MY CHRISTMAS TREE TOPPER, And,........

This is my tree topper angel I cut out with the Crayola Cutter (battery operated) I bought for Diana a couple of years ago. It works amazingly well ! ! ! I posted the original angel on my sidebar last year. This one is smaller (printed on 5' by 7") where the original one was bigger (printed on 8 1/2" by 11"). The first one was all wrinkled from being put back in the Christmas decoration box unprotected. Anyway, I had Googled on FREE Christmas Clip Art and found this angel and thought there has to be some way I can display her. So I got an empty toilet paper cardboard roll and cut two of her out and hot glued the front and the back. The top of the tree goes up through the cardboard roll. Isn't she the cutest little angel?

Also, I really did FINALLY finish my Neighbor Gifts. I ended up giving Dave 8 (left me with 4) of them to take to work for some co-workers and I did 7 for Joey to take to his work. That meant I had to make 9 more for me to give to,.....the neighbors! Total I have 13. We keep getting really nice things brought to our door and thinking Dave and I need to get these jars delivered,....NOW ! Here is a picture of the front and back of the jar. The poem is one I posted a couple of posts ago.

Happy Birthday To My Big Sister Cheryl

Cheryl, I wanted you to know I was thinking of you on your birthday. Dave made plans to come down to St. George this weekend, so I missed out on any celebrations. We are sitting here in our room listening to the weather report for tomorrow and IT IS NOT LOOKING GOOD! Winter Storm Warnings All Over Utah. I was very limited to pictures on my little mini laptop, but did want to to say Happy Birthday and I hope you had a great day. Love you!

Happy Birthday Sister Dear,

It is a special time of year.

It isn't a birthday one should miss,

It is so easy to reminisce.

Of all the years that's in your past,

Oh how they seemed to go so fast.

You are so special and loved so much,

Some one who has a special touch.

With all the children in your care,

There's not better daycares anywhere.

You are much loved by the family for sure,

A Happy Birthday I most certainly can ensure!

A Christmas Poem

Christmas Is Coming

By: Janette - 2009

From The Sprankle House To Your House

Christmas is coming it is plain to see,

It's the time of year, we get a chilly breeze.

The snow starts to fly and it hits the ground,

I bet if you look, snow angels can be found.

Ole' Santa in his suit with his beard of fluff,

Down the chimney he'll come with his bag of stuff.

Yes Santa is cool and it’s great to believe,

But it’s better to give than just to receive.

The stars in the winter night up above,

Remind me of God and His Heaven of love.

They look like diamonds that sparkle so bright,

Yes,...Christmas Eve is God's most Holy Night.

The smells in the air at Christmas time,

Is one of my favorites,... its so sublime.

The lights on the tree and the angel on top,

Makes me want to dance to Jingle Bell Rock!

Let’s not forget what the real meaning is,

It’s all about Jesus and what is His.

He came to this earth with a purpose in mind,

It’s love and it’s peace He wants us to find.

So come one, come all it’s time to sing,

All the holiday songs with laughter it will bring.

It is our wish for a happy holiday season,
Whatever your Faith or whatever the Reason!

For Those Who Remember Grandma's Aprons

I received this in an email the other day, and I know I have seen it before. But this time there was a couple of sewing patterns with this "History of the Apron" story which took me back. There was also a picture of a woman wearing one of the aprons like my grandma Spencer use to wear over her calico house dress. She always wore dresses, even when she was canning and standing over the hot stove or oven, and I am pretty sure I never saw her wear pants of any kind. In my Thanksgiving poem I wrote last year which I posted then, I mentioned my grandma wearing her apron and this just seems like a fitting story to post especially this time of the year (during the holidays). There was alot of baking and candy making going on during this time all those years ago and it seemed like women were never without an apron. I remember my step-grandma, Mary and my great-grandmas also wearing their aprons. I usually don't wear an apron, but it sure would save on my clothes if I did, especially with the splashes from the stove while cooking, etc. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. "The History of Apron: Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ' old-time apron' that served so many purposes. REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron".

