Busy, Beautiful December

I focus on blessings and positives in this blog, almost as a coping mechanism for the things that are difficult.  A sorrow for us now is that my 95-year-old mother is finally winding down, sleeping more, eating little, no longer reaching for her water cup; a slow fading away.  She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 16 years ago come April.  It has truly been a long goodbye, but there have been many blessings along the way. 

It really is such a blessing that there are so many joys in the midst of our sorrows, and that the Lord's sustaining, comforting presence overshadows the difficulties so that there truly is peace in the midst of pain.

Grandkids, celebrations, and the blessings of our Lord and Savior's birth have characterized this month.  I'll type out our Christmas day menu at the end of this post.

I have a December birthday, but my family didn't let me go without a celebration despite the rush and crush of Christmas activities.  Our daughter (bottom, center) made a beautiful supper for us including that DELICIOUS strawberry cheesecake upper left.  And Farmer John gifted me with a Tilley hat and Muck brand boots--now, if I haven't outgrown my insulated coveralls (!) I really have no excuse for not accompanying him to do winter chores.  

On Christmas day, John and I shared an impromptu dance while we waited in line for our plates at the Christmas brunch buffet hosted by our son and his wife.  John says we've watched too many Hallmark Christmas movies and it is beginning to impact our behavior.  Not necessarily a bad thing!!!  

I'm so in love with our Christmas tree this year that I'm letting it stay until the New Year.  I usually take the tree down the day after Christmas.  

Christmas Brunch Menu

Hot spiced fruit

Cinnamon rolls 

Bacon and link sausages

Sausage gravy and biscuits

Corn pancakes with maple syrup

Afternoon

Hot spiced cider

Dipped pretzels

Party Mix

Cheese balls 

Summer sausage and snack crackers

Evening

Ham and cheese sliders

Chicken salad sandwiches

Vegetable soup

Vegie tray

When Melinda brought out the vegetable tray we were all, like, oh yes, vegetables, we remember those...good idea!!!  

There were ten of us present, and needless to say, we ate well.  

Thank you Lord for the year on the farm, for our family, for our country, for the many blessings we've enjoyed, and yes, even for the sorrows we've endured.  We are so grateful.  Blessed be Your Holy Name!  

The Lord is the strength of his people...Psalm 28:8

November, 2019

My goodness November flew by.  Thanksgiving dinner was a success, thanks to everyone pitching in to bring various side dishes in combination with my complete lack of compunction about freezing things like mashed potatoes and gravy. All I had the to do the day of our event was to coordinate an elaborate thawing process.  For anyone who believes one can't freeze mashed potatoes--Google it! Mine ended up fluffy and perfectly adequate for our needs!  Here's a link to some that are very much like what I did, but I thawed them in a low oven, stirred to fluff, and put into the crockpot on the lowest setting until serving time:

 https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/freezer-mashed-potatoes/

My really controversial move was to bake and freeze the turkey ahead.  I know, I know, I know.  Just don't argue with me on this; I'm getting older, and the last minute hassle (and uncertainty) of carving a turkey fresh out of the oven is too much for me.  One reaches a stage when "good enough" is just fine!   I bought and baked a fresh turkey, carved it, covered it with broth, and froze it right in its serving dish about a week ahead of time.  On Thanksgiving day I placed the frozen dish into a 275 degree oven for about 90 minutes, checking and adjusting the heat as needed.  At serving time I drained the excess broth, and voila!  Moist, yummy turkey.  I promise, it was just as good and perhaps better than turkey I have made the day of the event; it seems as though the gentle heating in broth rehydrates even the white meat which we all know tends to be dry.

So many sweet family times happened during November.  I always feel like placing a caveat on all the golden moments I record here; this is my "counting our blessings" blog.  I don't record sorrows, or offer counsel for others suffering the burdens of a heavy caregiving load, as I do at http://copingandpraying.blogspot.com.  It is an excellent exercise for me to place my focus upon the portions of our days that are pure, lovely, excellent and praiseworthy (see Philippians 4:8).   

It occurs to me that some folks might question whether a frozen-ahead  turkey counts as a golden moment....

But anyway, here are some November memories that accentuate the positive:  

Change happens so fast as the days shorten during November.  This was at the beginning of the month before the leaves on the red maple had turned.  

New hairdo for Mel...

New glasses frames for me...

Moose appears to really appreciate the beauty of this sunset. :-)