Post-Christmas Wrap-Up

Alison isn't taking any chances! She gives last minute gift ideas to two Santas!!!










I am not sure what the look on Izi's face is from, but obviously Santa didn't do something right. Gabi's expression (left) seems to confirm it: "Yeah, Santa screwed up!"
















Izi (left) and Alison (below) with their new Bitty Baby dolls.

My very favorite Christmas song is "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". In keeping with the song, we certainly had a merry time on Christmas Eve. All our girls, aged 10 and under, makes for a fun time. We had dolls, doll accessories, doll clothes, beauty shop items and other assorted girlie items, all unwrapped and strewn on the rug within five minutes of blast-off.

I had also wanted a "Mary Wagoner" Christmas as part of our Merry Little Christmas. My dear late mother-in-law orchestrated Christmas Eve like a seasoned conductor. First was dinner, then an organized gift event in the living room. Each person had to guess what was in the gift, then unwrap and display to the rest of those assembled. Afterwards, we all took posed pictures for posterity and Grandpa Junior was in charge of cleaning up the wrappings and boxes to make sure nothing of value was thrown away.

I don't know what went wrong, but my Merry Little Mary Wagoner Christmas turned into a Merry Little Griswald Christmas within two seconds. I lost control (my niece suggested that I never HAD control!) , soon after saying "May I have your attention"...... The littlest of the bunch were ripping the paper, trying to open the boxes, perusing the contents and going to the next gift. It made for mass confusion and lots of fun! After all, anyone can have organization....it takes nerves of steel to let the spirit of Christmas take over and not suggest to a child to WAIT!!! I am sure Mary Wagoner was looking down from Heaven with a big smile! After having had 3 sons, she would have absolutely loved all this girlishness we have in our household!!

On Christmas Day we drove to Kitty and Chris' and enjoyed the evening with them. We had a good meal and a great game of Euchre (although Tom and I were beaten severely!). On Friday, we ventured to the mall to return assorted items of Kitty and Chris'. We were the official "Keep Alison Happy" elves while mom and dad stood in the Returns line and then browsed the markdowns for more good deals! Every year, when the season is over and I am revisiting all the moments of the Holiday, I declare that it has been the best Christmas ever. This year was no exception. It truly was the best Christmas ever and all our Grands are at such a wonderful age! Santa is still very real to them and true magic occurs when you look at the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES 2008

We had a great time at Cookie Day. The oldest taught the youngest all about the intricacies of sugar cookies....how to roll them, cut them and ice them. Everyone knew how to eat them!!! In all, about eight dozen cookies were cut and baked, and most of them were decorated and sent home with everyone!

Meet Tom. He turned 64 this week and in two more days, will have been my other half for 42 years. I can't believe how quickly we have spent our time. I am old-fashioned. I still believe in true....smack your face and fall down stupid...love. I met Tom at 16 and just knew he was "the one." For me, Tom's humor and zest for living (especially Ball State Football) keep me going. He sees humor in absolutely everything and that is important in this world....and sometimes even more so in our life. Thanks, hon, for just being you.

Gabi, age 6 and in Kindergarten, is absolutely thrilled to be learning to read. Here, she is
reading to Uncle Chris.



We are now down to the final few days before Christmas. It's the best week of the year for many of us. Family, memories, and one moment at some time on Christmas Eve when the world seems peaceful.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Sleep in heavenly peace.....

