For the past week or so, our son has greeted us with the usual “Good Morning”, followed by telling us how many days are left until Christmas.    Last week, we finally bought our tree, and decorated it.    In the past we’ve gone to tree lots on the side of the busy street in the middle of town, the lot at the home improvement store and last year, we actually went to a tree farm and cut our own.   We have a tradition every year of buying a dozen donuts to snack on later while we decorate the tree (December is not the time to start a diet in our house!).  Every year, we try to decide on whether or not to use white lights (my choice) or colored lights (Kevin’s choice, which as you can see by the picture is what we went with.  That’s ok, I have a tree on my porch with white lights!) Every year, I see the tree, and think about my history with Christmas trees.

My birthday happens to be in December, and for as long as I can remember, my mom really tried to avoid bringing a Christmas tree into the house until the day after my birthday.   She really wanted to make sure that my birthday felt like a birthday.  I don’t know if she always adhered to that belief, but I do remember that this was how it was when I was a teenager.   On the next day, the birthday was officially over, and all of the Christmas decorations were brought out and hung up!

When I was little, we lived out in the country, where trees were plentiful.  I do have pictures somewhere that my mother took one year, of my dad cutting down a tree somewhere in the pasture across the road from our house.  The cows and I supervised the cutting.  During the remaining years on that property, we went to the tree farm that was across the road and about a half mile away.  Very convenient.

After my parents divorced, a tree wasn’t always in the budget, but my mom would get one anyway, because that is what was a part of the Christmas tradition.  Sometimes, a family in our church, would drive into the woods and cut down Christmas trees for the single mothers and single senior women in our church.   More than once, my mom would leave her place of work at the end of the day and there would be a Christmas tree tied to her car.   She was thrilled and very touched that we were thought of.

After my mom remarried, our first Christmas with my step-father threatened to change her sense of Christmas tradition.  As most people are aware, the Christmas tree doesn’t necessarily stem from any Christian origin.  My step-father decided that we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas with something of a Pagan origin in our house and therefore, no tree.  My mom did not like that idea at all!  She was really down about it and several times told him that we had always had a tree and it just wasn’t Christmas without one.     After about a week, he finally came to the realization that this was a compromise that would not come out in his favor.  So he went outside, and climbed up the Pine tree that was taller than our mobile home, and cut about 4 feet off of the top, and that was our tree.  It was a bit round, so my mom called it our Christmas bush (I don’t think that our neighbors noticed the “flat top” on the tree outside).    The tree issue never came up again.

My mom loved to drape loose tinsel on our trees.  I never cared for it.  Our tree would be so covered in tinsel that we couldn’t see much of the green.  It was also a mess to clean up when Christmas   When I moved out and had my first Christmas tree, I opted for tinsel free.  She probably thought that it looked rather plain.  I remember that my friend Carrie and her parents bought that tree for me, and gave it to me about a week before my birthday.   I went to the store with my sister to buy some lights (blue, to go with the blue/geese theme in my kitchen which was only 6 feet from where the tree stood in my little apartment).   I added all of the decorations that my grandma had given to me over the years (and discovered that I needed to buy some more ornaments  It was a nice little tree!

Anyway, those are some of my memories of one small aspect of Christmas.

Elizabeth 🙂

Our Tree for 2013!

Here in Oregon, we have maybe one good snow per year.  Sometimes it lasts until noon of the same day that it arrived.  Sometimes it lasts more than a day.  We’ve been teased on occasion, by folks in other states, where they have snow more often and for longer periods of time, because here in Oregon, if we are told that an inch of snow is coming, we tend to stay home.    There tend to be mad dashes to the store for those important items like bread, milk, cereal and toilet paper (I did go grocery shopping yesterday, but with more added to that list, like).  Then when the snow does arrive, we get about an inch of it, and kids will get up earlier and easier than usual to listen to the radio for any news of school closures.  I’m not mocking!  I’ve seen it happen and even did it myself when I was a kid.

I will admit, that I am not a big fan of snow.  Because we don’t have it as often, we really don’t have the opportunities to practice and gain the experience needed to drive well in the snow.  We also don’t have all of the snow equipment to clear the streets as you would find in, say, those states and countries that have snow for several weeks.   I am one of those with limited experience driving in the snow (and those few times unnerved me a bit) so I tend to let Kevin drive.

