![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cb19b87e25.jpg\")
I bought ten pounds of King Arthur flour Friday to try to salvage my sourdough starter. I figured out why it was doing so poorly. Last. Weekend I went to The Pig to buy flour and they didn’t have King Arthur. So, I bought White Lily. Without even thinking, I fed my starter and it got worse and worse every day till it hardly had any bubbles and didn’t smell nearly as good as it did before. I finally dawned on me…White Lily is bleached flour and the chlorine residue damages or even kills a starter.
\n\n\nI usually have a “mother” jar…a starter that is strong and healthy. You feed it, put a loose lid on it, and put it straight in the fridge where it stays. Every week or so, you feed it like normal but you don’t use it…you just keep it for insurance. The thing is…I fed it with the White Lily and it was NOT happy. I keep a jar of discard…the extra that’s left over when you’re baking. Again…it had White Lily in it. I tried to figure out what to do when I remembered I did an experiment a couple of months ago.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/309181b7ae.jpg\")
I often watch how-to videos on YouTube…most on baking and knitting. One of the videos I watched said when you pour out the discard into the discard jar, scrape all out except maybe a tablespoon or so, cover it with a tight lid, and stick it in the back of your fridge. It’ll last in there for months. To feed it, you put a little warm filtered water in the jar and using a scraper, soften and loosen and scrape off every little bit of starter that you can off the inside of the jar. Then put enough flour in to make a thick batter consistency. I put mine in the oven with just the oven light on and it keeps it the perfect temperature.
\n\n\nI was so excited when I checked it yesterday morning and it rose really well. I fed it again to make sure it was active. By afternoon, it had doubled and I was thrilled to see that activity. I fed it again before we went to the birthday party at the bowling alley last night. Since it was so robust, it more than doubled so I set up my levain before I went to bed because I need to bake again today.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0a93547e74.jpg\")
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The evening out with family is just what the doctor ordered and I felt so much better after getting out for a while. The daffodils are blooming. The iris beds are putting out flat blades and I’m hoping the Black Iris will bloom this year. Mrs. FixIt 1.0 gave them to me and they are gorgeous. There are som buds on the trees. The peepers are singing. The birds and the bees are doing what birds and bees do. Well, actually…I haven’t seen bees yet, but the worms are doing the tango out in the lawn. I’ve never seen so many earthworms in a single yard before. I’ve heard that’s a sign of a healthy lawn. We had a lot of rain yesterday and a little bit of hail. That always makes me nervous since we had so much hail damage last summer.
\n\n\nI hope you are enjoying this beautiful spring weather as much as we are!
\n\n\n💚
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 NLT
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***Gratitude Journal***\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/16/were-back-in-business.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/01/a-new-daya-new-montha.html", "title": "A New Day…A New Month…A New Year!", "content_html": "\n
Today I am grateful for family near and far. We are the ones that are always there for each other through thick and thin. I miss my Colorado family so much and can’t wait to see them this summer. I need to get over the mountains to see my WV family. And I love my FixIt family here in town. I am so grateful to have family to love and be loved by.
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cedf8e6757.jpg\")
Well, after four years of not so much as a sniffle, I woke up yesterday morning with a scratchy throat and a cough, tired and achy, and generally just…blah! I’m so disappointed, but I wouldn’t trade spending time with the kids for anything. Little germ bombs! lol I’m sure it won’t last long…right? At least I have cookies!
\n\n\nI pretty much spent the day in the Big Red Chair. Mr. FixIt cooked oats for me for breakfast and brought me a sandwich in the afternoon. I started crocheting an Artisan Market Bag and watched educational YouTube videos in between football games. It was all I could do to stay up to ring in the New Year with Mr. FixIt.
\n\n\n2024 was busy as usual with the addition of so many unexpected expenses. We got to travel a lot which was fun…the beach twice and our annual trip to Colorado. We’ve been blessed to have good health, a roof over our heads, and food on our table with enough to share with those less fortunate.
\n\n\nI remember when we moved to Colorado when Hubby #1 was in the Air Force. That New Year’s Eve, we were at a party ringing in the New Year. I happened to look at the time when it was 10:00. I knew it was midnight in WV and I just had an overwhelming urge to talk to my mom. This was LONG before cell phones, so I used our host’s phone and charged the call to my home phone. We didn’t talk long…we couldn’t afford it in those early years of marriage…but I just HAD to hear her voice! Oh, I would give just about anything to hear her voice again. She’s been gone 21 years this month and I still think of calling her to tell her about something.
\n\n\nI don’t know what the future holds for us in 2025, but I know who walks with me so I never have to do it alone. I pray you always have enough.
\n\n\nKeep hope alive, dear ones!
\n\n\n![\"🩵\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/582364518e.jpg\")
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/01/a-new-daya-new-montha.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Home","Hygge"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/06/16/a-full-day-of-fun.html", "title": "A Full Day of Fun!", "content_html": "\n“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 ESV
\n\n\n#newyearsday#newyear#cold#undertheweather#crochet#home#hyggehome
\n\n
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I woke up at 5:30! The sun coming in the window and shining on my legs makes me hot and wakes me up. Then, of course, there are the Red-Shouldered Hawks making a ruckus bright and early. I had to get up at 7:00 anyway…what’s another ninety minutes, eh? I put away everything in the camper and got it ready to tow into town, then went in to make sure Mr. FixIt was up. Mr. FixIt Jr. was coming over to help his dad cut down trees while I took the camper into town.
\n\n\nWhen I scheduled the appointment at one of the local RV dealers, I asked for the bearings to be repacked. I was assured they could do that. When I got there, the guy came right out and got to work. He said I didn’t have to unhook the camper and I could just sit in the truck. I was looking at my phone and caught a glimpse of the fellow crouched down by the wheel on the camper. I looked closer and all he was doing was putting axle grease in the fitting. When he came around to tell me he was finished, I questioned that because repacking the bearings is much more involved than that. He said I had a different kind of fitting and you don’t have to repack the bearings till you get your brakes checked.
\n\n\nHe led me to the office to pay and when I saw the bill, I nearly swallowed my teeth! $107! To put 2-3 pumps of axle grease in the nipple? I don’t think so! I reminded the woman that I had asked for the bearings to be repacked and she had told me they would be. I told her if I would have known all he was going to do was pump grease into the hub, I could have done that myself. I was kind, yet firm. She listened and compromised and cut the bill in half. No need to burn bridges on either end. They were accommodating to get me in on short notice and I appreciated that.
\n\n\nAs I was leaving, I asked if she could direct me to the place when I could fill up the propane tank. It turns out, they fill them at the service center so I got that job done at the same time. The next stop was the tire shop. Again, I didn’t have an appointment, but they weren’t that busy and were able to fit me in. Having only one axle simplifies things because there are only two tires to change. They also checked the spare…and cleaned out the big wasp nest that was under the tire cover.
\n\n\nNext up, the dump station. I found one closer than the one I usually use and that made things easier. But when I was getting out of the truck to get started, I reached for my camper keys and they weren’t where I normally keep them. I looked everywhere…no luck. I thought back and the only place I could have left them was at the camper dealership. Fortunately, I ordered some spare keys early this spring for just this reason. We got the camper with only one key, so if we lost that, we’d be out of luck. I stashed on in the truck, one on the camper key ring, and one on Mr. FixIt’s key ring. I got in the storage bay for my tools and cleaned the tanks…easy-peasy. When I was finished with the tanks, I circled back to the camper place and there were my keys!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/063005c994.jpg\")
I hurried home, unhooked the camper, and got it set up. Mr. FixIt & Son were cutting down trees when I got there. They called me over to video them cutting the big one down. It fell exactly where it was supposed to go. It was so big, it took them another couple of hours to cut it up and haul it over to the already huge brush pile. I went inside to finish with the cleaning and laundry so I could work on the meal for our family gathering. Everyone came over between 5:00 and 6:00. No one brought a bathing suit, but we still had a big time.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt added extra chairs on the deck and we sat out there for supper. The smoked pork was wonderful! I only added wood chips twice so the smoky flavor was very subtle. I think the next time I’ll add a third load of chips to give it just a bit more smoke. Our daughter-in-law brought macaroni salad, baked beans, sliced cucumbers fresh from her dad’s garden, and a watermelon. Our granddaughter brought her homemade brownies. Mrs. FixIt 1.0 brought her yummy homemade coleslaw. We furnished the pork, chips, and four kinds of homemade ice cream. That Ninja Creami is a pretty cool gadget! I made chocolate, berry cheesecake, banana cheesecake, and pineapple sorbet. The banana cheesecake was my favorite but everyone had a little scoop of each to try them out. Served with a small brownie and topped with sugar free whipped cream in a can and it was really a nice meal. We sat out on the deck and talked for a couple of hours till it started getting a little chilly.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt had a wonderful visit with the family for Father’s Day…a day early. Now he can just rest today. So, we have leftovers, a clean house, and warm memories. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2024-06-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/06/16/a-full-day-of-fun.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/05/27/decoration-day.html", "title": "Decoration Day", "content_html": "\n““Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
\nExodus 20:12 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ca695a0ce5.jpg\")
Before Congress standardized the holiday as “Memorial Day” in 1971, we called it Decoration Day. It was always on May 30th, then with the change in ‘71, it began being observed on the last Monday in May. That was the day we went to the cemetery and dressed the graves with flowers and placed American Flags for the Veterans.
\n\n\nAs long as I can remember, we dressed in our Sunday best clothes and went to visit my Uncle Sonny’s grave who was killed in Germany when his plane crashed on 5/5/55. I can’t remember him as the last time he saw me, I wasn’t a year old. But I’ve “known” him forever. As a matter of fact, he’s one of the special people I’ll be looking forward to meeting when I get to Heaven.
\n\n\nWe also went to Ravenswood to visit my dad’s people. The thing I remember the most about that was having a picnic supper right in the cemetery. They set up sawhorses with platters of food and I’ve always thought that was so odd. Decoration Day was always a solemn affair for my family. The loss of my Uncle Sonny was a pain that seared itself into the fabric of our beings. A generational sadness that hummed just beneath the surface like an undercurrent of electricity.
\n\n\nI didn’t put out flowers this year. Perhaps I’ll get some on sale after the holiday. Someone suggested you go back to the cemetery to retrieve your flower arrangements to use the following year. They aren’t cheap these days. We are supposed to have a much cooler day today than yesterday, so we may go out and visit Mr. FixIt’s people.
\n\n\nWe didn’t get much of anything done yesterday. It was 85° and we had severe thunderstorm warnings from 4:00-9:00pm. It was just too hot to do much. I think we’re going to have to give in a buy a window air conditioner for the family room. There is absolutely no sense whatsoever to run the whole house AC when we aren’t back in that area. The only place we really need it is where we spend the most time.
\n\n\nIt’s getting to be too hot for cooking in the kitchen. It does nothing but heat up the house. So we eat a lot of salads and sandwiches when it’s this hot. We always have a hot breakfast though. I haven’t grilled out yet. And I’ve been thinking about getting some ribs or maybe a pork picnic roast for the smoker. Corn on the cob hasn’t been too bad for this time of year. Mr. FixIt bought a watermelon the other day and I’m looking forward to cutting into it today.
\n\n\nAnd, just like that, tomorrow is June!
\n\n\n🌼
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2024-05-27T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/05/27/decoration-day.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/05/12/in-search-of-the-lights.html", "title": "In Search of the Lights", "content_html": "\n“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
\nMatthew 5:4 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c1978ee5c4.jpg\")
I met the Former Mrs. FixIt and my bonus daughter yesterday at the library for the stitching class. The rest were doing a fun beach cross stitch and I elected to work on the sampler I salvaged from my needlework shop back in 2006. The border needed to be finished perfectly to get the rest of the stitches to fit exactly right. I was off by ONE THREAD. I was worried I would have to rip a lot of the stitches out, but when I took the time and counted threads, I found the error. I only had to rip out about an inch of stitches in order to correct the error and now it’s perfect!
\n\n\nWe went out for a late lunch together and celebrated Mother’s Day early. When I got home, I went out to pick a large bouquet of pink peonies and tucked the mum in that Mrs. FixIt 1.0 gave me. It was so nice to spend time together in an unhurried and relaxing way.
\n\n\nWe caught some beautiful lights in the heavens Friday night. The news said more was in store last night. We’re going to go out to the cemetery when my family members rest in peace. The sky is open on top of that hill so we should get a beautiful view of the Northern Lights. I’m going to leave you with more of the photos I took last night. I hope to be back with more tomorrow.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5326994e53.jpg\")
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It’s Mother’s Day…a day that is hard for many people. Those who have lost their mom find it difficult to celebrate. Those who wanted to be a mom and couldn’t feel that every year. And those who have suffered the horror of losing their children are forced to endure the endless reminders of their loss. It can be a mixed bag. Happiness and sorrow can be held in the same hand.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2024-05-12T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/05/12/in-search-of-the-lights.html", "tags": ["Family","Love","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/03/17/what-a-difference-a-year.html", "title": "What a Difference a Year Makes", "content_html": "\n“Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”
\nProverbs 31:31 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7a9f227e02.jpg\")
I went to town yesterday with the intent of getting my hair cut. But, after blowing my hair dry on Friday evening, I started having second thoughts. When I walked into the salon, Kendra took one look at me and said, “OMGosh! I love your hair!!!” It had been a year since I was there and my hair had grown at least six inches or more.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/44905bae7c.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2124e41947.jpg\")
The photo on the left is what I WANTED the December 2022 haircut to look like. Unfortunately…the one on the right is what I got. I should have known better than to go to a cut rate shop…you get what you pay for sometimes.
\n\n\nAs I was preparing to sit in the chair, she looked at me and said, “Are you SURE you want to cut it?” I had decided before I walked in…I really didn’t. We decided to trim the bottom because the shorter parts of the horrible cut I got a couple of years ago had finally grown out enough to even up the hairstyle. I wanted to do something with the bangs because they had become unruly. We opted to feather them into a curtain bang that could be worn swept to the side or down.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a3a5836fdb.jpg\")
When we were finished, I was thrilled. Kendra kept saying how strong and healthy my hair is. No split ends or broken off areas. I attribute that to taking collagen supplements this past year and being really careful with my hair…protecting it and using a good quality repair and strengthening shampoo. I haven’t used color on my hair since long before Mr. Virgo died but it truly looks blonde in these pictures, although in the sunshine, it’s really silver.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7ac7588a8e.jpg\")
I ran a few errands and treated myself to lunch at Qdoba then headed home. Again, I worked on the taxes, making little progress, but every step forward is closer to being done. Mr. FixIt called me outside to look at the sky. It was a gorgeous day with feathery white clouds like wispy strands of cotton stretched over an azure sky. I love springtime in West Virginia. The warm days and pretty flowers bring us hope for the days ahead. As I drove home, there is a curve you come around that opens up to a view of flowering trees and daffodils. I always smile, but this time, the huge weeping willow across the road was now a beautiful spring green as the leaves burst forth in all their glory.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4a41176f12.jpg\")
Looking for joy in everything, every day brings so much more peace than engaging in fights with strangers on social media, don’t you think?
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/696ea85f3e.jpg\")
Happy St. Patrick’s Day…Erin go Bragh!
\n\n\n☘️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2024-03-17T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/03/17/what-a-difference-a-year.html", "tags": ["Health","Hope","West Virginia","Holiday","Change","Be Joyful!","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/02/29/too-much-stimuli.html", "title": "Too Much Stimuli", "content_html": "\n”The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:“
\nPsalms 68:11 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/486aaca89b.jpg\")
Ever since Covid started and we became sequestered in our homes, I’ve become far more sensitive to stimuli. Excess noises, bustling activity, too many things happening at once and I need a little quiet time to regroup. This didn’t bother me in my earlier working years. I mainly worked in hospitals and medical offices. At one point I had my needlework shop and that was busy. I was the “downtown shop girl” in Glenwood Springs. I worked one day a week in three different shops so my mind had to be nimble.
\n\n\nI’m not saying I’ve become “too old to cut the mustard” but time and solitude has changed my ability to tolerate chaos with any regularity. Mr. FixIt and I left the house yesterday morning at a little after 8:00. It was storming…the wind was blowing, thunder was crashing all around, and the rain was coming down in sheets. I drove carefully over to the doctor’s office in Belpre and we found our seats in a crowded waiting room.
\n\n\nThe TV on the wall to my left was just loud enough that I could hear, but not loud enough to make out the words. There was music coming from the speakers in the ceiling. A little toddler was sitting with his dad babbling his sweet baby language and watching a cartoon on a phone. The man on the other side of Mr. FixIt was watching a video documentary about Taylor Swift on HIS phone. I sat with my book open on my lap willing myself to block out the cacophony around me.
\n\n\nIt was almost an hour before they called us into the office, and another fifteen minutes before the PA came in. I had an appointment at 11:00 and I kept glancing at the clock, hoping I wouldn’t have to cancel my appointment at the last minute. Fortunately, we got out of there in plenty of time. When we pulled out of the parking lot, there was a car on fire in the entry to the Emergency Room. Now…THAT person was having a bad day!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/53bbc336e9.jpg\")
I dropped Mr. FixIt off at the mall to walk some laps and went to my appointment nearby. I never have to wait long, but this time it was twenty-five minutes before I was called back. I’m sure you all know, but Medicare provides us a free annual physical. My PCP is very thorough and I wasn’t out of there till 12:30. I am happy to say I’m in excellent health! She was very please with my progress.
\n\n\nBy the time I picked up my sweetie at the mall, we were both beyond hungry so we went to our favorite diner for lunch. Afterward, we stopped at Mrs. FixIt 1.0’s house and visited with her and my WV daughter who had one of our little great grandsons with her so that was delightful! He is such a sweet little guy!
\n\n\nYesterday was Big’s 20th Birthday!!! We got to visit via video chat. Swim season is over and she is enjoying a little down time…if you can call carrying all those college classes “down time.” I can’t believe she is twenty years old!!! It wasn’t that long ago she was this little sweet pea that went to the book store and shopping for shoes with me. Her very first sentence was “Shopping for shoes!” What an amazing young woman she is.
\n\n\nWe stopped for a couple of things at the grocery store and headed home and I was never so glad to snuggle into my Big Red Chair and pick up my knitting. I had a nice little break from the keyboard the last couple of days and I’m fresh and ready to get back in the game. I still want to get over to the farm for a few days pretty soon, but we have some things to take care of around here first.
\n\n\nIt’s Leap Day!!!
\n\n\nIf you were born on February 29th…then, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! You’re a lot younger than your contemporaries! Oh, and by the way…there are daffodils blooming in Parkersburg! It was 69° yesterday morning when I woke up…and, it was 42° by the time we got home. There’s an awful lot of wicked weather out there…fires, tornadoes, snow, rain, flooding. It’s crazy…be careful out there!
\n\n\nI hope you all are doing well. Please say an extra pray for one of my dearest friends. They had a death in the family, then at the dinner after, her nephew had a stroke. What a horrifying sequence of events! Please keep him and his family in your prayers.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n”And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.“
\nJames 5:15-16\n
#Healthy, #Prayers, #LeapDay
\n\n", "date_published": "2024-02-29T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/02/29/too-much-stimuli.html", "tags": ["Health","Prayer","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/02/15/let-your-marriage-breathe.html", "title": "Let Your Marriage Breathe", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/191a5f8e5f.jpg\")
When you open a fine bottle of wine, you need to give it time to breathe in order to truly experience its intricacies. An older bottle especially needs to breathe because exposing the wine to air allows unfavorable compounds like sulfites and ethanol to evaporate. It also allows the wine to develop more favorable tastes and bloom…to develop its “nose” so more of your senses are involved when you sip it. It just makes the whole experience more delightful.
\n\n\nMarriage is a lot like a fine bottle of wine. If it’s precious…and rare…you treasure it. You want it to last. So, like a rare wine, you have to age it well. You keep it at the perfect temperature so as to let it mellow and become more complex. You tend to it by keeping it safe from the dangers of outside forces. Then, when a special occasion comes around and you want to celebrate, you open it up.
\n\n\nBut if you just pour it out and drink it down, you’re going to be terribly disappointed. It’ll be bitter and acrid. You might even be tempted to just dump the whole thing down the drain. If you do, you could miss out on the most amazing experience of your life. You could miss all those beautiful and complex floral notes, or the rich and robust oaky flavors that can only come from something you’ve guarded and protected and treated right over the years.
\n\n\nWe woke up yesterday to a sunny, gorgeous Valentine’s Day. I made the perfect breakfast…popcorn pancakes, bacon, and eggs. I did the dishes. We filled the bird feeders. I worked on the blanket I’ve been trying to make. It’s REALLY a tricky pattern but I am determined to keep trying. We sat down to watch another episode or two of Bull, and I got a notification on my phone.
\n\n\n“Send your Valentine a custom greeting with photos and music.”
\n\n\nI connected, typed in my sentiment, and selected as many pictures of the two of us as I could find, and sent it via text to Mr. FixIt sitting in his Big Red Chair across the room from me.
\n\n\nHis phone dinged and he picked it up. I could see the curiosity on his face then the music started and our life together unfolded in front of his eyes. He softened…kinda melted, really. And the look he gave me was all the Valentines in the world wrapped in a big red bow.
\n\n\nWhen you take good care of something old and precious, it rewards you a hundredfold. I’m so glad I have taken such good care of this particular vintage. It is divine…because we let it breathe.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2024-02-15T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/02/15/let-your-marriage-breathe.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Aging","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/29/football-and-peanut-butter-cookies.html", "title": "Football and Peanut Butter Cookies", "content_html": "\n”The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”“
\nGenesis 2:18 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c5b146fff4.jpg\")
I made enough French toast on Wednesday to have leftovers yesterday. I love French toast. And if you make it with 35 calorie per slice bread and use brown sugar substitute and sugar free syrup, you can really shave a lot of the calories off. After a filling breakfast, I took my cuppa and headed down to the studio…my little nook in the basement.
\n\n\nI’ve been watching YouTube videos to find more knitting patterns to try out. I came across a lady out of Canada and she made this cute little produce bag. I had some cotton yarn and decided to try it. It’s not as easy as it looks. It took me all day to knit up four and out of those found, one messed up so bad I just ripped it out. Another was fairly passable, but a long way from perfect. One came out great, and by the time I got it finished, it was time to put everything away so I could sit down and write. I’ll keep trying, but I though it was pretty cute.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/516fd9f4cd.jpg\")
When I was downstairs working, I could hear Mr. FixIt rummaging around in the kitchen and I knew he was setting up to make his famous Peanut Butter Blossoms. He ended up making six dozen! Now, I DO love peanut butter cookies, but I’m staying away. I ate a piece of that fudge I made this week, and I had such a reaction to the sugar. When you have eliminated sugar from your diet, even the smallest things can throw you into a sugar buzz. It kept me awake half the night and I was SO grouchy the next day. I love that he made them for the family. They’ll be here tomorrow for our family Christmas extravaganza and they are always looking for Grandpa’s cookies. I have the pork roast thawing in the fridge. I’ll make a big pot of chili and a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning. The gifts are ready. We’ll do some cleaning up today, then the fun begins!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1d3d8ddc3e.jpg\")
We’re really getting into the NCAA Football Bowl Games this year. Our son had us print out the schedule and chose who we thought would win each game and send it to him. There are several of us doing this and it’s been great fun with a lot of happy teasing in the chat thread. This is all for fun…no gambling. But the person who wins gets to keep the “trophy” for a year and retains bragging rights at any and all family gatherings for the year. I started out in last place, and as of yesterday morning, I was in a three way tie for 1st Place! I want that trophy!!! lol There are fourteen more games, so it’s anyone’s guess who will win.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-29T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/29/football-and-peanut-butter-cookies.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/27/ugh-another-trip-to-town.html", "title": "Ugh, Another Trip to Town", "content_html": "\n”It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.“
\nPsalm 127:2 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6a52ca4811.jpg\")
The full moon in a marbled sky.
\n\n\nHonestly, I thought I was done with the going to town thing till NEXT YEAR, but no such luck. I needed a couple things for this weekend, and I wanted to get some yarn while it was on sale. We left about 11:00 and I was hoping to be back before dark but it was 7:00 before we got home and still didn’t get everything done. At least the stores weren’t elbow to elbow with people, but I still got overstimulated, my neck and back hurt, and I was just over it. Fortunately, I have the most patient husband on the planet.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt and I were looking for last minute gifts for our three little boys. One is big into Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and he’s such a sweet little guy. I bought him books that play sound effects from the Toy Story characters. The other two little boys are rough and tumble little guys who are all about monster trucks. But they get all that stuff from their parents, so we bought them matching sets of four GI Joe action figures. You never quite know what to get the kids when you don’t get to spend much time with them. Hopefully, between the toys and the hats and loaded Christmas stocking that I made, it will be enough for them.
\n\n\nI “camped out” Christmas night. I thought for sure I would sleep like a baby, but it was actually hotter in the camper than it usually is in the house, so I tossed and turned a good portion of the night. It was still fun to spend at least one night out there in December. I think I’ve slept in the camper at least one night every month in 2023…one of my goals for the year!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/942ec00ebe.jpg\")
I saw this cute little book when we were shopping for the littles.
\n\n\nHopefully I can stay home the rest of the week/year. I have a surprise guest I’m interviewing today so I’m really excited for that and hopefully will be able to post it later this week Not much new around here other than that. I hope you all had a nice Christmas and maybe hit some of the sales yesterday. I don’t wrap gifts anymore. I bought those pretty boxes when they went on sale a couple of years ago, so everyone gets their stuff in their box, along with a cloth drawstring bag to take them home. Then the boxes stay here to be filled again next year. Trying to keep the expenses and waste down and maintain a smaller carbon footprint during the holidays.
\n\n\n🩵
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/27/ugh-another-trip-to-town.html", "tags": ["Family","Love","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/24/i-love-my-life.html", "title": "I Love My Life!", "content_html": "\n”Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.“
\nRomans 12:10 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://www.marshmallowranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_4387-1-768x1024.jpeg\")
I finally made a hat for me!
\n\n\nTen years ago when I faced my first Christmas without Mr. Virgo, I could never imagine a life without him let alone one with all this joy in it. I cooked a nice breakfast of grits, eggs and turkey sausage. When the dishes were done, I headed to the studio to play. I made four hats and sorted through some antique hand-pieced quilt blocks I picked up this summer. I absolutely love these blocks. They’re shabby and aged with the occasional stain on them. I can’t decide what to make with them…whether I want to make a small quilt, or divide them up and make several wall hangings. I thought of making table runners, but for now I’ve bundled them in packets of nine blocks to keep them safe and in the back of my mind.
\n\n\nI brought the hats upstairs to do the finishing work and ended up doing a little holiday baking. I made two full sheet pans of Rolo Pretzel Cookies and a batch of fast Two-Ingredient Fudge. You can find my fudge recipe here. Well, three ingredients…I added walnuts! I made a big pot of White Chicken Chili. OMGosh! It’s been years and years since I made that and it was SO yummy! With the tender chicken, chunks of onions, carrots, white beans and fire-roasted corn in a thick rich broth, it was comfort food without a ton of calories. I trimmed the calories down by eliminating the tortilla chips, cheese, and avocado and adding carrots as an extra veggie. You can find the White Chicken Chili recipe I used here.
\n\n\nI enjoyed several phone calls with family far and wide. We watched football while I did the handwork on the hats. It was a beautiful, relaxing day. I’m so grateful I have spaces in the house to work that are away from the heat of the family room. Mr. FixIt keeps it pretty warm in there and for some reason, it about made me sick. So, I just retreated to my own comfort zone. I usually sleep in the spare bedroom because of our different heat preferences. I keep a board over the heat register and open the window…even when it’s in the twenties outside. Poor Mr. FixIt comes in of a morning and shivers, bless his heart. I’ve never slept better in my life so I think we’ve found a happy medium. Life is too short to be miserable or to take offense. We have plenty enough fun to make up for the time spent in separate corners of the house.
\n\n\nI think I’ll play in the kitchen some more today. Not sure what’s on the menu yet! Cookies? Another pan of fudge? Those sugared nuts I’ve been talking about? Who knows? Maybe I’ll do a Facebook Live! That would be fun to get to visit you at Christmas.
\n\n\nAnd here it is…Christmas Eve. I have such a clear memory of my brother and I kneeling on the floor of the living room…looking out the picture window…hoping against hope that we’d catch a glimpse of snowflakes for Christmas Eve. We had just moved to the new house. It was a mansion compared to the ratty old houses mom and dad had rented. Christmas was always slim pickin’s at our house, but that year we felt like Richie the Rich Kid!
