2020 - 12 Pictures of Year Review

 January 2020 

Our Dolly, was a faithful, selfless friend - I will miss her forever.  (sad face)

February 2020

4H community service project - making lunches for the homeless shelter.  This was our last 4H meeting of the year (sad face).

March 2020

Needle felting class.  This was the last one for 2020 - I did have a full schedule of classes (sad face).

April 2020

We had the addition of my little grandlove.  She calls me Gram Bird and I babysit for her 1 day a week (happy face).

May 2020

I started my virtual sales.  Blog stories with staged items for sale. LIVE selling events on facebook.  Reinvented a way to sell (happy face).

June 2020

Lots of chickens on the farm, our hens love to be mamas and I let them. (happy face).  I did reduce my flock due to crowing complaints...I still have a few roosters to let go of. (sad face) 

July 2020

Jon and Anna raised some meat chickens and we went down for butchering/processing day.  Homeraised food (happy face).

August 2020

Processing garden bounty.  My friend Renee always shares her produce with me. (happy face)  I had about 3 cucumbers thanks to all the chickens scratching and pecking in my garden. (sad face).

September 2020

This is my anniversary, mother's day, birthday and Christmas gifts all rolled into one beautiful, stick built greenhouse Al made me.  I love it! (happy face)

October 2020

We took several little day trips this past year.  We had plans to go out west, but with Covid, nope.  However, we discovered several fun spots within Wisconsin and UP.  (happy face)

November 2020

Time spent with my girls doing what we love - afternoon tea at a Johanna May's Tea House.  (happy face)

December 2020 

We added 2 puppies to our nest.  Ginger and Lady.  They are part Blue Heeler and "terror" (ahahah - they chew on everything!) actually, Rat Terrier. (scared face...ahahha) 

This is only a small peek in my year.  God has been so good to me in good times and bad.  I look foward to connecting with you all in 2021.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

It's a Wondeful Life - Even in 2020

My all time favorite Christmas movie is, It's a Wonderful Life!  I've liked it during all the stages of my life thus far and it has held a different meaning depending on that stage.  The message this movie portrays is timeless.  Times have changed and our American way of life looks different from that 1940's era.  The message, has not. 

At our most hopeless and desperate times, we should take a cue from George Bailey.  As he sat on the bar stool, looking at his insurance policy, he turned to God for answers.  "Dear father in heaven, I'm not a praying man but, if you are up there and you can hear me, show me the way.  I'm at the end of my rope, show me the way God."    

This really hit me differently this year than any other.  Many of us are facing the changes that 2020 has gifted us with.  Yes, I say gifted, I know many not the most pleasant, but it's a gift.  How did you open it?  With a fake smile, "oh, it's just want I always wanted..." or did you say "it's not what I wanted, but I will make it work."  I am an optimist, "Little Miss Sunshine" as my neighbor Mrs. Klein called me.  Not to say, I haven't faced life altering changes, I have!  

I guess, I had my George Bailey moment, I know when it exactly was....the phone rang, I answered and heard my brother say,  "Dicky Bird, they are taking mom to the hospital, she had a stroke."  I fell on my knees, in front of my couch and said "Jesus, I'm sorry I never really 'needed' you, it's your fault, because you gave me such a good mama, but I need you now, please don't let my mom die."  ohhh that moment....and I grew up in the church.  A call on the name of Jesus, clapping hands, speaking in tongues kinda church.  And, I still needed my George Bailey moment.  Little did I know, that moment, in my brokeness, He had plans for my life.  His plans involved my totally needing Him - this brokeness over my mom, who did survive, built my faith in Him.  His ability to help me in that desperate time, was the foundation He was building in me so that when I heard "your little girl has cancer" I could face it and open that gift.  

Maybe in this wonderful life of 202o, you feel hopeless and desperate.  I can tell you, from personal experience, a good ol' George Bailey moment...will make it easier.  It won't make it perfect, because, we aren't in control of anything, we really aren't.   I try to focus on the most wonderful life here, so that in the one here after, it will be the BEST.

"All you can take with you, is that which you've given away" (Peter Bailey, George's dad).  I love that one!  It was on a plaque hanging on the wall in the Bailey Building and Loan.  

My hope for you dear reader is that when you are faced with your Geroge Bailey moment, you can think on his prayer and maybe even mine.  Brokeness, as hard as it is, is a gift.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Christmas Gift

 I completed the 2020 12 Days of Give Aways on my business facebook page: Town Hall Trinkets, LLC this year it was "Jacky's Favorite Things."  Here they are:

I enjoy finding little themed gifts to share with my customers.  I appreciate their following along and supporting my little business, none more so than this crazy year.  I've tried some "new" things in the way I sell, some I will carry forward with and others not.  Technology is always changing, new ways to connect, new sites to join....it's not easy trying to keep up.  I've decided that things all seem "too much" - in more ways than one.  

