Day Three Hundred Sixty Five 2010

~~Goodbye, 2010!~~Happy New Year!~~

The book is closed, the year is done,

The pages full of tasks begun.

A little joy, a little care,

Along with dreams, are written there.

This new day brings another year,

Renewing hope, dispelling fear.

And we may find before the end,

A deep content, another friend. ~~ Arch Ward

Day Three Hundred Sixty Four 2010

Does anyone know what kind of bird this is? He sure does love him some peanut butter. Some other critter--squirrel or raccoon I'm guessing--tore down one of the other bird feeders and literally carried it off somewhere. I haven't been able to find it, so I'm thinking raccoon. Apparently it never learned how to share.

FYI: my nature-loving sister Ann researched the bird in this picture. It is a Downy Woodpecker. Mystery solved! Thanks, Ann!

Day Three Hundred Sixty Three 2010

Tangerine Photo Shoot

I like tangerines. Every time I smell one, I remember Santa Claus leaving them in my stocking at Christmas when I was growing up. It's one of my favorite citrus fruits and one of my cherished childhood memories. And they're pretty to look at, too. Here are some nutrition facts. Don't say I never taught you anything.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 Medium (70.0g)
Amount per Serving
Calories 37 Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 7g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 10%
Vitamin C 31%
Calcium 3%
Iron 1%
Est. Percent of Calories from:
Fat 0.0% Carbs 97.3%
Protein 10.8% Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/clementine/tangerine/#ixzz19YfOfd5Y

Day Three Hundred Sixty Two 2010

It's What's For Supper

Chick-fil-A peppermint chocolate chip milk shake is quite delicious (but I don't recommend pairing it with a chicken salad sandwich). Tons of calories. Totally worth it.

Day Three Hundred Sixty One 2010

A sunny cold blue peaceful winter's day.

Day Three Hundred Sixty 2010

Sunday Snow (Birds)

Day Three Hundred Fifty Nine 2010

Mabry Family Christmas 2010

After all the careful preparations and hurry and flurry, the big day finally arrived and brought snow along with it for the first time in seventeen years here in the mid South. The best part of any Christmas is family gathering together to share a fabulous meal, laugh and remember times past, play Dirty Santa and exchange other gifts and simply enjoy being together with loved ones we don't get to see every day. Once again, my sister Ann and her husband Terry went above and beyond to make their home welcoming and festive for our family Christmas gathering. Can't thank you two enough for all the preparation and hard work you put into hosting this occasion. It was totally fabulous, as always. You guys rock! Here is our Christmas 2010 Mabry Family Portrait and all those who were able to attend:

My brother Ken Mabry and his children Chris Mabry, Kendra and Al Shelton, Ian Mabry and Evan Mabry

My late brother Robert's son Alex Mabry

My sister Ann and her husband Terry Sissom

My sister Jane and her husband Don Foy and their daughters Sarah and Julia

My daughter Kelly and her husband Kerry Kimbrough

My daughter Holly and her husband Jerry Myers and their children Shelby and Elijah

Moi and my hubby Neil Ranft

And of course the reason this gathering of loved ones exists--my 89 year old mother Hamp Mabry

Another tender Tennessee Christmas has come and gone, one for our memory books. God is so good and we are so blessed to be a part of such a wonderful loving family.

Merry Christmas!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Eight 2010

Ranft Family Christmas 2010

What a wonderful Christmas! Merry Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Seven 2010

This Big Orange University of Tennessee Nutcracker is the latest addition to our Nutcracker collection. Grandson Elijah loves playing with them and noticed the new one the other day. He picked it up and said, "Hey, Shelby, look at this scary Nutcracker!" Nutcrackers are kind of scary--like clowns--but this one looks positively wicked! I'm not sure what his problem is. Maybe a toothache? He looks like he wants to bite something. I like him.

Day Three Hundred Fifty Six 2010

Each Christmas I remember

The ones of long ago;

I see our mantelpiece adorned

With stockings in a row.

Each Christmas finds me dreaming

Of days that used to be,

When we hid presents here and there,

For all the family.

Each Christmas I remember

The fragrance in the air,

Of roasting turkey and mince pies

And cookies everywhere.

Each Christmas finds me longing

For Christmases now past,

And I am back in childhood

As long as memories last.

~~Carice Williams, Christmas Past

This is a picture of my hubby/honey Neil, sitting on Santa's lap, circa 1955.

Day Three Hundred Fifty Five 2010

Christmas tree lights reflecting in my window pane looked like glitter raining from the sky on another cloudy, drizzly day. The sun was on vacation on the first day of winter--the shortest daylight of the year. Happy Winter Solstice, everyone! Rejoice! The days get longer from now until June.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wishing my brother in law, Terry Sissom, a very happy 54th birthday today!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Four 2010

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of year
~Vince Guaraldi and Lee Mendelson

Day Three Hundred Fifty Three 2010

We always say we'll wrap everything first and then before we put the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve, we'll stick a bow on all of them. Yeah, right. Never happens. So I stuck a bow on every Christmas gift I wrapped today. I think the package always looks better with a little bling on it. And if they all fall off or get crushed flat before the big day? Oh well. I'll know in my heart of hearts that I at least made the extra effort. Bling on!

