the Sum of Ten and One

On this day, the eve of a new year, I am lucky, as Mother Nature saw fit to give up a day of spring-like weather. How fortunate I feel I am for the opportunity to ready myself to begin anew. As I say goodbye, on this eve of an old year, my mind is bubbling over in dreams of rebirth for 2011.

I wish you, one and all, a Happy New Year! And may your 2011 be blessed with nuttin' but sweet sunshine!

Sun Sails the Snow

Outside my office window is an open field covered with a few waves of winter white. Today it's a beautiful view as I watch the sun sail the snow, setting the mood for Catch a Wave Wednesday!

In keeping with the Wave guidelines, the wave before me took me to visit Mommy Katie. I'll be headed back there after I finish this post, as Katie's kids are sharing a great storytime giveaway!

Followed by Living Like the Kings, I rode the Wave to meet the Kings and read Kat and Jon's sweet and spicy love story. And I also picked up the recipe for a great slow-cooker pot roast!

Next, I'm going to head back over and see what our Catch A Wave Wednesday hostess, Cindy, has been up to this week and see if I can pick up any new blogging hints.

Hop on and I'll be wavin' at ya!

Fabulous Ring In The New Year Giveaway

Sharing with you a fabulous giveaway over at Bargain Mom's blog:

RITNY: $500 Visa Gift Card + $1500 in Prizes!
U.S./Canada) and Weekly Drawings!
Ends 12/31

And just so you know, I discovered this giveaway over at PicketFenceBlogs.com! By clicking on the link, you can add your blog, find out about more giveaways, and, of course, vote for my blog on the Fence...thank you!

Fifty Dollar Giveaway

As much as I'd like to keep this one all to myself I'm still sharing this fifty dollar giveaway with you! Head on over to Real Mom Reviews for your chance(s) to win:
$50 Cash Giveaway!







And just so you know, I discovered this giveaway over at PicketFenceBlogs.com! By clicking on the link, you can add your blog, find out about more giveaways, and, of course, vote for my blog on the Fence...thank you!

Chex and Kroger Team Up to Giveaway

I'm just a hungry blogger always hunting for a great giveaway to share and I found a good one!

Chex and Kroger team up to giveaway

Chex and a $25 Kroger Gift Card!

Ends January 3, 2011

So hurry on over to enter the giveaway:

Giveaway - Always a Party with Chex Party Mixes

Be sure to let Owen's Mom know abitosunshine sent you!

Riding the Wave

Today has truly been a ride-the-wave kind of day for me, emotionally! It's one of those mother/son things that's troubled me, but all will be set right, eventually.

In the wake of the familial tide, I decided to surf a bit through the Catch a Wave Wednesday linky list. This began with my Swagbucks toolbar search for our hostess and I snagged 11 holiday SwagBucks, hooRAYo!

First wave was over at The Globetrotting Gamine, where I heard all about Snoopy love. Seriously, a phone call of pure sweet stuffed-animal sunshine!

Next wave: bassgiraffe's Thoughts, where I learned that BFS is Bored Fish Syndrome, oh my! Check out the Funky Fish for yourself! Perfect! I think I'll stay right here for awhile and swim the ocean blue with the friendly fishes.

Catch you next week!

Progresso Giveaway by Lori

Sharing a great giveaway!

Lori/Learning to be thrifty is hosting a great giveaway that ends on December 28th, so hop on over to her blog and enter to win this Progresso Panko Gift Pak!

Wave for Wednesday 12/15/2010

With winter here and an end of year near, I just couldn't resist riding this wave when the opportunity presented itself. So, I signed on to Catch A Wave Wednesday Blog Hop, hosted by Cindy over at Blogging Hints.

What a fabulous and fun idea! Sure, it's one way of increasing blog traffic and it's another thing added to my ToDo list, but oh, what fun it is to swim the sea of knowledge shared from one blogger to the next! I enJOY sharing myself with new friends, as well as old ... how about you?