\n\n\nFond memories. I’ve known a few people whose entire childhood was filled with perfect holidays with the perfect family. That wasn’t us. But now…as an adult…I choose to focus on the GOOD times. Too many people go through life blaming their problems on their upbringing. I know…I was one of them for far too many years. You can’t rewrite history, but you CAN change the narrative!
\n\n\nMay this years’ story be the best one yet!
\n\n\n🎄
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/24/i-love-my-life.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/23/a-job-well-done.html", "title": "A Job Well Done!", "content_html": "\n”In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.“
\nLuke 2:1-5 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1fe84f284c.jpg\")
I finished the last hat and scarf set yesterday and actually had a chance to sit down and relax with a little knitting of my own. I love knitting with Lion Brand’s Thick and Quick yarn. It’s super bulky so it knits up quick, and it’s super soft, warm, and washable. It ticks all the boxes for a cozy winter hat that will last for years and years.
\n\n\nMy tally for the year in knitting gifts is twenty-three hats, six hat and scarf sets, seventeen Christmas stockings, fourteen scrubbies, one pair of slippers, two pairs of socks, and a crocheted trivet. Not bad when you add in a king-sized quilt, two month-long camping trips, and mowing two farms. This between furnace repairs, a totaled car, and a new roof. It has been a REALLY busy year!!!
\n\n\nI had to put the shop on vacation while I was doing the last big push to get this stuff finished because we got into that grey area where it was too close to Christmas to receive something on time. I certainly wouldn’t want someone to buy something and be disappointed that it didn’t arrive on time. I still made some sales on special orders, but for the most part, I’ve taken the month of December to just play with yarn.
\n\n\nNow that the gifts are taken care of, I can get in the kitchen and start baking today. I went over to The Pig yesterday and got fresh flour. Mine had grown stale as I haven’t been baking nearly as much as I used to. I looked at my weight on a graph yesterday. One graph show just this year, and the other shows 2017-now. I had a huge weight gain between 2017 and February 2020. Those are the first years Mr. FixIt and I were together and set up housekeeping. I think the term is “fat and happy”. I baked and ate and baked some more. Then Covid struck and Mr. FixIt’s two strokes helped me feed my emotional eating machine till I finally got a handle on it in March.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a9989f52ef.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/541bcb6e81.jpg\")
I think I am at a point where I can bake now without fear of “going off the wagon.” I’ve learned a lot about the “why” of eating and can easily enjoy fruit instead of dense sweets without feeling deprived. Because every once in awhile, I indulge in a goodie and don’t feel guilty about it. Life is too short…eat the cookie. Just not a dozen cookies, and maybe some fudge and sugared nuts, and brownies. All things in moderation.
\n\n\nSo that’s what I’ll do today. Bake…and feed the neighbors!
\n\n\n🎄
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/23/a-job-well-done.html", "tags": ["Health","Holiday","Baking","Crafts","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/15/nailed-it.html", "title": "Nailed It!", "content_html": "\n”“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”“
\nLuke 6:37-38 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4363d1d65a.jpg\")
Have you ever seen those posts online where they show something really cute that someone made and someone else tries to make it and it just turns out abysmal? Well, I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I try not to mess up…but man, I sure did yesterday! I made those little Christmas stockings earlier in the week by altering a pattern for a larger size. I thought they were maybe a little bit too small, so I decided to make the original size.
\n\n\nIt took me four hours to make the components and put them together. When I finished the first one, I really didn’t like it, but I had the pieces of the other one made so I went ahead. Then, when I turned it right side out, all I could do is laugh. I attached the heel all the way around and the toe made a cup. It was so ridiculous.
\n\n\nSome days are like that. You try your best and things still don’t work out. I could have been upset or moped around about it, but what good would that do? I could have gone downstairs and made more stuff, but being tired and maybe a little disappointed in the lost efforts would not have helped. In fact, it might have just made matters worse. So, I put it away and sat in the living room with Mr. FixIt and watched old MONK reruns and Thursday Night Football.
\n\n\nAll is right with the world and there’s always tomorrow. I put my Etsy shop on vacation mode till after the first of the year. It was getting too close to Christmas to guarantee on-time deliveries and I need a break with my family and friends. I’ll still be here, writing my posts. But..there may be some days when I share something from the archives. My theme for this holiday season is to keep it low key. No stress, no last minute rushing around. Just listen to my intuition and go where it takes me.
\n\n\nThat sounds like a lot more fun, doesn’t it?
\n\n\n🎄
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-15T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/15/nailed-it.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Crafts"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/12/a-day-on-the-town.html", "title": "A Day on the Town", "content_html": "\n”The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.“
\nPsalm 37:23-24 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9be91bbb10.jpg\")
Doing a little shopping…for little bananas? Have you ever eaten one of these? What’s the point?
\n\n\nMr. FixIt and I are together all the time. We love to be together and enjoy the same things for the most part. And, every once in awhile, I need a day that I can take just for me. I do that at The Farm whenever I can, but I seldom get a day to myself in town. Our trips to town usually entail one or both of us having an appointment or shopping. I had an appointment yesterday for my eyes and Mr. FixIt had the roofers at the house, so I went alone after knitting group.
\n\n\nI got up too late to have breakfast before knitting so I stopped at my favorite diner…Mary B’s. Pancakes, eggs, and sausage. Knowing how and when and what to eat is easier when you’re writing everything down and keeping track, but it gets tougher when I get in the driver’s seat. I’m getting down to the end of the Noom course and I made an executive decision to renew for another six months. Winter is my nemesis when it comes to eating and I want to be sure I can get through without regaining the weight I’ve lost.
\n\n\nI didn’t wander around town as much as I thought I would. I did go to Michael’s to check out their sales and picked up a few things. Throw in a quick stop at the store and to pick up Chinese food for supper and I was home well before dark. The roofers are winding up their job and it looks great! This roof ought to last us the rest of our lives. Isn’t that a sobering thought? I remember the first time we put a roof on a house back in 1990. We had our whole lives ahead of us. And now…two husbands later, we’re putting (hopefully) the last one.
\n\n\nI knew we were going to get old someday. I just thought it would take longer to get here. Not that I’m OLD, mind you. Age is just a number and I hear 70 is the new 50. It breaks my heart to see my contemporaries getting sick and dying. All the more reason to not wait to visit people. Call your friends when they come to mind. Add it to your calendar to check in. We don’t know when we’ll run out of chances.
\n\n\nI’ll get to stay home the rest of the week and I’m knee deep in holiday gift making. I may even start on some of the baking and candy making. Have you all started making things or am I really late to the party? I’ve been looking at toffee and pralines recipes. Doesn’t that sound yummy? What’s your favorite treat to make for the holidays?
\n\n\n🎄
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-12T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/12/a-day-on-the-town.html", "tags": ["Fun","Holiday","Baking","Memories","Crafts","Cooking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/06/a-time-of-tender-hearts.html", "title": "A Time of Tender Hearts", "content_html": "\n”A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.“
\nProverbs 17:17 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/de3ef109c6.jpg\")
Anniversary reactions. It’s a real thing and it’s predictable. It’s the annual echo of a past trauma that is triggered by events, smells, sounds, dates…any number of things that bring you back to that painful moment in your life. My brother was in a terrible accident when I was in fourth or fifth grade. It happened in the fall and here we are…all these years later. Every year, on a certain autumn day, this feeling washes over me and I take notice of it.
\n\n\nThe last week, I’ve had a tender heart. The best way to describe it is… my heart hurts. There’s a heavy feeling in my chest. Things get to me more easily. I had trouble logging in to see Big’s swim meet and I flat out cried because I might disappoint her and not be able to watch. I went to the store yesterday. When I was putting my groceries on the conveyor belt, I looked to the side and there was a small display of fruit cake. I was surprised to feel the sting of tears. Fruit cake was Mr. Virgo’s favorite holiday treat.
\n\n\nI know why I’m feeling these things more strongly this year. Next Wednesday marks two years since my dear friend Sparky died unexpectedly. My heart just hurts and I miss her so much. It reminded me there are so many others who are feeling the same things this time of year. I’m practicing my grief skills. I’m getting enough sleep. I’m not eating junk food or binging on sugar. I’m trying to stay active and reach out to friends and family for extra support. Practicing self care is difficult when you’re grieving, but it’s vitally important.
\n\n\nI remember my first Christmas after Mr. Virgo died. I forced myself to put up the tree even though I had zero holiday spirit. I felt like I needed to do it anyway because it was his favorite holiday and I wanted to honor that. Then, once everything was up, it pierced my heart every time I looked at it. I waited till after Christmas, but everything came down as soon as possible after. I may have better off to have just skipped the whole thing.
\n\n\nWe came so close to having a family disaster yesterday. I read about a fire on the scanner page and recognized the address. Our grandson and his girlfriend live in that area and it took me a couple hours to find out it was their apartment building. He’s working out of town but she was home. Her little kitty woke her up and she started yelling for help. The firemen didn’t know she was up there till she yelled and they came to rescue her. Her kitty didn’t make it out. We are so grateful they’re safe, but please pray for them. They were just getting on their feet and they have no idea how much of their stuff is salvageable.
\n\n\nBe kind to yourselves during this busy season. You are loved.
\n\n\n🎄
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n”fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“
\nIsaiah 41:10 ESV\n
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
\n\n\nI love this colorful elephant!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b768c3961a.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/34b37e92b1.jpg\")
For a little ten pounder, this turkey sure gave us a lot of meals. The two of us didn’t eat very much of it. I got a good-sized container of meat for sandwiches and maybe a casserole. Then I cooked down the carcass and got two quarts of wonderful, rich broth. I also got two containers of broth with meat and veggies for soup. And a quart of meat to make turkey salad. That’s a lot of potential meals from a ten pound turkey.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7645b07f7c.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6bf2712f79.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a2898ed318.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/26f4d08afb.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b31faf9d22.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6433be5398.jpg\")
As I was preparing to spatchcock the turkey, I got out the camera and tripod to take a video to demonstrate the process. I went through the whole thing, stopping and starting the camera. It was going great! Then I sat down in the afternoon to edit the video and… all I had was snapshots. I didn’t have the camera on video at all! So, you get photos today instead of a cooking video.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/60788160a9.jpg\")
I had quite the fright on Tuesday evening. I’d been having trouble with my iPad for a few days. First it was crashing regularly. Then it said the memory was full. I started taking stuff off of it and it still said it was full. I disconnected it from the cloud and that removed 36,000+ photos and it STILL said it was full. When it crashed again, I knew there had to be some sort of bug involved. I figured the only thing I could do was erase the iPad and bring it back to factory settings.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e8140b4889.jpg\")
All went well. I downloaded the apps I needed to write my posts. Then, when I went to schedule yesterday’s post… I couldn’t get into Facebook. I couldn’t access any of my writing. I lost all my copies of the part that I post on Facebook. I could feel anxiety creeping in but I managed to create the post on my phone and decided to have a good sleep and work on it in the morning. I often sleep on a problem because the next morning, it seems the answer is right in front of me. I took Facebook off the iPad and re-installed it. And sure enough, it works perfectly!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a5c24709aa.jpg\")
I remember when my mom died in 2004 and I spend six months in West Virginia renovating the house for sale. There was no earthly way I should know how to do half the things I did, but I had books on electrical, plumbing, and all manner of fixit things. When I lay down at night, I read a little about what I needed to do the next day but it didn’t always make sense to me. I didn’t know what the tools were called or what the procedures were called. Then, when I woke up, I just KNEW. It was uncanny.
\n\n\nI am finally at a place where I can just knit and work on Christmas stuff. There are still so many things around the house that needs done, but I can get to that after the holidays. Now that I have so much of my list completed, I can just enjoy December. What a treat!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/66cef7a1fc.jpg\")
I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Did you try a new menu or do something different? How did it turn out. Share a recipe or links so we can try it, too. Maybe we’ll have Virtual Cookie Exchange sometime before Christmas!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”
\nEcclesiastes 5:18-20 NIV\n
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
\n\n\nDear Santa…I can explain!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/063d484242.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f6ab7fe38b.jpg\")
Yesterday didn’t go quite as planned. Some of the calls I wanted to make were to places that are bound to be closed until Monday, so I had my list on the desk. Mr. FixIt ordered up scrambled eggs, ham, and toast. Once that was done and the dishes were washed, I started into the office to get after my list. That’s when he asked me if I had called about his ring.
\n\n\nDuring our first year together, they found something wrong with Mr. FixIt’s blood. They thought maybe he had some kind of leukemia and we started down the road of tests, tests, and more tests. I knew in the back of his mind, he was worried about a lot of things… not the least of which was how new our relationship was. I didn’t want one minute of his energy spent on worrying about whether I’d be there for the long haul.
\n\n\nI went to the mall one afternoon and happened to see a handsome men’s ring on sale. I decided that was the perfect way let him know I wasn’t going anywhere. I bought him the ring, and the night before his bone marrow biopsy, I gave it to him and looked him straight in the eye.
\n\n\n“I’m not going anywhere. You just focus on being well, ok?”
\n\n\nMr. FixIt was completely taken aback. His heart melted and I think his lower lip quivered a little. He wrapped his arms around me and thanked me profusely.
\n\n\nThat ring ended up as his wedding band. It’s two-toned gold with a row of channel-set diamonds. Somewhere along the way, he lost one of the diamonds and we had the ring repaired. I was glad I bought the lifetime warrantee. Well, when we got back from camping at the beach, he looked down and noticed a diamond missing again. This time there was a problem.
\n\n\nI couldn’t find the warranty.
\n\n\nI looked in all the usual places. The lockbox at the bank. Our safe at home. In my jewelry box. Try as I might… I simply could not find it. The jewelry store I bought the ring from is no long in business here so I called their corporate office. I was hoping they could look up the warranty by my phone number or address. But everyone I called had no record of it. When Mr. FixIt asked me yesterday if I’d called on his ring, I knew I was going to have to try a different tactic.
\n\n\nI needed to find that warranty and I needed God’s help.
\n\n\nAs I walked down the hallway, I said, “Lord, please help me find those papers! My sweetheart is missing his ring.” I walked into the back bedroom which is really just a repository for boxes of “stuff” and… I’m not kidding. I literally walked straight over to a white laundry basket, picked up the papers on the top, and… there was the warranty!!!
\n\n\nI couldn’t believe it! I broke into a big smile and looked up. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!”
\n\n\nI walked straight to the living room and held the papers up for Mr. FixIt to see.
\n\n\n“You found them???”
\n\n\n“No,” I said. “God did! He just led me to them!”
\n\n\nI called the number on the papers, filed a claim, and in ten minutes I had the shipping label and the order form printed out.
\n\n\n“Ask and ye shall receive.” “Seek and ye shall find.” “Knock and it shall be opened unto you.”
\n\n\nAsk, seek, and knock are action words. You must DO something. The same is turn about thanksgiving. It’s not just a day to eat turkey and watch football. It’s the day to give thank and GIVE is an action word.
\n\n\nI’m giving thanks for many things today. I have a wonderful husband whom I love. I have a wonderful family that I am looking forward to visiting with via Skype today. I have a home with a furnace that’s working. I have good, healthy food to prepare today. I have friends, new and old. I have a God who helps me with the littlest things in life. And, I have you all to share my life with on a daily basis. I am so incredibly grateful for everything in my life.
\n\n\nMay you find yourself feeling God’s presence… today and every day. I love you all!
\n\n\nThank you!!!
\n\n\n🍁🦃🍁
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/11/23/thanksgiving-is-a-verb.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","God","Holiday","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/11/22/holiday-preparations.html", "title": "Holiday Preparations", "content_html": "\n“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
\nPsalms 107:1 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d460e38e42.jpg\")
Breakfast here at Marshmallow Ranch is determined by Mr. FixIt’s blood sugar. When it’s low, he gets a nice, breakfast and yesterday we had French toast. I made a cooking video of the preparation, but my iPad is running critically low on memory. I need to do some housecleaning in there and get some room back before I can edit and post it.
\n\n\nI had the afternoon to myself as Mr. FixIt went to town and I waited for the furnace dude. As I started decorating, I took some videos of my special ornaments I’ve toted around with me for decades. Again…no room on the iPad to edit, so they’ll have to wait, too. I didn’t put as many things out this year. I wouldn’t say I went minimalist, but I definitely went for a curated look. Mr. FixIt was really happy with it all when he got home.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/19c5edf74a.jpg\")
The heat exchanger was riddled with holes! It’s no wonder it didn’t work…and it’s a miracle we weren’t overcome by carbon monoxide!
\n\n\nThe furnace man came at 1:38 and was done at 3:10. He showed me the old heat exchanger and it was riddled with holes. When he was finished, I was happy to discover there was no more rank smell coming from the exhaust outside. I’m guessing our gas and electric bill will improve with the new efficient heat exchanger and every penny saved is a blessing.
\n\n\nNoom gave me a day off yesterday so I didn’t have to record my food. I am nearing the end of the course and they are preparing me for living my life without their daily support. I’ve been down this particular path many times before. I’ve lost the same fifty pounds so many times, I’ve lost count. But, this time feels different. This time was more personal. I’ve been on weight loss programs before, but they were auditory based. I’m definitely a visual learner so reading the lessons every day, especially in the way Noom presents them, has had what I feel is a lasting, lifelong effect on me. This is the first time I’ve really felt confident his is a lifestyle change and not just a fad diet and I’m really excited by that. Again, if you decide you would like to try the app, you can use this link and get two free weeks and 20% off. And, I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can. https://noom.com/r/JthjXSfaA
\n\n\nAfter Mr. FixIt got home, he helped me put all the boxes for the Christmas decorations back down in the basement so the living room is clean again. I seasoned the cast iron griddle for the second time and took a video of the process. I only need to season it one more time. I love how it came out, so I’m thinking of repeating the same process with my two favorite cast iron skillets and my griddle. They are getting tacky from the kind of oil I used and I’d like them to feel exactly like this new-to-me griddle feels.
\n\n\nI was supposed to join my brother on Skype this week for his semi-annual IP meeting, but it’s been rescheduled for next week due to the holiday. I’ll spend some time in the kitchen today. Mr. FixIt will do the Turkey Trot on Thursday morning with our son’s family. I am more than likely going to stay home and start the turkey so we can have our own little Thanksgiving Dinner in the afternoon. Then the family gathering will happen on Sunday.
\n\n\nIf you are traveling this week, do be careful. There are supposed to be storms in the east and we want you all to be safe. My prayers for travel mercies go with you all. And if you’re staying home like I am, I hope you enjoy your day and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy by living in a free country!
\n\n\n🍁🦃🍁
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,”
\nPsalm 50:14 ESV\n
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\n\n\n“Let’s Stay Home”… a different configuration of yesterday’s sweatshirt. I love the hygge vibe!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5a7ecf5534.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d26bda0a5c.jpg\")
My Noom lesson yesterday started delving into intuition vs. instinct and how we can train our minds and bodies to become more in tuned. If you are unsure the differences between the words, don’t feel bad. I’m a “wordie” and I wasn’t entirely sure of the absolute meaning either. Intuition is based on past experiences and is often expressed as a gut feeling. You just “know.” Instinct is a reaction… screaming at the sight of a mouse or jumping when someone scares you for example.
\n\n\nIn my experience, there are many levels of intuition. I feel intuition is often times the Holy Spirit whispering a warning to be careful, or an affirmation that you’re going to be ok. I got both yesterday. I was heading out to help Mr. FixIt with something yesterday and got the nudge.
\n\n\n“You’re going to fall.”
\n\n\nThat was alarming. But just as quickly I got “But, don’t worry…you aren’t going to get hurt. Sure enough, I stepped on a railroad tie and didn’t get my foot quite on it solid and down I went! It was the kind of fall we called a “garage sale” during my skiing days. It means stuff was flying everywhere…namely my arms and legs. And, just as the warning said, I didn’t get hurt. A little sore from moving in ways I’m unused to perhaps, but not hurt. I sure keep my Guardian Angel busy!
\n\n\nI had a nice time at knitting yesterday. There were three of us then a fourth came by to visit for awhile before she headed out of town for the holiday. One gal was working on a blanket with some incredibly thick yarn and knitting needles the size of broomsticks. The other gal was knitting a doll. I finished another hat for a christmas present. When I got home, I started another one.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5503a348f6.jpg\")
A Star with a History
\n\n\nWhen I stuck my head out the door to call Mr. FixIt in for supper, he pointed with pride at his newest decoration… a lighted star hanging from our pergola. This star is an important piece of history in the town we grew up in. Some of my earliest memories surrounding Christmas was shopping downtown with my mom. Market Street was always decorated every year with either stars, trees, candles, or lanterns stretched across each intersection. These decorations were rotated around and ultimately phased out when they were no longer usable. Mr. FixIt’s dad owned the old Palace Theater in East End and somehow he managed to get one of the stars. It’s been in Mr. FixIt’s big building out back for years and I just found it recently. I asked him if he would hang it at Christmas and… there it is, in all its glory! After this holiday season, I’m going to see if I can get it to look like it did when it hung over the streets of Parkersburg.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fadb3184ec.jpg\")
In another little bit of good news, the part for the furnace is finally in and the furnace dude is coming today to put it in! Timely, as the temps are taking a nosedive in the coming days.
\n\n\nI’m looking forward to the rest of the week…spending time in the kitchen, decorating the tree, gathering with the family, watching football, and knitting. This is what I worked so hard all summer for!
\n\n\n🍁🦃🍁
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
\nPsalm 107:1 ESV\n
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
\n\n\nLooking forward to cozy nights in? So am I!!! Snuggle up in this soft and cuddly sweatshirt. Tis the season for hygge comfort.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/febea572d8.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a6c522f011.jpg\")
I don’t usually divulge too much about Mr. FixIt because his story isn’t my story to tell. With that being said, we had some really good news yesterday that I wanted to share. Not long after we started dating, Mr. FixIt had a physical and his doctor found something concerning in his blood. At first they thought he had leukemia but thank God it wasn’t that. They really weren’t sure what it was but he had some elevated counts and we were concerned. We’ve been going back to the oncologist every six moths for follow up tests and yesterday his levels were normal! Praise God! We don’t have to go back for a year this time and we’re both so relieved.
\n\n\nAfter the appointment, we went to lunch then up to Sam’s. They didn’t have everything we needed so we headed to Belpre to the Kroger Store. I really love shopping there…it’s much more like a big city grocer so the variety of items is much more diverse. We headed home soon after and we were hoping we didn’t have to go anywhere today. But, alas…the farm needs mowing. And tomorrow I need to take the camper to my favorite rest area that has a dump station and dump the tanks. We’ll be camping again before too long!
\n\n\nAs we were watching the news last night, I happened to look down at my lap. I know I’ve been losing weight because my clothes are fitting better. But I had to laugh when I saw my jeggings actually sagging when I was sitting down! This is something to stand up and shout about. I had gained so much weight since Covid. I was pushing 200# and that was just too much. I was short of breath. I had trouble doing the things I love to do. I couldn’t even get up off the floor. I was over it!
\n\n\nI started Noom and I continue working that program. I am never hungry. I actually have to stay disciplined to eat enough calories. I feel fabulous. And I know my husband notices. The nice thing is, he would love no matter what I looked like, but I needed to be in better shape so I can help him around here and do the things I want to do. As of yesterday morning, I’ve lost 24.2 pounds since February. I really, really, REALLY don’t want to gain this weight back. I’m finding I can eat pretty much anything I want as long as I plan for it in my calorie allotment. And, with all the lessons on the psychology of eating and the psych tricks to change my distorted thinking surrounding food, I’m very hopeful this will be the last time I have to lose fifty pounds!
\n\n\nHalloween is around the corner and I had some fun designing tee shirts for the holiday. You need to plan ahead and get these things done in plenty of time for people to buy in time. This is the most fun I’ve had creating in quite some time! The leaves are changing, the nights are cool, and the kids are back in school. Big leaves for her second year in college today! I can’t believe it!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“then he will send the rains in their proper seasons—the early and late rains—so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
\nDeuteronomy 11:14 NLT\n
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
\n\n\nI know it feels early for anything Halloween related, but when you design holiday themed items, you need to list them well in advance. So, I played with Trunk or Treat!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d9dea045d3.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6431e6577c.jpg\")
Mr. FixIt went to the zoo yesterday with Daughter #1 and family while I went to visit with Daughter #2. She and I went to Sam’s No. 3…a really cool diner in Glendale. We enjoyed our visit and toodled around the bougie King Soopers for a bit.
\n\n\nWhen I got back to the in-laws’ house, the others were still at the zoo and Sue and I had a lovely visit. We went out to Dickey’s BBQ for supper then we went over to the camper to check it out and make sure everything was ok. I’m glad we did because I had left the pump switch on.
\n\n\nThe rest of the evening was spent visiting, watching the Rockies game, writing, and knitting.
\n\n\nToday will be a big day of BBQ, family and friends, the pool, and fireworks. It’s so hard to believe it’s the 4th of July!
\n\n\nI hope you’re having a wonderful holiday!!!
\n\n\n?????
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-07-04T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/07/04/a-day-with-the-fam.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/04/09/easter-morning.html", "title": "Easter Morning", "content_html": "\n“A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!”
\nEcclesiastes 10:19 NLT\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6da57d7553.jpg\")
That’s me in the middle with the sausage curls. Mom used to either pin curl my hair or use a Toni Home Perm. Remember those? Grandma’s snuggling Trinket. Bubby is behind me. Tim-Tam and Tissy Rae to the left.
\n\n\nOne of my favorite memories is Easter Morning out at the farm. Sometimes all the cousins would be there. We’d all get dressed in our Easter finery and head to the little white church on the hill down the road. There would usually be a crowd there…maybe twenty-five, thirty people. When I was really little, Reverend Proudfoot would come preach if it was our turn on the circuit. I liked him. He often had lunch with us at Grandma and PopPop’s dinner table. When I got older, it was Preacher Simon. He scared the daylights out of me. If Easter didn’t fall on Preaching Sunday, either my PopPop or his brother, Uncle Red, would lead the services and give a bible study. But whoever it was, Easter filled me with awe because Jesus actually rose from the dead that day! It was amazing and wondrous!
\n\n\nWe always had to have our pictures taken in our nice clothes…most often in front of some of Grandma’s pretty spring posies. Then we had to change before we ate the scrumptious dinner she made. If we were lucky, we’d have a ham that PopPop cured in the old smokehouse. Grandma would raid the cellar house and bring in jars of her home canned green beans, roast beef, corn, pickles, and her prized blackcap jelly to add to the meal. She’d put out a whole loaf of sliced bread and some of her home churned butter. On her trip to town the week before, she’d buy a head of cabbage and mix up some coleslaw just before we ate so it would be crispy and sour sweet. We would eat till we were stuffed as ticks and have to waddle out to the front porch to sit for a while if it was warm enough.
\n\n\nUs kids would play Tag, Duck-Duck-Goose, Button-Button-Who’s-Got-The-Button, Fox-In-The-Henhouse, and The Telephone Game. We’d have a big Easter Egg Hunt looking for all the eggs Grandma and our Moms hid for us. When we were tired, we’d each get a chance to snuggle up on someone’s lap for a cuddle and if we were really lucky we’d get a little bowl of Grandma’s homemade ice cream. She didn’t make it in an ice cream freezer. She had a loaf pan and she’d pour the hot custard in it. When it was cool enough, she put it in the freezer. She’d check it often and just before it froze solid, she’d take it out and beat the heck out of it with a big spoon and put it back in the freezer. She repeated this several times then she’d leave it in there to firm up. It was so good!
\n\n\nIt was a very special Easter if our Aunt Rosie came with Cousin Cathy. Her give name was Catherine, but Grandma always called her Trinket. So, that’s what I usually call her, too. We lost our Aunt Rosie in January this year, and Trinket is bringing her ashes home at the end of this month so all the cousins are going to be together for the first time in nearly thirty years. There will be lots of stories to tell and we’ll just have a big time!
\n\n\nIn the meantime, my prayer is that you have a Blessed Easter Day filled with the same reverence and awe we felt as children sitting in the wooden pews of that one room church house in the hills of West Virginia. May your day be one of connection and love and joy!
\n\n\nHappy Easter…He is Risen!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-04-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/04/09/easter-morning.html", "tags": ["Faith","Grace","God","Holiday","Forgiveness"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/01/02/a-wonderful-ending-and-a.html", "title": "A Wonderful Ending and a New Beginning", "content_html": "\n“At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus. They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.”
\nLuke 24:1-8 MSG\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/dbc973c739.jpg\")
Santa in the Fog of New Year’s Eve
\n\n\nTaking three days off for the end of the year was a delightful gift…to myself and to our family. We had the FixIt Family Holiday Extravaganza on Friday and it was such a delight. As is our tradition, the big blowout dinner of the year is Thanksgiving. Christmas is much lower key in order to allow all of us to sit down and enjoy the day and no one ends up doing an extraordinary amount of work.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2ee237f5b4.jpg\")
One of my sweet Christmas gifts for the baker in me!
