Grandberries--The Best Anti-Aging Medicine Ever!

If you are a grandparent, I needn't explain to you that there's simply nothing like grandchildren to keep you young. They add an element of F-U-N to every holiday (well, EVERY DAY!) that seems to be lacking when adults-only are present. Because Gingersnap (Britt) and I were both under the weather this Christmas, we had an enjoyable Christmas but I didn't get many good pictures of the grandchildren. I did have a couple of other occasions recently to take some pictures, however, and wanted to share them on our family blog.


Britany sings with an all-girls high school choir called Bell Canto (Italian for "beautiful singing"). I had the opportunity to hear them sing (and to take some fun pictures) when they performed recently at the Battlefield Mall. I thought the picture of Brit and two of her close friends was very cute and, in fact, we picked up some cute "FRIENDS" photo frames and Brit gave each of them a picture of the threesome for Christmas.

A look out our back door might help to explain why Papa and Nana had the pleasure of spending today with Reeders and Miss Ky. This much snow and windchills of -13 degrees are atypical for Springfield. The City does not have a lot of snow removal equipment, and temperatures this low can also mean power outages. Thus, the public schools (and more than 270 other schools in the region) were closed yesterday and today.

Reed and Ky spent the morning playing Wii. I sweated for 45 minutes on the Schwinn Airdyne while I watched them "sword fight" one another, bowl, and frantically paddle their canoes in an effort to return the "cute" lost ducklings to their grateful mother. Isn't technology great?!! Now, if I could just find a program that would do my exercise for me (with the same or better results, of course!). Hmmmm.....
Ky and Reed wanted Stromboli for lunch so I told them to wash their hands and prepare to make it. They didn't have to be asked twice!

When the Stromboli was finished, they didn't have any trouble talking Papa into joining them for lunch.

I have two hours before my date-night movie with my hubby, and my office is still a disaster. But you know what? I'll bet it will still be here tomorrow, and the grandberries won't be. I think I made a good choice, don't you?

Playing Catch-up

I knew I would be spending the first two weeks in December in WY, and had planned pretty well for that, so it was not hard to finish last-minute details for Christmas when I returned. What I had not counted on was having to take my turn entertaining a respiratory bug when I got back. That put a bit of a monkey wrench in the works. I'm thankful that I'm feeling well now and am trying to catch up on a few things. Holiday decorations are finally put away and, with the exception of my office, the house in in good shape. My office is a bit of a disaster but it's coming along.

Sometimes one has to make a mess to get organized and I'm in that reorganizing stage. That's the down side. The up side is that I'm reorganizing in an effort to make more efficient use of my space to accommodate a new hobby: scrapbooking.

Writing our family history and scrapbooking for our grandchildren has been on my list ever since I became a grandparent (well, maybe a parent!), but with working full time, and with family and church responsibilities, it simply wasn't in the mix. I made it a goal for 2010, and got off to a great start when, on New Year's Eve (no less!), Miss Ky and I completed THREE scrapbook pages, one for each grandchild. She designed her own page and completed it with just a little help from me, and I made a page for Britt and one for Reed.

Santa (bless him!) brought me a Cri-Cut Expression for Christmas and I was determined to learn to use it as quickly as possible. Our first little project was "BOO!" which Ky used on her first scrapbook page.

Ky wanted the word "BOO!" to match the BOO! on the Halloween dress I had bought for her when she was four. She wanted to cut it out of "candy corn" paper, and I ended up using the insides of her Os for the "photo corners" on Reed's Halloween-themed page.


The scrapbook page I did for Britt was based on photos from her first Smith Family Reunion which she attended in 2007, in Island Park Idaho. Because Britt was "adopted" into our family rather than born into our family, this was her first exposure to just how big our family actually is. Britt had met her Grandpa and Grandma Smith and her Aunts (Donna, Jan, and Lynda) at her parents' wedding--and she adored them--but she learned that they were but a "drop in the bucket" as far as numbers go.

