'Twas the Month Before Christmas

And Through My Back Door the coffee is on and ready for company. We can drink from the Christmas mugs and have a piece of red velvet cake. So come in, get your coffee and cake, and tell me about your Thanksgiving. Ours was wonderful and every moment was enjoyed. It is so much fun being with our extended family. My only sister in law, my two nieces and my nephew and their spouses as well as all of us. We have a total of 5 babies now,Andrew is really not a baby, he is five, but I am counting him. We went for years, 16 in fact without a little one, so we all have so much fun with these. Anyway on Saturday Debbie, Amanda, Andrew, Mollie, and I went to Fantasy of Trees and out to lunch. We had a wonderful time. We have been doing this since Amanda and Beth were babies. Now we are taking Amanda's babies.
My Christmas decorating is finished. I redid my mantle, but haven't had time to take pictures. I will. I have enjoyed looking at all the blogs, FB, and forums showing their homes decorated. My some of these people can decorate.lol I just drool when I look at their pictures.
One of my favorite decorating tools is Christmas books. I love displaying them. This started when my children were little and has carried over with my grandchildren.My granddaughter Lindsay always loved the book, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, by Gloria Houston and illustrated by Barbara Cooney.It is beautiful.  She loved the horse, Old Piedy., as well as Ruthie. I recommend it. Another of my favorites of course is the Polar Express,by Chris Van Allsburg.

He is an essential part of Christmas in all of my grandchildrens' homes now.
You can't have too many Night Before Christmas books, because the illustrations are beautiful. Every illustrator does them differently.

I think I told you last year, one of my favorite writer/illustrators is Will Moses.

This is another adult Christmas book. NEVER do I tire of reading this one. The Christmas teapot was given to me by a friends mother. I treasure it.
Next post I have a couple more of our favorites to share. I just love Christmas and everything that goes along with it. Today the candle of Hope was lit at church and it is just a beautiful beginning.
Last post I showed you outside looking in my window. I took this looking in my storm door.

I thought this was so much fun.
Another picture or two. This is my favorite Nativity.

My Daddy's bible and my Mothers glasses, with my Byers Carolers.

You can see my beautiful Olivia's picture behind them. I wasn't aware of that.lol She looks like an angel looking over their shoulders. Well I think so anyway.lol
This is a busy week for me. I host two of my groups I belong to. One tomorrow night and one on Thursday. I am looking forward to both of these events. But Wednesday is a very important day. Andrew is coming to make Christmas cookies. I don't know who is more excited, he or I.lol I do know I'll be sweeping sprinkles for days to come! I will have to show you pictures, as he will be cutting them out and icing them.
Well we have started the month before Christmas. What fun!
I am so happy you came Through My Back Door today, where life is good.
betty
PS: If you will, please continue to pray for Amanda as she goes to the oncologist Tuesday to set up her treatments. Could you say a prayer for my friend Carol too? That her bone scan will be good tomorrow.

A Little of This, But a Lot of Thankfulness

It is another gloomy morning here in E Tn, but inside the tree lights are casting a warm glow, and the coffee smell is wonderful. Plain old DD this morning. I love flavored coffee, but not in the mornings. I want plain coffee then. The flavored comes later in the day. Grab a mug and come on in. You have no idea how happy I am to see you today. This is the beginning of the most exciting season of the year. Thanksgiving is Thursday and I cannot wait. I love it when all of the family comes together bringing their favorite dishes and their biggest smiles. It is total chaos at our house, but what wonderful chaos. This year my Thankful List is different. I am so thankful for oncologists. I am so thankful for MRI and Ultra Sounds. I am so thankful for early detection. Most of all I am thankful for words,"Like we aren't fighting the beast we thought we were." But even more than that I am thankful for praying friends. Prayer changes things and I am thankful for that. You in blogland have been faithful in sending prayers for Amanda. I am trying to be faithful in sending prayers for those of you that are asking. I am thankful for each and every blogging buddy I have met. How I have been so blessed is beyond me, but I am grateful for each of you. I will be thankful for every person at our table and thankful for those who can't be with us, what ever the reason. I will be thankful for those who will never be with us again and for the legacy they have left each of us. I wish each and everyone of you the best Thanksgiving ever! Ours will be.
My inside decorations are done, except for some more fresh greenery. This is the first year I won't be doing a cookie swap in years.My friend Carol who has been a part of it since the beginning is finishing chemo, and we are waiting until next year. We didn't make our gingerbread or applesauce ornaments this year either. We have done that together for years. Fortunately we have enough left to use this year. We will get together and decorate her house soon. You have visited her home via my blog many times.It is the best.
I have never taken a picture of the outside looking in, until Kathleen Trout asked us to on the Pantry. Here is mine. I liked doing that.

