Tuesday Treasure

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. The coffee is ready and I am glad you are here to share the last Tuesday Treasure. Yes, it is "the mirror". Many of you know about the mirror, but some of you don't. This mirror hung in my paternal grandparents home all my life. And before. For years it hung in the kitchen above the wash pan. After they got an inside bathroom it hung on the closed in back porch you went through on the way to the bathroom. My grandparents, my Dad, and everyone of my aunts and uncles combed their hair by looking in this mirror. This mirror has seen the faces of many of my loved ones. When I look in it, I remember those it has "seen" and I feel blessed to have it in my bathroom. You see I  think I would try to grab this in case of a fire. It reflects much more than we see.
Happy Thanksgiving and please just enjoy the day with our real treasures, family and friends
betty

Thanksgiving

                                 

                                                                                                                       Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. Grab you a mug, help yourself to the coffee, get a cinnamon doughnut and come sit and lets talk about Thanksgiving. Thanksgivings were always big growing up. Whether it was at our house or my Grandmother's. Everyone was welcome. Then after I married and had children, we had to go to my parents for lunch and Curtis' parents for supper. My Dad said one day, this is crazy, lets all eat together, so that is the way it was for years. Then he got sick and one year there was no Thanksgiving. We were living out of town, so my little family had our own. I cooked my first turkey and the trimmings. Deb and I put on our aprons and cooked on the morning of Thanksgiving, while Curtis and the boys did the traditional Thanksgiving morning rabbit hunt. That is something he and my Dad did for many years. After that Thanksgiving changed, The next Thanksgiving he was gone, so everyone came to Cumberland Gap to our house. The next year we were back down here and Curtis and I started hosting Thanksgiving. Again you never knew who all was coming.But what fun. Then when Mother couldn't cook Christmas for all of us anymore, I took over that tradition from her. When I did that Deb said she wanted Thanksgiving. So for many years this has been our tradition. I look at pictures and there are so many no longer at our Thanksgiving table. However there are a lot of new little people there.That is the circle of life, isn't it?
I have decided this Thanksgiving I am going to embrace the changes. Yes, tradition is changing again.Beth is hosting it this year. I am going to be thankful for all of those at our table, but I am also going to be thankful for the Thanksgivings past and the people I loved so much who have influenced me and helped make me who I am today.I thank my Daddy who instilled the love of holidays in me.
This will be my last post until after Thanksgiving, so I am taking this opportunity to wish you a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving. So many of my friends are missing loved ones for the first time this Thanksgiving. I am praying God blesses each of them and you in a special way.
You bless me when you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty

Tuesday Treasure

Hurry in and lets sit down and have a cup of coffee.It is so cold out there, but it is so nice to have you come Through My Back Door to talk about Tuesday Treasure. It really is a treasure to me. When Debbie and Michael got married in 1979 they moved to Memphis as he had been accepted in Pharmacy School at UT Memphis. They lived on nothing and especially that first Christmas. She did Christmas presents for her family and this was mine. A Mouse House. I collected mice at that time. I haven't used it in a while but decided to get it out this year. It was made with love. The only thing she bought was the little mice.

A close up. Mama is knitting, baby is in the cradle, and Daddy is reading the Night Before Christmas on the bed.

See the cheese on the table?  I treasure it.
betty

Even Though

Hello and come on in. It is cold this morning and going to get colder, so the coffee is on. Jackie brought me over more Kona so we are good to go.lol Even Though cold weather is coming, I am going to start my Christmas decorating. Most  of you know I love Christmas and all the stuff that goes with it. I no longer do a cookie swap, but am going to bake cookies next week. I will let the little ones help one day too. Mollie and Andrew love to come and make cookies and Even Though it is sooooo messy, I love having them come. I did this with my grands when they were growing up too. Last time we made cookies I found flour on my couch! Go figure.lol  I have the makings for fudge bought already, so one evening that will be on my list. Even Though it isn't healthy, my family loves it, so I will make it. Doug usually buys black walnuts to put in a batch. This is all looming ahead in the weeks to come. I get excited just thinking about it. I love the sappy,(as my friend Dottie calls them) Hallmark movies on TV. I love to drink eggnog(non alcoholic) but sprinkled with nutmeg, eat cookies and cry with movies.lol Not all of them are teary, so I laugh with those.lol Even Though it is a lot of work, that we make for ourselves, and some people think it is silly, I don't mind anything to do with Christmas. I have been listening to the music already. Silver Bells is one of my favorites, right along with I'll Be Home for Christmas. I adore the old carols. Curtis' favorite was O Holy Night, now it is one of mine too. I get a bit nostalgic at Christmas. Ok I get a lot nostalgic at Christmas. I miss my Mom and Dad so much. I miss Curtis, and I miss my grandparents. I have said before my Dad was the Christmas lover at our house growing up. He loved it. So Even Though it isn't Thanksgiving yet, I am putting up Christmas. Stay tuned for Christmas Through My Back Door. I will leave you with a few pictures of Christmas past.

Even Though I have said it before, I love having you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS: Let's all put the Real reason for the season ahead of everything else this season
PSS:Let's say Merry Christmas and mean it
PSSS:Let's continue to pray for our fellow bloggers that are having health issues

Tuesday Treasure

Good Tuesday morning and welcome Through My Back Door. It is Tuesday Treasure and the treasure I have to share this morning is the Veterans in my family and all the other Veterans. Because of them, we can fly this.

