December 13, 2025 A.D.

December 13, 2025 A.D.

I have lots to talk about. I will save all the surgery stuff for later.

First up is an early Christmas present. I wrote about all the things I consider treasures from Germany here.   One of those treasures was the cuckoo clock that didn't work and had been sitting in a box for a long time. It is pictured in that post way back in the day. 

One day I walked in the sewing room where the box was supposed to be and it was missing. I immediately asked Jeff about it. I had spoiled the surprise. He had finally found someone local to repair it and thought he had been secretive in taking it out of the house.

We discussed where to hang it much too long and finally decided on the family room replacing a clock that hung in this spot. It has to be very high because of the chains. It is quite loud so there are times that I have to stop the pendulum from swinging such as when we are hosting our weekly Bible study.

Needless to say it was a great present.

Stitching

I have finally finished stitching The 12 Days of Christmas. Here it is just folded under.

I wanted to have it fully finished by now, but I have just worked so hard, and it is what it is. I hope to sew it up tomorrow. Currently my plan is to back it with a green fabric that does have a subtle variegated print. I want to edge it with piping and put some hanging strips at the top to hang on a dowel. Those doggone beads have tried to come loose which I am glad is happening before I gift it. I think I am just going to put a dot of Alene's glue under them to secure them. I hopefully will get it done this week.

Decorating

The house is all decorated for Christmas. I have thoroughly enjoyed it ---I guess that is when you know you have the right amount of decorations out.

Not much has changed in the last couple of years. Maybe a tweak here and there, but nothing new.

There is a lady on Instagram who does a weekly post about how you don't need to buy anything new...you don't need to go to Walmart, Home Goods, etc or order from Amazon. She says you are just bored:) 

I would say she is mostly right!

But....I did buy one thing new. I needed some new placemats for my kitchen table that were green. My others were toast and I had thrown them out last spring. I went to Kohl's and found some that have a wee bit of sparkle in them.

What I couldn't decide was which color napkin to use. I ended up liking both so I am swapping them out often. Green is up right now.

Is there going to be a house tour this year? Truth? Probably not.

I added more green ornaments than red to the bowl...one tweak.

You may even notice Valerie in the background by the Auburn Christmas tree.

One corner in the kitchen.

I have been so busy this December, but coming home to all the pretties has been good. 

Home!

This corner will probably stay a little longer than Christmas.

A Winter Project

I mentioned that I planned to defeat the darkness this year with projects to keep my brain engaged rather than falling asleep so early. My first project was to check off a long procrastinated ancestry book.

I had made an ancestry book for my side of the family, but never followed through with Jeff's side of the family. I buckled down this fall and tried to work on it a few nights each week. I can finally say it is completed with pictures and all. WOOHOO!

I  used this document I made to add information and went back as far as I could safely feel like it was legit. I did use Ancestry's website, but I found the website Find a Grave and in both cases the old family Bibles to be helpful as well. Jeff's mom gave me her side of the family written out in her handwriting years ago. She had asked me if I wanted it and I said, "Absolutely," but raising a family made me lay it aside for far too long. Many of Jeff's family were in one cemetery which did make things easier.

I can't tell you how good it feels to have this task done. I made us a binder and each child one. Now, they have both sides of family information down.

One interesting note on this... I noticed when I was doing my side of the family I only had one grandparent  (of course add great great to that) that was a Civil War veteran. I noticed dates of birth and realized my relatives were just not the age that would have put them in battle. However, just like my dad was in the Korean War and Jeff's dad was in WWII that made all the difference for his ancestors to have multiple Civil War veterans. Jeff's parents are older than mine. They had Jeff a little later in life. I was able to find some interesting information on the Civil War veterans in the family that with the information Jeff's mom had written down for me all those years ago. 

One interesting photo I came across in Jeff's parents' albums was ....

The 2 men standing are brothers of Jeff's great grandparent. His great grandfather was the youngest and these 2 were the oldest. The picture was made at a Confederate Reunion in Little Rock in May of 1911. I had seen the picture in the album but decided to look at the back where the information was plainly written down. He also had one relative who died during the war. Based on the information I wondered if he might have been at the hospital in Point Clear (The Grand Hotel) as that was a hospital during the war. He is buried at Bayou La Batre which would be near there.

I was very proud of myself or getting that done. The kids haven't seen the binders yet. I am waiting to hand those over at Christmas.

Shopping

I also have most of my shopping done and gifts wrapped. I can't take credit for all of that. Jeff has been a busy shopper. 

I hate shopping.

