Candycandycandycandycandycandy..............

It’s not just for breakfast any more. We have a winner for our candy giveaway! Lori is the grand winner and will be presented with a plethora of assorted candy. Since candy is just such a sweet idea, I decided to take the giveaway a little further. So I drew out three more names and those three people will receive the “favorite” candy they listed in their comment. Here are the three additional winners: Cara, Lisa, and Will.

I hope each of you have received your favorite candy from someone who loves you. My sweetheart gave me a lovely box of assorted chocolates from Bradley’s. Got to love that man!!

Candy Mania

A look inside "Bradley's" Chocolate Store

Just say the word candy and my mouth starts to water. Put chocolate with it, and I’ve got my keys and am out the door to buy some really good chocolate candy.

Candy Trivia Quiz:
1) Who was the candy bar “Baby Ruth” named after?
2) What has been one of the most successful longest running advertising campaigns in history?
3) Why are Hershey’s Kisses called “Kisses?”

Other Trivia:
1) The first candy was consumed by cavemen, who sought honey in beehives.
2) Chocolate was introduced into Europe by the Spanish after having enjoyed the “hot drink” (the original meaning of the word chocolate) in the company of Montezuma.
3) By the mid 1800’s there were over 380 American factories producing candy.
4) During the 1920’s in the USA over 40,000 different candy bars appeared and either became a big hit or disappeared into obscurity.

Now to answer those trivia questions:
1) The Baby Ruth candy bar was named after the first child born in the White House, daughter of President Grover Cleveland in 1891. Little Ruth died in 1904. (FYI – The candy manufacturer strongly denies any association with the famous Yankee ballplayer, Babe Ruth.)
2) Wrigley’s Doublemint, introduced in 1914. Gum advertising campaigns utilized all sorts of double images from double violinists to double talking comedians. The most famous were the twins, which actually began in the late 1930’s and continues today.
3) Hershey’s Kisses get their name from the sound and motion of the machines that produce them. It looks and sounds as if the machine is kissing the conveyor belt as it moves along.

More interesting facts:

The most popular American candy bar introduced in 1930 got its name from a horse—Snickers.
In 1896, a candy was introduced by Leo Hirshfield and carries his daughter’s nickname—Tootsie.
The Three Musketeers bar was originally introduced in 1932 and was three separate bars featuring chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry nougat covered in chocolate.

Since all ages love candy, every member of your family may enter this contest and may the winner share their prize. Each person must list their favorite candy bar in their comment. Don’t forget!
The prize: a wonderful plethora of assorted candy.

My corner of the world............

January always means “scrapbooking” for me. Last year, I was scrapbooking two years worth of photos (2007 and 2008). So right now just doing the year 2009 seems like it should be a snap, but January is almost over, and I’m only about half way through the year 2009. So I spend my days tucked away here in my little corner of the world---scrapbooking.

I’ve been scrapbooking all my life---long before it became popular. And even though I enjoy my photos in their neat little electronic files, and have made “books on line,” I still just have to scrapbook a family photo album each year.

Checking with Wiki, here are a few fun facts about scrapbooking:

Did you know that Mark Twain was an avid scrapbooker?? He dedicated Sundays to enjoy his hobby and had 57 different scrapbooks that he sold through Montgomery Ward catalog.

The peak decade for scrapbooking was 1880-1890. Magazines of the times included articles on what to include in your scrapbooks.

I don’t know who said it, but here is one last quote on the subject:

“Scrapbooking today comes in many forms. Traditional books, computer scrapbooks and family web pages. Scrapbooking a fad?? I don’t think so. It has been around for centuries. The popularity comes and goes, but one thing is for sure, scrapbooking is for all generations! Remember that when you're scrapbooking, and think of whom in the future will see your book and how will they scrapbook?!”

Doing the NYC photos - September

Paper, borders, decales, stickers, etc.

I Aim to Please............

