Saturday, December 29, 2007

We're in Tennessee!!

I recorded our stream to share the wonderful sound it makes. Mark mentions going to our cabin and how the sound of the stream and the sound of the rain hitting the roof was so soothing to sleep by.
(added 12/02/08: if you are here from doing a search for the song The Gift by Aselin Debison, scroll down for the words to the song the first line of which is- A poor orphan girl named Maria Was walking to market one day)

Monday, December 24, 2007

Santa Live!!

Santa Claus live
^Go to this link. It is so cool!! Click on inside cam. It is in Finland so it will be doing repeats at some point. You get to see people who go to visit Santa and get their picture taken with him. Santa may be on a break or may be done for the day when you click on it but come back to check once in a while. There is a schedule so you will know the hours.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

This is a pretty song

The Gift

A poor orphan girl named Maria
Was walking to market one day
She stopped for to rest by the roadside
Where a bird with a broken wing lay
A few moments passed till she saw it
For its feathers were covered with sand
And soon cleaned and wrapped it was traveling
In the warmth of Maria's small hand

She happily gave her last peso
On a cage made of rushes and twine
She fed it loose corn from the market
And watched it grow stronger with time

Now the gift-giving service was coming
And the church shone with tinsel and light
And all of the townfolk brought presents
To lay by the manger that night

There were diamonds, incense and perfumes
And packages fit for a king
But for one ragged bird in a small cage
Maria had nothing to bring

She waited till just before midnight
So no one would see her go in
And crying she knelt by the manger
For her gift was unworthy of him

Then a voice spoke to her through the darkness
"Maria, what brings you to me?
If the bird in the cage is your offering
Open the door, let me see"

So she trembled, she did as he asked her
And out of the cage the bird flew
Soaring up into the rafters
On a wing that had healed good as new

Just then the midnight bells rang out
And the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture
For its beauty was fit for a king

Now Maria felt blessed just to listen
To that cascade of notes sweet and long
As her offering was lifted to heaven
By the very first nightingale's song

Sung by Aselin Debison in this one. They removed the video but I went ahead and left the lyrics.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Hot Cocoa Mustache

My children (especially Matthew) take after there Daddy ;-) (their Daddy has a mustache).

Another Award

Karen over at Karen's Korner gave this award to me. Ummm... what does it mean, is it good? Must be. I will have to go see what bodacious means....(looking it up)... Ok I'm going with remarkable. Thank you, Karen!!!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Did I say I love auctions?!

Here is a precious teddy bear I won (along with its friend, not pictured) at an auction last weekend. I love it but it will be finding a loving home in a couple weeks.

Friday, December 07, 2007

My Hidden Treasures

Here are the treasures that were in the song book also pictured here. The copyright of the song book is 1875.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Perry Como Once more

Perry Como Christmas in Austria 1976 Part 7 and Part 8

Monday, December 03, 2007

Just never know...

...what treasures you will find. I was flipping through one of the music books and look what was tucked between the pages.It is in awesome condition! I called the church in Ann Arbor and will be sending it in the mail shortly to them. Every time I look at these old books it's like going back in time.

In one song book (from 1875) that I am keeping there was a card that they got in their coffee as well as 2 little pictures of women in the dress of that time that was in with their cigarettes. I'm keeping these as well. They are in excellent condition from being between the pages of the book all these years. When I get the chance I will take some pictures of these. Needless to say I am being careful to flip through the pages of the books now. Oh, yeah, in between the pages of an old (1940's to 50's) coloring book I found sheet music with a picture of Bing Crosby, the song is "Now is the Hour". Cool, huh?!! In this lot of books and sheet music was also the little paper they handed out at the 1892 High School graduation in Greenville, Ohio. Eight people graduated that year. I will be taking this to the principle this week sometime. So excited!

Perry Como Again

Perry Como Christmas in Austria 1976 Part 5 and Part 6

Friday, November 30, 2007

More E-Bay

I hope you all don't get tired of me talking about my E-Bay excitement. Here are a couple links for you to check out.
E-Bay
E-Bay
E-Bay
You should be able to see all from these.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

I Love Perry Como!!

Maybe I am the only one but I love Perry Como!!
Perry Como Christmas Austria 1976 Part 3 and 4.

Monday, November 26, 2007

The Thanksgiving Special

I received this in an E-Mail and thought I would put it here. I know since it's running around the internet some have probably seen this but for those that haven't here it is.

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like spring breeze. Then in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease.

During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer.

"She has no idea what I'm feeling," thought Sandra with a shudder.

Thanksgiving? Thankful for what? She wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an air bag that saved her life but took that of her child?

"Good afternoon, may I help you?" The shop clerk's approach startled her.

"I....I need an arrangement," stammered Sandra.

"For Thanksgiving? Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the Thanksgiving "Special?" asked the shop clerk. "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories," she continued. "Are you looking for something that conveys 'gratitude' this Thanksgiving?"

"Not exactly!" Sandra blurted out. "In the last five months, everything that could go wrong has gone wrong."

Sandra regretted her outburst, and was surprised when the shop clerk said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you."

