Christmas Night

Well the busy season is about over. All my children,grandchildren and great grandchildren came on Christmas Eve. We ate lots and enjoyed all the family being together. I always put out my Nativity Set that I bought in Israel in 1993 it is made of olive wood. The great grandchildren like to move the animals and baby Jesus around in the manger. I also bought my four daughters a set and shipped to them from Israel. That trip was a memorable experience that I will never forget.
We visited many places Jesus had been and when you are there it gives you a closeness to Christ Jesus to walk where he had walked. We took a boat across the Sea of Galilee and we experienced a storm while we were on the boat. It came up so quickly and was really rough waves. We all had to go to the lower deck and prayed for it to calm down. It made us think of the storm on the Sea that Jesus calmed.
He also calmed it for us that day. We came home to the last big-big snow we have had in Tennessee --that was January 13,1993. We haven't had a snow that big since then.

I have to say Uncle Omar{Old Farmer Man} is not doing do well mentally. He got up with his gifts last night about 7:00pm and told me he was ready to go home. We all told him he was home and they all had to be the ones to leave. He is ready to go to bed about that time every night. He really scared me Christmas Eve morning---I got up and got his dog and went to his bedroom and opened the door to find his bed empty and had not been slept in. I frantically looked in every room and even looked outside to see that the truck was there ,and it was. I went to the basement door and opened and called for him and he answered from down there. I went down and he was curled up on the bed with one thin quilt over him--It is cold in the basement.
I asked him what he was doing down there and he told me some man got him by the arm and led him down there---It had to be his guardian angel that helped down those steps because he went down there in pitch dark and he never made a sound. He easily could have fallen down all the steps but didn't.
I thought he had gone to bed when I left him in the bathroom next to his bedroom that night and I had told him and shown him his bedroom. I didn't hear him open the basement door or close it and I was sitting close by watching Christmas Show on TV. I brought him up and put him to bed and he stayed in bed until noon and slept.
Now I have to be sure he is in bed before I relax and watch TV or anything else.
May put a buzzer on each door that would warn me if it was opened. He has been confused all day today.
Have a Happy New year.

Love,
Marie [aunt Maria]

Joy!!!

"Joy To The World",---Such a beautiful song. We have so much to be joyful about but let so much come into our lives that we don't feel very joyful some of the time.
I do love the season we are in and enjoy preparing for it. We should always be as a little child and enjoy --enjoy. Look forward not backward. Think on the good things and know God is in control. Have no fear for our Father knows all things and is there for us.

Today I made more cookies for the children and as gifts. I like making cookies but it takes a long time to decorate and bag them all. They do look good enough to eat.

Uncle Omar{Farmer Man} has been doing pretty good this week.
Each day though he talks about his sisters and where are they and I have to tell him again they are both passed away. Today he talked about me dying and leaving him---I told him I was not going to leave him that I would live to be old- old- old, because I have asked God to take care of me and let me have a long life so i could take care of him. He became happier and laughed. I laugh with him.

Love,
Marie{aunt Maria}

Tea Cakes!!

I love tea cakes. My grandmother made them when I was a little girl and she always put raisins on top --not a lot like 4 or 5. Her tea cakes tasted so good I just loved them. Today i made teacakes for the great grandchildren for Christmas. I make tea cakes often not often enough ---because all my family really like for me to make them. I make some that are cut out and they are a large chicken, I call them my,"Chicken Whisper Cookies". I didn't make them today I made smaller cut out.
Christmas is a fun time with all the family coming---But I haven't gotten many things done--not much decorating. I did make the uncooked fruit cake like my mother used to make. Not everyone likes fruit cake--- I don't know why it's gooey and sweet and full of nuts and fruit.

Today I went into town and Uncle Omar{Farmer Man} went with me. I sure don't get much done when I know he is waiting on me in the truck. But I really don't like leaving him here for long so if I go alone I still don't get much done I am thinking about him. He gets into things when I leave him alone--like going to his shop and hurting himself. He has a sore lip now looks like he hit himself in the mouth with something and he doesn't know how he did it.
He is like a little boy looking for things to get into. Grinding on the grinding wheel, buffing things is not good for a little boy---three fingers got ground pretty good. I know God is watching over him --- I asked him to because I can't always see everything. He only does these things when he is feeling better physically and he thinks he can still do all the things he used to do but mentally he cannot. His reflexes are not fast like they used to be, but he doesn't want me to tell him that.
Most of the time he is a good little boy and wants my approval and when I scold him like a little boy it hurts his feelings. Then he wants me not to be mad-- he says. I tell him I am not mad just trying to take care of him. Good thing I am the motherly type --don't you think.
Well enough tonight --my little boy goes to bed at 6:30 or7:00 every night and sleeps well and i thank God for that too.

Love,
Marie{aunt maria}

Make a Smilebox photobook

Snow December 5th.

May be we are going to have more snow this year sense it snowed so early. It was so beautiful even though it wasn't so much--- but i make a lot of a little when it comes to snowing. It feels a lot like Christmas to me. It was so cold my chicken's water was frozen hard. I went in the kitchen and got them warm water--I really don't think it stayed warm long.I had to make a smile box to share--some have seen it but maybe someone else will enjoy it too.

When I was a girl at home i was the oldest and had two brothers right behind me in age. I was always supposed to watch out for them but they did lots of things that could have gotten us in trouble. I loved to do this skating on the pond with them when it froze over. It got lots colder in the late 40's and 50's ,than it does now here in Tennessee. We would go out when it came a big snow and freeze and stay out roaming in the woods, snow ball fighting and skating on the ponds. Not once did the ice break with us. I loved it and so did they. I had another little brother but don't remember him being with us. I had a baby sis that came along when I was almost 16 and she missed out on this fun--{sorry sis} you would have loved it.

Uncle Omar ,{Farmer Man} has been about the same just wanted to know tonight if i had children, I said I have four, he said I have four too----I said yes ,I have the same ones you have, he laughed and didn't know how to respond, do we had some more talking of course. We just have to laugh and love each other and go on---even if it is confusing to me too. WOW

Love,
Marie--{aunt maria}

Christmas Projects.

I love making things for Christmas gifts. I used to make cabinets ,tables , blocks fancy things but now I have done very little this year and I miss doing these things.
I did paint a cabinet with a big beautiful rooster. I also painted a farm picture of our old farm house.
Last night our FCE ladies had our Christmas Dinner. We always exchange little simple gifts so I made two simple ornaments. One is copy of old world Santa's and angels. I got them from my computer and printed them and then put glitter on some places ---put in a hole and ribbon and you have a pretty ornament. I made one that can be a magnet or ornament. I cut out a circle of wood and took some of my small drawings and decoupaged it on the wooden circle ---put a mag on back or drill small hole in top for ribbon to hang as ornament.
I will show you a picture if the picture looks good.

Farmer Man is not getting better--- just more and more going back in time. He told me tonight my mother was washing his wash cloths for him, And that Mezzie was getting pretty smart with him. I told him to take a good bath. Life is different---
when I go to town for some short time shopping, he goes with me and sits in the truck. He does OK and I have better peace of mind knowing we are together.

Love,
Marie--[aunt maria]