We had so much fun scrapbooking that we're committed to just keep on goin'.

O' Tannenbaum, O' Tannenbaum

Because I spent the first two weeks of December in Wyoming, most of the decorating for the holidays was done prior to my departure. I knew I would enjoy my time away IF I were close enough to being ready for Christmas that I could easily finish up when I returned; otherwise, I would stress over the entire time I was gone. I had decorated a small tree for the upstairs hearth area, and a second small one for the front entry near the grandchildren's bedroom. We saved the big tree, which we set up in the downstairs family room, for my return.

The day after I got home, Steve and I set up the big artificial tree, complete with the lights, and then Britt and Ky came and helped me decorate it that evening. I think we've begun a new tradition! Not only was it much more fun to have them help me but it went so much faster than when I do it myself. (It takes forever to hang "three zillion" icicyles!) Working with my granddaughters to decorate the tree prompted numerous discussions concerning the meaning of the various ornaments, and I thought it might be fun to document some of those discussions here for posterity's sake.

While our current trees tend to look more "commercial" than "homespun," I assured the girls that much sentiment is attached to every ornament or "scheme."

When we returned home, Ky informed me that she had made some gifts for me and had wrapped them and left them on the seat to my office chair "to be opened before Christmas." I waited until the next day so she could be here to watch me open them. She had made the cutest little green tree out of pipe cleaners, and decorated it with additional pipecleaners in bright colors. She had fashioned a second "Nana" ornament that looks similar to my rendition of a "stick woman." CUTE! Finally, she had made a popcorn chain herself with popcorn she had Papa pop for her. I asked if I could put the little tree and the Nana ornament on the greenery of my "boot" in the kitchen area, since that's where I spend so much of my time (instead of the downstairs tree where I would see it much less often). She agreed. You can see them by clicking on the "boot" photo to enlarge it. The "old woman in the shoe boot" is a favorite item I bought at a semi-annual sidewalk sale at The Thicket (a local shop that is one of my favorites). We hung the popcorn chain in the very top of the big tree downstairs, as Ky suggested.

I had a dear friend named Rosa. She was the mother of nine children and I knew most of them well, also. Rosa died of cancer several years ago. Her daughters were wonderful to share with me a couple of the things Rosa had made. They also asked me if I would like the sample books of European lace given to Rosa by a friend of hers who sold it. I was surprised that Rosa's daughters (who, like Rosa, crafted such things as dolls, rabbits, etc.) didn't want them but they assured me they did not. I was thrilled! I removed all the lace from the (I think) 3 or 4 sample packs and have used them for MANY events ever since, including placing the lace on the branches of the big tree every Christmas. I think the lace looks like snow and, if you look carefully, you can see that each piece of lace is a unique pattern. I used this same lace, along with white roses, pearls and ivy, to decorate the tables at the wedding rehearsal dinner for our older son (10 years ago) and daughter-in-law. It does, indeed, have sentimental value.

Also on the big tree are precious ornaments that were hand-crocheted by my Mother and Grandmother. A number of years ago, the two of them came to Springfield in November for a visit. They weren't able to come often and had not been that close to Christmas before, so we celebrated Christmas early in order to include them. While they were here, we visited a local floral and design studio to look at their beautiful trees and window displays. One of the trees featured hand-crocheted bells. I loved them but remember that they were $6 each, and I knew that buying enough to decorate a tree with them was not in my budget. When we left that store, Grandma asked if we had a craft store close. I said, "Yes," and asked what she needed. She replied, "Oh never mind, just a little something I want to look for."

When we left the craft store, Grandma had a small package that contained an unknown purchase. When we arrived home and I was busy fixing dinner, I noticed Grandma in the other room working away with her crochet hook and thread. She had bought a styrofoam bell form and was making a pattern for crocheted bells. For the rest of the week-long visit, whenever we were not busy doing something else, both Grandma and Mother were busy crocheting bells, as well as snowflakes and wreaths. Needless to say, now that neither Mother nor Grandma are still with us, these ornaments they made are priceless!

