Christmas Reflections

Christmas - the WONDERFUL day of celebrating and remembering the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, has come and gone for another year - but the memories linger and bring a smile to my heart!  

Our table set for Christmas dinner, complete with a nativity scene to keep close in our thoughts just what this season is all about! 

Early mornings with all the Christmas decor up have been so enjoyable. We've had a lot of dark, dreary days, and the Christmas lights have brought cozy warmth into those days! Sometimes, I just leave the tree lights on all day, and they make me smile to see them. 

With Smoky in my lap, and hot black coffee, Christmas lights, and a warm fire in the wood stove... what more could you ask for! 

Bandit loves the Christmas tree and constantly seems to be scheming a plan to climb it! 

These are my Sourdough Rolls fresh from the oven. They are such a treat to enjoy! My kids have asked me repeatedly for the recipe. Both families are now making sourdough regularly. I came up with this recipe "on the fly" and managed to recreate it twice. I think it is a "winner". {smiles} I am sharing the recipe I created below. 

Sourdough Rolls

Feed 1/2 cup of starter so that it is a smoothie consistency with about 1 part water to 2 parts flour, or about 1/2 cup water and 1 cup flour. Let rest covered for at least 6-8 hours or overnight. 

Early in the morning, to the bubbly starter add

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup water

2 cups flour

Begin mixing dough together. It should be sticky and wet as you begin to mix.  Continue adding another 1-2 cups of flour as you mix until the dough forms into a dough that can be kneaded. Lightly knead for 1-2 minutes, and then pour oil (about 1 Tbsp) onto top of the bread and around the sides of the bowl. Cover and let sit in a warm place until doubled. Punch down and fold the dough, cover, and rest.  Do this several times until you have two hours left before needing to bake them. After punching dough, grease 9x13 glass pan with butter. Pinch off a piece of dough, pulling the outside edges to the center to form a seam, and place them seam side down in the pan. Cover and let rise (about 1-1/2 hours). Preheat oven to 375. When rolls have doubled in size, bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately with warm butter! 

My Mom made this blanket for Clara. She embroidered all the squares and then made it into a quilt. Isn't it precious! The hours she puts into these quilts are amazing. She has made one for all her great-grandchildren! 

We played this game one night with neighbors. It was a lot of fun and had all of us thinking! Have you ever heard of this game? Continuo. You match the colored squares to get as many similar colored blocks in a row, and whoever has the most points wins. It was a simple game to play and so much fun. 

We got some much-needed snow yesterday. When I started out on my walk, it was just raining. By the time I got through with my 5 miles, it had turned to snow. It was so beautiful to walk in! It has been a very strange year, so warm and mild.  

This morning the sun came out! What glorious joy to see its beauty in the world around us! Most of December has been warm and rainy. 

I think the horses were even smiling about the change in the weather! 

Riley enjoyed running about as we walked. With the minimal traffic on our road, she is free to roam. She loves the cold weather too! I think we all had big smiles on our faces today :) 

2025 REFLECTIONS

As we approach the end of 2025, I can honestly say it has been a wonderful year full of the blessings of the Lord. Yes, it has been a hard year filled with challenges we never expected, especially with Dan's heart attack. But it has also been a blessed year! We gained a new granddaughter, Clara! Throughout all the highs and lows, there has always been a constant! The Lord has walked with us "THROUGH" the valley of the shadow of death, twice within a month, with both Dan and Baby Clara.  He has supplied our needs through the love, support, and prayers of our family, friends, and neighbors.  Yes, we are BLESSED beyond measure, and our hearts remain grateful and thankful! 

As we ponder what 2026 will bring, fear attempts to bring its "worry list" to me in the middle of the night. Do you ever wake up about 3 am with the "worry list" running wild through your mind? It happens to me occasionally, and especially after Dan's heart attack.  A song that I had sung in worship just a week before the event came to mind the first night the "worry list" arrived, and I have begun singing it over and over and over. It helps to reassure that no matter the struggles we face, God will take care of you! He will! He does! He has! He will continue! It helps me to sing along to the words of the song until I fall asleep. 

I wanted to make a video with this song, and someday hope to do it.  But I found this lovely video that I am sharing below, and I think you will enjoy it.  If you have fears or worries about your situation, trust God with it. He WILL take care of you! Blessings to all of you :)