Going Home On New Year's Eve - I Remember I Remember

Yesterday as I was thinking

about the New Year I found

my mind wandering back to

the place where I was born

and raised,

Bradford County, PA.

I don't have many pictures

of my time there

but I came across some

photos that stopped me in my 

tracks.

Someone working for Google Earth

took stunning photos from our

farm setting and they are posted

for the world to see.

This is taken right in front of

our house- headed North.

Our farm house would have

set to the left about 100'

from the road.
You can see the shed my 
father and neighbor built
in the 50's on the right-hand
side of the road.
I remember playing with the
cut off pieces of wood and
sifting the sawdust through
my fingers.

I walked that road many a thousand  

and one times.

I remember when my father planted

the elm trees on the left and

they were just saplings.

My brother still owns part

of the old farm property.

From our kitchen window this 

is what we saw....

Our Lady of Perpetual Help-

the graveyard I wandered in

just across the road to the right.

To the far left and just out of sight

you can see the mountains and there

are seven counties visible on a clear day.

There used to be fences on both sides

of the road and the cows would be

pastured on the left side....

another road I walked thousands of

times as a child...one I only walk

in my memory today.

The old church is beautiful.

It's a replica of a larger European church.

I didn't go there because we were not

Catholic-but several members of the

families attended mass there.

I have many relatives buried in the

grave yard to the right.

You can never really go home again,

can you?

Yet, I do....in my dreams...

I remember the smell of ham in the

oven on a Sunday morning and

fresh baked biscuits on the sideboard.

There was always a pie or two

for dessert and 

GINGERBREAD for my father.

Click above for Taste of Home Recipes.

I remember laughter and love,

 flowing free and easy 

and covering us like a warm blanket.

But....there were also some sad times,

and trials and tribulations.

My parents have both

"gone home" now, 

leaving only my brother and I 

to relive the farm memories.

Leaving us to create our own memories

for the children that will follow us.

Someday they, too, will

"remember when"

and I hope their memories

are as happy as my own.

Happy New Year's Eve 

to all of you-

I hope you, too, can look

back and remember the 

good parts and that time has

dimmed whatever heartaches

and disappointments you have

encountered along life's path.

I wish you an Eve of 

Love and Sweet Memories.

ps.  I will  be back to my old
silly self tomorrow.

SweetCheeks Gets Ready For Something Special

Most of you know that

I live in Green Bay, WI.

We are famous for more

than cheese.

Yes-Indeedy.

Can  you guess what 

else we are famous for?

See if this gives you a hint.

SweetCheeks has 

invited a friend over.

Aren't they cute together?

SweetCheeks has her hair 

curled.

She is all smiles because she

is A FAN.

She's got her game-day

clothes on.
They start 'em early here!

So...what's it all about?

We are famous for being the

home of

The Green Bay Packers!

Ummmm..One daughter apparently

missed 

The Green And Gold memo.

I don't need  to tell her

because

I'm sure SweetCheeks

will correct her....

after all it IS her Mom!

And...as they say in 
Wisconsin-
GO PACK GO!

Oh Fudge! Peanut Butter Fudge

Do you have 

someone you need to pop in

and visit over the Holidays?

Do you need just a sweet little

something to give them?

This is 

THE EASIEST HOMEMADE

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

ever.

I wish I could tell you where

I got the recipe but I can't remember.

So...

You know those boxes that

Christmas cards come in?

Here's how to take the box below
and turn it into a special
gift.

Don't you hate to throw them away

because they have such pretty

"faces"?

They make wonderful little

Candy Boxes.

Open the box and line it with tin foil.

Butter the tin foil.

Then make this:

In pan over medium heat melt

2 sticks of butter

When melted stir in 

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy.

Like this.

Stir in one teaspoon REAL vanilla.

Add 2-3/4 cups CONFECTIONERY SUGAR

(not granulated)

(That old tin scoop belonged to my Mom-Good Housekeeping 1954)

I beat it quickly with a hand mixer

(it sets up fast) 

and then pour it into the 

buttered foil lined box.