\n\n\nAs it turned out, the night before our gathering, my sweetheart brought me a diet soft drink with my supper. I didn’t think anything of it because I’ve been drinking them forever. However, I’ve been living without caffeine for about four months now and just that amount that late in the evening had me laying in bed, counting the spots on the ceiling till about 5:00 in the morning. My alarm went off at 7:00 and I got up to start the two crockpots of chili…one with and the other without kidney beans. I can’t stand kidney beans.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/852e73bed3.jpg\")
More knitting…more Christmas stockings
\n\n\nAs soon as everything was in the slow cookers, I picked up the recipe for the cinnamon rolls. Four pages of recipe. Heavy sigh. Mr. FixIt was still snoozing away when I made an executive decision. Yes…my homemade cinnamon rolls will stop traffic. But, in the grand scheme of things…the Cinnabon Brand of Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls are divine! And my new mantra is…work smarter, not harder. So, I stepped into my shoes and ran to the Pig to buy cinnamon rolls in a can. I apologized to the kids but they were thrilled with whatever we had. The chili was wonderful and the rolls were great, and the company was grand. We had such a good time and we got lots of hugs and kisses from the littles.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/158f360445.jpg\")
GiGi gets to snuggle one of the littles
\n\n\nNew Year’s Eve was quiet. We watched a lot of football and snacked on leftovers. We were watching the exciting matchup between Ohio State and the Georgia Bulldogs. It was down to the last few seconds and Ohio State was attempting a field goal to win the game when Mr. FixIt switched the channel over to watch the ball drop! I squealed….”Nooooooo!” He jumped and turned towards me. I laughed and said, “Look, I’ve put in the time, watching this game and now it’s down to the last few seconds. The ball will drop every year, and all we have to do is look up here at the clock to see it’s midnight. So, Happy New Year! Now, please turn it back to the game!” He laughed and did as I asked, just in time to see Ohio State’s kicker swing the ball in a hard left arc…missing the goalpost entirely. Depending on who you were rooting for, you were either over the moon or crushed. I felt so bad for that young kicker.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a0bc69b31a.jpg\")
I got a new stool/cooler/backpack. It may be a little short for sitting, but it will make a GREAT stool for camping and I can carry my knitting projects in it!
\n\n\nWe were supposed to have the FixIt Family Holiday Extravaganza 2.0 yesterday but our grandson got called in to work at 7:00am so we will have to reschedule that one. It did offer us the opportunity to turn over and go back to sleep for a few hours. Another treat! We watched more football and ate yummy things all day. It was such a nice break but I was really glad to get back to my writing last night.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b472a103be.jpg\")
Mr. FixIt got an appropriate gift from one of the kids. So cute!
\n\n\nIt’s a brand new year. A clean slate. Fresh…shiny…ready to make it as good a year as we possibly can. I hope you all had a great weekend. Now…let’s get to it!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2023-01-02T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/01/02/a-wonderful-ending-and-a.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/26/an-unexpected-christmas-gift.html", "title": "An Unexpected Christmas Gift", "content_html": "\n“This is what God says, the God who builds a road right through the ocean, who carves a path through pounding waves, The God who summons horses and chariots and armies— they lie down and then can’t get up; they’re snuffed out like so many candles: “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’ —the coyotes and the buzzards— Because I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sunbaked earth, Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, a people custom-made to praise me.”
\nIsaiah 43:16-21 MSG\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/331f0fd7b1.jpg\")
I didn’t sleep well Christmas Eve. I was too hot, even after I moved to the guest room which is downright chilly. I tossed and turned and finally got up around 9:00. I made breakfast…warmed up a biscuit, fried up some of that ham we got on special at Aldi’s, and some scrambled eggs. That ham was the saltiest I’ve ever tasted. I checked the wrapper to see if it was a cured ham that needed soaked and it was not. But I knew as soon as I ate it, I would regret it.
\n\n\nIt’s never fun to feel sick. It’s especially not fun to feel sick on Christmas Day. To top it off, I had two phone calls that made me sad…family health issues. I changed back into my jammies and went back to bed and slept till 5:00! I woke up feeling a bit better but still had a headache.
\n\n\nWe watched a football game and I started knitting Christmas Stocking #5. I still haven’t added up how many I need to make so who knows? I’ll probably be knitting them till Thanksgiving next year! I finally reached my brother last evening. He’d been trying to call me all day but was having technical difficulties with his new phone. I hope it works out ok.
\n\n\nWhen I headed to the back of the house to write this, I told Mr. FixIt that it’s a darned good thing he is self-sufficient and I don’t need to babysit or entertain him all the time. That was one thing that was possibly going to become cumbersome in my relationship with Mr. Virgo. He told me at the outset that if I was one of those women who had to take off and travel without him, he wasn’t interested. I agreed to those terms because that’s actually what I was looking forward to after having been married to a doctor who was gone a lot.
\n\n\nIt turned out that he didn’t just want me to be home with him. Mr. Virgo wanted me to sit on the couch beside him and watch the same shows so we could discuss them during the commercials. He didn’t want me to work on the computer or play on my phone or hang out in the bathtub for an hour for a little space. We weren’t together long enough to know if this was going to be a big problem, but I have a feeling it could have become one.
\n\n\nThat’s why I’m so thrilled that Mr. FixIt and I have our life together AND we have our separate interests and our OWN lives. I think it’s much healthier for the long haul. Granted, the pandemic certainly curtailed our separate adventures the last three years, but we’ve found ways to have our own space.
\n\n\nThe weather is still frigid here in West Virginia, but the temps are on their way up. I believe we are expected to be above freezing by Tuesday and by the weekend we’ll hit 60°!!! I’ll take it! It should be fun for the FixIt Family Festivities on Friday. Maybe we’ll have a bonfire and roast marshmallows. We even have some fireworks we could set off to celebrate an early New Year! I know Chili and Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are on the menu and that’s always yummy!
\n\n\nI hope you were able to celebrate in whatever way you do…or don’t. My day turned out to be the gift of restoration. The bottom line is to always do what’s right for you…especially if you are grieving or alone. Sending lots of love and light to you on this Boxing Day!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-26T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/26/an-unexpected-christmas-gift.html", "tags": ["Peace","Holiday","Healing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/25/merry-christmas-ranchers.html", "title": "Merry Christmas, Ranchers!", "content_html": "\n“For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help. Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture: “As I live and breathe,” God says, “every knee will bow before me; Every tongue will tell the honest truth that I and only I am God.” So mind your own business. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.”
\nRomans 14:2-12 MSG\n
![\"\"](\"https://www.marshmallowranch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DABFD3B4-83C6-4AB6-9011-B97E8883ADA6-782x1024.jpeg\")
As I fumbled around, trying to find just the right story to bring you today, I kept circling back to the word innocence. With the birth of Christ came the purity of God in the form of man. Jesus was without guile. He came into this world, laid in a lowly manger, and grew to teach us every thing we ever need to know to be a good human. He came to teach us to love. To love as we wish to be loved.
\n\n\nIn this time of divisiveness, it is hard to see the true goodness in the world. As I looked around for inspiration, I was drawn to this beautiful video. My brother has cerebral palsy. I’ve always been his champion…his protector…his bestie. Ever since I was a little girl. Why? Because he’s my Bubby. And if the tables were turned, he would do the same for me.
\n\n\nWe speak on the phone two or three times a week. So when I didn’t hear from him for several days at the beginning of December, I went on the prowl to find out what was going on. As I imagined, he had lost yet another cell phone. The organization that cares for him made sure he got a new one and he finally called me on Friday.
\n\n\nPhone calls with my brother are long and tedious. He has a terrible stutter and a speech impediment. I have to have the house quiet so I can turn all my focus on him. He’s very patient and if you can’t understand what he’s saying, he’s happy to spell a word for you. When he called after a month of little contact, his voice was absolutely jubilant! It warmed my heart and I was filled with glee.
\n\n\nWhen I see others like my brother who aren’t as fortunate to be cared for as well, it breaks my heart and makes me cry tears of sadness. And, when I see the incredible character in those who treat people like him with grace, kindness, and respect…it makes me cry tears of joy. This is what happened when I found this video and it was a gift I wanted to share with you today.
\n\n\nThe greatest gifts in this life are surely not the things we find under the tree. They aren’t things money can buy. No…the greatest gifts are loving each other. And teaching our children to love and look out for those who are less fortunate than they are.
\n\n\nI do hope you find joy in the giving of yourself this Christmas Day in whatever way possible.
\n\n\nIn His Love…
\n\n\nGinny
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-25T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/25/merry-christmas-ranchers.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Kindness","Happiness"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/24/the-modern-madonna.html", "title": "The Modern Madonna", "content_html": "\n“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.””
\n1 Samuel 16:7 CSB\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/841884bedf.jpg\")
Let’s face it…we don’t live in a Hallmark movie. Relationships are complicated and oftentimes messy. We can turn to any given channel on the TV at this time of year and see beautiful depictions of perfectly decorated houses with perfectly obedient children eagerly awaiting the appearance of the jolly old elf himself.
\n\n\nMost of my demographic have grandchildren and great grandchildren, so we are a little past the frenetic activity leading up to Christmas. But as the day approaches, we push to create the most perfect holiday so our loved ones have wonderful memories long after we’re gone. The cookies are baked. The house is decorated to the nines. The pantry is full of all manner of delicacies. So…why do we feel so let down when it’s all over?
\n\n\nI think it’s because we’ve held onto these ideals all our lives thinking each holiday MUST be better than the one before it. We do ourselves a huge disservice with that attitude. I’m trying something different this year. I’m trying to let go of any and all expectations, preconceived notions, feelings, judgements, hurts, wrongs, memories and go into the holiday as if I’m a brand new person. I’m pretending…just like I used to when I was a little kid. I’m staying in this moment without judgement and saying…this is my first Christmas! My first holiday dinner. My first wrapping of presents. It’s taken a huge weight off my shoulders and released me from my self-imposed bondage of perfectionism.
\n\n\nOur grandson called yesterday. He’s working long, hard hours so his children can stay home with their mama and not have to go to child care. He ordered something for her and it came to the Post Office, but he wasn’t going to get out of work till really late. He asked his Grandpa if he would go over the hill to town to pick up the gift so he could give it to his sweetest girl. Of course Grandpa said yes. And we even had a nice gift box to put the present in so he wouldn’t have to wrap it.
\n\n\nThis young lady is such a good mama to two of our little great-grands. Mommin’ ain’t easy…especially to two rambunctious little boys. I wondered what special gift the boys’ daddy would give their mom that would honor who she is to their little family. When he arrived to pick up the gift, he said, “I have to open this…I really want you to see it!”
\n\n\nHe bought her a blanket…with one of his favorite photos on it. It wasn’t some posed picture of scrubbed faces and clean clothes that was at the center of his heart. It was a candid picture he took of his love…sick and exhausted with a tissue stuffed up her nose, leaning back in her chair with one of her precious boys, feverish and sleeping in her lap.
\n\n\nAt first, I laughed. Then I thought…OMGosh! She’ll kill him. Then I thought…nope, she’s going to love this as much as he did. She’s going to know…truly know how much this young man loves her. Because, any man who’s going to work and work really hard for every dime then take that hard earned money and put it towards a picture such as this is a good guy. I felt happy for them…proud of them for not taking the easy way out.
\n\n\nNo, “Mommin’ Ain’t Easy”. But it’s a whole lot easier when you can just live in the moment and leave that sack of stinky stuff you’ve been hauling around behind you all these years and release it where it deserves to stay. In the past…where it can’t hurt you anymore.
\n\n\nWhen we let go of all the trappings and expectations of a consumerist society, it allows us to focus on the real meaning of Christmas…the birth of Christ in a lowly manger in Jerusalem. Where the Blessed Virgin may very well have reclined against a makeshift bed amongst the animals in the barn…exhausted from the hard labor of the day. Holding her beloved baby in her arms. I wonder if Joseph might have snapped a photo of his beloved such as the one our grandson took had cameras been around so long ago? Yes…this warm and comforting blanket reminds me of a Modern Madonna…holding her precious child in her arms…and leaning into the moment. With no expectations more than mindful, unbridled love.
\n\n\nMay we all remember what this holiday is about.
\n\n\nMay we all have a blessed celebration of the Christ-child’s birth.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/24/the-modern-madonna.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Comfort","God","Holiday","Courage","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/23/there-is-no-time-limit.html", "title": "There is No Time Limit for Grief", "content_html": "\n“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
\nJohn 3:16 CSB\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9a85faa1c7.jpg\")
MY Santa…my very special friend, Greg (Photo Credit: Leslie Coppedge Fore)
\n\n\nThis is the tenth Christmas since Mr. Virgo died. So much has happened since that first Christmas without him. I’ve sold my house and gotten rid of 95% of my personal belongings. I’ve lived a nomadic lifestyle in my camper. I’ve moved across the country. I settled on the family farm…the home of my heart. I’ve become closer to Jesus. And…I found love again in the form of a kind and gentle man who makes room in his life for me and all my baggage.
\n\n\nI can still remember how that first Christmas felt without him. I remember the desolation. The kicked in the gut feeling I had every time I remembered he was really gone. I remember every single thing about the day I sat by Santa and cried. I remember how he placed his hand gently on my shoulder and whispered comforting words to me. He and I are still friends and always will be.
\n\n\nEvery year, I am asked to repost that story at Christmas. I knew instinctively when I started this journey there would be others coming up behind me. I knew part of my healing would come in offering my hand and heart to those who feel the wretched pain of loss every day, but most acutely at the holidays. I knew I would never be the same…forever affected by a circumstance I never dreamed would be so painful. So, if I am feeling that pain…others are bound to be as well.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/df1b1c95c4.jpg\")
Mr. Virgo’s last Christmas…2012. It was his first Christmas Day off in 40 years!
\n\n\nWhat more can we offer to our fellow grievers than to sit quietly beside them and acknowledge their pain? I’ve written millions of words since that first Christmas, yet I’m still left at a loss as to what to say to another that would be the most helpful…the most kind…the most compassionate. So I say…
\n\n\n“My heart is with you, dear one.”
\n\n\nAlways.
\n\n\n❤️?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/23/there-is-no-time-limit.html", "tags": ["Grief","Holiday","Memories","Healing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/20/another-busy-day-in-busy.html", "title": "Another Busy Day in Busy Town", "content_html": "\n“Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.”
\nMatthew 5:5 CSB\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6daf84544f.jpg\")
I honestly did NOT want to go to town yesterday but I had no choice. I had to go to the bank because I was having an issue with their app and they couldn’t help me over the phone. If it didn’t involve something that needed completed right away, I would have blown it off. But, it was time sensitive so, there ya go…another trip to town.
\n\n\nIt was bitter cold when I left bright and early. The frost was heavy on the Louisa the Lincoln’s windows. I have no idea where my window scraper is, so I waited till the heater softened the frost then wiped it away with the wipers. It was so cold, I brought out the big guns…my Canadian parka and the new L.L.Bean boots I got from my friend Janine for Christmas. I was toasty warm!
\n\n\nI got to the bank and waited my turn in line at the counter in the lobby. When the cashier called me over, I promptly tripped over the rug they used to keep the floors clean and ironically…less slippery. I fell into the marble counter and jammed my right arm pretty hard. They were most apologetic and filled out an incident report…just in case it bothers me later. It’s always something, isn’t it?
\n\n\nSomeone tried to help me with my tech issue and as it turns out, it’s actually a glitch inside the app itself and they are trying to fix it. They have no idea how long it will take to get that corrected, so they suggested I contact the other bank I was trying to connect ma account to and see if they can connect from that end. I made the phone call on the way home and they walked me through how to do that online.
\n\n\nThe bottom line of that is…I made a trip to town that I didn’t need to make because I could have taken care of it from the comfort of my big red chair. What can I say? I was already in town and Mr. FixIt thought of something he needed. I stopped at the big box store on my way home to get it and made it home by 1:00. Overall, that wasn’t a bad trip…time wise.
\n\n\nI got home, settled myself in the big comfy chair, and worked on Operation Christmas Stocking 2023. I made great progress and it’s a cute one. Mr. FixIt had to go to our little town so I had him stop at the Piggly Wiggly to get some things. I am going to make a quiche today for something a little different!
\n\n\nLooking at our calendar, I honestly don’t think we need to go to town at all this week. They are predicting snow and frigid temps by the end of the week. Mr. FixIt tried to get the generator started yesterday to no avail. We had it running this past summer so it should start. He has some trouble with his hands since his strokes, so if he can’t get it started tomorrow, I’ll go out and give it a pull.
\n\n\nSometimes you have to tag team chores to get them done. You each have your strengths in a relationship, and time often changes those roles. You have to learn to adapt in order to make things easier. A burden shared is a burdened halved. My memory takes me back to that long, cold winter with the horrendous snowstorms after Mr. Virgo died. When I was left to do everything on my own. Thank God I had wonderful neighbors who helped out with some of the heavy lifting.
\n\n\nTomorrow is the Winter Solstice!!! From now on, the days get longer and the nights get shorter. It won’t be noticeable at first, but there will come a day when we think…hmmmm, it’s not getting dark till X:XX!!! I love that and it gives me hope!
\n\n\nI’ll never forget the morning I woke up and heard a small engine running out in front of my house. Wrapping my robe close around me, I tiptoed out to the front door and peered out through the sidelight window. There was my neighbor with his brand new snow blower, clearing off nearly three feet of snow on my driveway and front sidewalk!
\n\n\nBelieve me, I know how incredibly blessed I am to have Mr. FixIt in my life…my helper, my love. But I still can conjure up that feeling of emptiness and desperation I felt that first Christmas alone. What a long, dark, and lonely time that was. If you are feeling this acute loss this holiday season, please know my heart is with you and you are not alone, dear ones. Even though it feels like it, you are not alone in your suffering.
\n\n\nGod weeps with you and for you….as do many of us here.
\n\n\n?❤️??
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
\nIsaiah 41:10 ESV\n
#Busy, #Holidays, #Errands
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/20/another-busy-day-in-busy.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Marriage","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/19/on-the-outside-looking-in.html", "title": "On the Outside Looking In", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ce21a8bf57.jpg\")
‘Tis the season of happy holidays. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Years…all times for gathering with the people you love. The sharing of meals, gifts, companionship. It’s all so hectic and frenzied and fun…isn’t it? It is…until it isn’t. I remember when I was a new widow. The fun evenings out with others pretty much ended. Invitations dried up. It was especially hurtful when I was left on the outside looking in.
\n\n\nSocial media is the first to show when you’ve been left out of a fun event. Pictures of parties and gatherings you once attended seem to go on without you and that is particularly painful to note. It isn’t exclusive to the bereaved. Those of us who live far away from our families feel the same sense of longing and feeling a little left out. I haven’t flown to Colorado for the holidays for a long time. Partially for financial reasons…partially because of unpredictable travel to the Rockies in the winter months. I just don’t like to fly anymore and driving cross country in the winter isn’t reasonable.
\n\n\nWe haven’t had our FixIt Family Holiday Extravaganza yet…it’s coming. But in the meantime, I watched the fun happening at the Annual Cookie Bake Off in Colorado yesterday via Facebook and I felt pretty darned sorry for myself. My heart has been tender this month anyway…it doesn’t take much to hurt it right now. It’ll sting for a bit…then I’ll pick myself up by the bootstraps and get moving on with something else.
\n\n\nIt’s not like I have nothing to do. I am always busy doing something. Mr. FixIt went to the bowling alley last night. He’s a sub on the league he’s bowled on for decades so he’s in hog heaven hanging with his buddies. I sat at home in the big, comfy red chair…knitting another little stocking. I had the TV tuned to a roaring fireplace scene complete with sounds of a crackling fire. The gas fireplace kept the room toasty and I tucked my lap blanket up around me.
\n\n\nI was enjoying a bowl of warmed up chicken and noodles when I caught sight of the neighbors coming up the walk. My heart leapt with joy. They have three little girls and they were bringing us homemade cookies!!! I invited them in and they told me what kind of cookies they made. They told me their names and ages. The little one is three now! The last time they brought us cookies, she was just a toddler.
\n\n\nI gratefully took their precious offering and went to the dining room to get their box of cookies and fudge I had waiting for them. I handed it to the oldest, and told her what kind of cookies I made for them. When I got to “fudge”, her little eyes widened and twinkled. Now I know for sure what to give them next year! LOTS of fudge!
\n\n\nAs they trudged back down the sidewalk, I stayed at the door and waved goodbye and I thought of my grandma. How many times did she stand on the front porch and wave goodbye to the littles? How many times did her hanky come out of the pocket of her housedress to wipe a tear away because she missed us all so far away?
\n\n\nI could feel her near me saying, “It’s ok to be a little sad, pet.”
\n\n\nIt’s only because we LOVE that we feel anything at all. And LOVE…real love…is worth all the tears that come after. We have FixIt Family Fun coming up soon and that’s something joyful to look forward to!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-19T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/19/on-the-outside-looking-in.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Baking","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/18/what-a-beautiful-day.html", "title": "What a Beautiful Day!", "content_html": "\n“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
\n1 Timothy 5:8 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/83e36deaaa.jpg\")
Little Christmas Stockings
\n\n\nI woke up before the alarm went off. I’m so glad, because I hate an alarm clock. They always wake me with a jar and it doesn’t set the mood for a fun day. I headed out for town and got to the coffee shop in plenty of time to get the tables ready for our gathering of the ‘71 Coffee Divas.
\n\n\nIt is so much fun to get together with women I graduated from high school with. It’s been a while since we gathered because I was so busy this summer. And, since I’m the one with the invite book, we had to wait till things settled down a little bit. You wouldn’t think the week before Christmas would be a great time to to meet, but we still managed to get ten gals together. And one was a surprise as she was in town for the holidays!
\n\n\nWhen we went our separate ways, I stopped at Kohl’s to return one of the nightgowns I got for Christmas. It was a little too snug and I need roomy! I wandered around the store for quite some time. I picked up a couple of things. One was a basting brush made out of that rubbery material…silicone, I think. Mine kicked the bucket over Thanksgiving. I love those things. They are soft and flexible enough to baste delicate pastry and strong enough baste a turkey right in the oven.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2069f60e4a.jpg\")
I soon headed home and started helping Mr. FixIt. He wanted to make another batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms for bowling tonight and I left the kitchen a mess Friday night. I worked on the kitchen and later vacuumed the house. Then it was time to cook supper. I asked Mr. FixIt to bring a chuck roast home the other day and instead, he brought two beautiful London Broils…priced 2 for 1. I put them in marinade and popped them in the fridge Friday night. I set them out on the kitchen counter for an hour to warm up to room temperature.
\n\n\nAfter the grill was heated to around 700°, I threw the two huge steaks on and ran inside. I popped a big potato in the microwave and got the asparagus out. I ran back out, turned the steaks and topped with two pats of butter, and ran back in. I took the potato out of the microwave and set the plate of asparagus with plastic wrap over it into the microwave for two minutes. I ran back outside and turned the steaks back over putting two pats of butter on that side.
\n\n\nAfter another three minutes or so, I carried the steaks back in and let them rest on the cutting board for a little bit. Then I sliced them on an angle, plated them along with half a buttered potato and a few stalks of asparagus and called Mr. FixIt to the table. Neither one of us had ever had London Broil so we really didn’t know what to expect. It’s a good thing it was pretty rare because it was kinda tough, in spite of being marinated. It was quite flavorful, though.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b929c354d2.jpg\")
After supper, I sliced the remainder of the meat and got four more meals. Five dinners for $20 is NOT bad! I put the bags in the freezer and we’ll pull them out when we want a quick dinner. We can cut them up in strips for fajitas or steak salads. We could dice them in really small pieces and season them well to top nachos. Any number of uses without cooking…my kind of dinner.
\n\n\nWhen those dishes were finished, I settled in the big, comfy red chair and finished knitting the second Christmas stocking for the little boys. Today, I have absolutely NO reason to go anywhere so I am staying home…I promise! I might bake an apple pie. Mr. FixIt is a substitute on the bowling league so he’ll be heading to town before too late and I’ll have the house to myself for a few hours. I think I’ll put on a Christmas movie and start knitting the next Christmas stocking!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-18T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/18/what-a-beautiful-day.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Be Joyful!","Friends"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/17/the-cookie-fairy.html", "title": "The Cookie Fairy", "content_html": "\n“We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
\n1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/45e75c396a.jpg\")
While I really wanted to just sit in my big red chair and knit all day yesterday…it didn’t happen. Those cookies were not going to deliver themselves, so we grabbed everything we needed and headed for town…again! It turned out to not take nearly as long as we thought it would. Our first stop was the Former Mrs. FixIt’s house where we found out she was going to see the rest of the kids that evening for their annual gingerbread house extravaganza. So instead of driving all over town, we asked if she would take the cookies and give them to the kids for us. I didn’t want them to wait till we get to see them over the holidays because the cookies wouldn’t be in their prime.
\n\n\nSince that freed us up, we ran a couple of errands and went home. I heated up the chicken noodles from the night before then baked a batch of cookies. Whether you call them Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes, these feathery light sweets literally melt in your mouth and I ate WAY too many of them! They were my first cookies that I’ve eaten this season because I’ve given up chocolate, but still…it was hard not to keep nibbling.
\n\n\nI found the recipe in The All-New Blue Ribbon Cookbook. I’ve had the original version for decades and when I searched to see if Catherine Hanley had any other cookbooks, there was just this new edition. You can get one HERE if you are interested.
\n\n\nI was about to pop the first cookie sheet in the oven when the phone rang. Our grandson had some car trouble up on the hill above our house and needed a ride. Grandpa to the rescue and in five minutes…my boys were here!!! I was so busy loving on them and baking cookies and just gazing at our good fortune to have the unexpected visit…I totally spaced on getting a picture! But they’ll be back next week sometime for our Christmas, so we’ll have more opportunities.
\n\n\nI finished baking the last of the cookies after they left. I put two London broils in to marinate last night and I’ll grill them this afternoon. I’ll slice them, bag up dinner sized portions, and our main dish for several meals will be in the freezer. I love cooking ahead and having the ease of taking something out to thaw instead of running to the store. When the kids were here last evening, I took any special requests they had for dinner when they’re here. Homemade Mac & Cheese! Easy peasy and the boys will love it, too!
\n\n\nI’m heading to town yet again this morning. This time it’s to have coffee with my classmates from high school. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a chance to get together and I’m really looking forward to seeing them! Hanukkah starts at sundown on Sunday night. I have some friends I’d like to have over to make latkes one day next week. There’s a fellow here in our town who has a yearly event in one of the local restaurants. He makes latkes and people come from all over to get some. I’ve missed his event the last few years, so we’ll just make our own!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-17T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/17/the-cookie-fairy.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/15/stepping-out-in-style.html", "title": "Stepping Out in Style", "content_html": "\n““So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
\nMatthew 7:12 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bcfee523c5.jpg\")
I have the best friends. Remember how we were talking the other day about normalizing regifting and repurposing items? I love a thoughtful gift that is shared from the heart. One that was selected with just me in mind. A few months ago, my mermaid friend in Cali sent me a beautiful selection of items she no longer had a home for. She chose exactly what she knew I would love and sent them to me with gobs of love and light. And I received them…with all that love and light intact. It was enough to make my heart explode.
\n\n\nMy friend didn’t spend a dime on me specifically. But that didn’t make the gift any less special or personal. I loved it! Well, I got a couple of boxes delivered yesterday from my friend from New Jersey. They were waiting for me when I got home. One box had a few items wrapped in colorful Christmas paper that I’ll place under the tree. The other held something REALLY special. A pair of very gently worn L.L.Bean plaid wool Sherpa lined boots! OMGosh!They are GORGEOUS and I’ll wear them proudly!
\n\n\nShe texted me the other night and wanted to know my shoe size. The boots were a little too snug for her. I always wear heavy socks with boots, and with those socks, they will fit perfectly. I squealed with delight when I opened them!
\n\n\nWe had a really long day yesterday. We left for town, stopping along the way to get breakfast sandwiches. I usually let my sweetheart know ahead of time what I would like for any gift giving occasion on the horizon. I mean, Christmas is next week and I hadn’t given it a bit of thought. After all…we just put a new roof on. We bought a new camper in September. We pay for our April beach vacation in December, unfortunately. And seriously…I don’t NEED anything.
