64 thoughts on “Our Daily Thread 12-6-16”

  2. They used to pring “19 shopping days ’till Christmas” in the papers.]
    They did that because stores weren’t open on Sunday.
    Stores are always open now, but I suspect total sales are about the same.

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  6. Advent – Day 6: This hymn is coming up on its 300th anniversary soon. It was first published in 1719 by Isaac Watts, who was a minister in Non-Conformist church, in his ‘Psalms of David Imitated’ and is a paraphrase of Psalm 98. Watts wrote over 800 hymns, including ‘When I survey the wondrous cross’ and ‘Come we that love the Lord’, but this is probably his most famous.

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  8. Good morning, although quite rainy, from Atlanta.

    Now the yard is covered with soggy wet leaves. It took the forceful rains to get all the leaves off the trees. Now I have a big heavy load to deal with when I get to it. I also have not put decorations on my barberry because of the rains. I did find some nicely painted red and white oversized metal jingle bells to add to my outdoor ornament display. Their sales boxes had them labeled as gift package ornaments.

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  9. Chas, when we walked through HEB grocery store in Texas before Thanksgiving, in their garden center area, we heard Christmas carols.

    Also, on our trip, when we stopped at Chick-fil-A, we heard instrumental Christian music.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. It used to be that retail (shopping malls, etc) were open from 12 to 6 pm on Sundays. That was the highest volume per hour. Not even Saturday could match Sunday’s numbers. I have done my time in retail h3((. I do not like to shop. I tell Mr. P all the time how lucky he is to have a wife who doesn’t like to shop. I love Christmas music and would have to say that one of my all time favorite songs is Silent Night.

    I also like fun Christmas songs too….

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  12. And then because I love this poem and always read it to children before Christmas.

    Jest ‘Fore Christmas
    by Eugene Field (1850-1895)

    Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,
    Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill!
    Mighty glad I ain’t a girl—ruther be a boy,
    Without them sashes, curls, an’ things that ‘s worn by Fauntleroy!
    Love to chawnk green apples an’ go swimmin’ in the lake—
    Hate to take the castor-ile they give for bellyache!
    ‘Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain’t no flies on me,
    But jest ‘fore Christmas I ‘m as good as I kin be!

    Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat;
    First thing she knows she does n’t know where she is at!
    Got a clipper sled, an’ when us kids goes out to slide,
    ‘Long comes the grocery cart, an’ we all hook a ride!
    But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an’ cross,
    He reaches at us with his whip, an’ larrups up his hoss,
    An’ then I laff an’ holler, “Oh, ye never teched me!”
    But jest ‘fore Christmas I ‘m as good as I kin be!

    Gran’ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man,
    I ‘ll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan,
    As was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon’s Isle,
    Where every prospeck pleases, an’ only man is vile!
    But gran’ma she has never been to see a Wild West show,
    Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she ‘d know
    That Buff’lo Bill an’ cowboys is good enough for me!
    Excep’ jest ‘fore Christmas, when I ‘m good as I kin be!

    And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemnlike an’ still,
    His eyes they seem a-sayin’: “What’s the matter, little Bill?”
    The old cat sneaks down off her perch an’ wonders what’s become
    Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum!
    But I am so perlite an’ tend so earnestly to biz,
    That mother says to father: “How improved our Willie is!”
    But father, havin’ been a boy hisself, suspicions me
    When, jest ‘fore Christmas, I ‘m as good as I kin be!

    For Christmas, with its lots an’ lots of candies, cakes, an’ toys,
    Was made, they say, for proper kids an’ not for naughty boys;
    So wash yer face an’ bresh yer hair, an’ mind yer p’s and q’s,
    An’ don’t bust out yer pantaloons, and don’t wear out yer shoes;
    Say “Yessum” to the ladies, and “Yessur” to the men,
    An’ when they ‘s company, don’t pass yer plate for pie again;
    But, thinkin’ of the things yer ‘d like to see upon that tree,
    Jest ‘fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!

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  13. When I tuck them in at night, it’s
    I love you, good night, say good night to Jesus, don’t bite the bedbugs, see you tomorrow, sweet dreams….

    Liked by 6 people

  14. Why would anybody want Jingle Bell Rock for a ring tone? My phone just tells me who is calling. Either my husband (twice a day), my son (maybe twice a week), or my neighbor (maybe every two months). I don’t know why it does that but I like it that way.

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  15. Good night, sleep tight,
    Don’t let the bedbugs bite,
    Wake up bright
    In the morning light
    To do what’s right
    With all your might.

