The Simple Women's Daybook

This was a grand weekend. We got to have two of the grandkids for the night while Mom and Dad went to their After Christmas Party. Then there was the quiet of a wonderful Sunday with just quiet and relaxation. It's hard to beat that! After you visit here please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman and journey along the path of life we all share.

~~Outside my window...it is dark and very COLD!!

~~I am thinking...how much fun it will be to surprise Rhonda for her birthday.

~~I am thankful for...family and friends who support and encourage me.

~~From the kitchen...leftover turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and gravy.

~~I am wearing...red and white striped nightgown

~~I am creating...a lap afghan (knitting from one of Mom's patterns)

~~I am going...to Mass and pray for the Holy Innocents.

~~I am reading...Ringing in Murder by Kate Kingsbury (A Christmas Mystery)

~~I am hoping...the weather continues to be kind to us.

~~I am hearing...mostly quiet. It's 5:00 a.m. and I'm the only one up. Duchess is snoring at my feet.

~~Around the house...Christmas lights still brighten the darkness and the glow of the manger continues.

~~One of my favorite things...is watching old movies. I might just have a Charlie Chan Marathon. All are welcome!

~~A few plans for the rest of the week: 1) Finally working on the pictures taken on vacation this summer and putting them into a book. 2) Make sure the laundry is done. 3) Pack for visit to St. Louis and the celebration of Rhonda's 60th birthday. 4) Starting the New Year with no resolutions.

~~Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The Keller Chirstmas Tree, 2009

Holiday Interlude

Want a break from the Day After Christmas tidying? You know picking up stray bows, recycling Christmas paper, soda cans, card board and plastic? I know I do. So today I offer you this bit of diversion.



Please be my guest. Visit and enjoy as long as you wish! It's time to take a break. An if you are so inclined. Share with us your own Christmas puzzle for a Holiday Interlude. After you've left your comment Please invite us to your house to share in the fun by adding your name to Mr. Linky.

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Thanks be to God!!

Merry Christmas

Wishing you all the best of days!!!! Merry Christmas!

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Thanks be to God!!!

Once Upon a Recipe

Ever since I had my first bowl of New England clam chowder when we were stationed at Ft. Ord, California in 1971, I have taken great pleasure in making it. It is a tradition in this family to have clam chowder on Christmas Eve. We gather and pray, enjoy the meal and then we share our gifts. Even when we travel to visit the kids on Christmas Eve clam chowder is served. So I offer you the Keller version of...

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

5 medium potatoes
1 medium onion
2 cans of minced clams
2 teaspoons of salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cube margarine
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups whipping/heavy cream

Peel potatoes and dice into small cubes. Finely chop onion. Place in a large pot with clam juice from minced clams. Ad just enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add minced clams, salt, pepper, mild and cream. Make roux from melted margarine and flour. Blend hot mild from the chowder pot to roux to thin the roux's consistency and then while stirring over medium heat, add roux to chowder. Continue to stir chowder until heated through. DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL. The chowder should thicken.

Serve with salad and warm buttered French or Sour Dough bread. Chowder may be served with grated cheese if desired. Serves 6 (I usually double the recipe and make two large pots when we are all together.)

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I understand how busy we all are and so if you have no time to share a recipe at this time please leave a comment about your favorite Christmas meal. May God Bless you all!!! And the Merriest of Christmases to you all!

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Thanks be to God!!!

Inspired?

It's not often that I feel that a comment I left for someone is inspired by the Holy Spirit. And perhaps it is my vanity that is allowing me to think that now. I was responding to MightyMom's post at My Wonderful Life on Rearranging. But when I finished commenting I realized I had been taught another lesson in Thanksgiving. So now I offer this to you with sincere humility.


I remember one Christmas when my Jimmy daily took all the gifts from under the tree and replaced them in a different way. I tried to stop this but soon realized this was his way of "celebrating" until the day when he could open his gifts. In some way, that's what we do in our lives. When we pray daily we are really asking God to help us place our gifts, use them and to celebrate them until we can realize that ultimate gift of heaven.

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Thanks be to God
for the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit
and to MightyMom for the
inspiration!

I have edited this from the original by adding a few words and checked the grammar, but it is essentially the same comment.

Thanksgiving

A very short reflection from Advent and Christmas, Wisdom From G. K. Chesterton.

Giving Thanks

The great saint may be said to mix all his thought with thanks. All goods look better when they look like gifts.

Saint Francis of Assisi

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES GIVE THANKS

[G]ive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

PRAYER

Lord, it is not always easy for us to give you thanks. Teach us, we pray. Teach us to thank you when we would rather grumble. Teach us to see all that we have as gifts from you. Forgive our ungratefulness. May our first and last thoughts be thoughts mixed with thanks.

ADVENT ACTION

Pick a number between ten and twenty. As you go through your day, identify reasons to give thanks to God until you reach your number. If you reach your number early in the day try for a larger number.

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We are still to give thanks for all we are given. This is a season in which we do NEED to reflect upon all which we have been blessed. My goodness just think of it. I have a job. My family is all well and healthy. I have a roof to cover my head and warm clothes to cover my body.

Then, too, I must ask. What am I doing to show my gratitude? Is it just enough to be grateful or must I do something to show that gratitude. You see, I believe that because I have been so graciously blessed I have an obligation to share what I have with others...not just during this Holy Season, but all year. Maybe this is a time for me to add a charity in gratitude for these blessing. A gift II can carry with me and offer all year. What can you/I do to continue or begin to extend gifts to others because of the blessing you/I have received?

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Thanks be to God!!!!!

Tis the Season...

With all the emails I get each day, I am amazed at the number that really are a waste of time. But at Christmas each year, it seems people try to offer their very best for the season. This is another offering gifted me this time by Jenny.

I will be make a conscious effort to wish everyone
A Merry Christmas this year...
My way of saying that I am celebrating
The Birth of Jesus Christ.

So I am asking,
If you agree with me,
To please do the same.
And if you share this with others
Maybe we can prevent
one more American Tradition
From being lost in a sea of
"Political Correctness?
Anonymous

And Thanks be to God!!!

Bad Haiku Friday

Wedding is over
Birthday celebration done
Relax it's Christmas!!!

And so now I will add a recipe that really isn't as simple to make as it would appear. Don't let that discourage you! All Chefs still have to keep making a cake until they get it right! Thanks you again to Kay!

Try this recipe for your Christmas Holiday season:


HAPPINESS CAKE

1 cup good thoughts
1 cup kind deeds
1 c consideration for others
2 cups sacrifice
2 cups well-beaten faults
3 cups forgiveness

Mix thoroughly, add tear of joy, sorrow and sympathy.
flavor with love and kindly service
Fold in 4 cups prayer and faith
blend well.
Fold into Daily life

Bake well with warmth of human kindness
Serve with a smile anytime

It will satisfy the hunger of starved souls.

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Thanks be to God!!

Christmas Cookie Rules Encore

So, you know I had the pictures for two days on my computer only to awake this morning to none. (Must have been a birthday gift and now that it's over they're gone). Well, I'm going to try to give you the pictures along with the verse again.

Christmas Cookie Rules

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street " have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage...

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

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Please let me know if the pictures are part of the post when you all read it...and then pass it on!!!! Have a grand day, all!!! And THANK YOU for visiting!!!!

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Thanks be to God!!

Christmas Cookie Rules...

My dear friend, Kay, sent this along...JUST HAVE TO SHARE!!!!!

Christmas Cookie Rules...

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calories free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.

5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street " have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.

8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage...

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

Thanks be to God!!!!!