

This is the neatest website!  It allows you to create gorgeous, full color cookbooks for friends and family.  You can use your own recipes or use the Tastebook library of recipes.  You also can use your own photos! This is like being able to publish your own cookbook just for someone special!  How cool is that?

Wouldn't it be special to do one of old family recipes and photos?  Or one for the male cooks in your family that is tailored to them?  I think this is the neatest thing and these books would make great Christmas, birthday or wedding gifts! 

So, since I am in the mood to plan ahead, I would love to hear what y'all are thinking about for holiday gifts this year? 

***no endorsement paid, just me trying to share something cool!

HE loves me!

or at least my cooking! On Monday night, my DH came home with a gift. It was this gorgeous (yes, I say gorgeous) large stock pot! To say I was thrilled would be down playing my excitement. You may be thinking this isn't a great gift, and she has gone off her rocker, but to me it was superb and perfectly timed. See, many months ago my largest pot, which was a Revere Ware pot that we received when we got married 20+ year ago, finally bit the dust. So, I had resorted to using this really cheap pot I had actually picked up to use as the base of a "kitchen gift basket" one day when the need arose (I paid $2.50 for this high quality -not- pot).

Well, last Sunday, when I was making the below mentioned soup, the cheapo-pot decided it would freak out and begin to change shape right there on my stove! It was kinda scary. I repotted the soup into 2 smaller pots and finished, but the cheapo pot was a done for. Imagine my surprise when DH shows up the next night with a wonderful new pot...better than either of the previously mentioned pots! It was so neat to know that he went to the kitchen store and picked it out just because he knew having it would make my life easier (well, that and he likes to eat!). I love that man!