I love music and things that represent it. Over the years I have collected ornaments that range from ballerinas to musical instruments, to carousel horses and angels. A friend who was viewing the tree a couple of nights ago said, "Oh I love your hand-blown crystal ornaments!" To which I replied, "Oh, Kathy, they are not hand-blown crystal; they are acrylic. They can't break and hurt the grandchildren and the grandchildren can't hurt them! But they are beautiful, aren't they?" This year, we added some red ornaments and "feathers" that I thought were interesting, for a bit of variety.

Also on the tree are a number of little pearls rings or loops. Several years ago a friend game me a large box of items that she and her two daughters had owned, with the instruction to use them however I wanted or share them with whomever. They knew there were always young girls at the church I used to attend that were in need of "things." Most of the items in the box were "standard fare" in terms of skirts, pants, sweaters, etc., but one item was of particular interest. Not only could I think of NO ONE I knew that would wear such a thing, but I couldn't imagine that my friend OR her daughters ever wore it. I can't imagine where it came from and I don't even know what to call it, despite my having "googled" several word strings to try and determine what it would be called. I have friends in the fashion design department at MO State University who likely would know, but the University is on break now, so I shall simply try to describe it.

It was something that looked like a woman who really, REALLY wanted to accentuate her bustline might wear over a tight-fitting sweater. It had a choker and then a "pearl bra" of sorts that went over the bustline and hooked in the back. From the choker to the chain that ran around the bottom of the "bra," there were vertical strands of pearls that ran around the entire "bra." As I said, I couldn't imagine anyone actually wearing anything like that, so I tried to decide what to do with it. The pearl loops on our annual big tree is the result! I took my trusty pliers and disconnected every single strand of pearls, and then reconnected them to form the loops. The girls got a kick out of that story!


The small tree in the front entry near the grandchildren's room is decorated with the grandchildren in mind. In Ky's bedroom in our former home, I had her bed arranged kitty corner and had an alpine tree erected in the corner behind it which I decorated with non-Christmas-themed ornaments such as the Beatrix Potter ornaments shown here. She loved to have me turn the white twinkly lights on when she was ready for bed and she would go to sleep with them on. I had collected some Anri wooden bells and some Anri angels, as had my Mother-in-law, and when she died, I inherited some of hers, so those, too, are included on this tree. I doubt that many people put ivy on their Christmas trees, but I love it, and used it on both small trees this year. Yup, this is the same ivy I've used MANY times, including Gary's and Sara's wedding rehearsal dinner.

When we built our new home, Ky asked me if she could bring her tree to her new bedroom. I told her I had something else in mind for the new room that I thought she would like, and I would be sure to include lights she could go to sleep by. Another collection I inherited from my Mother-in-law was these precious Anri ornaments that are "celestial" themed and feature young children. (You can click the photo to enlarge it and get a better look.)
I used the shutter-shelf as a type of window "cornice" above the children's window seat.
Finally, I like to have a small tree in the hearth area upstairs so it feels "Christmasy" in the part of the house where I spend most of my time. This tree also has the ivy I love and features a collection of wooden birds and nests with eggs that, once again, I've used MANY times in decorating for various events.

My friend Susan and I used to be asked to decorate for almost all of the events hosted by our college when I worked at MSU; we loved doing so. Someone once remarked that we must collect roosters. We laughed and said, "Oh, yes, roosters and lots of other things." The benefits of loving to garage-sale!
Last evening (Christmas Eve), following dinner and before the opening of the stocks and gifts, our three grandchildren presented the following story which helped us to understand the meaning behind many of the things that symbolize Christmas:

SANTA SAYS, "TEACH THE CHILDREN"

Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened...I just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree.

