Merry Christmas 2008

Greetings to all of you at this wonderful time of year. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! This picture shows us in Guatemala in March on a Book of Mormon tour. We are standing in front of the "eternity" tree. The branches are said to reach to heaven while the roots extend down into the underworld. We have had an enjoyable year. We celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary in November. Our children are doing well and we are expecting our 20th grandchild in January. We are serving in the Chicago Temple two times a week (sometimes three times for Barbara). It is such a privilege to be there.
I am involved in the Humanitarian Aid group in our stake. I have made nearly 200 small quilts this year for distribution throughout the world. It is wonderful to feel like you can do something to help people who are suffering.
Rulon is nearing retirement. We will be putting our house on the market and moving to Utah sometime this next summer or fall. We hope to get settled there and then go on a mission. We have been in Illinois since 1972 and it will naturally be very difficult to leave. We want, however, to be closer to our children and grandchildren who are all in Utah except for Mark who is in Green River, WY.
This Christmas will be spent with all of our family in Utah. We are glad that we have this chance to be with those we love the most at this time.
Thank you all for being a part of our lives. We have been very blessed with wonderful family and friends.

Barbara and Rulon Gibson
See us at grandmagibson@blogspot.com

Still Hanging On!

This is the view from our window. This tree seems to think that it still needs leaves. It is hanging on to summer even though fall has past and it is now winter. We have one tree in the front yard that also refuses to admit that the season has changed. They remind me of some people I see still going around in flip flops and shorts.
Of course, these trees will eventually "get with the program" and we will have leaves all over the snow. But as far as we are concerned, the rakes are put away and the wind will have to do its part to disperse these to other yards and neighborhoods!

December 4rh is an important date in history. No, not a day of infamy like December 7th, but a day that will live in the hearts and minds of our family. Paige, our youngest, was born in Winfield, IL on that date in 1981. She is a delightful person and we love her so much. Here she is on her wedding day in October, 2004. Dan is perfect for her and now with little Natalia, they make a wonderful little family.

Paige has always been very talented but it is amazing to me to watch even more talents develop. She is not afraid to try new things. Her decorating and cooking abilities are amazing. She has great people skills and can calm down bad situations. She seems to have a gift for common sense and practicality. She is a no nonsense person! Her job as a social worker for LDS Social Services gives her the opportunity to help families adopt children. She has said that this is a very spiritual time and she feels priviledged to be a part of the process of making families.

Life hasn't been easy for her as far as her health. She has had many struggles in her young life. But she is cheerful and works to figure out what works for her. Then she is very diligent about doing what is best for her body. She is able to empathize with other who experience hard things.

We are very proud of her and want her to know that we are thinking about her on this special day. Happy Birthday, Paige!

Sunday Dinner is Ready!

Since Dad and I are working at the temple on Saturdays now, we don't go out to eat and save half for Sundays. (Although we did stop at Buona Beef last night for a little something - thought of you, Dave!) So here is the spinach lazagne, acorn squash and cranberry jello (you can see we snitched some last night) ready for dinner today. Wish we could have you here to eat with us! By now you are probably tired of turkey and this looks good to you! Here is the recipe -
1 can of crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs - 28 oz (I have used a bottle of spagetti sauce instead and you just need to add a little rosemary or other seasoning to make it taste more Italian) 1 small carton of cottage cheese - I use the no fat or low fat - 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach
lagagne noodles - do not cook - about 3/4 package
2 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 T. parsley
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese

In 9x13 baking pan, spread some of the sauce on the bottom, place noodles on top of sauce in a layer
Combine cottage cheese, eggs, salt, parsley, parmesan cheese
Spread cottage cheese mixture over lasagne noodles
Add another layer of noodles
Spead unthawed spinach over noodles (I just unthaw the whole pkg in the microwave right in the box)
Another layer of noodles
More sauce covered with mozzarella cheese

Put about a cup of water in the tomato can and rinse it around to use up rest of sauce - pour this mixture around the edges of the lasagne. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and place (ON COOKIE SHEET - saves the oven) in over at 350 for about an hour until noodles are tender. If there is still moisture, remove the foil for the last little while.
Can add more cheese on top if desired. I don't like to have the top layer of cheese on while baking as it gets too brown.