The Christmas Tree and the Christmas Card

THE CHRISTMAS TREE

Eight years ago we built an "Indiana Room" on our house. I call it that because I was inspired to want this room after visiting my aunt Velva in Florida and enjoying her Florida Room so much. Our Indiana Room is knotty-pine paneled, with skylights and a cathedral ceiling. The first year the room was built, we envisioned a living tree in the room and sought out one that would reach to the ceiling. We eventually found it and enjoyed it immensely that year.
Since then, the kids have come to look forward to the "big tree on the back porch". (Call it Indiana Room if you want....to a kid it is the back porch and a Frazier Fir is just one hunkin' big tree). We always go for a 9-footer. It is always sub-freezing when it is time to put on the lights and the decorations. But when finished, the effect is always breathtaking. This year, I went solely with colored balls on the tree. I raided my mom's attic to gather balls from when I was a kid. I also found glass ornaments of animals. I don't really remember these as a kid but mom assures me they were on our tree....a dog, a deer, a cat.....totally secular Christmas ornaments for sure!! The tree is once again beautiful. It totally takes over the Indiana Room.
I asked my Grands what they thought of the tree the first time they saw it and the answer was so childlike that it made me laugh. "Mimi, that tree is just so BIG and so pretty." I have to agree. I love the smell, the grandeur and wish that I could keep it up until spring!

THE CHRISTMAS CARD

Okay, so I wasn't going to send Christmas cards this year. After all, each card (even cheap ones) cost a minimum of 42 cents to mail. Not being one to ever go cheap, my cards are always pictures of the Grands, which means adding another 9 cents or more to each card. On top of that, my returns have been diminishing in the past few years. Oh yeah, I keep track.....I have a book. It tells me who I get cards from each year.

But, this past year I decided to forget cards. First of all, it had been a bummer of a year (and you all know what I mean). I couldn't write an upbeat little family note about how wonderful everything had been in 2008 because it hadn't been wonderful at all. It had been stressful, heartbreaking and taxing. If it weren't for Beringer's Pino Grigio, I wouldn't have survived. On top of that, my Hallmark program that I used for addresses crashed in mid-June. Yet another good reason to ditch the Christmas card effort this year. I blog. I could send Christmas wishes via blog....except I don't have everyone's e-mail address that I send cards to. Some....many, do not have e-mail addresses because they were born pre-electronic era.

I finally decided about mid-November to send out a few cards this year. I asked my daughter for her wedding address list, which had been my address list six years ago. It was then that my mind was changed. At least 20 people on that list had either moved and left no forwarding address (to us anyways) ....died....divorced...and were no longer a part of our lives. These were people we loved enough to invite to our daughter's wedding and now.....kaput....I hadn't heard from them in years.

The realization that people whom I thought were important enough to be a part of such a special day as our daughter's wedding had simply vanished from our lives, prompted me to reinstitute the Christmas Card List. Forget that half of the ones I send will go to people who never send to me, or never send cards. I don't care. Life is just too short to not send greetings once a year to those you know and love. Of course, many of my email friends won't get a snail mail. But many others will. I don't think they will care one way or the other. They know they are a part of my life and I love them.

As I put pictures of my Grands in card after card, and write a little note here or there, my idea of what Christmas is all about returns to me. For Becki anyway, Christmas isn't about all the presents. It is about the month of December being the one time of the year that I take the time to enjoy all those around me. Granted, I should be doing this all year long, but practicality being what it is, I simply do what has to be done the other eleven months of the year. In December, I wax nostalgic. I cry at Folger Coffee commercials when the soldier is waiting on the stairsteps for his folks to awaken on Christmas Day.....I go to grade school programs and enjoy every chorus of offkey singing....I lovingly wrap each present and envision how it will be received....the kids saying "It's just what I've always wanted" and the adults thinking, "How did she know what I wanted, or Good God! not knitted houseslippers again!"

I have nearly 80 cards to get stamped in the next few days. If you get one it is because you were on the mailing list for Kitty's wedding or else you have an address so easy to remember that I could guesstimate what it was and put it on the card.

Come January, when I am putting my cards from this year up for the next, I will count them as I always do. It makes me feel validated to have lots of cards. If I don't have as many this year as in year's past, then I will know that e-mail has taken over. Next year, I may try to use e-mail only. But for this year, the picture of my darling Grands will have to suffice as our greetings to all of you! And, for me anyway, a tradition of traipsing to the post office with a sackful of cards will be honored for one more year at least.

