Merry Christmas.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 

Merry Christmas.
Rose

Can't have it all but close.

I am sitting here this morning, enjoying my morning coffee. I have the tree lights on, soft Christmas music playing and the hum of the washer in the background. Can't have it all but close.

Hard to believe that Christmas is only a week away. Where has the time gone? December has been an unusual month in many ways. It just seems to have disappeared right before my eyes. I think Thanksgiving being later this year had something to do with it. Plus, we have only been home only one weekend since. We have our family Christmas this weekend. Looking forward to some relaxing, fun time with family. We will all be together for Christmas again this year. We are truly blessed. The grandkids are all getting older, graduating college, getting married,etc, and that is how it should be. But with that comes change. And sometimes that change makes it harder to be all together for holidays. So we truly look forward to all these family gatherings.

Winter came a couple of months early this year. The weather here in Iowa has been more like weather in January. We have had a lot of days when the highs didn’t make it out of the single digits with below zero wind chills. This week we have had a couple of days in the thirties, which is our normal for this time of the year, but that is suppose to change tomorrow with freeing rain and much colder temps. Back into the deep freeze we go. But all isn’t lost. We had a foggy morning on Monday morning and I was able to take one picture before my camera informed me my battery needed charged. I lucked out and it was a pretty decent one. Oh, the beauty God provides when we most need something to pick us up.

Take care, stay warm and enjoy the season.

Merry Christmas,

Rose

Do you like to eat fish?

Do you like to eat fish? We eat fish at our house at least once a month. My husband loves fishing. He goes fishing at Howard’s, a farmer friend. Howard has three ponds on his property and lets a few select people fish them. Hubby helped him out years ago and he and Howard have been friends since. He catches enough fish to feed us and our family till next fishing season. Hubby tried ice fishing a couple of times but he is definitely a fair weather fisherman. He can handle an afternoon in his boat on a  hot summer afternoon in Iowa with no problems. But he hated ice fishing, even when he used an ice house. He hates winter, period. Anyway, after reading this article, http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/12-fish-never-ever-eat-162200617.html I started wondering how good crappies from Howard’s ponds would be. Twenty years ago the thought never crossed my mind. Howard was still farming at that time and left plenty of green space around his ponds. As time went on, Howard retired and now rents out his land. The fellow that rents promised to keep the same practice up. But as time as went on, the green space has gotten narrower. And his crop better as far as production goes. Makes you wonder what he is putting on those fields and how much is going into the ponds. I hope the ponds survive and stay productive for future generations.  

Some pictures of Howard's land.

Road down to the ponds.

View of one of the ponds from the road.

A few fish from a good day of fishing.

Today isn't a fish dinner day. I have a huge pot of hamburger soup on the stove simmering and bread rising. It is only 10 degrees here at the moment, so soup sounded like a better choice. And by the smells coming from the kitchen, I better go check on the soup.

Have a great weekend. And if you are in a cold climate likes us, stay warm.

Rose

This says it all.

Another great email I just received.

The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday.  If all of us “old coots” have all of the money, then let us try to elect someone who might be near honest and not be after feathering their own nests.

They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs.  Some of us are "Baby Boomers" getting ready to retire.  Others have been retired for some time.  We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were.  We have worked hard, raised our children, worshiped our God and grown old together.  Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true.  But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.
 
In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age.  Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience.

We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes.  For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators.  A few even remember when cars were started with a crank.  Yes, we lived those days.
 
We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many.  But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off.  We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam .  We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so.  We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield.  We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America ; we fought for the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." 

 

We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag.  We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner ,  America , and  America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing.  We have lived what many of you have only read in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America .
 
Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it.  It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us.  We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep.  There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.
 
It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress.  You fell for the "Hope and Change" which in reality was nothing but "Hype and Lies."

You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don't like it after all.  You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or "Climbing the Social Ladder" to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting.  Many of those who fell for the "Great Lie" in 2008 are now having buyer's remorse.  With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the 'Kool-Aid.'  Now you're paying the price and complaining about it.  No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom.

This is what you voted for and this is what you got.  We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.
 
Well, don't worry youngsters, the Grey-Haired Brigade is here, and in 2014 we are going to take back our nation.  We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we're going, and in 2014 we're going to the polls by the millions.

 

This land does not belong to the man in the White House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.  It belongs to "We the People" and "We the People" plan to reclaim our land and our freedom.  We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.  So the next time you have the chance to say the Pledge of Allegiance, stand up, put your hand over your heart, honor our country, and thank God for the old geezers of the "Grey-Haired Brigade."
 
Footnote:
This is spot on.  If you agree, share with others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twas Two Months Before Christmas

I received this email  yesterday and thought it was very well done. And oh so true that it is scary.

MERRY CHRISTMAS                          

      

   

 

 
 
 Twas two  months

before ChristmasWhen all  through our land,
 Not a  Christian was praying
 Nor taking  a stand.
 Why the PC  Police

had taken away
The reason  for Christmas -

no one could  say.
 
 The  children were told

by their schools not to  sing
 About  Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and  things.
 It might  hurt people's feelings, the teachers would  say
 December  25th

is just a ' Holiday '.
 
 Yet the  shoppers were ready with cash, checks and  credit
 Pushing  folks down to the floor just to get  it!
 CDs from  Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod
 Something  was changing, something quite  odd!
 
 Retailers  promoted

Ramadan and Kwanzaa
 In hopes  to sell books by Franken &  Fonda.
 As Targets  were hanging their trees upside  down
At Lowe's  the word Christmas - was no where to be  found.
 At K-Mart  and Staples and Penny's and  Sears
You won't  hear

the word Christmas;

it won't touch your  ears.
 Inclusive, 

sensitive,

Di-ver-is-ty
 Are words  that were used

to intimidate me.
 Now  Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf  Blitzen
 On Boxer,  on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton  !
 At the top  of the Senate,

there arose such a  clatter
 To  eliminate Jesus,

in all public  matter.
 
 And we  spoke not a word,

as they took away our  faith
 Forbidden  to speak

of salvation and grace
 The true  Gift of Christmas

was exchanged and  discarded
The reason  for the season, stopped before it  started.
 
 So as you  celebrate

'Winter Break'

under your 'Dream  Tree'
 Sipping  your Starbucks,

listen to me.
 Choose  your words carefully, choose what you  say
 Shout  MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy  Holiday!
 
 Please,  all Christians

join together and
wish  everyone you meet
 MERRY  CHRISTMAS!
 
 Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas  Season!

Have a blessed Sunday,
Rose

   

   

The Wonder of the Lord

                             No words needed.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Rose

Ambitious or Depression?

I don’t know what it says about my personality, but rainy days make me ambitious. I have a friend that gets very depressed on rainy days. She thinks I am nuts and I can’t understand why she gets depressed. Wednesday was a rainy day. Woke up to thunder and rain and it rained most of the morning. Stopped for a couple of hours, the sun even came out. But it started up again. Well, as I said I get ambitious. So, I decided to paint the inside of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. It had a few, okay a lot, of rust spots. It was paint or buy a new one. It is large and set in the wall with three mirrored doors. I really didn't  want the mess and stress and cost of trying to find one to fit the present hole. The prep work took longer than the actual paining did. And it looks pretty good. Not perfect but way better than it did. At least now it won’t gross me out when I open it. And I had the paint in my “paint store” in the basement. 

I just need a few more rainy days and I will have things in good shape.

Have a relaxing and blessed weekend.
Rose