Footprints on the Ceiling ~ Winner

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. Ours was delightful with beautiful snow, and good food. The snow is still piling up, which makes it feel like the perfect type of day to curl up somewhere with a good book. Which brings us to the point of this post.

I'm happy to announce the winner of Footprints on the Ceiling.

Comment # 11

Betsy said ............

Footprints to be cleaned over and over when I helped my daughter move into her new home in Maryland this month. It was raining and the movers didn't seem to care about the wet and mud at all!

Congratulations Betsy! Please send me an email with your address and I will get the book in the mail for you. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Besides U.S. Thanksgiving, it's also National Game and Puzzle Week...what game have you played most recently, and who were you with? Have you worked a puzzle of any kind in the past week?

Games and puzzles are something we really enjoy in our house. Latest games played were Monopoly, Phase 10, and Dutch Blitz. We tried working on a puzzle that looked somewhat similar to a Thomas Kinkaid, but gave up and put it away because we needed the table space before it was finished.

2. What is one place you were thankful for this year?

Home. My favorite place in the world and I'm thankful for it everyday.

3. Take a nap, watch football, go for an after dinner walk, or hit the stores...which ONE is on your must-do list for Thanksgiving day? For those of you playing along who aren't in the US, answer as it relates to any big holiday meal.

I don't take naps, ever. To me life feels way too short to spend any more time sleeping than absolutely necessary. I won't be going on a walk, or shopping. Football ........ try as I may to feign interest, it also feels like a waste of my time when there are so many other things I enjoy more. I'll probably settle for reading a book or playing a game or two.

4. Besides Thanksgiving, what's your favorite home cooked meal?

Christmas breakfast! We look forward to it all year.

5. What product from an infomercial would you most like to own?

Maybe the green skillets or Wen hair products. I really don't know. I don't pay attention to infomercials and these are the only two that come to mind.

6. Christmas shopping? Have you begun? Finished? Will you shop on Black Friday? How do you feel about stores opening on Thanksgiving Day? What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done online?

We will be doing a homemade Christmas again this year. I have started, but need to kick myself into the next gear if I hope to finish everything in time. I will not be shopping on Black Friday. I feel sorry for those who have to work on Thanksgiving. I'm not planning to do any of my Christmas shopping online.

7. What are you most grateful for that adds beauty to your everyday life?

The majestic pine trees beside our house add a splash of green beauty to an otherwise drab brown world. I'll be ever so happy once the beauty of a layer of snow blankets the countryside!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Buddy talks, a lot. The language he chooses to use made me aware that we aren't using nearly as much Amish as we used to. He understands both languages, but will only speak English.

Footprints on the Ceiling

When Dorcas Smucker asked for volunteers to review her latest book, Footprints on the Ceiling, I jumped at the chance to do so. For starters with a title like that, especially after I had just cleaned off a big footprint on our ceiling, it called my name. Delightful title aside, I am a huge fan of her writing. She has a way with words and cleverly weaves beautiful lessons from her often touched by humor, ordinary life.

 

Footprints on the Ceiling is a collection of short stories which makes it a perfect book to pick up and read when you have a few minutes. Each chapter is sure to encourage, inspire, and maybe give you a new view on life, with a healthy amount of chuckles mixed in.

 

From young cooks in the kitchen, sorting through favorite books, travels to Thailand, and everything in between I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

 

I think you would enjoy it too, and I'm happy to be able to give away an autographed copy. If you would like a chance to win one all you have to do is leave a comment telling me about the latest footprint you had to clean up.

 

A winner will be chosen on Friday, November 28th.

Footprints on the Ceiling is available for $15 per book, postage included.  You can mail a check to Dorcas Smucker, 31148 Substation Drive, Harrisburg, OR 97446.  US addresses only.  For international orders, email Dorcas at dorcassmucker@gmail.com

Giveaway is now closed and a winner has been chosen.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What's something you take for granted, that when you stop and think about it you feel truly grateful for?

Water. After having problems with our water recently we were reminded how much we take good clean water for granted and it's something I'm truly grateful for.

