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Our Daily Thread 12-19-14

Good Morning!

It’s Friday!!!

6 Days Until Christmas!!!!

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On this day in 1777 General George Washington led his army of about 11,000 men to Valley Forge, PA, to camp for the winter. 

In 1843 Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” was published for the first time in England. 

In 1957 Meredith Wilson’s “The Music Man” opened at the Majestic Theatre in New York City. 

And in 1990 Bo Jackson (Los Angeles Raiders) became the first athlete to be chosen as an All Star in two sports. 

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Quote of the Day

“The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.”

Charles Dickens

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 Today is Little Jimmy Dickens’ birthday, so we’ll start with him.

Next, some Michael Card.

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Anyone have a QoD?

92 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 12-19-14”

  2. Good morning… Just posted on the very end of yesterday’s thread… L. has her last two finals this morning in English and Spanish… English shouldn’t be a problem, but she’d benefit from prayers for her Spanish final…It’s from 10:00-12:00CST, for all you prayer warriors…

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  5. Morning, Aj & Cheryl. I’m so excited about Christmas! I absolutely love this time of year. I’ve been singing “Joyful, Joyful, We adore Thee” since awakening at five-thirty…My heart feels full of love for my family and my savior. We have to leave early this morning, in about fifteen minutes. Then, after I drop off Becca, I’m headed to Concordia to withdraw L. I sure hope we’re making the right decision regarding her schooling.

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  6. Prayers, Ann. And good morning to you — AJ and Cheryl, too. 😉

    And now we can say good morning to Jo at the same time!

    “The Music Man”: My dad likes that musical. It is also his birthday today — 85. He’s in reasonably good health, for which I am grateful. He sometimes has a little trouble with a racing heart, which makes him get out of breath then, so he has to rest at those times, but that doesn’t happen too often; generally only when it’s very hot or quite cold outside.

    Off to Bible study this morning. Have a great day, all!

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  8. Musical Advent Calendar – Day 18: The art of carol writing is alive and well, thanks in large part to the work of British composer John Rutter. He wrote the joyful “Angel’s Carol” in 1980, here performed the Greek choir from yesterday:

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  10. A few weeks ago I said I had two questions for y’all, but I could only remember one. I finally remembered the second one: What do you do when you lose backs to earrings? I have one set of three pairs that has so far lost two of the six backs (and one of them was a day I had checked the backs repeatedly, and tightened them once or twice), but that isn’t a huge big deal since I have two other pairs in the set and the backs work for all. But I have another pair (my most expensive pair so far) that has lost one of the two backs, so they’re now uinwearable. And my husband is giving me a pair for Christmas that will soon be the most expensive earrings I own . . . since earrings aren’t all the same size posts, what do you do?

    I’ve only been wearing the things three-and-a-half years, but surely those of you who’ve been wearing them longer know a good answer to this.

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  12. Duct tape, Cheryl. Oh, I guess I have not been wearing them that long so my answer may not qualify.

    We are off to get a Christmas tree from the mountain today. One hundred percent chance of rain so we won’t be able to drive up the mountain. A nice day for a walk in the rain! Some of my children have never been to the wilds to select the perfect tree so this will be fun.

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  13. I have loved “Music Man” forever. After all these years, I still know all the words to all of the songs. Our community Children’s Theater put it on this past summer and really did it justice.

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  14. Cheryl, In my experience, there are only two or three different sizes and they’re all interchangeable. I don’t even store mine together – I have one pile that I pick from when switching earrings.

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  15. Thanx Peter, I “enjoy” (for lack of a better word) seeing the comics before I go out.

    Cheryl, I know nothing at all about ear rings, but it sounds like your problem should be taken to a jeweler.

    Mumsee, Jo likely doesn’t know or care what the hour is. She may not know which day it is now. Somewhere, somehow, she got the same day twice. 😉

    I need to get ready for Lions. 🙂

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  17. Music Man is my husband’s favorite. He likes musicals. Two of our daughters were in this in a community theater group. We have seen it several times and always enjoy it.

    I bought extra backs and use those. I suppose it would depend on the earrings, whether or not they could be repurposed. Of course, you could always make a jewelry Christmas tree with them. I have seen these with costume jewelry and ’tis the season. 😉

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  18. Yes, there are backs for sale. I would imagine any of the big craft stores, jewelry type stores and even some department stores may have them.

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  21. Cheryl: In a pinch for earring backs, you can use a pink eraser from the tip of a pencil. It works great with all types of earrings–even expensive ones–and I’ve never had one fall off. I have no idea how I figured out that trick, but as I lose almost everything, it’s come in very handy at times…

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  24. Cheryl, amazon. You can always buy the little bags of soft plastic ones, those are the ones I use now as I wear mostly inexpensive hook earrings. But they’d work on anything, including more expensive earrings in that style (probably on posts as well).

