December 2024 This and That

Somehow I didn't finish a re-cap of events in December in time to post at the end of the year, so bear with me as I look back now.

POEM:

Early in December, my sister (who is an officer in The Salvation Army) requested I write up a poem for her to use for her 3rd Sunday in Advent when she would preach on the wise men and the shepherds seeking. Initially, it was merely a poem. But just before I sent it to her, my devotional mentioned the song, "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing." What good fortune! It fit the meter and rhythm perfectly. So, they sang my poem, "Longing for Christmas," to that tune on the 3rd Advent Sunday.

I posted the lyrics on Facebook. A friend who lives in another country took me to task, saying I only shared part of the story. This person argued the emphasis should not be on the birth, but always upon the death of Christ, because that provides atonement. They said the Bible doesn't emphasize Christ's birth or provide a date. While I agree that atonement only was possible because our Savior died on the cross, I celebrate His birth, because without it, we would still be in darkness (and indeed, it often feels as if we are still in darkness in the current state of this world). I will give this more thought (couldn't during preparations for Bryce and Elizabeth's Christmas visit). Perhaps I will add a fifth verse to emphasize the Light willingly entered darkness and separation from the Father on our behalf to reconcile us to God when we trust Him and accept His gift of salvation from sin (as purchased through His death on the cross).

PURCHASES

Our old navy couch set was becoming unbearable because the pressure of reclining had caused the foundation to sag. In 2023, a friend and her chiropractor husband visited. He couldn't even bear to sit in our loveseat. He jumped up and made an excuse to stand during the visit. Thus, on Black Friday, we snagged a holiday deal. I'm thinking now, the pressure for a snap decision, within the sale window, was detrimental. 

I went in with two options in mind, but neither were available to sit in and try out (no floor models for those less expensive sets, of course). The sales clerk led us to the pricier models and encouraged us to buy a set with power reclining (our previous was a manual recliner). When I sat on the loveseat of the one we settled on, I could not believe the softness of the fabric. It was a lighter color than I'd wanted and more expensive than I wanted. Still, the window was closing, and we needed to decide. Because of the extra expense, my husband vetoed the protection plan. I'm a catastrophizer. The whole drive home, I had images of the dog vomiting on the couch or someone spilling a drink on the loveseat. But what's done is done.

The set was due for delivery on Friday the 13th. Hmm. What a fright we received when only the couch arrived. I again jumped to worry, envisioning our holiday visit with only seating availability for 3 people. Thankfully, my husband called and arranged the loveseat delivery on the Thursday prior to Bryce and Elizabeth's arrival. Once both pieces were in place, we realized the set didn't blend well with our carpet. We ordered an area rug, but it did not arrive until after Bryce and Elizabeth returned to Dallas. I'd love to say I feel no regrets, but I'm not sold on this new arrangement. Since the couch is so tall, my feet cannot touch the ground when I sit on it. The power reclining requires longer to right itself than when you just pull a lever. The color is not what I had hoped for. Again, what's done is done, sadly.

PUZZLES

In December, with extra time out of school, Sean and Claire and I worked on two puzzles. The first was a 1000-piece one with cereal boxes. Claire has wicked puzzling skills! If I couldn't figure out where a piece belonged, I'd hand it to her and within seconds she'd be popping it into place.

Our second puzzle was 3-dimensional and more difficult (I hardly helped at all). Here's the box and the final product of the Harry Potter Knight Bus:

PRESENTS

I received some fun presents this year. My husband gave me 2 purple t-shirts with phrases about reading, a book about C.S. Lewis's brother Warnie, and gift cards to my favorite fast-food restaurants. Bryce and Elizabeth gave me a wedding memento mouse pad, and a beautiful framed family photo (plus some chocolate - yum). Sean gave me a Harry Potter puzzle, so I see more puzzling on the horizon, but maybe not until spring break. Claire gave me a Harry Potter Monopoly game, which we played one day during the break (Sean won, but we all had fun, I think).

PARTIES

After Christmas, I went to a birthday party at a tea shop about a half hour away. They offer a British high tea and other such options. How thrilling to get a scone with clotted cream. We all wore tiaras, which was fun!

PROJECTS

I have gone back and forth about a project for the year. It feels empty, not picking up the prayer project I tackled two years in a row. I decided against printing out the whole Bible. My wrists can barely manage my morning pages (daily free association writing/journaling I do after my devotions each morning). Perhaps I could type a Psalm a day. That idea falls flat for me, too. 

