New Years Eve 2009/2010!

Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve.

Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue - the name has nothing to do with the color of our closest celestial neighbor.

A full moon occurred on Dec. 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.

So...if you're out tonight, look up in renewed wonder.

I give you these words from Martin Luther:

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth .

Happy New Year, family and friends. Get ready for good things to come in 2010!

A GREAT visit from the Kelley/Pedersen family!

Come back soon!

For We Need A Little Christmas!

The goodness of Christmas always deck our halls on Christmas day. It doesn't get any better than this...unless ofcourse, more of you were there!

Sabonis-Chafee Caroling Party

Way back when Mike and Kim were in high school, we began a tradition of caroling at Christmas. In the early years we invited a few friends to sing and come back for chili. Our group would always return from caroling with far more people than we had when we started! Neighbors would join us to spread the joy. Well, it kept evolving; one year it was pouring down rain so we all gathered in the kitchen at Shiver Summit and people would shout out phone numbers that we would call and carol to over the phone. Then there was the year that we were in between homes and we rented the "Town Square Delicatessen" of the apartment complex we lived in. We stood on the town green, in front of the lighted fountain and beautiful Christmas trees and caroled up to the apartments above. People flung open their windows to listen. There were also times that Shannon would come dressed as Santa Claus and sing, solo; "Rudolf with you nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight", when the carolers sang Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer, for the children that came to the doors.

As Mike and Kim's friends got older and their generation started to multiply, Kim took over the annual tradition, and we moved the party to Roswell. Mike makes his famous turkey chili, Tom his smoking HOT chili and I make mild chili for the children. Kim welcomes us into their beautiful, candle-lit home with the halls decked out in Christmas finery. Chips and dips, crackers and cheese, ham and biscuits, cookies and bars and cookies and cookies. It's a smorgasbord of culinary delights! She does such a lovely job putting all that together.

But that's not the best part. The best part is that the joy of Christmas abounds. As we don the red scarfs that I made so long ago at Shiver Summit, one notices that the children are excited and that they know just what to do. It has become their party too, and they honor it as such. They are fully in charge of the passing of the jingle bells and the ringing of the door bells. They sing and eagerly eat the treats offered at the homes of a generous audience.

"Oh come let us adore Him." (Boys), "Oh, come let us adore Him." (Girls), "Oh, come let us adore Hi..mm, CHRI-IST. THE LORD." (All)! We sing, as our leader (Kim) taught us. What a joy to "go tell it on the mountain!" It's the one night that I can truly say it's about the Christ child.

So, in the tradition of the Carolers as we leave each house, "We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

Popcorn balls and Hobo Dinners...

Would you believe that I was having such a good time with my granddaughters last night that I only took two pictures! Well, it's true. Emily, Morgan and Issy came over to spend the night and we just had a lovely time.

Before Morgan arrived Joe got to stay with Em, Issy and me, while his mom went for a run in our neighborhood so she could experience some different scenery. We took advantage of the time and made POPCORN Balls! They were about as much fun to make, as to eat, and the girls did a great job following Joe's lead making them uniformly the size of baseballs.

Later that evening, I called the girls up from the basement, where they were playing on Morgan's new Christmas mini laptop, to help with dinner. I cut up chicken and vegetables and the girls put together hobo dinners. Another great job! Not only did they make them perfectly, but they enjoyed eating them as well. My grandchildren love to make their own dinners!

For Beth: Recipe for HoBo Dinners...

Ingredients, per dinner:

hamburger patty (we used chicken strips)

potato slices

baby carrots

canned green beans

squash slices (optional)

sliced onions (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

cream of mushroom soup

Lipton Onion soup mix

If using lean meat, butter the center of a sheet of foil (about 25"long)

Place meat in the center and surround it with a serving of each vegetable.

Salt and Pepper generously.

Dollop the top of meat with (maybe an 1/8 cup) cream of mushroom soup.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon onion soup mix on top of mushroom soup.

Loosely, bring up the long ends of foil together, fold slightly, then crimp sides to seal package.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

(The soups should mix together with the juices from the meat to make a tasty gravy.)

Originally these were cooked over an open camp fire with just meat, onions, potatoes and carrots, therefore, Hobo dinners!