He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out. "What are you doing?" I started to ask. The words choked up in my throat, and I saw he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone.

Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement. "TEACH THE CHILDREN!" I was puzzled; what did he mean?

He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children! Teach them the old meaning of Christmas. The meaning that now-a-days Christmas has forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. "Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind, all the needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward heaven."

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. "Teach the children that the star was the heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of His promise."

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. "Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness."

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. "Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection."

He then pulled from his bag and ornament of HIMSELF. "Teach the children that I, Santa Claus symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December."

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. "Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly represents the blood shed by Him."

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that he gave..." "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the holy babe and presented him with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. "Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherds' crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring back strayed sheep to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper."

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. "Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and good will toward men."

Suddenly I heard a soft twinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. "Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should ring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return."

Santa looked back and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, teach the children the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center, for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship Him, our Lord, our God."

--- Author Unknown

As we celebrate this special season of giving, may we always remember that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." Merry Christmas!

Home again, home again . . .

My life has been lived in four states: Wyoming (the state of my birth and childhood), Idaho (where I attended college), Utah (where I held my first job and where I met my hubby), and Missouri (where we have lived for many years and raised our family). Whenever I have returned to WY, I have always said, "I'm going home," a common pronouncement I think when one returns to the home of her birth and childhood. Such was the case again this year as I returned to WY to spend two weeks with my Dad and family members there. Indeed, wherever there is beloved family, it feels like "home."

As I prepared to return to MO, I found myself once again saying, "It has been great, but I'm anxious to go 'home.' " I flew out of Tulsa, OK this time (a 3-hour drive). My plane got in about 4pm and Steve picked me up at the airport. We stopped in Joplin on the way back for a casual dinner, arriving in Springfield about 8pm. Miss Ky requested that we at least stop by their house and give her a hug before we came home (she really wanted to spend the night but Steve said we needed one night to "regroup" and she could come the next night). She promised not to knock me into the Christmas tree. (Last year after being gone for two weeks, she was so excited to see me that she jumped up and threw her legs around my waist as I was mid-air walking toward her. There was no place to go except into the Christmas tree--both of us. On the bright side, we didn't make too big a mess and I was glad she missed me!)

As Steve and I came through the gates to our subdivision and rounded the corner where our home came into view, I had to smile; all five of the outside lights were on, along with the outside Christmas lights. I truly felt welcome! I laughed and told Steve that meant A LOT to me because I knew it went against his thrifty judgment to turn all those lights on in the middle of the day in order for them to be burning when we got home. He laughed and admitted he considered having Jon come and turn them on about 7pm, but then decided it would cost Jon more in gas than it would cost Steve to burn them for a few hours. We walked into the freshly cleaned house (it's so nice to be married to a man who is so capable and willing to help around the house!) and I knew that I truly was "HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!"

I feel rather like I did when friends from my former Ward (church group) asked me how I liked my new Ward. I replied, "There's nothing better than leaving a Ward you love and moving to a Ward you love." Well, there's nothing better than being "home" in WY, and being "home again" in MO.

For the second year, my WY family favored me by holding the Smith Family Christmas Gathering while I was there (last year Steve was with me). University life and winter travel conditions have never allowed us to spend Christmas in WY; rather, our vacations to UT and WY always occurred in the summer months. Thus, the opportunities over these past two years to be with extended family and share traditions have been priceless.


Two long-standing traditions in the Kinghorn and Smith families are the making and decorating of gingerbread cookies, and the "triple treat popcorn balls," the latter tradition originally begun by our Great Grandmother Dansie, and continued through each subsequent generation. My sister Donna asked me to write up how this tradition began and share it with the family, which I did while in WY, so I will share that here:


The Legend of the “Triple-Treat Popcorn Balls”

From the time your parents and grandparents (the children of Scott and LaRae Smith) were born, every year a little before Christmas a package arrived that was eagerly anticipated. It was postmarked “Rigby, Idaho,” and the return address revealed that it was shipped from Great Grandpa and Grandma Dansie (Grandma Kinghorn’s parents).