Another goal is to spend time in fasting and prayer for my sons. I am starting slow, with liquid fasting (allowing only liquids). Then, I plan to build into more complete food fasting, until I'm fasting one day a week for the whole day. Again, I'm not sure I have the discipline and fortitude to see it through, but I hold the goal, nonetheless. Nothing is more important than lifting my children to the Lord.

I guess my primary goal is to purge excess junk throughout the year. I started off the first 3 days well and then fell off the wagon, forgetting to find 10 to 20 items to purge. On day 6, I managed my goal, only because I purged items as I put away the Christmas decorations. This is why a plan with structure is so important. I am trying to note how many items each day, so perhaps that will help me maintain the momentum.

How about you? Favorite presents? Puzzle exploits? Writing accomplishments? Goals or projects for 2025? I'd love to hear them. It might jumpstart my discipline and commitment.

2021 - Gifts for Me Beneath My Tree

I received so many lovely gifts this Christmas. Thought I'd share them with my book and/or Britain-loving readers:

This lovely tissue box holder - from my sister, Dawn. An excellent addition to my book room.

Don't know where I'll hang this gift from my husband. Book room? Devotional desk downstairs? Although it would change the rhythm of the caption, this year I hope to bump the first word to the last word and, in order of importance, pray, then read, then eat.

Bryce bought me these books by Andrew Peterson. I so enjoyed Adorning the Dark (borrowed it from a mega-church library nearby) that I asked for my own copy. He obliged and also purchased the newest book by Peterson, The God of the Garden. I'm looking forward to another inspiring read about creating for God's kingdom.

Love this Writer's Block pencil holder from John!

John also recognizes my love of London - 😁

I can't wait to work that puzzle and use a recent $5 acquisition - this lovely end table with removable trays, where I intend to store the categories of shaded puzzle pieces. I also found that delightful White Mountain cereal puzzle at a garage sale for only $3. Score!

Blessed beyond measure!

Biding Our Time

We are, predictably, spending our pandemic-prompted-down-time in the following ways:

Baking:

I have made six or seven batches of bread. I'm not an outstanding bread baker and shy away from yeast breads (too difficult for this non-cook), but this recipe from Celebrating Sweets for Honey Oat Quick Bread solved a few dilemmas (solidifying honey and soon-to-be-outdated flour):

Plus, Trevor is on a cookie baking binge - we've made chocolate chip cookies, chocolate white-chocolate chip cookies, funfetti cookies, and sugar cookies, plus several batches of buttercream icing. Needless to say, we are also

Eating:

Good Lord, it seems like every time I turn around someone is wanting something to eat again (given the late hours of the boys, it is like running two different schedules of meals, so I think I prepare food and clean the kitchen about six times a day, seriously!). Food bills climb and waistlines expand. I am sad to say, almost all the weight I lost doing the time-restricted ketogenic plan has managed to find its way back to my mid-section. Groan. For the life of me, I cannot stay away from the fridge or all those baked goods we keep making. I tell myself I'll go back on the diet, but every day I put it off one more day.

Puzzling:

I've seen several families post photos of their puzzle adventures on Facebook and we are well behind the curve (indeed, saw images of some 40,000 piece Disney puzzle - insane). I like to choose puzzles with lots of different colors and patterns (i.e., easier!). I enjoyed this doors puzzle:

But, this White Mountain 1000 piece book covers puzzle was my all-time favorite - such fun!

Zooming:

Can I tell you how much I hate Zoom? I loathe it. You either get two extremes - nobody talks or several begin speaking at the same time and then you're scrambling to see who will take the floor. The connections feel artificial. Conversation feels forced. I have yet to find a location in my home that has a decent background (yes, I know you can add artificial backgrounds) with adequate lighting and little foot traffic. But, for now, I continue to attend my weekly Bible study group gathering (thankfully, we only have a few more sessions and then I may swear off Zoom altogether).

I thought, perhaps, it was a matter of limited connection.You know, if I zoomed with my family - people I share more intimate connections with - would it flow better? Well, nobody in my family suggested a zoom meeting for Easter, but I recently saw an invitation from some old Salvation Army friends. Even though it had been years since I'd been in contact with the initiators of this group, I had high hopes. Sadly, only twelve individuals participated and I only knew 5 well, 2 peripherally, and the rest not at all. I was trying to figure out if we were mostly officer's kids, but don't know for sure.

While it was better than the Bible study sessions, I still don't think I'll join in if they schedule a second session of the get-together. I'll just be happy when we can go back to regular group gatherings and not the artificial, technological gatherings of Zoom.

