Snowmen With Hearts

AS I SIT TYPING I hear wind blowing.  Sounds like we're in a Ghost Town.  Ever so often howling can be heard from the wind making its way through the crack in the double doors out front.  Remembering when the wind howled through the windows in my childhood HOME.  It was a constant reminder that nature was outside trying to get inside.  Memories of days gone by.  More of 
these taking place.

As the CHRISTMAS decorations flutter away disappearing, I'm tempted to get my snowmen out with Valentines.  Tempted.    Snowmen in January is appropriate in KANSAS as we wait for signs of Spring.  Brrrrr tis bitter cold this New Year's Eve morning.  I've rested.  

Writing THANK YOUs that will be mailed this week.  Epiphany is next week-end on January 6th.  My CHRISTMAS GIFTS will have all been delivered by then.  The WISEMEN arrived to present the CHRIST CHILD gifts.  Giving it some thought for next year about not even shopping until the day after CHRISTMAS using the half off sales to benefit the pocket book.



I have used the day after Christmas sales before to purchase Valentine and Mother's Day gifts.  The gifts sat in a closet until I was ready to use them.  Many use the half off sales at Halloween to buy candy for Thanksgiving gatherings.  Not the first to do this.  Helps stretch the budget toward treats.

Last night we watched the 2017 remake of THE BEGUILED with Nichole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Colin Farrell.  Liking the interior scenes and the costuming.  The acting was convincing.  A dramatic thriller with mystery.  The box office: 27.7 million usd.  Nice chunk of change. 

Cpl. John McBurney is an injured Union soldier who finds himself on the run as a deserter during the Civil War. He seeks refuge at an all-female Southern boarding school where the teachers and students seem more than willing to help.

I saw the 1971 film, but didn't remember the plot.  Watching the '71 trailer indicates changes in the storyline.  The costumes are not as elaborate, but still in the South around Civil War times.
      

NEW YEAR's EVE changes will take place.  No new year's resolutions other than giving thought to changes.  More movement, more Spring water to drink, more steamed vegetables, more activity toward hobbies.  Will continue going through boxes and organizing papers.  Up earlier and to bed earlier.  Vitamins.  Typical thoughts.  That should just about do it.

I continue to detox from religious programming.  Reading the Bible for myself and not taking the interpretation of so called teachers and preachers.  Detoxing from being entertained from the well known ministries with living proof the teachers have so twisted the word of God to benefit their own pocket books and deceive people into becoming ecumenical minions that will easily AGREE to go back under one religious organization that presents themselves to be godly, but are so tangled up into bondage that the LORD JESUS set us free from many years ago. 

Who HE sets free is free indeed,
d

NUTS I'm Crackers.....

FIRST TO GO are the Nutcrackers.  

They'll be dusted then wrapped in tissue paper or bubble wrap 
and placed into a storage tub.  Off to storage they'll go.

The exodus of CHRISTMAS items has begun.

It will be very slow to happen during the month of January.
Each day a little clean-up will take place.
First the Nut Crackers.
Then the upstairs snowflakes and flocked Christmas tree.
Later miniature Christmas trees out on the porch.
Outside wreath...the same.
Little Santas in the Kitchen....poof gone.
THEN the Nativity Scene and angels.
WHAHlaaaah...the Fireplace mantel decorations gone.
Last but not least...the Living room tree disappears.
February will enter the picture.

I wonder if I ought to put up a flocked Valentines tree 
in the screened in porch?  Hummm.
I have stuffed hearts already made up.
Will think about that one for now.

God bless you!
d

Across The Kansas Flint Hills

THE KANSAS FLINT HILLS during the Winter months can get                                                        r a t h e r  COLD.  It's frigid this week as the temps hit the single digits.  This morning at 9 degrees.  

OUR week at HOME is quickly disappearing.  Hubby takes the week off from work the days between CHRISTMAS and NEW YEARS.  His Birthday and  CHRISTMAS were spent at our Daughter and Son.in.law's HOME, ate birthday cake and waited for SANTA.  Ate well, slept well, had fellowship.  Pleasant CHRISTMAS.   Lil Miss spent the night with us, but left early the next morn as her Momma wanted to spend Mother/Daughter TIME together while on her Christmas break.

Braving the cold the day after Christmas we went shopping to see if we could buy some projected lights for our 2018 CHRISTMAS decorations.  We scored!  HALF OFF.  Snowflakes at the front door will grace our abode with twinkle lights in the trees.  Makes me smile.  TEMPS were frigid as we drove HOME before dark.

A quiet evening.  Watched the 1983 movie CHRISTMAS STORY bundled in a fuzzy throw.  Haven't watched It's A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Little Women, this season so far.

What will 2018 bring?  Not sure, but praying for vision of what I'm to do.  One day closer to SPRING?  We entered the WINTER SEASON with a blast of cold air and 
                                             S 
                                               N 
                                                  O
                                                    W                                                                                .. 
                                    . 
                                                           ...
                          ...
..                               .
                                                           .    

OUR CHRISTMAS TREE in the Living room will stay up until after EPIPHANY then I'll put away this charmer.  Soooooo enjoyed this tree this season.  

We also put a flocked CHRISTMAS TREE in a rotating stand upstairs in the Guest room.  Graced the branches with acrylic snow flakes and twinkle lights.

CHRISTMAS slides into the New Year.  Will try to make Foolproof FUDGE!  So easy.  So gooooood. 

https://homehavenministry.blogspot.com/search/label/%27Life%20Just%20Got%20A%20Little%20Easier%27%20Fudge


On Thursday we made a quick trip to KANSAS CITY to pick up two Parlour Chairs that were worked over by an awesome Upholsterer.  The smaller chair was in the house fire, was refinished then reupholstered.  The other wasn't in the fire, but now has the same soft grey velveteen material placed on it by the same Upholsterer.

BEFORE

AFTER

Terribly cold outside, but warmer the day before.  We picked our chairs up and placed them in the backseat of our car.  VERY pleased with the results.  

APPLEBEE's for lunch.  Since we were in the neighborhood we drove OLD TOWN BELTON.  Quaint downtown.  Walked about in one of the antique stores before going to TARA's CAFE where we got a chocolate milk shake for the road.

Trip went well, but am glad to be HOME today in a warm house.

I was raised in a time where there was NO SOCIAL MEDIA.  My Grandparents and Parents were not aware of every detail I was thinking or minute by minute details of my young life.  

It's exhausting to me to read so much on FaceBook.  Checking often to read the news.  Will pull back on this.  Cutting back on social media in 2018.

Will be eating more veggies, less starchy items and walking my house stairs for exercise.  Hand Weights as I sit.  Bottled SPRING water to the rescue.

Making HOME A Priority,
d

First Time To Wax

My first time to go into a Wax Museum was in October when we visited BRANSON, MO while on Vacation.  I'd like to return and go through the Titanic Museum again as well as the Wax Museum.  Maybe that wish will come true in 2018.

It was some kind of adventure to see their HOLLYWOOD FIGURES.  I would imagine that all of the wax figures are images of Hollywoods' little darlings that are millionaires.  Or were.  Whoever created these WAX figures did an outstanding work on their costumes and make-up.  The eyes were so beautiful.  Suppose those are glass.

ANYWHOO...take a peek at the WAX,
d

Blue jeans and tennis shoes in SPACE

 ~TIME To Retire~

Beam me up Scotty...

Some truly resembled who they were imitating and some not so much.  THE ROCK, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, ELVIS, Jennifer Anistan, Taylor Swift, Harrison Ford, Julie Garland, Sandra Bullock......were outstanding.