Although the contents of the package varied somewhat from year to year, one thing remained constant: the treasured popcorn ball “triple treats” that were made by Great Grandma Dansie. The gift for Grandpa and Grandma Smith was special in that it was always something homemade, such as a pair of hand-embroidered pillow cases. But, what we kids looked forward to was those wonderful popcorn balls!

When the box arrived from Idaho, the gift for Grandpa and Grandma Smith was removed and placed beneath the tree. Then the individually wrapped popcorn balls were removed from the box as we children watched (and salivated, remembering Christmases passed) and placed carefully in the branches of the Christmas tree, to be enjoyed on Christmas morning, after the other gifts had been opened and things had settled a bit. Oh, how we looked forward to that moment, and we were never disappointed!

Grandma always formed the popcorn ball around a Tootsie Pop, thus providing a “handle” for the popcorn ball, in addition to a sucker when the popcorn ball was gone. And when she wrapped the popcorn ball in cellophane, she added some curly ribbon to make it extra special, and a candy cane to eat once the popcorn ball and the sucker were finished; thus, we had a “triple treat.” The ingredients in the popcorn balls, alone, were among our favorites, but it was obvious that the extra measure of love that Grandma threw in made these gifts the best in the world! This was always a great lesson to us that the best gifts have much more to do with love than with money.

When Grandma Dansie was no longer here to make the popcorn balls, Grandma Kinghorn and Grandma Smith kept the tradition alive. And after them, their daughters. And now, hopefully, you granddaughters and grandsons and great granddaughters and great grandsons are carrying on this treasured tradition in each of your homes. It’s the traditions--such as this one--that we share and perpetuate that help to identify us as a unique family unit.

Grandma Dansie’s Popcorn Syrup*

½ cup light Karo Syrup
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
Food coloring (Grandma Dansie always used Red)

Combine all ingredients except the vanilla and food coloring in a medium sauce pan. Stir over medium high heat until the mixture reaches a rolling boil (can’t stir down). Turn off heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and let set for 4 minutes. Add vanilla and food coloring. Pour syrup over the popped corn, making sure that every kernel is well coated. Shape into balls and wrap individually in plastic wrap (I find that a fold-over sandwich bag works great). For the “triple treat,” form the popcorn ball around a Tootsie Pop (or other sucker), and then tie a candy cane into the curly ribbon.

A double recipe of syrup will make about 10-12 popcorn balls, depending upon size. ENJOY!

*You will want to pop your corn in advance. For a double recipe, I usually start with three poppers full (1 and 1/2 cups of unpopped kernels).

Who wouldn't have a great time with all these ADORABLE children to keep things lively? It reminded me of all the fun my siblings and I had growing up with our cousins on both sides. (I should add that only about 1/2 of the Smith clan was in attendance at this year's function. We're looking forward to greater numbers at our reunion scheduled for June 2010!)
I also had the opportunity while in WY to attend the Ward Christmas Party in Daddy's Ward (and numerous other family members' Ward, as well). A lovely dinner was provided after which we were treated to The Nativity with our very own Bailee serving as Mary (note the cute cow and the clever sheep). There was a "surprise visitor" to delight the children, followed by a dance that was enjoyed by young and old (and older). Even Daddy ventured far enough from his walker to trip the light fantastic for a few moments with three of his five daughters.

I need to give credit to my sisters: Donna for spearheading the family gathering and organizing the popcorn ball making event; Jan (and her granddaughters) for baking all the gingerbread men; and Sharon for fixing more than her share of fabulous food. And lots of husbands, nieces and nephews did much to set up and clean up and bring yummy treats, as well. Thanks to one and all!

I feel so blessed to have been able to spend Christmas "at home" in Wyoming, and now, "at home" in Missouri!

