December 16, 2022 - Msg 118459:
Boo...Thank You for the Christmas 🎄pot holder...Does it work on hot knees too?...lol I will use it....G-F
December 16, 2022 - Msg 118460:
Here's the 2022 version of my Christmas Card for y'all to enjoy. Thank you all for adding more Mayberry to my world.
https://youtu.be/AImMay2NH-E
- Allan "Floyd" Newsome
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118461:
THANKS FLOYD, THAT WAS VERY NICE! And you even swept the porch for us too.
You are a "trea-sha" Al! (And you ARE an AL! :)
I hope everyone is doing OK. RO, Spot, Possum, Sterling and GF all had some weather,
storms etc. Please check in when you can.
All is well here, in fact very nice weather lately.
Last night was our Church's Christmas Concert. One song was an accapella
version of "Lo, How a Rose Er Blooming" and it was so beautiful.
The choir and the children's choir were just great, along with cellists,
organist, etc. BOO, I guess I didnt recollect that you were raised Methodist.
That will be nice to go back there again. Prayers continue daily for Erin.
ASA, my prayers for you and your family also. I sure hope you are over
that creeping crud that is out there.
PH, if you are looking in, please let us know if all is well.
have not seen you in a while.
Tonight on tbn the Botecelli family had a Christmas special, and tomorrow
I will watch a videotape (yup, you read that right) (ha) of an old Andy Williams
special that I recorded years ago.
May the Peace of the Prince of Peace be yours this day, :)
MDC
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118462:
Morning all. I feel like I am back amongst the living. I apologize for my being gone so long but both Debbie and I have been so sick. Caught some horrible cold or something that gave us terrible coughs. Glad to report Debbie is much improved. I am still feeling awful. If I try to talk it just turns into a coughing spasm that lasts for hours. Has zapped my energy level to zero. But hopefully I am on the mend.
I appreciate so much your concern and prayers. I tried to have a conversation with Romeena by phone when she called but I was not able to talk much without hacking. My energy levels are improving a bit, but I fear this cough will be with me a whils.
GF, Thank you so much for the gift. Very thoughtful thing. I almost didn't get it. The "DO NOT BEND" warning on it my mail carrier set it on my front porch. But she didn't tuck it under the mat or anything and I guess the wind blew it off the porch behind some roeses. One day I happen to notice something white there and got it and it was your package. Anyway, thanks again for your kindness.
I am getting all your cards and appreciate them all. I hope you can forgive me but I am not going to get any out this year. My daughter has been doing my shopping and I just try to give her only the essentials to get.
Anyway, so nice to be back. I can assure you your prayers are felt.
Asa
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118463:
You’re welcome G-F!
Welcome back Asa. I’m so sorry you’ve been sick. I have a bad cold right now and have been coughing my head off. I hope I don’t get it as bad as you.
Boo
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118464:
Well my cold is getting worse. Chills and aches and this crazy cough!! Wonder if I have what Asa has. I’m going to take a Covid test.
Boo
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118465:
Asa...Glad to see ya back!...Good to hear you are on the upswing side of it..I have the same problem when the mailman puts stuff on my porch...It’s like a wind tunnel..🌬💨
The Cousin of Mr. Darling, it was nice talking to you today, once we established communication!...lol
(In my best Ben Weaver the landlord voice)
Boo...Sorry about how you’re feeling...I ain’t no Doctor Pendyke but it seems there’s so many strains of stuff nowadays it’s hard to tell just what we have anymore 🤒🤧
G-F...
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118466:
I'm glad y'all liked this years Christmas card. If you'd like to see all my old online Christmas cards, head over to https://imayberry.com/christmas
--Floyd
December 17, 2022 - Msg 118467:
Boo, I received your gift today. Thank you so much. You are such a good friend. I sure hope you don’t get what I have had. It is awful.
Asa
December 18, 2022 - Msg 118468:
Yes, GF, that was a nice conversation! He started out asking if I was the
cousin of (what I thought he said...) Mr. DARWIN. So I said, "I think you have
the wrong number." To which he said, "Wait, this is Goober-Fife, and said DARLIN', not Darwin!" Ha, and thus began a pleasant 20 minute talk!
BOO- I also received you precious home-made hot pad/pot holder today.
Thank you so much! Another unique and thoughtful gift!
BTW, today was the Fiesta Bowl Parade, and I always think
of you now since you said you had marched in it back in the '70s.
You mentioned gifts to Shoreline. Just wondering, did they ever fix up
the place?
Oh, BTW, the list that RO sent out has a wrong phone number for Frank.