\n\n\nI was preparing for bed the other night. I haven’t had a nightgown with long sleeves for many years. I usually just throw a long sleeved shirt over a short sleeved gown. But as I was changing I thought…I’d really like to have a couple long sleeved night shirts. I went out and described exactly what I wanted and Mr. FixIt said I should come along with him to pick out them out.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/04b8f77921.jpg\")
You and I both know there is no such thing as a quick trip to town, and that was certainly true yesterday. One of our stops was Kohl’s. Mr. FixIt patiently wandered around with me while I found the perfect jammies. Unfortunately, when I got them home, one was slightly small and I don’t like anything binding at night. The other gown was perfect. So I’ll take the smaller one back and exchange it for one in the different style.
\n\n\nAs I snuggled up under the covers to write to you, I had my new Christmas nightgown on. It’s amazingly soft…a pale grey and white miniature leopard print. And Mama’s a happy camper! It’s the little things. Yes…I could have bought these for myself. But they mean so much more that my man wanted me to have exactly what I wanted.
\n\n\nI have been incredibly blessed with husbands who always want to celebrate me and make sure I’m feeling happy and loved. Mr. FixIt is such a gem in that regard. I’ve been thinking about Mr. Virgo this week, too. He loved Christmas…it was his favorite holiday. He was happiest when he watched me open the gifts he carefully planned and purchased. I think back at the extravagant gifts he gave me…diamond earrings, a full length Icelandic blue fox coat, a fancy deLonghi espresso machine, among others.
\n\n\nThose gifts were lovely…truly. It meant the world that he bought them for me. However, I don’t need, nor want such extravagance. I’ve had the things. I’ve had the fancy houses and the fancy cars and the fancy stuff. And you know what? After a while, they’re just…things. “Stuff” doesn’t make me happy anymore. Spirit moved my friend to share her abundance with me in the form of boots. And the two nightgowns bought on a trip to town with my sweetheart while he patiently waited for me to pick out the perfect ones…with a stop for pizza on the way home?
\n\n\nYou can’t put a price on those things. That’s heaven!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-15T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/15/stepping-out-in-style.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Friends","Happiness"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/03/gearing-up-to-give.html", "title": "Gearing Up to Give", "content_html": "\n“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
\n1 Corinthians 12:4-7 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1ff811bf36.jpg\")
I made another trip to the grocery store yesterday. Last week’s trip was to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner. Yesterday’s was to gear up for the holiday baking soon to ensue. We are really careful with our spending on groceries. We don’t eat fancy and we very seldom eat fast food or processed meals. This keeps the bill down. However, holidays are a different story. I don’t mind paying a little extra for the “splurge” that is Thanksgiving and Christmas.
\n\n\nThere’s always an event to go to or someone to give a little gift to as a thank you for services rendered during the year. So, I like to start early in the month and get ahead of some of the baking. This means, of course, that I’m going to blow the food budget out of the water at least twice…and probably three times between the middle of November through the end of the year. This is ok because I plan for it.
\n\n\nInflation as taken a bite out of everyone’s budget this season. I’m really happy I started making Christmas gifts for family last December. The yarns I used were drastically reduced in a store wide close out, so the items I knitted are of good quality yarns. My cousin in Indiana is in sales. She buys close out lots of items for everything from office supplies to clothing and this year she scored a sweet deal on some plush hoodies. Combined with my knitted items, the family…at least the girls…will get some really nice presents that didn’t break the bank.
\n\n\nThere are lots of ways to curb your spending at this time of year. I personally feel like regifting and repurposing ought to be normalized for holiday gifting. Good quality items that are clean and useable and in perfectly fine condition can be just as cherished as something you pay a bundle for. I would suggest that you have a conversation with your gift recipients beforehand. Make it a challenge. Set a spending limit with specific instructions that the gift be thrifted, shared, repurposed through crafting, or homemade.
\n\n\nI mean, seriously…do we actually NEED more tchotchkes? No. We need more time. Offer a group outing as an alternative to individual gifts. Get everyone together to make gifts for others. Volunteer at a meal for the homeless and take the family with you. Seeing others less fortunate than themselves goes a long way toward humbling children and demonstrating a giving heart.
\n\n\nWe have little ones who live out the road from us. I’m making cookie boxes for them. The trash man is getting some, too…along with a little folding money in his card. The mail delivery person is getting a little packet of fudge. I want to put the money in the food I feed our family and the time we spend with them. The littles will get a small toy with a couple of dollars. One dollar for their piggy bank, and the other for the bell ringer in front of the store.
\n\n\nLet’s move into this holiday season with different kinds of gifts for our fellow man. Let’s show a whole lotta Jesus in our actions. After all…that’s the Source of all Love. Let’s spread a lot of love and joy…and some homemade goodness. And remember, when you give to the poor…don’t tell anyone. make your gift anonymous that it may remain pure of heart and minus praise for the giving.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-03T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/03/gearing-up-to-give.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Humbled","Farm Life","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/27/recipe-roundup.html", "title": "Recipe Roundup", "content_html": "\n“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”
\n2 Corinthians 9:6-12 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b8c3aa9ed3.jpg\")
Who doesn’t love a little pie with their topping?!
\n\n\nMany of you have been asking for the recipes I used for this year’s Thanksgiving Extravaganza, so I’m going to leave them here for you with my critique/comments, for what it’s worth.
\n\n\nI made a wonderful Apple-Cranberry Compote but without the figs. They’re kind of hard to come by around here. I found the recipe on a website for diabetic friendly recipes. You can find the recipe HERE.
\n\n\nThe turkey was a fresh twenty-one pounder from Butterball. I followed this recipe:
\n\n\nI adapted Kaleb’s recipe for dressing. I made half with Italian sausage and the other half with oysters. I couldn’t find chestnuts. This recipe puts the dressing in a slow cooker and I’ll never make it any other way!
\n\n\nI baked the bread for the dressing as well as the hot rolls from a recipe I’ve used for thirty-five years. I actually won First Prize in the County Fair with this recipe. It makes four loaves, or two loaves and two dozen hot rolls, or…four dozen hot rolls. Perfect for a crowd! The recipe is from America’s Best State Fair Recipes by Catherine Hanley. You can purchase the book online HERE. I really recommend you get this cookbook…there are so many wonderful recipes in it. My copy is worn and stained so you know it’s that good! The recipe was submitted by Elaine Janas of Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Minnesota State Fair. I am hoping it’s ok to share her recipe here with adequate recognition and praise because it really is awesome!
\n\n\n“Sweepstakes White Bread\n\nWhen an exhibitor wins a blue ribbon in the same \"lot\" three\nsuccessive years at the Minnesota State Fair, she or he must skip two\nyears before entering in the same classification again. So Minnesota\nhome bakers now have two years to try for the top prize in white bread\nas Elaine Janas takes her brief hiatus. In a state where superb yeast\nbakers abound, the bread categories are so competitive that judges\nhave to resort to using fractions of points to award ribbons. But Elaine\nJanas is the all-time champion, as her bread wins the sweepstakes\naward for the best-of-all bread entries, in addition to blue ribbons for\nwhite bread. Besides sharing her recipe here, she also offers some of\nher baking secrets that have never been published. See Elaine Janas'\nYeast Baking Tips, pages 80-81. She credits state fair judges with\nhelping her perfect her yeast baking as she studied score cards and\nmade changes to improve her recipe and technique during the nearly\n25 years since she entered her first loaf of bread. Her big three-rise\nrecipe makes four loaves of bread.\n\n2 (1/4-oz.) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)\n1/2 cup warm water (110F/45C)\n1 teaspoon sugar\n2 cups milk, scalded\n1/3 cup sugar\n1/3 cup shortening\n2 tablespoons salt\n1-1/2 cups cold water\n5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour\n5 to 5-1/2 cups bread flour\nButter\n\nIn a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 teaspoon\nsugar. In a large bowl, combine scalded milk, 1/3 cup sugar, shorten-\ning and salt. Add cold water to cool mixture to lukewarm. Stir in\ndissolved yeast, 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups of bread flour.\nBeat well, until smooth. By hand, stir in enough additional flour to\nform a stiff dough. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead a\nminimum of 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Wash\nand grease large bowl. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover with\nplastic film; let rise in a warm place, 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until doubled in\nsize. Punch down dough. Cover; let rise 30 minutes. Punch down\ndough. Divide dough in 4 pieces; shape in oblongs. Cover with an\ninverted bowl and let rest 15 minutes. Grease 4 (8-1/2'' × 4-1/2') loaf\npans. Shape dough pieces in loaves. Place in greased pans and lightly\ngrease tops of loaves. Cover and let rise until loaves are light and\nalmost as high as you want them when baked, about 45 to 60 minutes.\nPreheat oven to 400F (205C). Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or\nuntil loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans.\nImmediately butter tops of warm loaves. Makes 4 loaves.\n\nElaine Janas \nMinneapolis, Minnesota\nMinnesota State Fair”\n\n\n
I made my sweet potatoes a little differently, too. A long time ago, when I was on one of my many weight loss journeys, I learned about this method and have used it quite a bit over the years. Peel about six good sized sweet potatoes and thickly slice them. Place them in a large glass casserole dish, dot them with butter, and cover with foil. Bake at 350° till they are fork tender. Then I place them in a bowl, add a couple good shakes of cinnamon and a couple cups of fresh cut-up pineapple and mash it all together with a potato masher. Spread in a casserole dish, brush with melted butter and sprinkle about three or four tablespoons of brown sugar on top. About thirty minutes before supper, put them back in a 350° oven till they are heated through and the brown sugar is a little bubbly. (In the diet days, I used Butter Buds and Brown Sugar Substitute which will cut down the calories and sugar a good bit.)
\n\n\nFor the Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, sauté several slices of bacon cut up in little pieces and till crispy, toss in a bag of whole, trimmed Brussels sprouts, stirring to coat and pop that in the oven to roast for about fifteen minutes or until they are tender.
\n\n\nAnd the last dish was the Winter Vegetable Salad with Maple Balsamic Glaze. You can find the recipe on my Pinterest page HERE.
\n\n\nAnd, that’s it. Any of this would be just as good for Christmas Dinner, too! It was one of the more labor intensive meals I’ve prepared, but it was really special. I invited the kids to take whatever leftovers they wanted so things were pretty well cleared out in a hurry! That’s a good testimony of a successful dinner party, I’d say.
\n\n\nIt will be time to start baking for Christmas before we know it, but I’m going to take a little time to recover from this week before I start in on that! I didn’t do a thing yesterday but put the dishes away, eat leftovers, and take a nap! Nothing wrong with that, either!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/27/recipe-roundup.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/25/gearing-up-for-the-big.html", "title": "Gearing Up for The Big Day", "content_html": "\n“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
\nHebrews 13:16 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a0e5ad3fc2.jpg\")
First, I truly hope you had a good Thanksgiving Day if you celebrated yesterday. And for those of you…like me…who are having their dinner today or over the weekend…hang in there, kiddo. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
\n\n\nI’ve been cooking since Monday. Every day…all day long…cooking and cleaning and planning. I’ve done this all my life…work on something till I drop. And when I drop, believe me, it isn’t pretty. Mr. FixIt has a long held tradition with his kids and their mom and aunt and anyone else who joins them. They go to the City Park and walk the Turkey Trot along with about 4,000 other health conscious individuals. I always elect to stay home. For one thing, I’ve got way too much to do. For another…this is their thing…something they’ve always done. I want them to still have that one thing. I have things I do with my kids alone. It’s ok. And, it gives me a little space to check in with my physical, mental, and emotional heath to see how all this rushing is affecting me.
\n\n\nIt took a long time for me to learn to listen to myself…to care, love, and nurture myself. In the past, I’d keep pushing till I crashed and burned…and beyond. Yesterday morning, I kissed my husband goodbye and gave him the obligatory warning to be careful. I mixed up one batch of dressing and put it in the garage refrigerator. Then I sat down and checked in. Immediately…the feelings I’d been pushing down all week came bubbling up and over. I let them flow. And, instead of negative self talk, I asked the little worker bee who is me…”What do you need to do right now, sweetheart?”
\n\n\n“Sleep, please.” My inner voice sounded tired and frazzled.
\n\n\n“Ok, darling…let’s go take care of YOU!
\n\n\nI climbed in the bed in the guest room. It’s dark in there when you draw the curtains. I snuggled down under the soft, fleecy blankets, and turned on the 432hz music I’ve been sleeping to. And drifted off to sleep. This was at around 10:30am. I woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon. My body needed that and I didn’t feel at all guilty about it. I got up and got back to work in the kitchen.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt called on his way home from town and asked if I’d thought of anything I needed from the store. I thought about it for a moment and said, “You know what? If they have ready made pies, why don’t you pick up a couple? That will be one less thing for me to worry about making.” I know I’m known for my homemade baked treats, but I decided to work smarter…not harder. I doubt our guests will care one way or the other.
\n\n\nAfter getting both pans of dressing baked, I loaded them up in the two slow cooker crocks and put them back in the garage refrigerator. I’ll take them out this morning and let them come to room temperature and turn the cookers on. I got the turkey cleaned and rubbed down. Kaleb on Wyse Guide said to run your hands under the skin to separate it from the meat and put your dry rub in there as well as the cavity and then on top of the skin. Then you set the whole thing in the fridge on a rack in a shallow sheet pan, uncovered, so the skin can air dry. That helps it get really crispy and golden brown in the oven.
\n\n\nI placed the giblets and the neck in a saucepan, added about half a box of chicken broth, three sticks of celery and a carrot cut in chunks and a minced shallot. I threw in a few stems of fresh thyme and a generous couple of shakes of poultry seasoning, covered it, and set it on the back burner of the stove to simmer for an hour or so. I strained off the broth and set it in the fridge for tomorrow’s gravy. Then I nibbled on the neck bone. Not a lot of meat there, but what’s there is sweet and tender.
\n\n\nI realized when I got everything tucked in the fridge…I hadn’t taken the time to eat more than toast all day. I cut up an avocado and put it on top of some cottage cheese and called it a day. I’ll start back at it this morning and we’ll be sitting down to eat around 3:30 this afternoon. It’s amazing the amount of work that goes into a spread like this. The new recipes added some time to the prep this year, but if we like the new dishes, they can easily be incorporated next year. You know, once you make something, it’s usually easier the second time.
\n\n\nI saved a video from Martha Stewart making the BEST New York Cheesecake. It’s time to make that again…but certainly NOT today! Christmas is a month away!!!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.”
\nHebrews 6:7 ESV\n
#Thanksgiving, #Blessings, #Food, #FarmLife
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-25T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/25/gearing-up-for-the-big.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/24/happy-thanksgiving.html", "title": "Happy Thanksgiving!!!", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/73d067a851.jpg\")
Another long day of preparations. I cleaned and roasted two sheet pans of butternut squash and Brussels sprouts and put them in the fridge. I made two loaves of bread and two dozen dinner rolls. I froze the dinner roll dough and will thaw them and let them rise on Friday. Then they’ll hopefully come out of the oven hot and ready to eat when we . I cut up the two loaves (minus a slice with butter for each of us!) and added it to another loaf of a more rustic bread that I bought this week. I tore them all up and I’m drying them in the oven for the dressing.
\n\n\nI need to bake the pies today…pumpkin and apple. I also need to prep the turkey, rub it down with the dry rub and put it back in the fridge overnight. I need to finish cleaning the dining room and dress the table. Then I can decorate the tree! We got it put up on Tuesday and I put the lights on it yesterday.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt finished picking up the old shingles and I helped him fold up the huge tarps they were on. We’ve picked up all the new shingles from the hardware store so they’ll rest on a pallet till next summer. We’ve made a lot of progress getting things tied down for the winter. It’s been so bitter cold here.
\n\n\nI truly love this time of year when people call and connect with each other. I got to FaceTime with Daughter #1 and Big. She’s in from college and has SO many stories to tell. Daughter #2 will be with her dad today so they’ll FaceTime at some point. I got to catch up with one of my dearest friends last night. You know…that friend you go ages without talking to, then when she calls, you pick right up where you left off. She’s enjoying her first grandchild so the stories were full of love and wonder!
\n\n\nI am really looking forward to next week. The rush of Thanksgiving will be over and I’ll have a little time to just enjoy the fruits of our labors and catch my breath. I pray for all those whose loved ones won’t be with them this holiday season. I pray for all who are facing health issues and financial uncertainty. I pray for all those lost to senseless gun violence and their shell shocked families left behind. And, I pray for all of you…that you have a safe and healthy day.
\n\n\nLord, may you always remind us of our many Blessings.
\n\n\nHappy Thanksgiving…from my grateful heart!
\n\n\n???
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/24/happy-thanksgiving.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/23/is-it-wednesday-already.html", "title": "Is it Wednesday Already???", "content_html": "\n“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
\nPsalm 100:1-5 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ec7337efc8.jpg\")
Maple Balsamic Glaze for the Winter Vegetable Salad
\n\n\nI spent the majority of yesterday in the kitchen. I needed to get a good deal of prep work out of the way before the rush starts to prepare the actual meal on Friday. There were three main components of the meal that I wanted to knock out. First, as always…there’s breakfast. Then the obligatory cleanup. THEN I could get started.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt headed to pick up the kids and go to the dump to empty the load of old shingles we gathered when the roof was replaced. I headed into the kitchen. The first thing I did was make a Maple Balsamic Glaze for the Winter Vegetable Salad. When I say the first…I mean the first and the second. I burned the first batch. I thought I was letting it thicken when in actuality I was letting it boil till it made a savory rock candy. Bad.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2c13c1b762.jpg\")
Maple Balsamic Glaze
\n\n\nI hated like the dickens to throw that pricy real maple syrup and balsamic vinaigrette down the drain. And, I used the last of my balsamic so I had to run to the store. Once I returned, I started over and it worked much better because I didn’t let myself get distracted and I kept the fire very low. It was really easy to make. Two cups balsamic vinegar and about 3/4th cup of real maple syrup. Whisk together in a saucepan, bring to a boil then turn the temp down to a slow simmer with small bubbles. Let it cook till it reduces by half. Remove from heat and cool then put into a jar with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator. It was SO delicious! It can be used drizzled over a salad or basted on oven roasted veggies.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2c2143f8f2.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8323ea8097.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3cfe719c6f.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e923f6dab7.jpg\")
The second thing I made was the Citrus Dry Rub for the turkey. This was a little more labor intensive. You can find the recipe on Kaleb’s website, Wyse Guide HERE. I measured the spices out in a nonstick skillet….I used mixed peppercorns, coriander seed, fennel seed, and fresh bay leaf. The directions said to grind this mixture in a coffee grinder. I looked for one in our little burg and they didn’t have one. I picked the next best thing and bought a mini food processor. After toasting the spices over a low to medium heat till they became aromatic, I put them in the little processor and hit go.
\n\n\nAbout half the spices ground up easily, but the white peppercorns were still hard as a rock and that wasn’t going to work. I stood there going over and over in my head, trying to figure out what I could use to grind them up when it finally hit me….the pepper grinder! I took the tricolor peppercorns out and set them aside. I put in the part of the rub mixture that was still intact and put it in the pepper grinder and got to work. It took quite a bit of time to turn and turn and turn the grinder, but it worked exactly like it was supposed to! When that was finished, I put all the aromatics in a dish.
\n\n\nI added the Kosher salt, grated orange and lemon zest, and the ground up herbs along with the brown sugar and the baking powder and rubbed it all together between my fingers till it was completely combined. I put it all in a pint jar, put a lid on it, and stored it in the fridge till I rub down the turkey on Thursday. Next, I made toasted and seasoned pecans to top the Winter Vegetable Salad and set them aside. I sautéed the Italian Sausage for one of the pans of dressing and stored it in the refrigerator in a covered container.
\n\n\nI cut up a fresh pineapple for the Baked Sweet Potatoes. I reduce a lot of sugar by using pineapple instead of brown sugar. I add some pecans, butter, a handful of dried cranberries, and a little cinnamon and nutmeg and bake them in a baking dish. A lot better for you, too! That being said, I fried about 1.5 cups of bacon pieces to use on top of the Brussels sprouts that I’ll roast. I drained them on paper toweling and stored them in a ziplock sandwich bag in the fridge.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f92a7734d5.jpg\")
The Purple Heart Wandering Jew the former Mrs. FixIt gave me this fal is blooming!
\n\n\nIn between all of these things, we got the Christmas decorations out of storage and put them in the living room. My back was better yesterday, but not completely. By the time I got all this stuff done I was fried and ready to just sit for a little while.
\n\n\nI will bake some bread today to tear up and dry out in the oven for the stuffing. Thursday night I can make the Butterhorn dough and bake them last thing before I cut the turkey. I’ll get everything ready to bake the pies on Friday morning. It’s a really good thing we have two ovens. I could actually use three. I think that’s it. (I really need to sit down and write out the menu so I don’t miss anything!)
\n\n\nI’m tired just thinking about the next three days…but ohhhhh, I do so enjoy it!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/23/is-it-wednesday-already.html", "tags": ["Fun","Holiday","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/19/winter-is-creeping-in.html", "title": "Winter is Creeping In", "content_html": "\n“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”
\nProverbs 15:17 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d2ae4b899c.jpg\")
Every once in a while, I have a night where I sleep like a baby. I woke up suddenly at 6:30 yesterday morning to the incessant chirping of Mr. FixIt’s phone announcing an impending snow storm. I was sure I was awake for the day, but I fell back to sleep and woke up at noon! I rarely do that and it was delightful to wake up thoroughly rested. Still, not rested enough to want to do much of anything.
\n\n\nWe need to do some cleaning for company coming on Friday. We’ll be observing the FixIt Family Thanksgiving that day and we love to have the house all pretty for them. I want the tree up, too. So, there’s lots to do. Some time in the afternoon, Mr. FixIt suggested we start cleaning and I begged him to take this one day off and enjoy the snow and each other’s company. That’s what we ended up doing and it was so peaceful.
\n\n\nWe had a snow squall yesterday afternoon that made the ground white in thirty minutes. The temperature didn’t get over 33° all day. I was going to cook a pork roast yesterday, but I didn’t get up in time to put it in the slow cooker, so I’ll do it today. We can put on some music, clean the house, then put up the tree. I bought some new lights to replace the burned out ones on the pre-lit tree. It’s still perfectly fine to use and the new ones are so expensive.
\n\n\nThere are certain areas of my life where I’ll scrimp. Making do, reusing, upcycling…I’m all about that. Eggs? I passed them up at the Pig when they wanted almost $7.00 for eighteen eggs. But the fresh turkey? I won’t pass up a fresh turkey. Frozen turkey can’t compare to the moist and flavorful meat of a fresh bird.
\n\n\nI remember so many Thanksgivings of my childhood when Grandma baked the turkey in a brown paper grocery bag because she read it made it tender and juicy. I loved my Grandma, with the white hot heat of the sun, but she cooked meat to death. The turkey, while a beautiful golden brown, was dry as a bone. That’s how I learned to eat the dark meat. It was hard to make the dark meat too dry.
\n\n\nI have cooked approximately forty Thanksgiving dinners in my lifetime and I have always searched for the perfect turkey. It wasn’t until I discovered brining a fresh turkey till I found nirvana! I have the turkey and the brining bag. I still need to buy the brine mix and whole cranberries. I think I’d like to put chestnuts and oysters in the dressing this year so I’ll have to go to the store sometime early next week.
\n\n\nHave any of you cooked your dressing in a slow cooker? Kaleb of Wyse Guide…a blog I follow…has a wonderful recipe that I want to try. He also has his grandma’s recipe for Butterhorns on there. They sound incredible! You can find his blog HERE. https://www.wyseguide.com
\n\n\nI always get excited about cooking a big traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. I grew up in Appalachia, and subsequently lived twenty-seven years as a Jewish Mother. I’m all about feeding people. It’s my love language…to make sure you eat the best meal of your life at my table. Sometimes I miss the mark, but I’ve gotten pretty good after all these years. I especially love planning a unique dessert. You can NEVER have too many desserts!
\n\n\nDo you have big plans this year? Is there a new recipe you’re going to try? What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food? Let’s share some recipes and get excited about this!!!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-19T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/19/winter-is-creeping-in.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/09/05/strong-women-raising-strong-women.html", "title": "Strong Women Raising Strong Women", "content_html": "\n“I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.”
\nPsalm 7:17 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a13c8e46f7.jpg\")
In my defense, I was not standing in her driveway. Her driveway is in Colorado.
\n\n\nMy oldest daughter is a rock star. I mean to tell you…she is as solid as they come. How she came to be this way with an anxious wreck for a mother is beyond me. At least, I was when I was raising her. The only thing I can think of was her dad’s influence. Or maybe she’s channeling my grandma. Either way, the woman is S T R O N G. When I sent her “off to college”, she didn’t go too far. She elected to go to the nearby community college so her baby sister wouldn’t forget her.
\n\n\nWhile I was thrilled to have her nearby, I did insist she live in the dorm for at least a couple of years to get a more realistic college experience. Setting her up in her dorm was fun and exciting and pretty darned easy considering I could see her anytime I wanted to. We lived in the same town. Not so much for Daughter #1 and Big.
\n\n\nMy granddaughter has just spent her first full week away from her parents and she’s doing great. So is her mom, I’m happy to report. I FaceTimed with my daughter this weekend and caught her and her husband doing laundry. I asked how it was being so far away from her first born and she said it really wasn’t much different. Big has been on a swim team since she was a little little kid. Once she could drive and get herself to and from practice, they didn’t see much of her anyway. The biggest difference is not seeing her in school. Big went to the same high school where her mom teaches so they saw each other all the time.
\n\n\nMy stepson and his family came over this afternoon for a cookout. Their youngest is also a freshman in college and elected to go to the community college nearby, as well. She happily shared all her classes and her schedule and seems to be loving it. It does my heart good to see young people go out into the world and chase their dreams and have fun doing it.
\n\n\nI ended up storing two quarts of shredded pork in the fridge for meals later on in the week. I turned the third quart into a pot of Pork Green Chili. My West Virginia family had never heard of this Colorado delicacy. They aren’t big on spicy foods, but they were good sports and at least tasted it. So now I have three quarts of green chili in the fridge. That ought to feed us well for a while. I made the sugar biscuits with strawberries for dessert. They were a big hit. No one had eaten their strawberries with biscuits either so it was a big culinary adventure at Marshmallow Ranch yesterday.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b78e909c33.jpg\")
I am half finished making the reconstructed blocks for my bonus granddaughter’s wedding. She and her fiancé were here for the cookout so I showed her what I’ve done so far. I wanted her to understand what kind of work went into the quilt. I’ve heard too many horror stories of women working for months to make a quilt for someone only to find the husband uses it to get down on the ground under the truck when he changes the oil. That’s not happening with one of mine. I make sure they understand the work that goes into a quilt. This young couple will take super good care of it.
\n\n\nWe got exactly an inch of rain from Friday to Saturday and we are expecting more. And I’m extra happy to report there isn’t a single drip from the ceiling in the little bathroom. My repair work on the roof worked out! My stepson got up on the roof yesterday and measured it so we can price the shingles. Just to reassure you, we are not going to be putting that roof on. Our boys will take care of that for us. They’re young and handy.
\n\n\nWe may go out to the farm today to prime the pump. I’m sure it will be too wet to mow. It’s been a really nice weekend with a taste of fall in the air, a cozy family gathering, and good food. You can’t ask for anything better.
\n\n\nHere’s a link to the recipe for the Colorado-Style Green Chili. I generally followed the recipe but didn’t measure. I just used what I had.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-09-05T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/09/05/strong-women-raising-strong-women.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/07/04/the-lords-day.html", "title": "The Lord’s Day", "content_html": "\n“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
\n1 Timothy 5:8 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/af39fc9247.jpg\")
We often end up mowing on Sundays simply because of the way the storms roll through. Unfortunately, they don’t keep a schedule and, as the old adage says, you have to make hay when the sunshines. We were blessed the last three days with a half inch of rain and the grass was too wet to mow yesterday. I sat in my recliner with my headphones, listening to worship music and knitted on Big’s sweater. I’m almost ready to knit the ribbing at the bottom, then I can start the sleeves.
\n\n\nI have a lot on my plate in the upcoming month. I need to get the house ready for Little. We need to finish getting the pool ready and catch up on some laundry. There is a part being delivered this week that we have to replace on the new camper. There will be mowing…both here and the farm. The push lawnmower is still not working, and we are in the thick of repair season, so we won’t be able to get it fixed in a timely manner. So, we’ll be researching and buying a new one then fix this one later to use as a spare. I need to finish this sweater and pack for our trip to Colonial Williamsburg. Just lots going on.
