2010

Happy New Year to all with wishes for your new year to be a healthy and prosperous one. Above all - have fun and be happy.

Merry Christmas 2009

From our house to yours--

It's Christmas Eve and I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas and remind you of the reason for the season. God sent Jesus, his only begotten son, to take our sins away. Christmas is the day Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph.

I love Nativities and have several. There is a large collection of figurines by Fontanni and a minature one by Fontanni. I have others that I also show at this time of the year. Here are a few of mine:

5" scale

We have had "Nativities from Around the World" shows by our local garden club in the past, but this year chose not to have the show. It's a lot work and we feel that the support from the community wasn't strong enough. Perhaps alternate years of show will be best.

2-1/2" scale

MORE RAIN!!!!! This town is about to float away! Thankfully, we are on a hill not far from the Chickasabouge Creek and the water quickly percolates from our property.
We are eating collards and sharing with others. Boy, are they good!

The wheelchair repairman came today and installed the new power cable. I am so glad to have it. The loaner cable was to short to be able to use the features and to raise the arm piece on the right side. It was tough to get out of the chair on the right side without raising the arm. The "features" that come with this chair are: It rises up to 10 inches, the footrests elevate, the back reclines, and the entire seating tilts/reclines. It's a wonderful chair--Permobil.

We're having a little cold weather here in south Alabama. Not fun! But, at least we're getting a little color here and there.

Here is the Japanese Fern Leaf Maple my daughter sent me several years ago.

Garden bench covered with Blackeyed Susan Vine

More garden items:

Mature collards

Young carrots along the edge

We eat a lettuce & tomato salad every evening for dinner. We do have to buy the tomato at this time of year.

Oranges are ripe

Click here for music of Andrea Bocelli's "White Christmas"

http://www.youtube.com/user/andreabocelli?blend=6&ob=4#p/u/1/LZjRuMxWWxQ

My wheelchair repairman came and installed a temporary cord while he orders a replacement cord, so I'm rolling with power again.

Ed is busy peeling those sweet potatoes to parboil and put them in the freezer. He doesn't want my help...I just get in his way when he's scurrying around in the kitchen. What a man! He grows them and puts them up!

Our weather is too blustery and cold for me to get outside, so here I sit just 'putering.

Bounty from the Garden

A little bounty late in the season:

A little surprise in the greenhouse found this colorful orchid in bloom. I have a stainless steel tray filled with gravel that I keep wet with the orchid pots sitting on top. They love it!





Sweet Potatoes - they grow well in this soil that has a lot of sand in it.

Butternut Squash - Bake it with butter on top

Anyone have a recipe to use these? Let me know.

Moving right along

We're moving into the Christmas holiday season and it always makes me feel sad. I'm so far from my children and grandchildren, it's rare that I get to see them over the holidays.

All the grand's are boys and I have 1 great-granddaughter (this pic when she was 1 yr). I would certainly love to be near the great-granddaughter so that I could spoil her a little, but she is in Elko, Nevada. Brrrrr! Ughhhh!

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We were planning to go to the Rock & Gem Show this weekend but, as luck would have it, my coat button caught on the cord that runs along under my chair arm from the joystick to the battery. It caused the plug end to dislodge from the joystick. When I tried to reinsert the plug, it didn't align correctly and caused one of the little (and I mean "little") pins to bend. Of course, when Ed tried to straigten it--it broke off. Now my chair is dead until the repair part can be ordered. I hope I'll have it before Christmas!! I'm rolling in a manual wheelchair now.

Busy week!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!

It has been a very busy week leading up to Thanksgiving. I've never seen so much traffic!!

I pray you will all be safe and have great fellowship with family.

Marilyn

Around the yard today

Ed's first oranges

White Datura (Angel Trumpet)

The collard patch-- We're eating them now!

They will be on the table for Thanksgiving.

Baby bananas

Point Pelee Mum

Mum pics

Here are a few mum pictures. I didn't do my pinch backs as needed, but they are still pretty.

"Point Pelee"

Shasta

I love this little minature purple-- it blooms so profusely and for a long time.

Dogwood berries

Another grandson's visit

We are hosting Ed's daughter and grandson from San Francisco, CA. Yesterday we took a driving tour around Mobile and then out to Magee Farm. I couldn't get into the house as it is not handicapped accessible, so I picked up pecans while they went in for the tour.

Brick at the first step

The Tour Guide

Desk with Constitution of the Confederacy displayed

Willow furniture

Back at the house

Ed, daughter Donna & grandson Buddy

Playing a little catch

A Day at Battleship Park

We spent the day at the park and by chance the overseer of the aircraft building caught sight of Ed's grandson and came over to explain some things about the planes. He continued until he had given us a privately narrated tour of the aircraft and allowed Ed & Connor to enter the area behind the roped off area and for Connor to get into the helicopter that was used by the Presidents. I don't know who was the more excited, Ed or Connor!

Past President's helicopter

Stealth Bomber


Stealth pilot- Jack Weeks

Connor

Rose Garden

Rose USS Alabama