In the early morning hours, the snow came.   When my alarm went off at 6:30AM, I woke up to the DJ talking about school closures.  I looked outside my bedroom window to see the back yard covered in snow!  Then I went into my daughter’s room to look out of her window to see the driveway.  Plenty of snow.  I whispered to her that it was snowing and she mumbled something and kept sleeping (much like I did at her age when my mom would literally bound into my room, open my curtains and say loudly, “IT’S SNOWING!!!!)  Then I went downstairs (and it was still dark) to open the front door and see the snow close up.   Then I went for my camera and snapped a few pictures, because, that’s what I do.

Our back yard

Front porch

I’m not overly excited about snow because it can keep one housebound, but on the other hand, it’s pretty, and makes the world outside peaceful (as long as you don’t live near a busy street).

Our little quiet neighborhood

Since I also homeschool, one might assume that we don’t have snow days because, the snow is not preventing my kids from getting to school.  My kids don’t really play in the snow anymore, however, it’s just an unwritten rule amongst kids that when there is snow, and other schools are closed for snow, then homeschooled kids get the day off too.  That being said, Kylin did go outside for a few minutes, to set up scenes in the snow with toy Polar bears so that he could take pictures of them. 

Happy Snow Day!

Elizabeth

This year’s Thanksgiving deviated a bit from tradition in that we celebrated at our home, just the four of us.

Our car was having issues (which turned out to be the fuel pump needing to be replaced).  Driving the car was inadvisable.  Also, Kevin was experiencing severe back pain (which turned out to be a herniated disc) making traveling the half hour to my dad’s a painful trip.

I felt bad for not being able to see my dad and grandma this year, but the above issues really didn’t allow it.

So, I made dinner at home.

Heather made her favorite side dish, deviled eggs                   

I probably made too much food for the four of us, but, it was sooo good!

Apple and Pumpkin pies!

As you can see, there is no sign of a turkey in my photos as we don’t eat meat here.  It’s been so long since I’ve cooked a turkey, I don’t even remember how to do it!  I think that the last one I cooked, was when I was about 21 and still living with my mother and step-father.  Instead of turkey, we eat Morningstar “Chik’n” patties (for anyone wondering if we’re getting enough protein).

The mashed potatoes were made from my grandma’s recipe.  There’s a lot of cream cheese and whipping cream in that batch!  Probably not Weight Watchers approved, but Ooooooooo so good!

The stuffing is a recipe that my mother gave me and Kevin loves it.  I always make some for the meal, and some to freeze for Kevin to snack on later.  Delicious!

After a very filling meal, we relaxed with movies.   Well, my husband and kids relaxed after cleaning up the kitchen.

Thank you Family!

Elizabeth

Once again, it’s that time of year, when pumpkins are popular and you can find them nearly everywhere you turn.   For at least 13 of the past 15 years, we’ve taken our kids to a local pumpkin patch, to ride the horse-drawn wagon, to get our pumpkins.   There were a couple of years, when we didn’t go either due to not enough time to do it, or money was tight (the grocery stores tend to sell them for less, and we don’t have to pay for horses to take us to them).  Also, as the years move along, we find ourselves wondering if the kids still want to go to the patch, or do they feel too old for such things.   Every year, we decide that the patch is a family tradition, and it’s fun!

So last weekend, we planned to go to the patch.  The weather had been dry, so we thought that we could get by wearing our sneakers instead of rubber boots.  What we discovered was that no matter what the weather, when you go to the patch, always wear your boots and have your jeans tucked into them, because it’s always muddy.

A very foggy morning at the farm!

Apple Cider donuts help warm a body on a chilly morning.

Every year, this farm seems to add something new. This year, a goat pen was added. The kids enjoyed them, and fortunately weren’t asking to have any as pets.

“Do you have a snack for me? Cuz you know, there’s a snack dispenser to your right……..next to the empty Purel dispenser.”

Farm Monitor

Next month’s endangered bird

This is part of what makes the price of the experience worth it!

A foggy morning over the sea of orange!

Aren’t they beautiful?

Nature’s decorations

Proof that, even in dry weather, we should have worn rubber boots!

Bye-Bye Pumpkin patch!

Here they sit on the porch, waiting for their makeovers

Elizabeth 🙂

Ok, I’m nearly a week late on this, but “Happy Fall!”