That was fun. I admit I am so not a photographer, (Bill Mathews of CS magazine, doesn't feel thwarted by me at all.)LOL But this was fun. The first few showed the screen so bad.lol
Another bit of  Christmas here.

I am loving this cross stitch, by Granny B on the forum. she gave this to me at the Gathering in August. I will have jars of old fashion candy around it soon. I'll show you when it is finished.
My grandson Curt is getting married in July next year. Her name is Lindsey and she is from Missouri. Well Lindsey has started her own blog,Long Distance Love. 
If you get a chance visit it. She is a delight and we love her already. Her sister has a blog too. We laugh about this,(the fact we are all bloggers) and I love having another blogger in the family. Curt just shakes his head and says, "I have a hep Grandma!"Here is Whitneys.Keeping Up With The Bandermann's
 It is their journal with their new daughter. Anyway I thought you might enjoy them.
 Well again Happy Thanksgiving to each of you. One more thankful. I am thankful  for each and everyone of you who read my humble blog. I can't believe I am so blessed, when you leave a comment. Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS This Thanksgiving will you join me in being thankful for those we have and not dwell on those we have lost.? I am so going to concentrate on doing that

Sunshine On A Gloomy Day

Wow is it gloomy outside this morning! But come on in and have a cup of DD coffee and I promise you it isn't gloomy, Through My Back Door. All of the trees are up and decorated. I have them all on this gloomy day and I love the glow of the lights.I am going to get out my Christmas dishes this afternoon so next time we'll use those mugs. Today it is the trusty old Redware. I love Rick Hamelins redware, and to know every piece is done by hand. WOW! Anyway, another reason it isn't gloomy in here today is Amanda's genetic testing came back negative. We were so grateful for that. She is doing well and will start chemo after Thanksgiving, so please continue to remember her in your prayers. The doctor even said they worked, but we all know that. Don't we?
I always wanted a fireplace to decorate. This year I have one and just can't get it the way I want it. Here is what it looks like now.

It is subject to change.lol I have tweaked this several times too.

My feather tree got broken, Michael fixed it and I keep forgetting to buy brown tape to wrap it. I don't know about you, but I find beauty in imperfection?lol

Another vignette. I love feather trees, can you tell? I would love to have a larger one. Maybe one day.

I won't bombard you with anymore pictures today. It was important to share about Amanda because I know you all have been praying. I have received e-mails telling me so, and by your comments I know it too. I also know a lot of you I haven't heard from are praying. It is what we in blogland do, isn't it? Thanks for coming Through My Back Door, where life is good.
betty
PS: Enjoy these gloomy days by spending them with someone you love. It makes them so much brighter, in the gloom.

Thanksgiving and Thankfulness

Hi everyone, come on in and get a cup of coffee and sit and relax for a while. It is plain old DD today, but sometimes just plain coffee can't be beat. I am so thankful you came by. There are so many things I want to share, but I'll wait and not bombard you. Weatherwise it is a dreary day here today, but my spirits are not dreary. I am thankful Amanda is feeling better and her attitude is good. I am thankful my granddaughter Beth made it back home safe, after two different night trips from Illinois here to be with her sister. It is amazing how much we have to be thankful for. I am thankful this fellow is doing better, after what ever ordeal he went through the night of the break in.

