Christmas Day 2011

We had to dream of a white Christmas this year because we had temps in the 40s but thankfully there was no rain. Travel was easy and we arrived at the Martin house about 9 a.m. Jayden and Dustin were still sleeping. Presently Josh woke up his son and the unwrapping frenzy began.

Inline skates -- one of Jayden's favorite gifts.

He also is proficient at hand held games.

He figured out the game quickly

Grandpa Joe helps

Pretty good balance for a beginner

Grandma Nancy helps -- the kitchen floor
is challenging compared to the carpet

It's very sunny but warm enough for an outdoor photo

Dustin was photographer so I could be included in the photo

Kylie, Josh & Jayden

This Cub gnome reminds Ray of his
childhood when he lived next to Wrigley Field

Christmas is over for another year. Wondering what the next 365 days will bring until we celebrate Christmas again. Maybe it's actually 366 days since next year is Leap Year.

Christmas Preparations

It's two days before Christmas and all through the house not a creature is stirring not even a...wait...there may be a mouse in the basement! Each fall we set up a few traps because the little critters somehow find a way into the basement. They aren't welcome but so far they never make it up the stairs.

The weather has been so mild that I asked Ray to dig some horseradish. He brought in several muddy roots. I peeled them and used the blender adding some vinegar, a little sugar and salt to make horseradish sauce. I could have added sour cream to make creamy horseradish sauce. We have enough in the fridge to last for a long time. I think it made about one cup and it does have a bite!

Tomorrow I'm planning on making some yeast cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. Then later I'll mix up a sausage and hash brown casserole to take along. We're invited to Joe and Nancy's house for Christmas morning. It should be fun to see four-year-old Jayden open gifts. We're thinking about going to see a movie in the afternoon, but I'm not sure which movie to see.

We'll be attending the 5 o'clock candlelight service on  Christmas Eve and then having a quiet evening at home. It seems like all preparations are completed. Have I forgotten anything?

Preschoolers Sing

The bi-monthly senior social at the Rec Center today featured fourteen preschoolers who came to sing. It's been a while since I've heard four and five-year-olds sing, but even though their singing was not perfect they were well behaved, sang on cue and most of them knew the words.

The Pre-K kids attend Living Christ Lutheran in Plainfield

We then enjoyed sandwiches and Christmas cookies. I brought a sampling of the cookies I've been making to share.

The weather has been very mild. In fact, the streams were running fast and high. We must have had lots of rain overnight. Because it was so warm both Ray and I went outside on the trails for our cardio workout today. I can't remember running outdoors this close to Christmas. Is El Niño or La Niña responsible for this weather? I'm not sure.

Purdue Christmas Show

This afternoon we watched the hour-long Purdue Christmas Show. It was shown on our local PBS channel and we had set our DVR so we wouldn't forget to tune in. All acts were as good as any professional entertainment I've seen. It seemed like hundreds were involved in the show all with excellent choreography and singing. The musical arrangements were outstanding and above average.

The credits noted that this was the 77th Purdue Christmas Show. While watching I recalled that many, many years ago I did see a Purdue Christmas Show in person. I don't remember what year it was, but I have to assume it was when Gloria and Ross were still at Purdue. That might mean I saw a show 50 years ago! Oh my -- I guess I'm getting old!

Is it Harvey?

On our way to the Rec Center we drive past this home almost every day. I'm not sure how long the rabbit has been sitting at the side of this house, but it is rather unusual to see a rabbit this size. Take a look.

Cloudy and overcast, so the photo is dark

And here is a close-up

Enjoying a carrot!

Interesting Sunday

Before getting into the unusual and interesting, I'm going to comment on the sermon this morning. The theme was "God's Gift to Mary and Us." Mary was poor, undoubtedly a teenagers and engaged to Joseph. Since we aren't able to reach up to God for our salvation, God sent His Son in the form of baby Jesus. When Mary was told of God's plan by the Angel Gabriel that she would be the mother of our Savior, she didn't object. She was "available." God wants us to be "available" just as Mary was. Our greatest need in this life is forgiveness so we need a Savior and by God's grace He sent one on Christmas Day.

The Christmas tree at church is decorated with Chrismons. They were all homemade a number of years ago. I can't recall, but I think I made at least one. Here's a photo of the tree. It really sparkles with all the gold and white lights.

