It was so good to be back at church playing this morning – when I stepped forward to thank them for their prayers and support, they applauded me!!! My church family is very important to me, can you tell?
Reader photos – I can’t get behind!
And this afternoon Michele and Hank came over – Hank to play with Keeper and Michele to help me with another purchase I made under the influence of drugs while in the hospital. It’s a photo printer right from my phone! I could not have figured this out on my own but Michele did and here is my first photo card – one of my “bad hair day” roosters.
And I just finished Eventide by Kent Haruf.
Here are his other books:
This is written inside the cover of “Our Souls At Night”:
And I can’t remember Benediction so I’m going to put it in my pile to read again.
Has anyone else read any of his books?
We should talk about books again in January. Don’t start sending me your choices now because I can’t keep track of them.
My card to Jamie is in the mail. Yours?
Hi Mary,
Merry Christmas. I’m so glad that you are feeling well again.
Just wanted to chime in on Kent Haruf. In the mid 1970’s Kent was teaching English at Lone Star School, a small rural school with ~50 kids in K-12th grades in Northeastern Colorado (probably one of his early teaching positions). It is where I received my first 12 years of education. When Kent taught there, he was writing his first book, and my youngest brother was one of his students. The books are reminiscent of small town life in a farming community, which I’m sure you relate to, and every time I read one, I am transported back to that area and time!! Life was rarely easy there, but that’s what makes us who we are today!
I always enjoy reading your blog about nothing–keeps life real!!!
Sue – oh my, you actually knew him! Which book was his first? Yes, I enjoy the simple life he writes about.
Mary, as several readers commented, the picture of sleeping Millie, a barn in winter, and your beautiful red quilt is quite an eye catcher, just stunning! Someone mentioned it would be a great Christmas card.
I am so glad you enjoyed your first post surgery Sunday playing at church.
Take Care, 🥰
Merry Christmas to you Mary, and all the blog reader friends who spend time here. My friend introduced me to Mary’s blog about a year ago. I have enjoyed it so much, thought I don’t comment often. Recently everyone’s quilts, pets and Christmas decorations have been a true source of “comfort & joy” for me. If ever I figure out how to send some pictures, I hope to share a few myself. Wishing the happiest of holidays to all and praying God’s richest blessings in the year ahead. ~ Suzanne in Michigan
Plainsong, one of Kent Haruf’s books was also made into a movie. It is a delightful story about the people in a small town on the plains of Colorado. I’ve reread it several times.
Betty
The picture of Millie in front of your red quilt is simply beautiful. It would make a wonderful Christmas card. Thanks for sharing your life and all your readers’ stories and pictures!
Mary, There are many reasons I love your blog, we are so supportive of one another, and this is a blessing for sure! I loved the photo you posted with your beautiful red quilt, the barn picture, and such a nice photo of Millie relaxing! I am running errands today so will get a special card for Jamie as well.
I’m so glad you were well enough to play at church yesterday, Mary. What a wonderful acknowledgement of how much you mean to your congregation.
That red quilt, framed picture and relaxing Millie is the stuff of magazine photos. All the colors go together so well. Mary, you have a great eye for color combinations. Your red quilt calls to me each time I see it to get going on my blue quilt – on the list for 2025.
Sharon and Jeanine, so sorry to hear of younger family members with physical challenges.
Jamie, so glad to hear you are experiencing the good side of humanity.
Merry Christmas to all!
wonderful post today. love all the pictures. the picture with the chalk really made me laugh. i can picture a person doing this (with the chalk). so glad hank’s mom could help with the new photo app. can you share the name of it? course, you might have to share michelle also so we can do it also.
i’m sorry there is more illness around for our readers. it seems like it never ends. things seem to come in clusters and then there is calm for a while. i’m late today because i just going back to lay down. when i woke up my back just didn’t want to be straight and my legs didn’t want to hold me. still on the search for new docs and some kind of help.
only did a bit more cleaning/sorting yesterday. came across some precuts from moda – these are 2.5 x 5″. i don’t remember buying them but they are much older modas. pulled out about 4 packs of them and have stitched two into pairs. am going to go with 4 patches. some of these fabric lines i think i have in charm squares. we will see how it goes and what it turns into. right now it is just stitching as a break from sorting and trashing. tis really hard to do. i should be working in the kitchen as that is a more immediate need but that’s not fun either. not sure how much will get done today. will see how the aleve works.
i wish everyone success with their last minute shopping or cooking. enjoy family if you can. mine is not near me so it will be mr ed and i and i still don’t know what we’re eating that day. could be interesting. blessings to all, patti in florida
I’ve read several of Haruf’s books. I think he’s terrific. I’ll look forward to “Book Talk” in January!
