Starshine

They had little company,
But who wants to travel
With gift bearing camel riders
Chasing a star across a desert.
Only in retrospect
Do we call them Magi.
Wise.

Few others saw the star.
None but these dreamed hope.
Stars may fascinate.
But dreaming hope in starshine
Is the pastime of romantics
Escaping reality.

These were tuned-in stargazers.
Sharing a dream across a desert,
They left footprints of wise ones
In the unchanging sands of history.
Wisdom's way
Through the wilderness
Of time.

Christmas
New Year
Epiphany
Dream time.
Hope time.
Time to tune in
To the promise
As real as,
As big as,
As sure as
God.

Time to gather our gifts
Saddle up
Mount up
And chase the star.

-Thanks Frank for sharing with me....

Holidays, Hugs, Wacko Snowmen and More

I will begin by saying WHOA what a wacky crazy holiday season this has been so far! My shop has been crammed to the capacity with shoppers, and smiles and giggles from small cute children and blessings galore, and weary shoppers who are ecstatic when you volunteer to wrap presents and help carry them to the car! We have been kissed and hugged, yes you heard me right! Blessings galore...........and more.....

I wanna take a second to share something cool that Xerox is doing.

If you go to this web site, www.letssaythanks.com you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier that is currently serving in Iraq. You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of the armed services. Is that cool or what???

Now that the normal stuff is out of the way lets look at a few cartoon clips courtesy of Calvin & Hobbs that kinda sum up the insanity of the weather and the holiday rush! (Yeah you knew my blog wouldn't be totally normal by now didn't ya?)

Ya gotta love those two! Calvin and his tiger are great!!! Screwy but great!!!!

Hope in all the holiday hectic insanity and running and shopping and visiting you get at least one quiet moment where you can reflect on the real meaning of the season...the celebration of the birth of our Blessed Saviour Jesus! Wow what other gift could ever compare????? Anything I could even dream up pales in comparison.

Merry Christmas my friends and I wish you all the most prosperous of New Years too!!!!

And in the words of Tiny Tim- God Bless us everyone!

New Stuffff...Ho Ho Ho

Just a sneak preview of some of our newest items in the shop! More items arriving daily right up to Christmas!!!

Don't miss out on our big sale starting on Friday!!!!

Our holiday home decor is going on sale most at 50% off starting tomorrow!!!!

And more items will be going on sale daily right up until Christmas!!!

Check out some of the items below...

New quilt topped, turned leg stool by Nancy with snowman lite bucket sitting on top by Jerry.

New prim shadowbox by Terry. Available in two sizes and three colors while supply lasts...

Sunflower chair by Tina

Snowman candles by Jim and his wife! Going like hotcakes!!!

These are our version of the Cabbage Doll craze a few years ago!

There are four sizes currently available and we have quickly sold 6 cases!!!!!

CD's by request! You asked us to carry them and we listened!

Nice variety of Appalachian, cowboy tunes, soft rock,

oldies, jazz, Celtic, hymns, holiday and more...

and our introductory price is $1.00 off suggested retail!

Mason style jars recreated as tart burners!

This is our third shipment and they are going fast!

Just a few of the hand crafted ornaments you will find on tree throughout the shop!

Some of our handcrafted snowmen in the shop!!!

Mr. Melty and a few of his brothers are still available!

Nancy made more turned leg stools in some nice colors!!!!

Plan to stop in soon...you will be soooooo glad you did!!

Christmas Version of 1st Corinthians 13

A friend loved me enough to share this with me, I am gladly passing it on!

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny balls but do not show love...I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love... I'm just another cook.

If I work in the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity but do not show love...it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ...sadly I have missed the point.

• Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
• Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
• Love is kind, though harried and tired.
• Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and linens.
• Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.
• Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.
• Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearls will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but the gift of Love will endure.

Merry CHRISTmas!

Crazyness Crazyness Crazyness

Ok so did we have all four seasons of weather this week or what??? Snow and Ice then 60 degrees then sun shine, and rain...good grief Charlie Brown! The weather is as crazy as everything else is this time of the year huh?

Busy busy busy! The shop has been packed with customers and sooo much fun too! New shipments are arriving daily and the big holiday sale is just around the corner!!! Blessings are overflowing!!!!

Home has been busy, the shopping, and baking, and wrapping and decorating...wow will it ever end?????

Then to top it all off I have family in the hospital....

My aunt Mary Shank recovering from open heart surgery at CAMC that her own doctor at first said he wouldn't perform and then when he did was amazed she survived, and is doing well! God makes miracles...

and now ...

