Our family will get together at our house Christmas Eve after evening worship services and eat Pa-Pa Soup, among other good things that won't spoil our Christmas Dinner, and then open presents and have a lot of fun.  Then on Christmas day, we will all go to our son's house and enjoy the Christmas dinner.

Pa-Pa Soup is what our grandchildren named this soup that their Pa-Pa concocted.  They love it.  It is spicy hot and very colorful.  We live a block from the school and when they were in high school, we cooked for them, and sometimes for their friends too, every day. We enjoyed them so much and this was one of their favorites.  One winter day Pa-Pa got too much hot stuff (Rotel) in it and one of them made the statement that  "...This is the happiest and most miserable I've ever been at the same time!"   We just drank a lot of iced tea and turned on the air conditioner....and did I mention it was in the winter time?

Pa-Pa Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 -1 pound round steak, partially frozen

1 quart boiling water

3-4 carrots

3 ribs celery

1-2 large onions

1 can Rotel

1 can diced tomatoes

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice 1/2 to one pound round steak very thin while it is still half frozen.  Wash in warm water and then place in a quart of boiling water and let simmer about 30 minutes.  Add 3-4 sliced carrots and 3 ribs of sliced celery.  Let simmer another 20-30 minutes and add one or two large onions, diced.  When the onion is almost done, add a can of Rotel and a can of diced tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste and serve with lots of cornbread.  It is wonderful! 

If it gets too dry just add more water or tomatoes.  You can adjust the Rotel to your taste, but most of us (except me) like it pretty hot. To make a huge pot full just add more of the veggies and everything in proportion.

adopt your own virtual pet!

Click on the 'more' sign to get hold of T-Bone and put to his mouth and click while he eats it. Click on him and rub him with the cursor and listen to him purr! He will follow your cursor and will stand, jump or lie down. Sometimes he growls really loud! !

My DH carved these little wooden shoes for me several years ago. He is a talented wood carver and has been carving since he was a little boy...making his own toys.

He carved all the new airplanes as they came out during World War II and nailed them to the fence posts around their yard when they lived close to Lubbock, Texas.

When they moved, he forgot to get them. (How I would love to have them now!)

I placed the thread and thimble in the picture to show just how small the little things are. He has carved many, many things...from chains to guns and jewelry such as rings and necklaces. 

These little shoes are one of my favorites...especially since I learned in recent years that my Great Grandmother's people came from Amsterdam, Holland and first settled in Amsterdam, N.Y.

Our little Gabby (a stray no more!) did not have an allergy to grass after all. We are so glad. We had thought about hauling in a truckload of sand for her fenced in plot and then keep the weeds and grass pulled out...Whew! Sounded like work!

But it turned out that she had the red mange, which is the worst kind. They dipped her and gave her a collar to wear for 3 months and she may have to be dipped twice more, but she is getting better all the time. We didn't want or need a dog ...but when you get attached and keep one, they really need to be loved and cared for. We are really attached to her!

How can anyone turn out a dog or any other pet and leave it to starve or worse? I've seen dogs on the highway standing and watching every car that comes by, probably hoping the car that pushed them out will come back and get them. How sad!  The only thing sadder is.... if it were a child, and that happens too sometimes! How can people be so cold and uncaring???