Come, catch a wave!

Today, I am, of course, now signed up to follow Cindy the hostess and have gleaned quite a few blogging tips from her already. The great thing is that blog hops help in the success of a blog by adding post consistency; so hop along! And Cindy shared great tips to aid in posting consistency: Scheduling Posts Maintains Blog Consistency.

I spent too much time wavin' at A Little Bit of Everything--oh my gosh, everything is yummy in her world! So much so, that I'm now headed for the kitchen to fix myself something to eat.

Next wave, next Wednesday, if not before!

Trusting Sol

I planned as a today to-do to share a bit o' sunshine with you, but I was blinded by the light of wintry white. However, I heard the promise of golden tresses of tomorrow whispered within the wind...

Origami Santa

A friend shared this Origami Santa with me earlier and I just had to pass it forward to you! It's an adorable Christmas craft and the kid in me is planning on making one or two or more!

The main link to the website is below, with plenty more delightful things for the season and year 'round as well. Have fun!

Marcel's Kid Crafts Ideas
Take a look at the coolest selection of kid crafts ideas on the Web. You'll find here lots of craft ideas, free patterns, tips and techniques and many more...

For As Long As I Can Remember

For As Long As I Can Remember
©Ruth Cox

For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. And trust me, Tom Turkey has blessed me with many a memory.
Not one Thanksgiving has passed by in the last thirty-five years without me thinking of, and sharing with another, my last conversation with my mother. Oh, so many suns ago. In fact, a few years ago I finally put it to writing. In case I lose my memory?

Here's the link to my Thanksgiving memory of the year 1975, when my mother was still alive: Practice What Is Preached: Better yet -- practice peaches.

Fast forward with Tom Turkey and me to our Thanksgiving memories of the past decade. The year 2004 stands out in my mind as another I shall never not remember. I was temporarily living with family, trying to get my feet on the ground having recently escaped a domestic violence marriage. I'd "come home" seeking comfort in the arms of the known.

However, the holiday plans of the house didn't allow for my drug-addicted adult son to be present, so I accepted an invitation to spend this Thanksgiving with my boss and her family and friends. Cynda welcomed my son with open arms, as she would again on Christmas.

Cynda was a treasure. Here she is Thanksgiving 2005, her last Thanksgiving alive, making a round of her eggnog specialties for patrons of the bar. She owned Rafters Bar and Grill and I was her favorite bartender. I smile. For the few years I worked with Cynda, I would always bartend Thanksgiving day, and she would have me close up in time for dinner at her home, bringing any of my customers with me who had no place else to go. She was a lady with a whole lot of class and a wee bit of sass to her spirit.

Added to my memories is another Thanksgiving spent with family-by-choice. I'd met Mark and Terry at Rafters and we immediately became good friends. They fell in love with a bartender named Sunshine!

Anyway, Thanksgiving 2007, Mark's mate, Terry, had to work, so Mark invited me to tag along with him to his family get-together. We had a fabulous time! Mark's entire family is wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed the spirit of thanksgiving shared with southern Ohio style and comfort. Good food, good friend, good fun -- I couldn't have been more thankful for the day.

Last year, I discovered my Aunt Martha Bell would be alone for Thanksgiving. And my roommate would be going to his family get-together, which would have left me alone, too. Even though I was invited to go along with Scott, I chose not to let my aunt spend the day without family. She was ever so happy to have me spend half the day and half the night with her. And I was, I think, even more delighted than she, for it did my heart good to know how happy I had made her on what should be the happiest day of thanksgiving of the year.

Last week, I again spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Martha Bell so she wouldn't be alone. This year, though, my roommate Scott joined us, as his family gathering would be in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We had a wonderful time reminiscing, mostly listening to my aunt's homespun stories and looking through hundreds of old family photos, each with a story of its own.

Here are a few photos taken Thanksgiving 2010:

Thanksgiving will always be my favorite holiday, for as long as I can remember.

Submitted 12/05/2010
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