'TIS THE SEASON

Today is November 25, 2008. It is one month to the "Big Day".....A month full of sending out cards, baking cookies, making candy, freezing dishes ahead for the "Big Night before the Big Day", wrapping gifts and storing them, putting up the tree, the tinsel, the garland, the outdoor lights, the indoor lights, changing the CD player in the car to seasonal music, watching It's a Wonderful Life, Meet Me in St. Louis and White Christmas for the 110th time!
Thursday we leave for a mini-vacation. When we get back we join the frenzied race to prepare for the "Big Day." For this reason, I am sending my Christmas wishes for all of you out very, very early!
If you are sent my Blog, then you don't have to be told that the best gifts I have ever received are my four Grands. I share them with you for the season. Think of them as angelic little elves. Once that thought is in your mind.....remember that all gifts have been shipped to great-mimi's house because there is no trust in the house during the month of December....Dani will surely check out the Blog to see if I gave away any secrets (sorry, kid)....Gabi will beg me to tell her what Santa is bringing, except after last week's episode at Walmart, I think her dad had a 3:00 with Santa last Friday and gifts for Gabi are still in question. Only Izi and Alison can be assured of wonderful presents. They truly are still God's littlest angels sent to our lucky family!
Have a most wonderful holiday season. If you don't have children or grandchildren and would like to experience the joys of Christmas through the eyes of a child, I am sure Dani and Gabi can be persuaded to come to your house for the afternoon and share the delights of childhood!
Tom is now out planting trees this morning (light snow, 22 degrees....the Arbor Society assured us the trees would be sent "in time for planting"). Speaking of trees, I am getting ready to put the artificial one up. When we get back from our little vacation, we will install a nine-footer in the sunroom. Frazier Firs are just gorgeous and it will greet our visitors all month long and then be pulled to the forest to serve as protection from the weather for our furry little friends!
From one year to the next, friends and family are what I treasure most! Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel and MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all!

Turkey Week

Oh, the poor turkeys! I cut off their little feet! I tried to download a turkey dance for my blog, but the Turkey Dance I chose on Google turned out to be a male stripper in Istanbul! That might not work for everyone, so I went back to the basic picture of turkeys in a row! And then I cut off their drumsticks!

Turkey Week begins Saturday at our house. I have wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving on our sunroom ever since we built it. So, this year we decided to put all sixteen people in the porch and heat with space heaters. I awoke this morning to snow all over the ground, the turkeys are still thawing (since Monday----today Friday and mom needs the "prime parts" for gravy! Hope the ice crystals have dissolved in the cavity overnight....
oh yeah, which brings me to yet another discovery on the internet.....a joke about turkeys teaching other turkeys how to stuff a human! Not a pretty sight! Where do these people find time to think up these things!!!!

Tomorrow we experiment with "deep-fried turkey"....so I get to tell everyone to not only bring a heavy sweater to the event, but their Lipitor as well! All in all it will be a great day! We will be traveling on the actual Turkey Day....going to Georgia to visit Gayle and her family. For those who don't know her, that is Rodger's (Tom's middle brother) widow. We always have a great time down there and the added bonus.....the weather should be at least 20-30 degrees warmer!!!

So on to my Thankfulness for the year: My mom is still with us and while bruised, not broken..... My Grands are all wonderful! Alison survived her broken leg, Izi has conquered the fear of potty training, Gabi has decided her Kindergarten teacher means business, and Dani is still attempting to solve all the problems in her world.......Ryan and Kitty are employed (and in this downturn that is saying something)..... Chris hasn't had a major accident on his new trail bike..... Tom and I have survived the first year of retirement in pretty good physical (forget the financial, all of us got beaten up real good by Wall Street ) condition, and all our friends -- whom we love so dearly -- are still with us!
My 14-year-old cat, Darla feels feisty enough to traumatize the Grands..... my pet project -- St Patrick's in Lagro -- is still open for monthly Mass, and my friends on Friends of St. Patrick's have become even dearer to me throughout the year...... My choice for Prez didn't make it, but the more I watch OBama, he gives me renewed hope that he might know how to pull our nation out of this awful mess we are in....my sister will become a grandma in 2009 (so I know her prayers were answered for the year) and finally, I am thankful for new friends and faces that are part of my little world.....LeeAnn from Ohio, Dot from Houston, Martha from Wabash (all internet Scrabble buddies) and Courtney, who just moved back from NYC.

