Bunco sub wins big

I subbed tonight and was the winner! I had 5 Buncos, 15 three-of-a-kinds, and 401 points. Frosty the Snowman was my prize! I'm going to try to buy a slot as a regular player.

Greatest Gift

First Prize Winner of Woman’s Day “Greatest Gift” contest by Sandra Bateman, American Fork, Utah, Woman’s Day, December 18, 1979

It was but a few short days until Christmas in 1966. Two young Elders of the Mormon Church walked the streets of Laredo, Texas, knocking on doors in search of someone who would listen to their gospel message. No one in the entire city had time to hear the teachings of the Savior, it seemed; they were so intent on making the celebration of His birth suit their own social purposes.

Filled with discouragement, the two young men turned their backs to the approaching twilight and began the long walk home. Retracing their steps of the afternoon, they came upon a low, windswept riverbank. Jutting from its brow stood the barest means of a shelter, constructed of weathered wooden slats and large pieces of cardboard. Strangely, they felt moved to go to the door and knock. A small, olive-skinned child with tangled black hair and large dark eyes answered. Her mother appeared behind her, a short, thin woman with a tired bur warm smile. In her rich Spanish alto she invited the young men to come in and rest awhile. They were made welcome and seated on the clean swept floor. The little one-room shanty seemed to be filled with shy, smiling, dark-eyed children. The mother proudly introduced each of them—eight in all—and each in turn quickly bobbed his or her head.

The young men were deeply moved at the extreme poverty they saw. Not one in the family had shoes, and their clothes were ill-fitting and in a condition beyond mending. The walls of the little home showed daylight between the wooden slats, and eight little rolls of bedding were pressed tightly into the cracks to help keep out the draft until they were needed for sleeping. A small round fire pit dug in one corner marked the kitchen. An odd assortment of chipped dishes and pots were stacked beside an old ice chest, and a curtained-off section with a cracked porcelain tub served as the bathing area. Except for these the room was barren.

The mother told how her husband had gone north to find employment. He had written that he had found a job of manual labor and that it took most of his small wage to pay his board and room. But, she told the young men, he had managed to save fifty cents to send them for Christmas, with which she had purchased two boxes of fruit gelatin. It was one of the children’s favorites and would make a special treat on Christmas day.

Later, long after the young men had left the family, they stood and asked each other, “Fifty cents?...Fifty cents for eight children for Christmas?” Surely there must be something they could do to brighten Christmas for such children.

The next morning, as soon as the local shops opened, the young men hurried to the dime store and purchased as many crayons, cars, trucks, and little inexpensive toys as they could afford. Each was carefully wrapped in brightly colored paper and all were put in a large grocery bag. That evening the two young men took their gifs to the shanty on the riverbank. When they knocked, the mother swung the door open wide and invited them in. They stopped inside and in halting Spanish explained to the children that they had seen Santa and he had been in such a hurry he’d asked if they would deliver his gifts to the children for him.

With cries of delight the children scrambled for the bag, spilling its contents upon the floor and quickly dividing the treasured packages. Silently the mother’s eyes filled with tears of gratitude. She stepped forward to clasp tightly one of each of the young men’s hands in hers. For long moments she was unable to speak. Then, with tears still welling from her eyes, she smiled and said, “No one has ever been so king. You have given us a special gift, the kind of love that lights Christmas in the heart. May we also give you a special gift.” From the corner of the room she drew out the two small boxes of fruit gelatin and handed them to the young men. Then all eyes were moist. All knew the true meaning of giving, and none would ever forget that at Christmas the greatest gift of all was given.

1st Christmas treat

Delicious sweet cheese bread from some very nice friends and I'm not sharing!

Christmas runner

I bought a cute Christmas charm pack recently (22 - 5" squares) and tonight decided to make a little table runner. Nothing screams Christmas like a midnight sewing project!

Holiday Stop for Train Number Seven

by Lavetus Mahan Wimmer, Medford, Oregon

Published in Family Circle December 11, 1984

My most joyful Christmas remembrance goes back 60 years, when a simple message in a letter brought together three nations. The great flu epidemic of 1918-19 had claimed my father several years before, leaving Mom to care for us seven children. An enterprising woman, she did the best she could providing for us. We were poor, but happy.

Many of our friends lived, as we did, close to the railroad tracks. There were the Hopi Indian boys we often played with and our Mexican friends, who lived in a section house. These houses were provided by the railroad company, which allowed only two rooms per family, no matter how big the family was.

As I think back now, we were a super bunch of kids. We all got along well and learned to respect each other's backgrounds. We visited each other's houses and enjoyed our families' ethnic foods as often as we could, though our parents never mingled.

The area between our house and the train tracks was our private playground. From there, we watched the trains go by each day. We waved to the crewmen daily. Although the passenger trains went by very fast, the crew­as well as the passengers­never failed to wave back. Our favorite train was the Number Seven, Chicago Limited; it was long, shiny and black, with its Pullman windows red-curtained.

The afternoon of Christmas Eve, with faces aglow, noses runny and hands blue and trembling from the cold, we 17 children lined up to wave and shout holiday greetings to our favorite train. We all watched in awe as the Number Seven, whistle blowing, topped the grade. And then, wonder of wonders, that long, magnificent train pulled to a halt right in front of us. We couldn't believe it.

The big engineer swung down from his cab. Close behind him came the crew, carrying boxes and crates filled with treats for us. As the trainmen approached us, the passengers leaned out of the windows, waving and calling greetings to join in the celebration. The conductor stood near the train, observing the festivities and holding a single package under his arm.

