Goodbye to 2010

As the last day of the year approaches I have a tradition of taking down my calender and thumbing through the months. It's fun to look at the memos and remember all the activities that just zoomed past. It makes me sad in some ways but on the other hand, I put up the new calendar and am excited about filling in the dates. Such is life, beginnings and endings...can't have one without the other.

 

 So, what better way to end the blogging year by listing my notables from 2010 as well

as books I am looking forward to in 2011.

FAVORITE GOTTA READ- "The Forgotten Garden: A Novel" by Kate Morton

BEST SEQUEL- "Her Daughter's Dream" by Francine Rivers

BEST HOLIDAY BOOK- "Call Me Mrs. Miracle" by Debbie Macomber

BIGGEST LET DOWN- "Mini Shopaholic: A Novel" by Sophie Kinsella (sorry but I was disappointed)

 BOOK I COULDN'T FINISH- "Julie and Julia" by Julie Powell (you might like it, it just wasn't for me)

BIGGEST SURPRISE 2010- I actually posted a recipe! lol

CAN'T WAIT TO READ IN 2011- It's a tie...."Land of Painted Caves" by Jean Auel & "The Wild Rose" by Jennifer Donnelly

  

BIG MATERIALISTIC WISH- I'm saving for an ipad

MY BEST WISH FOR YOU-

May your mornings bring joy
and your evenings bring peace...
May your troubles grow less
as your blessings increase!

Happy New Year

Wrapped and Ready

Not happy! I have been doing this and that, running here, going there...no time to read. Usually I read two or three holiday books by now. This year I can't seem to finish the one I have been reading since Thanksgiving. The book is"Christmas with Tucker" by Greg Kincaid. It is a prequel to "A Dog Named Christmas" and quite good. That's not the problem. The problem seems to be that every time I have a moment, I fall asleep.  Maybe now that I have my Christmas shopping done...Gifts are wrapped and ready... I can sit back and dig into my reading list.

 If your done and ready to sit by the fire with a good holiday book, I can recommend three of my favorites.

 "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham is the book the movie "Christmas with The Kranks" was based on. The Kranks decide to skip all the Holiday hustle and bustle and go on a cruise for Christmas...until their daughter decides at the last minute to come home after all. It's one I read every year.

 

 Another favorite is "Blue Christmas" by Mary Kay Andrews. Things go awry when merchants lose their Christmas Spirit during a decorating contest.

And finally "The Christmas Sweater" by Glenn Beck. The ending was a total surprise and the book was heart warming...you'll love it.

Deck The Halls

Today was spent decking our halls and reflecting on Christmas' past. I came across this little guy and his story made me smile. I thought you might enjoy it too.

I suppose I was 5 or 6 years old and it was time to decorate for Christmas. While my sister and I jumped and danced around the house with "Rudolph" playing on the television, my mother diligently search for the Christmas decorations. We had moved that year and though she looked high and low ALL the decorations were missing. As she broke the news to my sister and I, fat tears rolled down my cheeks. You see we had a special Santa Clause that topped our tree for well....as long as I could remember.

Mom wiped my tears, grabbed her car keys, and off to TG&Y we went in search of a replacement Santa.

The shelves were literally bare of tree toppers except for...you guessed it. This little guy here. The tears returned in earnest as I wailed "he is too ugly". Mom then told me his story. You see he hid behind all the other tree toppers, just waiting for me to get there. He knew that I would see his true beauty, and though no one else would pick him...he knew I would.

Well that was over 40 years ago and this guy (he has had a few hair transplants over the years) has always found a place of honor either on our tree or somewhere in our house.

As he looks down on me in all his glory, I know he is the most beautiful thing I own, He taught a little girl the meaning of compassion, love, and where beauty truly lies. And so every year he reminds me, that those gifts are the best Christmas Gifts we can give or receive.

It's Magic

YES!!!

Halloween and I have been waiting for this very day to talk about my absolute favorite books

HARRY POTTER!!

