Preparing Our Hearts for Thanksgiving

As the holiday season begins, let's remember to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. Not just the day itself, or the family feast we will share, but the prayer we will pray with our family and the prayer we pray to our Lord. We must be thankful from our hearts.

It is a troubled time in this life, but no matter how bad things are for us, personally, we know those who have it worse. When we think it's as bad as it can be, it gets worse. Yet, we know it's still not as bad as it could be. But all things here are temporary; then eternity. Remember this: A grateful heart is closest to God. Let's pray together. CLICK HERE

Do you need  more personal inspiration? CLICK HERE

Freebee Friday

Download a free eBook: Get 19 Best-Ever Grilled Chicken Recipes

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Thankful Tree

I love this idea. If I have time, I would like to this with my family. Step-by-step instructions can be found HERE

Fun Family Thanksgiving Activities
HERE

Corn Hole

I recently went to a baby shower and people were playing a game in the backyard. They were tossing little bags into a hole in these cheese slice looking boxes. I never did get around to asking what it was but I had never seen it before.

Yesterday, my husband was looking on Craig's list and found someone giving away cornhole boards. We didn't know what that was so I looked it up. Low and behold .... there it was. That backyard game. NOW, I want one.


I found a website that tells you all about it and you can also buy them and get them personalized with your family name on them HERE

OR

You can make your own HERE

Friday Funnies

Misheard Christmas Song Lyrics

"A New Year, A New Ring" by Paul And Paula
Misheard Lyrics:
But with hearts full of love, and hell from a bug
Our love will work out fine.

"Feliz Navidad"

Misheard Lyrics:

Fleas on a dog
Fleas on a dog.

Original Lyrics:

Feliz Navidad.


Read more HERE

These are kind of hard to believe. It sounds like somebody just made them up. Check them out HERE

Gregg Allmann

The other day, as I was watching YouTube videos of Leon and Elton. I saw a video with them and Gregg Allman. I was shocked at Gregg's appearance. I don't know that I would have recognized him had his name not been in print.



If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I try to keep up with some of the old bands, like the Allman Brothers Band, posting about them from time-to-time. The news of Gregg didn't get to me somehow until I saw this video of Gregg singing with Leon Russell and Elton John at the Speaking Clock Revue. I was terribly concerned about how he looked in comparison to the most recent video I had seen of him.

Apparently, he underwent a liver transplant in June! Here's an excerpt from the statement on his website.

The transplant comes as a result of the artist’s previous battle with Hepatitis C, a liver disease. In late 2007, Allman began a series of treatments for his Hepatitis C, but chronic damage of his liver led to doctors recommending a transplant. “I changed my ways years ago,” Allman says, “but we can’t turn back time. Every day is a gift, and I can’t wait to get back on the road making music with my friends.” Read more at his website HERE

I'm very happy for him. I hope he lives a healthier life now and hangs around making more music for a very long time.

The Tooth Fairy Visits

This is a Tooth Fairy pillow

My Granddaughter lost her first tooth last night! It's a very exciting thing for her! She got money!

It all happened very fast. She came home from kindergarten on Friday with a tooth that was about to fall out! Since there had been no indication of a loose tooth, we were concerned. She said nothing happened. It just got loose by itself!

As it so happens . . . just a couple of weeks ago, her Mommy had taken her to the Dollar Tree to pick out a reward for "good behavior". She is a most unique child. Green stars are precious and are now rewarded since they are so few and far between.

That day, she picked out a Disney Tinkerbell Tooth Fairy Pillow. I, personally, had never heard of such a thing. What happened to wrapping it in toilet paper and putting it under your pillow? Also, when did children start losing their teeth so early? When I was a kid, I didn't know anybody who got a loose tooth before at least, summer after first grade. We all mostly got loose teeth in the second or third grades, at 7 and 8 years old. My Granddaughter is only 5! My daughter works with preschoolers and she says some of those kids are losing their teeth at 4!

The tooth is in the fold. It's so small you can hardly see it.

$2.50 in quarters, dimes and nickels!

Needless, to say, that little pillow sure came in handy!

Little Miss Snaggle Tooth

I looked around on the net to see what was out there on "tooth fairy pillows". Some are very pricey! Here are a couple of good ones.

Tooth Fairy Pillows on Etsy HERE

Tooth Fairy Pillow at Amazon HERE

Here's the one my Granddaughter has (the green one) that came from Dollar Tree.

Tinkerbell Tooth Fairy Pillow HERE

Disney Tinkerbell Tooth Fairy Pillow

OR

Learn to make your own HERE
HERE and
HERE

Freebee Friday

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4 free horror audio books

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A selection of free audio books
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Holiday Games and kids activities
The Kidz Page

Youtubesday

This guy doesn't worry about political correctness!

Happy Halloween!

It was kind of a busy day.

