Today Is Tuesday, December 23, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

I'm bad. I promised PENGUIN I would answer his question from his last Sunday, SUNDAY FIVE. But for some reason it kept slipping my mind.

1: Do you dance in public? No. I'm afraid of embarrassing other people

2: Will any holiday parties you attend this year include dancing? No

3: Tell us about the last time you danced in public?It been years.

4: Tell us about any dance classes you might have ever taken?  None

5: Should it be illegal to dance at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC? I would say no.

Talking about dancing. Some time in our pagan ceremonies there dancing. Yule, I was hoping part of there ceremony they would have been little dancing.

Got package from Amazon, and only half was place in the package. Here what I should of gotten 3 rolls, instead of SIX. After Christmas, I will do something. I had plan to divide the rolls up, between my the two families.

Got the art supplies wrapped up. And the only thing I need to finish up is the granddaughters. Main gift. It looks like one of the gift is in Spokane, should be here tomorrow.

Copied and paste different lines of my post from yesterday, and had Night Cafe make up four pictures. This is what it came up with. Blogging for three days in roll, and take break for 4 days, seems to work quite well. I should be back on Monday, the 29^th.

Merry Christmas.

Today Is Monday, December 22, 2025: This Is What Happened

 

Last evening the 21^st of December. I went to a local yule celebration. To welcome longer days. It was very nice together with like minded people.

There was simple service, food and conversation.

I took couple of photos of the place, where we meant. It's not safe for me to share the photos of who was there. I believe they was 15 of us.

Oh, I grab Liz and took her with me.

This is my two favorite card I got this year.

This morning I stop in pick up my stickers, which I'm not sure if I will do them again next year. Kinda of on the costly side. If I do. I will do a lot less of them.

Then up to the dentist. Had my teeth clean and no cavities. It's been a long time since I had a cavity. After the dentist, I went thrift store and got some rubber stands. A great place to get rubber stamps. I will add them to my granddaughter art bag. After that I went into Super one, and got my son and wives a little something. For my sons I got them each role of duct tape. And for the one wife I got some hand cream, and same for Sawyer ex wife. I have trouble of how to put her in my blogs, when it necessary. Her and my son isn't married. I understand that. She still two of my granddaughters mother. Then I stop Lolita and got gift I had her wrapped. She gave me an calendar, that she got free. Murphy likes the game calendar. It's of Norman Rockwell.

Wrap up a few gifts.

I been thinking what five and half things I want to accomplish in the year of 2026. Or take got stab at them. Let start with the half.

½. Finish up the area in the basement I been working on. I might even get done before the end of the year.

1. Seriously work on the quilt I been working on for a very long time.

2. Try to loose between 15 and 20 pounds.

3. Finish up my writing prompts

4. Work on my art prompts.

5. Clean and get rid of things in the shed and under the stair well.

Went over to chat gpt and had them match up the tarot cards that would match today's post.

1. The Sun

Why it fits:
This card directly mirrors the heart of your post: the Yule celebration on December 21st and the welcoming back of longer days. The Sun is about warmth, community, simple joy, and shared light—exactly what you describe in the gathering, the food, and the sense of being with like-minded people.

Theme echoed:
Renewal, returning light, gentle optimism, and being present in a moment that doesn’t need to be dramatic to be meaningful.

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2. Three of Cups

Why it fits:
This card reflects the gathering itself—the shared meal, conversation, and quiet companionship. It’s not about spectacle, but about showing up and being together. Even your care around privacy and respect for others’ presence aligns with the emotional maturity of this card.

Theme echoed:
Community, friendship, chosen family, and celebrating life in modest, sincere ways.

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3. Six of Pentacles

Why it fits:
Your day after Yule is full of small acts of giving and balancing: gifts for your sons, hand cream for the women in their lives, stamps for your granddaughter, thoughtful acknowledgment of family structures that don’t fit neat labels. This card speaks to generosity, fairness, and care given without keeping score.

Theme echoed:
Reciprocity, quiet generosity, and maintaining balance in family relationships.

