Saying Goodbye to Matt

Today I say goodbye to Matt who came into my life almost 17 years ago. There are so many memories of our times together. I had such fun dressing Matt with the latest and greatest fashions. And yet Matt never cared. . . . just took it all because that was the way it was. Good times, bad times, restless nights, Matt was always there.

But today I say goodbye. No regrets, no sadness. Matt is going to live with my son and his wife. So at least I can go to visit.

You see Matt has been replaced -- Matt is our old mattress. Tonight I will start a new relationship with our Sleep Number bed. So goodbye Matt and enjoy your new home.

A Contest I Always Win

This is a contest I can't lose--the annual Christmas decorating contest in our subdivision. Our homeowner's association started the contest to encourage people to decorate their homes for Christmas. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes, with a couple of honorable mentions, as well as best religious theme.

So we have in years past gone all Griswold trying to win this contest. Then we discovered you have to be a member of the homeowner's association to qualify. Okay, so pay the dues and next year I know we'll win.

We realized the only people winning were the homeowners who were actively involved in the association and they were taking turns winning year after year. Keep in mind -- it's not about the $25 first prize gift certificate. It's not about being recognized in the homeowner's newsletter.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SIGN IN MY YARD!!!!!!

Year after year we have spent countless hours making our outside display classy and fun. Blowing fuses, untangling lights, replacing bulbs, even playing outside Christmas music. STILL NO SIGN!

Finally, I decided if it was all about the sign that I would just get my own. I had a local sign company make our sign GRAND MARSHALL'S BEST OF SHOW as you can see. After the other winners received their signs, I put my BEST OF SHOW sign in the yard. It was a great play on words because our last name is Marshall and this was the best we had to show.

So I got a call from the Homeowner's Association President who said by the way we had received an Honorable Mention. This was after I had already put up my own sign. So I proudly accepted by Honorable Mention sign, took down my best of show, and enjoyed the cookie basket as our prize. That was about three years ago.

Well, bad news -- we didn't win again this year. The homeowner's association doesn't even bother considering us to win anymore even though I do pay my annual dues. I'm going to win no matter what happens. Yes, this is my best of show. And really it's all about the sign anyway.

The Promise of a New Blog

I'm promising to post a new blog in the next couple of days. I've had one in mind and can't wait to put it together. Hopefully it will bring some humor to a cold and dreary January.

My blog Mama Teresa told me it's time so after I help her take down another tree this afternoon and shop for more discounted Christmas decorations I'll be back to blogland.
Meanwhile, they are forcasting snow for Shreveport. This is a photo of our house the last time we had a big snow. Isn't it beautiful? I would love to be snowed in at my house for a few days so I could catch up with all of you my blogging friends.

Christmas Cookies, but please no peanut butter!

Sunday was Christmas cookie day at our house. I was so exhausted from being in the kitchen all day I'm just now able to get the photos uploaded and posted.

Here are two of my daughter-in-laws, Chasta and Olga (in the apron), with one of my grandsons, Will. What a mess we made. There was flour everywhere. But thankfully my kitchen bar is big enough to completely cover the surface in flour and use as a baking center. I would give anything to have made a picture of Will's eyes when I scattered the flour all over the bar. I guess he was a little surprised I was making a "legal" mess.

I thought the grandchildren would have wanted to help a little more, but it proved to be too much work for them. Here’s sweet Baby Devin who I know couldn't help at all but he was wondering what we were doing. Isn't he the cutest? This is his first Christmas and honestly I think his hat was a little too small for his head -- but it made a really cute photo.

For this year the cookies are made and I will package them to take to the nursing home where my mother-in-law lives. She was one of the unfortunate ones who got very sick from the Peter Pan peanut butter outbreak a couple of years ago. She never fully recovered and is confined to her bed now.

I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional Committee on Food Safety telling how the peanut butter changed our lives forever. If you google my name, Terri Marshall, it should come up and you can read her story. I also went back to D.C. this past year to lobby for food safety and am happy to say new legislation was passed to protect us all from foodborne illness. At least there is the satisfaction that maybe fewer people will suffer because of our efforts.

Here are few more pictures -- hope everyone enjoys the rest of the holiday week. I have decided I'm much better at decorating trees than I am at decorating cookies.

Terri's Trees

This is my first blog and my friend Teresa has finally convinced me to get into the blogging scene. I have decorated trees with Teresa for several years. At one time she would come to my house and decorate for Christmas. Amazingly, she wanted me to put out some of her decorations this year for a different look. But when it comes to trees, Teresa rocks. And I feel like I've learned from the best.

I'm not sure I'm doing any of this right. I may have to get a little help from my friend. But I wanted to post some of the trees I decorated this year.

This is my main tree in the den with reds and golds. I love my red room so it fits in perfectly. Lots of texture with berries, sticks, tassles, and hundreds of ornaments.

The next tree is in my office/guest room. I love, love, love the Santas. Inspiration colors are green, copper, brown and white with touches of gold. I think it worked great together.

Here's a tree I did for my back porch. It has lots of outside touches with birdhouses, glass ornaments filled with birdseed. I even used some crazy looking mushrooms that grew in our yard to add some interest.

Now a collection of various trees I decorated for my family this year. Santa trees, kid trees and my personal favorite the ladybug tree. Enjoy!

This was for my niece's ladybug birthday party. And a closeup of the handpainted ladybug.

More family trees. . . .no wonder I'm exhausted! And there are several I don't have photos of yet.