\n\n\nI try to stay away from the news and I can usually succeed in doing that. But I always pay attention when Heather Cox Richardson says “read this”. Well, I read it and was not prepared for this particular bit of news and I didn’t sleep a wink on Saturday night. I know know if you experience that, but when it happens to me, I’m a wreck the following day. My threshold for triggering my PTSD is much lower and I end up feeling flushed and anxious over the dumbest stuff. So, after my morning “church”, I stretched out and talked with God for a while.
\n\n\nMy conversations with God are always good…no matter whether it’s something I want to “hear” or not. I always leave enlightened, calmed, soothed. Like I’ve been listening to a lullaby sung by the most beautiful voice ever. We had a social engagement and I just didn’t feel up for it. If it weren’t a family event, I might have been inclined to beg off and stay home. But, when it’s the kids and the grands, you don’t say no unless it’s absolutely necessary.
\n\n\nWe all gathered at their horse farm and had a cookout. It was fun to catch up with people I haven’t seen in some time. We were super careful to keep socially distanced from others…no hugs and kisses. I worked on the sweater and chatted with everyone around me…the sound of a horse quietly flicking his tail and occasionally stomping a heavy hoof in order to shoo away the biting flies that plague them in the summer. I could hear him rip mouthfuls of grass, happily munching away as country music played in the background.
\n\n\nThere were hoops and hollers as teams of two challenged each other to multiple games of cornhole. We sat around nibbling on deviled eggs and bratwurst, crudités, meat and cheese trays, salads and a yummy dessert pizza with a sugar cookie crust and fruit on top. By dusk, the younger were heading up to the top of the hill to watch the fireworks. We elected to come on home. We neither one had any business walking up and down that hill in the dark, and I wasn’t about to drive my truck up there without having done it in the daylight first.
\n\n\nWe came on home. Mr. FixIt remarked his back was probably going to give him fits, so I elected to creep in the camper. When I got everything ready and squared away, I opened the curtains and couldn’t believe how many lightning bugs there were out there in the trees along the creek. I loved listening to the fireworks far off in the distance. And it wasn’t long till I was ready to turn in for the night.
\n\n\nToday, we may end up mowing if we don’t have rain. And, of course, there will be knitting.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-07-04T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/07/04/the-lords-day.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/07/03/hope-and-peace-and-fireworks.html", "title": "Hope and Peace and Fireworks", "content_html": "\n“And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.”
\nLuke 15:23 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c63f4f1900.jpg\")
It’s America’s birthday weekend and lately I’ve been feeling like she doesn’t deserve a party. Then I remember…it’s not HER. It’s some of the attendees that are making this place downright scary for a whole lot of people…myself included. And I also remember…we don’t have military parades going down Pennsylvania Avenue. We didn’t lay in bunkers listening to bombs raining down on our cities last night. We got to sit out on the lawn in small town America and watch fireworks and have picnics and eat watermelon. Many of us were safe and could pretend all was right with the world while others only WISH they had a bunker to hide in. The world isn’t equitable. Neither is America. We are desperately out of balance and we are fighting to breathe. It’s exhausting. Edward Abbey wrote an excellent essay about being a part-time crusader. Because, if we give and give and give and forget the beauty of what we DO have and we squander that life we’ve been gifted with, then…the enemy wins.
\n\n\nSo…rest, picnic with your peeps, watch the fireworks, celebrate the freedoms we still have, then lace up your boots come Tuesday and pick up the full armor of God and be the best people you can be. Let’s right this ship and bring her safely in from the stormy seas. The second half of the year is likely to be a rocky one and we need all the love and strength and courage and compassion and patience and perseverance we can muster.
\n\n\nGod Shed His Grace on Thee!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-07-03T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/07/03/hope-and-peace-and-fireworks.html", "tags": ["Hope","Peace","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/05/30/the-difference-a-day-makes.html", "title": "The Difference a Day Makes", "content_html": "\n“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”
\n1 Timothy 2:1-2 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1b0ed12806.jpg\")
When I got home on Saturday at 4-ish, wolfed down the pizza, emptied the truck, got upsetting news, and crapped out…all in a matter of fifteen minutes, I thought I was stepping into the twilight zone. All that good work I’ve been doing on self soothing and maintaining emotional equilibrium seemed to have gone out the window. When we are excessively tired, it is extremely difficult to see the bigger picture and so easy to slip into old behaviors.
\n\n\nWhen I took that hot shower, laid down in front of that cool fan, and did my “God is…” exercise, I drifted off to sleep. I awakened a little hungry so I got up at 10:30 for a little bowl of cereal, went back to bed, and slept till around 9:30 yesterday morning. That bed felt so wonderful and when I woke up, I felt renewed and refreshed and ready to take on the world again. What a difference a day makes!
\n\n\nI got up yesterday morning and fixed a pot of coffee and went out to sip it on the deck before the day got too hot. I chatted with my sister-in-law in Utah, and I FaceTimed with my dear friend Gail as she was the guest host at her campground this weekend. Finally, Mr. FixIt made his way out to sit with me. We discussed our plans for the day and decided to go to town to get flowers to decorate everyone’s graves and head out to the cemeteries. It was an all day ordeal. We took care of his family first in Parkersburg, then went out to Ritchie County to take care of my people. We stopped at DQ for ice cream cones in between the two cemeteries.
\n\n\nWe went to the farm and I cleaned and set up the dehumidifiers for the summer. I totally missed the irises and the rhododendron and we’re at the tail end of the peonies. That makes me sad, but I did get to see my own little Colorado flowers in the form of my loves, so this was a year of sacrifice, as it were.
\n\n\nWe stopped at my cousin’s barn down the road and visited for the first time in ages. We marveled over their chickens and geese, ducks and guinea hens. And their cattle. We topped at The Pig on the way home and bought sandwich fixin’s and headed home. It was a lovely day and we had a wonderful time together driving around the countryside. By the time we got home, we were both beat and glad we didn’t have anything else that needed doing.
\n\n\nI think it may take me a few days to recuperate from the trip. The older I get, the longer the recovery time after any given strenuous thing. And, let me tell you…that was a strenuous trip. Today is Memorial Day. Our people have men remembered and their graves decorated, and we have nothing pressing to do. We may mow a little, and work to get the pool ready. Maybe do a little laundry. I totally plan to sit and knit a little. And to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice that allows us this Memorial Day.
\n\n\nMay you be safe and healthy and remember those who sacrificed for us.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-05-30T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/05/30/the-difference-a-day-makes.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/05/09/watching-them-grow.html", "title": "Watching Them Grow", "content_html": "\n“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
\nColossians 2:8 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/70f38f3992.jpg\")
We sat around the dinner table that I have come to know and love as the epicenter of the universe. The parents of my perfect son-in-law are as much my family as any of those who share my DNA. Daughter #1 and her family joined us to celebrate Mother’s Day. Watching the playful repartee between my grandchildren warmed my heart. Not too long ago, they were at each other’s throats most of the time. But I think it finally sunk in with Little…Big is leaving for college soon. This is it…the last of the family the way it’s always been. Once college enters the picture, things change.
\n\n\nWe told stories…old and new. We laughed and told more…each one more outrageous than the last. With each passing moment, I fell more and more in love with my family. They are hard working, fun loving, seriously good people and I am so honored to be a part of it all. It was a long, fun day and by the end of it, I was ready to call it a night. Ok. It was 7:30. But that’s 9:30 to me. That’s a respectable time to go to sleep, isn’t it?
\n\n\nDaughter #2 called, her dad texted, my friends checked in, my bonus daughter and daughter-in-law called and texted. Sue and I went to the store. She made vegetable beef soup. We ate fresh fruit tart. It was a fun fun day.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-05-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/05/09/watching-them-grow.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/04/17/happy-easter.html", "title": "Happy Easter!", "content_html": "\n“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
\nProverbs 31:25-26 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ab59428339.jpg\")
We arrived on the island at around 3:00 yesterday afternoon. We made our obligatory stop at Harris Teeter grocery store to get some essentials. We are either stronger than we were last year, or we’re doing better packing because we had everything hauled up to the second floor condo in twelve minutes flat! A new record!
\n\n\nOnce everything was put away and we’d had a sandwich for a late lunch, we both stretched out for a little rest. When I saw that the sky was changing color, we headed out to the beach for our first walk of the season. It’s amazing how different the sand looks from year to year. There are stairs that cross the dunes from the private homes on either side of the condo complex that were covered completely with sand. And there was a large amount of very coarse red “sand” laying on top of the normal sand. It’s obvious there have been some really big storms down here since we were here last spring.
\n\n\nOn our way back down the beach, Mr. FixIt was looking down for shells. There were just a very few that weren’t crushed and broken. Suddenly, he bent down to pick something up. It was a key from our complex. With a puzzled look on his face, he reached in his pocket to check for ours and it was there. He checked the number and it was for the building next to ours. We looked around and there wasn’t anyone nearby so we decided to take it to the office.
\n\n\nAs we walked up the ramp and across the dunes, a young woman came along behind us. My daughters will tell you…I can talk to a tree. But I’ve met my match when it comes to my husband. He, like me, has never known a stranger. We struck up a lovely conversation with a teacher from Pennsylvania and ended up walking together on our way back to the condo. She teaches reading to sixth graders. I smiled. I love that…creating lifelong readers is a gift from God.
\n\n\nWe said goodbye to the teacher and were almost to our building when a woman walking her dog walked up to us and said, “Could you do me a favor? I’ve lost my room key…”
\n\n\n“Is it for _____?”
\n\n\nShe looked dumbfounded.
\n\n\n“Why…yes, it is!”
\n\n\n“We found it!!!”
\n\n\nShe was so excited. She had arrived forty-five minutes earlier and took her dog for a quick walk on the beach only to discover she’d lost her key. That key fob is grey and just about matches the sand. What are the odds that A) we would find it and B) she would see us and ask for help? There are no coincidences. She was so excited and gave me a big hug. And look at her beautiful dog!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9539c8e96e.jpg\")
We got to the truck and drove straight to our favorite ice cream store. It’s really hard to find a hand-dipped ice cream shoppe these days. Most everything is soft serve and sometimes you just want REAL ice cream. There was a time in my life when I could easily scarf down two scoops in a waffle cone. I couldn’t eat half of one scoop in a cup, which is a good thing really. All that fat and sugar isn’t good for either one of us.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/129bb1a969.jpg\")
This is what I love about staying overnight and breaking the trip up into two days. That way we aren’t exhausted when we get here and we can get out and do something the first day. That being said, we were a bit dismayed at our hotel room in Williamsburg, Virginia this time. This was the third or fourth time we stayed at this particular hotel. The first time, the rate was a really decent $59.00. The next was $69. This time they quoted me $159! And, trust me…that place is not anything to write home about. The rate on a booking app was $119, so I went back out to the truck and reserved the room at that rate. Still, our TV did not work. Two lamps didn’t work. The alarm clock was making a weird noise all night and I finally got up and unplugged it at about 3:30. The refrigerator was ticking like a time bomb and the air conditioner roared like a harrier jet. Well, ok…not that loud. But it was pretty obnoxious. Let’s just say, we neither one slept very soundly.
\n\n\nWe have decided that next year, we will leave a few days early and camp on our way down. There’s a storage place here on site where we can lock up the camper. Then we can camp on the way home for a few days. I mean, if you’re going to spend that kind of money for one night in a crappy hotel room, you might as well make use of the camper, sleep in your own bed, and have a much more enjoyable experience, right?
\n\n\nWe’re off to a grand start here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The weather forecast has improved tremendously and we may end up with a much nicer week than anticipated.
\n\n\nI pray you all have a Blessed Easter.
\n\n\nHe is Risen!
\n\n\n✝️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-04-17T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/04/17/happy-easter.html", "tags": ["Hope","God","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/04/16/chag-sameach-and-happy-trails.html", "title": "Chag Sameach and Happy Trails!", "content_html": "\n“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen…”
\nLuke 24:1-6 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/463411571f.jpg\")
As I write this, it is the first night of Passover. Oh…the memories this brings me. One of the most beautiful aspects of Jewish life is the rich holiday traditions. If you’ve been around here a while, you know I lived a Jewish life for twenty-seven years. I actually started following Judaism when I was a single mom back in 1977 or so. I had a roommate who was Jewish. I had been on a quest to find the faith that spoke to me. At that time, it was Judaism. Then, when I met Hubby #2 and he was Jewish, we were peas and carrots.
\n\n\nAs the wife of a prominent doctor in the community, our family was in the forefront of Jewish holidays and traditions. Our pictures often graced the local newspapers when the Jewish holidays rolled around. Our first year in our new home, we entertained about twelve people for Seder. By the time we stopped having it at home, we were upwards of forty people and I knew we’d outgrown our space.
\n\n\nThe following year, we started gathering in the basement of the local Presbyterian Church. That was the year I realized I needed to relinquish some of the cooking to others because it was getting out of hand. It was only about a month after having a total hysterectomy and I cooked for about seventy-five people. I prepared turkey, brisket, potato kugel, matzo ball soup, and homemade gefilte fish. Each table had its own Seder Plate and there was a Haggadah at each place setting…sit down, with linens and real dishes. It was beautiful…and it about killed me.
\n\n\nI continued a Jewish life for several years after my divorce from Hubby #2 and eventually returned to the faith of my youth and became a Christian. It seems Passover falls the week we are at the beach, but one of these days, I’d love to cook some of these wonderful Passover dishes for my FixIt family here in West Virginia. I think they would love it!
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6f61c2e7b3.jpg\")
Our drive to our typical overnight spot was fairly uneventful, save for the traffic backed up for the fire and a bad wreck. The fire was pretty impressive from a distance but we only got this one picture. I always have these pictures in my head of what I’d want to take and I forget when I ask Mr. FixIt to grab his camera, he can’t see what’s going on in my noggin. So we take what we can get and remember the rest! The accident was a rear-ender, but it resulted in three lanes of traffic being squeezed down to one during rush hour, so you can well imagine what that was like.
\n\n\nWe stopped at a rest area and had lasagna that I heated up in my handy dandy Hot Logic Mini portable cooker. The one I bought plugs into a 120v outlet, but I also purchase the power converter so I can plug it into the 12v outlet in my truck. I baked a big pan of lasagna on Thursday and divided the leftovers into three portions. Yesterday morning, I put two of them in the cooler for later in the week and I popped one of them in the Hot Logic Mini and plugged it in when we left home. Around 4:00 in the afternoon, we carried the little package to a picnic table and had a nice, hot, home-cooked meal and avoided all that salt and junk at the drive thru. Win - Win! Click on the photos if you want to get one. They make great gifts for your traveling and camping friends. I use it plugged into the regular power outlet in my camper and it acts like a slow cooker without all the weight and cleanup.
\n\n\nToday…the beach!!!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-04-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/04/16/chag-sameach-and-happy-trails.html", "tags": ["Travel","Holiday","Cooking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/01/01/so-long-betty.html", "title": "So Long, Betty!", "content_html": "\n““These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. But you shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work.””
\nLeviticus 23:4-8 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f8894a0e5d.jpg\")
I think it’s rather fitting that, on the last day of what was probably one of our most challenging years since WWII…God would take Betty home. I think those who really enjoyed Betty White’s sassy sense of humor truly wish we could have helped her celebrate her 100th birthday. Then again, maybe she just knew when it was time to make a graceful exit.
\n\n\nI’ve always loved Betty’s depiction of Rose on Golden Girls. The ditzy widow from St. Olaf, Minnesota cracked me up time after time. Mr. FixIt and I love to end our days snuggled under the covers and watching funny comedy clips. We often watch Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia as they share a home in Miami and laugh at their antics. While the rest of the cast is certainly funny, it’s Rose that steals the show for me.
\n\n\nIt’s hard to believe 2021 is finally over. I swear, this seemed like the year that would NEVER end. It was full of challenges. But it was full of beauty, too. There was travel, camping, visitors, family, old friends and new friends, birthdays, anniversaries. There were campfires and cookouts, antiquing and baking, gathering and letting go. Goodbyes are some of the hardest things we have to endure in life…and there were too many of those this year.
\n\n\nOur first rule of the new year…don’t dwell on what went wrong last year. We ended the year full of hope for 2022.
\n\n\nMay you and yours enjoy safety, good health, and prosperity in the year to come!
\n\n\nHappy New Year!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2022-01-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/01/01/so-long-betty.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Holiday","Aging","Change","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/27/we-hit-it-out-of.html", "title": "We Hit it Out of the Park!", "content_html": "\n““Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
\nIsaiah 43:18-19 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0fc7c81e0b.jpg\")
We’ve had to divide up the family parties since covid. One faction believes in vaccines and the other does not. It’s not a problem in the summer so much because we can gather outside, but during the winter when we can’t do that, we have to take everyone’s choices into consideration and make the necessary adjustments to holiday festivities.
\n\n\nMy bonus son and his family came yesterday for lunch and to exchange gifts. When I joined the family, I introduced a Colorado tradition of chili and homemade cinnamon rolls. I’ve been baking cinnamon rolls for decades. As a matter of fact, I used to supply one of the local coffee houses in Glenwood Springs with my cinnamon rolls once a week. They were always a big hit and people would call ahead to reserve them. Well, I thought they were good, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the new recipe I tried yesterday!
\n\n\nThe 2021 Recipe of the Year for King Arthur Flour is Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls. OMGosh! These things are HEAVEN ON A PLATE! They are light and pillowy soft thanks to an extra step at the beginning of the recipe where you make a Tangzhong…a cooked paste of flour and milk to which you add the wet, then dry ingredients. The recipe sounds complicated, but it is surprisingly easy to make. You know how wonderful Cinnamon Rolls taste when they’re fresh from the oven…but within a very short while, they get hard and dry? Well…these will last up to a week (although I cannot imagine them making it that long the way we eat them!) They are SO good…I will never make a different recipe when I want this particular yummy goodness. They were a major hit…so much so that the youngest grandchild wants to come out this week and learn how to make them!
\n\n\nWe exchanged gifts and had a wonderful visit. I felt much better yesterday and having family around did me a world of good. I didn’t get to see all the family in person, however we at least got to talk with all of them either over the phone or on video chat. It turned out to be a Merry Christmas after all! Inviting Jesus into every circumstance has really helped me feel so much better. That being said, I’m still not terribly excited about the upcoming procedure this week, but I know He’ll be there with me so I have nothing to fear.
\n\n\n❄️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/27/we-hit-it-out-of.html", "tags": ["Health","Comfort","Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/25/joy-to-the-world.html", "title": "Joy to the World!", "content_html": "\n“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
\nRevelation 3:20 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1dcdb6994a.jpg\")
My day didn’t start out as I’d hoped for Christmas Eve. I didn’t sleep well and ended up moving to the guest room so I didn’t keep Mr. FixIt awake all night, too. No need for both of us to be sleep deprived. I laid there awake for hours and…when I’m awake, the motor’s running. My brain, to be exact. When I finally would drift off to sleep, I had nightmares that superimposed Mr. Virgo’s death and Mr. FixIt. I awoke in a sweat each time only to drift off again and take up where I left off. I finally woke up for good around 10:00 and felt lousy. The last thing I wanted to do was cook scallops and lamb chops. I asked my sweetheart if he would mind holding off the celebratory Christmas Dinner till tomorrow. My husband, being the most wonderful man on the planet, rolled with the punches and was fine with that. He is so flexible and patient with me. This is the nature of PTSD and grief. Some days are good…some aren’t. Yesterday didn’t start out good.
\n\n\nHowever…I was bound and determined I was going to lift up out of that blue funk and still enjoy the day, even if it entailed a lot of self care. I looked at the Weather App and it was closing in on 60 degrees by 1:00 here in our little neck of the woods. West Virginia had a rare White Christmas last year. So, of course…it will be springlike with rain this year! I walked into the family room and told Mr. FixIt I had a plan. I was going to go out to the camper and hang out for a little quiet time and recharge.
\n\n\nI was amazed at the number of dead flies and ladybugs in there! It’s the country, and campers aren’t airtight. I took the Dustbuster out and swept up and cleaned out the refrigerator and cabinets of any food items. I should have done that a couple months ago, but just didn’t get around to it. Once the place was clean, I climbed in my bed, pulled a pile of covers over me and sunk down in…breathing a sigh of relief.
\n\n\nI love camper time. I especially needed it yesterday and it was like medicine. I curled up and read and just soaked in all that camper goodness. It’s like the playhouse I never had as a kid. The treehouse. The blanket fort. It’s small and cozy and smells like the woods. It soothes me. I drank bottles of water and felt so much better in a couple of hours. I went back inside and greeted my sweetheart. I sat down to knit. He puttered outside for a bit then made a batch of Peanut Butter Blossoms.
\n\n\nThe house soon smelled like peanut butter and chocolate. Another area of lights burned out on the tree. There’s only a couple small gifts under it. My cousin and aunt called me from Nevada to wish us a Merry Christmas. I had video chats with the Colorado families. I ate a little. And before I knew it…I felt so much better…so much lighter. As I talked with Daughter #2, she asked how I was holding up. I was honest and told her everything. Then I apologized and said I’d be better soon. She motioned me to come closer to the camera.
\n\n\n“You are grieving. It’s ok to feel all the feels. Sadness, anger, anxiety…all of it. Do not apologize for feeling your feelings.” She’s right, of course. Smart girl. It’s a little harder to practice what you preach sometimes, isn’t it? At any rate, I felt so much better after connecting with my people. Today is a new day. It might be good. It might not. But it’s a day, and it’s what we got, and I know I can close my eyes at any moment and ask Jesus to come walk with me awhile. To lift me up and make me stronger to do the things that need to be done. It’s His Birthday today, and I can’t think of a better way to spend it than quietly. Paring everything back to the basics has been so healing this year. And, isn’t that’s what it’s all about?
\n\n\nJust…love.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-25T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/25/joy-to-the-world.html", "tags": ["Grief","Comfort","Holiday","Healing","Anxiety"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/23/its-christmas-so-why-aint.html", "title": "It’s Christmas So Why Ain’t I Jolly?", "content_html": "\n“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
\nLuke 2:11 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/437ace5a83.jpg\")
Lawzy me…my leggings are lying to me. They’re saying, “Go ahead…eat that cookie. We got you, boo!” I went to the doctor this week and, while I haven’t really gained anything…I sure as heck didn’t lose any. So, I’ll take that as a win, considering what we’ve been through the last couple of years. It’s a wonder I’m not bigger than the broad side of a barn! I baked dozens of Chocolate Chip Cookies yesterday. We like to give cookies to the neighbor children so I’ve been having fun in the kitchen. Unfortunately, I’ve been my own taste tester, too.
\n\n\nLosing one of my besties last week really took the wind out of my sails. I’m just so blah about the holidays now. Well, let me rephrase that. I don’t have the spirit like I’ve had for Christmases past. I’ve been quietly knitting and puttering around in the kitchen. I’ve tried to stay in the moment and not focus on the loss(es) directly while remaining mindful of the changes they have wrought.
\n\n\nI’m not as interested in gifts as I used to be…giving or receiving. I don’t look forward with the delicious anticipation of my younger years. As I sit and knit in front of the fire, I examine what is really important. We watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” yesterday afternoon. George Bailey lost everything when he wished he’d never been born and he was shown what the world would be like if he’d never been in it. It was dismal and dark and when he learned his lesson, and was miraculously restored back to the life he thought was so awful, he had a new appreciation for it.
\n\n\nWhen you experience the loss of someone you love…especially this close to the holidays…it brings home what is really important. Rushing around in the malls and spending money you don’t have is not the most important. Having the perfectly decorated home and the perfect family photo on the Christmas card and piles of presents under the tree is not the most important. Being exhausted, stressed, overstimulated and cranky is definitely not the most important. Don’t get me wrong…those are great things! Oh, my gosh…when you can pull off the magic of Christmas and make it look all Hallmark and happy and everyone has a great time? Wow…that is really, really awesome and fun.
\n\n\nIt’s not all that work that’s important, though. It’s the memories you make with the people you love that made all that work worthwhile. It’s the quiet camaraderie of sitting together…knitting, reading, napping in the recliner, watching a tender movie. It’s the filling of the bird feeders. It’s opening the Christmas cards from friends and family. It’s making homemade soup and the house smelling of cookies and cinnamon and tea.
\n\n\nWe got the kids what they wanted. We got new cell phones this year as our big gift. We bought a new set of pots and pans…the first time since we’ve been together. Mr. FixIt has had trouble with his left hand feeling cold since he had his second stroke. The other day, I found a battery powered hand warmer at Walmart and brought it home for him. He says it really helps. I have a couple little things for him to open that I think he’ll like. I’m hoping next year will be better.
\n\n\nNo, none of these things mean much to me right now. What’s most important for me this year is Jesus’ birthday. Mary and Joseph had nothing but a donkey and what they could carry. Keeping things simple this year has given me time to be more grateful for the Gift God gave us in His Son. I have no idea how I could get through life without that. I’m glad I don’t have to know.
\n\n\nI’m reminded of that first Christmas without Mr. Virgo and how Santa helped me get through one of the toughest days. If you’ve been with me for a while…you know the story. But I’ll share the link here because it’s just as timely now as it was then. If I could visit with Santa this year, I’d tell him, “My bestie died. I need a new heart.” And he’d drape his arm across my shoulder, just like he did that day nine Christmases ago. https://www.marshmallowranch.com/santa/
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/23/its-christmas-so-why-aint.html", "tags": ["Grief","God","Holiday","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/11/if-its-christmas-it-must.html", "title": "If It’s Christmas, It Must Be Time For Aebleskivers!", "content_html": "\n“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
\nIsaiah 41:10 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/56b4a51479.jpg\")
The #32 pan has a lip on it which keeps the oil from spilling over into your flame when it bubbles up.
\n\n\nI never heard of aebleskivers till my friend Judy showed me how to make them back in the ‘80s. Aebleskiver literally translates to “apple slices” in Danish and the filled spherical shaped pancakes of the same name are made in a special pan. A long time ago, I had a nonstick aebleskiver pan and used it a few times. It went to the wayside when I downsized and sold my Colorado house. A few years ago, I bought one off of Amazon and when it arrived, it was cast iron. And not the nice smooth cast iron of years past, but the rough cast iron that’s made nowadays.
\n\n\nI’ve been told that with enough use and good seasoning, these rough pans can become usable, but I’m skeptical. I never had much luck with a Lodge pan, for instance. The surface is so rough and pitted and the food always ends up sticking. I returned the aebleskiver pan to Amazon and didn’t think much of it. These days, if I buy a piece of cast iron cookware, it’s going to be a Griswold.
\n\n\nThe original Griswold foundry was established in Erie, PA in 1865 and they made door hinges. However, in the 1870’s, they branched out into cookware and became the most respected name in the business. The company lasted till 1957. Their cookware is prized and highly collectible and people hand down their cast iron pans with as much circumstance as handing down family jewels. In many cases, in the hills and hollers of Appalachia…cast iron skillets WERE the family treasures.
\n\n\nI have a couple of Griswold skillets. I have my grandmother’s cast iron waffle pan, but I cannot recall if it’s a Griswold…I’ll have to look sometime. Mr. FixIt knows by now not to even bother showing me a piece of cast iron unless it’s a Griswold. So, yesterday, when I was sitting in the living room knitting, he sent me a text from Facebook Marketplace. As soon as I opened it, my heart skipped a beat.
\n\n\nAn Antique Griswold #32 962 Cast Iron Aebleskiver Pan for $85!
\n\n\nI didn’t even know Griswold MADE an aebleskiver pan! And, not a bad price, apparently…I looked them up and some went for at least $135…sometimes more. I looked over at him. He smiled.
\n\n\n“Offer them $75.”
\n\n\nIt’s what you do.
\n\n\n“It’s only been on there for fifteen minutes. They aren’t going to take that!”
\n\n\n“Well, you won’t know till you ask.”
\n\n\nI sent the offer and she accepted! Hmmmmm….maybe I should have offered less. Nope! The offer was just right. No need to be greedy! We made arrangements and were in the truck heading to town in five minutes. I was so excited to find this pan and add it to my collection. And, it’ll be another new tradition I can start with my grandchildren…making Aebleskivers together. I still have the Aebleskiver Cookbook so I’m really looking forward to cleaning up this pan and seasoning it.
\n\n\nYou never know when you wake up in the morning what is going to come your way. What kind of adventure is right around the bend? Who are you going to meet that’s going to change your course? I am firmly convinced our lives are like a mountain stream. We have twists and turns. Sometimes it is rough and rushed. Sometimes it’s slow and placid. But every inch of the journey is an education. I always know God will lead me right where I’m supposed to go.
\n\n\nToday, I’m happy a funny, lumpy little pan fell in my path.