One particular evening we were out and I really felt quite old. I just hate the stores these days as most seem so junky and poor quality stuff. I was lamenting the days of organized department stores or small stores that you could swoop in and find just what you were looking for without shuffling through so much other stuff. Part of this is online shopping of which I am very guilty of utilziing. I was complaining like someone old too. Had to catch myself!

Thankfully Jeff has more patience for shopping than me.

College Football

I just have to go back there one more time this year. I know many of you don't keep up so scroll on down past this heading.  I am usually not one for drama of any kind, but I couldn't help myself with all the Ole Miss / LSU / Coach Kiffin drama. I was lured in and followed like I was hypnotized. Totally unlike me!!! Now, I will say in my defense that our family texts were lighting up with the latest news. Jeff's dad and brother were big Ole Miss fans. Jeff and his brother Danny used to go to the Auburn/ Ole Miss game for years whether it was in Auburn or in Mississippi. Paul Allen and Jeff keep up with Ole Miss so it just continued with all that drama coming out.

I eventually came to a conclusion  ---- and this made me giggle!!!

....Remember the old show "Dallas? and the episode of "Who Shot JR?" Oh my goodness, I was at Auburn  when that aired back in the early 80's. I watched with friends with eagerness to find out who had actually shot JR. Somewhere out there is photo of my friends and I that night having our watch party. 

One day I was keeping up with who said what and that came to mind! The drama with Coach Kiffin had become as big as "Who Shot JR?" The best thing so far is Archie Manning calling Kiffin narcissistic.

I am now on to basketball!

Life Update

Jeff's surgery went very well. Better than we could have hoped for. The tumor was not cancerous, in fact he said it was more like inflammation from the previous surgery. I am still happy for the 4 month scopes. This surgery was not invasive at all, so he was not down at all. He has finally been able to ride his bike again after the knee replacement. I had almost given up on that idea, so that is a huge win.

Lindsay's surgery was on Monday. She was worse than expected and had to lose an ovary and a Fallopian tube. She thought it would be a 3 day recovery. That ended up not being the case. She is finally feeling a little better. She will try and work some this next week, but Christmas vacation starts with this coming Friday so that will be good for her to use the remainder of December recovering. Jeff and I have been helping with transporting kids to and from school. I am very grateful we can help.

We did have some family pictures taken on the Friday after Thanksgiving. They were so so... sickness and the weather made them so so for me. Here are some of the cutest though...

Well, that is a wrap on a long post. 

I do hope to settle down after Christmas and do more posting.

Grateful,

Sandy

A Long Winded Post

 I know before I begin that this is going to be a long post. I have much to record and little time these days to do that. I try to remember from day to day what happened so I can record it but whew, that can be hard at times.

First up is BIG NEWS....

Some of you may have caught this big news on my after Christmas post and then wondered what happened to it if you came back to that post...I will explain after I re-share it.

Our family got great big news and surprise would be an understatement at our family Christmas night. 

We were opening gifts and it was my turn. 

The gift was from Paul Allen and Katie. 

I started looking in to my bag and noticed a book and an ornament. I proceeded to pull both out and there was the sweetest ornament of Gus made by Katie. I immediately went ooh and aahh and stood up to hang it on the tree. I had the book in my hand and as I was making my way back to my seat across the room I am slowly looking at it thinking this looks so good. Mind you I am relaxed and in no hurry!!!

Suspense was building for Paul Allen and Katie.

Katie tells me there is something else in it so I am flipping through the pages. I come to a picture in the front where I proceed to stare and try so hard to process what I am looking at. It lasted for what seemed like eternity to all my family. I think they first thought I was reading something that was in the book, like a note from them...

Well, I know that all of you are going, "Sandy is getting another grandbaby!" My mind would just NOT process this. I stared and stared trying to make sense. "Was this part of the book?" After an eternity, Lindsay figured out that only one thing could stump me like this and blurts out, "Are y'all pregnant?" 

Katie shakes her head yes, and my mind started working. I was able to squeal and give hugs. 

The whole situation was so unexpected that I forgot to take my annual photo of the kids by the Christmas tree that I have done FOREVER!

I took it down after Katie said she was going to hold off on telling the staff at her school for a while. This mother-in-law wasn't going to take a one in a billion chance that someone from her school would read it here before she told them.

Grandbaby #3 will arrive in July and Mimi's Daycare will grow again. Katie plans to take off first semester which will coincide perfectly with little Palmer going to Daycare in January. My heart is so full!!!

They will learn at the beginning of March the sex, but the doctor told them at the last appointment that he is 80% sure it is a boy. 