I am blessed. Now, if only we don't need to use our fire extinguishers for tomorrow's turkey fry. If only space heaters can keep us warm. If only an ice storm doesn't slow us on our trip to sunny GA, my year will be one to remember! Thank you all for being a part of my life, all 41 of you who receive my Gmails on a regular basis are my closest and dearest friends or I wouldn't share this silly Blog with you .....and one final request from the turkeys.....Eat Pork! Eat Beef!!!

Happy Birthday to My Little Sis ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I'm the oldest. Frankly, I liked it that way, but mom and dad had other plans. So one day, on November 13 quite a few years ago, a little bundle was brought to our house. They delivered her the same day as our Sylvania black and white TV was installed in the living room, right across from the only rocker in the house.

When my little sis was brought home, I don't know what made me happier....holding her little hand while I rocked her and sang her a song... or holding her, rocking and watching Superman and Pinky Lee on TV.

Our relationship through the years hasn't always been smooth....most sisters don't have a heavenly match-up. In fact, if I see "white", she is usually seeing "black." So goes it. She can aggravate me, infuriate me, humble me, and shock and awe me. But I know she always loves me. And, I her.

This morning when I asked her if she was ready for her birthday, she replied, "I don't think in years since I don't feel any different. I look in the mirror and see time has marked me, so there's no need for me to mark time."

When I asked her if I could use this wonderful quote, she replied, "It will cost you Two Hail Barack's and an Our Michelle, who art so well dressed." That is my sister. Funny, intelligent, independent, sarcastic, irony running through her blood, and forever younger than me.

Happy Birthday, Cindy! Being your sister is one of the greater roads I take on life's journey. We have shared Pinky Lee, Superman, pets named Honey, Tiny and Buddy. You were my first dance partner, always the Bride when we played wedding, the alto to my soprano and the dish dryer to my dish washer. I hope your day is absolutely wonderful!! Now everyone....email her on November 13 at mpcoinc@comcast.net and wish her a great day!!!

INDIAN(A) SUMMER

1. The view of a perfect Indian(a) summer from our back yard, looking into the Salamonie State Forest.

2. Crossing the bridge at Cool Creek Park, Noblesville on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2008

3. Grave of Frances Slocum, Wabash County's most famous female. Cemetery is located near Somerset, Indiana. Taken over fall break, Oct. 31, 2008.

NEW FLASH ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~! ! ! !

Contrary to what I believed would happen, Barack OBama was elected president of the United States yesterday, and when I check this morning, NO ONE had rolled over in their grave! I humbly stand corrected!!!!!

Happy Halloween!!! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What is more fun for the average kid than Trick or Treating!!! Bags of contraband candy carried back to the house in pillow cases converted into stash holders!!

Dismembering a pumpkin and transforming it into a ghoulish, lighted piece of fruit! Halloween is almost a trade-off for the end of summer and back to school....and it is the perfect intermission between Easter (that other candy-laden holiday of the year) and Christmas (which doesn't compare to any other holiday for guiltless consumption of all things sweet!!!)





Little Alison is going to be a Princess this year. All I have is last year's photo. Our little Angel went or trick or treating as a cute little devil!


We are going to have (from left): Gabi as a High School Musical Cheerleader (I think she looks like High School Amish with her long sleeved black top and tights to keep her warm); Dani as Doctor Destructo and Izi as a Crazy Little Crocodile!






Oh, squishy, gooey gobs of pumpkin guts!!!

If It's October, It's Apple Pickin' Time!!!!