2. The color brown-love it or no? What's your favorite shade of brown? Most loved something in your home or closet in a shade of brown?

I like the color brown for a lot of things, though I've never been a fan of the dull browns of November or parched crispy browns of a hot summer.

I do love browns when it comes to clothing, with a warm chocolate shade being my favorite.

3. What's something you're looking forward to today?

I'm looking forward to seeing some friends tonight.

4. The word 'feminism' is not new, but it has been generating all kinds of headlines in recent days and months. What do you think/feel when you hear the word? If you're a woman, do you want to be described as a feminist? Why or why not?

The word feminist leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to be described as a feminist, choosing rather to be feminine.

To me the word feminist brings a picture of obnoxious, loud, self centered women to mind. While feminine brings a picture of gentleness, kindness, and things more along that line.

5. What's something you personally can't eat without making a mess?

Spaghetti is something I would never choose to eat in public because it is so messy for me.

6. When did you last surprise someone with a little gift or when were you last surprised by someone with a little gift? What was it?

A friend stopped by on Monday and surprised me with several dozen eggs from her chickens. We use a lot of eggs, so I was happy to receive them!

7. Share a favorite quote, saying, song lyric or scripture relating to gratitude.

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

8.  Insert your own random thought here. 

With winter being my favorite season, I am loving the snow that is covering everything. So pretty!

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. We celebrate Veteran's Day in the US of A on November 11th. When did you last interact with a member of the armed forces (either currently serving or retired)? Have you ever written a letter to a soldier, bought a meal or coffee for a solider, said an unprompted thank you to a soldier you encountered out and about somewhere? If you're not in the US, comment on a similar holiday in your own country.

We interact almost every single day. Our elderly neighbor served for most of his life, and loves talking about his experiences.

2. You can have fifty pounds of anything at all (except money)...what would you choose?

Food: either chocolate or meat.
Crafty type things: yarn or ribbon.
Things I like: office supplies

3. When did you last receive an invitation in the 'real' mail? What was it for and did you attend? When it comes to RSVP-ing, are you an 'early responder' or a 'last minute, barely-under-the-wire' kind of guest?

Several weeks ago we received an invitation to one of my cousins 25th wedding anniversary. They had an Amish wedding and were now planning on renewing their vows in a "wedding" they wish they could have had.

We would have really liked to attend, but Wisconsin is a little far from where we live.

4. What's something you really don't like to waste?

I don't like wasting anything, but it really bothers me when food gets wasted.

5. Cheers, Friends, MASH, Seinfeld...of the ones listed, your favorite long-running sitcom?

I haven't seen Cheers or MASH. Seinfeld never interested me, and I don't like how they use God's name in Friends so I'm not choosing any as a favorite.

6. What decision are you glad you made?

Moving halfway across the country to where we live today. Seems a little silly now when I think of all the tears I had on moving day.

7. In this month of 'Thanksgiving' what is one thing that's different today than it was a year ago that you're grateful for?

Hmmm ...... maybe that Buddy can talk and we can actually understand what he's saying the majority of the time.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The local game commission releases pheasants every so often. I feel sorry for them being turned out into the wild having to fend for themselves when they had been cared for all their life. I don't think it's doing them a favor, but I digress.

This guy has been hanging out behind our house for the past few days. He seems quite comfortable around people. I'm hoping he survives hunting season.

Time

I find that the older I get, the harder it is to adjust to time change, and I'm not even that old yet! With a week having passed since the time changed I'm over the worst of it.

When we were Amish we referred to Daylight Savings Time as fast time, and Standard time was slow time.

Daylight Savings Time was the source of a lot of contention in the community I grew up in. A lot of them declared fast time was the devils time and refused to turn their clocks forward. Others weren't worried about that and always accepted the time change and turned their clocks forward. With almost half of the families in our church district turning their clocks forward a compromise was made when it came to school time. The schools would turn their clocks forward half an hour, making that each side was slightly appeased. Church services, however was strictly on slow time year round.

LV's family went the other direction. They liked fast time, and since they had a dairy farm they didn't like messing with time change and throwing off the cows' internal clock which always hurt milk production. They kept their clocks on fast time year round. A few people grumbled a little about that, but since he was one of the ministers nothing was ever done to try to make them have slow time at least during the winter.

