What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Jack and I plan to have some black eyed peas for good luck.

But since Jack detests champagne we will salute the ball dropping in New York City with a glass of red wine.

Salute!

Happy New Year!

Drive carefully and drink sensibly.

Come back here in 2011.

A Tree In The Window and Santa On The Front Lawn

A Tree In The Window and Santa On the Front Lawn--

That's What Greeted Us At Our Daughter's For Christmas.
Jennifer Used Her Good China For Serving The Famous Karras Spagetti Dinner.
We Sang Jingle Bells With The Silver Jingle Bell Napkin Rings.
Little Jack Aidan Led The Caroling.

Keep Your Eye On The Moving Object Grandpa!

We Dodged A Snow Bullet For Christmas

We Dodged A Snow Bullet For Christmas

This is how much snow we got Christmas Day

1/2 Inch

Same For Our Sunday Snow Storm.

Barney the Lab Enjoyed Playing Fletch With Snowflakes Falling

Christmas Day Service At Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church

Christmas Day Service At Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church

This Church Has Just A Ten Year History

2000 - 2010

Lifesize Outdoor Creche

This Church Looks Like A Modern Cathedral

La Pieta

This Is A Lifesize Marble Reproduction of The Pieta In The Vatican In Rome

It is currently on tour at our local Catholic Church

My Godchild's Family

My Niece and Godchild's Family

Darlene Gariety Monnin's Christmas Card For 2010
Front row: Olivia Monnin and Hilary Monnin
Back row: Amanda Monnin Hoying, Matt Hoying, Matt Monnin, Darlene Gariety Monnin, and Colin Putoff
Now look up at the top at those two adorable pets dressed for Christmas:
Jinx the Cat and Jazz the Dog.

Second Day of Christmas

Second Day of Christmas

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and that now you are relaxing this Sunday with your Christmas gifts. We hope no one had the Green Grinch appear on their doorstep yelling stink, stank, stunk!

We Gave Santa Claus A Drink

We Gave Santa Claus A Little Drink.

Santa Was Tired of Milk and Cookies.

He Wanted Something A Little Stronger.

So We Opened Up The Armoire In The Foyer And Said Help Yourself.

Santa Had A Chevas Regal On The Rocks.

Christmas Day Is Just Hours Away!

Christmas Day Is Just Hours Away!

Christmas Day Is Just Hours Away!

Jack and Joann Are Ready!

Merry Christmas To All And To All A Goodnight!

My Sister's Family in Tipp City, Ohio

My Sister's Family

My sister, Mary Ellen Thobe, is holding Audrey Share.

Her husband, Jerome Thobe, is holding Tate Rudisill

Next row: Justin Share, Tracy Thobe Share, Brady Rudisill, Tammy Thobe Celeste

Last row: Keith Share, Tina Thobe Rudisill, Steve Rudisill, Kristina Celeste, and Guy Celeste.

The Shares live in Cleveland, Ohio

The Celestes live in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

The Rudisill live in Springboro, Ohio
Jerome (Jerry) and Mary Ellen Gariety Thobe live in Tipp City, Ohio

Grandma's Favorite Christmas Postcard

Grandma's Favorite Christmas Postcard

Jack Aidan Karras

Three Years Old

My Christmas Cactus

My Christmas Cactus

Jack's mother had a huge Christmas cactus years ago in Arizona. Her cactus was very old and had grown to be the size of a bushel basket. Hmmmmmm....maybe Christmas cacti grow better in the desert. I think I always kill mine by overwatering them. I just bought this one at Loews this past week. You want to make a bet how long it will be till I kill this one.

Red Christmas Poinsettias By Kitchen Sink

Red Christmas Poinsettias By Kitchen Sink

Where A French Rooster Is Surveying The Snow Outside The Window

Rooster:

Cock-a-doodle doo
Merry Christmas to you!

Christmas Wedding in Russia,Ohio

Christmas Wedding in Russia, Ohio

December 18, 2010

Megan Gariety Weds Doug Knapke At St. Remy's Catholic Church

The Bride

St. Remy Catholic Church Hall

The K Stands For Knapke

Shall We Cut The Cake

Santa, The Bride Has Been Good So Good

So

What Will You Bring Her For Christmas?