Every once in a while I like to have a “blind” giveaway. I call it that because no one can see it coming. It’s a giveaway that no one knows about. To kick off the New Year, I’ve drawn the winner’s name from all those who commented on the Nativity Pageant post. And the winner is: Joel. Your Target gift card will be sent to you within the week. Enjoy!

The Best Ever Christmas Pageant

We started the tradition of the Christmas Nativity Pageant being performed on Christmas Eve almost from the first Christmas that Troy could walk. It’s carried on year after year---even our teenagers participated in our make-shift costumes. Lisa and David blessed us with a grandchild in time to over-lap the last of our children still living at home. So the tradition continued each year without missing a beat. The grandchildren that live in Knoxville now total 13, so we have a most marvelous pageant. I even made some costumes and bought a couple of things to use as costumes, so it’s a more profession-looking cast than when our own children were little. Here’s a look back at pageants past and present.

1972 - Lisa, Julie, Troy

1975 - Troy, Julie, and Lisa

1977 - Troy, Julie, Brad as Baby Jesus, Joel, and Lisa

1987 - Lori & Brad; Russ, the donkey

1998 - Allie & Trey; Russ, the donkey


1999


2002

2003

2004

2004 - New Wisemen costumes were made - Ta Da!

2005 - Grammy narrates from "When Joy Came"

2006

2006 - Jared & Sydney as Jospeh & Mary

2006 ~Troy, Carter, Tanner ~ Wisemen

2007 ~ Angels Emma, Sydney & Claire

2007 ~ Angel Emma approaches the shepherds

2007 ~ Shepherds Conner, Josh, & Tanner

2008 ~ Angel Claire

2008 Angel Lydia

2009 ~ Claire is Mary and Connor is Jospeh (same ugly doll is Baby Jesus)

2009 ~ Allen is donkey for Claire (Mary) & Connor (Jospeh)

2009 - End of Pageant performance

2009 ~ The cast and Grammy & Grandpa

What 70 looks like.............

My sister turned 70, and my sister, Kathy and I are in our 60’s, but who cares, since we’re all about 25 at heart. Russ and I traveled across the country to Seattle, WA to surprise my sister, Tamara, for her 70th birthday. Kathy planned the surprise and coaxed us there. It was a wonderful week. I think “70” looks pretty good! Kathy’s daughter, Kammy, presented Tamara with a special book of tributes, and yes, there are 70 candles on that cake. Now we're home and sugarplums aren't dancing in our heads, but visions of the beautiful Northwest. We love you, Seattle. Happy 70th, Tamara!

Kathy, Tamara, Sharlene

Attending the Nutcracker Ballet in downtown Seattle

Tamara and Kammy's daughter, DeLaney

Book put together by Kammy for Tam's 70th b-day

First snow...........last snow?

I admit, Lori’s latest post inspired me to do this one. For those who have read my personal history, you know that I love, love, love SNOW. I grew up where snow was plentiful. Then we lived in snow-deprived California for 14 years. Finally, moving back to Tennessee meant we could enjoy snow again. But as of late, the snow that sweeps the rest of the country seems to skip right over Knoxville, TN. That’s why we were all beside ourselves when we actually got snow on December 5. Doesn’t matter that it melted by late afternoon. We saw it falling from the sky, we played in it, and some tiny snowmen still stand in the neighborhood. We're keeping our fingers crossed that the snow will come again before spring. Here’s a look back to the kind of snow we used to get in the good ole days here in good ole Knoxville:

Brad, Lori, and Joel -they built this snowfort in 1985

The winter of 1993

Notice in the above picture the car beside the van is totally covered with snow.

The above picture is of our deck.

January of 1996 - Snowmen built late one night by Sharlene, Russ, and Lori

Opps! This was in Alaska in June of 2001--Margerie Glacier

Our mighty "snow" of February 2006

This actually looks like more snow than it was: March, 2008

Ahh! Beatiful snow of December 5, 2009 ~ Welcome snow, welcome!