    Alternate ending:
    …but if they do
    Beat ’em with a shoe
    ‘Til they’re black and blue

    (probably not a good ending for Mumsee’s children but that is the way I learned it.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. I had a restless night — I slept well but somehow the flannel sheet and comforter wound up in a twisted ball that I couldn’t quite get all the way under completely when I’d change positions. very frustrating but I wasn’t about to turn on the light and remake the bed for fear I’d not get back to sleep.

    I’ve had my morning trickle-hot shower and hair wash, waiting this morning for the roofers to come collect what I owe them for swapping out those cast iron tubs. I always feel like they’re under charging me so I’ll add some to whatever they ask for. No word yet on whether any of the other work can get done next week while I’m off. But I am trying to arrange a day for the other plumber to come over to deal with the little partial bath, swapping out the vanities and fixing the leaky pipe. Might not happen until next week at this stage (unless I can figure out a story or two that I can work on from home one day this week, which might be possible).

    I’m going to follow up today on the people without gas service, see if that really did get resolved — could be a story after all. I have no idea of this is an anomaly (the long wait for gas service) but the spokeswoman from the Gas Co did tell me yesterday they are backed up right now with the heavy seasonal demands.

    I love Joy to the World 🙂

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  18. I never heard the rest of the poem after “don’t let the bedbugs bite.””
    I love Joy to the World and all the real carols. I have learned to like White Christmas and Little Drummer (not a carol).

    Donna has me scared and all I want to do is replace the tub with a walk-in like I had in H’ville.

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  19. Meanwhile, there are 3 “light” / fun Christmas-theme stories I think I can spin out quickly this week that they can use whenever while I’m gone next week.

    And there’s a groundbreaking Thursday for a major port project I’ve been following.

    We were a little disappointed (but not surprised) to learn that last year’s big announcement that annual raises were returning — following a painful pay cut & nearly a decade of no raises after that — won’t be happening this year after all. But they did give us all a $5 latte gift card for Starbucks. 🙂 I’ll have to make a point of using that on the week I’m off or sometime before Christmas.

    I don’t usually go to Starbucks, I like coffee but am not a frequent coffee drinker.

    We spent a lot of money acquiring a large paper in OC — a great addition to the chain, but it’s been a little frustrating as they remain flush with a huge staff, lots of reporters and editors, while the rest of the LA papers are down to 4-5 reporters each, not enough to cover our respective territories. We were hoping they would spread the resources out so all the papers at least would have reasonably-sized staffs again.

    But all of that is (way) above my pay grade, hopefully people who know the company’s finances know what they’re doing …

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  21. I would have really loved to get a clawfoot cast iron tub for my vintage bathroom — I wouldn’t be surprised if that was what originally was in there when the house was built in ’23. My guess is that the smallish-cast iron alcove tub was put in around the same time the peach tiles appeared 🙂 (mid-century, 50s-60s?).

    But those tubs are pricey & it would have required more work on the flooring, more tile … Plus they’re not all that accessible and since I am getting older. … I had one of those clawfoot tubs in a 1920s apartment I rented in the late 1980s and even then found it tricky to get into and out of, they’re a pretty high step (and I’m not tall).

    But they sure look both cute and beautiful to me. I guess I just love old stuff. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

  22. Recently noticed the “bed bug safe” or some such on mattress pads. Made me shudder; never saw those locally before. 😦

    My mom and dad used that saying at bedtime. Once in awhile my dad would sing, “Hit the road, Jack—with some variations of the real song. My dad was one to sing all day long, but had no actual music training. He was a great dancer, too, so must have had it in him.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. So that I can fit right in with the conversations around here, this was posted on the Southern York County Facebook site this morning (Shrewsbury is the next town to the west of us): “FYI!! Shrewsbury residents. I live on south main street. 3 of the last 4 nights a larger wild animal was out and about. Last night My dog (65 lb lab mix) was let out about 11 pm for his last potty break. Minutes later I heard him barking like crazy at the end of our fenced yard. I called him in but he wouldn’t return. I walked to the end of the yard with a spotlight. As I got closer I caught a glimpse of FYI!! Shrewsbury residents. I live on south main street. 3 of the last 4 nights a larger wild animal was out and about. Last night My dog (65 lb lab mix) was let out about 11 pm for his last potty break. Minutes later I heard him barking like crazy at the end of our fenced yard. I called him in but he wouldn’t return. I walked to the end of the yard with a spotlight. As I got closer I caught a glimpse of possibly a coyote on Sunset drive by the large field. He was 10 -15 feet away on the other side of the fence. The animal had no fear of my dog. He almost casually wandered into the field. I didn’t get a picture but he was bigger than my dog.
    This probably explains why my dog was going crazy a couple of nights earlier. Neighbors beware especially if you have smaller pets outside POSSIBLY A COYOTE on Sunset drive by the large field. He was 10 -15 feet away on the other side of the fence. The animal had no fear of my dog. He almost casually wandered into the field. I didn’t get a picture but he was bigger than my dog.
    This probably explains why my dog was going crazy a couple of nights earlier. Neighbors beware especially if you have smaller pets outside.”

