He Leadeth Me

Many of you have heard the story of how I got my Antique Murphy Bed. If you haven't, here is the short version. I love antiques which were used for a unique purpose. When I saw a Murphy Bed like the one below in at the Canton First Monday Flea Market several years ago, I fell in love. But it was WAY above my budget. Later that year, we went to see David's sister's family for Thanksgiving. On the way, we did some sightseeing in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Of course, sightseeing always includes visiting local antique stores. And imagine my surprise when I saw the same style of Murphy bed, and this one was in my budget. There was only one problem, we had flown to Tennessee. How to get it home??? But where there's a will there's a way, and my sweet husband found a way to have it delivered it to our home in Friendswood. It has now gotten new life as the Nana and Caleb (and soon to be 3 grandchildren's) special reading spot. Life is very, very good!!! Even if...

For reasons that Mandy might choose to explain in her blog , Santa brought Caleb one of his Christmas gifts a little early. Zurg is the arch enemy of Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story and was one of the two things that Caleb told Santa he wanted for Christmas this year. Zurg came to visit Nana and Ducca along with Caleb tonight. Caleb was also playing with Susie, a pop up puppet that my mom, Sweetie, made him when he was just a little baby. Sweetie uses Susie in the Cradle Roll Bible Class she teaches. Since Caleb was one of her star pupils, she made him his own Susie. He loves Susie because she hides in her little tube and jumps out to surprise people. When he was tiny, he would call "Susie" and we would make her jump out. Now he orchestrates the jumping himself. At one time during the evening, I heard an interesting conversation between Zurg and Susie. It seems that they are now friends. Maybe Zurg isn't such a bad guy after all, or maybe old fashioned wooden p...

My children call me the "Laundry Queen". That is a compliment since I can usually find a way to get almost any stain out of any garment. But the real reason they call me that is because I LOVE to do laundry. Is that a sickness? Here are the reasons I enjoy it: #3--It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment when it is done. #2--When I have so much to do that I don't know where to start, I can always choose laundry. #1 --I sometimes find a little pair of cute Size 3 jeans in the dirty laundry basket. Now that is Heaven on Earth!

Teachers look forward to the Christmas season for two very special reasons. #1--They get a very well-deserved 2 weeks off from their teaching duties to enjoy their personal children. #2--They get to see the joy and excitement that is Christmas in the lives of their students. A few years ago my friend Debi gave me this precious "Teacher Santa" and his classroom of little angels. Isn't that the perfect Christmas decoration for an educator? When I taught 4th Grade, every year I read my students the story Marty's Secret by Diane Rayner which was originally published in Guideposts Magazine in 1983. It is a timeless story that will not fail to touch your heart. You can access the story at Guideposts.com.

I have always thought it would be really neat to have a Christmas Garland on my stairway, but alas, I have lived most of my life in one story homes in Houston, Texas. By the way, I have learned that in Colorado Springs, one story homes are called "Ranchers" and they are virtually two story homes because almost every home has a basement and if the basement is finished out, as ours is, it is really a two story home. Should I leave the Real Estate lessons to my husband???? Anyway, I thought a Christmas garland would be beautiful, but I have already shared that creativity skipped a generation in my family. The good news is that I have a daughter-in-law, Mandy, who is very creative, so she said she would help me. Off we went to Hobby Lobby for their 1/2 price garland, and floral wire. The results of Mandy's endeavor can be seen below. Actually Mandy had a little help. Jeremy and I held up the garland while she worked and Caleb cut one piece of floral wire. Close up view ...