    Amazon also would have selections of metal ones, too, I’m sure.

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  26. They’re good to have on hand, I always have a bag of the rubber ones that I keep with all my earrings. They stay on pretty well and don’t show, of course.

    And they’re nicer than duct tape, though probably not any more secure.

    Speaking of earrings, I bought a couple pair yesterday at Knotts from one of the American Indian vendors at the Christmas craft section. Dangly stones, she made the one pair while I waited as I wanted a simple black style that wasn’t pre-made. She said the park requires them to offer only nickel-free (and lead-free) metal jewelry now due to growing skin allergies.

    $20 for two pair (the other stone pair are dark green), not too bad.

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  27. More sad news from our horrific accident in Redondo Beach, a 6-year-old who had been in critical condition has now also died, bringing the death toll to four people. What a sad Christmas for so many families. 😦

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  29. I saw it!! The sun! Beautiful, glorious sunshine on my way to Bible study! Praise God!

    It’s gone again now, but that 10 minutes or so that I saw it again was so wonderful. 🙂

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  31. Gee, I’ve been throwing those tiny little white things away . . . and using cheap backs off earrings purchased at Target to keep the real stuff in place. The things we learn on this blog! 🙂

    I’ve also just found a dozen Christmas cards I forgot to write . . most, of course, for the east coast. Sigh.

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  34. Since we’re telling earring stories… In the fall of 2001 (after 9/11) my SIL moved back to Baltimore from NYC and she and I took a day trip to the Brandywine River Museum (a fabulous place – http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/). In the gift shop I fell in love with a pair of earrings and we laughed quietly over how expensive they were. Unbeknownst to me, she told my hubby about them and he sent her back up the next week to get them for my birthday (which is this coming Sunday, hint, hint). I still love them.

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  37. It’s sunny here today. I’m experiencing rain withdrawal. 😦 Sure hope we get more soon …

    At least we can see some snow on our mountains in the distance now.

    I’m off this morning for a long overdue haircut.

    Today feels like Saturday to me, this stay-cation has gone very slowly, especially considering I had to work a couple days.

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  38. my hp laptop battery is no longer charging. I have it plugged in, but will need to get a new one. Do I just put it on my Christmas list? or where do I go?

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  39. Chas said, “Jo…may not know which day it is now.”

    That reminds me of when I used to watch MTV in its early days. They advertised their MTV calendar, saying, “Get your MTV calendar, cuz sooner or later you’re gonna wanna know what day it is.”

    Maybe we can all pitch in and get Jo an MTV calendar? 😉

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  41. On the earring question….

    Crazy glue.

    Just make sure you really like them, ‘cuz they’ll be in awhile. 🙂

    If you plan on changing them more often, go with scotch tape. Just do the whole earlobe, it’s OK, it’s transparent. 😆

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  42. Thanks for the earrings answers.

    I just realized I’m not awake enough to be the only person awake in this house, so I think it’s naptime!

    Hubby and I and older daughter went to see Hobbit #3. We almost didn’t want to; number two was so bad. But this one was actually quite good, probably the best of the three. (Too many battle scenes for my own preference, but that’s true to the book.)

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  43. Jo- It may be cheaper just to get a new laptop. But try Best Buy or Amazon. Better yet, find a small, locally owned computer store, as those guys often know a lot more than the big box clerks.

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  44. I’ll bet you figured that when you started the earrings bit, you wouldn’t get anything from Chas.. Kinda like shoes, huh?
    Well, here goes:
    Elvera always had screw on earrings. We were married over five years before she had her ears pierced. Thing was, she only used cheap screw on earrings because that’s all she/we could afford for a long time. Then, I needed to buy her something for presents. Jewelry is the thing of choice. But I don’t buy jewelry from K-Mart. We were married about 8-9 years when she had them pierced. She still doesn’t have real expensive jewelry. But it isn’t K-Mart stuff either.

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  45. Just finished a little catnap myself. (Is there such a thing as a big catnap?) I was curled up on the love seat, reading a church library book, when I got really tired, so I finished the chapter, closed my eyes, and nodded off.

    I don’t get tired reading online, but I do reading a print copy I’m holding in my hands. Not sure why that is, but it is what it is, I guess.

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  47. I was required to take Physics in high school and used to fall asleep every single time I attempted to read the text. It made studying extremely difficult…I’m sure the only reason I passed that class was b/c the teacher curved our grades…I never understood any of it.