Oh, What I've Forgotten!

I think we go through a number of "stages of life," depending upon our age and what's going on in our circles of family and friends. Some years ago, when our sons were growing up, I used to bake and decorate cakes for their birthdays. While I still bake cakes (or their choice of desserts) for their birthdays, any "decorating" skill has lain dormant for a while. I've decorated at least one or two birthday cakes for Ky and Reed (Britt loves cheesecake) but, again, it's been a while.

A young friend from church is having her first baby soon. Carrie (the one in the middle) is not from this area and I wanted to make sure someone held a baby shower for her. Carrie has been serving in Primary (in fact, she was one of Kyra's favorite teachers!) and I learned the former Primary president was planning to host a shower. I contacted Leah and offered to make the cakes, and she was happy to have the help. (I attended a birthday party last week for a friend who turned 98(!), and took along with me two friends, including my friend Bonnie who recently turned 90. When I told Bonnie I was making the cake and cupcakes for the shower, she said, "You can just go to Price Cutter's Bakery and buy one like I did; they do a good job and it's so easy." I told Bonnie that if I started to stress over it, I would do just that but I was rather looking forward to doing it myself.)
I had to laugh (grimace?) at myself during this process. It has been so long since I'd decorated a cake that I had to retrain myself! I didn't use a "bear" cake pan but, rather, made him from two round cakes and seven brownie cupcakes (they hold their shape well), 4 for the paws, 2 for the ears, and one for the nose (which would have photographed better had I tilted the cake board up a little to show the three-dimensionality). Because we invited all the women in our Ward, and had little idea just how many would show up (we had about 30), I made Red Velvet and yellow cupcakes, as well, so we'd be sure to have enough. Finally, I made "little brown bear" chocolate suckers and had forgotten just how much fun they are!
I laughed at myself because when I was finished (which took me twice as long as I had anticipated and I finished just in time to get to the shower 30 minutes early and set up), every horizontal surface in both my kitchen and dining room were covered with "stuff." And much of that was covered with powdered sugar. My hubby suggested we could eat dinner at the downstairs (game) table, by the warm fire. What a sweetheart; there were a number of other things he could have said about the mess I'd made that he refrained from expressing. I think he could tell I was having fun despite the mess. And if there was ever anyone who loved a creative project, it's Steve.
Carrie and the others loved the cake and the suckers (including the grandchildren) so it was well worth any effort on my part.


Miss Ky was allowed to use some of the leftover icing to frost some extra cupcakes. I was not as puzzled when she asked if I had any "sprinkles," as when she asked for a pair of tweezers. But I was instructed, "DO NOT PEEK!" and I obliged. She said she would like to learn to decorate cakes so I'm thinking after the first of the year, I'll call Hobby Lobby or Michael's and check into a class the two of us can take together. Doesn't that sound like fun?
I was touched when Ky finished her first masterpiece and presented it to me. It read, "I love you Nana." I love you, too, Princess!

Early and Loving It

Steve played golf in Branson a couple of days ago on a beautiful November day. He said a couple of his partners were making fun of the "crazies" who were already decorating for Christmas. He said, "And my wife would be one of those." In my defense, I'm "at it" earlier than usual this year because I am heading to WY soon and won't be back until late on December 15th. If I'm ready for the holidays before I leave, I shall enjoy my trip; if I'm not, I'll be mentally stressing over it the whole time I'm gone. Besides, which is crazier, putting the lights on the trees and hanging the wreaths in 60 degree weather, or waiting until it's freezing cold and having to scrape ice to do it?!! 'Nuf sed.