My Aunt Laura Dent, my dads sister is in ICU at Thomas in very bad shape. Her lungs are full of fluid, kidneys aren't functioning, she is severely dehydrated and full of infection running a temp of 103.

She just came down sick a couple days ago with flu like symptoms all at once and the next thing we know she is in the ER then they admit her to ICU. Last night the family was told by the doc that she might not make it through the night. She is hooked up to all kinds of equipment and sedate on a ventilator too. They still dont know exactly what she has. She made it through the night but the doctors say the next 48-72 hours is critical to her survival.

Her husband Lee is in a nursing home in final stage Alzheimer's and they only have one daughter Susan who is just worried sick and worn down from caring for both of them.

Please say a prayer for them all. God works miracles everyday and we need one here.

Love to all!

Deb

News Flash- Winfield Middle School Spelling Bee Champ

NEWSFLASH-

Winfield, WV- December 10, 2008

Country Gatherings young friend Jake (the most wonderful 6th grade hunk in Converse tennis shoes) and also our most favorite sixth grader at WMS has won the spelling bee! He is the first winner from the sixth grade in the history of the middle school!

Congrats Jake!! We are all really proud of you, but of course we all knew you could do it!!!

And thanks Grandma Joann for sharing the news with us!!!!! Hope to see you and your mama soon!

Deb

Holiday Sale and a Big Birthday Coming Soon

Just a quick blog to let you be one of the first to know that December 22-23- and 24th we will be having a huge sale in the shop!!!

All our holiday items shop wide will be on sale and most at 50% off!!!! There will be other items on sale as well!!!!

Stay tuned for more details unfolding in the next few days! And meanwhile get on our mailing list to get some special info that will be divulged email only. During the last sale we had a giveaway that only those on the email list knew about. Just send a request to be added to the shop mailing list and include your name and email address. Send it to countrygatheringsdeb@yahoo.com and you will be added to the mailing list!

You cant afford to miss that big of sale now can you???? And we have more new stuff coming every single day!!!!

We received a new shipment today of those awesome snowman head candles!!! And we then turned around and sold 11 of them today alone!! Yeah they are that cute!!! Don't miss out on them they really rock!!! They arent all the new items that will be in before Christmas either!!! Keep stopping by!

We will be closing early on Christmas eve so we can go home and enjoy the holidays with our family's! Our family exchanges gifts among ourselves on Christmas Eve at my Moms!

We will close the shop from the 25 through the 29th for a little year end break and then we will reopen on the 30th.

We will also close early on New Years Eve and be closed all Day January 1st, New Years Day.

New Years day will be a momentous day for me!!! I will turn THE BIG 50 that day, yep its my birthday and yep I'm that old!!!!

And I look for black balloons, and signs and sheets hanging from bridges that say things like NIFTY NIFTY DEBBIES FIFTY.....and other such mischievous stuff !!!

Yup Yup YUP!!! But hey I can take it......... so bring it on if you dare!!!! :)

Visiting the Munchkin aka the Midget...aka The Emster

Ahh the fun ... the crazy wild zany fun of playing with my grand daughter the Princess Emmy!!!!

The freedom of just playing whatever she wants, wrestling in the floor, reading a pile of books one minute then the next using those books for garages for a pile of mini cars...

...playing dolls, giving them their bottles and giving them a precarious ride in the buggy, tea party's with teddy bears, Bunny's and dragons and wearing silly Santa hats and Strawberry Shortcake sunglasses.

...and ooohhh the giggles...the wonderful heart melting...... soul satisfying sound of her giggle......nothing like it...nope...no fortune no fame nothing like that sound...

Is there anything anywhere in this world that can even compare with the laughter and love and trust from a child you love who loves you back????

I don't think so!!!!!

P.S. Today's t-shirt said "Everyone Loves Brown Eyed Girls."

Mixed Bag

Well the last couple of days have been what I would call a " mixed bag", you know blessings and sad stuff mixed together...

XXXX War XXXX

Watched the 150th from the local National Guard Armory ship out to Iraq this week. Stood and waved at them as their caravan passed the shop and wondered about the fathers, sons, brothers, husbands on those buses and who would return to their family when their tour of duty was done....

So many young faces in those bus windows...and right before Christmas too...what lousy timing! I pray for them and their family's!

