"God bless us every one!"

 

As I am trying to pull everything together for Christmas this year, I can’t help to look around and realize how really blessed that I am.

It has been a trying year~ but God is good!!

 

Blessings~Sara

Winter Greetings~

 

 

Winter has arrived here in our neck of the woods! There are 2 different storms headed across the country, the second one is bringing in some artic air and we are receiving some record low temps as well as snow.

Since we have been here in Northern California we have received snow about 2 or 3 different times and it has only been an inch or two and melted soon after. This weekend we received 4-5 inches of snow, it has melted a little but then it was 18 overnight and everything froze on the roads. Our son lives in Southern Oregon  and it took him over 5 hours to get home from his regular40 minute ride. I don’t understand, I guess I just took some things for granted back east. This would have been a regular winter day and the public works department would have been preparing ahead of the storm, treated the roads and then they ALL would have been plowed. Not here! They only plow the freeway, all others are closed til the snow melts. Today in our travels we saw a sawhorse on the side of the road with a sign on it that said “icy”. hhhmmmm wouldn’t it have taken less time to throw a little sand on the ground than to set up a sign and then have to go back and pick it up???!!!

I don’t know~ I just want to stay inside and be cozy! Maybe finish my Christmas decorating, listen to Christmas music, watch some Christmas movies…I see a theme here. I am starting to relax just thinking about it.

 

"The snapping of pitch from a burning log,
The faint scent of pine filling the room.
Flames leaping about as if it were a ballet
Performing for its audience.
The soft, comforting glow of candlelight,
Bringing with it serenity and quiet thoughts."
-   Linda Christensen

 

Wishing you a cozy Sunday~ Blessings~Sara

Peace on earth, good-will to men

 

~I heard the bells on Christmas Day~

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  first wrote the poem on Christmas Day in 1863.Coupled with the recent loss of his wife Frances, who died as a result of an accidental fire, and his oldest son who was wounded in battle, Longfellow was inspired to write "Christmas Bells".  The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among mankind.

 

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

I love digging in to the history of things~

Blessings for a great day ~Sara

Moving on to a Merry Christmas~

 

 

 

I love the word Merry! To be Merry is to be jolly… cheerful… light-hearted…carefree…joyful… joyous… festive …happy… gleeful!  Proverbs 17:22 says  “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”   That’s one of the reasons I love to decorate for Christmas (and  all the seasons for that matter)…it creates a merry…joyful….and festive atmosphere….and that kind of atmosphere is good for us! Beauty inspires! Beauty lifts our spirit! It refreshes us.  It can give us a positive outlook on life. It’s a way of celebrating the glory and blessings of God. Our environment and the atmosphere around us can effect our emotions, and our emotions can affect our physical health. Dr. Don Colbert says ” How you feel in your heart can show up in your body, for your heart and body are more powerfully connected than you have ever realized.”  So even the tiniest bit of  candle glow or sparkle here and there can remind us that Jesus is the true light of the world, that He is the reason for the Season…and in Him we have hope and a future.~ this is a quote from Auntie Ruthie over at Sugar Pie Farmhouse

 

“Festive decorations are a gift from your heart to the hearts of those who enter your home. They simply and sweetly say, ‘love lives here’ and ‘we were expecting you, welcome!’ ” ~Dolley Carlson

Blessings and happy Christmas decorating

~ Sara

“Come, ye thankful people, come,

 

 

Raise the song of harvest home;

all is safely gathered in,

ere the winter storms begin.”

~ Henry Alford

"November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early,
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettles sing,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring."
-  Elizabeth Coatsworth

Over the river and through the woods…

in homes all across America,

May all of you be blessed this Thanksgiving day!

 

 

“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”

Psalm 106:16

 

 

 

You cannot be grateful and bitter.
You cannot be grateful and unhappy.
You cannot be grateful and without hope.
You cannot be grateful and unloving.
So just be grateful.

Fall is still happening here~

 

We are busy finishing a list of orders before Thanksgiving.

This table below is one that is on its way to Washington. Sure hope that she likes it. I have put my order in for one. We will see how that goes.