I love this nativity. It was sculpted by Florence P. Hansen (http://www.hansenclassics.com/artist.html) and given to me several years ago by my mother-in-law. Florence Hansen is an LDS sculptress and design artist and, for that reason, mom thought I would be interesting in having this nativity. She was right! (Some of you may be familiar with Florence Hansen's life-size sculptures, such as the ones in the gardens at Nauvoo.) Mom had taken a sculpting class from Florence and had purchased these pieces from her. The thing I love most about this particular nativity is that Mary is holding Baby Jesus and Joseph has his arm around her. Don't you think that if one gave birth to a child that special that the babe would be in her arms?!! I do. That's where I would want Him.

Another reason for decorating early was that our book club decided to move our November meeting up a week (due to Thanksgiving) and have a potluck dinner and share Christmas stories to "ring in the holiday season." The stories truly were delightful and really helped to set the tone for celebrating the birth of our Savior. Among my favorites was the following story:

CHRISTMAS ORANGE
Jake was nine years old with tousled brown hair with blue eyes as bright as a heavenly angel. For as long as Jake could remember he had lived within the walls of a poor orphanage. He was just one of ten children supported by what meager contributions the orphan home could obtain in a continuous struggle seeking donations from townsfolk.
There was very little to eat, but at Christmas time there always seemed to be a little more than usual to eat, the orphanage seemed a little warmer, and it was time for a little holiday enjoyment. But more than this, there was the Christmas orange!
Christmas was the only time of year that such a rare treat was provided and it was treasured by each child like no other food admiring it, feeling it, prizing it and slowly enjoying each juicy section. Truly, it was the light of each orphan's Christmas and their best gift of the season. How joyful would be the moment when Jake received his orange!
Unknown to him, Jake had somehow managed to track a small amount of mud on his shoes through the front door of the orphanage, muddying the new carpet. He hadn't even noticed. Now it was too late and there was nothing he could do to avoid punishment. The punishment was swift and unrelenting. Jake would not be allowed his Christmas orange! It was the only gift he would receive from the harsh world he lived in, yet after a year of waiting for his Christmas orange, is was to be denied him.
Tearfully, Jake pleaded that he be forgiven and promised never to track mud into the orphanage again, but to no avail. He felt hopeless and totally rejected. Jake cried into his pillow all that night and spent Christmas Day feeling empty and alone. He felt that the other children didn't want to be with a boy who had been punished with such a cruel punishment. Perhaps they feared he would ruin their only day of happiness. Maybe, he reasoned, the gulf between him and his friends existed because they feared he would ask for a little of their oranges. Jake spent the day upstairs, alone, in the unheated dormitory. Huddled under his only blanket, he read about a family marooned on an island. Jake wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life on an isolated island, if he could only have a real family that cared about him.
Bedtime came, and worst of all, Jake couldn't sleep. How could he say his prayers? How could there be a God in Heaven that would allow a little soul such as his, to suffer so much all by himself? Silently, he sobbed for the future of mankind that God might end the suffering in the world, both for himself and all others like him.
As he climbed back into bed from the cold, hard floor, a soft hand touched Jake's shoulder, startling him momentarily and an object was silently placed in his hands. The giver disappeared into the darkness, leaving Jake with what, he did not immediately know!
Looking closely at it in the dim light, he saw that it looked like an orange! Not a regular orange, smooth and shiny, but a special orange, very special. Inside a patched together peal were the segments of nine other oranges, making one whole orange for Jake! The nine other children in the orphanage had each donated one segment of their own precious oranges to make a whole orange as a gift for Jake.
Sharing what we truly value is the true spirit of Christmas. Our Heavenly Father gave us His beloved Son. May we, like the children in the orphanage, find ways to share His love with others less blessed.
Rewritten from an anonymous source by Laura Martin-Buhler

One of the things I shared was the tale of the Christmas Spider Ornament. Oh how I wish I could remember who gave me this ornament several years ago, but I'm having a "senior moment" on that subject. Regardless, despite my usual distaste for arachnids, I really do like this golden spider and its accompanying story.