He just got a new one a few days ago. I don't want to say it here,
but will email it to those I have addresses for.
My prayers for all of you to have good recoveries. I'm right there in it,
but continue to be proactive with my daily supplements, exercise, diet, etc.
It is not fool-proof, I know, and I am very conscious and careful of what I do.
"Merry Christmas you good old Building and Loan!" :)
MDC
December 18, 2022 - Msg 118469:
Glad you all like your potholders. I’m feeling mighty puny and still have a fever but I’ll pull through!
Boo
December 19, 2022 - Msg 118470:
BOO-so sorry that you are not feeling well.
Sure hope it clears up soon.
Tonite we had the beautiful Las Posadas (the inns)
at church. "Mary and Joseph" went around to several
"inns" (classrooms) but were told 'no room.'
But at the last one (social hall door) they are welcomed
and we had a big potluck dinner with mariachis!
Joy to the World! :)
Keep well,
MDC
December 20, 2022 - Msg 118471:
Boo: thanks so much for Christmas Potholder. I appreciate you thinking of your porch family and creating such a festive and handy thing for us. Now we can all smile and think of you and your friendship during the holidays.
I will check in late and post more but I gotta get busy here at work.
Prayers and blessings to all
Big Maude
December 20, 2022 - Msg 118472:
Well, good morning, porch! Finally! I've been healthy, but my computer has been on the puny list. I don't know what virus it caught, but whatever it had (and still has, to a small degree) it has been a pestilence. I've had Best Buy's Geek Squad involved remotely (did you know they can and will do that, and there is no charge?) and they've finally fixed most of the problems, but not quite all. My bank still won't accept my sign-in, and I have to reset my password every time I try to go to my bank. (That may be the bank's fault, not my computer.) So far, there have been fifteen (15) password resets. It will display a big confirmation (You have successfully reset your password!) and it lets me in, but once I close out, it won't work the next time and I have to do another reset. Very annoying! I'm running out of the imagination to concoct all those new passwords! Well, at least I can get into my account now. Before Best Buy worked on it, I couldn't even do that. I couldn't get on the porch either, because there was no navigation at all for about five days. I could get to the imayberry site, but clicking on anything that would move me to another site (like "The Front Porch") would bring up a little box that informed me that "There is no .exe file associated with this site" or something close to that. At least now I can move around from site to site. Oh, how I miss my friend Bruce. There was never a glitch with my computers that he couldn't fix remotely. He was in Florida, but he would sign into my computers, take control of the cursor, and in about a half hour I would have a like-new computer again, everything working perfectly, and all bugs killed. Cigarettes did it to him, eventually. Lung cancer. Three packs a day, and he told me his lungs were "rotted out", and then it spread to his kidneys, and he was gone. Any smokers out there? Please stop. We don't want to lose you.
I don't know why God has chosen to bless me as He has, but I'm grateful. If you were to read my medical history, you might wonder at the "blessed" comment. It sounds rather awful, but it's misleading. Yes, I've had cancer, twice. First time, at age 40, was stage 3b. Not good. Required a mastectomy, radiation and a year of chemo. Not fun, but was effective. Life expectancy at the time was two years, tops. Yet here I am, 43 years later. Second time, a second mastectomy was done, elective this time, to restore balance and comfort. To everyone's shock, a tiny cancer was found, was even missed by a mammogram, but postop pathology revealed it. No treatment needed, and that was around 15 years ago. I have arthritis, and scoliosis that has reduced my height by over three inches, and has changed my center of gravity, and therefore messes with my balance. That's why I no longer climb, for any reason. Light bulb burned out? Wait for a tall person to come by! I ricochet around the house at times, but I know where all the convenient hand-holds are, so have never fallen. I have two bad valves in my heart, but the cardiologist says they do not need to be replaced, that I will die with those bad valves. Note: He said "with", not "from." I still have an ejection fraction of around 60% and that's about as good as anybody gets. By the way, know that it was once 49%. On my own, I started taking Co-Q-10, and in two months the EF went to 60%. I told my doc I was taking it, and his words were classic: "Don't stop!" Don't worry, I won't!