Put it in the fridge to harden

and as soon as it sets up

lift it out and wrap it in 

parchment paper,

then wrap it with a piece

of ribbon and place it

back in the box.

 I pick up knives all year here and there
and include one in each box.

The fudge stays fresh 
until they cut it.

Put the lid on and it presents

like this when opened.

Recipe:

SMOOTH AND EASY

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

2 sticks butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3/4 cups confectionery sugar

In saucepan:

Melt butter

Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

Use hand mixer and quickly

mix sugar in. It sets up fast.

Place in tinfoil lined box and

set in fridge until hard.

This is the smoothest peanut

butter candy I have ever made.

This recipe makes two card boxes 

full OR 1 8x8 buttered pan.

It's quick, easy and just
a sweet little surprise.

Save a few pieces for your friends.

 Let them eat this while you sip

black coffee or diet Coke.

Remember...

The fatter THEY get the 

THINNER YOU LOOK

next to them!

Snips And Snaps Of Christmas At SweetCheeks House

It didn't matter WHAT

SweetCheeks got....

it was 

'ZACKLY what I wahnted.

Gotta love that attitude.

This is an

Exploding Pig Game.

No kidding.

Who knew Santa had that 

in his bag?

Before Gift Opening,

SweetCheeks' Mama

reads the story of the

Birth of Christ.

When it gets to the part

where the 

Three Wise Men bring 

gifts to Jesus,

she stops reading and the

kids look under the tree

to find the

THREE GIFTS

that Santa left for them.

Kind of a nice tie in, huh?
Then they come back and
sit and listen to the rest
of the story before
opening their gifts.

Here they are listening to

the Nativity Story.

Santa bring them each 3 things off

the list they have given him.

It can be as small as a pair

of ballet slippers or as

big as an electronic tablet.

Here are a few expressions

on family faces.......

Ria is all about Justin Bieber.

Santa brought him for a visit.

And he brought Ria a

Justin Bieber Tour Bus.

Lulu was happy with her new 

mini laptop and her boots

and her electronic Uno game.

The little boys were so cute.

They were so excited.

No matter what BigBoyE got

it was PURRFECKT!
We loved his gator STOMPERS.

SweetCheeks was her

usual sweet self.

She loved her big bear

and shared him with Cousin Charlie.

Snippets and Smiles

AND THESE TWO HUSSIES

that stayed up half the night

getting things ready

showed up in matching pj's.

Wondering what THEIR contribution

was to the day, are you?

Well.....

They gave us that whole bunch

of kiddos you see above.

Doesn't get much better than that.

That's it, folks.

No more Christmas posts for me.

You'll have to come back

to see what I'm stirring up tonight.

Please Pray For Rebecca From The Gathering Place & Two Prayer Updates

Tomorrow my friend,

Rebecca @ A Gathering Place

is having

surgery.

 If you want

to pop over and wish her

well-The link is here.

She has a gorgeous blog 

as you will see when you go 

visit her.

She is as beautiful inside

as she is on the outside.

Her surgery is being done on

both of her hands.

She will not be able to do

anything for several weeks.

The worst part is her hands

are her livelihood.

She paints and sews and does

all kinds of handiwork,

and she blogs.

She has a gorgeous blog,
but I think I said that before!;>)

This is going to be hard,

very hard for her.

It is causing her to re-examine

what she wants to do..

pray for her-for her surgery

and for her peace-of-mind.

Updates:

Prayers Are Answered!

Tori- the little girl

that had her leg amputated-

as of now-

is cancer free!

Thank you, Lord!
Click on her picture to read
her story

This one is a REAL MIRACLE

Jessica-cancer free now-

beating a cancer that does 

not easily respond to treatment.
Click on her picture to
read her story.

Thank you, Lord!

What a great Christmas present!

Blessings to all of you-

Thank you ALL so much

for your faithfulness!

WHO LISTENS TO NANA? SweetCheeks & The Elf

Look how cute!

IT'S AN ELF COOKIE 

Hmmm..

SweetCheeks sure likes her

ELF COOKIE!