    Liked by 2 people

  24. I suspect he had a healthy fear of the dog, but coyotes are smart and they know that fences are for keeping dogs in the yard, not for keeping coyotes out of the yard.

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  25. But you repeat yourself 🙂 🙂

    I feel that fear, and some coyotes in the northeast are mating with wolves so there’s now something called a coy wolf.

    Our coyotes in the west are smaller but are definitely becoming bolder.

    One caution I’ve read is not to let your dogs “play” with coyotes — they apparently will playfully woo free roaming dogs along with them and right into the pack where they can become dinner for several.

    Smart and scary animals in some settings. I wish them no harm, they’re really quite fascinating in their ability to adapt to new environments, but it’s truly not a good idea for them to be living that closely with people & pets.

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  26. I annoy my children with songs throughout the day, but have no sense of music. They suffer in silence, though nine year old sings with me, We’re on Top of the World Looking Down on Creation when we get to the mailbox at the top of the hill. We do that very loudly. We don’t have many neighbors and none very close to the mailbox.

    Liked by 5 people

  27. The thought of bed bugs is somewhat terrifying to me — they apparently are nearly impossible to get rid of, even by professional exterminators.

    But my parents used to say “don’t let the bedbugs bite” too. Of course, no one had bed bugs anymore back then. But the critters apparently have made quite a comeback in recent years.

    Shudder.

    Liked by 2 people

  30. No, I don’t, but fifteen year old daughter wore a similar dress to church this past Sunday. She told me she wanted to make herself some dresses so asked her to draw something for me so I would know what to get for her. She is an excellent sketcher and she drew my wedding dress. So I gave that to her and the dress my mom made for me for my baptism. She wears them both to church though not at the same time. My wedding dress, of course, is not normal. Just something I found on a rack in a dept store that I liked. But it looks like that with more fabric over the chest. About the same color.

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  32. It’s a very pretty dress. I always feel a little sad when I see Karen Carpenter, though, knowing her (then) unseen battle with anorexia and thinking (??) she was somehow overweight.

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  35. Isn’t it interesting how God lays things on your heart, even when they don’t make sense. I’ve come to trust when I feel I need to do something, I need to work it now–even when it looks like I’ll have plenty of time in the future. I saw that so often writing the book–and I’m so glad I responded and pushed to get things done early.

    I kept mentally putting things into December, like doctor appointments and so forth hoping I had time in December–with all the other craziness–to get things done. Finished the book fine and on time, but now all these other things are waving and shouting and demanding and while not unexpected, not playing well with the other more important family matters that have loomed up and need my special attention.

    I thought I had three free days this week to get things done.

    Wrong.

    Who knows when I’ll get the Christmas cards, much less the presents, done?

    #First world problem.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Roofer paid for tub swap, but he would not give me a price, just says “whatever you want to give me.” I’m flying blind on a lot of this stuff as it is, but did look up the median prices paid for that kind of labor in my ZIP code — I tried to hit somewhere in the middle, but it was a huge range. I always feel like he under-charges when he does give me a price. Now I feel I should have given him more …

    Ugh.

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  37. Well, real estate pal says he thinks what I gave them “was fine,” so whew. But I’ll still try to give him extra next time he does something here, which hopefully is soon. Such nice people and good workers. They undervalue themselves.

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  38. I feel really inept socially in dealing with the open-payment approach, and the worker does, too, apparently (when it comes to setting his own price). We’re not a good pair to be trying to figure this out without some guidance!

    Liked by 1 person

  40. They did but they may have had to cut the old one up just to get it out of there, I doubt they were able to get it out in one piece. It’s a pretty wedged-in space. I wasn’t here when it was done, but that was the consensus going into the job as I recall.

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  41. My brother told me the only way we would ever get the tub out of one bathroom would be to take out the wall. Sadly, before it was even in place, somebody put the head of a hammer through it. Well, it was in place, just not enclosed. But I told him to patch it and not worry about it. Why would somebody put a hammer through a bath tub being installed? Some things I will probably never know the answer to. It looks ugly but it works and has for about seven years now.

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  42. Re pets inside fences and wild animals outside: In Nashville for a time a rabbit visited the edge of the yard next door, the other side of my driveway and just outside my neighbor’s privacy fence. Misten would bark and bark, distressed that the rabbit ignored her barking. Apparently it understood she could not get to it. So one day I opened the gate and let her out, so that the rabbit would stop annoying her (and me, and anyone else hearing her).