As I said, lots of things wrong, but yet I feel good, and am very, very rarely sick. I haven't had a headache in about 28 years. I can pinpoint the time, because up until then I had been having terrible migraine headaches, often causing me to have to leave work in the middle of the day. Trust me, that doesn't make one popular with the hospital! It had been going on for about three months when my Dale remarked that it seemed they had started about the time we went on a weight-loss plan and started drinking diet sodas instead of the real thing. I quit them, and within two weeks the headaches had disappeared, never to return. Not even a little old garden-variety plain headache. Not once. Also, I haven't had a cold in years. The last one was in 2005. Eloise and I were in a plane, flying home from Mongolia. There was a man on the plane, wearing a long "dress" thing and a turban. He walked the aisles constantly, with the flight attendants pleading with him to remain in his seat. He was coughing and sneezing and spitting into a napkin the whole time. I think he had some Middle Eastern bug, and I caught it, and so did most of our group. Terrible cold for four days. The doctor says it's my age. At 83, I've likely already had every cold virus there is, so I'm immune to all of them! I just never seem to get one, when everyone else is honking and sneezing and feeling terrible. So, for me, I have the normal aches and pains (and leaky nose) that come with being 83, and other than that - I feel great! My beloved dad used to laugh and say, "Getting old is annoying. All my favorite parts have either fallen out, hurt, don't work, or leak!" I think he was right. Nothing we can do about it, so just laugh and go on! And laugh he did! My dad could always find the funny side of a situation. It was a gift.
Well, this grows too long. That's what happens when I can't get to the porch for days and days! Blessings, everyone. Keep looking up! --Romeena
December 20, 2022 - Msg 118473:
Romeena...If you posted something like Ron Swanson (Parks & Recreation) “I regret Nothing..The End” THEN we’d worry about you....We Always Learn something from you!...But then again Ron had wisdom too...lol
I never watched that show when it was on years back, but it clicks my sense of humor now in syndication...
Winter Storm for the Christmas 🎄 weekend...Lowest temps in 22 years so they say....Joy to The Ohio World...Hopefully Asa had a good talk with Helen before he got sick....
G-F....
December 20, 2022 - Msg 118474:
You’re welcome Maude. Got your card yesterday and was tickled that we both bought Peanuts cards this year.
Glad you’re well, Ro. I’m trying hard to get well but it’s kind of slow. I’m coughing more today and feel like I got kicked in the ribs by a mule!!
Boo
December 21, 2022 - Msg 118475:
Maude and BOO--...and I did my PEANUTS nativity front yard scene this year!
If Charles Shultz was still living, he'd be 100 this year.
Tonight we went to the Phoenix Zoolights! Wow, they bought some
new figures and lights from previous years. It was good to see so many people enjoying
life again. Last night we saw the lights at the Mormon temple in Mesa.
Their first time back since covid, and they were quite impressive too.
Now we are just going to 'glide' into Christmas.
We will have lunch with family who are here at a restaurant on the 23rd,
and then Cecile and I will go to 11 PM Mass on Christmas eve.
Christmas day will just be the two of us, which has worked out good
for the past few years.
RO--very funny what you said about aches and pains, and of what your dad said!
Yup, I have mine too, plus a metal hip, two cow heart valves, and acrylic
eye lenses! ha Some things don't work anymore, and some need a kick start in the AM,
but like you, I too still feel blessed. :) My latest EF was 58%! We must have walked
2 miles around the zoo tonight, and only stopped once to rest for a bit.
My goodness, Christmas is almost here. I again say THANKS for the cards, the friendship,
the prayers, the love, the banter, the joy, and our shared faiths!!
Peace to you and yours,
MDC
December 21, 2022 - Msg 118476:
SPOT, POSSUM, PH, JM, STERLING, NN, KY GIRL, AND ALL
PLEASE STOP BY FOR SOME HOT CHOCOLATE! :)
December 22, 2022 - Msg 118477:
I'm right here,MDC! Came out from under my rock long enough to welcome Spotty to the "63" Club! It sure ain't the Esquire Club,ol dog,but it ain't too bad!
Happy Birthday, Spotty!!
Party at O Malley's cabin later tonight!
******************
possum under a rock
December 22, 2022 - Msg 118478:
Good morning, porch. Actually, it's 12:27 pm. I've already been to an ophthalmologist appointment, and was blown back home by a powerful "blue norther". The present temperature is - are you ready - a very chilly 18°, with a strong north wind blowing. The predicted high is 45°, with a low tonight of 10°. Drat! There go some more of my outdoor plants. There are a couple of shrubs that likely won't survive that low temp. I've covered what I can, including outdoor faucets, but 10° is pretty dadburn cold! All I can say is - where is global warming when we need it? Some see it as a threat - right now, to me it sounds like a pleasant dream!
That north wind must have been terribly strong last night. Even after Eddie cleaned them up twice, once again my front yard was under a thick layer of leaves, but no longer. There might be a handful of leaves out there, with none left on the trees. The rest are visible far down the street, and if that wind blows again, they'll be miles away by morning. Eddie will be thrilled!