Onto other life updates:

I shared at the end of "21 that Jeff and I knew this year would hold some rough days. And that has been true. My lack of writing has been me trying to deal with all that. When life gives some rough waters, I find I am not always able to write. Not always true, but this time around coupled with winter, business of keeping babies and other assorted things I have just not been able to compose thoughts.

My brother-in-law has started the spiral of his lung cancer. It has already been hard to watch and deal with,  so I have been very mindful of my time and thoughts. I am sorry to say as a blogger I have not read much or commented on anyone's blog. I apologize for that. I have really considered whether I wanted to continue but God keeps holding me on to for some reason. The time that I am in currently is not a time to make a decision and I know that, so I feel no reason to rush a decision or do anything for that matter except take time for my family and self care.

I will share two other things that have been hard on the feelings and then we will move on to the GOOD STUFF of life.

I have a good teacher friend that no longer lives here in town, but we have kept in touch. She and I taught next door for almost a decade. She was Paul Allen's teacher and her husband was his football coach in the first two years of high school. Before they left here, she had begun to get sick with what was diagnosed as Hepatitis (the bad kind). She has gotten it with her first child's birth back in the early 80s and a blood transfusion. It has taken a toll on her liver and she has been going downhill for some time now. I had heard from her just a few weeks ago where we talked for a very long time. She had been through a rough patch but was able to communicate with me. Then she went silent again. I knew it couldn't be good. I also had figured out on my own that basically she had to get so bad to be on that transplant list. It has happened. She has about 3 months without a transplant. Her daughter posted that she has almost passed this past week and that the process has started which I believe means she has to be in Birmingham until the liver is available. 

Couple that with watching Danny, I just had me a sappy teary day last week. 

I also have had a very good friend move in the last week. Jeff and I were so shocked when they hit us with the news just before Christmas that they were moving across the state. Tom grew up here like Jeff and we just couldn't imagine what had come over them. They are really really good friends. We still haven't fully accepted it yet, but nonetheless they left last Sunday for their new home in an over 55 community on the east coast. One son lives here and is expecting a grandbaby so I did a shower last weekend for them YES, I have been so busy. I am so crazy these days that I have no photos to share. 

Solution to Winter Blues

It is no secret secret that winter is not my favorite season, but over the years I have learned what makes it better for me. The solution: staying busy and lots of house projects. That is what I have done. I hate cold and dreary days. I can tolerate the cold if the sun is shining. Somehow I just knew this winter was going to be a winter. IT has: I have been busy with life events but also with a long to do list.

I have painted more closets. I still haven't painted the fishing room yet, but maybe very soon. 

We have had some work done on our dock. January and February are the best months to work on some projects water related because the water levels are so low. There has been work all around our home with new seawalls and repairs to docks. Everyone in our circle has had work, as well as across the way. Those poor boys have been in that water on some of the coldest days putting in seawalls and new pilings which is what we had done. They are hardy souls is all I can say.

Across the bayou has taken on a whole new look. Our boat is out of the water for some updates and repairs. 

Like everyone else I am longing for spring. I have tried not to think too hard on it until just now. I am looking forward to March where I can turn my attention from inside chores to outside. That means I better get on that fishing room soon.

Outside, I need to wash windows and pressure wash porches and stone walls. Oh yes, I have lots to do and am looking forward to those spring days. 

Gardening: Indoors and Outdoors

Indoors. One of the best things I did was downsize my houseplants. I have a manageable amount with enough color and fun to keep me happy.

I have one newer plant that replaced an older one...nothing new. I am determined I will maintain the amount I have now and no more. This has been fun to watch. I got a cutting from my aunt of a dolphin plant. The blooms look like dolphins leaping.

Outdoors. I am starting to let myself dream of spring with this weekend. I am also pleased with my changing of things over the past two years in the outside flowerbeds. I added some new day lilies back in the fall to fill in the front flowerbed that once housed all those roses that JUST WOULD NOT GROW in the soil or humidity. They are all peeking up. I can't wait to see their beautiful blooms about April. 

I have ordered one new rose to go in a pot that has already been accounted for in my allotment outside to water. I saw this rose in a lady down the street's pot back last spring and asked her about it. It is on order and supposed to arrive when it is time for my zone. I am waiting with bated breath.

In one other bit of flower news, I have spent years trying to find something that would grow in my swans on the front porch. This my friends was taken today.

They have weathered well even under some very cold nights. It seems they are sheltered from the cold here in the little corners of my porch that needs pressure washing.