On one of my give away days, I asked the question:  "What was your most memorable Christmas gift?"  Reading them, did boost my Christmas Cheer, so I will share a few with you (permission was granted).  No names, just the gifts .... here goes: 

Crocheted items from my grandma

My twin sister and I got a Troll house!!! Back in the 60's those Trolls were the hot toy. I wish we still had them

My most memorable was the year I got engaged

2007 ; when my husband came home from Afghanistan. I knew but we surprised our boys and all my family. 

My most wonderful gift was my newborn son, born on Dec 22. No. better. gift. EVER. 

In hindsight, the Christmas that stands out was the one where I received new golf clubs. My dad was doctoring but at the time nothing worrisome. It was a beautiful Christmas Day and we went golfing!! In Wisconsin! It’s been a bit over 30 years, and I just discovered I had been given the clubs so my Mom would have a golfing partner. My dad knew deep down he had cancer, and just in case he wanted my mom to continue with her golfing. She is still my partner to this day! Mom is 83! And golfs 4 times a week in season!

A Conner Toys wooden kitchen set! I still have them!

A big white Samoyed dog stuffed animal

My white Partridge Family boots...just like the ones that Laurie Partridge wore on the TV show. I also had the outfit to go with lol

My most memorable gift was from my dad in 1985. It’s a German made pyramid with candles. The heat of the candles makes the pyramid spin. I love it.

I grew up in Holland (the country, not MI) and the big gift-giving event is St Nick’s in December 5th. I remember getting one gift under the tree every year. So my Christmas gift memories are fairly recent. I think last year’s ballroom dancing lessons with my husband was one of the best 

 The most memorable gift for me was when my husband and both my parents were alive and my Mom, dad, brothers and I with our families celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Day. My dad's been gone since 1995, my mom in 1998, and my husband in 2011. Oh to have one more Christmas with everyone. 

My most memorable gift was my blonde ponytail Barbie. I still have her!

That’s a tough one. Probably the Christmas I wasn’t working and my family was blessed by so many people that helped to make our Christmas wonderful.

My most memorable Christmas gift was my Barbie Dream Cottage. Probably one of the coolest gifts I ever received as a kid.

A gift I got early when I was 5 and had my tonsils removed it was a complicated surgery there was an abscess of some kind I was under so long and so sick afterwards that when I was still so sick at home that November I got my Christmas presents early I think my folks thought I was going to die before Christmas. My favorite were a pair of red velvet shoes with sparkles on them I still have them and cherish them

Horse book! Always wanted a horse, but grew up in the city!

... my Children’s Bible. You know it. The big brown one with the great pictures!!!!! Still have it!

When I was younger it was a cabbage patch doll baby as an adult my husband got me a st Bernard puppy our first Christmas together, I always wanted one  

These, tell us alot about Christmas gifts.  Many of the gifts are still treasured and some not even purchased.  I wanted to share this today, as you are bustling around, preparing food, wrapping presents....your "gifts" are WHO you do that for.  

I gave myself the "gift" of NOT doing all that, I want a simple Christmas.  Oh, if you know me, I'm holding back the reins...on myself....I want to enjoy the experience and be a joy to be around.  Sometimes, and this may just be me, doing "it all" for a "show" made me not a joy to be around.  

If my 2020 PROGRESSION (word of year) has taught me one major thing...."it's not a competition and you don't need to compare your (fill in the blank) with others."  I have some words for 2021 already, I can't wait to see what fate picks for me.

Have a WONDERFUL Christmas - Jesus is the gift - that keeps giving, He does to me, every day!  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.  

Banana, Lemon, Blueberry Muffins

 

Special guests coming for coffee, what do I whip up...I looked in the refrigerator and came up with this.

3 ripe bananas

1 lemon, zest & juice

Smash the bananas and add the zest and juice of lemon, set aside.

2 C flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 heaping cup of sugar

mix dry ingredients with a fork in a bowl, add the banana mixture

1 stick melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

mix all together with the fork just in same bowl.  

1 c (could do more if you have it) blueberries, I rolled them in flour to coat them, that way they don't sink as much.

Fill muffin cups and sprinkle additional sugar on top.   Bake 350 maybe 30 min. or until a tooth pick comes out clean...that's my test.

So easy, so good!

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.