If I disappear again, know that I'm still having computer problems. That miserable "bomb" hit it again last night. The same one that has hit three times in the past year. I know now to just shut the computer down, turn it off completely, when that happens and to do it immediately. I did, and this morning when I fired it back up, it looks pretty good. I'm going to wait until after Christmas now, and let my grandson Gary work on it remotely (he lives in Seattle). He's quite savvy about such things, and has already restored a couple of things that Best Buy missed earlier. I don't want to intrude on his Christmas holiday, and as long as I can get on the porch and also can read my email, it can wait. I think it will handle anything that I might be inspired to write, also, though I don't have anything rattling around in my head right now, except my marbles!
Blessings, friends! I think I'll go bake some cookies. Keep looking up! --Romeena
December 22, 2022 - Msg 118479:
Oh man, if you just got that blue norther, we’ll be feeling it soon, Ro. God please dont let us all lose power like the last time!
Woohoo!! Party at the cabin. I’ll bring the sqweezins and some LPs
Boo
December 22, 2022 - Msg 118480:
Happy Birthday, SPOT
Maybe Big Maude can invite Naomi and Sally and we can slow dance to some Ted Weems. Real dreamy stuff!
Boo, I'll see if Sam Muggins will let have some moonshine too!
Merry Spot's Birthday Christmas!
John Masters
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118481:
Good morning, porch! Once again, it's colder than a blizzard here, at 16°! This is Texas, for cryin' out loud! It's not supposed to get that cold here!
Clear blue skies, no wind, blindingly bright sun, and 16°. Go figure! The only critter traffic I see in the back yard is a couple of pigeons. There is almost no wind at all, just a little gentle ruffling in a limb here and there at times. Boo, I guess that blue norther is on its way to you, because it's not doing anything here right now. There is a small iceberg floating in my fishpond, but the pumps are still working, keeping the water aerated, so I guess the fish are okay. I haven't gone out there, because there's nothing I can do if they're not okay. I've thought about carrying warm water out there and adding it to the pond, but it would do no good. The pond is about 800 gallons, and the gallon or two that I could carry would have little or no effect. If the fish in the rivers and ponds and streams can handle it, I guess my little fish can, too.
OK, off I go. Grocery store, and the bank, then home to bake something, not sure what yet. Blessings, friends! Keep looking up! --Romeena
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118482:
Ohhhh…that cold front arrived yesterday at about four and that wind howled like a banshee all night. I remembered the trash can had to go to the street for pickup so at about 10pm Sean and I bundled up and walked it out there. I don’t remember it ever feeling as cold here in my life. It was about 21 degrees at that time but with the wind felt much colder. It’s still in the 20s this morning but not windy. The skies are overcast though so not going to warm up much. I felt bad for the feral cats around here but hoping they found the hay in our metal barn. At least it’s dry so no worries about ice. Haven’t lost power either.
Well, hope everyone is staying warm.
Boo
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118483:
Hello porchsters. In these parts, the temp dropped from 42 at 8pm yesterday to below zero this morning.
I just watched Ellie Comes to Town and noticed a few things. First, Barnie parked in front of a neighborhood mail box, which is a sure way to get us feds mad at you. Then Andy said Aunt Bee's bill was 3.23, but Ellie rang it up on the cash register as 1.23. Then the strange rubbing as Ellie cleaned the glass door, as only a circle came clean. Despite the rubbing, the supposed window cleaner didn't budge a bit outside the circle. And finally, in the great reveal, it becomes apparent Ellie knew the pills were sugar pills ALL ALONG. When I've watched before, I just thought she figured it out during the day. But by virtue of the dialogue, there's no question she always knew. If so, why in the world did she demand a prescription? When Andy asks her, she says there's some prescribed rules she must follow as a pharmacist. I guess I wasn't aware of any rules about sugar pills. I know it's just a TV show, but that seems an awful bit of writing. It'd been much better, and much more believable for her to have "found out" from her uncle. I guess I have a Compelsion Complex about this stuff.
Billy Ray the Retired Postman
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118484:
Hey folks! And Merry Christmas to all of you!
Don't worry, Billy Ray, we all notice stuff like that too on a fairly consistent basis. I looked at my wife and said, "Why didn't Ellie call her uncle?"
Quick survey at the Porch here....I used to think starting to decorate and celebrate Christmas in, like early November, was way too early and I thought it was ridiculous. However...I have changed with time. With the way the world and our country has changed in the last several years and the stress we all have in one form or another, I figure what's the harm? If it gives you some extra Christmas joy and happiness and it helps you, why not?! To each his own. I know it has helped me. I start decor and music on November 1.