Don't eat your elf cookie

until after lunch,

SweetCheeks.

I Wohn't , Nana.

I'm just gonna hold him.

See?

I'm gonna sit by

the fire with him, Nana.

Okay- But 

DON'T EAT HIM

until after lunch.

I WOHN'T, NANA!

SweetCheeks!

OH-KAY!  I sed I wohn't

eat him yet!

See he stihll has plastick wrap

on him!

Well, lunch is almost ready.

 Just a couple more minutes.

Put him on a plate and

wait until you are done eating.

A couple of minutes later.

Lunch is ready, SweetCheeks.

Ummmmm.....

WHAT HAPPENED HERE?

Well, I puht him on the plahte
BUT
I guess I didn't listen very good!

You think????

I see your ELF FRIEND can't

listen very good either

seeing as he.

only has one ear left.

I Hope Your Life Is Full Of Light-A Christmas Poem By Me!

 I hope your home is warm and bright,

I hope your life is full of light,

I pray that evening finds you near

to everything that you hold dear.

God Bless You All

This Christmas Eve..

And keep you safe.

for I believe..

that we have met here for a reason,

More than just the Christmas season.

Perhaps to share some stolen smiles,

Perhaps to connect us o'er the miles,

Whatever the reason,

I'm glad to see..

There's someone else

a lot like me.

So, here we are,

a fine old blend,

of Moms and Artists

and One Old Hen (me);>)

Merry, Merry Christmas

to all my wonderful

friends~

© Nana Diana 2011

Comments are off.
I will be gone
Christmas Day but I will
be back Wednesday.

Wrap Last Minute Christmas Socks Or Mittens

I posted this before

but I love it-so here it is again!

You know how there

are mundane things like

SOCKS

to wrap sometimes?

And sometimes

you just don't want to

stick them in box

with a bow on it.

Right?

Look! Here's a peek!

Well, peeps,

Here we go~

First you must get a sock..

well, make it a pair because

one sock won't work for

MOST people.

How about something like

these-

Cute, huh?

Then you must find some of

those short peppermint sticks.

Next you must let the
peppermint stick

SNEAK UP ON

the SOCK!

Before you can say

Alla-ka-zam-whoheebobster-
-helloworld-

that peppermint stick

has jumped into the sock

and worked its way down

into the toe.

Can you see it there?

I've pinched it to make it stay

and now I am gonna roll

that little sucker up

into what I like to call

THE SOCK ROLL.

Well, GREAT, we gotta

SOCK ROLL

and what the heck do 
we do with that?

Welllllll....

There's another kinda roll

lying around my house

cuz I've been saving them.

Used toilet paper rolls.

No..No..Not used toilet paper..

Used up empty rolls.

They look like this when they are naked.

Don't worry about that little bit of

white tissue left-you won't see it soon.

Find some foil based wrapping paper.

Foil works best because you can

bend the edges down and you

don't have to glue/tape it

lest you want to.

Wrap that foil paper around

that roll leaving about 1/3"

extending over each end.

Simply bend the paper down

so that it overlaps the edge of the roll.

You will not see this when it is

done but you can glue/tape if if you like.

Then..

Sneak up on those socks and

stuff them in the roll.

A roll in a roll.

I'm just keeping myself rolling here!;>)

Remember you won't see this at the end.

Then, take some sweet tissue paper

and cut an 18" x 18" piece~

or thereabouts.

Starting at one end,

roll that baby up and then

twist the ends so that it

looks like a big old fat

piece of taffy.

Laffy Taffy!

Now is that cute, or what?

I only need to tie a bit of ribbon

around the twist and I'm done.

And, when it's unwrapped

they will see the shiny foil roll

and NOT this..

Cuz the only place we

REALLY want to see THAT

is you know where!

Fresh outta toilet paper

rolls?

Hurry!  You still have time

to pick up some of this!

Then you, too, can have

a very 

Merry Christmess Eve.

God bless you-

I hope I made you

smile but I also want

you to know that I 

hold this 

Holy Night sacred.

Christmas Blessings and Love

to each and every

one of you.