P S Can you shore the printer you bought? That sounds like a fun thing to have.
I look forward to some book talk in January.
That chicken photo is a hoot.
I wish you still sold the photo cards. I have one of your tomato pincushions that I will not part with.
Merry Christmas
Our daughter-in-law that had a double mastectomy on October 1 is having her recontructive surgery this morning in Ohio. She does not have to go through chemo, so we are thankful for that. They discovered the cancer early enough to get it all. We are praying that all goes well.
I’m so happy to hear that you were back in church yesterday to play the piano. I am sure you were missed, and that you are appreciated more than you know. Sometimes we take that for granted. I know I need to tell our pianists more often how much I appreciate them.
As always, thank you Mary for this blog. It is a highlight for many of us each day you post. Merry Christmas to you and Rick and all your faithful blog readers.
Aww, what a sweet picture of Millie in front of your beautiful red quilt. The picture of perfect feline contentment.
So sorry for Jamie’s situation, it’s just terrible, I will get a card out as soon as I get somewhere to get one!
Merry Christmas to all & Happy New Year!!!
I will get a card in the mail to Jamie today. Glad you’re back playing at church. Have a Merry Christmas.
Another great post Mary. I’m so glad you were able to play at church. Your reception must have meant so much to you. I have read 3 of Kent Haruf’s books and have Plainsong ready to go. My book club read Our Souls at Night and we all really loved it. I’m very interested in your printer that prints from your phone. would you share more info about it?
The teddy bear quilt is darling. Card ready to go in mail today. Elder abuse comes from places you never expect it sometimes. Have a great day!
Reading Jamie’s comment this morning brought tears to my eyes with the lady bringing her a stocking and following up with any help she can give her. Jamie has found someone who cares. Also Pat offering too just shows the kind readers you have that follow your blog.
And thanks for Hanks mom helping with your new purchase. All good people.
Today I will stop at the library after I make a grocery store run to look for this new to me authors books. I kept track of the books I read this year and I read 13 but I read somewhere that people want to read 25 books in the year 2025. I might try that with sewing projects and a book list.
The movie, Our Souls at Night, based on Kent Haruf’s book, is on Netflix. It’s so good! A favorite.
Hi Mary. It’s great that you’re doing so well and you were able to go back to church this morning! Yay! Yes, I’ve read all of Kent Haruf’s books and I really enjoyed watching Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in Our Souls at Night. It’s been a while since I’ve read them, too. I’ve always wished he could have written more books. I will be going to the card shop tomorrow so I will pick up a card for Jamie. It sounds like she could use some legal help, though. No one deserves to be bullied like that. No one. Thanks for posting all the wonderful pictures. I certainly enjoy looking at them!
Another uplifting entry today! So happy about the love surrounded you today,you serve it. Loved all the photos, especially the “chalk” pic and your first printed photo. I miss your bad hair day chickens.
SOMEBODY HERE SENT ME AN ANGEL TODAY!
Yesterday, someone who lives nearby posted a photo of some Christmas stockings she was giving away on the Next Door App. I immediately fell in love with one of the stockings. I posted how much I loved it but had to pass because my disability prevents me from picking it up. A different person posted that she would get it for me, then, the person giving it away posted that she would bring it to me!
She brought it this afternoon, you would think that’s the end of the story, but. An hour later she sent the following text:
“If you need anything, let me know. Let me know what kind of things that would help you or your friends there. I’ll help if I can and bring it.”
I KNOW somebody here sent that Angel to me and I thank you from the deepest depths of my heart!
jamie, i am so happy an angel was sent to you. and happy that it has cheered your spirits. merry christmas to you. hugs, patti in florida
Mary – I can’t believe it, but another family member is ill. My 58-year old nephew. He is in the hospital. He was in the hospital last Christmas, too. We will know more about his condition and prognosis tomorrow. I am heartsick. 🙏
I will send a card to Jamie. Elder Abuse is no joke. Whether it is physical, psychological, or financial, it must be taken seriously. I can hardly believe AZ would interview the abusers before the abused. A police report needs to be done so Jamie has the abuse on the record. There are advocates in every state so hopefully Jamie will be taken care of before it’s too late. I am sad this has happened to Jamie.
I’ve enjoyed all of the photos. Just love the decor, quilts, and Christmas decorations.
Merry Christmas to all.
Sharon – oh no, he’s too young to be so sick and your poor family! What a bad stretch of health problems and when I hear stories like yours, I am once again so thankful my surgery turned out to be somewhat simple with no extending circumstances. And how are YOU?