Happy New Year

Well here I am at home on New Year's Eve. We had a devo at church and a finger food party afterwards. Tom and I were at home by 7:00. Our son has been in CA and he is due home anytime. Our GA son was hoping to come with his family this Friday but since they fly standby the chances aren't real good. It was so much easier for them to visit us in CA because there were more flights from Atlanta to Orange County - or they could fly into Los Angeles. Of course living close to Disneyland was a better incentive than flying to Tucson. Tom Jr just got home so I will go visit with him. Happy New Year to all

Merry Christmas

Tonight I sang at an outdoor mall with some of our chorus. This is our Christmas outfit. Some members of our group have sung there every Friday and Saturday night since Thanksgving. We sing for an hour in between the snow falling. Yes, its fake, but the kids really like it - actually so do I. Since this was the last night of the singing we had a little party at one of the members houses. Tom came too and we didn't stay too long, but it was nice.

I finally decided on our Christmas dinner. We are having Honey Baked Ham and I waited in line for about 50 minutes to buy a quarter of a ham - for $25. It better be good.

I actually am finished buying Christmas gifts for Tom and son, Tom - it's not even Christmas Eve. It seems every year we are buying something on Christmas Eve. There are actually some good mark downs at this time.

Yesterday Tom and I took the three next door neighbor's kids (ages 5, 7 & 10) to the Mall. We ate at evry kid's favorite place, McDonald's and then went to see Happy Feet. We are so happy to have neighbors with kids. When we moved here Tom said he didn't want to live in a retirement community - he wanted to see kids in the neighborhood. He got his wish.

Merry Christmas to each one of you. I don't plan to post anything the next two days.

Christmas is Coming

When I was little all Christmases were at my house because my mother and I lived with my grandparents. I was an only child but my mother was the youngest of seven and all her brothers and sisters and my cousins would come home to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Los Angeles - my Texas aunt and uncle came some years. Anyway we would open one present on Christmas Eve and then Christmas morning Santa Claus would leave unwrapped presents - all for me of course. We were not wealthy, my mother worked for Bank of America (she became one of the first women officers in the late 60's - before that only men could be a bank officer).The point is that we didn't have a lot of money, but I always made out real good at Christmas. Several years ago one of my aunt's told me the story how her daughters (my age) wondered why Santa always left me more toys than he did them. She told them it was because I didn't have a brother or sister to play with, unlike them who had each other. I think that is a neat thing to have said - although I'm not sure they bought it.

I am now the oldest living member of my blood relatives so I guess that makes me the Matriarch of the Davis Clan (My mother's maiden name). It wouldn't be much of a clan if my cousins hadn't had children - and grandchildren and great granchildren. I have one cousin in San Antonio and one cousin's grandaughter and her three sons live in Maryland, but the rest live in Southern CA. One of my sons and daughter-in-law and grandson live in GA and the other one is with us. I say all that to say that we will not all be together at Christmas and that makes me sad. The majority of them will be together in Orange County CA and will be eating at my cousin's house who is a caterer and a wonderful one. Everyone chips in with the food, but Rhonda's house will be decorated to the nth degree and the presentation is always beautiful. We didn't go to CA last Christmas either but we went to New York and we did see the cousin with the three kids (only the twins last year) in MD but Tom was sick and we didn't even go to Church on Christmas Day. Of course going to NYC over Christmas time was special.

So what am I doing Christmas Day? Probably cooking something for 3 people. I am NOT going to do turkey. Do you have any suggestions? I am posting a picture of my pathetic tree - top doesn't show - with Murphy. He wore that Christmas T-shirt for about two hours and thought it was in a restraint and wouldn't walk in it. We put it on him to take the picture and our Monday afternoon LIFE group got to see him in it. Don't forget to give me suggestions for Christmas Dinner.

Good News

Just before 3:00 PM today we got the results of Tom's MRA. It showed that he does not have to have surgery at this time. We are giving praises to God and we thank you for your prayers. Some how any other news seems trivial so I will not say anything else.

Changing Colors

When I logged on to Blogger today it said I had to switch to the new Blogger, so after having to change my password because I couldn't remember what I used, I played around with it for awhile and all I changed was my profile and the color of my blog.

We had a chorus Christmas party at a restaurant last night and I changed my order from ribs to prime rib and that was a mistake. I originally wanted prime rib but thought since it was a large group I wouldn't get it like I wanted - which is rare. So I signed up for ribs. I figured they wouldn't mess that up. Then I got to the restaurant and switched with someone. When the waiter came he told us the only choice for steak or prime rib was medium and so I was stuck. I should have stayed with the ribs. I just don't understand why anyone would eat steak or prime rib any other way than rare or maybe medium-rare. I did order cheesecake, which of course was not included in the overpriced meal, and that was good.

Remember last month we went to GA- to Savannah, Augusta and Atlanta. Well when we got home my camera said there were no pictures. My son recovered them on his PC and then burned them to a CD and now I have them - or at least most of them - some were damaged. Anyway I am posting a couple.


A tree in Savannah with Spanish Moss


Cotton fields in Georgia


Me in Augusta at the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and Botannical Gardens

I Am Tired

This has been a busy week. I had a treadmill stress test - and did fine. Tom had two different doctor appointments and he has to have an MRA next Tuesday. He has had an aneurism in the abdominal area for some while and they said it hadn't grown (they had checked that last month, but they want him to have the MRA to check the aorta something and then he might have to have surgery. So please keep him in your prayers. I substituted two days last week, for a third grade class and for the librarian. I also sang twice with some of my chorus. Since we have so many performances around Christmas usually about 20-25 sing at one time - instead of the 75 member chorus. This morning we went to a funeral for the mother of one of our friends from church and then to Famous Daves BBQ after with another couple from church. Then we went by a rehab center to visit another member from church. He is 90 and fell and broke his hip last week. His name is Jack and he and his wife, June can also use your prayers. Now I am going to take a nap but I was told by my friend, Sandy that I needed to post on my blog. If you haven't read Sandy you should check it out. She is a much better writer than I. Night night

And the Preacher is.....

It is official. The new preacher is Bobby Valentine. Tom and I went and looked at a couple of houses this afternoon that they are considering to rent. I have my preference, but we'll see what Pamella decides. I had been reading Bobby's blog for sometime and when I heard he was coming to try out I was so excited. My very own blogging preacher. I believe he has so much to offer our congregation. We have been without a pulpit minister since June and we love it when Clay Utley, our youth minister preaches, but he hasn't preached every week. He is happy being the youth minister. We are fortunate to have heard some excellent men from our own congregation - some of our elders, plus we have two chaplains who are stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. One of them is in Iraq right now and due back next month. But there is nothing like a full time pulpit minister. Welcome Bobby, Pamella, Rachael and Talya.

Just checking in

I'm waiting on my hot artichoke dip to be ready. We ate lunch late today and we are going to have dip and french bread for dinner. I went to the Y this afternoon and walked 30 minutes, while listening to Randy Harris on my iPOD. I feel a little silly laughing outloud while on the treadmill, but sometimes I can't help it. I love my iPOD and I especially like listening to Randy and Mike Cope and Don McLaughlin and Max Lucado. Podcasts are wonderful. Tomorrow I am going to look at a couple of houses that might be possibilities for our new minister to rent. Maybe after tomorrow I will be able to reveal the "mystery man".