Christmas edition of getting to know your friends

Working on Dove's Star Wars coat today and this evening.

*Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy into a new post . Change all the answers so that they apply to you. ......Tis the Season to be NICE! HO HO HO ***
Feel free to join in.


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? If a gift is for a child or one who likes anticipation I will wrap it. Often I use a gift bag for close friends or for persons that I have a small duplicate gift for many so I can see all of them at one time separated in like kind of bag. It helps me when I have to deliver things. I also wrap up a families and put all of them into one gift bag. I deliver the large gift gag with them all in it.





2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, in my home we have respitory issues. I also like to think of a tree in the earth not drying up in my house. I have at times used a great big wooden cross years back.



3. When do you put up the tree? When I see hearts long for it up. Or when mine does. The weekend after Thanksgiving or so.



4. When do you take the tree down? Soon after Christmas, I like getting things back to normal. The kids also have sensory issues that cause the tree to be a bit stressful for them.


5. Do you like eggnog? like yes, can I or do I drink it NOPE I am allergic to milk.



6. Favorite gift received as a child? I received a card board music box with a ballerina spinning as it played. It was destroyed in childhood by a jealous sibling.
Years later Mr U had to travel one year. He came home around that time of year. That Christmas he remembered the story and I opened a music box. Stunned he watched as I cried out before I even opened it, I knew it was the music box of my childhood. He nor I could of known I would ever in a million years of guessed it. I Just knew...It is still one of my simple treasures. That was some 2o years ago

You See the Lord really does restore EVERYTHING
that the Worm has eaten.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Anyone I have to buy for, I like giving gifts of the hands and heart. When I feel obligated to purchase something that is very difficult for me. Now if I want to buy something no problem.



8. Easiest person to buy for? The children, they are so grateful to receive that I delight in it.


9. Do you have a nativity scene? We have several, one that is kept way up high, it is a porcelain one with fired glaze, Another is a set of cloth ones I made for the kids to learn and play with. We have one that my daughter made when she was 4? it is made of tiny little clay pots adorned with fabric and sequence.



10. Mail or email Christmas cards? **MAIL...**The hand signature is of value to me




11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I don't know I have always felt so fortunate to receive , I just don't look at things that way.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The little drummer boy, "I play my best for him pierces me to the heart. I love it!*



13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? This year is the first year I just have not really shopped at all. I just do not want to, I do not feel like it and the avoidance of the commercialism is refreshing to me. My heart is to gift my Husband and family with moderation . I want to give the gift of financial ability one day to travel. This is a gift I long to give them.


14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No but I have given to another the thing I may not be able to enjoy due to allergy.



15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? almond Roca and spice gum drops. Mince meat on toast.



16. Lights on the tree? White tiny ones and not blinking. It will set off a migraine.



17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer, Boy and Mary, Did you Know?



18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I like to stay at home with the children. We may go to the Grandparents.



19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? no.



20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I like a star better. It makes me think of looking for Him.


21. When do you open gifts? Tradition is to open one on the eve. Then on the morn with the children, in the mid morning or early afternoon with the Elders.



22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Greed, self centered ways left from the gaping wounds of the masses around me.



23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I had a tree done with birds nests. I had birds hanging from the ceiling with strung popcorn in the beaks landing around the tree. It was Cool! I love nature themes or just using the tried and true collection of memories from years past.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Roasted beef with root veggies or leg of lamb with butternut squash.



25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I want to respect our financial goals. To teach the children the joy of simplicity without the guilt of letting them down. I want to reduce stress and find rest and peace in my family.


26. Who is most likely to respond to this? Some soul that is relaxed and just burning the evening oil.

Painting portrait

Tweaking the mouth and highlights

I varied the high lights on the nose and gave more refined lip. I still do not like the light under the lip.
I'll try the back ground idea thanks for the input.

Shirley,
Is this what you were thinking ?
before

Menu Plan Monday *Thanksgiving day off*

Home made chili and cornbread will start the week for we have a lot of little multi- colored chilies.
Cornbread is made with soy milk and cumin is my special ingredient.

A beef steak and some butternut squash steamed home grown snow peas and green beans.

Thanksgiving Day....

Black Angus Steak house
11:00 a.m. reservations.
We and the Elders will attend with the children, and their Paternal Uncle.
We will go to the Grandparents for pie and fellowship afterward.
Grandfather has something up his sleeve for making memories with the kids.

I will offer up the gratitude for a peaceful day with my family.
Stress free.

The Turkey meal will follow next week perhaps. Just because everyone loves my gravy.
Radical!

We will enjoy some homemade chicken soup or left over meat loaf for the ones who would prefer.

The Family will enjoy the warm weather by having a grilled meal and family time together on Saturday.