Day Three Hundred Fifty Two 2010

My Pummelvision--Play My Video Of About 450 Flickr Pictures (It Has Sound)--You Can Make Your Own

Discovered this web site on Photojojo and thought it might be fun to do. You can upload photos from Facebook or Tumblr or Flickr. Pretty neat. Click on Day Three Hundred Fifty Two 2010 above and that should link you to the Pummelvision site. (PS-You'll probably have to scroll down to the Playlist tunes and turn that sound down)

Day Three Hundred Fifty One 2010

You'd Better Watch Out!

No crying. No pouting. Asleep. Awake. Naughty. Nice. Bad. Good. You're on the list. But which one?! He's your worst nightmare. Because....he knows. So you'd better watch out. I'm just saying.

Day Three Hundred Fifty 2010

Happy 32nd Birthday, Holly!

My Christmas baby, daughter Holly, celebrated her 32nd birthday today. Here she is with her traditional Baskin-Robbins chocolate cake with chocolate chip ice cream.

She was four days old here--her first day home from the hospital. She came home tucked inside a red Christmas stocking. Holly, you are one of my greatest blessings--always have been and always will be. So glad you are mine! I love you and wish you every good thing today and always. Happy Birthday, Dear Daughter!

Day Three Hundred Forty Nine 2010

Is That You, Rocky?

This is a first for me--seeing a raccoon climb up a fence and eat from a bird feeder. I took these pictures last night when our two resident raccoons emerged from under the back porch and started looking for a meal. This is the smaller of the two. It easily climbed the fence post and pulled the bird feeder over so he could munch on the sunflower seeds. Weird, wild stuff.

This one is the bigger one. It tried to climb the post and got about halfway up. It must have changed its mind because it suddenly slowly eased itself back down to the ground. I keep saying "It" because I have no idea if it is male or female. It just roots around on the ground below the bird feeder and eats the sunflower seeds already there. Sometimes they stop and stare at me while I stare at them, then they go about their feeding business. They're fun critters to watch, and I suppose they're here to stay as long as there's cat food and bird seed to feast on.

Day Three Hundred Forty Eight 2010

S*N*O*W~D*A*Y

Day Three Hundred Forty Seven 2010

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

I don't think the temperature rose above 15 degrees all day. We had a ton of snow--maybe 8 inches at my house. Flurries all day. I think it has finally stopped. Middle Tennessee doesn't normally experience this kind of cold and snowfall in December, and it's still officially Fall. It's so beautiful, but I'm ready for it to be gone already. So much to do! So little time!

Day Three Hundred Forty Six 2010

Got Snow?!

Blue jay snacks and watches the flurries.

Sometimes the snow would come down in gentle flurries and then suddenly turn into a white out. Lots of cold bluster today.

The snow really started to accumulate this afternoon. A beautiful inconvenience! No school on Monday.

Christmas tree lights reflected in the pane of glass made it hard to take pictures through the living room door but made for some ethereal snow decorations.

If you've got snow where you are tonight, I wish you a safe and cozy evening.

Day Three Hundred Forty Five 2010

Greetings, Earthlings, from Planet Christmas!

Day Three Hundred Forty Four 2010

Happy T.G.I.F. !

Neil had the day off today. He and grandson Elijah enjoyed coloring a picture in the giant Santa coloring book. Fun stuff.

Santa Claus paid a visit this evening to my mom and the other residents at the assisted living home where they had their annual Christmas Party/Open House. Looks like Mom was doing a bit of flirting with old St. Nick, eh? Good times.

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

Day Three Hundred Forty Three 2010

O Christmas Tree! We finally finished decorating our Christmas tree this afternoon. We were really happy with the way it turned out--proud, you might say. I'm sure you've heard that pride goes before a fall. Well, Neil and I were scooting the tree out of the middle of the room toward the window. We were pulling it slowly by the tree stand when it started to tip over. We were both on the floor on either side of the tree. There was nothing we could do but watch it fall--seemingly in slow motion--and crash onto the little table that sits beside the couch. It could have been a whole lot worse. We have a lot of blown glass ornaments and, amazingly, only one got smashed. Two, if you count our glass tree topper which was pretty much obliterated. About twenty ornaments fell off, plus the icicles we had just finished placing with such care. The rest of it pretty much fell back into place when we got the tree upright again. But we've had to do a lot of rearranging and redecorating. Oh, and of course, the tree stand was full of water....Luckily, I took this picture of it before the fall. It won't be the same. But no one will be able to tell it but us. A fallen Christmas tree is a first for us. Far as we're concerned, it will be the last. Oh yes.

Day Three Hundred Forty Two 2010

Christmas shopping at Target this afternoon was productive and exhausting. Almost done. Hooray! Now if Neil could just finish stringing the lights on the tree....

Day Three Hundred Forty One 2010

Wishing you warmth on this frigid evening.

Day Three Hundred Forty 2010

This just looks cold, doesn't it? The temperature here today never got above 25 degrees. The kids got their wish and went to school two hours late this morning. (Although I'm sure they would have preferred to be off the whole day.)

Day Three Hundred Thirty Nine 2010

Snow Day

Snow flurries all day today. So pretty to watch! Cold tonight. The kids are all hoping to be out of school Monday. Maybe they'll get their wish.