Wishing you a Happy New Year

Auld Lang Syne History & Lyrics

This 18th century poem was written by Robert Burns and is traditionally sung at the moment the clock strikes midnight of the brand new year.
Auld Land Syne actually translates to Good Old Days.



Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

We twa hae run aboot the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine;
we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne

We two hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae mornin' sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne

And here's a hand, my trusty friend,
And gie's a hand o' thine;
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
and days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Vintage Thingies Thursday

Here we are, the last day of 2009. As I look back on this past year I am amazed at how much I have learned just from starting a blog and meeting so many of you. You have enlarged my coast, so to speak. I am filled with awe at the talent, creativity and beauty that is shared via this blogging world. Whether it is thift stores, antique shops, home improvement or quilting, the internet has surely made it a very small world.

I love the term "Vintage things" better then old, or antique. It is a term that I learned about when I started participating in Vintage Thingies Thursday with Colorado Lady Suzanne as our hostess. Every week I love to visit the other blogs and see what great vintage treasures are being shared.

As I love to go to thrift stores and hunt for hidden treasures, this vase was one that I could not pass up.

I am showing it with our sweet 94 year old aunt. She has been my teacher, friend, soul mate in treasure hunting. I used to tag along with her to yard sales, antique shops and all kinds of second hand stores. She loved paper weights, and she also loved vases. She had quite a collection of both of these things. So when I saw this vase at the GoodWill, I knew it was for her. It is heavy glass and looks very much like a paper weight style. There were no markings on the vase, but it was beautiful none the less. Our aunt was so thrilled with it, and just keep looking it over and over.

Please be sure to stop by Colorado Ladys blog and take a peek at the other great Vintage Thingies.

And I wish you a very happy and blessed New Year!

Tea Time Tuesday

These two sweet little girls are sewing away, and will soon have to stop for a spot of tea. I am joining Valerie over at Traveling Through because we are both missing our Tea Time Tuesday.

I don't really have a Christmas tea picture to share, but just thought I would share our lovely Christmas table.


Close enough for today :-) Hope you are having a peaceful week!

Behold!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo. the angel of the Lord came upon them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this dya in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was awith the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST,
AND ON EARTH PEACE,
GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN."

On this Christmas Day I am most thankful for the gift the Holy Child brought on that first Christmas night. And may you know the One who brought this free gift.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas VTT

Thank you to Colorado Lady for hosting Vintage Thingies Thursday, even on Christmas Eve. I have so enjoyed visiting everyones blog and seeing some wonderful vintage things. Please stop by and check them all out.

A couple of weeks ago when I was going through the old suitcase, I found an envelope that had some old postcards and calling cards. These are perfect for the Christmas VTT.


Sometimes I wonder who these folks were and where they lived.

You can tell by the handwriting that this is old.

Aren't they sweet?
I'm sorry that I could not get a better picture, as I think this one is so pretty. It has some kind of pearlized finish and was hard to photograph w/o a lot of glare.

I wish for your family a wonderful Christmas Eve as we celebrate the anticipated arrival of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

Blessings.............

A Christmas to Remember

Hey there ya'll! Wow the past 4 days have really been a challenge. We had workers scheduled to come in and replace the duct work and AC/Heating unit in our home. As many of you know, we live in Florida, so my dear hubby was thinking this would be a good time to do this, as it's normally very nice weather in December. However, the weather decided to turn cold this weekend, so we started off Monday morning with 48 degrees. Now let me tell you, that is COLD in Florida. And to top it off, the workers thought they could get everything removed, and installed in one day. NOT! We ended up having to move everyone to my in laws house to spend the night. Believe me it is no fun to stay in a very cold house and try to get some sleep. I guess we are spoiled that way ;-) Today the inspector finally came, and we are up and running with heat and/or AC whichever is needed. I'm so happy that it is all done, and now I have to get my house back in order so we can enjoy our Christmas.

While I was not able to do much posting in the last few days on either of my blogs, I did manage to read a few. One that really caught my attention was Cutie Pinwheel. I am a follower of Rae Ann's blog, and when I read her recent post, I asked her if I could link it up to mine. I'd like to ask you to stop by Cutie Pinwheel and read about "A Christmas to Remember". I think you will enjoy her blog and you will be blessed by her recent post.

There are so many needs in our world today, and many times it just takes one person to step out and make one small effort. Before you know it, many peoples lives are affected. Thank you Rae Ann for sharing about your Christmas to Remember. It's always a good reminder that we should remember the less fortunate year round.