My sister has an apple tree in her side yard. It's been there forever. I know I have taken a few apples from it in years past, but this year, with the economy being in the dumpster, I thought it was just plain dumb not to take her up on her offer of free apples....especially since she even picked them for me! Thanks, sis! She reports she has picked over 200 pounds of apples from this tree. Enough fall fruit to go around to family and friends!


Gabi helped grandpa peel the apples. We had a real assembly line going! Grandpa peeled, I cored, Grandma Behny picked out the small spots and started them cooking. Then, when they were all cooked and cooled, we bagged and froze. Only one bag bit the dust (or the basement floor), as I realized the bag wasn't sealed about the same time that mom reached for it. The worst mess was in her shoe....yes, it fell on her foot!


Three days before we did my apples, Izi and I went to MimiBB's to help her do her apples. This was such a walk down memory lane for me! How many times I have helped my Grandma in the kitchen. My mom looks so much like her, that this picture of Izi and mother made me miss my Grandma all the more!


When all the work was finished, Grandpa and Izi took a break on the porch and watched the leaves fall!






And finally, the Apple of my eye for this year or any other, my beautiful daughter, Kitty. She was going to a wedding when I snapped this picture of her.

St. Patrick's Bratfest - YOU ARE INVITED

Next Saturday, October 25, from 5-8 p.m., the St. Patrick's BratFest will be held at the Knights of Columbus lodge on Huntington Street in Wabash. You are all urged and invited to attend. Tickets are $6 for adults, and kids under ten are free! What a great way to experience authentic German food AND help out a good cause!

I have been a Friend of St. Patrick's since 2000. It is a wonderful, but very small, organization. We are lucky to have twelve mighty members at any given time, but we have accomplished so much since our formation. We are a non-denominationl group of people and our ONLY focus is to maintain and restore Historic St. Patrick's Church in Lagro, Indiana. The church was built in 1873. It was the third Catholic church in this little town, the first having been erected in the 1830's, during the height of the construction of the Erie Canal.

When the church was dedicated by Bishop Dwenger in 1873, there were 300 active Parish families. By 1999, the congregation of St. Patrick's had declined to the point that the Diocese of Ft Wayne-South Bend decommissioned the church from its Parish status to that of Oratory (House of Prayer). The church was in danger of becoming just another old building, until FOSP member and long-time St. Patrick's parishoner Ann Driscoll, worked tirelessly to establish the church as part of the National Registry.

• The small top picture shows the rear of the church, with the organ and circular staircase.
• The Main Altar (first picture) showcases St. Patrick of Ireland in the stained glass window.
• The Side Altars are of St. Mary and St. Joseph.

The organ has great historic value and has been written about in many regional periodicals. Built in the 1840's by Henry Erben, a New York City organ builder,the organ had not been used since the early 1940's when the pipes had fallen prey to thieves looking for scrap metal.

In the spring of 2004,Hal Gober, a Canadian restorationist, came to Lagro, disassembled the organ and carted it back to his workshop for a full restoration. The restoration was over $60,000....all of it raised by Friends of St. Patrick's through fund-raisers, donations from the community and others who love the old church. The Organ was dedicated in 2005 and in the summer of 2007, St. Patrick's hosted the American Historical Organ Society for a day in June. The organ was the main focus and a wonderful recital was given. Over 200 organ enthusiasts joined us for the concert and dinner afterwards.

St. Patrick's biggest problem is that of money. Of course, we know we are not alone. There are many worthy causes wanting some of our donated dollars. We feel, however, that the church has so much historical significance.....most importantly, Mother Church of the Wabash River Valley and, we believe, the Crown Jewel of the little town of Lagro, Indiana.....which takes us back to Bratfest '08.

The food is just wonderful! German Brats (beer marinated!), authentic warm German potato salad, calico beans, Black Forest Cake, and many other side salads and drinks. This year, we have added grilled hamburgers to the menu. Polka music, bar available for beer and wine, and great company!!! Please join us! If you are unable to attend but would like to help us keep St. Pat's on the historic road map, email me. I have suggestions for you!!!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!! SAT. 10-25....5-8 PM....BRING YOUR APPETITE & $6.00!!!

