Handbell Concerts

 As most of you know, my love of handbells has been something I have had for as long as I can remember. I love to play them and I love to listen to them.  I know that they are not everyone's cup of tea, but they are certainly mine! I rang bells in three different bell choirs when I was growing up at FBC in Monroe.  That was how I contributed to church and I took pride in that.  I wanted to ring handbells in college, but surprisingly UNCG did not have a bell choir.  I'm not really sure why that was because they turned out hundreds of church musicians yearly. Part of looking for a church home will include handbells.  That may sound silly to some, but to me it is not.  I have been in a few handbell choirs as an adult, and they did not work out as well as I had hoped.  One choir it seemed like no one really cared, especially the director.  Another choir I was in was fun but never once did we just ring handbells.  There were either mallets involved or hand chimes.  Never just bells. Oh, by the way, I detest hand chimes.  They are like nails on a chalkboard to me.  Definitely not my cup of tea! 

Anyway, until I find a choir that suits my needs, I have started watching handbell choir concerts on YouTube.  There are some really good ones on there, too.  I am enjoying hearing pieces I have heard and rung before and loving getting introduced to new pieces.  I am always a fan of hearing new music and when it involves handbells, even better.  The Temple Square Bell Choir is especially fun to listen to and you can find some of their concerts pretty easily.  While this does not take the place of participating in a handbell choir, it fills the void for the time being.  So until I can put on some white gloves and pick up a couple of handbells to ring, these concerts are going to get me through!

Recipe of the Week - Mexican Green Beans

 Canned green beans are a staple of my pantry.  They are easy and make for a convenient side dish to most any meal.  So, I am always looking for ways to dress them up.  I found this recipe online last year and enjoyed it. It's quick and simple.  I am not exactly sure why it is called Mexican Green Beans, but it is still delicious. I hope you enjoy it!

Mexican Green Beans

2 cans of green beans, drained

1/2 cup chopped tomato, seeded

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp water

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp chicken broth

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp cumin

S&P

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, tomato and bay leaf. Cook until onion is tender. Add water, broth, oil, oregano, cumin and green beans.  Stir to coat the beans.  Cook until the beans are heated through.  Remove bay leaf and serve.

One Drawer at a Time - the year's end

 Now that the year has come to an end, I am happy with the progress I have made with my "one drawer at a time" process.  I have managed to cull many things and get most spaces better organized.  And I look forward to continuing this process in the new year.  However, now that Christmas is over, it is time to go ahead and make space for some new things.

I got some great presents this Christmas and several of them will definitely need a permanent home within the house.  One of the things I received was an immersion blender.  I have wanted one for a while now.  I have watched many cooking videos where they are used, and I am excited about mine.  Now I just need to find some place in the kitchen for it.  I will be able to do it, I just need to start looking around for the best possible solution.  

There are several other pieces that I will find a home for here.  It may not be immediate, but this process helps me create the spaces that I need.  This year has been good for me as far as this goes and I know that next year will be even better.  I will keep you updated!

The set of three kings

 In today's installment of "Around the House", I am going to stay with my Christmas theme since it is still December and talk about one of my favorite Christmas decorations.  That would be my set of three kings.  I absolutely love them and make sure that they are displayed every Christmas season.  I do not have a specific place that I put them every year.  I like to change it up.  This year, they are on my buffet.  Some years they are on top of the bookcase, some years they adorn the curio cabinet.  I like switching it up every year.

Like most of my antiques, my desire to have my own set of kings began with the family home in Wingate.  When we were cleaning out the house and going through Aunt Sara's Christmas decorations, we came upon her set of kings.  These particular kings are ceramic.  They are about 12 inches tall and just grand looking.  I do not know if Sara painted hers or if Grandmother did.  They were both very good at painting ceramics and made many things over the years.  Anyway, Grandmother gave the kings to my Aunt Jan.  While I did not complain, I made it clear that I wanted some one day.

Fast forward several years to 1989.  It was my birthday.  My 15th birthday to be exact.  My favorite gift I got that year, in fact the only one I remember getting that year, was my own set of kings.  Grandmother painted them just for me.  One red, one green, one blue.  I adored them. They became a part of our Christmas decor every year.  Grandmother painted many things just for me over the years, but the kings are my favorite.  She knew how much I wanted a set and she made it happen.

Now, every time I look at them, I am blessed with feelings of nostalgia and family.  I will one day pass these on to someone who will love them as much as I do.  It is this kind of decoration that adds a special layer to my Christmas holidays and I am thankful to have them. 

The Christmas week

 I do not know about the rest of you, but I had a wonderful Christmas week.  I finally finished decorating the house.  I love doing it and really took my time this year.  I mean, really took my time with Christmas this year.  I was up until 1:00 a.m. Monday night/Tuesday morning finishing things up.  And I still managed to run errands before work on Tuesday.  All the gifts were wrapped; all of the cards were in the mail and the house looked sentimental and special to me. 

I got to spend time with friends that I love and enjoy their company.  I spent a few days with Dad, June, Bill, Heidi and the girls at Dad's house and it was absolutely lovely. I had to work until 4 on Christmas Eve, which was fine.  It was very slow that day and everyone was full of the holiday spirit so that made the day go by quickly.  I spent that evening here in Greensboro.  Jason's family and several friends came over for dinner and gifts.  Jason fixed his traditional German Christmas Eve dinner of German hot dogs, potato salad and German rolls. It was so good! And we set up a huge spread beforehand of appetizers that made for a very pretty buffet.  Our gift exchange took a few hours as there were 7 of us and we each take turns, but it was a lot of fun. We all had a grand time and it was so nice to spend the evening with these good people.

Christmas Day, I drove to Angier that morning. I got off to a late start, I left at 8:45 and Dad was getting worried about me.  Anyway, I made it safely and Heidi and I got to cooking our Christmas meal. Turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, yeast rolls, winter fruit salad and butter pecan cake. We had so much food over the next two days and all of it was delicious.  My cheese ball did not turn out as good as I'd hoped but oh well.  I'll still eat it LOL We had another lovely gift exchange and did our stockings.  It was just a fun afternoon.  We spent Friday just being with each other and enjoying each other's company.  What Christmas is truly about.  Even though Angier is not my hometown, it is now my home because that is where Dad and June are.  And there is just something about going home to make the holidays all that more special.  I realize how lucky I am because not everyone has this privilege. I am truly blessed.

Christmas always inspires me towards the kind of daily life I want for the upcoming year.  I am ready to fill my life with friends and loved ones in 2026.  Life is too short not to. 

O Come All Ye Faithful - King's Choir

 Merry Christmas!

What Child is This? - Vikki Carr

 I love her voice and this is one of my favorite versions of this Christmas carol.  I have it on several compilation albums and I never get tired of hearing it. Enjoy!