November - A Thankful Kind of a Month

November means the close of another year coming soon upon us. Once November hits, we have already experienced the changing of the leaves on all the different trees around us, and the color of the moon when it changes to the harvest color. It's when the little squirrels and chipmunks start to collect and hide their food they will need for the winter and start disappearing to their winter homes. The beauty that all this entails is beyond description to me. Even though November means the beginning of colder weather, and the transition of going from nice and warm to nice and cold, and that it is the end of another college football season and the time we start getting ready for the busy holiday season, it is still a favorite time of year to me. November is also a month of thanksgiving. I am so humbled by some of the things I have read about the word "thanks", and the giving of it to those who deserve it and those who deserve to give it. I have read on Facebook what some of my FB Friends have posted on why they are thankful this month. I have been lax in doing so but am going to give it a try here. First I am thankful for my mother and all that she continues to teach me even when she doesn't know she is doing it. I am thankful that I still have her to talk to and confide in even if it's about things she doesn't really want to hear. Just being able to tell her certain things gives me relief because I don't feel comfortable telling other people about those things. When I tell her something that I don't want anybody else to know, she keeps it quiet until I tell her I have told somebody else. She has been such an example of strength to me in so many ways. There is so much about my Mom that I am thankful for. Second of all, I am thankful for my family. Everybody has trials and tribulations to deal with at some point in ones life. My children have had their's at one time or another along with my husband. Granted, ..... there are other's in this world whose problems are much greater than our's and sometimes we all have to remind each other of that. But that is what brings us closer together when we need it. My family, everyone of them have been such a blessing to me. My grand daughter brought a brighter light in to my life when she was born in to this world. I thank God everyday for the blessing she has been to me. To my children and in-law children, my husband, my sisters and my sister-in-laws, my mother, my mother-in-law, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my niece's and nephews and ALL my friends,....Thank you for all you do to make every day of my life days that I would not trade for anything. I am thankful for still breathing and being able to wake up in the morning no matter how stressful of a day I know I am going to be enduring. At least I am here to endure it, and that is what matters most. I have found out that life is about risk and sticking your neck out to try and better your situation. And even though everybody doesn't agree with the risk one is taking, the important thing is the word 'try'. If you don't try, it will not happen. I am very thankful that as I have grown older, I have been witness to just that all around me. I am thankful for the "turtle" and all that I have learned from it's example. I know that when I was a younger person, I liked to listen to the story about the tortoise and the hare and how the turtle just kept plugging away, not looking like he was going to make it anywhere, much less get to the finish line. I still love the story. In fact, I pull different stories up about the "turtle" often because of one speech that was given at an oil and gas conference I had attended while working for BLM and going to Billings, MT to attend it in the late 90's. The speech on the first day of the conference was given by the Lt. Governor (Judy Martz) at that time. She had such a profound impact on me when she told us the story of why she had been wearing a turtle pin on her lapel everyday since a certain time in her life. She gave us an example of why she was telling this story which had everything to do with the fact that a turtle doesn't get anywhere without sticking it's neck out. I have collected some turtles over the years, including a zipper pull, knick-knacks, a necklace, a sterling silver turtle ring, etc., etc. And now, my latest turtle item is a huge ring with different colored stones in it. It is so big that it will be hard to wear,.....BUT, it represents so many things to me. So here is another of my "thankfuls",...to my hubby, Dave. Thank you for buying this gaudy looking ring, something that you do not like yourself, but at the same time you know what it means to me. And 'thankyou' Judy, for bringing the 'turtle' in to my life. I am thankful for having my job at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is no secret how stressful the job is, but it is what gets me out of bed everyday, and a reason to appreciate what I do have. Another very important part of my job is our "Veterans" by helping them and showing them the appreciation that every single one of them deserves to get from me and everybody else that works at the VA. I am also very thankful for Dad and the example he was to so many, especially his children and grand-children and their families. Even tho' he has passed on, like my niece Kadie once said in her comment to one of my blog posts about him, "he lives on in each of us and that the beautiful thing is we will meet again!" This coming Thanksgiving will be the third one without him, but my Dad will forever be in my heart, and for that I am so very thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

IT'S A CONTEST - GIVE IT A TRY ON DEENIE'S SPACE!

So, my Mom is having a contest on her Blog to see who can come up with the best or funniest.opinion about her Thanksgiving background. If you want to participate and possibly when a prize go to her link. It is: http://ns21931.blogspot.com/ or you can go over to my sidebar and click on "Deenie's Space". Whitey and Sioux have already made their opinion known and put it in the comment section on Mom's Blog. See if anybody can out-do their's. And remember, the winner will be posted there on Mom's Blog Sunday evening (Nov. 22nd), and will win the PRIZE! Good luck to all of you! MOM IS THE JUDGE! No bribery is allowed. Let's make this fun for her! Let's try and get everybody involved. Thanks to all of you! And Good Luck!

November is "BIG" Birthday Month!

November is a very big birthday month for the "Spencer" side of the family.

I wanted to wish my daughter, Ashley a very Happy Birthday today. Not only was she born on November 11th, but she was born on Veterans Day. She will always be "my little girl" no matter how old she gets. I am so thankful every day for her. Happy Birthday Ashley,....your Mom and Dad love you very much!