You had to know I am a huge fan. Yep, that was me standing in line at midnight every time for books 4 through 7. Even while on vacation!! I own every one and the audio tapes as well.

Love Love Love these books.

 The best part about the Harry Potter series is that it got kids excited about reading. Millions of kids, all over the world, have read these books. They are not small books either. Some are downright BOBs (remember big ole books) at over 700 pages.  My son, for the first time ever, actually read a book that had more than 300 pages when he was in middle school. This was a kid who hated to read but was eager for the next Harry Potter book to come out. Folks that is huge.

 If you have never read them, I implore you to pick up the first one, "Harry Potter and The Sorcere's Stone" and take it for a test drive. 

These books emphasis... Good over Evil, that cheaters never win, they champion strength in friendship, and that it's okay to be a bit different.

I admire J.K. Rowlings for her ability to get people of all ages to imagine again. That my friends is the true "MAGIC" in all of her books.

Closing Day

Aww well, we closed up the pool today, aka "My Oasis". I always hate this day because it officially closes the summer, and we have such a great time in the summer months.

Seems like yesterday we were whooping it up at the lake and by the pool....

Guess I'll just have to remember this....

and look forward to this.....

  Yep,feelin'better already :)

Wild West Weekend

I am completely overwhelmed by my blessings. I had such a wonderful weekend with all of the birthday wishes from my friends, and then spending the day with my kids and grandson. 

Frontier City has now seen three generations of my family. I can remember going as a small girl, then taking both my boys there and now Preston has been.

 

It's showing it's age, but who isn't? We had a great time shooting at bandits, riding the Silver Bullet, and doing a little mining.

 We had important lessons that every kid has to learn....Hands up on the roller coaster or your chicken!!

Peeking out from the balacony of The Blue Ox Hotel

Even though I am a year older...I can still spin with the best of 'em!

Oh and look what I found...a new backdrop for my blog!

Recovering from a Reading Binge

This weekend was a disaster...the rain and thunder plus a little chill in the air equals absolutely nothing got done! Oh my goodness I have been reading like crazy! All those books I was waiting on in September are just laying there, tempting me like a 50% off shoe sale, and I can't keep my nose out of them.

Well line 'em up and here we go so far.....

Mini Shopaholic was good however I must say I was disappointed that the author felt the need to throw down some pretty colorful language, 
multiple times, particularly toward the end. Didn't really find it necessary nor pivotal to the story line...come on Sophie, clean up your act.

On a brighter note, I finished "Her Daughter's Dream" by Francine Rivers last night and as usual, she did not disappoint. I don't want to give anything away but my husband said, "For Pete's Sake Dawn!! Why do you insist on reading books that make you cry?"  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Definitely read  "Her Mother's Hope" first.

I am mid-way through "Love Letters from Ladybug Farm" and I am LOVING it.In fact, I didn't want to stop reading long enough to update my blog! Again you are going to want to read this series in order

1st- "A year on Ladybug Farm"

2nd- "At Home on Ladybug Farm"

I looked up the definition of binge and it said "any behavior indulged to excess". I've decided that excess is a relative thing and in cobwebb corner's world, three books in one week is well within moderation...I say let the laundry wait :)

I Love a Parade

Here we go, another new month but October happens to be my favorite. Since I will be having a birthday this month, I am thinking about my age and reflecting on the way things were when I was a girl. I find myself saying to other people my age, "Hey remember that show"....or "did you ever play with this toy or that game?" And oh my birthday was the most anticipated day of the year, right up there with Christmas and it seemed to take forever to come.

When I was in Kindergarten, they use to have a parade for Halloween. All the kids would dress up and it just so happened to fall around my birthday. I remember I thought they were having the parade just for me...that year I was "Miss America".

 Well I wasn't quite old enough to start first grade the next year, so I repeated Kindergarten again. When parade time came around this time it was on my birthday so I was convinced it had to be just for me. After the parade, I went home and found a new bike in the living room. Wow did I love that bike! It was red with a basket and I rode it everywhere.

