Welcome to Thankful Thursday - December 17, 2009

(Merry Christmas My Friends From Jo Bear)

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And Merry Christmas from Me too!

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Hope your day is going well and Sweet!

Mine has been productive thus far,  mailed

out some cards, making some cards and getting

some gifts ready to deliver soon.

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Got a lot done yesterday as well,  so am

writing down any and everything I can think

of that needs to be done yet.

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Pacing......................myself!  Yeah,  sounds

good,  doesn't it!  I am hoping I have paced

well once next week gets here!

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It is amazing how much stuff you can forget

that needs to be done yet!  lol

Anybody else have that problem!!

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Just took a break to exercise for 30 mins.,

now I am energized,  but ready for lunch!

We ate a late breakfast (see yesterdays post)

That was it!!  lol

Hubby just tried it for 1st time and loved it!

Knew he would.

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Guess I had better get on with Thankful

Thursday before I write a book here. lol

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#1

I am thankful hubby and I are feeling so

much better,  still haven't shook the

cough yet but we feel great!

#2

I am thankful for the Lovely Contata

our church had last Sunday,  it was

truly a highlight of the Christmas Season

for us,  and I keep thinking  and singing to myself

 some of the songs they sang that were so beautiful.

#3

I am thankful for our Music Minister and

his wife,  they are such a great team,

and did such an awesome job on the

Contata,  and every Sunday really!

#4

I am thankful that my Dad passed away

as a Christian.  His birthday was on Dec.

15th,  and I got to thinking about him,

(He passed away about 15 yrs. ago)

and how great it was that He came to

know the Lord just 3 months before he

passed.  God is soooo good!

#5

I am thankful for God's answer to our

prayers for his salvation as we prayed

for 14 years!  Never give up praying,

God is faithful!!

#6

I am thankful that our Sweet Friend

Lois over at "Walking on Sunshine"

has had God bless her and her family

with their hubby and dad being home

with them till after Christmas!

Then he will be going to Afghanistan

for a year.  Be sure to pray for them!

What a sacrifice.

#7

I am thankful for all of our choirs at

church.  Children's,  teen's and Adult's,

and also the drama team and handbell

choir and the others that worked hard

to do a lot of extra things, some in the

program,  some behind the scenes;

Thanks for your sacrifice and hard

work to put on such a wonderful

presentation for us all to enjoy and

be inspired by.  It was truly delightful!

#8

I am thankful to see my daughter

having fun at work and making

a brocoli casserole to take in

for a luncheon today.  It was so

cute.... that is one of the things

she has always made when we

are cooking  together for special

meals. Nice to see her using her

culinary skills for others to enjoy!

#9

I am thankful that the Lord has

made me with a desire to be creative

in a number of ways,  one of which

is making my own greeting cards,

cause it brings me much enjoyment.

I am presently working on cards

for my family and am happy with

the way they are turning out!

#10

I am thankful that at this point I am

not feeling a bit stressed out,  and

am enjoying the season very much.

#1l

I am thankful that I am getting to

go visit a dear friend of 26 yrs

tonight,  I always enjoy seeing

her when I can.....she works in

the day time so we don't get

together as much as we'd like!

#12

I would be remiss if I didn't say

Most of All............

I am thankful for Jesus,  cause I don't

know where I would be without Him!

He is the Best Friend anyone could

ever have,  no one loves you as much

as He does!

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Well Folks,  there you have it,

my Thankful Thursday List.........

Come on......... add a few things to it

yourself by adding some comments.

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Love to read those comments.

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You Have a Very Merry Christmas

(I know it is a lil early but it will be

here before you know it!)

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And I just love saying it,  don't you!!

Merry Christmas Everyone.

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Blessings & Hugs Abundant to all of you!

Nellie

A Delightful Treat

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Howdy Sweet Friends,

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Hope your day is going smoothly and you are

at peace,  and not getting frazzled by our

approaching Christmas Day.