Concordia's Chrismon Tree

Now for the rest of the story. During the first hymn this morning, the organist began playing, but no one sang. The hymn being played was not the one listed in the bulletin or on the hymn board. After playing the verse, the pastor simply announced "Our first hymn this morning is..." and the organist immediately began playing the correct one. All very seamless and no one blinked.

On our way home as we approached the bridge crossing the White River we realized the road was blocked due to an accident. I'm not sure if the accident was on the bridge itself or on the approach, but there were flashing lights everywhere. We turned around and had two choices: either drive north to Southport Road or south to Martinsville to get to Route 39 and home. We chose the latter. There are no other bridges crossing the White River in this area except these three. We recalled another occasion when we couldn't cross the river but on that occasion we waited about 15-20 minutes as the accident was nearly cleared up. Today we had to drive 15 miles south to Martinsville before we could drive 8 miles north to home.

At home, I began preparations for making bread, but the bread maker appeared to be broken. Ray came to the rescue. He removed the bottom of the machine and found that the belt had come off. It was easy to put in place so I'm hoping this doesn't become a recurring problem. The bread maker is getting old and I use it frequently.

Then, wonder of wonders, the Colts scored their first victory of the season. They are now 1-13. The offense was pretty decent, but I don't think the Titans brought their A-game. If I'm not mistaken, the Colts play the Houston Texans next and that won't be an easy game.

I did a little more Christmas baking this afternoon and I can probably say I'm finished. I'm planning to give some as gifts. It's too tempting to have lots of cookies and breads sitting around. Here's a photo of our Christmas tree. It's in our sun room and with the bright sunshine today, there was a lot of light in the room.

We'll probably have a green Christmas as you can see in this photo. The lawn is very green with more rain in a day or two. No snow expected!

Basketball Double Header

After a lazy Saturday morning we left at 11 a.m. for Indianapolis. We met the Walkers for lunch at the Palomino Restaurant. I had a delicious bowl of soup and a half sandwich. We then made our way to Conseco Fieldhouse just a short walk of about two blocks or so. This was the inaugural of the Crossroads Classic: Butler vs. Purdue at two o'clock and IU vs. Notre Dame in the second game.

Butler struggled throughout the game and never had a lead when with less than two minutes to play they took the lead for the first time. Purdue tied the game and with just seconds on the clock Butler scored the winning basket. We still aren't sure what happened to Purdue, but they lost something in the last 10 minutes of the game. I'm usually rooting for both these teams so it was hard to see one of them lose, but Butler is more home town and they are in a rebuilding year and had been behind the entire game, so it was fun to see them win.

The second game was Indiana vs. Notre Dame. Since IU's upset win over Kentucky last Saturday, we knew this would be an important game to prove that they were a good team. And they were. Notre Dame played well and had the lead for the first 10 minutes or so, but after that IU was in control and won easily.

Our seats were high (only four rows from the top) but above the goal at one end of the court. We had a great view of the games. Traffic was heavy on the streets as we left the game but soon we were on the Interstate and home shortly after 7:30. If it was this crowded after a college basketball game, I'm wondering what the scene will be like when the Super Bowl is played on Feb. 5 and the days before the game.

More Ramblings from Sunday

While listening to football yesterday, I spent some time playing on my computer making tags for our Christmas gifts. In all honesty, I did not design these, but copied the basic design of several other digital artists. I was able to print them 8 to a page.

The Colts game wasn't very interesting, but later we began watching the Bears/Broncos games and that was one amazing finish. Tebow is the man of the hour for sure.

Basketball over Football

Let me begin by documenting yesterday's happenings. We invited the Walkers for an evening at home so during the day I picked up the house and prepared the meal. Pat and Max arrived in the midst of the first half of the IU-Kentucky basketball game. When half time began we sat down for our meal. When we returned to the game, we were surprised to find IU leading with just six minutes left in the game. The Wildcats narrowed the gap and even took the lead. It was nail-biting to watch. As the end neared, IU was behind by two points with only a few seconds remaining when Christian Watford swished a 3-pointer through the net!! The celebrating fans swarmed onto the floor of Assembly Hall making it a sea of red.

At the conclusion of the game, I served dessert and then we played cards. We introduced Pat and Max to Manipulation. At the end of the evening, both of them had figured out some of the strategy of the game, but weren't able to win a hand. Ray and I ended up with a tie -- each of us winning four games. It's great to have friends who enjoy being together even when "the house wins."