\n\n\nFor more information about Aebleskivers, check out this website for The Solvang Restaurant.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-11T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/11/if-its-christmas-it-must.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/09/our-tree-is-dying-a.html", "title": "Our Tree is Dying a Slow Death", "content_html": "\n“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
\nProverbs 3:5-6 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/eaffb9ed10.jpg\")
Our Christmas tree is giving up the ghost…slowly but surely. Mr. FixIt came back in the living room last evening and looked at the tree with a puzzled expression.
\n\n\n“I think more lights have gone out.”
\n\n\n“Oh, surely not,” I said as I whipped around to look. Indeed…there was a mysterious black hole where I distinctly remember light the day before.
\n\n\nRats. I snapped a quick picture and compared the lights to Tuesday’s, and sure enough…they’re dying off, one by one. Double rats. Our new angel arrived yesterday…a full twelve days before it’s estimated delivery date. The tree is going to stay up till at least Valentine’s Day. So, I think I may run to town and get a new one. This one is a “pencil tree”…a tall, thin job that doesn’t take up a lot of floor space. It’s exactly what I needed when I was living at the farm. But this family room is huge. Think “extra-large-two-car-garage” big. We can go with a fatter tree…with more lights! LOTS of lights! LED lights that don’t burn out in five short years. Yep…I think I’ll go tomorrow when I see the chiropractor and shop for a new tree.
\n\n\nThe endless saga of Christmas decorations. Not every year goes smoothly…what can I say?
\n\n\nMr. FixIt and I went shopping for the cookie containers for Christmas giving. They had a pretty good sale at Dollar General. We bought a box of 32 Christmas cards and three sacks full of containers for $15. I didn’t think that was bad at all. I sent out about 3/4 of our Christmas cards yesterday. I love getting cards so in order to get them, you need to send them. Postage has gone up so much, I balance that by buying more affordable cards. Gone are the days of Hallmark cards with foil envelope liners and 3D cutouts and pop ups. If I had my act together, I’d make cards like I did in the old days…but I didn’t help work five acres of land back then. It’s the thought that counts. And, I do take the time and write a personal note in each one, so…there’s that.
\n\n\nAround here, I’m seeing just a little lower supply in some things. I noticed a lot of the processed meats for sandwiches were picked over. I don’t usually buy them anyway because of the sodium content. We’ve never had to go without something we really needed. I bought gas yesterday for $3.02 at Sam’s. That’s an improvement. It seems meat is staying high. I’m not paying $35 for three ribeye steaks. I bought a rotisserie chicken for $4.98. We each had a leg/thigh quarter last night with a hefty serving of steamed broccoli. A huge bag of broccoli florets cost $3.74. That will give us side dishes all week. The breast meat will give us at least three meals of sandwiches, and I can simmer the carcass and add the last of the broccoli for a nice chicken noodle soup this week. Two bags of chopped salad came to less then $6.00 and blueberries were on sale as were clementines. They’re both great in salads and an excellent source of fiber and vitamins. I did spring for a bag of pecan halves. I like to break them up a little and make my own candied nuts to add to oatmeal, yogurt, and salads. And, if I candy some of the halves and wrap them, we can add them to the holiday gift baskets.
\n\n\nI remember when Hubby #2 was in Medical School and Residency. We made it an adventure to see how far we could stretch our food and entertainment dollars. I’ve lived the fat years of plenty and the lean years of want. I know we are incredibly blessed to be in the financial situation we are in now and I am incredibly grateful to be at Medicare age. The trick is to know contentment and gratitude no matter where you find yourself. I thank God every day for His bountiful provision.
\n\n\nToday, we bake!
\n\n\n❄️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-09T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/09/our-tree-is-dying-a.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/05/ice-ice-baby.html", "title": "Ice, Ice, Baby!", "content_html": "\n“But all things should be done decently and in order.”
\n1 Corinthians 14:40 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8ebe4212da.jpg\")
Pardon the mess…we are still a work in progress here!
\n\n\nWell, we’re making progress here. My back pain was much improved after seeing the chiropractor on Friday and sitting on ice packs several times Friday and Saturday. Thank, God! It was becoming alarming…I don’t have time for this, you know. All that sitting gave me an opportunity to knit. Last year, I bought tons of that cotton yarn you knit dishcloths out of and I’m just about finished with it. I love tucking a little homemade something into a card or under the ribbon of a larger gift. Homemade spells love in my book. I’ll have a whole basket full of dishcloths and that ought to last me for quite some time and I can move on to other things.
\n\n\nThe first thing we did yesterday was run into our little burg and hit the coffee shop and the bakery. What a great way to start the weekend! When I got up yesterday morning, Mr. FixIt had the tree upright and lit. I needed to center it a little better and fluff out the branches. If you notice in this picture…there’s nothing on it. That’s because I couldn’t figure out how to decorate it AND sit on ice at the same time. You can also see it’s kind of “striped”. A strand or two of the lights are out. That happens sometimes with pre-lit trees. I could tediously go through each bulb and try to find the one that’s burned out. Or, I can do what I did last year….run a string of white lights in the blank spots and call it good. Work smarter, not harder, right?
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/823ee8f3f2.jpg\")
Mr. FixIt went out and washed our poor old blow-up Santa off. He gets pretty muddy by the end of the season and needed a bath. A little later, I went out and helped him hang the wreath on the end of the house. Then he took his new hedge trimmer and cleaned up the forsythia at the corner of the house. If you aren’t careful, those things will take over and then need cut back regularly. We watched football. We ordered some Rada knives from my bonus daughter’s church so he ran to town to pay for them. She gave us some venison…tenderloin and steaks…so I’m trying my hand at cooking that today. I love elk, but I’m still on the fence with venison. We’ll see.
\n\n\nToday, we’ll finish with the decorating, I think. Then I can write the Christmas cards while I’m sitting on ice packs. We plug along, working at our own pace. It’s good to not have a schedule you have to meet. That’s one of the benefits of retirement…and winter!
\n\n\n❄️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”
\nRomans 14:5 ESV\n
#Decorating, #Christmas, #Tree
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-05T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/05/ice-ice-baby.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","Crafts"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/27/taking-a-stroll-down-memory.html", "title": "Taking a Stroll Down Memory Lane", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/61c5e6caff.jpg\")
My Bialetti Moka Express, made in Italy
\n\n\nWe were going to put up the tree yesterday, but the sweet Mr. FixIt was so sore from doing the Turkey Trot with the kids on Sunday, we decided to just have a lay low day. I fed the sourdough starter. Emptied the dishwasher and and made my morning coffee. Lately, I’ve been using a Moka Pot for some excellent lattes. This is the way to make espresso without investing big bucks in a machine.
\n\n\nI had a nice De’Longhi Espresso Machine that Mr. Virgo bought for me one year for Christmas. It cost about $400 and made great coffees, but after a few years it wouldn’t keep pressure and it just didn’t work right. I’ve carried around all these years thinking maybe I’d figure out how to fix it one of these days, but that seems unlikely.
\n\n\nI had a Moka Pot years ago and I have no idea what became of it. I don’t believe I used it too often and ended up giving it away. I saw this one on Amazon when I was thinking of replacing the old espresso maker, but when I saw the prices, the Moka Pot just sounded like a much more sensible investment. It’s really easy to use…you fill the bottom part with water, put espresso grind coffee in the filter, screw the top on and place over medium heat till the water boils and it force up through the coffee grounds and into the pitcher at the top. Smooth, easy, and delicious.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2e369a50b7.jpg\")
A bustling holiday shopping season gets underway. Notice the stockings with the seams in the back and the women wearing hats and gloves. Women dressed to shop in those days.
\n\n\nOnce my java was in hand, I curled up in my recliner and found myself looking at old photos of Christmas in my hometown. What a treat it is to look back at the memories of my youth and the shops we frequented in what was once a thriving downtown. I scan the people and cars in these old photographs, looking for familiar faces. I did run across a picture one time of my grandmother at a Christmas party at the bakery where she worked as a cake decorator, but that’s the only person I’ve known so far.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3078584add.jpg\")
One of the better department stores in our downtown shopping area…all gone now.
\n\n\nIt’s a shame so many “downtowns” across America were left abandoned and derelict when malls came into fashion. No fancy mall can ever take the place of the department stores created and grown by sturdy pillars of the community. Names like Cox’s, Dil’s, Broida Stone and Thomas. The only two still in business are Buttermore Jewelers and Horner & Harrison and it’s not downtown anymore.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/683679dec0.jpg\")
Me, in the snow, at my best friend’s house. We’re still friends and she reads this blog!
\n\n\nThere’s not much left in our downtown anymore. The Historic Blennerhassett Hotel is the anchor. There is the Art Guild and the community theater across the street. A handful of restaurants and office buildings and empty storefronts are all that’s left of a beautiful and robust center of commerce in our town. “Progress” isn’t always pretty. It doesn’t always last. And it isn’t always an improvement.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/86a7b4b9c6.jpg\")
Christmas Parade on Market Street
\n\n\nI miss the days of wandering through the shops with my mom, and later with my girlfriends, picking up gifts…getting them gift wrapped with beautiful bows and tags and colorful paper…and carrying them around in big paper bags with handles. Looking in the windows of the more expensive shops and dreaming of when we might be able to afford such luxuries. Sitting on a stool at the counter in Murphy’s for a Cherry Coke and Grilled Cheese sandwich with a pickle spear and a handful of chips.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7d2c9628e3.jpg\")
A wet and grey Christmas shopping season in Downtown Parkersburg, WV
\n\n\nI look at the lives we live now…shopping in sterile big box stores or worse, sitting in our pj’s and pushing a couple of buttons on a screen…and I wonder, “What kind of memories are we creating for our kids and grandkids?” I like to encourage people to buy local, shop from artisans and crafters in your own or nearby towns. I can guarantee…none of their goods or services are sitting on a cargo ship, waiting to be unloaded…or waiting for a trucker to take it across the country.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/79b5d4e90b.jpg\")
A Hometown Christmas Parade
\n\n\nWe have come to rely WAY too much on electronics and on products being produce in other countries. All in the name of convenience. I’m just as guilty as anyone…mainly because we live out in the country and there are fewer choices. I’m going to try to do what my friend Gail does and shoot for a homemade Christmas. She just told me about this windfall she fell into and is turning a bunch of old kitchen cabinets into amazing gifts her family will cherish for years to come. Last year she knitted everyone sweaters. And she has a HUGE family.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/77555a99a0.jpg\")
Dad would always drive us around town one night before Christmas to see the lights.
\n\n\nSimpler is better. I’d rather have nothing but a hand written card than to have just any old thing with little thought or planning. I don’t want or need anything fancy or expensive…although this was the year we had to replace our phones, so that’s our Christmas to each other. I don’t need another camper shaped bird house or a ceramic frog. Give me your time, and your attention, and your love…and I’m a happy camper…through and through.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1f9210ab71.jpg\")
We have one of those stars in our collection of Christmas decor that we picked up along the way.
\n\n\nI gave my kids and grandkids and my brother the memory book of the farm this year. My son-in-law’s mom said Daughter #1 brought her book to Thanksgiving dinner and shared it and told the stories she remembered about each person and place. My brother said it was the best present and he has given it a place of honor in his room. I think I knocked it out of the park this year.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/716a652302.jpg\")
The red arrow is pointing at my grandmother. I’d love to know who else is in this picture.
\n\n\nPeople won’t remember what you gave them…but they’ll remember how you loved them and made them feel important and special. Let’s do more of that. Let’s look for the good and the love and the joy and spread it around! Let’s make the world a better place…one little corner at a time.
\n\n\n???
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
\nColossians 3:17 ESV\n
Photo Credit: Most of these photos were taken by either Harry Barnett or Dave Farrell, prolific local photographers. They are shared by Dan Kemper on the Facebook Page…”Early Parkersburg WV & surrounding area” created by local history buff, Roger Mackey.
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/27/taking-a-stroll-down-memory.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Holiday","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/26/let-the-games-begin.html", "title": "Let the Games Begin!", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1bfd994b57.jpg\")
I just had to show you this AMAZING sourdough starter. I bought a one ounce jar of starter from King Arthur Baking Company and was thrilled to see it arrived fresh. And look…after only two days of feeding, this thing has taken on a life of its own. It is aromatic and rich and so active…I’m just thrilled! I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and started baking sourdough again.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5ed98c3e94.jpg\")
Another Thanksgiving is in the books…this one decidedly low key. Mr. FixIt got up at the crack of dawn and went to walk with the kids in the Turkey Trot. I elected to stay home and not overtax these aching bones of mine. I’m hoping after we solve the hyperparathyroidism issue, I can get back to my normal way of life and I can go play with the kids again.
\n\n\nOur town delivered Thanksgiving meals to our door yesterday morning, so we didn’t even touch the soup beans I had in the crockpot. I’ll make cornbread today and we can have them today. I also decided to wait till today to put the tree up. I love when it’s up and the lights glow in the window, but the idea of slogging everything up the steps and putting it up is not as exciting. As with most things, this Gemini has to be in the proper space to get anything creative done.
\n\n\nI loved all the video calls I had yesterday. Seeing the kids helps make the distance shrink just a little bit. They look good, they’re healthy and happy and thriving. One cannot ask for more than that in this life.
\n\n\nI hope your holiday was filled with moments that warmed your hearts. I hope you held close the memories of those no longer with you. And, I hope you made new memories to take with you as we move on down this road of life.
\n\n\nLife isn’t always easy at this time of year. Pace yourselves, dear ones. Eat well. Drink plenty of water. Get good sleep. Go outside and walk every day. Touch the earth, kiss the sky, and embrace nature. It’s good for what ails ya!
\n\n\nThey’re predicting a little skiff of snow on this morning. And so…it begins.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-26T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/26/let-the-games-begin.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/24/holiday-preparations.html", "title": "Holiday Preparations 2021", "content_html": "\n“for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”
\n1 Timothy 3:5 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7b465c7060.jpg\")
I need this in my life!
\n\n\nI took a look at my new starter yesterday morning and it was ever so slightly fluffy. Not a lot of bubbles, but not dead looking either. So, perhaps the bleach in the bleached flour didn’t kill my yeasties after all! I Googled it and couldn’t get a definitive answer either way. I sent a question to King Arthur Baking Company and got the following response:
\n\n\n“Hi Ginny,
Thanks for contacting us here at King Arthur Baking Company!
Starters are very hearty and can survive on all types of flour. You certainly did not kill it by using bleached flour, and likely the starter is just sluggish due to its time in transit.
Because your starter has been traveling without food and water, it may take a couple of feedings to get it back on its feet.
The best way to increase your starter’s activity level is to keep it at room temperature and give it regular feedings. There are tips on how to feed, maintain, and even troubleshoot a starter that’s not working.
If your starter continues to lack signs of activity after several regular feedings (no bubbles developing or growth of starter) please do get back in touch with us so we can assist further.
Don't forget to check out our Complete Sourdough Guide, too!”
\n\n\nI waited till the day warmed up a little. Oh, who am I kidding…it got up to forty-two outside. I had my coffee and my egg sandwich, then I fed the starter…this time with unbleached flour. And, I created two jars of it. Hopefully, this will work. It looked pretty good by bedtime last night so, fingers crossed.
\n\n\nI cleaned the kitchen and picked up a little around the house and sat down for a little while in the afternoon. I turned on my favorite “show” for this time of year….the 24/7 Crackling Fireplace! I pulled out some knitting and put my feet up while Mr. FixIt went to town for an appointment. I love those little times when I can have the house to myself and recharge. He brought supper home so I didn’t even have to cook. And, upon my request, he stopped at the store and bought some dried beans and ham hocks. I think I’m going to make that for Thanksgiving with some buttermilk cornbread and a homemade apple pie.
\n\n\nGod has blessed us with such abundance. And the idea of feasting till you lay on the couch like a tick about to pop isn’t the only way to give thanks. For years, my dear cousin Tammy has been hosting a big Thanksgiving dinner and, instead of a huge turkey with all the trimmings, she serves a huge pot of brown beans and ham and cornbread. And it’s the BEST Thanksgiving dinner I’ve been to in years. Unfortunately, we are going to miss it again this year. Even though we are vaccinated and boosted, we both have medical procedures coming up in the coming weeks. The likelihood that we would catch covid is very slim, but still…we just don’t want to chance it. We’ll go visit when there aren’t as many people coming and going.
\n\n\nBig is in New York City with Daughter #1 taking a second look at a college up there. They posted some pictures of their day off playing tourist yesterday. I never knew how they decorated the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. I always assumed they used a crane. Who knew? They also rode the carriage through Central Park, visited Strawberry Fields, and traveled in and out of Grand Central Station for the first time.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f8a06aee6b.jpg\")
Decorating the tree at Rockefeller Center is quite an undertaking!
\n\n\nLittle practiced making Brenda Gantt’s Buttermilk Biscuits over the weekend for the family and they were very impressed. I used to go to Colorado every Christmas, but the weather is totally unpredictable. I’ll miss the Annual Cookie Baking Extravaganza and the long drive around town looking at the lights on Christmas Eve. I’ll miss my Colorado kids and my brother. I think it’s been three years or so since I’ve flown. I’ll be heading there in May when Big graduates from high school. The youngest of my bonus granddaughters graduates on the Saturday after Big’s graduation, so I’m going to have to fly this time. I just don’t like flying quite like I used to.
\n\n\nThe holidays can be particularly rough when you are grieving, so if you are heading into this time of year bereaved, please be gentle with yourself. I stumbled across a post I wrote the Thanksgiving after I sold my home and moved to the farm in West Virginia to help my elderly aunt. I’ll share it with you tomorrow and send you love and light and hope for better tomorrows.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/24/holiday-preparations.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/23/getting-started-on-the-starter.html", "title": "Getting Started on the Starter", "content_html": "\n“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
\n1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a94c2eac8a.jpg\")
I woke up yesterday and smiled at Mr. FixIt.
\n\n\n“I’m makin’ waffles!”
\n\n\n“Hey…that sounds great!”
\n\n\nI padded into the kitchen, got my coffee brewing, and started to gather my ingredients. I like to make high protein pancakes because I try to keep tight control on Mr. FixIt’s blood sugars. Poor man doesn’t stand a chance, marrying a Diabetes Educator. Regular pancakes will cause a spike in blood sugar then when the simple carbs burn off, it’s crash city and that not only feels bad, it’s not good for you.
\n\n\nI had the buttermilk, milk, and butter combined when I reached for the eggs and came up empty. Well, we had one…I needed three. I went in to tell my sweetheart I was running to town to get some eggs. While I was there, I picked up some more flour, another container of pancake mix, and some sugar free syrup. If you ever want a really good sugar free syrup, try Smucker’s. It tastes great and it’s thick, like regular syrup. Most sugar free syrups are runny. I got back and made a big batch of waffles. I had enough to freeze for at least two more breakfasts. You can just pop them in the toaster like the ones you buy in the freezer section.
\n\n\nWhile I was at the store, FedEx delivered my package from King Arthur. I ordered a sourdough crock and a starter. I thought it would be dehydrated, but I was thrilled when it arrived and was fresh! After breakfast, I cleaned the kitchen, filled my flour container with the fresh flour I bought, and fed the new starter. It smelled great. Kinda of sweet and fruity with a hint of sour. The one I was using for the last year and a half had developed a lovely fermented aroma with hints of wine and apples. It had matured so well, and I was hopeful it would last me a lifetime, but I neglected it beyond repair.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6ade66978b.jpg\")
I set the bowl aside with the new starter and saw Mr. FixIt off to run errands. Then I washed all the windows in the family room. I want to put the tree up so I needed to get those windows sparkling clean. I don’t know if you have ever used Norwex products, but I swear by their glass cleaning system. It consists of two cloths. One is a microfiber terry. You wet it and scrub the glass with it. You never use soaps or chemicals with these cloths. The second cloth is smooth and has a kind of sheen to it You wipe the glass dry and polish it with that one. When the cloths get soiled, you boil them in plain water and stir them with a wooden spoon to remove any dirt, let them dry on the back of the kitchen chairs then fold and put them away the next day. So, so simple and they work without streaking.
\n\n\nBy the time Mr. FixIt got home, I was cuddled up in my recliner under my throw. My cousin received her books yesterday and texted. She LOVED them! She wanted to know if I had all those photos so she could scan them. I did her one better. I’ve already scanned them all so I’m in the process of emailing them to her. I can only send five photos in each email because our internet is so slow. But hey…where else do I need to be? It’s a small labor of love for my sweetest cousin.
\n\n\nI bought candied fruit at the store yesterday so I’ll look for my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe today and get started on that. I’ll have Mr. FixIt bring the decorations up from the basement so we can get that going as well. It’s going to be pretty cozy in here soon!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/23/getting-started-on-the-starter.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/22/update-on-all-the-things.html", "title": "Update on All the Things", "content_html": "\n“for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.”
\nJeremiah 10:3-4 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/707e6eb343.jpg\")
I received an email over the weekend from the daughter of the soldier named on my POW/MIA bracelet! She was thrilled to hear of another of her father’s bracelets out there and thanked me profusely for taking the time to find her. She shared her mailing address and I’ll get the bracelet sent off to her this week. The internet is still good for sharing love and light around the world. Like all tools, it’s what you use it for that makes the difference.
\n\n\nI fiddled with my new phone yesterday. I’ve been puzzled by something for the last several years. Somewhere along the line on one of my phone upgrades, I went from around 500 contacts in my phone to nearly 3,000! Nearly every name had multiple entries of the same name with all the same contact information. Also, my calendar might have one person’s birthday listed three or four times on their special day.
\n\n\nI just couldn’t figure it out. I talked with the people at the Apple Store. Nothing…making the term “Genius Bar” seem somewhat dubious. I’ve asked in various forums. I Googled it. The answers I got varied from “Here…buy this app. It’ll fix it” to long detailed instructions to “get to this setting and click on _______” but the place they wanted me to click didn’t exist. Every once in a while, I’d sit down and delete or link the contacts, but they inevitably came back. I just couldn’t make heads nor tails of the whole thing and figured it was something I had to live with.
\n\n\nYesterday, I sat down with the phone and explored the settings. I know it had to be something simple like a switch was selected, but where it was eluded me. I closed my eyes and let my mind wander the “streets” of my phone. What would make something be repeated so much? Then I remembered seeing a drop down menu that listed my five email accounts that I use: one for personal, one to use when I need an email to sign up for something and don’t want to get inundated with spam, one for the Cloud, one for my Apple ID, and one for my business.
\n\n\nI pondered those five accounts and remembered seeing “Yahoo” on one of the multiples, but not on a different one. I wondered if it could possibly have something to do with the fact I am using so many email addresses. When I went in the drop down menu, there was a place to click on each one. And sure enough, each one consisted of multiple tabs I could select…one of which was “Contacts”. Another was “Calendar”. I went through and unselected everything but email on all of them except for my personal email and the Cloud.
\n\n\nSure enough, I immediately went WAY down on the number of contacts. I spent about an hour linking what few were left as duplicates, as well as deleting names of people I couldn’t even remember. I ended up with 499 contacts! Voila!
\n\n\nMy new sourdough starter should arrive today. I woke up in the middle of the night last week and decided to order a fresh, new batch of starter with a covered crock specifically to use with it. I’ll throw out the old flour and get fresh, new flour and get a nice new batch of sourdough started. It’s about time to get that going again. I’m also going to look up my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe and make some fruitcakes soon. And some of Grandma’s Raisin Filled Cookies.
\n\n\nOur little town delivers Thanksgiving meals to anyone who wants them. You don’t have to qualify…they just want to share a good meal with everyone. I love our town. We don’t have a stop light in the whole county and we look out for one another. My friend Diane shared the number, so I called and ordered two meals. That means I don’t have to cook a big meal this year. Instead, I’ll start my holiday baking and put up the Christmas decorations this week. We decided our phones are our gifts to each other. That takes a lot of pressure off of holiday preparations and I think we can just sit back and enjoy the whole season this year! That’s the plan, anyway.
\n\n\nYou know what they say about plans, right? lol
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-22T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/22/update-on-all-the-things.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Gratitude","Holiday","Farm Life","Crafts","Cooking","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/12/summers-reprise.html", "title": "Summer’s Reprise", "content_html": "\n“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”
\nProverbs 16:9 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/49e280b358.jpg\")
It seems I drive a lot…more than I care to, actually. But it just seems there’s always something that draws me to town. I told you earlier that my truck needs brake work, so we ordered new rotors. They were supposed to arrive on Wednesday, but didn’t get here till yesterday. Which actually worked out perfectly. We had our family Thanksgiving yesterday at the former Mrs. FixIt’s house, so we dropped the truck off at the garage on the way.
\n\n\nEarlier in the day, I drove out to the farm to drop off some things for Frank and Beans and to see if they’d received any mail for me. Even though I complain about being away from home too much, I do love to drive because it affords me my best thinking time. As I was driving home, the sun was slanting through the trees and turning the leaves a fiery red, gold, yellow and a deep bittersweet orange. I thought of the term…Indian Summer.
\n\n\nThe term has been around for at least 200 years. It describes that period of abnormally warm weather after the first frost. It was probably given the name since this was the harvest season for the Native Americans and it was know as the Indian’s Summer. Meteorologists have used the term for decades. It conjures up Friday night football, raking leaves, the smell of woodsmoke, and whatever activity that takes you outside to enjoy the last glimpse of summer before she says goodbye and Old Man Winter takes over.
\n\n\nI have become more sensitive and empathetic since losing Mr. Virgo. Part of what has changed for me is the ability to stand in someone else’s shoes, if even for a brief moment. Many terms have been altered and modernized as we become more aware how our words and names affect others. Our nomenclature should evolve as the world changes…as we change. I thought about “Indian Summer” and I wondered what term would be equally descriptive without being offensive to a particular ethnic group.
\n\n\nSummer’s Reprise. That is what I came up with. Reprise literally means to “repeat the performance of”. And…it’s a lyrical term. It conjures up the same images of the former “Indian Summer” and adds a hint of musical grace to it. It is nature’s second rising…an encore, if you will. Not to be confused with the negative connotation of “reprisal” which means an act of retaliation.
\n\n\nYes…Summer’s Reprise. A time to bask in the sun for one last chance at that extra squeeze of Vitamin D. One last hurrah before the rain comes (as it is doing even as I write this) and steals away Autumn’s glorious gown and dashes it to a muddy heap on the forest floor. All of this came to me as I drove my 385 horsepower “leaf blower” through the countryside…looking in the rear view mirror as the leaves whirled up behind me…sweeping the roadway clean.
\n\n\nOur Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. It was great to see almost all of the family. One group didn’t attend. Our great granddaughter came running to me and clung to me like I was her most prized possession. Her little brother wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me a big squeeze. The bigs and the littles…the old and the young…gathering around a fire, balancing heaping plates of delicious food on our knees…thanking God for the bounty, the company, and yes…Summer’s Reprise.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-12T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/12/summers-reprise.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Gratitude","Holiday","Change","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/10/31/trick-or-treat.html", "title": "Trick or Treat!", "content_html": "\n“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
\nPsalm 107:1 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/63892ab726.jpg\")
All Souls Day, All Saints Day, Samhain, souling, guising, Guy Fawkes Day, Dia de los Muertos…Day of the Dead…pretty much all the same celebrations are celebrated in many places around the world. The tradition of Trick or Treating got it’s start via the original celebrations where someone dressed as a spirit danced around a bonfire and people threw gifts and coins to appease the spirit and get it to go back to where it belongs. Some cultures believe the day is when souls are allowed to come back to the world and visit their family members again.
\n\n\nWhatever the source, Halloween has always been a fun and lighthearted holiday for me. I didn’t come from a family that thought it was somehow glorifying demons or worshipping the devil, thank goodness. We were not allowed to do tricks on people if they didn’t give full sized candy bars, either. I never went with kids that egged houses or TP’d the trees and shrubbery, either.
\n\n\nI remember the fun crafts we made in school for Halloween. Pumpkins with Jack-o-Lantern faces, black cats with bright green eyes, witches with pointy hats riding on brooms. We drew and colored, cut and pasted, and hung our decorations around the classroom. Then, on Halloween, we were allowed to put on our costumes, parade around the hallways, then return to our rooms for a party. It was great fun! We filled up on popcorn balls and candy corn, Hershey Kisses and lemonade then when school was over…we anxiously waiting till it got dark enough to go from door to door.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt and I were talking about it on our way home from dinner last night. We come from a generation where it was still safe enough to send your kids out in groups to go door to door and extort…or I mean, beg for candy. We knew what streets gave out the good stuff. I was probably one of the only kids that loved getting a new toothbrush. Mr. FixIt said they stayed away from the dentist’s house. Our only ordered were…we had to bring everything home and show it to Mom before we could eat it and we couldn’t go more than three streets away. We also couldn’t pass Grand Central Avenue. That was a busy street.