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So far,  I'm doing okay with that course,

when all those last minute details hit,

sometimes it gets you then!  I am trying to

think ahead as much as possible so as to

derail  them if that is possible!!  lol

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The picture on my header is a picture

with a posterized affect on it!

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This is what it looks like normally!

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This was my breakfast this morning and every morning

since Monday.  I discovered something delicious and easy

that I think you might want to try.  Your hubby will probaby

like it,  and your kids just might too!

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We usually have cinamon toast and honey with pecans

or walnuts most mornings cause it is easy, we like it,

it's heart healthy,  and I don't have to think about

what to make! lol

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Well,  Monday morning I thought ya know, I just don't

feel like cinamon toast this morning,  so think I will

just put some polaner fruit spread on my toast instead

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Opened the fridge and spied the applebutter so decided

to try that instead and thought I can put the nuts on top

of that!  Just what I did.......It was mucho delicious,

much like a danish!  We use Arnold's Oat Nut Bread,

which we think is so good,  but toast your bread and

put a thin layer or as much as you want layer of apple

butter then just put pecans or whatever nut you like

on top,  you could chop the nuts up if you like!

And you will get a big surprise!!

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Here's a nice close up to make you hungry!! lol

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Doesn't it look yummy,  and it is oh soooooo good

with a nice cup of coffee!

Maybe it's time for a lil break and some quiet time!

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You have a good day now.

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I'll leave you with a few pics of Christmas

at our house!  This is in our living room.

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Sorry this one is a bit fuzzy!

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The Christmas tree is fiberoptic and changes color,

it didn't show color cause it was evidently in between

color changes.  Drats!  It is really pretty and plays

music too!

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This book has the most glorious pictures in it.

I just love Thomas Kincaide's art work!

I find a place on one of the coffee tables for it too!

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You have a Joyous Day...........

I just got off the phone talking to an old friend

of almost 40 years,  what a  Joy and a delight to talk

with her,  she is such a neat and joyful

lady.  She has granchildren both under the age

of 18 mos. and is having a blast with them.

How neat!

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Till we meet again!

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Blessings Abundant Sweeties,

Nellie

Candles and candle jar lids

(Picture of our house all lined with candles)

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Good Morning Sweet Praying Friends,

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Praying your day is starting off well.

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I am happy to report we are feeling much better

 in my household,  just some lingering cough

 for both of us.  Hubby was able to go back

 to work yesterday,  and Dee has had no more

 side pain since going to see the Dr. appt.....

 guess he scared those pains away!! lol

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We also were able to go to church and Sunday

School,  and then back Sunday Evening for our

Lovely Lovely Christmas Contata.  It was definitely

the Highlight of our Christmas Season.

It had our childrens choir,  teen choir and adult

choir,  some drama,  a manger scene with the

children as the animals,  so cute! and the

handbell choir,  a ballerina, and angels and dancers

with the twirly ribbons, and even snow at the end!

It was just Great!

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It was about and hr. and a half,  and just so

enjoyable!  And Bonnie they sang our favorite

song "Mary, did you know??",  it was so

beautiful,  and also one of the young Mom's

sang "Breathe of Heaven",  she has an amazing

voice- It was just so beautiful!

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Above is a pic of the house with our candlelights!! 

I think it actually looks much better up close and

personal!  In the windows where you see all the light,

believe it or not that is just light from our Christmas

tree.  We turned out all the lights and took the pic

from that angle thinking maybe you could see the

tree,  but it looks like we had all the lights on.

Wierd!  I turned out all the garage lights but

the garage door opener light would not go out!

Just after we finally gave up and took the pic

then it went out!!  lol

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We took the header pic using a tripod because

they were coming out looking pretty funny.

This is the first one I took!

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Looks like we have one legged people dancing around or

in some places it looks like Seahorses!  This was not

taken with a tripod and it is very hard to hold the camera

steady for a time exposure type shot!  Obviously!

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We are enjoying our candles,  don't know if anyone

else is,  but we are!!  lol

It is definitely a more subtle festivity,  but does look

really nice!