After a short night, we headed to Greenwood for the early church service. Pastor John's sermon was titled "Christmas Lights." No doubt, we all enjoy the lights on our Christmas trees especially children. There is only one true light--Jesus Christ. John the Baptist came to witness about that light. There is much darkness in the world--sex scandals, abuse, sin around us, speaking poorly of others, sinful thoughts such as envy, etc. We need to have light to see through this darkness. That light is Jesus who has saved us from our sins. We are urged to be like John and point people to the light.

Since we don't have anything to cheer about regarding the Colts--they are now 0-12, it looks like we'll be cheering on IU. With last night's win they are 9-0 and beat the #1 team in the country. The Big 10 season might be very interesting!

Spending Time in the Kitchen

We didn't get any snow! Can't say that I'm upset about that. We did see a couple of flurries this afternoon. Tonight we're really going to drop in temperature and be as cold as last February.

After we were finished at the Rec Center this morning we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items. Then I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen. First, I made a pear cake (the same as last weekend) but this time the cake stuck to the pan and I had difficulty getting it out. I think it will taste OK. I'm not sure what made the difference.

My second project was a new recipe called Caramel Pecan Turtle Bars. The photo with the recipe was beautiful. My bars aren't as nice, but I think they will taste OK. I may have to offer wet cloths with these as they might be a little sticky. Maybe they'll set up a little more.

Caramel Pecan Turtle Bars

My final attempt for the afternoon was a Cranberry Bread. I thought I'd try this recipe since I had some pumpkin which I thought was an unusual combination with cranberries. Also, the recipe didn't give instructions on how long it should bake. Many other quick breads take about an hour so I felt confident that it would turn out OK. We enjoyed a slice with our evening meal. The bread was moist and still warm.

Cranberry Bread

I've made several batches of cookies in the last two weeks. Most of my recent baking is stored in the freezer waiting for Christmas.

Happy Birthday!

Sending birthday greetings to my DD today. We had hoped to invite the family for a dinner birthday, but Nancy is working overtime -- it's that time of year you know. I think she's happy for some OT but probably not on her birthday. We may schedule the birthday dinner for sometime next week.

Happy Birthday Nancy!!

The sun is shining brightly and it's rather cold today. We may wake up to snow on the ground in the morning. I believe the heaviest covering will be north of us. If we are lucky, it won't be enough to have to plow the driveway. I hope to get some wrapping done this afternoon.

Food!

When I posted yesterday I mentioned we were leaving soon for some Christmas shopping. It was a successful trip as we were able to purchase several gifts. Still several more to purchase, but I'm breathing easier today. The Thrivent dinner was delicious and we all ate too much! So nice to have a night out with no cooking.

After our workout today, we had a free lunch at the Rec Center -- chili, cornbread muffins and cookies. This was followed by Bingo. Lots of prizes but we didn't win anything. The prize everyone kept "stealing" was a $25 gift certificate to Bob Evans.

We hurried home making a quick stop at the library to pick up a reserved book and then headed to our neighbors for an afternoon of Bridge. Jan and I were partners the first round and we set the men so much on one hand that they could not recover! Score one for the girls! Jan served dessert with ice cream. If we keep eating at this pace, we'll gain 10 pounds in a week. Tomorrow we'll be thinking "thin!"

I'm headed to bed now to begin my new book "The Help." I've heard lots of good reports about the book and the recent movie. In fact, we nearly saw the movie but arrived at the theater at the wrong time. Since then I decided I wanted to read the book first and then I'll try to locate a copy of the movie.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my little sister! She turns 70 today! She sometimes reads this blog so I didn't want to forget her, especially today. I wasn't quite four when she was born so I don't have any real memories of the day.

I sent her a card and here's a copy:

Ray and I are headed out to do some Christmas shopping this afternoon. The Thrivent Chapter invited me and my guest to a dinner in a local restaurant so I won't have to cook a meal this evening. I  hope we can find those elusive gifts especially since I don't have any idea of what to look for at the moment.