TRICK - let sit for at least a half hour to set up before serving. You can refrigerate it and it will taste better the next day - flavor seems to improve.

You can add some cooked hamburger or sausage to one layer if desired.

As Time Goes By ...

Forty three years ago on November 24th, we were married! Don't we look young? It was the best thing that ever happened to me and the thing that has made all the difference. We have had a wonderful life together. Six wonderful people came into our lives. They have brought in twenty six others. The family is what makes life meaningful.

So, happy anniversary to us! Rubarb forever!

Christmas is Coming, The Packages are Sent ...

Gone are the days when we could pack most of the presents into the 6 suitcases allowed by Southwest for Grandpa and me. Now we will probably have to pay for our FIRST bag! So here go the packages out to the families. It is a labor of love to find things for the grandchildren and get a package ready. MOTHERS, please intercept these (I addressed them to you) and go through them. Some things (like the dream pillowcases) need to be given before Christmas. Some of the dresses can be worn during the holidays too. Keep out the things that you think would be fun for Christmas. Let us know when you receive the packages. Lots of Love!

Your Dreaming Pillowcase

Tomorrow I am going to teach an enrichment class. We are going to do these pillowcases that can be turned into bags by pulling a string. I made some years ago for our kids and grandchildren (at the time). You sleep on the case from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day. Then you bring it down to put small presents in! Each person can keep track of their things that way. I made these for our home teaching family.

Here is the poem I made up to go with it.

Your Dreaming Pillow Case
A new tradition we will start,
But you will have to do your part!
From Thanksgiving to Christmas, use this case.
It will catch your dreams and keep them in place.
Each night as you lie down in bed,
This pillowcase will hold your head.
Dream of Jesus in the hay or dream of Santa 'til Christmas Day.
And remember we love you with all of our heart,
You'll always be near even though we're apart.
P.S. On Christmas morning, pull the string - you'll have a bag for the gifts Santa brings!

(P.S.) MY FAMILY - If you would like one of these (and don't already have one), let me know.

Kindness Begins With Me

For our book club this month, we have been reading Breakfast With Buddha by Roland Merullo. It is a story of a trip to North Dakota taken by an average Joe and a Siberian monk (you will have to read it to find out why they were travelling together)! At one point on their six day journey, they meet an educated couple who quite unknowingly, come off as cynical and judgmental. During a conversation, they ask Rinpoche (the monk) about the eleven languages that he speaks. I thought this part was classic.

Matthew drew his head back in surprise (after learning that Rinpoche spoke eleven languages), actual or feigned, I could not tell. "Really. Say something, then in Italian, or Russian, or Greek. Or are they languages none of us might know, your eleven?"
Rinpoche looked at him for a long moment, until the silence grew awkward around us, and then he said, "Kindness is one language I know." And he spoke the phrase kindly, too, as if it were simply a statement of fact.

What a lesson for all of us to learn! I know that I need to use the language of kindness much more often. I am sharp with people on the phone or when contesting something I feel is wrong. Kindness and humor goes a lot further than sarcasm and angry words. There is much to treating everyone as we would be treated.

The Frost Is On The .... Begonia!

We had a frost last week. Looks like the tropical begonia that I received for my birthday from a friend couldn't take it. The other little plant that I received at the RS Spring Social is still green. But that won't last either. Winter is coming even though we had wonderful weather for Halloween yesterday. I was thinking about the seasons of our lives. I am now nearing the "winter" season having been blessed with a wonderful "spring" and "summer". I guess I am in the latter part of my "fall". But unlike begonias that fade when the first frost hits, I hope that I can follow the examples of my parents and live well all through the winter. They are truly remarkable people and at 92, are still going strong. Sometimes they may feel a little wilted, but they are still able to do so much. I am so grateful for their health. They have truly lived through their seasons well and I hope to do the same.

Slowly But Surely ...

Remember our disaster from the toilet upstairs? Here is the ceiling a few weeks ago. And right under it is the ceiling now - note the old light fixture and the new one.

Note the old chandilier in the dining room and then the new one in the next picture. Also see the new ceiling lights that are in the kitchen (and upstairs hall) and the one without the knob is in the entrance hall.