Happy Birthday to my oldest son, Christopher. He was born on November 14th and I still remember the day of his birth as if it were yesterday,....it's been 36 years worth of yesterdays! It is hard to believe how fast time goes by. He was always a very good baby and always so easy for me, as a new mom at the time to care for and love. I was on top of the world when he came in to our lives. He was my parents first grandson, and Dave's parents first grandchild. We love him a lot and am very proud of him in so many ways. Love you Christopher!

At this time I want to wish Stephanie, my first niece a Happy Birthday once again. Her birthday was a week ago today. She is teaching in China, so of course we don't get to see her very often. All our love goes to her all the way over there. I'm still confused as to the time difference tho'. I guess she needs to educate her ole' aunt a little bit.

Also my two younger sisters share the month of November for their birthdays. Denice on the 7th and Clydene on the 22nd. Cheryl, Mom and I were down in Grand Junction this past Saturday which was Denice's birthday. Mom had called her while we were still on the road and sang Happy Birthday to her. Later on that night after leaving Aunt Florene's, she called us on the phone and told Mom that Marilyn Monroe had called her to sing to her. Mom had a hard time convincing Denice that it was her that had called and sang to her and not Marilyn. Denice was on her GPS up in Wisconsin trying to direct us back to our hotel in Grand Junction from Clifton. It was a lot of fun talking to her. Happy Birthday NeeNee! Love you a lot!

And to my youngest sister, Clydene (Whitey), I hope you have a grand day on your "Day" and a very Happy one at that. With the loving family that you have, I know they will make sure your birthday is a very special one. And "may your special day be filled with memories and flowers, friendship and happy hours". Love you little Sis!

Happy Birthday to Tracy on the 15th (my second niece) and Jase on the 23rd (my first nephew). They both live in Montana and I don't get to see them very often, but I would like to wish them a very Happy Birthday and to let them both know that your Aunt NaNa loves you very much!

HALLOWEEN POEM FOR HR

THREE DAYS AFTER I WROTE MY POEM TO GO WITH THE TREATS I TOOK TO WORK, ONE OF THE OTHER LADIES ON THE COMMITTEE ASKED IF I WOULD WRITE A POEM TO READ TO STAFF WHILE THE PRIZES WERE BEING HIDDEN FOR THE 'HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HUNT'. BELOW THE POEM IS THE 'HAUNTED GRAVEYARD DIP' I MADE AS MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE POT LUCK WE HAD.

All Hallow's Eve

2009

By: Janette Sprankle

Up on Foothill Drive in our fair city,

There is a group of folks that are scary but witty.

At the VA in a building frightenly occupied by HR,

Some might say they are acting very bizarre!

Throughout the year HRL&E is pretty normal,

But Halloween time we're all pretty ABNORMAL!

And watch out if you dare to come inside,

There won't be very many places to hide.

You may get scared as your teeth start to chatter,

You'll be so afraid you won't know what's the matter!

It might be those ghosts and goblins a lurking,

You can be sure they're in a huddle and probably smirking!

There are scary things that might give you a fright,

That's the way it is in HR on this scary night,

In our haunted hallway, run fast and watch out!

For there is haunting and daunting all about.

The bats are flying and flapping their wings,

The noises they're making will make you scream!

The spiders are climbing and giving us chills,

And ghosts that are swirling, they're getting their thrills!

Of course there are pumpkins straight from the patch,

And witches galore,....it's YOU they want to catch!

It's Halloween and time to have fun for a while,

The costumes we've worn are sure to make us smile.

So now that you're here come and enjoy,

Who knows, you may find a Halloween toy!

Haunted Graveyard Dip

HALLOWEEN 2009 TREATS

It's Time For Halloween

In HR

2009

By: Janette

Oh my goodness, it's time for Halloween!

I've seen so many witches with faces of green.

There's lots of pumpkins on the ground,

That's big and orange and very round.

And all kinds of ghosts that's oh so scarry,

They send chills up my spine & makes me wary.

Here on your desk there's a surprise for you,

No....it's not a pot of witches brew!

It's a pumpkin that's filled all the way to the top,

In it there's eyes like Mr. Cyclops!

There could be a little clapper toy,

It may be annoying or it could bring you joy.

There's at least one gory body part,

Could be a finger, ear, teeth or somebody's heart.

What would it be without our Tootsie Rolls,

Or some candy corn that'll sooth our souls!

Oh goody, a little chocolate bar,

Would of been more room in a big glass jar!

Look there's a cute Halloween gunball,

Whatever is in your pumpkin, you'll enjoy it all!

If you look really hard you will see

A face on your pumpkin and happy is he!
Don't be surprised if I sneak up and say BOO!