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Here is a few tips for those of you who might want

to try it!

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We used some empty yankee candle jars,

or any kind of jar candle container, or any

type of jar really that you can fit a candle

into.  The snow looking ingredient is

none other than....................

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Good ole epsom salt.  This is a 4 pd.container ,  hubby bought

 it so don't know exactly,  think it might be less expensive at

wally world or at a Drug store even,  it was less at CVS

cause I looked online cause hubby said he thought it was

around $8.00 or something and I said oh my Gosh,

 why did you buy it then!

All he could remember was that it was

more than he thought it would be!! lol

It was like $3.29 or something at CVS.

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Once Christmas is over I will be putting

it in a ziploc bag for next year!

Hey, it's clean snow!!  lol

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I heard about this from Bonnie at one designing

Woman blog,  she had seen it elsewhere on

someone elses blog.  I also saw in a magazine

where if you want frosted looking candles

you paint on some modge podge and then

roll the candles in epsom salt.  Looks very

pretty,  maybe next year I will give that a

try too!

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Remember the lid from the yankee candle jar,

how sturdy and nice they are,  I said to hubby

these are so nice there should be some sort

of thing to use them for,  I'll have to think on

that awhile and see if I can come up with some

thing.  I love to find a new purpose for something.

And He said,  well,  if  we took that plastic

ring off you could probably use it as a tea

light holder,  and he said bring me the

needle nose pliers,  and this is what he

did..................

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Actually,  I did this myself after he showed me how.

You pull the plastic away from the jar with your

finger,  then slip the needle nose pliers between the

glass and the plastic, and pull up and it will pop

right off,  make sure you have a firm grip on the

pliers or it will just slip off the plastic.

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Then  you get this.... there are no threads on the

jar lid,  so it makes a perfect tea light holder.

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Looks nice, doesn't it,  and you could put a lil

snow in there too,  if you want.  I didn't cause

I wanted the candles to be down lower

 than the ones in the jars. Cause I rotated them

with a jar then a top then a jar etc.

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If  I was going to use them in the house I would

probably put snow in them cause the yankee

candle emblem is embedded in the glass top

and you might see it a little bit,  not much tho.

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I also kept the plastic rings in a ziploc bag

cause I like to use the jars for other purposes,

that's why I had quite a few already.

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Don't know if you noticed the jars in the background

the first time you saw this picture.

They have soap, cotton balls,  and q-tips in them,

(just in case you have trouble figuring out what

something is)

But you could put candy or buttons or coffee, tea,

sugar or anything in them really.  Cause once you

clean them out really well,  there is no scent leftover.

So they are handy to have around.

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If you can think of any other uses for them,

leave a comment and tell me......love to hear

those great ideas!

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Well,  gotta get busy girls!

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Till next time!

And

Merry Christmas!

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Hugs and Blessings,

Nellie

P.S.  And our thanks to Yankee Candle,  the gift that just keeps on giving!!  lol

Have a Wonderful and Restful Sunday

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(This is a snow globe that was given to me some years

back by a friend and neighbor)

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Happy Sunday to you today,

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Hope you are having a lovely Sunday!

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I am hoping to be able to go to church

tomorrow but am feeling like I might have

a stomach virus coming on,  am so hoping

NOT!  Guess we will see tomorrow!

Tomorrow is our Christmas Contata and

we would really love to go but guess we

will see about that as well.

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I think we are being tested on our Christmas

Spirit this year!  We are doing our dead level

best to enjoy this Season even tho we are

not feeling our best!  We are determined.!!

Tonight we put out our candles in the jars

with the epsom salt snow!

They looked lovely,  need to do a few more

but have to get the labels off the jars first!! lol

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Once I get them all done I will take a picture

so you can see!  Guess you could say we are

going green this year!!  lol

Not really,  just too tired to put up lights.

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Got a few more things off my list today,

got the outside of the house decorated

and pulled up some weeds and dead

flowers that need to come up.

So looks much better.