I feel very special to have my own built-in slumber party guests. They are such great kids that I want to do it again and again!

A White Christmas in New York!

Knowing the thrill I get from falling snow, Kate has Skyped me a couple of times, raising the bathroom window and holding her body and her computer out in the cold to show me the glorious frozen precept.

Oh what wonderful snow cream that much snow would have made when I was a child! Daddy would have chopped up candy canes to make peppermint snow cream or added choco, lemons, any varity of things to make it new and interesting. Then we would go for a snow trip! Yes, a snow trip! Daddy always made an adventure out of snow.

Thanks, Kate, these pictures were a treat to receive. I hope the weather doesn't keep you from coming home for Christmas but I too would love to be singing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

From the House of the First Born...

As Christmas draws nearer, the trees grow brighter. God has blessed us with so much in this family. Mike just sent me the beautiful tree that proudly stands in the den of the home he, Mary, Joe and Isabelle share. Mary has done such an incredible job bringing in the sight and sounds of Christmas. She is checking her list, and checking it twice...I know because I've talked to her while out shopping for those she loves. She always seems so joyful.

Another Family Christmas Tree

I know three kids that are going to be very happy under this tree on Christmas morning. Thanks Kim for sharing your family tree with those of us who read Chatterbox. We are looking forward to seeing it in person at the annual Caroling Party this Sunday. (If you're in Atlanta, and didn't get an evite, give me a call and I'll see about getting you an invitation!) It's always a great night.

First fake trees for the SSC family!

The SSC family is going out of town this Christmas to be with other family members in Florida. Well, Shannon decided that getting a real tree would just be too much for such a short period of time. So, while walking through Walmart he picked up a green, white and pink bottle brush tree in hope that the colorful forest would please the family and not shed needles if it had to stay up for a while after Christmas. Disappointed as Molly might have been, at not having her traditional tree, she was a team player and went along with another one of Shannon's unconventional ideas.

I kinda like the whimsical look myself!

Send me pictures of your tree. It will be fun to share them.

Christmas doings with the S-C family

Today was a day filled with Christmas activities. Church was a good place to start...my notes read things like; "Christmas is Merry because Jesus came to set us free, not because of the gifts under the tree." "It is impossible to live like Christ unless we know Christ." "Give all your sins to Him and you will find peace."

After Church the S-C family (our children/grandchildren and fellow worshipers) took us to their club for our annual Christmas brunch together. What a treat to share this time with them! The food is always good, the company a pleasure and afterwards we get to go down stairs and have a visit with Santa himself! Use to, the singing of the Messiah at Westminster and the Lawyer's Club Christmas Party would kick off the season for me. But now, I think it's this afternoon brunch that starts to get me excited!

Grandad and I came home for a short rest then headed back to the church for children's Christmas Nativity. It was a huge event and we all watched proudly as William played the part of a Shark (Shark, you ask?...something to do with ALL creatures.)

He was a very good shark. (below, William is the big fish in the

middle.)

Whatever you are doing to prepare for Christmas Day, I hope you are feeling the spirit too. I can't wait to see all of you.

Remembering Daddy

My white hair was a gift from my Daddy. I wonder what he would have thought about it? Today, along with Mom and my siblings, I am remembering and celebrating his "dash"...5/4/24-12/8/05. (See queentalks)

Bethann, Esq. Visits Father's Law School

Terrence got a call a few days ago. It was daughter Beth, calling from the campus of Michigan Law School. I could hear the pride in his voice when he told her places on the campus he wanted her to see: "You must go to the law library....., then, go upstairs on the second floor of the law school building and look for a plaque on the wall and see if you can find my name."

Well, Beth did all those things and even sent pictures to prove it. She found the plaque commemorating Terrence's victory in the Advanced Moot Court "Campbell Competition" in 1964. Although not shown on the wall, he recalls that he also won the prize for the best brief, and at the awards banquet following the final argument, which was presided over by a Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Terrence was appointed Chief Judge of the first year moot court program for the following year. All in all it was a big day for him.

Beth made her father feel very special to be able to share those memories with her.

Thanks Beth, for sharing your visit with us. I hope you were as proud as of your father as I am.