A Visit with the Princess of Noble(sville)

We received a phone call from the Queen of Noble(sville). "Help," she cried. "We've been invited to spend a weekend away but the Princess will have no one with whom to play!"

So we packed our bags quickly and off we went to visit our Princess, Alison.

Our mission was two-fold: To keep Alison busy so as not to miss mom and dad, and to be indulgent grandparents for 48 hours.

The Queen had left a detailed listing of what the Princess should (and should not) eat, what the Princess should (and should not) drink, what to wear, when to nap, and suggestions for dealing with the Princess' mercurial temperament from time to time. Thanks, Queen for taking time to make the list! Yes, I did read it and followed it most of the time! :=)

As we waved goodbye to the Queen and her King, Papaw and I made a list of all the places we could visit with Alison and all the fun things we could do over the weekend.

Before we ventured to any place fun, Papaw had

a job to do, and that was fix the Princess' castle.

The doorbell had quit ringing, the fireplace had quit firing, the phone wouldn't ring, the fridge wouldn't light up and the oven wouldn't "bake". It was frightful to think what could be wrong. After much probing and prodding with an assortment of tools, a corroded "D" battery was found at fault.

Papaw replaced the battery and as you can tell, the playhouse is now good as new. This is one of the bedroom windows that the Princess and her Paw are looking through.

On Friday night we went to McDonald's to play, and to Target to look at all the holiday decorations. We came home and took our bath, then went to bed so easily that Mimi was astonished! Night one complete....All day Saturday and Saturday night lay ahead.

We decided to spend the most of Saturday at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. It is such

a wonderful place to visit! From the mammoth

train engine in the basement that was used in

Madison over a hundred years ago, to the Carousel on the top floor that was once in Broad Ripple Park, the museum is filled with interactive adventures for young and old. We spent quite a lot of time at Playscape. This is for the under two set and has lots of water toys, climbing toys, sand, steps, noisemakers and never less than 200 small fry running around. The worst part about the Children's Museum is having to share the fun with the very people the Museum was built for!

We ended our day with rides on the Carousel. Alison chose the lion and then a tiger. Since she is under three, she has to ride the stationery

animals. She much prefers the carousel animals
to go up and down. So, after leaving the Museum, we drove to the park in Noblesville which does have a carousel with horses that go up and down. A couple of rides there, a few swings in the swing and down the slide a few times and we were ready for ice cream.

When I asked Princess Alison what kind of ice cream she wanted to get at Mary Moo's, she said "blue." As one can readily see, "Cotton Candy" blue ice cream was available. It did wonderful things to her lips, and later her neck, hands and jacket.

By Sunday morning, Alison was ready for the Queen

and King to return home. She spent a restless
night and tossed and turned, calling out more than once for mommy and daddy. And, while we were glad that our weekend had gone so well, we told Alison that another fun weekend is only a phone call away!

Thanks Alison for sharing your world with us for a couple of days! We had fun and will treasure the memories we made in the world of Princess Alison!!!

The End of the Ride

Poor Alison! The ride was over. Reminds me of Wall Street and all the problems they have put upon us. The only difference is that Grandpa Bobby Bishop rescued Alison and paid for another go-round on the carousel at Ft Wayne Zoo. Wall Street may not be that lucky!!

Welcome to My Life

This makes it official. I am now a certified Blogger. I've wanted to be one for the longest time, but fear and trepidation that I would have absolutely NOTHING to write about have kept me from it! Then I decided that there are millions of Bloggers out there, and very few of them have anything worthwhile to say!! Does that keep them from Blogging every day! Heck, No!! Does that keep us from reading them? Heck No! So, I am joining them!
Next Blog will be from Ball State University's Homecoming. It is this weekend and since the game is at noon, Tailgating will start about 10 a.m. Pretty darn early for a glass of wine (okay....a bottle of Pinot Grigio) for this old grandma, but I will try very hard to join in the festivities.