Advent Glow

After returning from our Sunday morning church service I began final preparations for Advent Glow. I had made my dessert yesterday but still needed to gather everything I needed to decorate my table. I believe this is the third year we've held an Advent Glow program. It's basically a candlelight program setting the tone for the season of Advent. There may be many manifestations of Advent Glow but at Concordia women are invited to host a table and provide dessert for the people sitting at their table. The hostesses decorate their table with candles and their own Christmas decor. Each table is unique and it is very festive. My table looked like this when I had finished setting up:

Candles were lit just before our guests arrived.

There were six tables in all:

The program opened with an Advent devotion and the singing of a number of carols. The hostesses then served dessert to the people sitting at their table. Mine was a pear cake with hot wassail. We were then entertained by a quintet of men singing a variety of seasonal songs.

Listening to the men's quintet

Mike Finger, Gerald Nolker, Rick Ebb, Dick Brooks, Ernie Forster

My guests enjoyed the singing and the story of The Three Trees beautifully narrated by Anne Guthrie. The six of us posed for a photo after the program.

Megan, Kylie, me, Lynda, Nancy and Regina

No snow, but rain!

This morning we heard a service on Repent and Receive. The commercialism of Christmas is all around us. But what is the real meaning of Christmas? Are we becoming saturated by everything we hear, see and feel around us? We meet John the Baptist in today's sermon text and he is different. John doesn't use sweet talk. He doesn't care what people think of him (like we might). What would he talk about if he sat at our table? He wouldn't try to sell us something. His job was to prepare us for the coming of Jesus. He did say "repent" because there is something wrong inside of us. What is repentance? We can think of two "R"s in connection with repentance. Recognizing our sin and Receiving forgiveness. One happy thought: God keeps no record of our wrongdoing!

We drove home in the rain and at one o'clock listened to the Colt's game. It has been interesting to note that while we have the TV on this season I don't often sit down to watch the game. In fact, yesterday, Ray turned the channel to watch some golf because the Colts were losing badly. Later, we flipped back to the football game and were surprised to see the Colts were making a comeback. However, time ran out and they lost. I don't think the Patriots scored any points in the second half.

I spent my afternoon getting ready for the evening which I'll write about in my next post.

Catching up

Another week is about to become history. I haven't posted anything since last Sunday. The Christmas tree was up before Thanksgiving otherwise I'd be doing that now. So how did I spend my time? Ray and went to the Rec Center five times this week and that accounts for three or four hours each day. I just think the week could have been more productive. Maybe I didn't have a game plan. We did take the car to the dealership one afternoon after our workout to get new brake linings and have one of the fog lights repaired.

Then we headed to the license branch to renew our driver's licenses. Ray's license doesn't have to be renewed until next October, but he elected to do it before the end of this year because of some new regulation -- can't recall exactly what it is. My license is due for renewal in March but I couldn't pass the eye test. I wear bifocal contact lenses and would have taken them out but didn't have a container with me. When I removed the contacts at home before going to bed I discovered that one lens was folded and that explains why I couldn't read anything when I was tested at the License Branch. I can't recall this ever happening and I'm not sure why the contact didn't bother me. Now I have to return sometime soon and try again.

On Tuesday evening we had lots of rain and by evening it turned to snow. The big flakes were pretty but there was no accumulation. Not far north of us, several inches of snow fell.

One crazy event happened in the middle of the night. I was dreaming that some stranger, a man, was looking at me through an open front door in some house. The man was not threatening me but for some reason I was scared and frightened and started screaming -- out loud!! Ray woke up startled. I rarely talk or scream in my sleep.

We had lovely weather today and Ray decided to take off the mower deck from the tractor and hook up the front end loader. He uses the loader to clear our driveway whenever we have a heavy snowfall. It took him quite a while to figure out what he was doing wrong. I wasn't any help but did observe when he needed some help. Finally, he was successful and felt relieved! Ray also put out stakes to mark the driveway. Hopefully, we won't need to plow for snow for a few more weeks.

Then we both got busy raking leaves. Actually, I did the raking and Ray picked them up in the garden cart to cover our strawberry plants. We made a good team. Our garden is surrounded by a four feet fence, but this fall deer have been jumping the fence. In fact, they bent the fence in one spot. I think they liked a few broccoli plants that were still in the garden but there also is evidence of them eating strawberry leaves. Now that the plants are covered with leaves, maybe they'll stay away.

I think we'll have to go Christmas shopping one day next week. But first I need to make a list. It is hard to come up with imaginative gifts that might be useful and appreciated too. Right now it's time to head for bed because the alarm rings early on Sunday morning.