What are your thoughts?
Take care, Porchsters. And remember...be alert out there. WAY too much meanness going on!
John Masters
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118485:
John Masters, yep, I wondered why she didn't call. Or why Andy didn't suggest it. And I have to say, Andy massively gave off a creepy vibe. It definitely looked like he was flirting with Elinor Donahue.
Billy Ray the Retired Postman
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118486:
Well, Billy Ray, now I am going to have to go watch that episode. I never noticed most of what you mentioned.
I think that is just great, John Masters and I agree with you, especially as I age. I started to realize I only have so many Christmas seasons left.
Its still in the 20s here but we have a nice fire going. Getting the last minute desserts done. Erin and her friend are going to make the chicken enchiladas for Christmas Eve tonight and if I am feeling brave enough, I may take a drive to see some lights.
Boo
December 23, 2022 - Msg 118487:
Hello everyone! My goodness, y'all sure do got some
weather goings on! All is calm here, and bright (to complete the hymn line. ha)
My prayers continue for you and yours, especially for ASA.
Billy Ray, I too will have to look at that ep again.
You certainly are a trained noticer.
JM, good to see u checking in. I am in the "right after Thanksgiving" camp.
A radio station starts Christmas music that day, and I'm right there in it!
We are all set to go here. Had a nice lunch today with local family
members, lots of reminiscing of christmases past.
You all know my story about Santa coming to the house, but several
Christmases were pretty lean, but we were happy and content.
One year all 4 of us boys got a basketball. (Yup, one ball for all
4 of us.) Since the school was across the street, we played with that ball down to
the bare inner lining! haha Good, simple times.
Thank you Jesus! :)
Later my friends,
Peace and Love,
MDC
December 24, 2022 - Msg 118488:
Merry Christmas porch to my porch family!
It’s 8 degrees here , windy and snow flurries. I am very thankful I have a warm home, food and family and each of you as friends.
This weather will eventually pass thru and become more the norm for this time of year for our region. Hopefully sooner rather than later… lol
Thanks to everyone for the Christmas cards 🎄🎅🏼
Prayers and blessings for each of you .
Big Maude
December 24, 2022 - Msg 118489:
Well, one more big ol' MERRY CHRISTMAS! to you and yours! Seems like it arrived so fast this year, but that's how it is when the uptake spool contains more than the offload spool does.
All you "trained noticers" amaze me. How do I miss all those things? I must have seen every episode at least a hundred times over the years, I could write the script down for them if it was ever needed, but apparently I miss a lot! Oh well, as it has been said,"ignorance is bliss!"
MDC, your memories match mine to some extent. I remember when I was about ten, and got my first bicycle. I remember it well. It was obviously second-hand, there was a tiny dent in one fender, and the brushmarks in the new paint job were pretty noticeable as well. I thought it was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen, perhaps because I could recognize my dad's efforts in trying to make it pretty for me. I wanted to bring it into the house at night, but my mom gently refused, noting that there really wasn't room for it in our tiny abode. So, I carefully leaned it against a tree by the back door, and draped it with towsacks. Perhaps that's "gunnysacks" to some of you, depending upon your locale. Or "burlap bags" to those with a more elegant vocabulary. Anyway, we always had a bunch of those bags around, all having arrived containing various forms of critter feed.
In the early to mid-40s, we were as poor as church mice, but I didn't know it. Everyone I knew was on about the same level, so it just didn't matter. Also, my parents never mentioned it, never let me feel "poor", and were prone to just laugh at such things, especially my father. He could make something funny out of anything. I remember one day when he came into the house, laughing out loud. He called my mother out of the kitchen and said, "Guess what I just did! I just put a tire patch on the tire patch that was already there!" n those years, all tires contained an "inner tube", and during the war years, when you couldn't buy new tires, you just put a "Monkey Grip" patch on the holes that would appear in those old tubes. Same with bicycles. Daddy even taught me to patch my own bike's tires when the innertube would get a hole it in. He clearly cherished me, but he wanted me to be independent as well. Anyway, most tires contained tubes that were more patches than tube, but nobody seemed to mind. The attitude in those days was "we're all in this together", and that helped a lot. We have lost that, and I think that's sad.
Well, enough philosophizin'! Again, Merry Christmas to each and every porchster, and all of your kin! Blessings for the New Year, and prayers for a return to sanity in America. Keep looking up! --Romeena
December 24, 2022 - Msg 118490:
Merry Christmas to all the Porchsters!
Billy Ray the Retired Postman
December 25, 2022 - Msg 118491:
Merry Christmas to all from VERY cold South Carolina!