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I will leave you with these verses

for today!

Luke 2:1-5

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In those days Caesar Augustus, issued a decreed that

a census should be taken of the entire Roman World.

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(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius

 was govenor of Syria.) 

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and everyone went to his own town to register.

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So Joseph also went up from the town of

Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,  to Bethlehem the town

of David, because he belonged to the house and

line of David.

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He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged

to be married to him and was expecting a child.

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I was just thinking I guess that would make Mary

the first unwed Mother of her day!

Never really thought of that before, but that is

probably how people would have seen it.

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I am sure she and Joseph must have taken

some ridicule for their situation,  cause people were

 like they are today, skeptics, so they probably

said you are pregnant with a child from God,

Yea Right!  This lady is off her rocker!

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And Joseph seems to be such a reasonable

man,  can't understand why he would believe

that story,  he must be crazy too!

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Well, thankfully we know they weren't crazy

at all,  just obedient servants of the

Most High God!

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What a blessing to have God's word available

to us all the time,  so we can know the true

meaning and story of Christmas!

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Ponder His goodness to us this Christmas,

and His Great Love for Us!

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Love,  Hugs and Blessings,

Nellie

Wonderful Chicken recipe

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Hiddy Ho Sweet Friends,

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Hope this finds you well, happy, and unstressed!

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Well,  today was exciting for me............

I got to go out of the house after 12 days!!

It was only to Walmart grocery shopping but

hey,  after 12 days anything sounds good.

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I am still fighting the cold,  but feeling so much

better.  Hubby is in the feeling really yukky

stage yet! 

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My daughter is doing fine,  she went to the Dr.

but was already feeling some better,  but our

concern was appendicitis,  and they ruled that

out,  and told her to give it a few days and

she has had no pain today at all.

So thanks for those sweet prayers,  they

are muchly appreciated!

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Told some of you I would post that Great Chicken recipe
 I made for Thanksgiving, so thought I would do that tonight!

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I got this recipe from and old and dear friend named Carol
 about 25 or more yrs. ago.

Can't believe it has been that long ago.

How time does fly!

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Well,  here it is sweet girls............

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Party Chicken with Rice Pilaf

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8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

(I use the Tyson flash frozen ones)

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8 strips of bacon

(I use 4 strips and cut them in half - less fat)

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1-  jar of dried beef (by Armour Star)

( I usually boil it in some water for about

10 mins. so it loses some of it's saltiness,

and pretty much I don't even use it most

of the time,  and family never knows the

difference, but it is part of the recipe.

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1 10 oz. can of cream of Mushroom soup

(I use the Campbell's healthy request soup)

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1-8oz. carton Sour cream

(I use the light sour cream - Less fat)

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Directions

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Put dried beef in the bottom of a baking dish,

then wrap Chicken with bacon (1 strip to each

pc. of chicken) and lay it on top of the dried beef.

In separate bowl combine mushroom soup and

the sour cream and mix it up, then spread it on

top of the bacon wrapped chicken.

Bake for total of 3 hrs. uncovered at 275 degrees.

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Rice Pilaf

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1 cup Uncle Bens converted rice

(I use 1/2 cup and 1/2 brown rice - good mix)

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1 can beef broth

( I use the swanson fat free broth, low salt

 for the broth and consomme now)

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1 can of beef consomme

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1 med chopped onion

(sometimes I used scallions)

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Directions

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Use a corningware type casserole dish.

Put the rice in,  then add the onion and

the broth andconsomme.

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After the chicken has cooked for one hour,

add the rice pilaf to the oven and let

the chicken and the rice pilaf cook for

 2 more hrs. @ 275 degrees.

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You will totally enjoy this dish, I can promise you!!

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I love to make things I can make ahead cause I don't like
 spending my time in the kitchen on holidays,  so I prepare

this the day before and just pop it in the oven.  I don't
 preheat the oven so I can take it right from the fridge

to the oven without worrying about my casserole
 dishes breaking from the temp. changes.