I will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. We will have most of the family here at some point. One of our daughters will be away. Her family will be sharing the holiday with our son in laws grandmother in San Francisco. We see them quite often, so we will make up for it at another time I am sure. We had the grands here today for quite a while and had so much fun. they are getting to an age that they like to do so many things. I taught them to stencil, and they each brought home their own sign.  Hey maybe they can help me out with the business some day. lol 

So, I am making a list of the food that I need to prepare. Do you do that? Make lists? I have to!!

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We have birthdays almost every other week this time of year. This picture is from my daughters 30th birthday party a few weeks ago.

(my daughters and I and my future daughter in law(on the left). Just missing my other future daughter in law)

Don’t tell her I told her age. She can’t be older that I claim to be! How does that happen??!!

Well, hubby also had a birthday …….

There is cake …….

and ice cream…….

and more goodies! Yikes!

Now this week our youngest son is turning 21.

Again~ where does the time go??!!

 

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Now to get things in order~

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AND~ I am not sure the I mentioned that our son has a new dog that he rescued for the local shelter. He is still in college and works as well…….so……. he is with us A LOT!!

Well I am sure that Christmas is going to be INTERESTING  this year!

This is just a sampling of what ROCCO thinks is fun to do~

He loves to drag things into “his room” and ………well….. you can see what I mean. I am not sure I can put her back together again.

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Oh and I am not sure that I have shared this with you either~  I have been asked to be a Mentor Mom for the Mops (mothers of preschoolers) group that my daughters are a part of this year. I am not sure why they have asked ME, but I am humbled to have been chosen. I think that my daughters maybe want me to distribute the “constant advice” that I share with them to  others. lol

Well this week they have asked me and another mom to “share” some advice with the younger moms. There will be a few questions for us and then they will open it up to questions from the group. Remember a while ago I told you a little bit about myself?? And that I was very shy and quiet and wouldn’t read in first grade, and in 6th grade when we had projects to “present” that I was absent that day??!! Well…. talking and being in front of people is DEFINITELY NOT MY THING! Please pray for me on Thursday that I will be able to “do what God has called me to do” without “freaking out”. I appreciate all of your friendship. You truly are a blessings to me.

~Sara

Wonderful blogging friends and swap goodes~ a few new creations (pics)

 

Isn’t it wonderful to have  good blogging friends. I have met some great friends here in blog land and I have to say some of the most talented, but humble.

One such special blogger is Jean of Prim Crafts! She is such a talented lady. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Jean and she is a wonderful giving, caring person. We have done some swaps and I have several of her wonderful creations in my home. I especially love her Santa’s!

I had inquired of Jean a short time ago about making me another Santa to go with my Dickens themed items. I had sent her some material that I thought would work well and left the rest to her. This is her new creation that I have the pleasure to care for in my home. He is so amazing! Thank you so much Jean!!!

Not only did she send the Santa, but she also sent these adorable little mice. I have wanted a pair of  Pilgrim mice for a long time and the ones that she has created are perfect.

Thank you Jean! I love them all. I sure hope that she likes what I sent her. I always feel that what I send never compares to what I receive.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  Psalm 107:1

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I have a special this weekend on these signs below. Your choice ~$25 (bowl or jug) distressed edge or not. Email me at salmonfallsprims@aol.com if you would like to order one.

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I know everyone is getting excited to decorate for Christmas. There are so many inspirational decorating ideas going around the web this year. Pinterest is amazing, as well as so many decorating sites. I have a mix of Thanksgiving as well as Christmas going on right now. I like to keep all of my Pilgrim themed items out til the day after Thanksgiving. I have a few Christmas items out for my business photo shoots, but I can’t wait to pull everything out this year. I think I may have to pick and choose, since I have so many new creations. Some things will have to stay in the box as I just don’t have room for everything. I try to keep things and not toss them as my style is always changing. I have things that I like now that I used 20 years ago. I think styles always go in cycles. Have you already started to decorate?  It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

I will leave you with a few pics of some of my new creations.

 

 

 

Blessings~Sara