Thanks for all of the Christmas cards and sentiments-they helped make the season bright!
*****************
possum under a rock
December 25, 2022 - Msg 118492:
Good Christmas Day, everyone! It feels like Christmas here in the Dallas area, at 23°! The only thing missing is the snow! Instead, we have clear blue skies and bright sunshine! There is an iceberg floating in the fish pond - some strange formation apparently formed by the movement of the water as the pumps circulate it. Weird!
We had a lovely evening at David and Brittany's beautiful home last night. If Brittany ever gets tired of being a realtor, she could be an interior decorator, for sure! She has such good taste, imagination and just the right touch of whimsy in the things she does in their home. I took a lot of pictures last night!
Trinket and Diesel had a wonderful time. They've always been such good buddies, and enjoy playing together so much. I had told Trinket early in the day yesterday that we were going to Diesel's house, and she understood me very well. She hung out by the door to the garage all afternoon!
I went to my church's Christmas Eve service, at 4 pm, and from there Eloise and Jerry and I went out to David and Brittany's house. The service was beautiful, and one high point was when our young pastor was seated in an easy chair on the platform at the front, and he called all the children to come up and gather around him. Then he read the Christmas story to the children, which prompted some lovely, often funny, moments. There were about 15 children up there, from toddlers to a couple of kids about 7 or 8 years old. One blushing young mom had to go up and corral her little wild one, who was just wandering around, tapping the pastor on the shoulder, talking loudly, and just generally being an active two year old. So precious! As an aging congregation, we are delighted to have this influx of small children once again. It reminds us all of how things were 50 years ago, when so many of us were new members with young families. Over time, that has changed. We're all silver-haired and arthritic now, our children are all grown and moved away, and a once-big group of children has disappeared. Our new pastor is young, has three small children of his own and is about to adopt a two-year-old boy out of India, just fighting the paperwork. He has appointed four more young men to serve as associate pastors in various departments, and they all have small children! It's just wonderful to see all those little kids around the church again. They are just so sweet!
Today, we're all gathering at Eloise and Jerry's house, since I did Thanksgiving here this year. I'm making a big bowl of fruit salad, which everyone loves, and also taking some pickled beets, which most do not love, but Jerry and I do! Eloise doesn't like them and usually won't bother with them, but Jerry and I will clean up what I bring. Hey, they come in a jar, pretty easy "take-along"!
Well, better get started draining the juice out of the pineapple, mandarin oranges, diced mango, and cherries, or we'll have fruit soup, instead of fruit salad. Add marshmallows and shredded coconut, a little sour cream for zip, and some whipped cream for "smooth" and it will be done. Everybody loves it! Including me!
Blessings, everyone! Merry Christmas, and keep looking up! --Romeena
December 26, 2022 - Msg 118493:
Merry Christmas, porch family!🎄
Boo
December 26, 2022 - Msg 118494:
Happy Birthday, MDC!! Are you still a spring chicken??!
*************
possum u.a.r.
December 26, 2022 - Msg 118495:
I hope you all took stock in those little blue jars...powerful good medicine.
December 26, 2022 - Msg 118496:
Hello all! Sure hope everyone had a good Christmas.
I also had a nice birthday today. My family always comes thru
with gifts and cards. My folks always tried to make my
birthday special since it was right after Christmas,
even by naming me Steven on the "feast of Stephen!" :)
I will write more later tomorrow.
Pax,
MDC
December 26, 2022 - Msg 118497:
Is that you Homemaker??
Boo
December 27, 2022 - Msg 118498:
Good morning, porch! A beautiful, bright, clear day here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Pretty cold at 32°, but heading for a high of 50°. I walked the yard briefly, and found that two of my few remaining rose bushes (thanks to the Rose Rosette blight that swept this area about three years ago) have been hit hard by the freezing temps of the past few days. There are about four pathetic little leftovers in the back yard, but they don't seem to have been hurt too badly. However, my beautiful little Cinco de Mayo rosebushes, beside the driveway out front, were hit hard. Their tops are all brittle and brown, and buds that were about to open are now just little hard nubbins. They'll never open. Those bushes are on the north side of the house, no protection at all, and they just got trashed. Time will tell whether the root base survived. As I asked earlier - whatever happened to global warming???
My Dale's brother (Walter) and his dear wife (Anne), who live in Michigan, have come to Texas to see their son (Duane), who lives in one of the suburbs between Dallas and Ft. Worth. My David is having them over this afternoon and evening, and has invited me to come out as well. Anne is a lovely lady, and Walt has always been a bit of a buddy for me. He was just about 12 or so when Dale and I married, is fun and funny, and we've always gotten along well. I like them both very much. This should be a pleasant day.