Never a Dull Moment

There's never a dull moment in our house.  We don't have time to get bored with so many things on our to do/wish list that a lifetime isn't long enough to get everything done.

And then of course there are the many little things that happen that keep things interesting. Like earlier this week when my friend Sonya and her children came for a fun afternoon. The children were off doing various things while Sonya and I were simply visiting and catching up with what has been happening in each others life when the most dreadful thumping, tumbling sound interrupted us.

We hurried to see what happened and found Buddy sitting near the top of the stairs solemnly  surveying the mess that he had just created when he  happened to drop the container of Legos he had wanted to bring downstairs and they spilled surprisingly evenly all the way down to the bottom.

You know you have a great friend when she jumps right in picking up your toddlers mess.

~~~~~

There's an explosion of yarn in our living room. I was teaching the girls how to make some potholders and since they have successfully learned how, they have dug up every single ball of yarn in the house and piled them in the living room. So many interesting color combinations are being made, and I'm thinking I'll not be needing any more potholders for a long time.

~~~~~

Our dog Gypsy is getting older and since the weather is growing colder he gets to spend the night in the basement instead of in his doghouse.

Rosebud hadn't realized that when she went down to the basement to get something and came flying back upstairs saying that someone is snoring down there.

Turns out our dog snores like a person.

Little Lessons ~ In the Kitchen

It's been quite a while since I did a Little Lessons post. I started doing them because so often ordinary little things in life make me think of deeper things. It has often provided topics for discussion with our children some of which I decided to share with you.

 

 

 

When putting dishes away and eyeing our rag tag assortment of pots and pans the girls were discussing how they think complete sets of cookware would be so much nicer than what we have.

Instead of putting the few away that we had just finished drying I opened the cupboard and pulled out the rest of the assortment.

They didn't make the nicest picture. There's one that had its lid broken years ago, there's a small one with a big handle, and another one with no handle at all. Another one has a small dent in the side. There's a tiny one that doesn't look very useful, but gets used every single day to make a single serving of oatmeal for LV for breakfast, and the others while they don't match anything have their own purpose.

I told the girls to look at them again and think of all the delicious foods we have prepared in them already. Every meal we have ever prepared in our home was thanks in part to this motley assortment of pots and pans. When I look at these pots and pans I don't think of the less than perfect thing they are, but what they can do for me.

I took it a step further and reminded them, just as these imperfect items are so important to our family. God also uses imperfect things for His purpose. Misfits and imperfect people are what He uses to do His work and build His kingdom. He uses the broken, bruised, the misfits, and those that appear to have everything together. They all work for His glory.

The pots and pans were placed back into the cupboard carefully and the door closed gently. They had served another purpose other than preparing food today. A little lesson for my daughters that I'm hoping they'll carry with them for a long time.

Flexi ~ Winner

How has the weekend flown by so quickly? Monday mornings seem to come faster than any other morning, and since it is Monday it means it's also time to choose the winner for the flexi clip. I read all your comments and they made me hungry for Thanksgiving dinner even though I just finished a hearty breakfast.

Consulting my friend, the random generator ......  the winner is......

Comment # 12

Becky said.............

I have indeed except for deciding what kind of pies! LOL Turkey, deep fried! With the fixins too!

Congratulations Becky! Please send me an email with your mailing address. I hope you will love your flexi as much as I love mine!

Flexi ~ Giveaway

What better way to welcome in the month of November than having a nice fall themed giveaway?

Earlier this year I finally got my first flexi clip and I love it! It's my favorite go to when ever I wear my hair up, not only is it pretty and feminine, it's comfortable too.

Today one of my friends has generously offered to give a  medium sized flexi clip to a lucky reader.

For your chance to win al you have to do is leave a comment telling me if you have started planning your Thanksgiving menu already.

Sharing this post on your Facebook or blog and coming back and telling me you did will earn you a second entry.

I will be choosing the winner on Monday, November 3rd.

Giveaway is now closed and a winner has been chosen.