Oh, Lazy Me...THE END !

Yes, I am still on my ' Beach Break' but it's been raining the last few days in the afternoons like it always does in Florida in May...so what have have I been doing ??? Planning and booking a trip to my MIL's 90th birthday bash in the Northeast, playing and posting on Pinterest, which I am so hooked on that it even stunned me and just basically being a beach bum...not doing much housework, reading a lot and catching up on episodes of my fav T.V. shows I have DVR'd.

Next thing is to start my packing for next week's trip...and to make sure my Hubs doesn't forget anything at home while he's packing. He usually packs at 11 P.M. when we have a 6 a.m. flight ! Makes me nuts...you'd think I'd be used to it after nearly 40 years...NOT !

So I'll be away on vacation for awhile... AND this will be my last post on Tasty Tales, which I am leaving open in case you want to revisit anytime...I'm blogging private now...so thank you my dear readers for 4 years of fun and wonderful friendship !!!

Hugs Always,
Nonna

Mother's Day

When you are a mother,
you are never really alone in your thoughts.
A mother always has to think twice,
once for herself
and
once for her child.
~Sophia Loren ~

Just taking a few moments from my
' BEACH BREAK '
to wish you all
a
Happy Mother's Day !!!

The Spirit of Santa

This was the fireplace I dreamed of and pictured in my mind,
with a baking oven next to it before we bought our home...
Our fireplace is a bit smaller and no baking oven but I'm happy with it...
~ Image from Goggle ~

When we built our home 21 years ago, I made sure we had a red brick fireplace with a hearth and a mantle with plenty of room to hang our stockings and to set up our Nativity scene.


Every house or apartment we had lived in over the years, when our children were growing up, didn't have a fireplace and as a result we got lots of questions from them. I once made a fireplace in our living room out of a small bookcase covered in red brick printed crepe paper. We hung our stockings on it...solved all the questions about how Santa got in and showered us with goodies on Christmas morning.


We always asked our kids when we were questioned about Santa, "What do you think ?" The answers they gave were better than anything we could have told them and it was wonderful to hear their imaginations create and soar... we also said Mom & Dad were Santa's Helpers, playing down the frenzy that too much Santa focused conversation can create.


Yes, Santa's Part in our celebration was very small compared with the true meaning of Christmas. Our focus as parents at Christmas was/is always on the birth of Jesus, His life, His mission here on earth, His Infinite Atonement and Resurrection.



As we decorated our tree every year, we talked about the Symbols of Christmas with our children and origins of other traditions/symbols as well and happily, those times are treasured memories for all of us !

Thank you so much to my friend Ames for the inspiration for this post!

Thanks A-Plenty

Dear friends,

A million thank you's for visiting, reading and commenting on my blog...whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not in your little corner of the world, I am so grateful for the thousands of you who have taken the time to pop in and the wonderful friends I've made along the way...it's been a great 2011 so far and I look forward to 2012 and blogging !

Thanksgiving is on a roll here at our house:

Everything prepped to cook, turkey in oven, Macy's Parade to be taped on DVR, so thankful for my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, blessings a-plenty...
alarm clock set, going back to hug the pillow for awhile...

Have a glorious Thanksgiving everyone !!!

Blessings & Hugs,
Nonna