Grrrr. My cellphone is an Android, a Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and I really like it. It's practically an antique now, I think the Note 20+ is the current rage, but I'm not looking for a replacement. However, the protective jacket that David bought for it when it was new, just cracked and fell off! I started looking for a new one, and learned that the stores don't carry any that old, so will have to order from Amazon and take my chances. At least they're not expensive, $10-$20. Still, I'd really prefer to be able to be sure it fits properly before I buy it. Oh well.
Christmas was so nice! A peaceful and sweet service at my church, then out to David and Brittany's beautifully decorated home. David is very creative with lights and such, and if Brittany ever gets tired of selling real estate, she could easily be a decorator. Excellent taste, very imaginative and everywhere you look, you will see something beautiful, sweet, charming and spiritual. I don't know how she does it! They have discovered the MacKenzie-Childs collection of decor items, and this year, for the third year now, they gave me pieces from the Christmas collection. I had never even heard of it until they gave me the first piece two years ago. It's a whimsical figure of a moose, standing up like a person, about 3 ft. tall, wearing a red robe, and with big, wide-spread antlers. I named her Chrissy Moose! The antlers are painted in black and white check, which is the signature of MacKenzie-Childs. Any piece they make, no matter how large or how small (they even make salt shakers!), there will be a checkerboard feature somewhere. They are just charming. Last year, they gave me a pair of stocking hangers, to sit on the mantel and hold a stocking. They are snowmen, about 10" tall, dressed English gentleman style, with a black & white check tophat, a generous-sized mustache, and a monocle! Too cute! This year, they gave me a big cookie jar, a snowman (of course) with a checked tophat, and black and white striped muffler around his neck. He will never be used as a cookie jar (too risky) so he sits in a place of honor in the middle of my snowman collection on the mantel. It has already been made plain to one and all that any gifts given to me are to pass to the original giver when I'm gone. I think that's only fair, all my children agree, and I like knowing that my earthly treasures will have good homes. My Trinket will live with D&B, and her buddy Diesel. Oh, mercy! How spoiled-rotten she will be! (No, there are no hidden or implied messages here. I'm fine, I just like to plan ahead.)
MDC, I wished you a Happy Birthday on the day, as part of a long and laboriously written "Merry Christmas" message, and just at the very end, I managed to hit that mysterious "Cancel it all" key that I've never been able to identify, and Poof! It was gone. Too disgusted to try again, so anyway, I'm glad you had a happy birthday!
Well, guess I'd better get myself together and get ready to go out to David's. I'm looking forward to seeing Walt and Anne. They're good, kind and lovable people, and I wish they lived closer! Blessings, friends. Keep looking up! --Romeena
December 28, 2022 - Msg 118499:
I just watched the Christmas episode and dogged if that don't sound like Burl Ives singing with Ellie.
Billy Ray the Retired Postman
December 29, 2022 - Msg 118500:
Well, here it is, almost another new year!
I remember JFK's inaugural speech when he talked about the torch
being passed to a new generation, and as I gain one more year,
it hits home how that cycle continues. Like RO, I am not implying
anything, I'm just saying that i am now more aware of that happening.
One such example is how I heard recently that almost all the WWII vets are gone
now, and what a generation they were!! Anyway, HAPPY (almost) NEW YEAR!
RO, I do believe you are correct about our childhoods. We didnt really
'know' that we were 'poor,' but when my dad inserted cardboard into
my shoe to cover a hole in the sole, I kinda wondered. Ha. :)
I'm not sure if you have read any of my brother's book, but he talks
a bit about it.
Last night we went to a park in Scottsdale that has a scaled down train
that can be ridden, and a huge indoor model railroad layout about
the size of a football field. It was a great time.
Today we got RAIN! It is much needed, with more coming on Thursday.
I normally take down my display on the 1st, but now i may be delayed
so everything can thoroughly dry out. But that's OK with me.
Did y'all here about the big Southwest Airlines mess with all the
cancelled flights? Apparently their worker scheduling program is way out
of date and could not handle the situation. I have a nephew who was trying
to get home from Seattle to El Paso on the 24th. Ended up in a motel for
Christmas eve, and finally got a flight to El Paso at 9 PM on Christmas!
A lot of refunds are coming down the pike!!
Now to a bit of tags. At the very end of the bird episode tonight,
when Andy hides the radio in the desk drawer, and Barney thinks the goldfish
are talking, may have been the inspiration for the writers of the Talking Dog episode! ha
Also, for the first time tonight I realized that the other kid by the
Remshaw house is "Arnold" the spoiled kid! :)
Prayers continue for ASA's family and ALL porchsters and your families.