Cuz' it's that time of year to scare the HECK out of you!

Here is a picture of the pumpkin filled with treats and the poem on two sides of the paper I wrote to go with the pumpkin.

Halloween Party Invite for work - CUTE!

This is the 'Smilebox' invite I created for our office Halloween party. I emailed it out today to 41 folks. I got lots of compliments on it. I also printed out 3 hardcopies for the 3 different buildings that we all reside in 9 hours out of every day. It was fun to do. I also created a poem that I will read in the training room right before everybody goes out and does the "Haunted Halloween Hunt" where at least 15 folks will get a Halloween Toy.

Make a Smilebox invite

COLUMBUS DAY 2009 - MONDAY OCT 12TH

Christopher Columbus

By: Meish Goldish

Christopher Columbus was one of a kind.

A way to the Indies he wanted to find.

People said, "Chris, you'll never succeed.

"But he had a plan, he had a need.

Sailing from Spain was Chris' idea,

On the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria.

People said, "Chris, you'll fall off the earth.

"But he followed his dream for all it was worth.

The year was 1492

When Columbus set off with an eager crew.

People said, "Chris, you'll never reach land.

"But on he sailed, just as planned.

Two months later, an island was found.

There were Native Americans all around.

Chris and his crew began to explore

What the Indians discovered long before.

Chris didn't know the trip he led

Was not to the Indies, but America instead!

Even so, he gained such fame

That now the whole world knows his name!

What Just Happened?????

One of the things that irritate me is when we go to the Ute Football games, and Dave is wearing ear phones to listen to the game on the radio. When ever I ask a question like "What just happened?", cuz' sometimes I miss what the penalty was or what the referee's call was, he doesn't hear me. When I ask him a question, I have to ask it twice before he takes the ear phones off to answer me (apparently I hadn't asked him twice before Ash took this picture, LOL). So yes folks, just so Ash could get her dad to turn towards the camera, this is me asking him a FAKE question! He did not have a clue as to what we were doing. Ashley and her friend Kimberly went to the game with us on the 26th of September when they played Louisville, KY. By the way, the UTES won this game! Yes!

Comparing The Life Of An Old Barn To Our Lives

I received the below in an email message today from my friend Michael that use to work in Human Resources with me. He and his wife moved up to Kemmerer, WY (where we moved from after 15 years) at least 5 years ago. He still keeps in touch by forwarding messages to some of us still down her in the big city. When I read this this morning and looked at the pictures of the old barns, I thought about my sister and how she will go around looking for old barn wood to do various different projects. It is a perspective about old barns that I never thought about too much. In fact, I never even thought how one could compare an old barn to a person. Now I see it! I know that when Dave and I go on vacations, especially back east, I hunt for the different size, shapes and colors of barns, especially the old ones. And the very person I think about when I'm looking is my sister. I too love the barns, but I'm not ever ambitious enough to go looking for the old wood. Maybe some day when I retire. Anyway, I thought that some of you out there would like to see this so I am making it my post for this day. Enjoy!

A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT OLD BARNS

Only years of standing in the weather,bearing the storms and scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The summer sun's beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.

That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he's building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful.

Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood. It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure we turn silver gray too... and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He's doing . And as the years pass He's busy using the hard weather of our lives, the dry spells and the stormy seasons to do a job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy! They took the old barn down today and hauled it away to beautify a rich man's house. And I reckon someday you and I'll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on the Great Sky Ranch.
And I suspect we'll be more beautiful then for the seasons we've been through here... and just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father's house.

May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

And...I do sincerely thank God for my wonderful friends and family who love me even though I show signs of weathering.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KADIE!

JUST A QUICK BIRTHDAY SHOUTOUT TO KADIE, THE 4TH DAUGHTER OF CHERYL. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VERY CARING, GIVING AND SWEET YOUNG LADY! SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL AND ONE OF THE BEST MOM'S I KNOW TO HER FOUR CHILDREN. I'M SURE MIKE WOULD AGREE, (WHO IS THE LOVE OF HER LIFE) WITH ME. THIS ISN'T LONG, BUT JUST KNOW THAT EVERY PERSON IN THIS FAMILY LOVES AND ADORES YOU!

Yesteryears

This is a picture of me at 1 ½ years old with my sister Cheryl, at around 3 years old. The original was torn and awful looking. My mom had it redone a short time ago and she gave us girls a copy of it. I look very much like my dad and Uncle Ralph. He was the second oldest son of my grandparents, Glen and Myrtle Spencer. Dad was the youngest son and was the baby of the family. In fact, he had 3 sisters and 2 brothers. He has one sibling still living, my Aunt Peggy. I don't think there are very many baby pictures of me so I really love that mom did this. Thanks mom, I love it!