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4. Page of Pentacles

Why it fits:
This card beautifully matches the practical, hopeful tone of your plans for 2026. The Page of Pentacles is about starting (or returning to) long-term projects with patience: the quilt, writing prompts, art prompts, organizing spaces, tending health. It’s not about perfection—just steady effort.

Theme echoed:
Learning, persistence, small steps toward meaningful goals, and curiosity about what can grow with care.

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5. The Hermit

Why it fits:
While the post begins in community, it ends in reflection. Thinking about the year ahead, naming what you want to accomplish, and acknowledging uncertainty (like the stickers) all point to The Hermit’s wisdom. This isn’t isolation—it’s intentional pause and honest self-assessment.

Theme echoed:
Reflection, inner guidance, and choosing what truly matters as the year turns.

Today Is Sunday, December 21, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

Welcome Winter, and those south of Equator. Welcome Summer. Got the tree done, and yule cards out. This year I add a story. Which you can read it HERE and HERE.

I rarely place Christmas balls on my tree. I like individual ornaments place on them. To me, they tell a story the first one I place, was car carrying skies. I only been on snow skies ones. Now I been on water skies quite a few times. Now the fact is skiing is out of my price range. And my bones couldn't handle it. But the time I did it was both “scary” and “exciting”. Plus I should toss the word “fun” in it.

I had the plans to get the rest of letters, to match our first name. So you could guess “D” stand for Dora. 

This is my new ornaments. I made it at the senior center. Now the days here will slowly get longer. Today is the longest day for darkness.

I'm heading to a yule or winter solstice celebration and pot luck. I'm using one of ANGIES RECIPE. This is the recipe I used, MAUSTEKAKU FINNISH SPICE CAKE. I had chat-gpt put it in imperial measurements. I had no cocoa powder. So I put 2 tablespoon of molasses in it.

Put the laundry away, and I was hanging up things in the closet. And hanging things one the wire hangers. What came to my mind was from the movie “Mommie Dearest” and when the charter Joan Crawford said “No more wire hangers” as she beats her kids. Murphy making bean soup.

Coffee is on.

Today Is Wednesday, December 15, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 This Is the other card I had done up, and the story I included.

THE WINTER RIDER

In the deep stillness of Midwinter, when the snow lay thick as memory and the sun hovered low on the horizon, there lived an ancient traveler known only as The Winter Rider. Some called him Father Winter, others the Old Gift-Bringer, but he simply thought of himself as a companion to the turning of the year.

Every solstice morning, he saddled his loyal companion—a great wild boar, strong-backed and sure-footed, a creature whose bristles caught the faint return of sunlight like threads of gold. The boar was no ordinary beast; he was the embodiment of Instinct and Strength, the part of the world that could not be tamed but could always guide. Together, they walked the narrow path where the forest met the edge of dreams.

As they traveled, the forest whispered. Tall snow-laden evergreens stood as guardians of the Threshold, marking the passage between the old year and the new. From their branches, ravens watched with quiet intelligence. They were the Messengers, keepers of hidden knowledge. One called out in a rasping voice, a sound like a door creaking open.

“It is time,” the raven croaked.
The Winter Rider nodded. He already knew.

Ahead lay a village still wrapped in sleep. Its clock tower—proud, slender, and ancient—glowed with the orange kiss of the rising sun. Within its gears lived the archetype of The Timekeeper, a being who turned the wheel of the seasons with patient hands. As the sun crested the mountains, the tower bells rang, announcing the rebirth of the light.

Children—two small helpers bundled in red—heard the chimes first. They ran outside, leaving a trail of mitten prints in the snow, waving eagerly at the approaching silhouettes of boar and rider. These were the Child Helpers, symbols of wonder and renewal, reminding the village that even in deep winter, playfulness and joy endure.

When the Winter Rider reached the heart of the town, he paused. The returning sun painted his long shadow across the snow, stretching behind him like the story of a year now ending. He reached into the sack on his back, but instead of toys or trinkets, he pulled out something far more precious:

A small spark of the returning light.