He is such a sweetie and there is a possibility he was tasered. Whatever, he's getting  back to himself. Yes, I have started, actually, almost completed my Christmas decorating. I am thankful for that too. I want my time freed to help Amanda and Debbie,when they need me. I will be thankful I have it done, when it is finished.lol I don't have Thanksgiving here so it won't matter, I have it up early. Want to see a little more?

This tree has only homemade wax, gingerbread, and applesauce cinnamon ornaments on it. The lights are the old vicky jeans.

This tree only has lights and 12 shiny brite ornaments on it. Know why? These ornaments were given to me, by Pam and Frank Hendrix,Civil Folks blog, and when I look at it I see them, not a lot of ornaments. Just simple.No, I am not calling Frank and Pam simple.lol Although they call themselves "simple folks". They are anything but. Oh yes I am so thankful for all of my blogging friends. I cannot express my gratitude for all the prayers you have said. For all the RAK's you have sent, for the comments you leave and the emails. You are the best. For that I thank you for coming Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
PS because of all the prayers offered for Amanda, the oncologist told us we weren't fighting the beast, they originally thought we were. God is good. I will keep you posted, but please continue your prayers as her chemo starts soon.

Thank You Does Not Seem Enough

Oh goodness, come in and grab your mug and have a cup of coffee. It is pumpkin spice and I hope you like it. That Door County coffee sure is good. Thank you for coming by tonight, but thank you even more for all the prayers this last week, since I posted. Amanda said she could feel them. It has been hard, but the out pouring of love,not only from people we see, but you in blogland have overwhelmed us. I appreciate all of your comments and e-mails. As I said, thank you just doesn't seem enough. She had her mastectomy last Friday. Today was her visit to the oncologist. The lymph nodes are clear. She will have chemo, but for now we are so grateful. Again thank you seems so inadequate. Please continue your prayers. I wish I could sit down with each of you who have prayed and have  a cup of coffee and give you a hug.
I want to share some other things with you. I had a nice surprise last week. (Had a not so nice one too), but I was at the Hen on Saturday and lo and behold, Patty Sumner, My Mountain Blessings, came in shopping! She is so cute and so nice. Her sister Sue was with her and she was a delight. What is it with bloggers? When you meet a fellow blogger it is like meeting an old friend. That is the way I felt with Patty. She had come from Kentucky to shop at the open house. I know we will meet again. I didn't have my camera, so no pictures. Go over and read her blog. I also met Angela, from Through Nanas Window.She had come up from Georgia. She was a triple delight, because it was her, Holly,her daughter, and Darbee Rae, her beautiful granddaughter.Darbee Rae had to have her own shopping basket and she won a door prize.She is a 4 year old prim lover! What a fun time that was. Again, no camera, but she had hers so visit her blog later to see pics. Again it was instant friendship. I have been blessed with meeting so many bloggers and I don't know why. But I am truly thankful for the opportunity. Here is a couple of Christmas pictures from the Hen.

This is in her livingroom. Isn't it beautiful?
I also had another nice surprise yesterday. Marchel, the Bama Planter,blogspot.com, sent me some egg gourds. I love them! They are so nice. I have never had any before and I can't tell you how excited I am to have them. I put them in the old egg basket Curtis' great grandmother, made of willow.

What do you think? Aren't they the neatest things? I think so.
Before  Amanda was diagnosed I had begun to decorate a bit for Christmas. I just love Christmas and can't get enough of it. This is one  little corner. I am ready to cut some greenery and get it going.

See the dish towel and the candle?
Gifts from blogging friends. Sue,Prim Sue's Heart and Home, gave me the dish towel. Angela, Through Nana's Window, gave me the candle. When I see them I feel so fortunate and blessed.

Well thank you for coming by this evening and having coffee and listening to my chatter. I love it  when you come Through My Back Door where life is good.
betty
ps: For my not so nice surprise. Last Friday night while Amanda was having surgery, somebody decided to burglarize my home. Dasko was there, but think maybe he was tasered, or hit when the door facing fell. They only took all of my good jewelry. Remember the necklace that "grabbed"me? It is gone too. Oh well. Would you do me a favor? Would you pray for them too?