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  48. I have a pair of gold and diamond “huggies”. They were my tenth anniversary present. I bought them and sent the bill to husband’s office. That’s the thing about living in a small town–with a signature I can walk out of the jewelry store with just about anything I want. Trouble is the statement arrives and you have to make payment.
    Anyway, I wear the huggies almost every day so when I divide out how much they cost over 14 years they really were a bargain. See? That’s “wife math”. Ocassionally I will wear either a pair of pearls that College Boyfriend gave me or a pair that Mr. P gave me. I don’t often wear “fashion” jewelry, although last night I wore an antique pair of rhinestone clip-ons that my stepmother gave me. I really am a low-maintenance woman.

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  49. My tastes in jewelry are fairly cheap. 🙂

    Sterling silver is as fancy as I get, and these days usually it’s more like titanium or pewter.

    Cheap, cheap, cheap.

    6 Arrows, it may have something to do with the backlight on electronic devices? I always get sleepy reading a real book, too, but at least not AS sleepy reading on a tablet. And watching TV keeps me wide awake.

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  50. Donna, I was thinking something like that, too. It seems screens give me some sort of “buzz” that acts like a stimulant. And maybe just sitting and reading an ordinary book causes tiredness because I’ve stopped moving around from place to place like I do a lot of the day.

    Just finished singing a duet with 3rd Arrow as she played “Oh Holy Night” on the piano. She sang soprano and I alto. I loved doing that!

    Minnesota Public Radio is doing its first ever Christmas Carol Countdown right now. If you want to sing along, it just started now and can be found here:

    http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2014/12/19/the-great-minnesota-caroltogether

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  53. Michelle, I’m an “autumn”, and gold is one of my “colors”, so they recommend gold accessories, too, rather than silver. The book “Color Me Beautiful,” which helped me identify my autumn palette, also says that autumns shouldn’t let their hair go gray.

    Baloney, I say! I’m going to let my hair do whatever it wants to do, and I’ll just continue to wear whatever color of jewelry I want. 😉

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  54. BTW, Michelle, regarding your recent recommendation to me about writing a spiritual memoir for myself that I can go back to to review God’s faithfulness along the journey of life — well, I started thinking more about that today, and googled “writing a spiritual memoir.”

    After clicking on a couple links, which didn’t yield information of the sort I was looking for, I found another link that sounded good. I read the page, enjoyed it, then read the comment section and found you there. 😉

    For those interested: http://www.pressingsave.com/writing-spiritual-memoir/

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  57. I don’t have any expensive jewelry. I use to wish I had more, but at my age I don’t feel much need for it. It would have been nice when I was younger and dressing up more for work and occasions. Now it would just be something extra to be concerned with.

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  61. Are you feeling better Peter?

    I’m also an autumn (I think), have always had red hair, but it’s toned down significantly with the years — I still don’t have much gray, though, so haven’t begun coloring it (though I suspect I will!).

    Got a long overdue bob-like haircut today, it feels and looks SO much better & cuter. It has some body & swing again! My hair does grow fast. It hasn’t been all that long since I was in for a cut …

    I used to like gold jewelry in my teens and early 20s, but being more of a casual, “western” person in terms of style, I concluded at some point that silver really worked better for me and that’s what I’ve worn ever since. Plus it’s cheaper. And I really like it better than gold.

    Like Janice, I see so many things now (jewelry, clothes, even shoes/boots) that I would have loved as a young person, but now? Meh. It’s kind of nice, really.

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  63. Donna- Yes. I don’t get sick often, but when I do it’s intense but short-lived. I think this was my second or third sick day, other than for a minor surgery, in 11 years.

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  64. Just got an email from ywam with this info:
    The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will release a new documentary film on Dec. 25 called Louis Zamperini: Captured by Grace. Zamperini is also the subject of Universal Pictures’ Unbroken, the movie based on the best-selling book of the same name by Laura Hillenbrand.

    Captured by Grace is a compelling, documentary-style film that chronicles Zamperini’s remarkable journey — from Olympic runner to WWII prisoner of war — all the way to his return home and encounter with Jesus Christ at a Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles in 1949. The film includes recent interview footage of Zamperini sharing his complete story in his own words.

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  65. Kim, my low maintenance is on a different scale.
    no makeup, no jewelry, no color!
    I think I have some jewelry here somewhere, so maybe I’ll find it and accessorize!
    I am so looking forward to going in for a cut and perm next week. Then I will be ready to visit. Went and got all my things today. Didn’t know that I had so many clothes stored. The one I am looking forward to the most is my long, cuddly, polar fleece robe. This house tends to be cold as it is old and has single pane windows.

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  67. We will imagine you with a perm, Jo. 😉

    I don’t do makeup or color, either, and jewelry not often — just when I remember and feel like wearing it. Not all that much, really.