XXXX Earths Loss, Heavens Gain XXXXXXX

Lost a friend to cancer this week, his name was Mike Elliott. According to his obit he was an elder at the Eleanor Presbyterian Church, and a CLP at Ruffner Memorial Presbyterian Church, Charleston. He was a former Putnam County Clerk, a former member of the Eleanor Town Council, a former member and fire chief of the Eleanor Volunteer Fire Department , husband to Ann Raynes Elliott for 34 years, father of two children, grand father of three.

What he really was was a big man full of life and laughter, profound intellect, and love for his fellow man, a public servant and a christian to his very bone marrow and the kind of man you would be proud to have your son grow up to be. He will be missed. Please say a prayer for his family.

XXXXX Prayer Request XXXX

My aunt Mary Shank has heart surgery tomorrow so please pray for her and her family. Her doctor finally deemed her well enough for surgery.

XXX The Shop XXXX

In the shop our blessings continue to run over and over and over...loads of wonderful people in, laughter, tears, a few hugs and sharing life, ahhh this shop is truly what dreams are made of.....I thank God for this experience every day!

New shipments in, new consignment items in.... some pics follow of new consigned items, many more than those pictured below have come in just this week alone....

Come see us in the shop soon!!!!

Deb

Buried in Blessings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Busy, busy busy!!! Or should I say...Blessed, blessed, blessed!

Just been crazy blessed lately with lots of love!!! Black Friday sale and the Saturday following...completely bananas in the shop!!! This week more of the same! Shipments and shipments and new consignments and many many many customers!!!!!

Loads of new faces, and old friends shopped with us!!!

Missy Pennington won the email only drawing of a $35.00 gift certificate this weekend!

Sold three antique or vintage cabinets recently that will make someone an awesome addition to their prim or country home!!!!

Ellen V popped in in the middle of the sale madness this weekend smiling with a tray of coffee for us, what a lady!!!! What a sweet surprise!!!

Saw old school friend Vernon, childhood friends Debbie and daughters childhood friend Erika! What fun!

Met some new customers from Ohio- Janet & John and had a ball watching them shop!!! They nearly bought us out lol but they will be back!

Had a couple childhood friends from my childhood church pop in, Judy and Janie, they had heard about our shop from others and had to come in! They will be back!!!

Got a hug yesterday from Patty, one of our dearest customers, and sister in Christ! Brings tears to my eyes to think of it again!

Kathy sent me an email Jake won a spelling bee! Jake rocks! As usual!! And cant wait till Kathy and Jake pop in the shop again...I so need a Kathy & Jake fix!!!!

So many cute lil kids have been in lately and soo much new consigner stuff has come in I cant begin to fill you in on all of it in one quick blog! Snowmen, antique jewelry, candle posts, etc....

Just wanted you all to know I am alive and crazy busy ..... I mean blessed and will post more details and pictures soon!!! In the meanwhile you need to pop in and see all the beautiful holiday items in the shop!

Lots of Love!

Deb

Family Gathering Pics Shared

Just stopped in to share a few fun photos from today. Our whole family always gathers at my parents home, all four generations together to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner.

A wonderful meal was had by all and we enjoyed visiting all day together!

The pictures below are of my daughter and her big brothers lil girl ( my first grand baby) playing ball together! They had a blast!

Too sweet isnt she???

Right after I snapped this one, one of the tennis balls the baby threw hit me right in the chin! LOL

Don't ya just want to squeeze them when they look this adorable!!!

What a blessing!

Hope your day was as grand as ours!

Deb

Blessings and Prayers

Yeah I know this time of the year it just starts getting crazier and crazier sometimes we feel like we are in a frenzy trying to keep up! We have to be here for dinner, we need to go there for dinner, attend this function, spend this holiday with this part of the family, travel here, see this play, make cookies for this, make a cake for that, cook, clean, entertain...whewwww just makes me kind of tired to think about it!!!

But in the middle of all this craziness I try to think of all the people and things I am soooo thankful for in my life! My wonderful family, my supportive Hubs of two years, our three wonderful grown kids; two sons and a daughter, our first grand baby who will be two soon, my parents still with us, my sister (my left arm), nephews and in laws and extended family!

And friends like Lisa, Jeannie, Tina,Tammy, Lu, Kathy, Jake, Joanna and Emily, Jen, Amy, Patty, Jenna, Jessie and her kids, Ellen and her family and soooo many others I cant even begin to put names on them all...

The blessings of the shop and being able to do what I love doing and expressing my faith at the same time!!!! God is soooo good!