As promised, here is Grandma Bergeron's Fruitcake Cookie Recipe. And the beautiful lady below is my grandma. She is pictured with Kelly when she was probably 80+. We had a tea and she said it was the first tea she had ever been to. Fun memories. FRUITCAKE COOKIES Grandma Bergeron 1 lb. mixed candied fruit 1/2 cup flour Put flour over fruit to separate. 1 can coconut 1/4 tsp. salt 1 can condensed milk 2 cups pecans, chopped Mix all together and drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 275 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Sitting on our dining room table is this beautiful table runner that my friend Debi gave me several Christmases ago. If I remember correctly, a friend of hers from Belgium quilted it. I love it and it has been displayed in many places over the years. If you will look very closely at the Santa dish in the middle of the runner, you will see, not candy, but something a bit more unusual. Here's a closer view. Yes, Santa is holding Scrabble Tiles. Why, you ask? Well, every evening, after dinner, David and I play a game of Speed Scrabble. Kelly and Adrian taught us the game after their friends Jenny and Scott taught it to them. We have since discovered that there are rules on the Internet . Check them out if you would like to play. These are not the exact rules that we use, but we have discovered that everyone seems to have their own rules and yes, we even make up a few of our own as the game progresses. Basically, you are playing Scrabble Solitaire. You start with all the ti...

This is list #2 of Favorite Christmas Picture Books. These books always put me in the holiday spirit. This book tells a story that each of us needs to hear (and not just at Christmastime.) I'm sure that The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey is destined to become a classic. Every father of a little boy needs to read this book. I love this book because it tells a wonderful story of sibling rivalry and sibling love. It is also set in Abilene, Texas where there is a statue dedicated to the story at the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature. Anything by Patricia Polacco is wonderful! What are some of your favorites? Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!

OK, this is just too cute if I do say so myself. As you know from a previous post, I wanted to have an Advent Calendar this year. Kelly sent me a couple of links to ideas. I LOVED the Baby Socks Advent Calendar. Mine doesn't looks the same but it is the same principle. You start with a garland. You can make your own but luckily I had one that Sweetie made me several years ago. Here's a close up view of the rag garland. The original idea called for 24 baby socks, so I started shopping. I bought some precious little white socks at Wal-Mart, but when I was at Target I found these cuties in the $1.00 Bin. Aren't they precious? You cannot tell very well from this photo, but these are teeny-tiny little clothespins. I purchased them at Hobby Lobby. You simply use the tiny clothespins to hang the little socks on the Garland. Fill each sock with a tiny treat. Won't Caleb be excited to get a Santa Stocking Treat each day in December?

It's a well known fact in our family that the creativity gene skipped a generation. Sweetie is a crafting genius and Kelly followed in her footsteps. Not so much the generation in the middle, namely me. But, I'm trying to change that. I have never had an Advent Calendar and really wanted one but could not find one that made my heart sing. Kelly told me about one that she had seen, so I decided to make it. If you look carefully in the picture below, you can see it hanging from the top of the stair railing. There are 24 little gingerbread men just waiting for a hungry little boy to eat one per day during the month of December. Here's a close-up of the delicious looking little guy! And take a look at these really neat scissors which will be used (carefully) to snip off each little fellow. As I was making this, this thought went through this newly crafty person's brain. THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR I WILL DO THIS! IT IS A PAIN! ESPECIALLY BECAUSE NEXT YEAR I WOULD ...

For many years, although Christmas has been a truly joyous occasion in the Gibson home, it has also been a "rushed" season. There never seemed to be the time to get everything ready in a leisurely manner. Today is November 30th. I woke up this morning to beautiful blue skies, nippy weather, and NOTHING on the agenda except getting ready for Christmas. Oh, the joy of retirement! The Plan Enjoy a leisurely Pre-Christmas Season! Wishing you and yours a joyous Pre-Christmas.

David and I have spent almost all of our 37 Thankgsivings in Houston with my family but this year felt different and very special because we were visitors from out of town. Here are a few random shots of the day. My mom and Aunt Wilma, my dad's sister. My brother Lynn is in the background cooking. We celebrated at his and his wife Terry's new home. Nephew Andrew The big cousins and Aunt Kim Nephew Jon and Aunt Kim Nephews Philip, Josh and Joseph playing football Nephews Joseph and Michael Niece Bethany Nephew Matthew and Great Nephew Andrew--before Andrew came along, Matthew was the youngest. Hard to believe from this picture. He is now a freshman football player. Niece Jenny Aunt Gail--also taking photos Niece Stacie and the youngest great nephew Nathan Poppy visiting with Philip (it is razor free November at least for Philip and Josh) Uncle Randy and a friend who works with my brother Lynn Nephew Joseph and Niece Emily Unfortunately, I didn't get photos of everyone...