In the United States:
The immigrants who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were basically members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They took shelter in Netherlands but soon were disgusted by their lifestyle. They settled in United States with a desire for a better lifestyle. But their beginning was horrendous. The climate was unfavorable and many of them died. But in 1621 they hard turmoil bore fruits for them as there was a huge harvest. They celebrated it with a feast with 91 Indians who had helped them during their harsh times.

Thanksgiving was celebrated after that at irregular intervals until Franklin Roosevelt, had set it one week to the next-to-last Thursday of November in order keeping an eye on commercial benefits as Christmas was nearby. Allegations were brought against this decision, which made the President to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. And in 1941, Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in November.

Thanksgiving Day 11-16-1863

Carnival of Family Life Before and After Portrait

The Carnival of Family Life THANKFULNESS EDITION will be hosted this coming
Monday, November 24, 2008, at On the Horizon. this link.

On the subject of Family Relationships and Self-Improvement:

"I believe in God,
It's time to believe in myself"

I recently wrote this on my big white dry erase board. I had overheard it at a meeting when a woman was sharing about her new perspective and the way it was making a difference in her life.
It was the week of my Jewelry Show and Social.
The children had heard me say this and saw it on the big board in the hall.
Dove my sweet Daughter found me the other day eating what I should not, and for reasons that were not hunger.
I am appreciative that, she confronted me with such loving boldness that I was startled into change.

She said..."I thought you said you were going to believe in your self Mom?"

A wake up call had I, to the importance of my witness, to her,
and to my Son as well.

What is the Christianity that I am introducing them into ?

Before
15 years or so ago

When I painted this years ago, I only thought of myself as long hair. As if a vale covered my view.
It did.
Pain dimmed my eye to the promise, the beauty that was and that is me.
I wore an adornment because I could not see that I WAS the adornment.
Life is a progression of discovery.
It may take us many years to see our self as we wish we were able.

I removed that flower, to be and became the bloom itself.
Yesterday as I again took the courage to face the power that has been placed within me.
With raised shoulder I pressed into a puffy dress.
Again needing to let go of the covering of hair.

Life is a journey of self discovery, of discovering who HE made us to become. Letting go of what our wounds create in us is hard.
Unashamed I am made of form female, and full of the joy found as woman.


My Daughter came in.
and said "she should have red lips mom, because they would be pretty."

After
this is today...

Well I have come a long way in how I perceive myself. I know I need a little tweak and a bit of a shine here and there. I have had to lower my shoulders and relax a bit.

We redefine and refine ourselves daily.

As we do our families watch our lead.
We are in a privileged position.
They look then at who they long to become, and reach farther to achieve the desired goal.
It is in each of as parents a great duty and privilege to Believe in ourselves.
If We believe in God...
Then it is time we believe in who HE created us each to be.
Our children need us to show them the way.

It is not for us to leave off in the begining, or in the middle of our journey.
We must each continue this life long task.

Learn something new today.

Take interest in your passions.
Gain understanding and knowledge.
We may have Raw talent,
but only need to give time to developing a skill.

We all Need each other to lean on.

Let's show each other some Gratitude

Portrait Painting

Painting skin tones in Portrait Painting is a fun avenue of expression. This was an interesting skin tone chart I found.

If your desire is to learn something new, GO FOR IT! So many folk say things like "I cant do that" or "I could never do that"
What a way to shut down the thrill of your own exploration.
We may never be great at something , but if we never try how can we ever know.
If there is something that you always wished you knew, Educate yourself.
We live in such a marvelous age of information.
Study to show yourself approved applies fully to every aspect of life. Not just or only the spiritual.
What do you want to learn to do? Is there a financial constraint? Well reading is often free. You never know when a mutually interested person might delight in a conversation with another of like mind, and share their own love of it by sharing their knowledge even their extra supplies. You with a skill... remember to pass it on. What you know may just be a longing you can fulfill for another.
Pass it on. Make this world a better place.
Share your knowledge.
That is what I love about blogging. All of you teach me .
Be open to the knowledge. Understanding is the beginning of it once you practice what you know then after many a moon wisdom begins to develop.
Wisdom is broad range including the spiritual the arts and the sciences, Languages , mathematics. The ability to appreciate culture will open you up to such great understandings that prejudice could just expire from your mind.
Home economics will give you a better place to live and a greater life to enjoy.

A Self Portrait in oil, my travel easel

Many years back I found this wonderful easel at Costco.
It was loaded with oils, water color pigment and a pamphlet on painting.
All for $20.

The retractable legs clip on to the side

This has rode with us camping a few times.
One of the many art forms I enjoy is painting.
I have a talent but very limited skill.
I did not have an education in a school.
Mr U.'s Mother however is a well known artist. This is her web site.