Not a literal flame, but a blessing—warmth, hope, courage. The kind of light that lives inside people, quiet and steady. He handed this glow to the helpers, who carried it door to door, gifting it to every home.

And so, the village woke not to presents wrapped in ribbons, but to something deeper:
the reminder that even in the darkest times, the light will always return.

When his work was finished, the Winter Rider turned his boar back toward the forest. The ravens called their farewells. The clock tower hummed with the rhythm of another year beginning. And the sun, now fully risen, crowned the world in gold.

No one knew where the Rider went after that. Some believed he wandered the endless winter woods. Others said he climbed the mountains to speak with the spirits of the old year. But all agreed on one truth:

He would return again, whenever the world needed reminding that light, wisdom, and kindness never truly fade.

Today Is Monday, December 15, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

It been raining all day, and for mid December is far from cold, for us here in North Idaho. The mail wasn't came and I'm not sure if I will go out to the mail box today or not. I hope we get no mail today. I'm made out of brown sugar.

Well I finish up a book I been reading. “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B White. It's the same person who wrote Charlotte's Web. Animal brought to life. I'm passing it on to my old granddaughter who is 9. Murphy and I are going to the senior center for lunch tomorrow. There serving Chicken chimi's, corn salad, Mexican coleslaw, Spanish rice, and pineapple fluff. But before we go to lunch. I want to get the book “The Bell Jar” by “Sylvia Plath”

Got the Christmas Tree up. Not complete done. Murphy and I strung the lights around it. The blue bird lights is pain to put on. These lights need to be pin up. If there not pin up, the bird fall over. Tomorrow, I will add the ornaments and iceicles.

Last night for dinner we had stuff peppers, with ground Turkey.

So I will be back on this up coming Wednesday. To share my other Christmas card and letter. My next round of blogging will start again on Saturday, the 20^th. I will share my Christmas tree than.  

It been raining all day, and for mid December is far from cold, for us here in North Idaho. The mail wasn't came and I'm not sure if I will go out to the mail box today or not. I hope we get no mail today. I'm made out of brown sugar.

Well I finish up a book I been reading. “The Trumpet of the Swan” by E.B White. It's the same person who wrote Charlotte's Web. Animal brought to life. I'm passing it on to my old granddaughter who is 9. Murphy and I are going to the senior center for lunch tomorrow. There serving Chicken chimi's, corn salad, Mexican coleslaw, Spanish rice, and pineapple fluff. But before we go to lunch. I want to get the book “The Bell Jar” by “Sylvia Plath”

Got the Christmas Tree up. Not complete done. Murphy and I strung the lights around it. The blue bird lights is pain to put on. These lights need to be pin up. If there not pin up, the bird fall over. Tomorrow, I will add the ornaments and iceicles.

Last night for dinner we had stuff peppers, with ground Turkey.

So I will be back on this up coming Wednesday. To share my other Christmas card and letter. My next round of blogging will start again on Saturday, the 20^th. I will share my Christmas tree than.

Today Is Sunday, December 14, 2025: This Is What Happened

 

I'm some what having trouble figuring out exactly what I want to post about. Question time...How often do you struggle about what to post about? My life is pretty much the same day out and day in. Which I should be thankful for. At this age I'm not ready for to much excitement.

I guess I will take part in Penguin's SUNDAY FIVE and Holidays plans.

1: Are you planning anything special for the end of the year holidays?. Mine is more of wish. All my granddaughters will be in Spokane. I would like to have an special time with all of them. It seems like a simple request. (I have no grandsons)

2: Are you traveling anyplace for the end of the year holidays? Spokane, unless the roads are bad.

3: Is your gift shopping finished? No, But I'm more on track this year.

4: Who will be cooking for your end of the year holidays? I would say mixture of us. We do more or less potluck.

5: Have you thought about your goals for 2026? Not really.