There's no place like home

This time of year lends itself to thinking about home and family. Unfortunately there are people who are homeless, or are losing their homes. It has to be such a hard position to be in.

When I sit in my little breakfast nook in the mornings, I think about how thankful I am to have a home. My dear sweet husband works hard so we can enjoy our little home and I am able to stay at home with the children. I am thankful for the Lord's faithful provision. I am thankful for our sweet little home.

An Extension of Thankfulness

Isn't this such a sweet picture? I love children, and sometimes I try to capture that sweetness with my camera.
I never had many family extensions growing up, but when I married my dear sweet hubby, he brought along plenty of them :-) What a very sweet family he has. They are a caring family, brought about I am sure by the example of their parents.

So today I am thankful for the extended family. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews etc......... You just don't realize what a sweet blessing it is to have Family when you've grown up without it.

Hug your family today!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am joining Rhondi for Thankful Thursday. Be sure to stop by and visit her blog and the other ladies that are sharing what they are thankful for today.

I have been sharing what I am thankful for since the first of the month until Christmas day. There are certainly more then 25 things I am thankful for, but I find that sometimes I may not always share what I am most grateful for.

Today I am thankful for books! Our family loves to read books. Ever since my children were small and learned to read, they have consumed many, many books.

I am thankful that we have the ability to read the written word. A book can be a companion or friend when you are lonely. It can be company when you are on a long journey. A book can give you insights and knowledge about things you don't know about. And books can bring truth or lies. The greatest work ever written was penned by man, but inspired by God. The Holy Bible is what I am most thankful for today.


Man has written many books, but the Bible has been passed down for generation after generation. Everything you ever need to know about life is written in the inspired Holy Word.

May your day be filled with the light of His Word.

Still blooming

Many of you who have visited me on this blog and my quilting blog know that I live in the deep south. I love living in a tropical climate. I lived in the north for a few years, and I did not enjoy the cold weather at all.

Today I looked around at what was still blooming in my yard.


These little Sweet William have survived the little bit of cold we had a couple of weeks ago.
I always enjoy impatients. This planter is at my front door.

I bought this yellow cassis in a very small pot several years ago. It has grown into quite the tree. The yellow butterflies flock to it.

And in about a month we will be picking sweet juicy Valencia oranges off of our little tree.

I am thankful that I live in a place where the weather is mostly warm and the days are almost always sunny. I think that Heaven will be like that. Sitting at the feet of Jesus and praising His Name - "Worthy is the Lamb".

Tea Things Tuesday

Today is the last of Tea Things Tuesday, so I wanted to join our host Kim from Shabby Pink and Pretty for her final week. It has been a delight to visit so many lovely blogs and see beautiful tea collections over these last months.

I have two sweet tea angels. The first one was given to me by my sweet daughter.

She is actually called "Angel of the Kitchen" and she is serving up a cup of herbal tea for your enjoyment.

And this second angel has a special place in my heart.

The "Angel of Hospitality" was given to me by some sweet friends in memory of my BFF who passed away 5 years ago. My BFF was such an incredible hostess. Her door was always open and a pot of hot water ready for anyone who might stop by and join her for a cup of tea and some good conversation. She has been sorely missed.

As Christmas is approaching, I am unwrapping my lovely Christmas dishes.

I love serving on these "Happy Holidays" dishes.

Unfortunately, I do not have a teapot to match my Christmas dishes, but I saw this Winter time teapot and fell in love with it. I've added the sugar and creamer that are made in Poland.

Since the first of the month I have been sharing what I am thankful for. Today I am thankful for YOU, my blogging friend. I've met so many wonderful bloggers from all over the world. So I would love to invite you to share a virtual cup of tea with me today.

Ornaments to remember

My daughter made some lovely crochet stars to hang on our tree this year. We have enjoyed many ornaments through the years. Some have sweet memories.

We have had this lighted ornament for probably close to 30 years.

I love to see it come out of storage and up on the tree.

One year my mother in love gave us a box full of wooden ornaments.

I think this is probably the last one to survive.

The year that my daughter traveled to Russia, I found this ornament that represented the Russian culture.

Then the children all took piano lessons.

What fun to find ornaments to remind us of certain events.

One year my son made this in his church class. I am surprised that it has lasted for so many years.

But I treasure it none the less.

And so our tree stands proud and tall. It may not be the most elegant or the most amazing tree, but it delights us as we celebrate the coming of Christmas. And so I am thankful for all the sweet memories of Christmases past. And for all the special ornaments we decorate the tree with that bond us with the past and look forward to the future.