And here is the basement - you see the new gray floor (and part of the old white one). It was completed yesterday. Now we just have to move things back (and get rid of a lot).

Our handyman, Rick, has to come on Saturdays and after work so it has taken a long time to get this done - and it has been a mess for several weeks! He keeps telling us that if we would let him come on Sundays, he would be able to finish faster. But we feel like our home is a special, dedicated place and didn't feel good about that.

We found a home for the bedroom furniture that was in the basement. A woman who is new to the ward is recently divorced and wants it for her daughter. She has to find someone to move it out for her. We gave some of our wheat to a family who lost their food storage in a fire and some to a family who need it for their large family since the dad is out of work.

Rick broke apart the old couch for us and we got it out to the trash on Monday - they took it all!

So, slowly we are getting back to normal. We will be glad to get things in order and go through and throw away a lot of things. We will be better ready to move to a smaller place sometime next year.

One More

Darling Chandler wanted to be a Civil War Confederate soldier. So here is my attempt. He will look so handsome in this. Hope he likes it and that it fits ok. I know it looks big but I think he is going to tuck the pantlegs into some sort of boot.

A Fall Visit to the Arboretum

Today was Columbus Day and Dad had a holiday so we decided to go to the Morton Arboretum. We entered about 8:15 and headed to a place where you could hike to see a mammoth rock. We were about eaten alive by mosquitoes before we finally returned to the car. It was beautiful but those little pests were so annoying!
Here's Dad with Elvis the Scarecrow.
Here I am with a couple of crazy scarecrow friends. The local Girl Scouts made the scarecrows - I thought this was the best of all. Scarecrows weaving the maypole.

Looking across the lake - not too much color in this picture but the scene was beautiful. The colors aren't as vibrant as they were in real life. Fall is a wonderful time of year and we enjoyed being in nature today.

Last of the Costume Parade (2008)

Here is Steve's scarecrow outfit (supposed to be the one from Oz). Kim is going as the Wicked Witch and the girls are both going to be Dorothy! And here is Jill's Happy costume from the Seven Drarfs - the faculty at her school is doing the Snow White theme this year. I wonder why they chose Jill as "Happy" - could it be that she is always cheerful? I think so but she would have made a beautiful Snow White too.
If you enlarge the picture, you can see that the hat has attached beard and eyebrows! Hope this works. The shoes are my old slippers covered with fleece.
These go in the mail today. Then Halloween is over for me for this year. It was fun!

Fit to be Tied

Here are my creations of the week. They are ready for our Humanitarian Aid group to tie. Hope they bring comfort to someone in need. It gives me joy to make them. I love taking scraps and putting theme together to make something useful. As the old saying goes, "A quilt a day keeps Barbara out of mischief"!

The Headlines Say It All!

Sox Double City's Heartbreak
And Just Like That, October Baseball is Over
It's 1 (Win) and Done
Hey, Cubs Fans .. Get Off The Fence - Are you optimist? Pessimist? Well, it's time to pick a lane!
Fun While It Lasted? We Can't Even Say That
Sox, Cubs, Go Quickly, Quietly
Playoff Pitching Flames Out
Cubs Settle in for Long Winter
White Sox's Wild Ride Concludes

And the best one? DADGUMMIT!

My Handsome Hero

Here is Dad/Rulon in the hat that one of his patients had made especially for him. It says "Veteran of Veterans" on the front and "Dr. R. Gibson" on the back. How appropriate! He has worked with veterans for 37+ years and has had so many experiences that he qualifies. Although he didn't serve in the military, he has "lived through" so many of their pains and horrors. They have a deep respect for "Doc Gibson" because of the way he makes them feel so comfortable with his teasing and sense of humor. They soon find out that he is "no nonsense" and they must participate in therapy. But they realize that he understands and can be of help to them. It will be a great loss to many when he retires.

CUBS and Sox BOTH in PLAYOFFS!

Well, if you think the news has been gloomy lately, you should be here in Chicagoland! People are absolutely going crazy for both teams. It has been 100 years since the Cubs won the World Series. And now the Sox have clinched their division! I tell you, there are some very happy people on both sides of town. The Cubs have been our family's favorite for many years. Let's hope that it comes down to a series with the Cubs and Sox (or at least the Cubs!) Wear you Cubbies gear and cross your fingers - this may be the year. Then we just need to get the Olympics here and this would be a very happy place.