What I have NOT been doing - cleaning or writing. Nothing will ever induce me to seek cleaning as a past-time, ha! (My poor husband breathes a sigh of frustration - all this time on my hands and no motivation to Marie Kondo our house or scrub our floors - ha!) Besides my morning pages, I cannot focus or concentrate on any writing. My mind is too cluttered with daily doses of depressing news (my cousin, a professor in Massachusetts, posted that his university is considering holding off on the resume button until January of 2021 and if they do, will others follow suit?; CBLI has been cancelled for 2020 - sob; options for a 30-year-anniversary trip dwindle daily - we weren't planning anything major, but perhaps a getaway to Mackinac Island; and they have begun work on the new development of homes coming to the field across from our meadow).

Out with the Old; In with the New

I recently bid adieu to a long-standing, reliable washer-dryer set. They don't make appliances sturdy any more. Indeed, I believe they intentionally make them in such a way that they will wear out quickly and require a further purchase. This Kenmore set was in the house when we arrived 13-1/3 years ago (and probably served for two decades):

As with almost everything in this old house, when the delivery men came to replace the set with the Lowe's Black Friday special we snagged over the Thanksgiving weekend, they could not attach the washer because the pipe valves were corroded from gradual leaking (yippee). Thus, we had to wait until a plumber could come (scheduled for the next day, but then postponed because of his busy schedule to the following Monday - groan).

We should have asked the plumber to install the new washer while he was here and the service call was covered (or at least reconnect the old one). Instead, we did as told and called Lowe's back to get back on another installation schedule. They couldn't come until Sunday (at which point, I'd been without a washer for ten days).

Frustration upon frustration. The cold water wash provided hot water. I thought perhaps we could remedy this temporarily by running a hot water wash, assuming if the pipes were wrongly connected, the hot wash would provide cold water - but I was WRONG. The hot water wash produced warm water. Try as I might, I could do nothing to make the machine run cold. Of course, Bryce was here and had brought three weeks worth of laundry. The machines (be it the washer or the dryer, I don't know) snagged his nice white sheet set in numerous spots:

I was mortified to have ruined his nice things. I should have experimented first on our own sheets and clothes, but he was wanting his to be ready for when he returned home on Christmas afternoon. What's more, the machine is so loud and it takes an hour+ to cycle through the wash load! Why, oh why, did I get rid of the old machines? While I'm grateful for a washer that will not smear random clothes with small rust marks and a dryer that will not run too hot, I don't like the new ones (well, the washer anyway). Am pretty sure this is another large-expense mistake (like the almost $2000 horrid stiff mattress we snagged for only $1300 back in 2011, but then couldn't return unless we shelled out another $600 to upgrade).

We had planned to have our water heater drained in January anyway, so we had that plumber switch the hoses and now I finally have cold water for a cold water wash. I only use warm/hot for whites, but had to use warm on everything until the issue was finally resolved. (Indeed, I hand-washed Trevor's new bright red McDonald's work t-shirt and even in the cold basin water, the colors ran, so I am relieved I didn't throw it in with everything else in the WARM wash.) Wondering if these machines will serve me well for a decade (if we remain in this house that long), but only hold out hope for about half that time. New is not always better, even when necessary.

Then, Sean received a new Iphone XR for his birthday and wanted an AT&T plan (instead of the Walmart plan he was on), so I took on his old Iphone 6 and plan and have been adjusting to the new phone and new number, as well. I even checked out a book from the library - I-phones for Dummies.

Several months ago, I purchased a used desk (bedecked with a book pattern) that closes up to hide my stacks and clutter. So, now I am in the process of trying to clear out my old desk and organize things so I can move it all into the new desk. My old desk has an extremely large surface, so I'm anticipating the difficulty of getting used to a smaller space to work in (and thinking I might miss the view from the window where my computer is set up now). We'll see if I can make the switch.

For having grown up in a Salvation Army officer's family, moving every two to three years of my life, I sure do resist change. Plus, we are not done with the shake-up. Our cars are currently all on their last leg (tire?) - all with over 150,000 miles on them. My beloved Nissan Quest van will be donated in January when the insurance runs out and I will switch to driving the car (much less room, but much better zip) until we can afford to purchase a different vehicle for me, or until Trevor earns the right to drive the car. How I will miss my roomy, familiar van!

New decade, new year, new washer/dryer, new phone, new desk, new old vehicle - what other altered realities will I be facing in 2020? Saw this on Facebook and had to chuckle: "Where do I see myself in a year? I don't know; I don't have 2020 vision!"