And because I’m in the mood for all things related to the season, I thought I would share some photos from last year’s “Fall Drive”.

Enjoy!

Photo by Elizabeth Cully

Photo by Elizabeth Cully

Photo by Elizabeth Cully

Photos by Elizabeth Cully

Photo by Elizabeth Cully

Happy Fall!

Elizabeth

Finally, the month that announces “Fall is around the corner!”

The season that justifies making stews and soups without the cook being informed that “It isn’t soup weather”.

By looking at the posts of my Facebook friends this week, it’s also “Back to school”.   For my kids, school will start next week.  Heather is babysitting some children in our school district which will start next week.  Something about a trimester system and not wanting to have the first day of school fall on Rosh Hoshanna (according to what I heard on the radio yesterday).   Apparently, it wasn’t a concern for other districts in the area.

When I was growing up, I loved this season and the first day of school.  My husband wasn’t as thrilled.  I loved the newness of a different classroom and a new desk in which to put my new supplies in the new school box.  Which of last year’s classmates would still be there?  Who would be new?  Would the snobby kids still be snobby or would have someone knocked some sense into them over the summer?  For me, sometimes, it was also dealing with a completely new school.

So anyway, I have one more week to prepare for school.  I am still homeschooling, so preparation isn’t just preparation for those healthy breakfasts or lunches, I also have lessons to plan out as well.     So far, change in routine that I’m really trying to make is to get up early to shower before anyone else.  If I wait until later, I could be in my jammies at lunch still (thus falling into one of many homeschool stereotypes).   Also one never knows when unexpected visitors may arrive, and it would be good to be a bit more put together when they do.

Even though, it isn’t officially Fall, I brought the boxes of décor in from the garage and set it all out.  It may not look quite like Fall outside, but it does on the inside!

Welcome back to slightly chilly mornings, cozy evenings with tea, and the promise of the changing colors on the leaves!

Elizabeth

Wow!  Where to begin!

We’ve had quite a few events happen in the past 3 weeks that have kept us on our toes.  First of all, my sister, Rachel and niece, Aria came to town on an emergency visit.   My sister’s mother was very ill and in the hospital, and she needed to come out rather quickly.  Unfortunately for her mother, she couldn’t take the baby to the hospital due to a Whooping Cough outbreak (no one under the age of 2 was allowed in), so we had the opportunity to babysit and get to know Aria better. She was such a good baby, and we loved having her here.   I’m happy to say that my sister’s mother is doing better than she was.  She still has a long road of recovery, but, the situation looks more hopeful.

My niece’s little foot, because I think that baby toes are too cute!

After being here for about a week, Rachel and Aria went home, and we moved on to get ready to celebrate Heather’s birthday.  It’s hard to believe that I have a 17 year old, and at the same time, it’s not so shocking that that much time has passed.   For breakfast, it was a trip to her favorite donut shop.   Followed by a lunch of macaroni and cheese (homemade), and the evening ended with spaghetti tacos (fans of “iCarly” will know about those).  Then, it was off to the cheap theater for a showing of the latest Star Trek movie.   I think she had a decent day 🙂

The requested breakfast stop!

Late night Birthday Cake!

A few days after the birthday, Kevin went to the hospital, to have his tonsils removed.  The hope is that doing so, will help clear up some other health issues he’s had for several years.   We were scheduled to check into the hospital at 7AM.   It wasn’t long before we discovered, that it doesn’t matter what your age when you get your tonsils removed, you still get the kiddie room!The surgery went well, and we were both surprised that Kevin was still able to talk afterward.  However, 3 days later, his throat is too sore for him to talk.  So I’m trying to keep my questions to the “yes/no” kind, or just have him text me.  In spite of my efforts to make it easier for him, he still tries to talk.    I feel kind of bad eating regular food, such as pizza, in front of him while he can only eat scrambled eggs, mac & cheese, and popcicles.   I’m sure it will seem like he’ll be back to regular foods in no time.

Happy Sunday!

Elizabeth

The kids posing with their grandma.