Fun Projects

I made Tucker's Valentine's cards. Lindsay found a picture and sent it to me. I told her I could make those on the computer. Now, the picture we saw was much fancier as I just have the Pages that comes with a Mac computer, but I thought they turned out cute. I want to make sure I stay somewhat tech savvy, so I have encouraged her to send me projects like that because she has limited time. I found these cute little trucks to add to them and the ribbon was from my stash. She and Tucker assembled them and he was so excited to give them to his friends at Daycare.

The teacher sent a video on the app of him passing them out. All the little kids were driving them on the table. He was so proud of himself passing them out.

It is truly the little things in life that bring smiles to my face.

Another project I have been working on is my ancestry book. I am doing a little bit every week of this...

I have a form I am using to add information. I have a whole list of rules to use before placing in the notebook. I am doing maternal first by levels, like grandparents first and  then another level with great grandparents. Or course, each time that doubles the pages if I know the material. I always do maternal first and am adding females married names in italics so that when some last name comes up as how are we related to that name the kids can see the origins.

This has been on my to do list for too long. Time to get a dent in it. Making the form was the biggest dent: Who knew that was my stumbling block.

Reading

I have divided any free time between reading and stitching. I have watched very little TV or any Youtube videos to delve into my 2 favorite pastimes. (I keep my book handy and rather than scroll or turn on the computer I have reached for a few pages of my book). My other favorite pastime is gardening which will divide the other two come spring.

I read an amazing book; a very large book.

I have been on a quest to limit my purchases which I will share more about in a second, but this book caught my eye right after the new year. The title caught my eye and I love the author. He is a pastor out west and I have heard him speak and listen to  him on occasion. I knew that Buzz had communion upon landing on the moon, so that title captured my attention.

I am ashamed to admit that I became a SPACE NERD SNOB while trying to decide if I would purchase. You see this pastor is young and I said to myself, "What could this young whippersnapper know about space?" He is far too young to share my passion, but that title and his ability to write and speak made me go back two times to look at it. 

OH MY STARS! I am so glad I went back and clicked purchase. IT is indeed worth the read for any space nerd, but the pastor is full on gifted to pull together the ideas in this book.

Communion coupled with the last 7 things Jesus said on the cross, the 7 I Am statements of Jesus in the book of John, and the letters to the 7 churches in the book of Revelations with space history and his thoughts on conquering one's inner space (the mind) made for one of the most captivating books I have read in a while.

400 pages of Sandy goodness.. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but my friends, Levi is every bit the space nerd that I am. I hope I have some former students out there that are reading and loving this book.

I shared both the book jacket and the book because of my most recent post on throwing out book covers. I could have guessed with my most long time readers if you stood in my court with keeping them. If you are one of those that throw them out (God forbid) then you would have a great book to KEEP in your library.

I am also reading a wonderful book that I will share later.

Now, speaking of limiting purchases.

I have been on a quest to downsize my belongings for some time now and in keeping with that idea, part of it is bringing nothing new back in.

Last year, I recorded in a notebook purchases in different categories. I am a visual person so I wanted to see what I was spending money on and if they had truly been worth the money I spent.

This was so helpful. I jotted down anything I thought I might want and thought hard before buying. I really only made one poor purchase last year in clothes and 2 poor purchases in books. I think Lindsay is getting the dress and the books have already been donated.

I bought a shirt the other day that I am in love with so let's talk...

Fashion

My wardrobe has taken a dramatically different look in retirement. Not my style, but the elements of my wardrobe. I am a simpler classic with a bit of preppy in there for style.

On any given wintery day, this is my look... 

(please excuse the unkempt hair)

I love cotton tees from Talbots or LLBean but they leave my neck exposed. Hence, this vest which I wear most days:)

I love a good ole 100% cotton button-down. The one on the left was a petite medium which is my go to size, but in this particular shirt it was oversized. I washed it in hot water which drew it up some. 

I love the shirt. I wear it a ton even though it is somewhat big on me, but I wanted one that was more fitted but NEVER ever tight. I don't do tight. These shirts came on sale and I ordered the small (the pink striped on the right) and I found a winner winner. I will wear this thing out. It still feels so comfy but now I can dress it up or down depending on how I style it. 

However, my point of sharing is that in keeping up with my purchases and really thinking before I hit click I have really honed in on my style and added only things that coordinate with what I have and that I know I am going to get lots of use. This is all important as one hits those retirement years. 

