Harry Potter Loves Jello

Harry Potter Loves Jello is a quirky way our Pastor came up with to remember the Sundays in Advent.  Hope, Peace, Love and Joy.  And, may I say that it worked because this year everyone remembered,  in order,  the Sundays of Advent.  Advent is the start of the Church's year  - easy to remember - its starts with an A - Also if you ever get confused between Advent and Lent, remember ABC, Advent Before Christmas.

As I sit here aching from back to toe after toting 12 Christmas totes down 2 flights of steps I must remember that it is not just the decorations that get us ready for  Christmas, it is our hearts that we really need to get ready. 

Since Thanksgiving I have been busy taking Autumn stuff down and putting Christmas stuff up.  I went shopping at Target Thanksgiving night for some great doorbuster deals for my Grandchildren.  I even shopped a little on Black Friday.  I must say that after working 35 years on Black Friday it felt good to be off.  (I did have off a couple of years ago, but I was laid off at the time so it did not feel so joyous) 

I have decorated at home and I have decorated at Church and am almost  ready  for Advent to begin.  My Advent Candle Ring is still in the attic and I will get it down tomorrow, as soon as I get the rest of the junk off the dining room table and the Christmas table cloth on.

Parke and I had the annual Christmas decoration fight.  He says I have too many, and I agree, but some decorations bring with them memories.  Some of the memories I want to keep, like all the decorations my son made for me when he was in school.  Or the manger from my Grandmother's house.

I like good memories, I like Christmas and I love the Baby Jesus.  So here's wishing you Harry Potter Loves Jello, oops I mean Hope, Peace, Love and Joy this Christmas season.  May this year bring you some fond memories and may your heart be ready to accept the love that comes from God this season in the form of a baby.

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Another Thanksgiving in Catasauqua

Thanksgivings are the best.  The smell of turkey in the oven - the filling, which is known as stuffing to others, is one of my favorites.  Not to mention cranberry sauce.  I use to make my own but I found the joy of Giant's cranberry orange relish through my bff Cathy, who ironically made her own this year.

Thanksgiving is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which is on right now,  it's football for Parke later today.  And if you are a true Catasauquian it is the famous Thanksgiving Day Game between the Catasauqua Rough Riders and the Northampton Konkrete Kids.  I went for many years when I was young, until it became my turn to cook.  If you are not from Catty then you cannot understand the importance of the game - it is Tradition.  This year Catty Football has been doing great and Saturday Catasauqua will be playing in the PIAA Class 2A State Quarterfinal for the first time in school history.  So stay safe Roughies, do not use all your best moves today save them for Saturday.

Many years ago I lived with a "non-rough rider"  who got very angry (there is a dent in the kitchen wall yet)  because my son wasn't home in time from the football game, he obviously did not respect tradition.  Game first - dinner later.

I saw another tradition this morning while walking Petey - the toilet papered house of a senior.  I like Thanksgiving - its the calm of the storm before the frenzy Christmas shopping.  It's the forgotten holiday - we leap from Halloween to Christmas with a pitstop for turkey and gravy.

Until last year I didn't know Thanksgiving was once moved on the calendar - I found out in the funniest of ways with bff Cathy again, at the movies watching Holiday Inn, an old Fred Astaire/Bing Crosby movie.  When they showed November the Turkey kept jumping back and forth, it is when FDR had decided to fiddle with the holiday.

Food traditions have changed for me over the years, we still have Turkey and I make my grandmother's filling.  I have added Mrs. Werner's, my ex-mother-in-laws sweet potatoes and now Parke's mother's Cope corn casserole.  A few years ago I added my famous chocolate chip cookies for the Grandkids, and this year I even made my Grandmother's apple tarts for my Mom.

Thanksgiving is also time to give thanks.  I am thankful for my Mom and Parke, I am thankful for my son, Robert and his wife Amy and my wonderful grandchildren, Katie, Joey and Bobby.  I am thankful for soooo many BFF's to numerous to mention, plus I don't want to forget anyone.  I am thankful for my church, my job (even though I had the BIGGEST hissy fit that I have had in a while yesterday) and my home.

I am thankful for Catasauqua and for you dear reader.  May you take today to just be blessed, rest, eat and be thankful.

Go Roughies, and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Volunteering in Catasauqua

My Pastor, Pastor Michael Smith, of Salem UCC in Catasauqua, along with his wife, Meghan, have initiated a volunteer program called "First Saturday".   Every first Saturday of the month volunteers from Salem go out into the community and volunteer at various places. 

This Saturday I chose The Catasauqua Public Library.  Along with BFF's, Cathy, Tammy, Don, Carol and Carol we ventured out this morning and reported for duty promptly at 9:30 AM.  We chose papers that assigned us to different jobs. 

First Tammy and I worked on the video section pulling out duplicate movies.  Then later I was assigned to stamping DISCARD into the books that the library puts out as free for the taking.  Now, if you ever saw me at work with the VOID stamper, you know that I love to stamp.  So stamped I did.   I was in my glory.  In between stamping and dating the books,  I perused around the library and found more books that I hadn't read by my favorite author, Janet Evanovich.  I didn't know that she wrote these other series so I was so excited that I renewed my Library Card and borrowed "Metro Girl" to read. 

Cathy working

Then, in the discard pile I found another book that I wanted to read! A book I never heard of by Jacqueline Susann entitled "Yargo".  It is kind of a "Valley of the Dolls" meets "Star Wars", looks strangely interesting.

 Oy,  all I can say, good thing I wasn't assigned to an Animal Shelter, because I probably would of came home with 2 more dogs and cat.  This way I only came home with 2 books and a renewed Library Card and renewed love of the Library.

Thanks Meghan and Pastor Mike, for getting me off my butt and getting me out there into the community, into my community.  And that's another day in Catasauqua.