Some things never change!

...all this leads me to a point. If you love reminiscing about the past, say from the 40's through the 60's, you might enjoy "Standing in the Rainbow" by Fannie Flagg.

It is a lovely book about a town called Elmwood Springs, Missouri and all the cast of characters who live there. You'll recall radio shows, drive in movies, diners, going to the beauty shop, lunch boxes, and black and white t.v. Fannie Flagg is a wonderful author who has written many best sellers including the book the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" was based on.

I've read all the books she has written and I liked them all but "Standing in the Rainbow" was my favorite. It reminded me of my childhood. Simple things during simple times.

I don't dread my birthday, but I wish I still had that feeling....the feeling that the parade was just for me!

Eating Crow

 I went to Nebraska the first of this week, and as much as it pains me, I have to say "I was wrong". All last week I was be-moaning the fact that Kaiser had a seminar in all places...OMAHA,NEBRASKA. Of all the 52 states that I would like to visit, Nebraska would have been number 52.  Given that I am a huge OU fan, and that I dearly love the Big 12, suffice it to say I wasn't enthused about our trip.

  

My first surprise came when I on the way we passed through The Flint Hills of Kansas. Have you ever seen it? Gorgeous. No fences, No houses, No trees.. just pure softly rolling hills of prarie grass. It looked like a sea of green grass.

The pictures don't do it justice. I had to take them out of a rolled up window at 70 miles per hour!

As we came into Nebraska I began to see the corn fields. The stalks of corn were dried but they had not been harvested yet. They went on and on, mile after mile. It was amazing to see fields this large of anything other than wheat. I grew up in the deep northwest corner of Oklahoma so I have learned to appreciate beauty in all of God's landscaping. Here in the heartland, the beauty I see is God providing for his children. He gave us this place where we could abundantly grow food to eat, a place for cattle to roam, and a place where you can marvel at the great expanse of sky and feel how truly small you are in the scheme of things.

So, I do apologize Nebraska. I'm glad I came to see ya. I appreciate the corn you grow and the beauty of your lands and fields. You are a brother of the heartland and I am proud that we feed America.

BUT....

I still think your football politics stink!

Running The Race

Today I attended the funeral of a dear friend and brother in Christ, Doug West. He was a runner. He ran in marathons, 5K's, relays...but the most important race he ran every day was the Christian Race.

"24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." 1Corinthians 9:24

I beleive with all my heart he has the prize.                                          
I will miss you.

Tending Roses

This beautiful lady was my Granny, Martha Delena Scroggins. 


For those of us who have that special relationship with their Grandmother, you know what I mean when I say she was one of the most remarkable woman I will ever know. I was fortunate enough to grow up with her in our home my whole life. She was my secret keeper, my playmate, my teacher, my everything. She taught me and my sister how to do so many things with patience and love. There are too many stories to tell here, but some of my fondest memories are working with her in her garden. She taught me to dig in the dirt, to love the smell of rain, and to hold a wriggly worm. She loved daffodils, morning glories, and violets.

Barnes and Noble

That is why when I finished reading "Tending Roses" I sat right down, and through my tears, immediately wrote the author. I have never done that before but this book touched me so, I had to tell her how much it meant to me. To my surprise she wrote me back.

"Tending roses" is about a Grandmother and her granddaughter's relationship brought together in the twilight of the grandmothers life as they tend her roses as well as the garden of life. It explores the irreplaceable value that our elders can give to society with their wisdom, patience and love.

Lisa Wingate (Google)

I have recommended this book more often than any other book I have ever read. The author is Lisa Wingate and as you can plainly see, I am one of her biggest fans. She is a fellow Okie, and went to school down the road at a little university called Oklahoma State ( I try not to hold that against her :). She has a terrific website at http://www.lisawingate.com/.

If you had a grandma, if you are a grandma, or if you want to be a grandma.....Please read this book.

My two angels (Both Marthas) who are in Heaven watching over me (that's me on the right)