\n\n\nMy earliest real memory of Halloween itself was the year I had chicken pox. I must have been around nine years old. Mom propped me up on pillows on the sofa so I could see the kids’ costumes and…you know…really SEE all the fun I was missing. Bless her heart…she meant well. The thing I think about now is…I was sick with a highly contagious disease, my mom was taking care of me, I was less that six feet from the door, and my mother was handing out virus-laced candy to all the kids in the neighborhood. Talk about a super-spreader event!
\n\n\nI continued to go Trick or Treating with my friends till we were well into high school. We always dressed up at work through the years. And there were the countless Halloween parties along the way. Taking my own kids wasn’t easy when I had to work. Hubby #2 usually took the kids out while I stayed home and handed out candy. I remember one particularly cold Halloween in Denver when Daughter #1 went as Wonder Woman. Her costume was cheap plastic because that’s all we could afford. Her costume completely froze, then BROKE, then shredded in little pieces and fell off. She was devastated. That’s the last year we went with cheap store bought costumes.
\n\n\nWe live so far out in the country now, we never get Trick or Treaters. I really like all the Trunk or Treat events they have now. I think it’s fun and certainly safer for the kids. Here’s something I will never do. I will never as a kid, “Don’t you think you're a little good old to go Trick or Treating?” Because…they’ve chosen childhood over partying somewhere. Kids aren’t allowed to be kids long enough. There’s plenty of time ahead for adulting. So, I give out a great big handful to everybody!
\n\n\nWe drove through one of the little towns between home and Parkersburg last night and they were having their community wide Trunk or Treat. It was crazy busy…there were cars parked EVERYWHERE. We drove very slowly through and got home without incident.
\n\n\nIt’s going to get pretty cold this week and we’ll be getting our first frost of the season. When we got home, I told Mr. FixIt I was going to “camp” in the camper and he was welcome to join me if he wanted. He declined, but I went on out. It will be no time and it will be really, really cold and I won’t be as inclined to sleep out there. It’s very cozy with the little ceramic heater and the new blankets I brought out from the house. After living on a bluff overlooking the Ohio River through a particularly hard winter, there’s no weather that scares me away from camping!
\n\n\nSo, October is over and a new month begins tomorrow. This is where we start to slip into the holiday season and the rest of the year will be a blur. I encourage you to slow things down. Take some time to enjoy and savor every morsel, every moment. It’s all over way, way too soon.
\n\n\n???
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-10-31T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/10/31/trick-or-treat.html", "tags": ["Fun","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/07/05/when-every-week-has-a.html", "title": "When Every Week Has a Three-day Weekend", "content_html": "\n“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.”
\n3 John 1:11 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c6d40d27c0.jpg\")
Retirement, sweet retirement. I remember packing as much fun as possible into those few three-day weekends we had when we were working. This while also trying to catch up with the laundry and cleaning the house. I honestly don’t know how we did it all. The truth is, we often didn’t. Or, more accurately…we didn’t do it well.
\n\n\nI was never one to have my house spotless when the kids were growing up. I quickly learned what was “good enough”. Now that we have all this “free time”, we keep a much neater house. Little is a typical teenager and in the nine days she’s been here, her room is pretty trashed. I’ve truly forgotten what it’s like to have a 14-year-old girl at home. I asked her at supper last night to pick it up this morning. We’ll see if she’s any better at it than her mother was at that age. lol
\n\n\nLittle and I had a lot of fun yesterday. We baked two loaves of sourdough, made sourdough pancakes, fed the next sourdough starter, and took the dehydrated sourdough starter out of the dehydrator and bottled it up. Some day, Little might want some of my starter, and as long as it’s stored in a cool, dark place…it’ll last for years.
\n\n\nAs I’m writing this, I just did the dishes and we are preparing to go out to see the fireworks this evening. I do hope you are enjoying your holiday weekend. Little and I are going to go antiquing Tuesday, pack for camping Wednesday, camp on Thursday and Friday, come home on Saturday, do laundry and get her ready for her mom and Big to come pick her up Monday.
\n\n\nJust like that…their vacation will be over and we will miss each other again.
\n\n\nIn the meantime…there is FUN to be had at Nana’s house!!!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-07-05T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/07/05/when-every-week-has-a.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","West Virginia","Holiday","Peaceful Moments","Be Joyful!","Cooking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/07/04/its-independence-day.html", "title": "It’s Independence Day!", "content_html": "\n“You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.”
\nPsalm 74:17 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8e3e3ba727.jpg\")
The year is half gone already. Last year was 36 months long. This year seems like three so far. We enjoyed a much slower pace yesterday. While Mr. FixIt mowed the fenced yard, Little and I made up some sourdough bread and put the loaves in crocks in the garage fridge overnight to rise and ripen. If you give them a cold, slow rise you can get a bit more tartness. My sourdough is never really “sour”. It’s just such a lovely texture…especially when toasted or made into French Toast. Yummmmm!
\n\n\nLittle told me yesterday she’s never had French Toast! I have failed as a mother if my own daughter doesn’t make French Toast for her children. Well, actually no….they just don’t eat a big breakfast at their house. We have to eat a good breakfast because Mr. FixIt takes medication that makes it necessary, and we go out and work hard most days. We need a little something to stick to our ribs.
\n\n\nOur big news for the night was camping! Ok…yard camping. But when you have five acres in the country, it’s your own private campground, right? Little hasn’t camped with me for a couple of years, and that was in her Mimi’s driveway. We are leaving Thursday to camp with some girlfriends of mine. We’ll be staying in a cabin, but it’s still camping. I love that Little still likes to do fun things with her Nana. I told her I wanted to do these things with her while she still thought I was cool. She said, “Nana, now I’ll fight you on that one. You’ll ALWAYS be cool!”
\n\n\n*heart melt*
\n\n\nThey grow so fast.
\n\n\nI made up her bed in the camper and she brought all her things out that she needed for the night, climbed in bed with a Stephen King novel…IT! Oy…kids love spooky, scary stuff at that age. I thought Nancy Drew was scary when I was her age! lol Then again, I think I was still playing with Barbies! It’s truly a different era. I went through a time when I loved scary books. I remember reading Salem’s Lot one summer when Daughter #1 was about 6 or 7. Hubby #2 was off for a fishing weekend with a buddy of his, so it was just us girls and the dog. Along about midnight, when I was at a particularly scary part, three things happened in rapid succession.
\n\n\nThe clock struck twelve and there was a blood curdling scream from the psychiatric hospital down the street from us.
\n\n\nDaughter #1 was sleep walking, coming down the hall with a glassy stare saying, “Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.”
\n\n\nAnd…suddenly there was a tap on my bedroom window and someone whispered…”Ginny! Ginny!!”
\n\n\nHoly cats!
\n\n\nI didn’t know where to turn. First was to take my little girl back to bed and tuck her back in. Then I came back into the bedroom and stood there quietly.
\n\n\nTap, tap, tap. “Ginny! Open the door! I forgot my key!”
\n\n\nIt was my husband! They got rained out at the lake and came home instead. I don’t think I ever really read much Stephen King after that!
\n\n\nAnyway…it’s the 4th of July. Independence Day. We’ll celebrate with watermelon and corn-on-the-cob and hotdogs. Then we’ll go into town to watch the fireworks with Little.
\n\n\nLet freedom ring!
\n\n\n????????????????
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-07-04T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/07/04/its-independence-day.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/06/01/my-heart-is-happy.html", "title": "My Heart is Happy", "content_html": "\n“and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””
\nJohn 8:32 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/12993dba56.jpg\")
Late Afternoon at the Cemetery on the Hill
\n\n\nYesterday was a perfectly beautiful day. We slept in, which is always nice. We stopped for breakfast on the way into town, then picked up my bonus daughter and son-in-law. They didn’t know where some of the family graves were, so we took them with us. Every year it’s the same thing. We know where all but one of the graves are in this huge cemetery. We walked around for a good forty-five minutes when I had the bright idea to look at the picture we took a couple of years ago of the headstone we were looking for. We all studied the photo, then fanned out and our son-in-law had it in less than a minute. Thank goodness it wasn’t as hot as it was out there last year.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a78e7629a5.jpg\")
We Found the Elusive Headstone
\n\n\nOur high yesterday was only 72 and I consider that perfect. Even in the sun, you aren’t over heated. We decorated all the graves then I realized, same as last year...I hadn’t bought enough. We went to Dollar Tree and they were sold out. Then we went to Michael’s. They had flowers, but I wasn’t going to pay $5 for one flower when the cemetery is going to throw the decorations away in ten days. So, I bought pinwheels. They were festive and colorful and move in the wind.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6c44ee05b9.jpg\")
A Stunning Lily Growing at a Gravesite
\n\n\nWe dropped the kids off and headed out to the country to my family’s cemetery. On the way, Mr. FixIt asked if I wanted to drive through the state park that’s on the way. It was a lovely day. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the trees are all fully leafed out and provided a full canopy that cast a fresh green hue over everything. One campground was nearly empty...the other nearly full. We figure the empty one is where the families camp most often. The people in the other campgrounds seemed more our age.
\n\n\nWe arrived at the cemetery and I once again was struck by how beautiful and well kept it is. Nearly every headstone was decorated...and all military graves were decorated with flags. I love that so many people have peonies planted on the graves. My grandma would love that. I am going to propagate some of Grandma’s peonies from the farm. I’ll plant some for us here at home and some up at the cemetery. We wandered around and looked at the headstones and the dates and thought of the families who had to say goodbye.
\n\n\nAs I placed flowers on my grandparents’ grave, I told them the farm had been sold and we’ve al been working hard getting things out of there. I told Grandma all about Frank & Beans and how they already love the farm. They have grand-babies so there will be little ones in the house again some of these days. I told her she would be really proud of the way we took care of the farm all these years without her and that we will still be able to visit the old home-place because Frank & Beans really get it. They know how much we love the place.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0b82cab109.jpg\")
A Carpet of Rhododendron Blossoms
\n\n\nOn our way home, we stopped at the farm and brought another load of things home. There are only three things left in the basement, Grandma’s bed/bedding, and what little is in the outbuilding and barn. We drove home as the sun was setting and decided it was a really good day all the way around.
\n\n\nIt is a brand new month...and, my heart is full and happy.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-06-01T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/06/01/my-heart-is-happy.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Holiday","Farm Life","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/05/31/move-on-mr-swiftyou-too.html", "title": "Move On, Mr. Swift...You Too, Mr. Raccoon", "content_html": "\n“Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out.....”
\nJohn 5:28 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7886688ae9.jpg\")
The Square Cap on the Chimney Keeps the Swifts Out
\n\n\nFor the last couple of years, we’ve had chimney swifts nesting in out chimneys. And each year, it seems they brought more and more of their friends. While it WAS fun to sit out on the deck of an evening and watch them dive and swoop and chatter through the sky above us, sitting at the dining room tables was noisy. The birds nested down in the chimney and we’d hear them in there fluttering and chattering for hours. Then, when they started finding their way into the house last summer, I’d had enough of their fun and games. Chimney swifts cannot land and perch horizontally. They rest on vertical surfaces they can cling to making the inside of masonry chimneys, hollow trees, and old abandoned buildings perfect for nesting. You aren’t supposed to handle them yourself. You are supposed to call the experts to come get them. I didn’t know that at the time so I did carefully let them out through the door in the family room. Besides, we live way out in the country. There aren’t any bird experts near who could come rescue a swift.
\n\n\nWhile I have sincere love for God’s creatures, I don’t necessarily want them living in my house. So, last fall, I asked Mr. FixIt to cover the chimney tops to keep them out. Because chimney swifts are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, we waited till all the fledglings had left the nest and the birds migrated south before we locked them out for good. These sweet migratory birds will return year after year to the same nesting site, so we needed to get the new chimney caps on before they returned in the spring.
\n\n\nOne evening last week, we were sitting outside having dinner when I heard the familiar chitter-chatter calls from the swifts and I knew they’d returned. We sat and watched as they dove down toward the chimneys and pulled up at the last moment when they detected the obstacle before them. Time after time, they dove down. I felt really guilty for displacing them, but I knew they would soon be off to find a suitable place to nest. It wasn’t a day or two when they had moved on.
\n\n\nThere’s always something new to learn living in the country. While this isn’t my first rodeo, I find myself Googling all kinds of things to learn more about my surroundings and the proper way of doing things. And anytime I’m doing anything regarding wildlife, I’ve learned to do my research before I start working. We went to town Saturday and I didn’t consider it would be dark when we got home. We should have put the cat up for the night before we left. As it was, we pulled into the driveway and off went a raccoon, running out of the building. I’m sure it was having a field day with Pumpkin’s cat food. Yesterday, I noticed she was scratching, so I went right out and treated her for fleas and ticks. I’m sure Rocky Raccoon brought some hitch hikers in with him.
\n\n\nI spent the afternoon yesterday sorting and filing two or three years worth of papers and shredded another three bags full. That was the last of it so I fixed up my new extension cord by my recliner, connected my chargers, and got things tidied up in the family room. I’ve made great progress toward getting and feeling more organized. I’m counting down the days till the girls get here and I can’t wait. I wish Hannah and Kate were coming, too. But they both have new jobs so it will be a while before they come to West Virginia.
\n\n\nWe are going today to decorate graves of our loved ones. I pray you find peace today and the memories of your loved ones passed brings you comfort.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-05-31T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/05/31/move-on-mr-swiftyou-too.html", "tags": ["Peace","Holiday","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/05/09/joy-is-home.html", "title": "“Joy” is Home", "content_html": "\n“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
\nJohn 14:27 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/46da20194a.jpg\")
Back in 2017, when Mr. FixIt and I were a new item in the dating scene, he called me on a drizzly afternoon.
\n\n\n“Hey...I was driving home and saw a beautiful two seater Mercedes!”
\n\n\nOh, no. That was Mr. Virgo’s dream car. Was I going to get to enjoy it instead?
\n\n\n“Really? Are you interested in getting something like that? Let me tell you...I had a Mercedes once. They are NOT cheap to take care of!”
\n\n\n“Well...why don’t you come with me to look at it.”
\n\n\nI agreed and the next afternoon, we drove by to see. We sat in the truck looking at that gorgeous silver bullet and he didn’t make a move to get out. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at me and smiled.
\n\n\n“What?” I laughed.
\n\n\n“I’m sure you would be much more interested in what’s under the carport than in the little sports car.”
\n\n\nMy eye followed his gaze and there she was! A black and white, 1967 Franklin travel trailer. The Franklin Coach Company was founded in 1945 and was instrumental in creating the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and is the longest running, continuous ownership in the industry.
\n\n\nI squealed and clapped my hands and jumped out of the truck. A man came out of the house and walked toward us.
\n\n\n“Hey, there! You all interested in the Mercedes? I just put her out yesterday. I’m buying a Corvette so I need to get rid of this baby first.”
\n\n\nI smiled and said, “No. I’m more interested in that little camper. Is she for sale?”
\n\n\nThe camper was actually his 16-year-old daughter’s. Her best friend had fixed up a camper, so she wanted to do one, too. But, as with many things teenage girls do, it stopped being fun when it became work. I get that. But, I’d been wanting a vintage camper and I thought maybe this one would be mine.
\n\n\nWe talked back and forth and his daughter was willing to part with it, so I dubbed her “Joy” and took her out to the farm. And, as with many things ADULT girls do, life got really busy and she sat at the farm all this time...covered up and waiting for me. I kept her out there mainly because I wanted to give the appearance that someone was living there. Now that the farm will be sold soon, it was time to bring “Joy” home to the Ponderosa.
\n\n\nI still have dreams of fixing her up. I’m far more likely to do so if she’s close at hand. Even if I don’t, she’s mine.
\n\n\nI’m back out at the farm after spending a day at the Ponderosa. Today is Mother’s Day, and...as much as I love my step-children and they love me, this is their mom’s day...not mine. I’ll get phone calls and that will be lovely. I told Mr. FixIt we would celebrate when this work is all finished at the farm. I remember Mother’s Days when the kids were growing up. There were so many times when I just wanted a few hours to myself to take an uninterrupted bubble bath and a nap. Now, I wish I could be with them. Daughter #1 will be here in June, so I’ll have my Mother’s Day then. And I’ll see Daughter #2 in September.
\n\n\nI hope you have a good day today...you are loved.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-05-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/05/09/joy-is-home.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Comfort","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Healing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/02/14/day-when-time-crawlsor-is.html", "title": "Day 335: When Time Crawls...or Is It Valentine’s Day Already???", "content_html": "\n““Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise),”
\nEphesians 6:2 ESV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fbead828a2.jpg\")
February is the longest month....EV-ER!!!! I swear...we’re only in the middle of it and it’s been six months long already. I don’t feel like I’ve accomplished much. But I’ve been working on my genealogy, knitting a little, keeping up with friends and family. Big had her second swim meet of the year and I got to see that remotely. Daughter #2 called with a video chat. Mundane stuff...a little boring, a lot repetitive.
\n\n\nToday is Valentine’s Day. Normally, Mr. FixIt would have walked in with a bouquet of flowers and a card. But, between covid and snowy roads, he hasn’t been anywhere that sells them. He did bring me a pumpkins roll, so I’m counting that. Our trip to the beach will have to be our Valentine to each other this year.
\n\n\nI’m thinking of my friends who are new widows this Valentine’s Day. I opened Facebook yesterday and the roses and little heart shaped cake Mr. Virgo surprised me with nine years ago was my first “Memory” that popped up. Those things used to kill me. Interestingly, as I was working on my genealogy this week, a little green leaf popped up on Mr. Virgo’s listing. That’s unusual because I don’t know of anyone on his side that’s working him up. I clicked on the little leaf.
\n\n\nI was stunned. There was his high school graduation picture. I only knew him with a head full of silver hair. Here was this handsome young man in a white dinner jacket...his hair neatly combed in the style he always wore. I could see the same fastidious grooming he always had. I had never seen him at that age and I couldn’t take my eyes away. It’s like I found some buried treasure that was so valuable, I just wanted to look at it for a little while before I put it safely in a drawer.
\n\n\nHere’s a piece I wrote on the first Valentine’s Day after Mr. Virgo died where I talk about the scar tissue grief leaves. I didn’t even mention the significance of the day, which tells me I was trying hard not to think about the significance. It’s amazing how time changes your perspectives. In the midst of it, I never would have dreamed I could breathe again or not feel the constant gut-wrenching pain of his loss.
\n\n\nMy dear friend and long time reader, Jackie, reminded me of something. I wrote this before God nudged me to write about Him in my posts. Of course, it is God who stitches us together. Any time I try to take the needle, I botch things up!
\n\n\nI am grateful...that I had Mr. Virgo...I’m grateful that God stitched me back together...and that I have another beautiful life with my wonderful Mr. FixIt.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2021-02-14T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/02/14/day-when-time-crawlsor-is.html", "tags": ["Grief","Love","Holiday","Choices","Healing"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/31/day-the-story-of-what.html", "title": "Day 290: The Story of What Might Have Been", "content_html": "\n“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”
\nColossians 2:16 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9e9e95c043.jpg\")
When I sat down to write last night, I closed my eyes and let my breath go deep and slow. I often do this when I’m “fishing”...trying to find just the right story to tell you today. This is the last day of 2020. Lord, what a year it has been. We know where we’ve been. We know where we are now. And, we hope we have a good idea where we’re going in the coming 365 days.
\n\n\nWe’ve all been here before, resting on the cusp of a New Year...hope this one will be better than the last. Or as good as. Or totally different. We have different hopes and dreams. We see ourselves through different lenses, yet we truly have more in common than we have differences. Well, beyond ideological, of course. In that, we have a lot of healing to do, I’m afraid.
\n\n\nAs I rest on this ledge, preparing to dive into yet another year, I take inventory of how different it all could have been. In 2011, Mr. Virgo and I found ourselves at a crossroads of sorts. We managed to get through the Great Recession of 2008 when we lost half of our portfolio. We were blessed we didn’t lose more, but even after three years, jobs weren’t all that stable. We had already had our travel adventure where we lived in Pagosa Springs for a year, and the Denver Metro area for two more. We hated Denver and it was wearing us out. We wanted to go home, so we moved back to the house I had built on the Western Slope a decade before.
\n\n\nIt took a while to get a job. It was summer and we hadn’t had a vacation for years. We made an executive decision...repair the landscaping and take a trip to West Virginia to meet what was left of my family. Oh, I loved it so much...and my desire to move back home was stronger than ever. Mr. Virgo and I had a dream of owning a Bed & Breakfast as our “retirement job” and properties in the Mountain State were so much more affordable than Colorado. While we were visiting, we started looking at suitable properties to convert.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/593e9e1da4.jpg\")
The historical area of Parkersburg is called the Julia-Anne Square. Stately Victorian mansions line the streets steeped with history and drama of days gone by. We were particularly smitten by a certain house and we felt it might be perfect...but it wasn’t on the market. The following summer, when I made a trip to West Virginia alone, lo and behold...the “Purple House” was on the market...and at a price that seemed incredibly doable.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/19f38a3702.jpg\")
Then, two things happened. First, my realtor friend Geni took me to see it and....lands, did it need work! LOTS of work. The fact that it was filled with the current owner’s tchotchkes from floor to ceiling and the walls were covered in a stark green and white English Ivy print wallpaper was pretty overwhelming. The bigger disappointment was when Mr. Virgo divulged...he really didn’t want to move back East. He grew up in Philadelphia. He lived the majority of his adult life on the East Coast, primarily Florida. He just couldn’t face going back to the humidity and heat that is a West Virginia summer.
\n\n\nI was so disappointed. But it was one of those compromises you make when you’re married. It wasn’t till sometime after his untimely and sudden death in early 2013 that I realized God takes things away from us for a reason. If we had bought the big Victorian house, renovated it, and opened it as a B&B, I would have been left running all of that on my own while juggling my own grief. I wouldn’t have been free to buy that little camper and head off to the wilderness and backroads of Colorado for the three months that changed the course of my life.
\n\n\nSo, when I opened my eyes last night, and turned on my iPad to write, I opened Facebook and the very first thing that popped up was...a video tour of the “Purple House”! It’s on the market again and the current owners have done a tremendous job fixing it up inside. I leaned back,took a deep breath, and hit play. I watched the story of “What My Life Could Have Been” play out on the screen. I looked at those stairs and thought, “Wow, those would be killer now...for me AND for Mr. FixIt.” The house is still really cool...and looks SO much better without all that hideous wallpaper. I’ve gotta say...those purple carpets upstairs have to go, as well as the blue living room.
\n\n\nI can look at this house now and say, “This is what could have been. But I am so incredibly grateful for what I have.” Mr. FixIt and I have birthed a new life together that is happy and fun and challenging (in all the right ways) and adventurous and so easygoing. We have five acres to play on and a camper to travel in and a life to love in. I love my life.
\n\n\nI thought I’d share the tour with you, so you can see where I might have been, had things gone differently ten years ago. The house itself is worth the share.
\n\n\n\n\n\nYou can see the Realtor’s Listing HERE.
\n\n\nI hope you have a safe and healthy evening planned. Here’s to celebrating the end of the world’s longest year and hoping for the very best for 2021!!! Thank you all so much for being here with me for yet another year. Writing this blog is sort of like the “Letters from Home” that my grandma used to send us every week. Full of my stories, my hope, my faith, and most of all...my heart. I am grateful for each and every one of you!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-31T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/31/day-the-story-of-what.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","West Virginia","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/28/day-christmas-thats-a-wrap.html", "title": "Day 287: Christmas 2020...That’s a Wrap!", "content_html": "\n“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.””
\nHebrews 13:5 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8ed4a9a5ba.jpg\")
Now that it’s Monday, Christmas 2020 is officially over. The tree will stay up for as long as we want this year. Of all seasons, this is the one we need to pour as much love and light into as it can possibly hold. Even though this year was certainly challenging, Christmas was not without its joys. We were able to exchange gifts remotely and in person, although socially distanced. It’s really hard not to hug these kids! The time will come again when we can...it’s not forever, it’s just for now, right?
\n\n\nI made a big meatloaf on Saturday night as our “Christmas Dinner” so we enjoyed cold meatloaf sandwiches as we watched football yesterday. I inadvertently got drawn into a project over the weekend that I wasn’t expecting, but I was glad to do it. I am one of the administrators of the Facebook page for our high school class. There are two files that keep getting updated. One is “Where are you now?” The other is the Memorial Wall... “Gone...But Not Forgotten”. Somehow, the memorial wall was deleted with twelve years of data and comments on it. Fortunately, several people have kept track of those we’ve lost over the years and I was able to reconstruct the list itself. But, all whose wonderful comments and prayers...some from class friends who are no longer with us...are gone for good, I’m afraid.
\n\n\nAfter I regained my composure over the loss of all that data, I set to reconstructing a new, improved list...with a back up. Typos were corrected and the list was changed to last-name-first to facilitate alphabetizing. We lost three class members this month alone. We had a very large class..somewhere over 700 students. Our Memorial Wall contains the names of 110 of our friends. It never gets easier when we lose one. And it doesn’t matter that our class was so big...we’re still family. “Once a Big Red, Always a Big Red.” I don’t know what it was about our class...we were tight. I’ve talked to classes before and after ours and many have never stayed in touch with their classmates, never attended a reunion. I think Facebook has helped people stay in touch and for that, I’m very grateful.
\n\n\nI was kicked back in my recliner all afternoon and looked up the see the sky on fire! What a gorgeous sunset. No pictures can do it justice, but trust me...it was breathtaking. I had my lap desk, my iPad, my laptop, my phone, and our yearbook balanced on my lap when I threw my phone to Mr. FixIt and implored him to run out and take pictures for me. Over the weekend, photos have been coming in from the family and they were filled with so much joy, I absolutely had to share them with you today.
\n\n\nJoy comes even in the darkest of times and we so need all the joy we can get right now. Right now, I can’t count on two hands the number of people I know who are sick with Covid or other serious health issues. And I cannot do a single thing but pray for them. I can’t go make them soup or hold them or clean their houses for them. I can’t get on a plane and fly to their side or hop in the truck and drive. It makes us feel so helpless. So, I take care of people in other ways. I’ve mailed out care packages. I’ve contributed small amounts to fundraisers. I’ve helped people who are helping people. I’ve lifted people up in prayer and told them about it. I’ve prayed with them. I’ve taken food to their homes. I’ve contributed food and blankets and coats to drives. I’ve rounded up at the checkout.
\n\n\nWe may be helpless in some ways, but we can make up for it in others. We may feel hopeless on this day, but we won’t always. We can become hopeful for the days of hope ahead. They will come. They WILL come! We can work together and rise up and meet this challenge with dignity and hope and grace...and most of all love. And within that...we will find our joy!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-28T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/28/day-christmas-thats-a-wrap.html", "tags": ["Family","Hope","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/22/day-winter-solsticehere-comes-the.html", "title": "Day 283: Winter Solstice...Here Comes the Sun!", "content_html": "\n“...We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.”
\nRomans 5:3-5 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2508f2a887.jpg\")
We just went through the longest, darkest night of the longest darkest year. I always look forward to December 22nd as the beginning. It symbolizes the gradual...way TOO gradual...lengthening of the days. It won’t be too long till we’ll start noticing the sun setting a little later week by week. This day, and March 17th for some reason, are always days filled with hope and joy and promise.
\n\n\nI’m trying hard not to look at all the reasons to be sad this year, but it isn’t easy. Hearing all the tragic storied surrounding the spread of the Coronavirus and the inability of the medical community to keep up is just staggering. Coming on the heels of those reports are stories of the impending holiday with its travel and traditional gatherings that people just will not give up. The storm will surge again and again. We simply must make sacrifices for the effort for the common good. As I tell my family...it isn’t forever. It’s just for now.
\n\n\nDaughter #1 has been dropping hints regarding our Christmas present this year. She says it’s something I want. Something I discussed in a recent conversation. And I don’t have to go out and buy one now. I think I know what it is, but I’m not saying out loud. Mr. FixIt and I decided not to exchange gifts this year because we just bought the new recliners and a new microwave. And, he gave me an antique gold wedding band to replace the one that won’t go over my swollen knuckles. We received some beautiful handmade gifts from my step-daughter this weekend. There will be a few other things. Neighbors have brought cookies. And the former Mrs. FixIt gifted us a huge cookie tray with magnificent treats in it. So, we’re set. But, if the gift from my daughter is what I think it is, it’s going to be such a delight!