Mother had heard the commotion and came out to join us. The conductor handed her a letter along with the package. Then, before we realized what was happening, the train pulled away.

Mother began to read the letter, and soon she was shedding tears of joy. She sent the other children to get their parents, telling them to come back with baskets for the goodies.

When everything was divided among our families, Mother asked us to be quiet. She opened the package the conductor had given her, and there, under all the layers of white tissue paper, were 17 pairs of red woolen mittens in various sizes. With the help of our parents, we each found our size and eagerly put them on our cold hands.

Mother then took the letter from her pocket, and we listened very carefully as she read it aloud: Merry Christmas to our Junior League of Nations. You are the future of our country. We stand proud of you. It is our fondest hope that someday all races and nations, like their children, shall come together and live in peace.

From the Engineer and Crew of Number Seven, Chicago Limited

One small glitch: the pillow

We got on the road last night around 10:30pm hoping to be back in Boston by 2:30am at the latest. It was snowing when we left the Big Apple and by the time we got on the Merritt Parkway there was a bit of accumulation but we were traveling about 30mph. After some discussion and a prayer we decided we'd be better off staying at a motel and returning home today so we got a room at the Milford Motel. My friend asked the desk clerk if we could have extra bedding and he said if he gave us another sheet/pillow it would be admitting that there were more than two of us in the room and apparently he had given us the "trucker's discount". The picture is of my pillow.

I'm back and I need to work on the finishing touches for my lesson today. All I can say is Women who know and do MORE get in trouble. :)

New York City!

Here's how the day went: leaving Boston at 6:00am, driving to Manhattan, buying a day subway pass, taking the subway to Macy's, a delicious eclair (for $6.49!), finding the Clark shoes I was wanting ($25!), walking all over the Christmas department (ornaments, nutcrackers, decorations), extending the meeting time so we could do more shopping in the huge store, taking the subway to Canal Street, one of my college roommates recognizing me (I haven't seen her in 26 years!), Purl SoHo (the coolest fabric store EVER!), eating lunch at John's Pizza, riding the subway uptown, strolling through Central Park, riding the carousel, Dylan's Candy Shop, walking down Fifth Avenue, Niketown (enjoying some great deals using my brother's employee discount), the American Girl Store, Rockefeller Center, Anthropologie, taking a taxi to the Shake Shack, asking for a hot dog with EVERYTHING which included a VERY HOT hot pepper!, eating outside in the cold, riding the subway back uptown to the parking garage, enjoying delicious creme brulee at Cafe Lalo before driving home. It was a wonderful, fun-filled, magical day! I LOVE NEW YORK AT CHRISTMASTIME!!!

RE-roof

If you're going to do this...














...you will need this.

BAKE IT FORWARD WINNER(S)!

I decided to have 3 random winners and they are:

Smilin' Sunshine
BunchesofBradys
Cara

Please get in touch with me and let me know who you would like to receive the tin of bretzelis (and why-----I'd love to share the stories on my blog).

Wanna make a wreath...

...or 2 or 3 or 125?!? We've got boughs.


















I felt (and LOOKED) like I was driving the Joad's truck today.

Count the countdowns

One day until the wreath making party (I'm in charge). Two days until I assemble and decorate my Christmas tree (if I can find someone to help me--it's ten feet tall). Three days until New York City (I love going the first Saturday in December...Macy's, Fifth Avenue, Canal Street, the Central Park carousel, Cafe Lalo, Purl SoHo, decorations on a fire escape, lights, and holiday cheer)!!!













Four days until I teach Relief Society ("Women who know do less"-----don't laugh!). Five days until..........

Countdown to Thursday

Bretzelis: A holiday give-away

Ruth Hirschi was my Merrie Miss Primary teacher in the Van Nuys Third Ward. She taught me how to knit and crochet and she invited me over around Christmas to help her make bretzelis, a traditional Swiss cookie (Ruth was born in Switzerland). The cookies are made on an iron and then Ruth would put them on a rolling pin to cool and to give them a round shape. The ingredients are basic: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon. They. Are. Delicious.

When I moved to Boston I decided I wanted to make some bretzelis so I called Ruth to get the recipe and to find out where I could buy one of the irons. She explained that the irons were very expensive and hard to find in the U.S. but suggested I buy a pizzelle iron instead (used to make Italian cookies). So one December night after work I took the subway to the North End (Boston's Little Italy), found a hardware store, and purchased my own pizzelle iron for $19.99.













To ring in the holiday season I'm going to have a random drawing Thursday night at midnight for a tin of bretzelis. But here's the catch: the person who wins has to give me the name and address of a friend/family member/acquaintance and they will receive the tin of cookies. I'm going to Bake it Forward.

Happy Holidays!

Holiday traffic

The first hour we went 16 miles (we were stuck behind an overly cautious driver and then sat on this highway). It was snowing and there were a few accidents on #91. My friend was nervous that I got out of the car to take this picture but I wasn't. Nobody was moving. It took us 4 1/2 hours to get home (150 miles). If you do the math, it was an extra 2 hours.

Live nativity

Friday night my friends and I drove to the Joseph Smith Birthplace in Sharon, Vermont for the live nativity. We got there early (my bad) so we watched the Joseph Smith movie and two of my friends were angels in the pageant! After the pageant they turn on thousands of lights. It was a magical evening.

Ahhhh Vermont

Grafton in photos (warning: lots of red!)