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  69. Friday evening and I’m finally settling in…..town was crazy today but all my shopping is done…and I brought Chinese food home for dinner…time for a nap
    I use the rubber backs for my earrings Cheryl…and Donna is right…you can get them at Hobby Lobby…they stay snug on a post or a wire
    Jo is definitely a kindred spirit…pie for breakfast…and don’t forget the cream in frozen form…as in vanilla ice cream…you have your fruit group, milk group, bread group…it’s healthy I tell you!! (and if you put walnuts on top, you have included your meat group…protein!)

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  70. I am what is known as a late Summer. That means I stumped the color analyst until I told her as a child I was a blonde. When I was younger I looked better in pastels. Now I need a deeper color. I have swung between gold and silver. Since Mr. P’s mother’s wedding rings were in gold I have switched back. I have a “Tin Cup” necklace that is in gold and I have another that is similar in silver. Solution? I wear them both at the same time.

    All this talk about what you would have appreciated as a younger woman reminded me of my maternal grandmother. She always said not to send flowers to her funeral. When she was young and pretty she wanted them but when she was old and dead she wouldn’t care.

    My solution to having more children than bedrooms? Middle Son went to Pensacola to be with friends. Baby Girl wanted to spend the night with a friend. It’s just the Dad and me.

    MUMSEE We gave away money today at work to 4 charities. Three of them deal with boys, girls and girls who come from a bad situation. Tomorrow I will write out all I heard and learned from listening to the people who came to lunch. Interesting information to share.

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  71. The difference between Mothers and Fathers: BG is spending the night with a friend. I have called her dad and her Nana to let them know she is not with me.
    Middle Son went to Pensacola to catch up with friends. His dad told him when he left, “Don’t call me tonight unless you are in the hospital!”

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  72. Very, very iffy internet this week.

    I posted (or tried to) earlier thanking people for the earring comments. I personally have no interest in earrings–partly because whenever I considered getting my ears pierced, I realized the earrings I like were always expensive! As a Scottish gal I was happy enough to save money and leave my ears unpierced. I only want real gold or silver (preferably gold) and genuine stones. My sister had some reactions to earrings early on, so I’ve been careful about the genuine stuff. I’d rather have fewer pairs and have them be decently good.

    In Chicago I knew nobody, literally nobody, within five years of my age with unpierced ears. But with my hairstyles my ears never showed and I didn’t want the hassle or expense. It took a man to get me to pierce my ears . . . but he’s worth it!

    We went to see the Hobbit #3 this afternoon. We were hesitant since #2 was so bad. But this one was actually quite good. Too many battle scenes for my own taste, but that is necessary to the story line, and it was well made.

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  75. Oh, for those moaning about not having gotten out all of their Christmas cards yet . . . I am hoping to complete my Christmas letter tomorrow and print out the copies for my church friends, and then get other copies in the mail Monday. I’m not exactly “on top of it” this year. Also hoping to wrap Christmas gifts in the morning.

    I did get a package mailed to my sister and family earlier this week, and the tree finally got decorated.

    Really, the most important thing is being able to see family or other loved ones, and we get to do that. Though I do like keeping in touch with non-local family and friends, too.

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  77. I called my dad tonight to wish him a happy birthday. We had a nice talk, as usual, and he’s looking forward to our family Christmas gathering a week from tomorrow.

    A typical conversation with him will include talk about the weather, as he is a farmer, and tonight’s conversation was no different. He was talking about all the lack of sunshine lately, too, as I (and a lot of people in this general area) have been doing. He said the weatherman reported that the last time the sun was seen in this area was December 7.

    I believe it. That 10 minutes or so of sunshine I saw today was a blessing. The long-range forecast, though, doesn’t show any mostly sunny days until December 28. 😦

    I hope that’s wrong — 3 weeks of almost no sunshine is hard for me. Prayers welcome, anyone who would like to.

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  79. Peter, it looks like you got edged out of your number twice. 57 was 58 and 75 was 76. You’ll have to take that up with Janice and Cheryl. 😉

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  83. It’s just these faster, younger folk getting in my place, I guess. If this is #62, I’ll be satisfied, since that’s the year I got married.

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  89. I’m thinking that my goal for the morning will be to attempt to unpack my suitcase and maybe move the bags of clothes off the kitchen floor.
    Then it is on to a matinee of Nutcracker to watch adorable granddaughter in the party scene.
    Oh, need to visit the bank, turns out I brought home an old debit card and it doesn’t work.

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  90. I took too long a nap this afternoon and now I’m back up because I can’t sleep. It doesn’t look like I missed anything important. 🙂 (Maybe I can knock Peter down again, though. He needs that, without teenagers to do it for him over break.)

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  91. Okay. On the advice of a mother of 6, and the precedence of the keeper of the nest, I will now claim this 91st post to be 100!

    And Cheryl- I’ll have grandchildren to knock me down in a few days.

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