God bless,
MDC
December 29, 2022 - Msg 118501:
MDC...Yes Arnold Winkler is the kid in the Haunted House episode, I guess him getting his bicycle 🚲 taken away got him straight and he doesn’t live in Raleigh anymore, and realized they have “Rules” in Mayberry...OBEY ALL RULES!...
BTW...I got to meet Arnold (Ronnie Dappo) and even had my picture made with him...Nice Guy, as is Jonny Paul Jason
( Keith Thibodeaux ) Howie Pruitt (Dennis Rush)
Peace ☮️ Love ❤️ and Little doughnuts 🍩.....G-F
December 29, 2022 - Msg 118502:
I sympathize with you concerning your plants, Ro. We tried covering and taping ours but the winds were just so strong. It looks like we may have lost quite a few but it remains to be seen some spring. I had three lovely hibiscus bushes that are looking bad, and so much lantana that is pretty sad looking, as well as sage and Esperanza. They might surprise me, though. Glad you had a good Christmas!
Its been warm in the seventies here for the last two days. Too humid but not cold like before.
Not planning anything much for new year's this year. We are just tired and ready to relax. Zach and his little family are coming over tomorrow and then we have to go to my neices house on saturday for lunch and a family gathering there, and then I'm free!
Have a good evening
Boo
December 29, 2022 - Msg 118503:
Oh, and to answer your question concerning global warming, Ro...you will see plenty of it this summer. lol
Boo
December 29, 2022 - Msg 118504:
Good evening, porch! The computer is working at the moment, and even graciously decided to allow me into my bank account today! I have been able to get in all along, but only once on each occasion. Close out, and it wouldn't let me back in and I would have to reset my password. The high so far is nineteen times. However, yesterday to my utter surprise, it let me back in after a close-out, and so far has continued to do so. Weird, weird, weird. A few other things that were kaput have suddenly decided to work as well. It seems to be fixing itself, a little at a time, and that makes no sense. However, I won't question a glitch repair, however unlikely it may be.
MDC, I have begun reading your brother's book, have just gotten to Chapter 6. He is a very good writer, and I've found the book quite interesting. Once Christmas settles down a bit, and I'm not running hither and yon, I will settle down and finish it. I like to read in long, quiet, peaceful stretches. I don't like to read in little bits and pieces. My sunroom is my favorite place to read. I've got a loveseat out there, that will recline somewhat, and the natural light is nice, especially on a cloudy day. Love it when there's a power outage! I just grab a good book, a glass of tea, and Trinket, settle out there where power doesn't matter because of the natural light, and spend a lovely afternoon! Your brother's book is calling me!
Well, Heather (my younger daughter) and her sweet husband and my beloved grandson are coming up from Fredericksburg tomorrow, will stay with me tomorrow night, and on Saturday will go to Dave and Brittany's for the night, then will head home Sunday afternoon. I'll be so glad to see them! Just a quick trip, but I'm so grateful. We didn't think they would be able to come at all, but it worked out at the last minute, apparently. Edwin is the pro at the town's golf course, and usually has to work on holidays, but somehow, he got this weekend off.
OK - good night, all. Be safe, sober and sane this weekend. A very Happy New Year to one and all, and please join me in praying for a return to sanity in America for the coming year. Blessings, and keep looking up! --Romeena
December 31, 2022 - Msg 118505:
Hello all!
Well, here we are on the cusp of another new year.
I have to admit, 2022 seemed a bit 'off' to me in ways
that are hard to explain; but I think people are
waking up to some of the 'craziness' that had hit the scene,
and hopefully 2023 will be more of a return to
'normalcy.' One that strikes me has been the crazy gas
price situation. Ours topped at $6.05 a gallon in August, but is now
'down' to about $3.49. Another was inflation! We experienced
grocery inflation of 13% here! I also hope that all of you
are doing OK. I pray for ASA and his family. ASA, if you are looking
in, please know that you are missed, and our prayers are with you.
Another is PH. He would always check in for the holidays, so I am
quite concerned. I think his last post was in early November.
RO, glad that you are enjoying the book. You are also learning a lot
about me too, probably more than you want to! haha
You saw about some of our meals, but we made it thru. Strong faith
really helped keep us all together and content, And camping,
tho a cheap alternative to motels, was great fun for us kids! :)
BOO, like you, we also will be staying home this new year's eve.
MAY OUR GOOD GOD'S BLESSINGS BE UPON US ALL! :)
Love,
MDC Happy 2023!