Speaking of vision - mine continues to decline. Had to use a magnifying glass at times to complete this fun puzzle (the books on the shelves all have altered titles like War & Peas, 20,000 Leeks Under the Sea, and Lord of the Pies:

Before I know it, I'll be needing new glasses - doh! How about you? What does the new year promise for you and are you good with change, or resistant like me?

Book Review: The Skeleton Crew

This was a book for my book club. I had to request it by interlibrary loan since none of the nearby libraries carried it. My interest was definitely piqued by the subtitle, The Skeleton Crew: How Amateur Sleuths are Solving America's Coldest Cases. It was an intriguing, if a bit gory, read.

Hard to imagine, but there are over forty thousand unidentified dead bodies in America. Even when the bodies carry interesting clues, like dental work and tattoos, it can be hard for the police to identify the person. Oftentimes, the cases merely go cold because funds cannot really be spent to dig into the complex puzzle of identification. Enter a weird kind of common man, who enjoys puzzles and surfs the Internet for clues that might solve the mysteries behind these often faceless individuals. Criminals sometimes go to desperate lengths to obscure the pertinent clues like fingerprints, cutting off hands and bashing in faces. Or, the elements often deteriorate the condition of the body to the point where it is unrecognizable.

Deborah Halber descends into this gruesome world of facial reconstructions, autopsies, and arm-chair sleuthing. She outlines several cases, both solved and unsolved. She highlights the eccentric individuals who come home from their day jobs, fire up their computers, and seek to match missing person bulletins to the details of unidentified corpses. While I don't think I'll take her advice, and seek out the websites often used, I did find the various stories interesting. My only complaint would be that the writing occasionally felt disjointed and jumbled. Indeed, everyone in my book club expressed the same observation, even to the point of agreement that this probably isn't the most well-written book on the subject of amateur sleuthing. Still, it would probably appeal to readers who are interested in true crime stories and who root for the underdog to answer questions the authorities don't have time, money, or energy to pursue. Just don't expect an in-depth explanation of how to go about solving these troublesome mysteries.

Book Review: The Unbreakable Code

The Unbreakable Code is the second book in the Book Scavenger series by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman. I always feel sorry for an author who hits it big with a book meant to be the first in a series, because they face enormous odds against them for creating a book that will rival, or even equal, the first. I would certainly feel pressured in their shoes. Although this was a valiant effort, I do think I enjoyed the first book more than the second (gave it a "highly recommend"). Of course, I had my own pressure from a hold list requiring me to read the book when I might not have been in quite the right mood for it. It was very similar to the first because it held puzzles and codes and a mystery tying them all together.

This time around Emily and James, neighboring kids who love cracking codes and solving puzzles, are curious about their teacher's strange behaviors. They catch Mr. Quisling reaching into someone's purse to retrieve a clue to his own puzzle. When he drops the clue, they are pulled into his quest to solve Mark Twain's "unbreakable code." As the two seek out the hidden Twain books in their beloved Book Scavenger game, an arsonist begins setting fires. They are not only driven to solve the unbreakable code but also to figure out who is responsible for the various fires.

I do tend to think I was just not quite in the mood for a tween mystery book because the book has received all five star reviews so far on Amazon. Everyone else has overwhelmingly argued that Bertman has done it again. She has written a book sure to delight tweens and families who love puzzles, ciphers, codes, and treasure hunts. Fans of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library books will also be thrilled with this series. I'm not giving up on this series, but I will time my future reads to fit my mood better. Who knows, maybe I'll recommend the series to Sean for some riveting summer reading.

Thanksgiving Puzzle

I'm so thrilled that my younger boys are old enough now to get into doing puzzles with me. We have a tradition of doing a puzzle over the Thanksgiving weekend. This year, we selected a 550 piece puzzle that was fairly easy, so we were able to put it together in the space of a day. I love that this one has so much action and that it focuses on a music theme:

The puzzle was by Tooniverse and called "Rhapsody in Zoo." I enjoyed all the funny details like the baby in the orchestra, sucking a pacifier, a penguin playing a drum, and even a couple of monkeys (my favorite animal). The puzzle can be purchased at the Serious Puzzles website.

Distressed and Puzzled

Today I'm feeling extremely distressed about my writing career (something unexpected and depressing developed and although I don't wish to proclaim it, it is really pulling me down). But, I'm still having fun as evidenced by the 750 piece puzzle the boys and I worked on for the past two days. It was great fun (I love puzzles where a lot is going on because it makes it easier to complete and a joy to work on):

(No matter what I try, I cannot seem to get the photos to post in a horizontal position, sorry)

If you wish to purchase this entertaining puzzle, follow this link. Or if you wish to purchase it for even less, used, follow this link. I found mine at the Goodwill for only $3.00 and it even had all the pieces - yippee! The boost of positive vibes from completing this with my kids was priceless.