My Brother's 16 Grandkids and 2 Great Grandkids

My Brother's 16 Grandkids and 2 Great Grandkids
Christmas Party Last Sunday at Carl Gariety's Residence in Russia, Ohio
Grandma Esther, I Hope You Had Enough Food For This Gang

Wedding Today in Russia, Ohio

Wedding Today in Russia, Ohio

My brother Carl Gariety's granddaughter, Megan Gariety will wed this afternoon Doug Knapke. Megan and Doug both got their undergraduate degrees from Ohio State. This will be a buckeye blowout wedding! Congratulations and best wishes for a long happy life together.

Kherson, Khersonska Oblast??????

Kherson, Khersonska Oblast??????

I have a Live Traffic Feed installed on my blog so that I can find out from where visitors to my blog are living. Noticed this morning when I got on my blog that someone from Kherson, Khersonska Oblast spent a lot of time on my blog visiting various postings a short while ago. Well, I immediately remarked to my hubby that I don't have a clue where in the world Kherson, Khersonska Oblast is. (Do you?)

I had to immediately do a google search to learn that Kherson is a southern city in the province of Khersonska Oblast which is a province of the the country of Ukraine which at one time was a part of the old Soviet Union of Russia. I discovered that the people living there are Ukrainians and Russians. Naturally I then wondered to myself if this blog visitor realized that the blogger he was visiting was born in Russia, Ohio which is an incorporated village in the state of Ohio which is a part of the United States. Blogging can be so enlightening!

I wish some of the folks who visit my blog each week would identify themselves by sending me an email: jshipley25@verizon.net For example, who are the people behind these places:

Wooster, Ohio

Warren, Ohio

Marysville, Ohio

St. Henry, Ohio

Minster, Ohio

Fort Loromie, Ohio

Versailles, Ohio

New Benson, North Carolina

Our Three Bird Hangouts

Our Three Bird Hangouts

1. By the Two Feeders That Jack Stocks With Cheap Seed From Coscoe
2. By The Arbor and Swing

3. In The Holly Trees and Bird Bath

Stay warm this weekend and feed the birds.

Our First Snowfall of Winter 2010-11

Our First Snowfall

December 17, 2010

As Seen From Our Back Door and Our Front Door
(You Didn't Think I Was Stepping Out Into The Deep Freeze, Did You?)

The Local Weatherman Called This A Practice Run

Hardly Enough Snow To Cover The Grass

A Paris Christmas The Immoveable Feast

A Paris Christmas

The Immoveable Feast

John Baxter, an Australian living in Paris, relates how he was chosen to be the head chef for his French wife's Christmas Day feast. Each chapter relates something being served for the meal and each chapter begins with a quote. This was my favorite quote in the book:

There are three possible parts to a date, of which at least two must be offered: entertainment, food, and affection. It is customary to begin a series of dates with a great deal of entertainment,a moderate amount of food, and the merest suggestion of affection. As the amount of affection increases, the entertainment can be reduced proportionately. When the affection is the entertainment, we no longer call if dating.

Under no circumstances can the food be omitted.

--- Judith Martin

NARFE December Christmas Party

NARFE December Christmas Party

Good food, great music and holiday gift exchange was the order of the day.

You are never too old to enjoy getting a surprise present.

Christmas Show and Rockin Jack

Christmas Show and Rockin Jack

Our grandson's three year old preschool class had a Christmas show last Thursday night.

These photos are poor but I'm posting them anyway. Our grandson is in the blue shirt and tie and vest. He loved his blue tie and vest and called it his costume.

They screamed and danced and managed not to fall off the stage.

These older girls were cute as can be as Mrs. Claus.

And the house was standing room only with every parent with one or more cameras to record for posterity this big event.

Brrrrrrrrr! Its Cold Outside Today!

Brrrrrrrrrr! Its Cold Outside Today!

Thank Goodness We Are Not Homeless!
Today Is December 11 and We Still Have Some Leaves On Our Three Pear Trees.What Will Happen First?
The Leaves Drop or Santa Drops Down The Chimney?
Your Guess Is As Good As Mine.