Happy Birthday Diana!

Even though Diana's birthday was on the 19th of August,we celebrated 10 days later after Aunt Ashley got home from Texas. We were going to have a party for her with her friends, but we had too many problems getting kids names and addresses, and then the time got away from us. We decided we would let her invite one friend this year and choose where she wanted to go eat, what movie she wanted to see and let her have a sleep-over here at our house with her friend. So, she had Emmy come celebrate with her. Diana chose 'Wingers' and the movie "Shorts". Earlier that day I took her shopping using her birthday money she got from Grandma Sprankle. She wanted to go to a girls store, (I better not say which one), but oh my goodness! One 2 piece outfit would have cost $60, so needless to say we got some very good deals at other fine stores. She always loves to spend time with her Grammy (me) and Ashley, but she had alot of fun with Emmy too. I wrote this poem for Diana that takes us through her first eleven birthdays. I'm trying to get pictures of her scanned through the years and will probably try and get them in a slide show. Since I am so late in recognizing her birthday, I'm going to post the poem now.

I know you had a great Happy Birthday Diana,...

we love you so much!

The Eleven Birthdays
Of Diana
By: Grammy - Aug 19, 2009

The day Diana was born,
Was a miracle at it’s best.
She was such a beautiful baby,
We couldn’t have loved her less.

Number One Birthday came along,
She had filled our lives with joy.
We had so much fun watching her grow,
Ashley was happy she was a girl and not a boy!

Number Two Birthday came so fast,
It didn’t seem possible to me at all.
She had such a beautiful smile,
She was a brown headed little doll.

Number Three Birthday was so fun,
She had natural curls in her hair.
Her eyes were different shades of colors,
She was the answer to our prayers.

Number Four Birthday she’s still so cute,
She’s her daddy’s little Princess Di.
And if the truth be known to us all,
She’s the apple of her Grandpa’s eyes.

Number Five Birthday she just keeps growing,
She’s truly an angel sent from heaven above.
She’s so full of life, she sparkles so bright,
And the recipient of a whole lot of love.

Number Six Birthday, oh my word!
I couldn’t help but cry when she started school.
Pretty clothes, new school shoes,
Paper and pencils, she had all the tools.

Number Seven Birthday she is growing taller,
She’s the sweetest grand-daughter to me.
All she has is love in her heart,
For all of her family!

Number Eight Birthday, wow she is so amazing!
Even tho’ she’s got a mind of her own
When she’s asked to help out with the chores,
There’s never a moan or a groan.

Number Nine Birthday, can you believe it?
What are we to do!
She just keeps getting bigger,
She’s not done, she’s not even through.

Number Ten Birthday, what a sweet little lady,
Ten whole years have gone by so fast.
She’s one in a million and will always be,
She’s no longer that baby girl from the past.
.
Number Eleven Birthday, I can’t believe it’s here,
She keeps us laughing and is so funny,
I love being with her, she makes me feel young,
There is no doubt,…she makes our days bright and sunny!

Our trip into Hershey, PA - Post #3

We headed over to Hershey, PA on Sunday. I love that place. Here are some pictures of the outside of Chocolate World, some on the Trolly we took a tour on, and around town. I love the street lights they have lining the main street. The lights are Hershey Kisses. To learn a little more about Hershey, PA, just Google on it and all kinds of things will come up about it. It was Milton S. Hershey that founded the Boy's school/orphanage along with his wife. Now days they have it for both boys and girls. Of course they have the amusement park, but I myself have never been in it, however Dave did as a young boy. My first time to Hershey was in July 1970 when we went on a walking tour of the real factory. It was way cool. Chocolate World today has a simulated factory in it with real chocolate, and you go on the tour in cars,...kind of like "It's A Small World" at Disneyland, only there you are in boats. They take a picture of you as you are coming to the end of the tour. It was really neat. You get a small sample of a Hershey bar when you get out and the ramp takes you down in to this huge store. I got a few souveniers for family members, but you gotta' have money in the bank to buy everything you want. I had a limit! There is a picture in this post of the inside of our trolley along with me and the two conductors who did a really cute skit during the whole tour. On the trolley ride we went all over the Hershey grounds which included the home of the Hershey's and we saw the original chocolate factory also pictured in this post and another of the amusement park with the factory in the background. It's quite large. You will notice the two huge brown smoke stacks Iif that is what they are). The smoke stacks has the word Hershey on them. We went all around the town of Hershey, PA. We took alot of pictures, but just didn't want to bore anybody with them. We had a really good day!