Golden Cottage - Catching Up on 2023

 

 Today is Sunday, December 31 and I suddenly realized I've not done a catch up since Simchat Torah in October.  So, here you go.  

Our grandson celebrated his fourteenth birthday in October.  I keep asking myself how he grew up so fast!  He's a sweet boy and is turning into a fine young man.  We're so proud of him.  We enjoyed a dinner out with the family, including our son-in-love's parents.  

And getting a shot of our 2 1/2 yr old grandson was nigh on to impossible. But I got some great photos of him at our Chanukah celebration (below). 

In October, I had a birthday.  I'm thankful to  reach 73!!!  

I'm reminded of my mother at that age.  She seemed so elderly and frail...and yet she lived to be almost 85.  It's made me think...what if I live to that age?  It's only twelve years from now.  Pondering this...and seeking God's face about what He wants in the years ahead.  Each day, I thank Him that I'm alive, that I can see, and hear, and walk, and talk, and that I have health and strength.  

Speaking of health and strength, I am feeling like myself - after two years of pain.  Pain from needing a knee replacement and then the pain while recovering from the surgery.  I can do most everything I used to do except get on my knees...OUCH!  

On my birthday, Jem showered me with flowers.  One bouquet was not enough:

These roses dried on the stem and are still lovely!!

Aren't fall flowers beautiful?

These mums went to the front porch and are still flowering!

My dear friend Betty and I both have birthdays in October.  (She's also my son-in-love's mother.)This year, we went to a new place for lunch called Connections Cafe.  It has a very lovely tea room atmosphere and the food was very good.  I want to support this business because they are a part of an organization that helps victims of sex trafficking.   https://www.liferecaptured.org/cafe

 Also in October, we went to a pro-life workshop with Father Frank Pavone, whose headquarters is near where we live.  We learned about a bill that is proposed for the Florida legislature.  This bill is very dangerous, but the proponents make it sound like a good thing.  They are are making it sound like birth control will be taken away in the state.  Not so.  Our mission is to educate people about the deceitful wording of the bill.  Please pray with us that this proposal will not go through.  

After the workshop, we met and talked with Father Pavone and had a tour of the facilities:

This painting touched my heart

The literature room is huge. The staff mails out tons of pro-life literature to educate people about the truth of abortion and the after-effects on the mother who makes that "choice" to abort her baby.  They also connect women and girls with resources to support them in keeping their babies.

 This organization does such good work.  We support them and hope you will, too.  This is their website:

https://www.priestsforlife.org/

We had a wonderful lunch with good friends in early October.  We met up with them at the Cafe Margaux in historic Cocoa Village.  She and Larry are celebrating one year of happy marriage.  Brenda and I met over thirty years ago when we were both single, and we prayed all those years for a good husbands.  God took His time, but answered our prayers with a wonderful man for both of us.  They are as happy as Jem and I for sure. We had such a good time that day.

Chanukah was wonderful, both at the synagogue and at home.

We had lots of food, including my traditional menorah dip.  I love making it.

And, yes, lots of donuts!!

Jem and I lit the candles and said the prayers all eight nights of Chanukah:

During Chanukah, we attended an event in support of the Israeli hostages taken in Gaza.  There were 100 cars in the parade that ended at Temple Beth Shalom in Melbourne.  Photos of each hostage were posted along the driveway.  Please keep praying for all hostages to be released.

We celebrated the birth of Yeshua with worship in the following ways:

By attending local music events that remember it's all about Yeshua, not Santa Clause, Christmas trees, and the many secular things it has become.  We went to a Celtic Christmas presentation at a local church and enjoyed the Celtic Christmas carols and instruments.  

Also, we enjoy looking at the neighborhood Christmas light displays while listening and singing along to Christmas carols on Sirrius radio.  This family did a fantastic job of keeping the focus on Yeshua's birth.  

 

 Our family Chanukah celebration was delayed due to illness, but we had a great time eating, lighting the candles, and playing dreidl.

He loved the dreidl

Playing This Little Piggy.  He liked it ... kept giggling.

My loves!  The only sad thing was not having our other daughter and son-in

-love with us

 

 

 

Well, now I'm all caught up.  Tonight is New Years Eve.  We'll be listening to and watching the many neighborhood fireworks, baking cookies, eating snacks, and watching The Mouse That Roared. . .  a funny movie we've watched before.

Tomorrow, I'll make the traditional Southern New Years Day meal:  Black-eyed peas with rice, turnip greens with roots, buttermilk cornbread, and turkey kielbasa sausage.  We always enjoy that.

I'd love to hear how you celebrate Chanukah...and Christmas, too.  AND how you celebrate New Years Eve. and Day.  

Blessings to you and yours and may your new year be blessed.