The branches

I am so thankful for these three special children we have been blessed with. I've watched them grow from tiny infants to young adults. Each of them exhibiting special character qualities.

"Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorner.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper." Psalm 1:1-3

Special times

Wow it is already the 12th of December. How the month is flying by. How the year is flying by!!

I have enjoyed many vacations with my family, but I have to say that the one we enjoyed the best was last year when we went to the mountains. Now this is not just any mountains. Because you have to remember that we live in the deep south, where there are no mountains. And another thing we don't have is -

SNOW................

Today I am very thankful for those wonderful special family vacations. A time away to play together and enjoy each other :-)

Reunion

Take a look at this picture. Isn't this a true picture of love? My hubby's aunt recently celebrated her 94th birthday. She has been such a sweet blessing in our lives. As we have watched her decline in the last few years, she has needed more and more care.

Hazel took care of Aunt H's brother for the years he suffered from Alzheimers. She was the only one that could handle him. After he passed away, Hazel would come and spend two days with Aunt H. Hazel did a few little things around the house, but mostly was a companion to Aunt H. Even when Aunt H had to move into an Assisted Living Facility, Hazel was hired to help Aunt H. It became a daily job until Hazel's husband became ill with cancer and dementia. It truly was a sad day when Hazel gave up her job and stayed home to care for her Buck.

Aunt H's memory has declined in the last couple of years, but on the day of her birthday she remembered all of us. Maybe not our names, but she sure knew our faces. When Hazel walked in, Aunt H started to cry. She told Hazel "You quit me!" But Hazel lovingly explained to Aunt H what had happened and why she could not come anymore. It was such a sweet reunion. One that is not typical I would think. It was not a reunion of companions, or workers. It was a reunion of friends.

So today I am thankful for caretakers. Whether you are caring for a child, or caring for a parent. It is such a big job, caring for the needs of others. And I am thankful for the loving bond that sometimes transpires between two souls. It's the way it should be.

The Old suitcase - VTT

This suitcase belonged to my Dad. I have no idea where he got it, or how long he had it. See the tags still hanging on the handles? The green one says Tampa Union Station. So this old suitcase did travel by rail.

When you lift the lid, you can see what I've kept inside over the years. It's filled with old photos, past birthday cards, and even some old magazines.

Sometimes I love to sit and look at the old pictures.

These are some of me and my parents.
And then there are some of these -

This is my favorite picture of my Mom.

A sister that I never knew -

These are all part of my heritage.

So today I am thankful for my family heritage. For the men and women who shaped and formed my family roots. I never knew many of them, but they were living breathing people, who made their mark during their time on earth. They instilled values that have been passed down to me. And for that, I am grateful.

Today I am joining Colorado Lady's Vintage Thingies Thursday. Please be sure to visit the other blogs that are sharing about their vintage things :-) It's always fun and interesting.

Our Daily Bread

Whenever I see this Norman Rockwell picture "Freedom from Want" it always makes me think of Thanksgiving around the family table. But in truth, there is more significance in this picture. At least in our country, we truly have freedom from want. We are so blessed to live in a country where you can find almost any kind of food at almost any time of year.

Today I am thankful for the abundance of food that is so readily available and conveniently located in our area, whether from a local grocery store, a farm or at a fresh market.

"Give us this day our daily bread..." Matthew 6:11

HospitaliTEA

For several years I would host a Christmas tea. It was a fun time to renew friendships and enjoy lunch together.

My sweet mother in love has been such a wonderful example to me when it comes to Hospitality. She is a most gracious hostess and she welcomes everyone that passes through her doorpost. I am thankful today for the gift of Hospitality. When we open our homes, we open our hearts.

Please join Kim at Shabby Pink and Pretty as she hosts Tea Things Tuesday. It is always a delight as the other ladies show their beautiful tea wares. I always enjoy visiting with them, sharing a cup of tea and enjoying their sweet hospitality :-)

Sleeping babies - "I ♥ Faces"

Today I am joining I Heart Faces in their photography contest. This weeks theme is "Sweet Dreams".

We love babies! And anytime my dear hubby gets around someone with a baby, he's got to hold it. This little guy slept for the longest time on my hubbys shoulder. He was certainly having some blissful sweet dreams.

If you are visiting me today from I Heart Faces, welcome. I am sharing 25 things I am thankful for up til Christmas day. So today I am thankful for babies. Warm snuggly babies :-)

"A baby is God's opinion that the world should go on." - Carl Sandburg.

The Heavens declare

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." Psalm 19:1


I am thankful for the beauty of the earth.

Have a wonderful weekend!