As you can see it simple slide open and screw nuts keep it togeather

Once the legs ate out , it just stand up

The easel then slide up into an open position.
The drawer holds paints, in my case the oils. I have yet to toy much with water color.
Under the drawer is a slot for brushes.
My precious brushes.
Now some 15+ years ago my MILove (she is a respected artist)spent some time with me and on a fine afternoon she gave me a lesson.
With brush in my hand at my first lesson this came out of my brush, out of me...

I was panic stricken with the power of it. I created something that looked like me. It was good and I just could not get over it. When I was painting I felt a power flow through my brush that just made me shake.
Dove confronted me the other night .
She said " Mom , I thought you were going to believe in yourself?"

I have set up the easel. It is time that I again touch this my self portrait. She deserves to be painted.
She deserves me to believe in her and in that power within my brush to create a finished painting.
I studied color a bit and will keep trying to find my wax paper palate pad, board and it just occurred to me what I am looking for . It is my wooden paints box. I forgot about that. That is where I will find the rest of my supplies. My mission is to find it.
To finish what HE started in me and through me.
To pick up the brush and trust that power that HE has placed within me.

Tapioca Pudding and knit wash clothes

Tapioca
1/3 c sugar
3 Tbsp Minute Tapioca
2-3/4 c milk
***my variation, I used chocolate soy milk***
1 egg
1tsp vanilla
***I omitted this***
Mix all and let set in a sauce pan for 5 minutes
Cook on medium heat , stirring constantly,until mixture comes to a full boil (pudding thickens as it cools) Remove from heat and cool. Place plastic wrap on surface of pudding while cooling for best results (it make it creamy)
Now if your wondering I made a triple batch. Wash the pan once and have enough for the week.

Tapioca is a nice thickener. I like to try other thickener than corn starch. There is a variety of choices Tapioca is one of them. It is also good for pie thickening.
My Sweet MILove had some yarn and used it up thoughtfully (Thank You) to make me some wash clothes. Her yard ran out and that is just fine because they work just as well and I truly do love these clothes.
I Love these in the kitchen!

Over at "Down to Earth" Rhonda has gifted us with a post an how to do it.
So as you see even if you are learning or your yarn runs out the usefulness is still there to appreciate and enjoy.
"Beaded creations" is making knit socks...too cute

Aphids! In the Garden

Although my garden gate and shovel lock keeps the dogs out , it did not help a bit when it came to aphids.

I have been spraying, but they too like my crop. I have shared enough with these little thief's!
Out they come. I had sprayed and done the things I knew to do. So I pulled the plants of choice. They had been weakened to the point of no return. Three zucchini and one crook neck yellow squash. the beans were the next target and I put a halt to that!

With the exception of the one yellow crook neck no more squash.
Mr U needs to get some trellis for me , but it is not happening. So I improvised for now but the next time the trellis will be ready before the seeds go in the ground. I was of a mind to do it then but was talked out of it. ARG> I was able to use these small stakes to start them. My concern is that the plants will have to be harassed when they out grow these stakes.

I have a good start on the snap and pea pods. They are so tender.
Just yummy.

The beans here are happy so I think that I will plant more along this wall. The whole family likes Beans. These are so much better than canned and I get about one meals worth a week now.

I took time to refill my medication case. I got off track this week and have been a bit off because of it. One of the medications is for a strange thing called angioderma (discovered the hard way when one half of my face swelled to the point of a fat tong ER was required), I am allergic to myself:) If I neglect this medication my body swells and everything from breathing to my joints are effected. I missed two doses this week. So I have to keep this filled so I know that I have taken my meds.

I started tinkering with some Christmas earrings.

The kids are going to a movie night tonight. The entry is a non perishable can good.
I pointed out to the children, yesterday how the big collection box is almost empty.
The children understand that things are becoming tight for a lot of folks.
Dash asked me if they could share a lot and so I set up a box for each of them to give tonight.

Remember your local Food banks this fall.
I know times are tight , but there will always be those with more than and with less than you.
When I was a child it was the Salvation Army that kept us from having to eat that oatmeal (often without milk) for each and every meal. Poverty strikes folks hard.
The children often are the ones who suffer for the parents intentional and unintentional mistakes. Often the folks did nothing wrong, and everything right, yet still they need help.
Please share generously.

Well I better get to chores.