I know so many people don't have family around them, or the blessing of any job much less a job they love! Thank you God for all my blessings, I never take them for granted!!! And even though I have cooked all evening this evening and will spend most of the day tomorrow doing the same, it will be so awesome to see all the family faces around the table tomorrow breaking bread together! God is soo good all the time!

Even in the shop the last few days its been busier than usual for this time of the year but people waiting in line seem more patient more kind, or is it the season, are they feeling thankful too???? I sure wish it would last all year long!!!

Shop News-

Dont forget about our Black Friday Sale! 10- 5 Friday!!!!

We received some new consigner items this week from Jerry, out of Cross Lanes and I wanted to share pictures below...

This slender primitive cabinet is beautifully done! The finish is awesome!
This black cabinet with the Americana painted front is a nice sized cabinet. It along with being gorgeous will be a wonderful size for anyone's home! This prim wooden candle box is one of only two that came in. The first one sold before I could even tag it!

Prayer Requests-

I would like to ask that when you say your prayers you add the following to your list:

Mary Shank- My aunt, she is the wife of Charles, (my moms brother) who was severely injured a few months back in a motorcycle accident. Mary is in the hospital with pneumonia and also just had a heart cath today. The doctor reports the damage to her heart is to great to do any surgery to correct and the family knows its only a matter of time! Mary is a christian and her faith is strong, but her children and grandchildren need prayers at this time.

Mike Elliott- Mike is a local lay minister for the Presbyterian church. He and his wife Ann have lived a long time in Eleanor and are both Christians. Mike has been in ICU in Thomas recently as his cancer has come back and is spreading. They are soon to move him to hospice. Please pray for Ann also as she isn't well. Ann and I grew up just a few doors apart and have known each other all of our lives! Their son Michael and his wife have small children and are expecting again and will need all the prayers and hugs we can spare!

Larry Angle- My sister Terry's father in law has been moved from the hospital to a long term care facility where they are doing rehab and physical therapy trying to get as much use of his left side back as possible. The family has really had a time of it and they all need your prayers.

There are several silent prayer requests I would like to ask for also...God knows what they need.

I will close tonight by wishing you and yours a very blessed Thanksgiving! And I hope you too will break bread tomorrow with someone you love!

Debbie

The Toymaker

For those of you with young children or grandchildren that like to help decorate the table for Thanksgiving the link below is awesome! The site is called The Toymaker, and it always has some extraordinary free toys in full color to print out and make...check the link below and enjoy!

You can sign up to receive their free toys by email too!

http://www.thetoymaker.com/Holidays/Thanksgiving/1Thanksgiving.html

May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving!

100th Post-----Holy Moley

This is my 100th post folks! Can you believe it????

I am gonna get a gift together for a drawing to celebrate this momentous occasion, sigh, but haven't gotten it totally figured out yet!!!! Hey I'm cute but slow ok???

But I will come up with something neat from my shop so respond to this post to enter the drawing!!! I will let hubs pick the winner!

If you have been in the shop make a suggestion on what you think I ought to award, hey I'm not hard to get along with, but make it something easier to mail ok!

I'm slow maybe but not hard to get along with! :)

This is really nice since this momentous post will be pics of my beautiful grand baby Emmy that I took today while I was playing hooky from the shop!! I love my shop but playing with Emmy right now has to be one of Gods greatest gifts!!! Check out the pics below and see if you don't agree that she is a cutie...ohh and the silly novelty print shirt that says "Mini Pooper"she has on???? Yeah I bought it for her...I warned you people I wasn't totally normal a long time ago!!! Even the baby knows I'm a nut!!!

Isn't that the sweetest most mischievous face you have ever seen???

And my sepia touch up looks good on it I think.

Yep that's us on the floor as usual. We have Elmo sitting next to us he is one of her buddies!
They wrestle.



New toy... and it shoots a small bat mobile out so we have to keep putting it back together...over....and over....and over...lol but who could refuse that face????



Ok ok so she is a bucket head...hey her Grammy is a nut so why shouldn't some nuttiness be genetic...hmmmm????



Her daddy is working with her to develop her dunk shot I think, when she is old enough she will most probably be picked up by the Lady Mountaineers in college I am sure...then on to the Pro's!!!!

Doesn't this lil face just getcha right there???

She had just dug out one of her lil dolly's from the bottom of the toy box and was giving it such a squeeze just like she had missed it so much!!!

What a character she is!!!

Well I hope you enjoyed this post! Emmy is the best, would have been great to have had my grand daughter before I had my kids I think...It would have been so much less work and sooo much more fun!!!!

Deb