DECEMBER 2009 - BEGINNING OF JANUARY 2010

DECEMBER 2009 AND THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY 2010

The seasons of Advent and Christmas

2 Long Night Full Moon

December 5th & 6th: Set out your shoes this evening! St. Nicholas is coming! We read the traditional stories about St. Nicholas . After the Advent Wreath ceremony, we all set our shoes on the hearth. What will St. Nicholas leave this year?

7 Pearl Harbor Day

December 8th: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception

12 Poinsettia Day

12 Hanukkah

December 13th: Feast Of St. Lucy!

19 Our Family CHRISTMAS Feast Day

21 Winter begins at 12:47 pm

The Christmas Tree:

I don't turn on the lights of the tree at night, until the Advent Wreath candles have been lit, The tree will be left up, along with the Nativity sets until the day after Epiphany. After all…that’s when the Christmas officially ends!

December 25^th: Alleluia! Christ our Savior is born! Alleluia!

Christmas Day: A joyful feast in the afternoon…and the season continues!

December 26th: The Feast Of Stephen.

26 Boxing Day

27 The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

December 28th: The Feast Of the Holy Innocents. We remember all the holy innocents on this day, particularly the littlest victims of abortion.

31 New Years Eve – A time for reflection

31 Night of the Blue Moon

The blue moon is not blue it is the second full moon in any one month—the next will be on August 31, 2012

January 1st marks the great Solemnity of Mary, Mother Of God.

The journey continues with Epiphany, on

January 6th. The Wise Men have journeyed to take their place before the Holy Infant. We sing We Three Kings and thank God for the greatest gift of the Christmas Season.

We end our Christmas celebration the following Sunday as we commemorate the Baptism of Our Lord.

a very sad day...

Thanks to our Sugar at the SugarShack blog for this tag that does really say it all.

NOVEMBER 2009

November woods are bare and still; November days are clear and bright;Each noon burns up the morning's chill,The morning's snow is gone by night.

Source: Helen Hunt Jackson

It's time to talk turkey, think about pilgrims, reminisce on childhood holiday memories, do some thanksgiving crafts, and above all reflect on God's blessings and bounty.

November Flower: Chrysanthemum

November Birthstone: Topaz

November is...

Aviation History Month, Good Nutrition Month, Jewish Book Month, National Alzheimer's Disease Month, National Diabetes Month, National Epilepsy Month, National Hospice Month, National Pepper Month, National Stamp Collecting Month, and Peanut Butter Lover's Month,
NOVEMBER 2009

1 ALL SAINTS DAY

1 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS

2 FULL BEAVER MOON

2 ALL SOULS DAY

3 ELECTION DAY

11 VETERANS DAY

12 DDIL#1’S BIRTHDAY

22 REMBERANCE DAY FOR MY LITTLE GRANDSON

21 OUR FAMILY THANKSGIVING FEAST

26 THANKSGIVING DAY

27 BLACK FRIDAY (VACATION DAY FOR MA)

28 REMBERANCE DAY FOR MY DDH

30 ST. ANDREWS DAY

OCTOBER - 2009

There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on,

and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.
Nathaniel Hawthorne

October's birthstone is the opal. The opal is thought to have the power to predict illness. This is because the opal responds to heat. If you are sick your temperature increases before signs of illness appear. The increased body heat causes the opal to lose its shine, leaving it dull and lacking color. It is also said that the opal will crack if it is worn by someone who was not born in October.

Its birth flower is the calendula

3 Our Sweetheart’s 7th birthday
4 Full HUNTER or FALLING LEAVES Moon
· Most deer – auto collisions occur from October thru December
9 Ma has a half day of vacation
10 FALL FESTIVAL at the Campground
12 Columbus Day!
16 Ma has another half day of vacation
17 WINTERIZED AND CLOSE UP CAMPERS
31 Halloween

· Halloween Lady bugs
PUMPKIN colored with black spots are entering homes to spend the winter.

They are harmless and will benefit your garden next spring.

Just before the death of flowers,

And before they are buried in snow,

There comes a festival season

When nature is all aglow.

Author Unknown

September - BACK TO SCHOOL PICTURES

I've received pictures of some of my grand babes going back to school this year. It is such an exciting time for everyone. 3 are missing in the pictures and I'm hoping to get them later on but for now I'll put the ones in that I have.

This is DS#3's children waiting for the school bus


This is our Angel - aren't her dimples cute...they do run in the family

This is our Star - sporting new glasses for the first time this year.

They make him look so grown up !

This is our Angel and Star with their little brother at this time last year.

So very sadly he is not with us this year. He is among the little blessed ones in heaven now

and we do miss him so.

This is DS#1's 3 children

Our Sweetheart, Prince Charming and Our Princess

Here are DS#4's boys-I call them the Sunshine Boys as they are always smiling

Our 'Little Ray' of Sunshine didn't start school til later in the week and still has his PJ's on

My Sunshine Boy at Back to School Night

DS#4 and Our Sunshine Boy the first day of school

Both of boys with their dad



I'm so very proud of all of them. Their parents are just the greatest too!

SEPTEMBER - 2009

By all these lovely tokens

September days are here,

With summer's best of weather

And autumn's best of cheer.
Helen Hunt Jackson

SEPTEMBER

4 FULL HARVEST MOON
7 LABOR DAY
11 Ma’s vacation day
11 DS#1 and DDIL#1 Anniversary
11 PATRIOTS DAY
Remembering 9-11-01
13 GRAND PARENTS DAY
16 DDIL#4 Birthday
17 ‘ Little Ray’s’ Birthday
18 Rosh Hashanah
19 National Talk Like a Pirate Day
21 FEAST OF ST. MATHEW
Apostle and Evangelist
22 Fall Equinox begins at 5:19 pm
25 Ma’s vacation day
27 Yom Kippur
29 FEAST OF ST. MICHAEL
GABRIEL, AND RAPHAEL Archangels

Abundant crop of acorns today (St. Michaels Day) forecast a hard winter


September symbols - September's flower is the morning-glory. Sapphire is the gem.

The breezes taste

Of apple peel.

The air is full

Of smells to feel-

Ripe fruit, old footballs,

Burning brush,

New books, erasers,

Chalk, and such.

The bee, his hive,

Well-honeyed hum,

And Mother cuts

Chrysanthemums.

Like plates washed clean

With suds, the days

Are polished with

A morning haze

John Updike, September

AUGUST - 2009

Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,

Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;

Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing

Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn

Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown

AUGUST 2009
5 THE FULL MAISE (CORN) MOON
7 MA’S VACATION DAY
9 DS # 5’S BIRTHDAY
11 LEDGENDARY ‘DOG DAYS’ END
13 THE NEWLY WEDS ANNIVERSARY
16 DDIL#3’S BIRTHDAY
21 MA’S VACATION DAY
24 CICADES ARE SINGING
29 DS#1’S BD
29 MA’S LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND BEGINS

FROM MY MAXINE CALENDAR FOR AUGUST

IF EACH DAY IS A GIFT,

I’D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE TO RETURN MONDAY’S