Jeff and I are dreaming about retirement. Not in a bad way. IT is so hard to really make plans as things change that you can't foresee, but we are thinking about things we would like to do. I even went to look at a waterfront lot the other day. We have talked about downsizing the house, but the truth is this place we are at is just wonderful in so many ways. Actually the truth is it only two downsides. It is not the size which would be the first to come to mind with most. I can close off two parts of it and really only live in 4 rooms. The downside is the size of the yard. I need more space for Gus to run freely and the other is the biggest of all... I don't care for my next door neighbors who are way too close and just truly a pain in the a$$ ---yep, Sandy typed that and there is not way to say it in a polite fashion.

Why must people be so human? ARGGHH...

Weeellll, that is all the thoughts in my head. Jeff has been busy today so I finally had a chance to do a mind dump and record some life.

If you have survived reading, then you are probably better able to concentrate than I have been.

In closing, my little Palmer is 7 months old on Monday.

I count myself so very blessed to spend time with these little boys every day. 

And just think, I get another one to add to my blessings.

I am about to try and do my stitching post for February next, so if I am lucky I will have two posts in one day.

Signed, 

A not so good blogger,

Sandy

A Hodgepodge Post

A little stitching first...

I finished flower #3. This one is the Cherokee Rose. Sorry for my blurry dark picture. I will do better soon.

There is another flower planned for a total of 4 and then I will share all and how I came up with the four flowers when I love ALL flowers.

Now, onto storms. Seriously 2020 ---just stop this nonsense! I am usually a positive person, but I am tired like everyone else of the crazy. No one on the northern Gulf Coast needs another storm. Saturday is at the anniversary for Michael over to our east. Those people would probably surely don't need one on the anniversary of a hellish night two years ago.

 To our west in western Louisiana they have had one already that was really really bad. However, I know from experience (Erin and Opal ---1995) they will come to the same place in the same year. Alabama and Pensacola haven't even gotten cleaned up from the devil, Sally. 

My street still has debris from it as well, but I drove to Pensacola yesterday for a doctor's appointment and trust me a storm in there would be disastrous. The street sides are loaded with limbs, logs, wet carpet and the like. I did hear on the local news this morning that they were sending out more trucks to try and get as much as they could up from over there.

I can't take my eye off of it because quite frankly the NHC has gotten intensity or landfalls right to well in the past two years. 

So, I am on full alert and ready to spring into action. I haven't pulled things in yet, but watching closely.

Now, onto another happier topic...PURSES.

Now, my philosophy has always been if you are feeling sad a new purse could do wonders for you. I lived by that sentiment for MOST of my life.  However, with retirement I quickly realized I didn't need to buy a new one every time I turned around. I did a post a while back where I pared them down to 10. Now, I don't have all those and I will admit I have a dozen, but that is it. You hear ---I mean it.

Seriously I can't even use 12, but some of them I have for sentimental reasons and with this story you will see sometimes it isn't a good idea to quickly get rid of things.

I pulled out one the other day when I was cleaning out a closet and pulled one out to get rid of, so that meant I could have a new one.

After some really long thoughts I decided on an eBay purchase. I needed a medium size more fall/winter purse. I have more spring/summer.

I ended up ordering one and get this...I had this same purse in the early 2000s. I got rid of it and kind of always missed it so when I saw this I knew I would like it. 

I don't think the picture does it justice, but it is in great shape and for $20 rather than a $100 + I was pleased. IT is clean and no wear. It has some leather fading, but very minimal.

I chose this one for its medium size.  It has three compartments.

I have actually been using a much smaller purse in retirement because if I travel I carry a tote bag with more stuff in it, but just around town I need my basics. However, with all those virus stuff I have my masks and hand sanitizer stuff so I felt like a needed a wee bit bigger than my smaller fall/winter purse.

Here is my small fall/winter purse.

I also have a large fall/winter purse, but things can get lost in the cave. This one is a knock off brand that I got at Dillards. I really like, but don't like those short straps.

I found the perfect purse a few years back. I have used this purse more than any other purse EVER in 60 years. I have written how I love purses several times on the blog. I loved a purse even as a very small girl...way better than a doll. You never saw me without one.

You can see my near perfect purse here. I still love both of the purses in this post.

One more topic before I start supper. 

I finally did a DNA test. I am completely overwhelmed with all the information that it sent ---not necessarily the test but the people who have contacted me and sent me further information. I will be down this rabbit hole a while. I really wanted to put a family book for the kids for Christmas. ---don't know it I will accomplish it.

One surprising thing...not a bit of Irish. Let's just say I feel like the guy on the commercial who thought he was German, but found out he was Scottish.

I have a lot of Scottish... 

Ok... I am shutting it down for the day. Need to go cook supper.

On a serious note, add the Gulf Coast to your prayers. I would love to see this thing just fizzle out and disappoint the Weather Channel.