Educating Special Needs Kids Usher Syndrome

My children have the gift of an education.
Even though that is sometimes a battle to fight.
Today I spoke with two authority figures. The principle and Dash's teacher. Daddy Man and I are not thrilled or even particularly happy with the way this year has gone for our son. We have VERY little conversation with his teacher. Each time it is very closed off neutral not cold not hot not even very warm. After speaking with the principle today I felt that we would begin the process of rectifying the situation.
At 5:20 Dash gave me a form that told of his presence required at the play at 5:45!
I arrived shortly there after in the parking lot, just as his teacher pulled up beside us.
She mentioned the issue ( an event witnessed by dash in a bathroom) I had told her trainee about and I told her I needed to speak to her about a different issue when she has a moment. We were a bit early so I told the kids let's go play and let her have some privacy.
She offered to go to the other room and speak with me.
I began by telling her I did not want to see her blind sided. I told her that my husband and I were considering moving our son to another class.
She was polite but not compelling.
I asked her if the microphone was being worn and used during class.
Dash is hearing impaired she gave me the qualified uses of the unit. I was left a little dissatisfied and also understood why it was set aside at times. However for her to say when Dash "needed it or not",... is not her place.
At the beginning of the school year Dash was supposed to have been sent a packet of elevated curriculum (his IQ is WAY WAY off the bell curve) to keep him interested and learning.
This is a HIGHLY! intelligent child that faces the threat of Ushers syndrome.
This is the second reminder I have given her,... her response...they have not sent it..."oh I should give them a call again"... YA THINK!
This school can not offer the accelerated program until he is in third grade(next year or a year and a half if this is the case), They just tested the third graders apparently last week to see who qualifies! When Dash was 6 they(private sector) stopped testing him at the 6Th grade (12 yr old!) level because he was becoming annoyed (emotionally immature in comparison) with them.
This child could begin to go blind or deaf without very much warning.
He is board!
He sits there after he does his work for hours in a day UN challenged!
Apparently his teacher has never read his IEP (individual education programme for children with special needs).
She says she gave him a reading assignment with a couple other children. She spoke of how she also has children at the other end of the bell curve.
So the highly intelligent have to suffer so that she can pull up a child who is low in skill.
His last teacher was savvy enough to use this to her advantage and she would have kids offer each other their strengths.
I have to make a decision if we will be moving Dash. Now the other issue is that she is not wanting to receive any other volunteer until the teacher in training leaves in December. That is 6 more weeks (given the holiday break) and that was not an "I'd love to have you". It was a well you could possibly help out after Christmas. Dash suffers knowing that I am helping so many other children in his school. Yet I am not welcome in HIS class. He would like to see me once in a while. Dove sees me every Wednesday. The upcoming Art Master piece is said to be (she made available) only 10 minutes just before the kids walk out the door. My training said I am to have 15-20 (once every 2 weeks) to present the lesson. This teacher is like she is doing "Me" a favor to present. No show of appreciation for the service rendered. So she tells me we can start then at 2:30 and that she will give me 15 minutes just before the kids get ready to walk out the door. In this she will accommodate me. I told her that the interactions that I had had did not feel very welcoming.

Not real welcoming.
Receive me you receive my son, exclude me , you exclude my son.

Politics ! stinking politics!
My son needs his needs met.
I did not tell the teacher of the reports my son gives me.
I wanted to cover him.
I do need wisdom. Now Pandora's box has been opened. It seams there would be no turning back. Yet he now may desire to stay there so that he does not loose his friends. The Principal will be asking him about what he wants soon.
The big meeting is December 2, at 8 am. Daddy Man is actually thinking of taking off work to attend.

Thankful Thursday

In a moment in time a perspective can be altered or illuminated. How we see a thing can be changed in an instant.
It can simply be a movement to one side or a "light bulb moment".
We stand amazed.
such was the case with this image.

I am grateful that even if my view is foggy I can still enjoy the beauty.
This a gift, a a gift made transparent through beauty.

Glee is a child in a tree

Cause ya know they just NEED to be climbed to be happy trees.

I did Not have to testify today the trial is postponed until the 9th of December.

Dove has set to create these pretty paper crafts. She learned this skill from another little girl in her class.

We attended the Grand parent/parents visitor day at her school for her class today. She had 4 family members show for her. Both grandparents and both parents. So many kids were so sad that there folks were not there.

Dash was awesome awesome yesterday.

He was so happy to have all of us there. Yes it does matter. As the Daddy man says..."A father matters". He took off time for each child both yesterday and today. We are able to do this for he has so many vacation hours that if he does not use them he will lose them.
What better way to use them than to be there for the kids.
Its the day to day not the Disneyland every year that gets our focus. Those trips would be great but I am so grateful to have those times of the day in day out availability for the kids.

Click to enlarge
Do you see him?
I was informed of his presence by beloved as he previewed the images of Dash. I did not even notice this litter guy.
I have hunted for him thrice and can not locate him.
These are my Early Girls

Over on this yard the Sweet peas are up

However they are suffering a bit for lack of water.
I do hope that they make it.

Too cute!

I am so delighted by the beauty of those things growing around my home.
Look at that color. I harvested all the spent flowers and split the dried bud for the seeds. I have a good cup of seeds. This crop of Marigolds have really enjoyed their time. I love the intense color. The size is huge for our area.

Now that's fall color!

This desert mallow? is flourishing.

The girls love to lay by the steps.
Today there was three. I have a new hen a laying.
Perspective...How we look at a thing.
His eyes have our best, view at heart