Some of you may already know I open an ACCOUNT over at NIGHT CAFE. It free. And they do have subscription as well. I would guess you can get more perks if one buys a subscription. One earns can earn credits and badge for complete different task. I host three challenge. Which I will share tomorrow. But I been making two collection. One from the old soap opera dark shadow and from the bible book of genesis. Statement time...Art on A.I has long ways to go. It looks like they never heard of dark shadows. I been slowly having Night Cafe do up art work, before Barnabas Collins. As you see, they're way off.

The other collection I'm doing is from book genesis in the bible. So far I covered, The creation, Adam and Eve, The flood, After the flood, and the Tower of Babel.

In all honestly I find it some what laughable. The very first one is a candy Christmas tree. Then after wards I'm posting two pictures from dark shadow, and book of Genesis.

Coffee is on

Saturday, December 13, 2025: This Is What Happened

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!

Saturday 9: First Christmas (2024)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it HERE

1. The song mentions snowmen and snow on a windowpane. Has it snowed near you yet? Yes, but it didn't last. It been warm and rainy here. Some area around here is even having flooding.

2. Diane Keaton sings that hearing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" makes her miss someone she loved who won't be coming home at all. Is there a Christmas song that reminds you of a loved one? I'm going to take a little different twist on this question. One Christmas eve I heard noise up-stairs. At that time I had a bedroom in the basement. I thought it was Santa, and pretend I was asleep. After I was sure Santa was gone. I went up-stair and they was more gift under the tree.

3. After the song was first released for Christmas 2024, Diane said she appreciated how many people posted on her Instagram, sharing their "First Christmas journeys," explaining how they navigated the first holiday season without a special someone. What have you recently posted on social media (other than this blog post)? I don't think I have.

4. Diane appeared in the Broadway musical Hair and sang in movies like Annie Hall and The First Wives Club. Still she didn't consider herself "much of a singer." How about you? What's something you do, even though you're not completely comfortable doing it? Dealing with bureaucracy. Mainly my husband says I do so well with it. My stomach is in knots as I'm doing it. Then after it done I have to use the bathroom.

5. This was Diane's first and, sadly, her only record. She was nervous doing it, but it helped that the lyrics was written by her friend, Carole Bayer Sager, and that both Carole and her writing partner, Jonas Myrin, were with Diane in the studio. Tell us about a friend who came through for you? I'm not ready to share.

6. After her 75th birthday, Diane said she was excited that new ventures were coming her way and she found herself saying "yes" more often. In addition to recording this week's song, she accepted an unexpected offer from Look Optic to design eyewear. Have you recently tried something you've never done before? OR What's something you'd like to try? I never tried doing art til I was in my 60's

7. Do you display the holiday cards you receive? Yes, so far we got 13.

8. This is a big time of hear for necklaces, hats and headbands decorated with jingle bells. Will you be wearing any bells this season? I doubt it. I won't say no or yes.

9. The website Morning Save included these three items on their list of this season's popular gifts. Would you rather receive: a. cup holder/phone mount for your car; b. sherpa lined clog slippers; c. set of three stainless paring knives with rosemary green plastic handles? I need slippers. Mine falling apart.

You can link HERE or read others.

Today Is Wednesday, December 10, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 I been sending out Christmas Cards. I like share what NIGHT CAFE and CHAT GPT came up. I feel it only fair for me, to claim 10% of the credits.  We design a card, which I had printed off at our local print shop. And also a story to be place in the cards. Week from today. I will share the other card and story. 

The Lantern Council

A Winter Tale Inspired by the Archetypes in Your Card

On the longest night of winter, when the sky was deep as midnight velvet and stars shimmered like scattered silver, three old travelers approached a quiet desert town. Though each had journeyed alone through winds and frost, this night always brought them together. They called themselves the Lantern Council.

The first traveler, Elias the Seeker, followed the heavens. He believed every star carried a message, and the brightest one that night had led him across the dunes. The second, Theron the Keeper, gathered stories instead of possessions, offering them freely to anyone needing comfort or courage. The third, Maeron the Giver, carried a satchel filled with small blessings—herbs, carvings, a warm drink at just the right time.