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Well,  dearies hope you have a great weekend,  and you
get caught up if you need to,  and you get help from

your hubbies and children if that is a need as well.

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I got to wish quite a few people Merry Christmas today, 
 but I was rather disappointed that no one seems to

even know what to do with Merry Christmas anymore! 
 How very Sad!!

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Oh well,  Keep those lights shining!! It makes people wonder
 why we have so much Christmas spirit,  I am sure!

And watch for opportunities to be a compassionate and
  listening ear. I had a conversation with an elderly lady
 in the store today who has a sick husband and she just
 seemed to need someone to talk to for a few  minutes,
 and I was able to  talk with her for a few mins. as we
were standing at the deli counter and to wish her a
Merry Christmas

 and she seemed surprised, but pleased and  said

 Merry Christmas to you too! 

 and she seemed a lil happier as we parted ways. 
 She was actually the first person that I don't know that
 has said Merry Christmas  back to me this
 Christmas Season. So that was refreshing!!

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Well, have a great weekend.

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Till the next time.

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Blessings and hugs

Nellie

Welcome to Thankful Thursday - December 10, 2009

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Morning Sweet Friends.

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Hope your day is going well so far!

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Getting all that decorating, shopping and

baking done???  Hope you are having

a lot of fun and enjoyment this lovely

Christmas Season!

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It is dreary and rainy here this morning,

suppose to get colder by this afternoon,

in the 60's,  that is nice and cool for us!

and we love it,  I might add.

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Hubby is in bed sick, day 4 was my worst

day,  so am expecting he will break out

with a fever here soon.  We had to cancell

his stress test for tomorrow,  but we

rescheduled for Dec.29th,  surely,  he

will be all better by then!

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Well,  this dreary day I have much to

be Thankful for as always,  because

God is soooooo Good......Always!

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#1

I am thankful to be feeling quite a bit

better,  altho not totally up to par yet,

at least,  I am in good enough shape

to take care of Jim now,  as he so

sweetly took care of me.

#2

I am thankful for simple things like:

our recliner, throat lozenges, soft kleenex,

mentholatum,  listerine, tylenol, thermometers,

chicken soup, warm beverages like tea and coffe,

because they made having this cold so much

more bearable.

#3

I am thankful for many friends on and off line

who have prayed for me while I have been sick.

and I know the reason I was able to get as much

done as I did,  and kept a good attitude in the

midst of it all was your prayers and God's

Amazing Grace!

#4

I am thankful we don't have to deal with Jim's

stress test before Christmas now!

It will be much better to do it after Christmas!

#5

I am thankful Dee has a Drs. appt. today,

and we are praying he can find out what

these sharp pains are all about,  cause she

has no other symptoms at all!

#6

I am thankful for the lil Snowmen in my

header picture,  hubby gave them to me

about 5 years ago,  and I just adore them.

they make me smile everytime I see

their adorable smiley faces.

#7

I am thankful we were able to help and

encourage someone this week that was

feeling totally devastated, and they were

able to leave with a smile on their face!

So good to be used by God,  and so

good to be able to love on people.

#8

I am thankful and feel so priviledged

because someone asked me to make

a Special Card for their wife.

That blessed my heart!

#9

I am thankful for a man we do not

know personally,  but his name is

Paul David Tripp,  and he is the author

of a book entitled "Lost in the Middle,

mid-life and the Grace of God".

I may have mentioned this book

before and this is the book we are

teaching in Sunday School.

#10

I am thankful for the things we have

learned from this book and from this

man,  because we are having quite

a few opportunities to share it with

others,  and it is helping them to

have a better perspective on trials

and tribulations in their life.

#11

I am thankful every day that I serve

a Risen Savior,  and that He is alive

and well today,  and I know because

He lives within my heart!

He is the Best Gift a person could

ever get for Christmas or anyday!

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Well that wraps up my list.

Take a minute and write a comment

and let the world know what you

are thankful to God for.

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See ya next time

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Love, Hugs and Blessings,

Nellie