Not Again!

This morning, my plan was to wash the deck and get it ready to stain. I blew off all the leaves and dirt. I came in the kitchen for a second and noticed that the ceiling was starting get a wet spot. We have had this happen before and so I went up to check the toilet that is right above. There was a little water leaking out. I touched the hose to see if I could stop it - and it fell off! Water spurted everywhere. I ran downstairs to turn off the water. By the time I came back up, the damage was done.
Here is our new stainless steel connection from tank to the water supply - cost - $7.00. I had the plumber replace the connections on the other two toilets - now total is $21.00. He also replaced the float and flapper in the one and now it is up to $53.

Of course, an hour of his time is $150 minimum - so the total is $203. Believe me, I was glad to pay it as he was here within an hour. Luckily, we have been using Keveloh Plumbing for many years and they are good. Our boys grew up with a couple of theirs. Here is the bathtub where I threw all the towels and mats.
Naturally, water has to obey the law of gravity and so it leaked down through the kitchen ceiling. It also leaked in the family room through one of the beams. We will have to see if we have to replace drywall. Last time it happened, we were able to sand it down and repaint it. Let's just hope that is the case this time.Anyway, that has been my morning - now for a nap and then an afternoon cleanup session.

LESSON LEARNED - know where the water turn off is AND which way to turn it. (Clockwise or righty - tighty) Also, our plumber says to turn off the water when you are on vacation. It could have been so much worse if I hadn't been here. Oh, and check your toilets now and then and see if the tubing is cracked or loose or dripping. These stainless ones should be fine. And also, pray a lot!!

Mason's Husky Dog

Here is the Husky Dog costume for Mason - he wants to match his Build-a-Bear. I think this will be cute. It has a hood for the head that is attached. A red felt collar with shiny jewels (buttons) is around the neck. The body is gray and white. There is no tail because I thought it would just get in the way. Here is the costume minus the Cubs shirt.
And here it is with another Cubs outfit. Not sure that this will work as the shirt doesn't unbutton all the way and it might not fit over the head. But the shorts can be worn with the other shirt also.
After Halloween, the blue shirt is for Scottie and the red outfit is for Mason. Go Cubs!!
And that's the end of the costume parade for this year unless any other request come in (soon)!

More Grandkids - more costumes!

Here are some more costumes ready to send off to my darlings for Halloween. First is the Tinkerbell one for Natalia with wings, wand, socks, slippers, shorts and goodie bag. I also made a hair tie to go around her bun - not pictured. Won't she be a cute little "Tink"!

This is for Ty - He wants to be Jack Pumpkin from Return to Oz. I am unsure what to do for the head so you see two of my ideas. The first is a placemat and the second is a little candy carrier. Maybe Dustin can come up with some fantastic idea for his head.
And this is for Princess Tanna with a crown and some jewelry (probably filled with lead so don't let her eat it!) She will be a beautiful princess!
I didn't make the rest of these - Samantha wanted to be a cheerleader and I found this one complete with bow. I bought the pompons at the Dollar Store and doesn't it just look like her?
Braydon wanted to be the Dark Knight. I also bought this one as it would be impossible to come up with a mask and that makes the costume.
Scottie wants to be Indiana Jones and I probably could have made one but this one was so cool and I think he will like it. He loves adventure and will look great in this
As for Mason - you will be getting that picture later. I am still coming up with a Husky Dog costume! Last year he wanted to be a Barney Bus. (And I actually figured one out!) I did go buy some gray fur type fabric and have something in mind. He actually wants to match his Build - a- Bear that he made this summer. It has a Cubs shirt on and I found one of those so I think he will be very happy.

After that, I think I am finished unless the big boys decide on something. They will probably wear football uniforms or something really cool.

It isn't even October and the costumes are almost finished. I love to do them early so I can look for bargains and have the luxury of time to make them special. I hope that every Halloween the children will remember that their Grandma loves them. This tradition started with Holly and it has been fun to get the requests and fulfill dreams.