They reached a low bench near the town gates, set their lanterns down, and rested beside one another. Behind them, their patient camel folded its legs and sighed with contentment. The night was quiet except for the soft hum of lamps being lit in nearby homes.

Elias lifted his eyes. “The star is brighter this year.”

“Light always returns,” Theron replied. “Even when we forget to look for it.”

Maeron produced three steaming cups from his satchel—no one ever questioned how. “And warmth,” he said, passing them around, “is meant to be shared.”

They drank together, letting the warmth chase the cold from their hands. Around them, the town began to glow—families preparing for the turning of the year, the birth of new hope, the return of the sun.

“That is why we come,” Elias said softly. “To follow the light, yes—but also to remember what it awakens in us.”

“And to keep the old wisdom alive,” Theron added. “No one walks the winter alone.”

Maeron set his lantern on the bench. Its small flame brightened, casting a wider circle of gold. “Then let’s leave a blessing for those who pass this way.”

He touched the lantern gently. “May those who seek find guidance.”

Elias added, “May wanderers find welcome.”

Theron finished, “And may every home be touched with peace.”

The words drifted into the cold night, rising like sparks toward the watching stars.

When dawn finally brushed the horizon with pale gold, the three travelers rose. Their lantern remained on the bench—a quiet promise that even in the darkest season, light and fellowship return.

And as the Lantern Council continued toward the rising sun, the star above them gleamed as if in thanks, its glow a reminder that the smallest flame can guide us through the longest night.

Editor note...Forgot to add inside verse. Shared stories, shared gifts, shared light-this how we keep winter bright.

Today Is Monday, December 8, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 I would like this writing into a blog post. But I would also like to place some symbolic in the writing. Nice and tidy please. Here is my first time, I pulled one my custom made writing and or journal prompts...Write about remembering an ancestor or being remembered yourself.

Here is my first time pulling one of my custom-made writing and journal prompts:
“Write about remembering an ancestor, or being remembered yourself.”

It’s strange how we recall those who made a dent in history—whether for good or bad. Yes, we all hear about those who made a lot of money, but we don’t hear about those who simply got up and went to work. The so-called blue-collar workers.

I grew up in a blue-collar family. My dad worked on the railroad and was a member of the Teamsters Union. No one reads about Harold Witherell in books. I believe he is mentioned in passing, in one book: Spokane International Railroad. Nor will anyone read how his father, Clarence—my grandfather—abandoned his family. It’s also not mentioned that my other grandfather, Edgar, was a bootlegger back in Minatare, Nebraska.

Sure, I have some known surnames in my past: Munch, Stevens/Stephens, and Shirley.

For the Munch name, a great-grandmother’s maiden name was Munch, and then of course there is the artist EDVARD MUNCH, and even CARDINAL MUNCH
For the Stevens/Stephens line, I have a 3rd-great-grandmother whose maiden name was Stevens/Stephens, just like the writer VIRGINA WOOLF family line.
And last would be the Shirley line. I’m sure some of you have heard of BELLE STARR. My mother’s given name was Myra. She was named after her father’s mother’s middle name: Cynthia Myra. Yes, my grandmother on my mom’s side had the maiden name Shirley.

Part of my reading habit includes journals and diaries. Queen Victoria wrote in her journals from the age of 13 until shortly before she died. One of her daughters later edited them. Her grandfather, King George III, also kept a journal but ordered it destroyed upon his death. The poet Sylvia Plath kept a journal as well. For some reason, her ex-husband Ted Hughes burned her last journal.

I have a fear of my journals being edited or destroyed—pages ripped out because someone might find them controversial. Like my Uncle Ned, who wore colorful clothing.

When walking through a cemetery and coming upon the graves and their markers, I do wonder many things, such as:

1. What color was their bedroom?

2. What was their favorite food?

3. What books did they read?

4. How much did it cost to go to a movie when they were alive?

5. Were they born in the same town where they are now buried?

Sure, I only listed five, but I could come up with a ton more.

I had Chat Gpt looking into some of the symbol and the mean behind them.

