Her Long Brown Hair

 Hello, and I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.  I have been feeling under the weather lately with allergies, and my muscles are out of whack, which has really taken its toll on my body.  I even went to see the doctor, and he gave me something, which helped.  I've also been doing my own research, and am taking a couple supplements and drinking peppermint tea.  My Nel went through the same thing a few years ago, so it was comforting to talk with her and have her tell me everything she knew about it.  I even had to reschedule my trip to So Cal for a later date.  My son made the turkey, and since I wasn't feeling good, he made all the sides too - mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, rolls, corn, yams, cranberries.  He even made a green bean casserole, which I haven't had in a long time, and it was delicious.  I think this was his best turkey yet, it was so moist and tender.  I didn't get any pictures, cause it was all so good, we just ate.

Here's Mia at the Thanksgiving feast at her school.

And I can't believe they got Charlotte to smile at the same time as the kids.

So, I decided to drive to the creek...it always brings me peace of mind.  The trees are bare now, but the end of Fall has its own beauty.

This isn't Mt. Shasta, it is the mountain in our town.  It already has snow on it.  I heard there is a road that takes you up there, and I want to explore and take a drive there sometime.  Elevation is 7,864.

The golden rod isn't golden anymore, but it's still pretty, in my opinion.

I'm in town now getting a taco at the eatery for lunch, and I notice this bush by the road that's glistening with Fall colors.  I have to stop and get a picture of it.

Look what I saw on my car Sunday morning.

Speaking of snowflakes, I bought this cute cup for Christmas, and I'm having some peppermint tea.

I drove through the coffee shop Sunday and got a green tea and a carrot muffin.

  Well, this will be a short post, as I'm just trying to rest and feel better.  I will share a story about a young couple who had no money.....but they had so much more.  It's called The Gift of the Magi, and it's been a favorite story around Christmastime for many many years.

The story takes place just before Christmas, and Della Young is concerned about what she should give her husband, Jim, as a present. She counts her savings and finds only $1.87, which is not enough to buy a worthy gift. She is frustrated since she wants to present her husband with something he deserves for his hard work. Della tries to find a way out of the situation and finally comes up with an idea. The most precious thing she has is her long shining brown hair. After she looks at it in the mirror, she dresses up and goes to Madame Sofronie, a hairdresser. The woman cuts Della’s hair quickly and gives her $20.

Having enough money, Della visits several shops to find a present for Jim. She is not satisfied with anything she finds until she knows exactly what she needs. Della remembers that her husband’s most valuable thing is his gold watch, but he has to wear it with a leather strap since the original one has been broken. The woman finds a platinum chain that will perfectly suit the watch, pays $21 for it, and goes home.

When Jim arrives and sees his wife without her gorgeous hair, he becomes surprised and puzzled. Della cannot understand his reaction until she unpacks his present for her. She discovers a set of combs that she has desired for a long time, but since she does not have her long hair anymore, they appear to be useless. To comfort her husband, she hands him the platinum chain, only to find out that Jim has sold his gold watch to buy a present for her.

 

Apples From The Apple Tree

This was a busy week with a few things to show and tell.  The landscaper came by and blew, raked, and gathered all the leaves in the front yard and hauled them away.  There was a ton of them.  His trailer was filled when he was finished.

Then the rain came after and washed all the dust and the walkways clean.

Francesca has a small Christmas tree in her bedroom, and it is decorated with Pink ornaments.  When I found this cute cloth doll, I thought it would be a nice addition to her tree.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law came into town.  She had to pick up her car at the shop, and my brother-in-law stopped by for a visit in the morning.  I made him a cup of coffee and a slice of pecan pie.  My son bought it at Sprouts, and it was literally the best pecan pie that I've ever had.

They brought me lots of goodies.....a turkey, bag of potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, apple pie, coffee, and much more.  Also, some home grown tomatoes from their garden, and apples from their apple tree.

My sister-in-law made some homemade fudge and spice muffins.  I haven't had fudge in a long time, and it was Yummy.

  I cooked some chicken apple sausages and made a sandwich with bakery rolls, along with catsup, mustard, tomatoes, and onions.  So good.

I made some French onion dip and celery sticks.

The November crows have been coming around lately.

On Thursday morning, I went to the laundry room to start doing laundry for the day, opened up the blinds, and to my surprise there was a DEER right in front of the window.  I couldn't believe it!  

Then, I saw another one right beside the car.  They walked passed my house and over my neighbor's fence and were on their way.

Here's some of my Christmas decor so far.  You've seen many of the items a dozen times, but every year I rearrange and put things in different places.  I have given away so much stuff, but these are the things I will always keep.  There are the frosty people on my mantel, the snow globes, my fun elves, my mom's ceramic box that she had in her kitchen for years, and my son's glittery tree he made when he was a child.

And Nel bought a couple new Nutcrackers this year.  Aren't they the cutest things?

My son took this road picture on his drive to the city.  The Autumn trees are still lingering.

I want to show you the wonderful cake Jess made for Francesca.

Here's a little about it.  The white "fur" was made by using a decorating tip that looks like fur or grass.  It's frosting.  It came out in really small spots, so it took a long time to cover the whole cake.  She got the idea from a Pinterest doggy cake, and it was fun for her to do something creative since she doesn't have time for creative things these days.

And lastly, Jess said that Charlotte is making the funniest faces lately, and I cracked up when she sent me this picture.

Happy Thanksgiving, my dears.

love, ~Sheri 

 

Homework Assignment - Take A Walk!

One day, when I was holding baby Charlotte on the couch, I looked over and saw Jess helping Francesca with her homework for the day.  I actually met Francesca's teacher while I visited, and she's nice and so good to Francesca.  I was surprised that they had homework at such a young age.  It made me think about all the days I spent helping my own kids with their homework during the school years.

So, the last homework assignment for that day was to take a walk!  A smart and wise teacher I thought to ask the students to do this.  So, come along on our walk in Jess'  neighborhood to see some of the things we noticed.  Francesca got on her bike and rode slowly with us.

It was getting chilly, so Jess wanted to cover the baby's head with a beanie that uncle b. bought for her.

These purple flowers were beautiful.  Not sure what they were, but we noticed them right away.

We saw rose bushes with a combination of red and white roses.

I think this was a lilac bush?

Jess lives right next to a trail, and there are bunnies in her neighborhood often.  We didn't see any bunnies, but nature always provides a red rose for me.

Now, around the block and on our way back, there was a hill that we had to walk down.  It was either me or Jess sprinting after Francesca on her bike down the hill, and Jess is more steady on her feet than I am, so off she went, while I slowly walked down with the baby haha.

It was such a pleasant walk, and it gave us a chance to spend some time outdoors before dinner.

You know, I appreciate teachers very much, but I believe that mothers are the most valued teachers of all.

*claudia tremblay