Making spooky brownies

We made these with brownie mix and topped each brownie with a large marshmallow, covered with white icing and chocolate chips for the eyes. Yep! I broke my diet!

Trick-or-Treating

I never did get time to carve that jack-o-lantern. I used the plastic ones I had instead and I put tea lights in them. It didn't turn out too bad. I still got that warm, festive glow.

I'm kind of sad and kind of glad that it's over.

Halloween Hot Chocolate

Instead of making cocoa, we used the instant hot chocolate packets. My granddaughter made the one the right and I made the one on the left. 


What You'll Need:


2 Large Marshmallows (per cup)
2 Candies for the eye (per cup)
1 Tooth Pick to hold the eyes together
1 Package of hot chocolate mix 


Make the eyes before making the hot chocolate. Run the toothpick through the marshmallows close to one of the ends. If you don't, your eyes will flip when dropped into the chocolate, as my granddaughters did.


Once you have the marshmallows secured, take a knife and make a slit where each eye will be and insert the candy. We used sixlets. (You can use milk duds, m&ms, etc).


Make the hot chocolate and drop your eyes into the cup.

Flipping the eyes obviously didn't change the taste!

glitter-graphics.com

Jack Skellington Halloween Makeup

Check out Halloweentown and get a Jack Skellington makeup tutorial.

HERE
 

Another neat site to check out if you're are a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman fan, is Danny's Musical flash galleries. Don't expect it to run automatically. You literally have to click everything! Click on the actual slide photo to get the music. It's worth it!

Minadream 1

Minadream 2

Here's another creepy little fun site to visit to play on. Visit Ravenwood Hollow Here

Leon and Elton's "The Union" Album Review

I pre-ordered my "The Union" CD so, of course, I got it later than the release day. I, personally, think the album is great. As you've heard me say before, I am not a big Elton fan but I LOVE LEON!


I'm very irritated at some of the reviews... saying things like they had weak, wishing for the glory days voices. Some of the junk that's written in some of the reviews is more than just a low blow, it's downright hateful! Both Leon and Elton are older now and their music reflects that! Things change with age. Nothing remains the same. What did you expect?


Leon's voice has changed, but he still sounds great. He's a great musician and song writer and when his voice is strong (as it is on the album) it's very good! He's not a "has been" -- he's a "still is". He may not be just like he used to be but he's just as good, if not better, than many of the old rockers who've either tried a come back or who has recently made spotlight performances... or have had a "Reunion Tour". It's not like he's gotten rusty. He's been performing both here and abroad all these years. People just stopped paying attention. Also, those "comebackers" play the same music they always played. Leon and Elton released and "all new material" album. Leon has been putting out his own albums and still writing new material for years. I know he has health issues but I hope he's around singing and writing for many more years to come.


The older musicians who've set the pace and the standard deserve more respect that those reviews have given. Well, except maybe for Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. There comes a time when maybe it just ain't a good idea to get on a stage and "shake your thang" after a certain age...not that his performance was ever respectable by "social" or "moral" standards.


The first song on "The Union" album, "If It Wasn't For Bad" was written by Leon. I think it will be a part of his legacy. I think it's got a chance to become another Leon Russell classic. It's a song that just sticks with you and stays in your head. One you look foward to hearing again.


As I was looking through YouTube at the videos of Leon and Elton regarding their new album. I saw that they were on GMA and I didn't know about it, so I missed it. I was glad, however, that someone was kind enough to post some of the their performance on GMA at the Beacon Theater so we could see them.


Here is the link for part 1 and the video of part 2


Part 1 HERE







Here's an interesting quote from Elton. “All I wanted for Leon,” John said, “is to have, in his later life, the accolades that seem to have been missing for him in the last 35 years. I want his name written in stone. I want him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I want his name to be on everybody’s lips again." AMEN, Elton! Don't we all! No. I'm not a Leon Lifer but I guess I should be.


Now you know what happens when I get started...I write a "rant" book.

Oh, No! Serious Competition!

UPDATE: The Pumpkin Contest Winner has been announced. The Cinderella Pumpkin was 1st place winner. My daughter placed 5th. Everybody did a great job!

Pumpkin contest update: Just look at what they've done to my daughter! She has some serious competition. Check out these cool pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns! These are just amazing!

This is the front

This is the back

She's not feeling very confident, but she did have a good time making it. I think hers is very pretty and very creative. I'll let you know who wins the contest. I still haven't carved my jack-o-lantern!

My daughter's creation

It's Jack-o-lantern Time

My daughter entered a "non-carved jack-o-lantern" contest.  She did something a little different (above). I think it turned out very well. I hope she wins!

If you are like me, you haven't carved yours yet. We have this week and a another weekend. I love doing it, but for some reason I always dread it.

I have lots of apples from the recent apple festival we visited. If  you like to make applesauce in your microwave, check out the process on my other other blog HERE