In my own family the living Veterans are my son Doug, USMC. Sister in law Margaret, USN, and my niece Kate, USA.  My uncle JN, USMC and brother in law Bruce, USMC are both buried at Arlington National Cemetery. My Uncle Dillon, USA, WW2. My cousin Dale, lost his son Justin, USMC during the Iraq war.So these are my Tuesday treasures. God bless them all.
betty
ps: I have no idea who to give credit to for this picture. I love it and it brings tears to my eyes

A Get Away

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. The coffee is on and we are having cinnamon toast this morning. You all know about my  Card Group, as I have talked about them over my years of blogging. This past weekend was our annual get away. We go to Pigeon Forge, rent a cabin and just chill. We have been doing this many years. We have so much fun, shopping, talking, eating, laughing and playing games. After almost 30 years we have to laugh at how much we have changed.
It used to be we would stay up half the night laughing, talking, playing games. This would be after a hard days shopping. We love the Tanger outlets, so imagine walking all over that place all day and staying up half the night, hitting it again the next day. Well now we have a plan. We shop one day, go to the cabin for dinner, and are in bed by 11pm.lol Some of the girls shopped more than others this year. I, along with a some of the others had 2 full days in the cabin. When we get back, we have show and tell. You would be surprised how many of us have bought the same thing! I am the oldest in the group and Linda A is the youngest. Somehow age doesn't matter, it is the friendship. I have said before, we have seen one another through marriages, divorce, deaths, births, graduations, promotions, retirements,and one ordained into the ministry. They held my hand during Curtis' devastating illness and death. We are there for one another. By the way, everyone knows us as "The Card Group." We gave a bridal shower a couple of weeks ago and the invitations said, given by, "The Card Group." We are all aging a bit and we have our issues. One has been diagnosed with MS, one has  been diagnosed with Diabetes, One needs knee replacement, one has had knee replacement. Me, I had a colitis attack while there.(hadn't had one in 15 months, thought I was cured). So we have a special bond. DO we agree on everything? Far from it. Do we decorate alike? Not at all. Do we love and care about one another and our families? You bet we do. Having friends for so many years is a blessing and I count them as one of my biggest blessings in life.

One of the girls took this and isn't in it.
Another blessing in my life is you coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS:Little Livvy Glenn had her surgery and is cancer free. Praise God
PSS: As we approach the season we all love, Thanksgving and Christmas, I challenge you, as well as myself, lets remember the REAL reason we celebrate
PSSS: Tomorrow is Tuesday Treasure

Tuesday Treasure

Good morning and welcome Through My Back Door. Get your coffee and yes it is a redware mug and somehow, the coffee will just taste better. Trace Granny Trace Scraps & Squares
and I did a post last week on Tuesday Treasure. I am continuing that through Thanksgiving.
This week my treasure is something you have seen before. My cowbell.

 It hangs now on the side of my flat wall cupboard. It is another memory from my Daddy. He liked old things as well as I did, but my Mother cared nothing for them. So he was my partner in crime. I had wanted a cow bell forever and couldn't find one. (This has been many, many years ago). We lived in what was called a shot gun house. You came in the front door and the kitchen was at the end of the house, with the other rooms leading off a long hall way. One night while we were eating supper we heard the door open and clang, clang, clang, down the hall. There came my Dad into the kitchen with the cow bell around his neck. I still chuckle when I think of that.
You know what else makes me chuckle? You coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty

What I Love About November

Good afternoon and hurry in the door. It is a good day to come Through My Back Door and have coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate. Which ever you prefer. It is cold out there today, but so nice in here.

Boo is as contented as she can be. So am I. I have made a pot of chili and it tasted so good. November is here and I love this month. It is the beginning of so much. To me November is full of surprises. You don't know what she will bring. Here in East Tn  you can still have a few warm days, where you don't have to dress really warm, but on the other hand you can get a surprise snow. The leaves are leaving the tree and you will see a tree with a leaf just hanging on. Makes me think of the childrens book about dealing with death, called the Fall of Freddie the Leaf, by Leo Buscaglia. November brings more surprises than snow, she may bring a spur of the moment trip. For me there is the long weekend with my card group in November.  We have been doing this for 28 years.There are lots of Christmas open houses and special events. There are pots of hot mulled cider, drank in pewter mugs.

There is the smell of pots of homemade soups and stews. You cannot beat the smell of a fresh pot of homemade vegetable soup simmering in a pot. Oh the surprises of November! I love her. Do you?
Also November brings Thanksgiving! I love the Thanksgiving holidays. Of course we over indulge in food, but its okay for one day, one meal. Nothing like seeing a turkey and dressing with all the trimmings on your table, and your family there to share it.
I love having friends in for soup when November rolls around. I like serving soup in my pewter bowls and using my soup tureens.

It is so nice to sit around a table and just visit with friends, after having a meal of soup. I have never met a soup I didn't like.lol Brewing a fresh pot of coffee and just being. November brings contentment to me.
Also November means I can do this.

Decorate for Christmas! I just love November and plan on enjoying everyone of her 30 days. I just love having you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS: Please continue prayers for little Livvy Glenn
PSS: Thank you Audrey Adams for this wonderful little pumpkin, you made from wool as well as the candy corn.

PSSS: I am going to find something to be Thankful for everyday between now and Thanksgiving on my FB page, will you join me? I have lots to be thankful for as we have birthdays in November. Mollie will be 4 tomorrow. Happy Birthday Mollie.