Then the door's small bell rang, and the shop clerk said, "Hi, Barbara...let me get your order."

She politely excused herself and walked toward a small workroom, then quickly reappeared, carrying an arrangement of greenery, bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses; Except the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped: there were no flowers.

"Want this in a box?" asked the clerk.

Sandra watched for the customer's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems with no flowers! She waited for laughter, but neither woman laughed.

"Yes, please," Barbara replied with an appreciative smile. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I wouldn't be so moved by its significance, but I can feel it right here, all over again," she said as she gently tapped her chest.

"Uh," stammered Sandra, "that lady just left with, uh....she just left with no flowers!"

"Right, said the clerk, "I cut off the flowers. That's the Special. I call it the Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet."

"Oh, come on, you can't tell me someone is willing to pay for that!" exclaimed Sandra.

"Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling much like you feel today," explained the clerk. "She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she was facing major surgery."

"That same year I had lost my husband," continued the clerk, "and for the first time in my life, had just spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel."

"So what did you do?" asked Sandra.

"I learned to be thankful for thorns," answered the clerk quietly. "I've always thanked God for good things in life and never to ask Him why those good things happened to me, but when bad stuff hit, did I ever ask! It took time for me to learn that dark times are important. I have always enjoyed the 'flowers' of life, but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. You know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted, and from His consolation we learn to comfort others."

Sandra sucked in her breath as she thought about the very thing her friend had tried to tell her. "I guess the truth is I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God."

Just then someone else walked in the shop.

"Hey, Phil!" shouted the clerk to the balding, rotund man.

"My wife sent me in to get our usual Thanksgiving arrangement...twelve thorny, long-stemmed stems," laughed Phil as the clerk handed him a tissue-wrapped arrangement from the refrigerator.

"Those are for your wife?" asked Sandra incredulously. "Do you mind me asking why she wants something that looks like that?"

"No...I'm glad you asked," Phil replied. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but with the Lord's grace and guidance, we slogged through problem after problem. He rescued our marriage. Jenny here (the clerk) told me she kept a vase of rose stems to remind her of what she learned from "thorny" times, and that was good enough for me. I took home some of those stems. My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific "problem" and give thanks for what that problem taught us."

As Phil paid the clerk, he said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special."

I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life," Sandra said to the clerk. "It's all too...fresh."

"Well," the clerk replied carefully, "my experience has shown me that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, it was a crown of thorns that Jesus wore so we might know His love. Don't resent the thorns."

Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident, she loosened her grip on resentment.

"I'll take those twelve long-stemmed thorns, please," she managed to choke out.

"I hoped you would," said the clerk gently. "I'll have them ready in a minute."

"Thank you. What do I owe you?" Sarah asked.

"Nothing; nothing but a promise to allow God to heal your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." The clerk smiled and handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach this card to your arrangement, but maybe you would like to read it first."

It read:

"My God, I have never thanked You for my thorns. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorns. Teach me the glory of the life I bear; teach me the value of my thorns. Show me that I have climbed closer to You along the path of pain. Show me that, through my tears, the colors of Your rainbow look much more brilliant."

Praise Him for your roses, thank him for your thorns.

By George Matheson

Saturday, November 24, 2007

I have more on E-Bay

I put a few more things on E-Bay. Check it out when You have a chance. Go here then you will be able to see everything.
Governor's March

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Here is Perry

Perry Como Christmas Special in Austria, 1976. Part 1 and 2

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

This is What I put on E-Bay today

Put a few pieces of sheet music on E-Bay today. Will try to add more as I go along. Stars And Stripes Forever
The Bride Elect March
The Governor's March

Friday, November 16, 2007

Way Overdue

I finally sent my one year anniversary winners what they won. Here is what I gave Regina. I hope you like it Regina.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

And then there are these

These were in some of Mark's things that he won and he was going to throw them away. I'm like No! They look very old to me and if you consider the age of some of the other things that they had,they may be.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

More Treasures!

Here are a few more cool things I got at the auction over the weekend! The first 2 things were somebody's throw away. I can handle FREE!!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Did you notice...

...that this American Home Journal is a Vol.1 No.1? I am doing research to see what it might be worth. So far I have found out that they were in circulation a year and then changed the name to Conkey's Home Journal. I also have the December 1897 issue. I have read them and I just love reading things from back then as well as the vintage ads. They were mixed in with the sheet music. If anybody is interested I will keep you informed of anything I can find out.

my keepers-vintage ornaments

Here is a sample of the ornaments I am keeping.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Vintage Sheet Music

I keep getting things at auctions that I don't know what I really have until I get home and go through it. I knew these were vintage but not how vintage. The newest is 1901 and the oldest is 1876. The paper is very brittle and I am hoping there is someone who will want these that knows how to keep them from falling apart further. There is a lot more than what I have pictured, I didn't want to handle them any more than I have to and also my camera is a pain to use right now.

More of the scrapbook pictures

I didn't realize how blurry a couple of them are. Sorry about that. Stay tuned for vintage sheet music (no pun intended but it is kinda funny :-).