Book Review: Book Scavenger - Highly Recommend

If you are a fan of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, then you will probably enjoy this book. Author Jennifer Chambliss Bertman has created a story full of puzzles, books, and danger. In Book Scavenger, you get a healthy dose of codes to crack, puzzles to solve, and characters to love.

The book opens with an introduction to a special game called Book Scavenger. It follows the principles of geocaching and involves hiding and finding books, similar to Book Crossing, an actual site where you can label and track books you send forth into the wider world. Emily is a twelve year old player who is determined to reach the rank of Auguste Dupin, the second highest ranking in the game. Even though she is moving with her family to San Francisco, she knows that she can play the game anywhere her crazy family decides to move. They are, indeed, a family of movers as Emily's parents write a blog about their quest to live in fifty states. This constant moving has taken a toll on Emily and her brother, Matthew, and Emily just wants to make some new friends who are as crazy about book scavenging as she is.

Several events take place to propel the story in motion. Garrison Griswold, the creator of the Book Scavenger game is attacked on a San Francisco BART station. Emily and her new friend, James, happen upon a book they are sure is the start of Griswold's newest game, a game he was meant to unveil on the day of his attack. Some suspicious men are also after the book and the clues that Emily and James are uncovering. Will the kids unravel the mystery before they meet the same fate as Garrison Griswold?

I had hoped to read the book aloud to Sean, but he is knee-deep in his own reading right now (reading 45 minutes to an hour daily in order to meet some reading goal for his fourth grade class). I was gobsmacked when he brought home copies of Great Expectations and The Hunger Games. For a nine-year-old, he's blowing me away. Makes a reading mother's heart burst. Perhaps he'll stumble onto a copy of this excellent book at his school library. It is definitely a five star book and an outstanding debut novel!

Endless Christmas Break Finally Ends

We here in the Midwest have been battling a polar vortex.  First we were hit with 12-14 inches of snow. Then, the temperatures dipped to uncomfortable regions. For six days we were pretty much holed up in the house. That can be hard on little boys with pent up energy. Of course, I sent them out to play in the snow every day, despite the freezing temperatures (and they did well as long as they kept my girly scarves wrapped around their mouths and noses - they would have died if I had taken photos of that). Bryce went out with them and I did snag a photo of him with a stunning icicle (thankfully, he wore Dad's face-mask):

Plus, a shot of the beautiful house across the street, blanketed with snow:

One day followed the next with calls for snow days. They rejoiced. They ended up being off all of last week. The quiet in the house this morning is deafening and very welcome.

While on the lengthy break, we tackled two more puzzles. First, we did the one I gave to Sean for Christmas.

Side-note: I always like to give books and a puzzle to the boys for Christmas. This year, on Christmas Eve, I told the little boys they could open one present as long as it was from me. They both selected the one with books in it. While Trevor was thrilled with his set of Dude Diaries (a real hit if you are looking for books for 8-10 year old boys - full of crazy questions for them to answer within the pages, like "What would make an insanely good Super Bowl halftime show?" and "Famous person you would trade places with for one day?" and "If you were a monster what would you be?"), Sean was less than thrilled with his books. Then, his older brother didn't help things along by saying, "Man, getting books for Christmas is worse than getting coal. At least when you get coal you can laugh about it, but getting books is like getting a job for Christmas." Way to make a book-lover cry!

This was the puzzle Sean received (it was a thrift store purchase and, sadly, was missing two pieces):

It was great fun to do. If you click on it to enlarge it, you will see that it has two different-sized pieces. It was intended to be worked on side by side, with the grown-up placing the smaller pieces and the child placing the larger pieces. I think Sean only helped with about five pieces. Sob.

Then, I decided to tackle one of my favorite 1000-piece puzzles (one I brought back with me after living in England in 1987-88):

I love this one because it is easy enough to be fun. I don't like puzzles which are too hard to figure out, like this 2000-piece one I purchased long ago at Target for only a buck (good thing I didn't waste any more on it, since I doubt I'll ever attempt it - too much white and blue):

Still, I did purchase this hard one for Trevor this Christmas:

I thought the fact that you could use the pieces to make your own designs might appeal to my artistic son. We'll see if he ever tackles it. For now, the puzzle sessions are over and I am back to running errands and cleaning in peace. Whew! Next up, I will begin to tackle editing the novel I wrote in November.