Today would have been my mother’s 70th birthday.   Since I can’t post a picture of her right now,  I thought I’d post a picture of my kids with a picture of her from when she was around my daughter’s age.   My grandparents had this portrait and another one made of my mother and my aunt.  They used to hang in my grandparents’ dining room.  The story that I was told was that one sister had her picture taken in her formal dress, wearing the strand of pearls.  Then she’d take off the pearls and give them to the other sister to wear for her portrait.

There have been times when we’ve celebrated her birthday with a quiet family dinner.  There have also been a few parties.  When I was little, my grandparents had a phonograph and they had actually recorded records of her birthday parties.  The one I remember listening to was from when she turned 8 and I think that my grandma had invited everyone from her class to the party.   There was a time when she was in her 40’s where we invited people to come over right after church one night to have some cake and visit.  My mom had no idea that anyone was coming, so after we came home from church, my mom was standing on the sidewalk talking to our landlord, when guests started showing up.  She came into the house with a big smile and said, “There are PEOPLE coming!”

The last birthday we celebrated with her was when she turned 52.  My husband and I had been married for just over a month, and hosted a birthday spaghetti dinner in our tiny, split-level duplex (it was a cute little place).  We decorated with streamers and balloons, and we had one surprise.  We had also invited one of her best friends, Sammie, to join us.  By her reaction, I think that it was a good surprise 🙂

Happy Birthday Mom!

Love,

Elizabeth & Kevin, and your grandchildren, Heather & Kylin

Grandma Theda with her two oldest great-grandchildren

Last Friday was my grandma’s 95th birthday. We met her and my dad at our local Hometown Buffet for a birthday lunch, visit and let her know that she’s special.
Grandma has told me several times that she’s figuring out how to live as a person in her 90’s as she really doesn’t have anyone else’s experience to draw from. She and her younger sister (who will be 90 this year) are the two remaining siblings out of 7. Their other siblings, nor their parents ever made it this far. So she’s carving out the template for the rest of us.
Grandma Theda has been my closest grandparent (my granddad, her husband, was right there with her). She and my granddad loved their grandchildren, and we knew it. They played with us, listened to us, and were there on short notice when we needed them (I probably benefitted more than my sister and cousins because I came along several years before my sister and cousins did). They literally would travel to the other side of the world to see their grandchildren (3 of them lived in Switzerland, and at various times, Paris and Canada).
When I was 4, my parents were separated for a while and I spent a few weeks living with my grandparents. My granddad built me a swing from the rafters of the back patio with a rope and a plank of wood. Grandma would get out the games and toys that her kids used to play with, and she would actually play with me. Every night, she would tuck me in to sleep in my aunts canopy bed with the pink ruffles, and read to me poems from Mother Goose and other stories, in her diluted Texas dialect. Those toys and games have been passed down to my kids now. The canopy bed is now my daughter’s.
Spending the night at my grandma’s also meant the possibility of pancakes in the morning, upon request. She made the best pancakes! I found out later that a big secret to successful pancakes, is having a griddle! Grandma’s cooking was wonderful! She was from Texas and had been a farmer’s wife for many years, and she could really cook a wonderful meal! Family meals were usually followed by her delicious chocolate cake (think of a chocolate mousse with bits of angel food cake mixed with and topped with chopped walnuts). Her kitchen always smelled good. If my kitchen smells that good when I cook, then I know I’m doing something right!
She’s the only one who calls me “Elizabeth Ann” in a loving way. Usually, when I’ve heard my full name, it’s for business purposes or my mother was exasperated or angry with me. Everyone else uses my nickname.
She was also a very thoughtful Mother-in-law to my mother. She would help my mom during canning season. If my mom needed a babysitter, she was the grandparent that could be trusted to care for me. She and my granddad helped her after my parents divorced, even giving her a washing machine and dryer when we didn’t have one. They even came to my mom’s second wedding. When my mom was in her final days in the hospital, she and my granddad came to visit, and she even offered to take care of my mom. After my mom passed, Grandma and I already had a close enough relationship that she sort of stepped into that role as a mother (which was what I needed because I was getting ready to have a baby and it’s nice to have a mom when you’re new at it yourself).
My kids call her “Grandma” even though they know that she’s their great-grandma. She is a person that we have no problem finding a card for on Birthdays or Mother’s Day. The problem is picking just one! Those “mushy” cards describe her. She is a treasure who we are blessed to have in our family and in our lives.

Happy Birthday Grandma Theda!
Love,
Elizabeth Ann