Children love to draw.
When they begin coloring, their pictures are monochromatic.
Eventually, their pictures become an explosion of color.

When children first begin to draw people, they resemble Mr. Potato Head.
A circle for a head and two vertical lines for legs.
Eventually, two lines, depicting arms, come out of the circle
I often wondered if that is why Mr. Potato Head has been such a popular toy.
It mimics the way children draw the human form.

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Today we chose our Christmas tree.
Frazer Fir…nice shape…right height.
We decorate the house for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.
We decorate the Christmas tree the following week.

There is something so wonderful about a Christmas tree.
To think that strands of lights and a collection of ornaments can bring such joy.
We have a tin star at the top of our tree…which took the place of the angel from years ago.
I like the tin star better.
It is more rustic and matches the primitive ornaments.

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There is a hand game I never knew how to play.
I watched my sons play it when they were young to determine who goes first in a game.
I never quite got the concept or saw the point of the the whole thing.
Seemed like a lot of work.

Rock. Paper. Scissors.
A game played much like drawing straws or flipping a coin.
It is a game of decision…though not totally random.
Skill is needed in order to anticipate your opponent’s choice.

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Oh, how I wanted my ears pierced!
It seemed like every girl was allowed to get their ears pierced when they turned thirteen.
Not me!

I laid out all the arguments explaining why I should be allowed to have them pierced.
Nothing worked.
When my mother made up her mind…it stayed made up!

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I was dressed and ready for my morning walk.
It has been a bit cold in the mornings, so a heavy coat and light-weight gloves are worn.
I tied my sneakers…ready to go.

As I walked through my kitchen, ready to embark on my two mile walk, my shoe was terribly uncomfortable.
Something was in my shoe.
I sat down on one of the benches around our long table to see what was wrong.

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Most cooks have experienced it.
You go to your pantry to get the one ingredient you were sure you had…and it is not there.
No time to run to the store.
You improvise.

Yogurt instead of sour cream.
Applesauce for a healthy alternative to oil.
Make your own buttermilk with non-fat milk and lemon juice.
You make do with what you have on hand.

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We do not have a cat…but our neighbor does.
I have been amazed at the way her cat shows affection.
The cat puts a dead mouse on her doorstep.

Now, that is not exactly the kind of present I would like to receive.
However, I’m beginning to understand.
Cats hunt.
What better way to show their appreciation than to bring you something they have caught.

It’s the thought that counts!

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As I look at the large stoneware crock I have on my fireplace hearth, I smile.
The gray crock with the blue lettering and the number three on the crown.
It is now our “penny jar”…something we started years ago and have continued.

It used to hold my youngest daughter, Molly.
Not that I put her in there, of course.
Rather, she climbed in there herself as a small toddler.
She would get in the crock…scrunch herself down…all you could see was her head.

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There is a local consignment/tag sale every October and April in my area.
The sale benefits a local play school for children, preschool age through kindergarten.
I have gone to this sale in the spring and fall for many years.

I bypass the clothes, costumes, shoes, and accessories…hoping that the young mothers will benefit from the gently used items.
I go straight to the books!

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All this week I have had a band-aid on the palm of my right hand.
Nothing serious…but the cut needed to be covered.
It has been such an inconvenience.
I could still do all the routine things I needed to do, but the bandage got in the way.

When I washed my hands or washed the dishes, the band-aid would fall off.
The band-aid had to wrap around my knuckles, because of the location of the cut.
Every time I moved my hand, one side would pop off.
Such a nuisance.

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