    She eagerly chased the critter, and I think that stopped the problem. I didn’t really want to let her loose and have to corral her again, but if it would solve the problem, it was the solution I needed. It had become annoying to have to collect her and bring her inside every time the rabbit showed up, and she was clearly stressed by its calm presence just ten feet or so away. It needed to be jolted out of its sense of safety. So, yes, if an animal as comparatively stupid as a rabbit can understand “the dog can’t get out of the fence, so I’m safe,” certainly one as smart as a coyote can.

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  43. Trying to find out if this happened recently (seems to have, says dog is still available for adoption). Wish they’d called us when they were doing all this!

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  44. Good night,
    Sleep tight,
    Don’t let the bed bugs bite.
    But if they do
    Squeeze them tight
    And they’ll be back
    Tomorrow night!

    That is the version of my childhood, passed down to me from previous generations. I read somewhere that the ‘sleep tight’ refers to the fact that before box springs or even metal bed springs, mattresses were held up by a network of ropes which needed to be kept taut. As for bed bug free, since I’m renting a furnished room, I made sure to buy a bed bug proof mattress cover.

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  45. Enjoyable music selections today. Thanks, everybody.

    4th Arrow (and I) enjoyed the WWI/tree article, Michelle. I read it first, and knew she would like to read it, too. She loves both history and taking long walks in the woods and other natural places, studying trees and plants and such. A good read, she remarked, and I agree.

    I spent a lot of time outside this morning. The beauty that surrounds me is stunning, even with all the leaves off the trees. More snow had fallen in the early morning hours, and after it had stopped, I went outside and brushed snow off two of the vehicles outside. The sun came out, but was muted slightly by filmy white clouds. The snow sticking to the empty branches of the trees on the hilltop behind our house seemed to glow, and far overhead, against blue sky to the northwest, a bald eagle circled.

    Hubby and two daughters, meanwhile, worked together on a construction project: making a new bird feeder to replace the old one that had endured the ravages of weather and raccoons over the years.

    New bird feeder is up and filled with black oil sunflower seed, and since we haven’t fed the birds in many months (after a bear was suspected by several in our neighborhood to be hanging around these parts), we are eagerly awaiting the birds’ discovery of food here again, now that raccoons and bears should be in hibernation. 🙂 I heard nuthatches in the woods this morning, and have seen juncos in our front yard recently, so perhaps one of those species will be the first to find the newly-replenished feeder in our backyard.

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  47. Whoops, I meant to say the feeders weren’t up for months BUT it didn’t take long at all for the birds to come back. I don’t think we’re getting as many overall as we’d had before, but within a couple of days we’d already had several species.

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  48. You know how you’ve all heard that millennials are more pro-life than their parents. Well, I just witnessed that in a discussion with several of my peers. I’m keeping a low profile as regards my convictions, less out of fear and more out of a sense that, like Esther, sometimes you should wait for the right moment to reveal your people. So, I nearly fell off my chair, when during a discussion on fetal development at 20 weeks, one of the very secular classmates sitting near me turned to another very secular classmate and said, “I can’t believe that they do abortions after 20 weeks” [N.B. the subject of abortion hadn’t been brought up] and the other student said, “Yeah, like in the U.S. they even do it in the third trimester.” The first student said, “I’ve heard of nurses having to watch the babies die…” The second student replied, “Yeah, like, to me that’s murder.” One of these students is about my age, the other about ten years younger. Opinions are changing.

    Liked by 7 people

  50. Roscuro I have been saying and saying that as medicine advances we will start seeing fewer and fewer abortions. Thanks for confirming my beliefs.

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  51. Anyone here have any knowledge of the Amazon Fire TV Sticks?
    Supposedly you you put it on your WiFi, plug it in to your TV and you can watch Netflix, Hulu, etc.
    What’s the catch? I am about to order one for The Man Who Has Everything (but this)

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  55. On the other end of the life spectrum, though, I just posted a link from Christianity Today about how opposition to assisted suicide is falling fast, even among Christians.

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  60. Hey MiM. Welcome back (though I still see you on FB of course)

    Question for you: Best kind of wood trim available today to use for windows?

    Thermally modified? Know anything about it?

    and what is “Tig” wood?

    Because it’s all about my house.

    Liked by 2 people

  62. I couldn’t figure it out when I googled it — it’s what the guy who gave me the estimate said he used when I asked what kind of wood he’d use for repairs/restoration. Maybe it was a typo and he spelled i wrong.

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  64. Kim, I have not used the Fire stick. Although I worked there, I don’t even own a Kindle. I still like the feel of real books in my hands. Prime is a good deal though. :–)

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