Symbolic Footnotes

1. The Train Wheel — represents the laboring ancestor; movement without applause, progress without spotlight.

2. The Torn Page — symbolizes deleted histories, burned diaries, and all voices removed because they were inconvenient.

3. The Empty Chair at Supper — for the ancestor who walked away, or the one taken too soon; absence shapes memory as much as presence.

4. The Candle Passed Hand to Hand — lineage not of blood alone, but of names, stories, quirks, and stubborn truths.

5. The Weathered Headstone — marks a body, not a life; the soul lives instead in recipes scribbled, laughter remembered, and handwriting saved in a drawer.

6. The Colored Coat — for Uncle Ned and every ancestor who lived against the grain; individuality stitched into family legend.

7. The Rusted Key — stands for journals locked, thoughts hidden, stories waiting to be opened with the right generation.

8. The Faded Ticket Stub — history’s cost of wonder: the price of the first movie, the first train ride, the first newspaper headline ever read.

9. The Grain of Wood on a Workbench — homage to the blue-collar hand; the quiet architect of the ordinary day.

Today Is Sunday, December 7, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 

Going to try to keep low profile. When it comes to either chat-Gpt, or Night Cafe on this post today. I started to play around on Night Cafe, with the story of creation, out of the bible. What I did is take a word out of each verse, and had Night Cafe up with some art work, to the story. Found it some what interesting. 

It all seem to be running smoothly until I called up Bank of America. To cancel my credit. My Alaskan Miles card. They charge an $95 yearly fee. And I don't spend all that much on credit. Which doesn't get all that many miles. It's not a good fit for me. So I tried calling several of there phone numbers, and they keep telling me. I max out my card. I have never max out my card, and well over 90% time I pay it off in full. I know my personal limited when it comes to the card. They been the rare time I drug it out over 2 months. They keep telling me, any information I give them they could use to collect the debt on my card. The closes bank is down in Coeur d' Alene.  This is giving me anxiety. I know once this is resolved I will be in calmer state. 

It been on the warmer side, for this time of year. This up coming week at this point. Monday I need to stop over at the print shop and pick up a few things, and take some ATC (Artist trading card) into stickers, which will be given to my granddaughters as Christmas gift. Stop in at our library I also need them to print some items out. Our library doesn't do color prints, only on legal documents. For some strange reason our local print place has trouble using this program, "Open Documents" But that okay. It's workable. Then I plan to go visit Liz and stop at the dollar store, and get me piece of tag board. Tuesday Murphy has a dentist appointment, just cleaning. Wednesday our new furnace is being put in. Thursday I will go to art, or possible a trip to Coeur D' Alene. If we end up going to Coeur D' Alene their is chance we can go over to Faith senior center. I believe she use the one in Rathdrum. And Friday again the senior center. 

At this time Murphy went to town to get some food. Ground beef is on sale for $3.98 a pound. At this point we're having meat loaf for dinner. For tomorrow I'm going to try one of my custom made writing prompts. Possible Wednesday I will share one of my Christmas card, and the story to go with it.  

Today Is Saturday, December 6, 2025: This Is What Happened.

 This post is a little different than usual — I let ChatGPT help shape it. Like anything in life, there’s a place for artificial intelligence, and the key word is balance.

Lately I’ve been fascinated by tracking small everyday numbers. I’ve been using my bullet journal to follow a few basics, and here’s what last month looked like.

📌 Giving & Utilities

• Household income: $1,572

• Charitable giving: $48 (3% of income)

• Utilities: $241 (15% of income)

🍎 Food Support

We received about $215 worth of food from the senior center — which adds the equivalent of 14% more to our monthly resources. It made a noticeable difference.

🌤️ Weather Notes

Just quick numbers: the warmest afternoon I logged was 47°F, the coolest outlier dropped to 24°F, and most days sat right around 43°F.

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I’m finding the numbers grounding. They don’t tell the whole story, but they offer a quiet snapshot of daily life — where things go, what comes in, and what helps along the way.

Balance still matters, whether it’s budgeting, gratitude, or even letting a bit of AI lend a hand.