A long time ago , a mother prepared for Christmas Eve. She cleaned and scrubbed her home, chasing the spiders from the living room with her broom. The spiders fled to the attic and listened to the excitement below as the Christmas tree was put up and decorated. When all was quiet again, the little spiders crept back downstairs to see the beautiful tree. They were filled with happiness as they crawled along every branch, admiring the glittering beauty of each ornament. But alas, by the time they had finished climbing through the tree, it was completely draped with their dusty, gray cobwebs.

When the Christ child came, He smiled as He looked upon the happy little spiders, however, He knew the mother would be heartbroken when she saw the shrouded tree. So He reached out and touched the webs and, blessing them, turned them into silver and gold. Now the Christmas tree sparkled and shimmered and was even more beautiful than before. Thus the custom to have tinsel of silver and gold and a spider ornament amongst the other decorations on the Christmas tree was born.

I have yet to decorate the main/big tree but, aside from that, the decorating is pretty much finished. And, while I admit that we usually have Thanksgiving dinner with the fall decorations instead of the Christmas ones, it feels good to be one of the "crazies" who is ahead of the game this year.

"Girlie Get-Away"

I started a blog the evening I returned from Mexico (Nov. 7), got interrupted before finishing it, and here it is two weeks later and I haven't had a chance to finish it. I'll bet some of you reading this have had similar experiences. I want to go ahead and write about it, anyway, since it was such a great time, and then record a couple more entries that have occurred since then and try to get caught up a little on what's been going on in my corner of the world.
On Nov. 5, I drove to Mexico (MO) to spend a couple of days with my dear friend Linda (she used to live here and now lives about 4 hours away), her mom Maxine, and her daughter Sabra and her family.
I had such fun at Linda's. She said we needed to do all the "girl things," and that included hair and a manicure. I'm not sure what was in it for her but I sure enjoyed it. She had seen this hairdo on a blog and wanted to tell me about it so I could try it on my granddaughter. When Linda saw how long my hair was, she just "had" to try it on me. We did it just before bed and didn't try to make it exceptionally neat; she primarily wanted me to see how it was done. The hairdo on the blog Linda had seen had been done on a little girl, for a wedding. It is made of 25 pony tails, beginning with one main one and then split and reconnected to form a web. Finally, the pony tails are folded "inside out" to form a webbed bun. Linda said they had used little ribbons (or you could use pearls, etc.) at each connection to make it really fancy. I slept on it because we wanted to show her mom, and it held up surprisingly well.
Maxine had a wonderful dinner ready for us when I arrived. She always outdoes herself and makes me feel so welcome. Linda and I went to St. Louis on Friday and joined friends from my Ward for their Youth Temple Trip. We hadn't been together since our trip to Hawaii a year ago last January, so it was fun getting caught up.
A couple of years ago, Kyra and I tied two fleece blankets, one for her and one for Reed. For some unknown reason, I had picked up a yard and a half of the two fleece pieces for Reed's blanket, but only a yard each for Kyra's, making hers quite a bit smaller than his. That worked okay for a while but she has really outgrown hers. I decided I would buy more fleece and take it with me and maybe Linda and I would work on it while we visited. We did just that and were able to finish it. Even though the reverse (pink) side of the blanket has a "breast cancer" theme, it was by far the prettiest pink fleece available, and besides, I really liked the "Live Simply, Laugh Often, Love Deeply" theme, and thought Kyra would like it, too. I was right. I used two yards this time, for an adult-sized blanket, and she loves wrapping up in it. Making it with my (and Ky's) dear friend Linda will also be a special memory.

We spent Friday evening visiting Sabra and her family, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Hyrum, the newest member of the family. Sabra is such a wonderful mother (!), and I'm so impressed with her efforts to home school the children. They are obviously thriving.

This trip was a wonderful trip down memory lane (to a time when Linda and I used to talk daily, if not get together!). She's planning a trip to Springfield to spend a couple of days with me in December and I can hardly wait to share our new home with her.