Thanksgiving tablescape

Minot has some wonderful second-hand shops. Clean, bright, open. The people work at displaying the objects well and the prices are reasonable.


In keeping with my scaled-down house, I went scaled-down shopping for mini things for our thanksgiving day mini tablescape. My granddaughter and I have been working on the table decorations for this year together and I was looking for finishing touches. Keeping everything in mind I was looking for small touches for a small table that will move easily. I was able to find some cute things that will work very well.

And then I spotted these

A teapot, 2 mugs, salt and pepper shakers by Ganz,

(the tea tastes great out of it)

and these,

and I started to dream about Christmas vacation and cookies and hot chocolate and chatting with my Anabelle about oh so important 5-year-old things.

Yep, they all came home with me. We may have a mini house but we have a hugh garage!

Philippians 4:9-13 (King James Version)

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

I love this passage. Isn't it a great thing to aim for, this kind of trust. No matter what state I am in Christ will strengthen me.

I have to admit though I am one of the rich of this world, never been hungry, never been without shelter, never have know real need. So...I guess this applies to me,

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (King James Version)

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;

Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Thank God for all he's given me!

Space challenged

Our 1909 house in Guthrie, Oklahoma

4 bedrooms upstairs, my office, big kitchen, basement with washer and dryer, clawfoot tub in bathroom upstairs, double car garage.

Isn't amazing how we don't tend to feel we have so much stuff until we downscale a bit! We (son and I) have moved into this little rental that has great possibilities of cuteness for say a couple just starting out, a single mom with a little one, etc. I just plain have too much stuff! (Husband is in Oklahoma selling the house while I help with granddaughter, while daughter gets established in career.) Now the thing is, during this transition the challenge is that I live off what I make, ha, and in a very small space, with 2/3 of the stuff we have and make this happen in a happy way, of course. We don't plan to stay in Minot all that long and are not sure where we'll be off to next, so the last thing I want to do is acquire more big stuff (like a washer and dryer, furniture that fits the house, etc). So we are making adjustments.

Here is my new laundry center and set up.

The little egg is the Wonder Wash. You put hot water in it and crank it for a couple of minutes and your clothes actually do get clean! Then into the sink for a last rinse. Then on the right you have an extractor. This is a great machine, it's actually electric and your clothes are damp, some near dry when you get them out and we hang dry in the bathroom where we have a couple of folding laundry stands where the washer and dryer should go. Believe it or not this is not that bad. We were actually happy to have it when we were iced in during the blizzard. We still take the big stuff either to the laudromat or to my daughter's, or if we get behind. I think it's kinda fun. My son, yes, he thinks it is "lame" hahaha!

Thank you so much Melody, very sweet award!

Second tea cozy

I really like the colors on this cozy. I had to look up cozy to see the spelling. Webster says cozy is, "a padded covering especially for a teapot to keep the contents hot," so I'll go with that. Really want to spell it cozie for some odd reason. So, it is all one piece, slips over the top, over the handle, over the spout.

I am having fun journaling my tea experience. I am trying my new teas and then journaling my experience with it, what it smells like, the color, taste with and without sugar, etc. I tend to be forgetful about the details sometimes and think this should help. Doesn't take very long and ... it's all mine. My experience, my journal, my reference, my thoughts.

So, someday if we ever meet and you say, for instance, "so, what is your impression of Taylors of Harrogate Spiced Christmas Tea," I can reply, "well, I think it smells soothing, homey, wonderful. Has a rich, dark color. Good plain without sugar, great with sugar, would like to try this as an iced tea. What is your impression?" Ha, and go from there!

Okay, now it's cold

I like this picture with the berries.









Well, we have had a couple of exciting weather days. We started with some rain and ended with some heavy wet snow. Most all of the roads were closed going out of town, airport shut down. Pretty exciting.

Nice to have one of these (Steve, 20-year-old healthy son, single, accounting major, strong christian, great personality, good listener, great sense of humor, wonderful uncle) when the weather is like this!

We are having fun though. The little rental we are in is by the hospital my daughter works at so they (daughter and granddaughter) have been able to stay with us for a couple of days. Today the high was 28 and low is going to be 16. Sunday it's supposed to get down to 7 degrees. You might say it's a bit crisp out!