\n\n\nHubby #2 and I got married on this day, forty-one years ago. He was in his first year of medical school and we were poor as church mice. We got married at home with a couple dozen friends attending. We ate and drank and danced the night away. And we celebrated all the joyful days we had in front of us...as lovers always do when they marry. As it turned out, we did have many years of joy...and just as many that were dark and difficult...as often happens when lovers marry young. This day still holds that hope for a brighter tomorrow for me...no matter what else had happened on the date in the past.
\n\n\nOne of our local grands sent me pictures of our great grandson opening his Christmas presents from us this weekend. We decided it was imperative the cinnamon rolls will still need to be made this week and delivered before Christmas Eve! Mr. FixIt and I want to go for a long drive and see the Christmas lights so I’ll make them, package them up, and deliver them while we are out and about. We’ll be Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus!
\n\n\n??????
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-22T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/22/day-winter-solsticehere-comes-the.html", "tags": ["Family","Hope","Comfort","Holiday","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/21/day-ill-be-at-home.html", "title": "Day 282: I’ll Be (at) Home for Christmas...You’re Always in my Dreams", "content_html": "\n“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat; winter and summer, day and night.”
\nGenesis 8:22 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/fd3209dfec.jpg\")
I have been in a whirlwind the last couple of weeks, as I’m sure you all have been as well. Shopping, wrapping, baking...and baking...and baking some more. Along with the baking comes a little nibbling here and there. Hey, it’s called quality control, right? It is really not a problem till your body puts on the brakes and says, “Whoa, lady! What the heck are you trying to do to me???” Yeah...that was me yesterday morning.
\n\n\nI’ve been sleeping well the last week...mostly out of sheer exhaustion, I’m sure. But Saturday was one of those toss and turn nights. When I finally got to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, it wasn’t long till I jerked awake suddenly at a strange sound. I sat up and looked around the room. There was sweet Mr. FixIt....sound asleep...and singing away! I shushed him and he just kept right on singing. I smiled to myself. Whatever he was dreaming, he was sure having fun. I shook him gently and he rolled over. I laid back down, but sleep was over.
\n\n\nI got up and padded into the kitchen to start my coffee and sat down to read the news. You know, there’s a lot in the news this year that is upsetting for the strongest at heart. As I said in my post yesterday, I’ve been feeling the strain of the year in not seeing my loved ones like I want to. Between that, and the virus, and the news...and overdosing on sweets...I just felt sick. I had nothing pressing that needed to be done, so I ended up laying back down after Mr. FixIt got up.
\n\n\nSometimes a little self care is all you need to get yourself back on track. As I laid there, having my conversation with Jesus, I was reminded I could look at this in two ways. I could see the coming weeks with trepidation and fear of the unknown. Or, I could look forward to the joy after the trials and tribulations that come with life. I chose joy, pulled the covers up around my chin, and closed my eyes.
\n\n\nMy step-daughter and her boyfriend came over in the late afternoon to exchange gifts. At first we had a fire, but it started drizzling. So, we sat on the front porch with the propane heater running and had a lovely visit as a misty, gray rain fell. It was so nice to see them. We sent the gifts for the grandkids and their babies and will look forward to a socially distanced visit somewhere down the line.
\n\n\nNo, this Christmas doesn’t look anything like holidays past. But, if we are healthy, happy, and have many joyful times ahead to look forward to...together...we can make it through this. We are doing our part to try to flatten the curve and give the front line workers a break. I know, we’re all tired of this. But, we must keep calm and carry on. We have a personal responsibility to do everything we can to protect each other and bring these numbers DOWN.
\n\n\nStay home. This is our gift to humanity.
\n\n\n“I’ll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams.”
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-21T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/21/day-ill-be-at-home.html", "tags": ["Health","Comfort","Holiday","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/20/day-keep-calm-and-bake.html", "title": "Day 281: Keep Calm and Bake On", "content_html": "\n“The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.”
\nJohn 1:9 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f9e9ffc40d.jpg\")
Just before the bombings started in England in WWII, the Queen issued an edict that was produced on signs and posted everywhere to encourage the British citizenry.
\n\n\n“Keep Calm and Carry On”
\n\n\nAfter all, it is what the Brits were known for. Strength and calm in the face of adversity. They are a stoic lot with dry wit, fierce loyalty, and sturdy countenance...all attributes well to be admired and emulated by all.
\n\n\nAs we march toward a Christmas unlike any other you and I have likely experienced, I find myself particularly emotional. I’ve always been one to cry at Kodak commercials. Show me the ones with a soldier coming home to his mom and I’m a puddle. A news story about a little boy with inoperable brain cancer delivering toys to the hospital chemo ward because their funding was cut after Covid struck? I’m a mess.
\n\n\nBabies being born.
\n\n\nPeople holding hands.
\n\n\nChildren baking cookies.
\n\n\nAhhhh...that last one gets me every time. After Mr. Virgo died, I was included in the family baking day at my son-in-law’s house and I felt a renewed hope after such a painful loss. After moving to West Virginia, I flew to Colorado at Christmas for a couple of years. Then it became increasingly expensive and the weather was dicey. I started spending more time in the summers to make up for it.
\n\n\nStill, Facebook floods my feed with memories of Christmas past and much of that includes Mr. Virgo...and baking cookies. And I find my heart hurting. I cannot tease out my memories of Mr. Virgo and discard them simply because I am happily married to a wonderful man. He is woven in there like a thread through the tapestry of my life. I miss my mom at Christmas. I miss my grandparents at Christmas. Why wouldn’t I also miss Mr. Virgo? It’s only natural that I would and does not take away from my love for Mr. FixIt in any way.
\n\n\nI’m missing the whole package of Colorado this year. I haven’t seen my western family since my daughter’s wedding in August 2019. Yesterday was their cookie baking day. Sue told me about it last week. So, I prepared myself for a day of baking yesterday so I could at least be doing the same thing they were doing, even though I’m many miles away. And my heart hurts. Pictures bring tears. A picture of my daughter removing a tray of cookies from the oven. My grandkids decorating cookies. Snow on the mountains. Setting up the new bird-feeder we got them for Christmas. My eyes have been leaking a lot this week.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f4e4eaaf08.jpg\")
Then, there are the good things here on the Ponderosa. The neighbors knocking on our door, bringing us cookies and taking a tin of ours along with them. The black cat playing in the snow and sitting on the windowsill, watching me bake. The smell of cookies fresh from the oven. The feel of sourdough as I turn it and set it to rise. The smell of the cold outdoors on my husband’s collar when he returns from errands. The lights on the tree in the grand window of the family room. The phone calls and Christmas cards. The family dropping by for quick visits out of doors to avoid close contact but still getting to see each other. The packages waiting to be wrapped for our West Virginia family.
\n\n\nIt’s ok to feel happy and sad at the same time. This has been a long, hard year. Feeling our feelings is how we process through them. I think the hardest thing I’ve seen this year though, is watching our front line workers in the hospitals...reeling from the aftermath of people insisting on maintaining a normal Thanksgiving. The wave upon wave of illness is taking its told on our healthcare staff as well as our teachers and all essential workers. To see the news and hear of the expected travel for Christmas just breaks me.
\n\n\nI am foregoing my visits with my Colorado family...not only for my own safety, but for theirs and all the people I would contact between here and there. How hard can it be to make a sacrifice for others?
\n\n\nYes...my heart hurts a lot lately. And this too shall pass.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/20/day-keep-calm-and-bake.html", "tags": ["Family","Grace","Holiday","Courage","Choices","Kindness","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/19/day-the-ghosts-of-christmas.html", "title": "Day 280: The Ghosts of Christmas Trees Past", "content_html": "\n“Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:”
\nPhilippians 2:1-5 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/071f737c00.jpg\")
This photo was taken 50 years ago today!
\n\n\nMost of the paper photos I have left are in boxes out at the farm. One of these days, I need to bring them home with me...like, when I have this back bedroom cleaned out. I imagine there are some pictures in that box of the Christmas trees from my youth. Sometimes they were straggly little Charlie Brown trees with sad, empty arms. Usually brought home a day or two before Christmas when my dad could get a better deal on one.
\n\n\nI always remember the decorating with such enthusiasm. Dad would trim the bottom of the tree trunk to make it level and give it a fresh cut through which it could suck up the water from the old fashioned tree stand. Mom would bring the boxes of ornaments down from their storage place in the eaves of the attic. Dad would check the lights and replace any burned out bulbs. We used big lights with reflectors behind them to keep the needles from getting hot and catching fire.
\n\n\nI was the youngest so I had the honors of placing the star on top of the tree. Dad lifted my high in the air and held me patiently while I fiddled with the top spire of the tree, trying to fit it in the topper. When I got too big to hold up, we used the kitchen stool that converted into a stepladder by lifting the seat. Ours was red, I think.
\n\n\nMany of the ornaments you see in this picture are hanging on our tree here at the Ponderosa. I tenderly store each delicate memory wrapped in newspaper and carefully placed in plastic tubs. Mr. FixIt would help me in a heartbeat, but I won’t let him touch them. It’s not that I don’t trust him, but if he accidentally broke one, he would feel terrible...and I wouldn’t want that for him. Instead, I put them up and take them down. I’ve only missed one year...Christmas of 2014. That was the year things went south on the farm and my elderly aunt and I had a parting of the ways.
\n\n\nI left the farm on Christmas Day and went to my cousin’s for the holiday. Then I started house sitting in my friend’s Victorian loft in Marietta. That was such a weird winter. It was not only my second without Mr. Virgo, but the split with my aunt was fresh, I had no idea where I was going to go or what I was going to do next. When the offer came up to house sit, I jumped at the chance and spent the next few months scanning old photos onto hard drives and staring out the window at the snow. I remember there were twinkle lights, but I don’t remember a tree.
\n\n\nA legitimate Christmas Tree became a thing again once I moved back into the farm after my aunt went to live with her brother. I had lights on the porch and electric candles in the window and my mom’s ceramic tree on the dining room table. Christmas of 2017 was the first time Mr. FixIt and I had a tree together. I’ll never do a real tree again. Artificial trees are safer, more economical, cleaner, and they do the job just fine.
\n\n\nBut the trees of my youth float in my memory whenever we decorate for Christmas. The smell of fresh pine. The prickly pokes you got when you hung the ornaments. The sticky sap on your fingers when you reached in to clip the string of lights to the branches. One year, Dad bought a long needle pine and I remember it looking so elegant, but it was so hard to hang ornaments from. We always put tinsel garland and silver “icicles” on our trees. I’ll never forget how glad I was when that went out of style!
\n\n\nI somehow have a vague memory of having a silver metallic tree with a rotating light that changed colors. That may have been when I was a young mother. My second husband was Jewish and we had trees for the first ten years, but when we had our first child together...my second...we didn’t have trees for many years. We only celebrated Hanukkah at that time.
\n\n\nAnyway, trees have always been the center of my holidays, and this photo was the earliest one I could find in my digital archive. It was in my mom’s living room. Hubby #1, who was Boyfriend #1 at the time, is dashing across the photo. Ahhhh...the things, and people, and celebrations that come and go in our lives. It’s a mystery, isn’t it?
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-19T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/19/day-the-ghosts-of-christmas.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Peaceful Moments","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/17/day-baking-down-memory-lanegrandmas.html", "title": "Day 278: Baking Down Memory Lane...Grandma’s Raisin Filled Cookies", "content_html": "\n“The Lord is your protector, there at your right side to shade you from the sun. You won't be harmed by the sun during the day or by the moon at night. The Lord will protect you and keep you safe from all dangers. The Lord will protect you now and always wherever you go.”
\nPsalms 121:5-8 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/dbd3fa5dbf.jpg\")
From as early as I can remember, I was in the kitchen making something. Out of necessity, I learned to cook the meals at home when I was still in grade school. Mom was...ummmm....challenged in the kitchen, as it were. Her culinary concoctions were enough to make me beg her to let me go to the cooking school for kids at our local community center one summer. Things were much better around the table at our house after that.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/aaf5c44203.jpg\")
As with many of us, this challenging year has driven me back to the kitchen and to my roots. As I was preparing to bake cookies this week, I was reminded of Grandma’s favorite cookie. She made a huge batch of Raisin Filled Cookies whenever my Uncle Bud and his family came to the farm for a visit. My uncle would whisk in, wrap his mom in a big bear hug, and reach around her for a handful of these delectably soft cookies before he headed back out the door to empty the car.
\n\n\nMy uncle lost his wife a couple of years ago, then continued to care for his sister...my Aunt Peeps...till she finally had to go into a nursing home. My aunt passed away this summer, and Uncle Bud has been on his own for the first time in his life. He was one of those men who honestly didn’t know his way around a kitchen. Aunt Viv was a stay-at-home mom and always took care of everything. As I went through my list of cookies I like to make, I thought of my uncle alone up on that mountain and decided I’d make Raisin Filled Cookies for him.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6c19f15468.jpg\")
These were never my favorite cookie. Grandma always used black walnuts in them because that’s what she had available. Back then, you used what you could produce on the farm and we had vast woods around us. My Uncle Bob would gather walnuts every fall...rubbing the husks off them till his hands were stained brown. They were like that for months. Then, in the winter, Bob would crack the walnuts and Grandma would pick the nut meats out and freeze them for use throughout the year.
\n\n\nBlack walnuts make my mouth sore when I eat them. I get blisters and I really don’t like the flavor as they’re quite strong. I called my uncle yesterday and told him I didn’t have walnuts and would pecans be ok. He said he actually preferred pecans, so pecans it was. I cooked the raisin filling and after the news, I made the dough. I ran out of dough and still had three to four cups of the filling left so I may make some Raisin Bar Cookies today.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8de3ecba2f.jpg\")
I was really pleased with the recipe, but they were much sweeter than I remember my grandma’s to be. She was pretty frugal with her ingredients. Even though they’re a little labor intensive, I think they were well worth the effort and I’ll make them again. The sourdough starter is well fed and bubbling so I’m going to make the dough today and bake it tomorrow.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/36fb3680e6.jpg\")
You can get the recipe for the Raisin Filled Cookies HERE.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-17T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/17/day-baking-down-memory-lanegrandmas.html", "tags": ["Family","Comfort","Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/08/day-the-gift-of-an.html", "title": "Day 269: The Gift of an Heirloom Recipe", "content_html": "\n“Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the 390 days you are lying down.”
\nEzekiel 4:9 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d836354f80.jpg\")
The first day of holiday baking was a huge success. After a relaxing start to the day and enjoying my morning coffee, I got to work in the kitchen. I grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s when the obligatory holiday fruitcake came to our house...usually as part of my dad’s Christmas bonus package. Fruitcakes back then came in these really great heavy-duty tins embossed with festive Victorian holiday scenes. These tins often went on to become the button boxes many of us remember sifting through at our grandmother’s homes.
\n\n\nI really hated fruitcake. It was almost a rule of thumb that children and fruitcake did not mix and if you liked it, you never admitted to it. It was thick, dark, gummy, and so sickeningly sweet. Once in a while, I might pick out a candied cherry and eat it, but that was the extent of my experience with fruitcake. The fact that it’s often soaked in booze might have been a deterrent in my house growing up. (I received a cookbook as a wedding gift from my grandma and she crossed out the word “beer” in a recipe for barbecue sauce!)
\n\n\nEnter, Mr. Virgo. Fruitcake, like opera and the Philadelphia Eagles, entered my world along with that tall, handsome man. Unfortunately, he liked traditional fruitcake. I happened to mention this to my cousin’s wife and she sent me my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe. She assured me, even a diehard fruitcake hater like me would love this recipe. The following year, I made two loaf pans of fruitcake before Thanksgiving, wrapped them in cheesecloth, and started giving them a weekly drink of bourbon.
\n\n\nThe week before Christmas, I brought the fruitcake in from cold storage in the garage and cut a few slices for Mr. Virgo’s gustatory pleasure. He declared it the best fruitcake he had ever tasted. I felt this was a fine endorsement and he talked me into trying a piece myself. Being the good sport that I am, I complied...fully prepared to again, hate it. But...oh my GOSH, people! It was divine! Granted...it’s still not something I’m going to overindulge in. It is definitely an acquired taste. But as far as fruitcakes go, this is the bomb. And here’s where the bad news comes in.
\n\n\nI cannot share the recipe with you.
\n\n\nMy Aunt Marge was an incredible cook. Legendary. She worked and perfected this recipe over the years and would never give the recipe away, no matter WHO asked. I was privileged to be gifted this recipe and had to promise I wouldn’t share it. (Trust me, I asked with you all in mind...no go.)
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f4451e6545.jpg\")
So, why am I sharing this when I can’t share the recipe? Basically, to share my love for my Aunt Marge. To share a tradition. And, yeah...to maybe brag a little that I finally found a fruitcake I can eat. Don’t be too dismayed. If you hate fruitcake as much as most people, you’ll just scratch your head at the thought people really eat this stuff. If you DO love fruitcake, you can Google “White Fruitcake” and find a recipe that might give you something like Aunt Marge’s. But I doubt it will be as good as this one. ‘Cause...it’s truly a family heirloom.
\n\n\nNext up...Banana Bread!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-08T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/08/day-the-gift-of-an.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","Baking","Memories","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/07/day-finallythe-tree-is-up.html", "title": "Day 268: Finally...The Tree is Up!", "content_html": "\n“Your wife will be as fruitful as a grapevine, and just as an olive tree is rich with olives, your home will be rich with healthy children.”
\nPsalms 128:3 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ffa1f6fcbf.jpg\")
It took much longer than I expected to get the house decorated this year. I really wanted to have things done by Halloween because I...like many this year...wanted the joy of twinkly lights. It’s really been a hard year and I wanted the lift that an early Christmas would bring. So, I set my sights for Thanksgiving which came and went with nothing more than piles of papers and books around the foot of my recliner.
\n\n\nI finally made the absolute commitment to getting things done this past weekend and by sundown yesterday, it was looking a lot like Christmas on the Ponderosa. I love going through the ornaments and remembering when they came into my life. Who made it? Where did we buy that? What year was this one? Mr. Virgo and I bought a special ornament every year we were together. I continued that tradition after he passed and bought ornaments that were meaningful to what I was going through. When Mr. FixIt came into my life, we picked up that tradition and buy an ornament every time we go on a trip.
\n\n\nThis year was different. First, we’ve only taken one trip...to the beach. And second, shopping was limited and the Christmas Shoppe was closed when we were at the beach. The other day, I saw a friend post a photo of my favorite ornaments made by Ne’Qwa. These are very special glass ornaments that are hand painted on the inside. Many of those Mr. Virgo and I bought were Ne’Qwa and I really wanted another one. Since we couldn’t go shopping, I bought one online. It arrived Friday...just in time to decorate.
\n\n\nThe only diversion from my decades long decorating day tradition was...football. I always have watched “White Christmas” when we decorated the tree ever since I was a kid. I raised my own kids doing the same thing. I think this was the first year in decades where I didn’t watch my movie. But, the results are the same and our house is beautiful. I swear I am not taking them down till Covid is under control. I love the lights, especially in the dark of winter.
\n\n\nNow that the house is organized and decorated, I can start baking. First up...my Aunt Marge’s White Fruit Cake. Mr. FixIt has to run to town today for a couple of things, so I’m going to have him pick up some bourbon or maybe cherry brandy to soak the fruit cakes in. This is when the fun part starts!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-07T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/07/day-finallythe-tree-is-up.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Baking","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/27/day-inside-the-bubble.html", "title": "Day 258: Inside the Bubble", "content_html": "\n“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”
\nColossians 2:16 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/59c0f6659c.jpg\")
Mr. FixIt and I were standing at the corner of the house...of all things, looking for a tiny silver link that broke on the bracelet I bought him for Christmas a year or so ago. He caught it on the ladder when he was working on the outdoor electrical outlet he was replacing while I was at the farm. I heard a vehicle pull into the drive and turned to find a young couple delivering our Thanksgiving Dinner. Our little town gave out 500 meals yesterday...regardless of income or need. We were told we were actually helping them out in order to keep up their funding for next year. And, believe me, I was grateful to not have to cook a big meal...especially after just getting home Wednesday afternoon.
\n\n\nThe food was wonderful...turkey with all the trimmings. As I sat down to eat, I counted my blessings that we are at a point in our lives where we know where our next check comes from. There’s something to be said for the Social Security and Medicare years. I’ve been watching the news and seeing such long lines of people sitting in their cars in line at food banks and thinking....where would we be if this pandemic had occurred when our own children were small and we were struggling, just starting out? That is where so many are...just starting out and victims of the efforts to prevent this virus from overrunning the hospitals.
\n\n\nYet, here we are...numbers rising astronomically. It does no good to go backwards and say, “If only this would have happened.” We are here now. We know not enough people cancelled travel plans and gatherings, I’m afraid. Let us pray hard in the coming weeks that somehow people “get it” and practice healthy safeguards. I come from a science background, so I know how this should go...I just hope it does.
\n\n\nYesterday was still a day filled with blessings. I talked to so many people...by phone, chat, and FaceTime. It wasn’t the same as giving them a hug around the neck, but oh....it still felt so good to see the faces and hear the voices of those I love. We all agreed, this is a major interruption in how we normally celebrate. But if we can keep the chairs filled next year...it will have been worth the sacrifice.
\n\n\nWith all that communication, I didn’t get a chance to bake the pumpkin pies I wanted. I did make cranberry sauce and I baked two of the Sugar Pie Pumpkins and made the purée. I’ll try to get the pies made today. I almost hate making cranberry sauce because I’m the only one who likes it and I cannot eat all of it. I’m looking for recipes that will help me use it up, so if you have any...please share. We all have leftovers!
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/27/day-inside-the-bubble.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/26/day-giving-thanks-style.html", "title": "Day 257: Giving Thanks...2020 Style", "content_html": "\n“Your wife will be as fruitful as a grapevine, and just as an olive tree is rich with olives, your home will be rich with healthy children.”
\nPsalms 128:3 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cb147c2cab.jpg\")
Let’s start out Thanksgiving on a sincere note of gratitude. My Covid test was negative and I am back home on the Ponderosa! Mr. FixIt was one happy guy when I pulled in that driveway. I was pretty darned excited myself. I stopped at the Piggly Wiggly on the way home to get a few things. I texted ahead to ask my sweetie to bring the wagon out to the truck to carry all this stuff into the house. I was loaded to the brim with clean laundry.
\n\n\nThanksgiving 2020 almost sounds like a dichotomy. But even in the midst of all that’s going on today, there are still things to be thankful for. If you’re like me, we don’t get to celebrate this year like we have in the past. Usually, I’m up to my armpits in alligators by this time of the day...baking a huge turkey, pans of dressing, rolls, and several side dishes, not to mention all the pies. This year, we took advantage of the offer of a free meal delivered around noon...sponsored by our little town.
\n\n\nThe kids will all be having their meals in their own bubbles. We will video chat with as many of them as we can. There are two things right there to be thankful for...their health and the technology that lets us see each other across the miles. I had every intention of baking pumpkin pies when I got home yesterday, but by the time we got the truck emptied and things put away, I was happy to sit down with my sweetheart and watch the last two episodes of The Voice. There’s another thing to be thankful for...the technology that enables us to sit down and watch something together that aired earlier.
\n\n\nI’ll back a couple of the pie pumpkins I bought this fall and make some pumpkin pies this afternoon. Perhaps we’ll get the tree out and decorate it. Maybe there will be football. Absolutely there will be phone calls. I can start the Christmas cards. I can package up some Christmas ornaments I made for my friend Lesa to decorate the Girl Camper tree at Custer State Park so I can pop them in the mail tomorrow.
\n\n\nWith all the tragic loss of life to Covid, I cannot help but think of all those whose table has an empty chair this year. Perhaps more than one. I am so thankful that those I know who have had Covid...some more than once...have recovered or are currently on the mend. I thank God we have not lost someone close. However, I remember all too well the pain of that first Thanksgiving after losing Mr. Virgo. Those firsts...and often the seconds...are so terribly hard to get through and my heart goes out to any of you who are grieving a loss this year.
\n\n\nMy sincerest wish for all of you is good health. May you all find something to be thankful for...no matter how small.
\n\n\n?
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-26T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/26/day-giving-thanks-style.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Holiday","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/20/day-apples-honey-for-a.html", "title": "Day 186: Apples \u0026 Honey for a Sweet New Year", "content_html": "\n“Always be joyful and never stop praying. Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.”
\n1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a793f68423.jpg\")
Back in the day when I was living a Jewish life, every holiday was celebrated in our home. There are fun holidays like Chanukah and Purim and solemn holidays like the Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Those are the days for introspection and forgiveness. I haven’t always been my best self and the angst of this year has not brought out the best of my at every turn.
\n\n\nI’ve been reading the tributes to Justice Ginsburg and I’ve learned so much more about her. One thing struck me in particular. No matter what she was faced with...be it pay inequity, the struggle to get into a “man’s world” and be an attorney, her husband’s cancer or her own, she never shrank from any of it. She never took a woe is me attitude. You may not agree with the causes she fought for, but you have to admit...the woman was force to be reckoned with.
\n\n\nThere have been many strong women in my life that I have looked up to and strove to emulate...my mom, my grandma, a favorite aunt, a dear friend...even my own girls. I’m adding RBG to my list. Striving to keep suiting up and showing up is the mantel we wear now that she is gone. It’s up to us to continue to fight for the rights she fought for. If not for Justice Ginsburg, I would not have widow’s benefits from Social Security. I wouldn’t have had many of the opportunities I was afforded in my life if she hadn’t stood up for us.
\n\n\nSo, in honor of RBG...and because we desperately need a sweet New Year...We had apples and honey last night. Fried Apple Rings and Honey, to be exact. I cut Granny Smith apples across and made thick slices. I used round cutters to cut out the center core and the outer skin. I didn’t have to peel the apples and they were perfect rings. I soaked them for a few minutes in a solution of Fruit Fresh to keep them white. Then, I mixed up a batter with all purpose flour, a little sugar, and enough buttermilk to make it creamy. I dipped each apple ring in the batter and fried in oil to a golden brown. Served on a plate while they’re hot and drizzled with honey, these were the perfect little treat at the end of a busy day. Not too heavy, not too sweet.
\n\n\nWe worked hard all day in the back yard. We cleared everything out of there that wasn’t essential. I trimmed the monstrous Flowering Quince and Forsythia bushes while Mr. FixIt power-washed the house. I filled the back of the pickup three times with limbs and branches and hauled them over to the brush pile. In a week or so, when the branches are dried, I’ll burn them.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c32ed64174.jpg\")
It seems the work is never done. But I’ll keep suiting up and showing up...just like RBG and all the other wonderful women in my life.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/20/day-apples-honey-for-a.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Choices","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/06/day-cool-nights-camping-at.html", "title": "Day 172: Cool Nights = Camping at the Ponderosa", "content_html": "\n“God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won't stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.”
\nPhilippians 1:6 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/99059ddd31.jpg\")
We are still socially distancing other than a weekly trip to get groceries or an occasional doctor’s appointment. We have had family over that also social distance and we keep that six foot distance. We have had a total of three people in our house since February and that was very briefly and again, socially distanced.
\n\n\nCampgrounds were packed this year. Because of Covid, more people opted to camp for family vacations because it’s safer to have your own bedroom and bathroom and kitchen. Also, you are automatically socially distanced at a campground, so overall it’s a safer option. Consequently, campers sold like hot cakes and campsites were hard to come by.
\n\n\nHaving our own “campground” makes it easy to feel like I’ve had my yearly quotient of camping experiences. And these cool nights have just been delightful. Friday night, it got down to the mid to low fifties and I had to put an extra blanket on the bed. Mr. FixIt has camped with me about half the time. He knows I need to have small spaces of time when I can decompress alone and I don’t feel nervous about it because he is literally less than forty steps from me. I just keep my phone turned on in case he needs me.
\n\n\nI finished mowing yesterday and glory be...some of the kids came out again. And, they brought me two dozen quart canning jars! I emptied the dehydrator and got a quart of banana chips out of it. Today the sliced mushrooms go in. I will also start on all the jams and jellies today. We went to the grocery store yesterday and I was shocked to find the kind of pectin I need for the new Ball Jam and Jelly Maker I bought.
\n\n\nWe picked up a couple more 2x4’s to finish the project at the farm. Last weekend, they were a little over $3.00 each. Yesterday, they were nearly $6.00 each! So, did they jack up the price because more people would be working on projects this weekend? Or, is this the start of a trend where we see higher prices secondary to the Covid crisis? It depends on who you ask, but I imagine it’s a little of both. Just like the new bread bakers causing flour to become scarce, so too are other Mr. (and Ms.) FixIts out there with more time on their hands and less traveling. Combined with the supply side being diminished because of Covid, it’s just another thing we have to deal with.
\n\n\nWe have a 30’x40’ building out behind the house that is jammed full of stuff. It’s sort of like having your own Home Depot. You can go in and look around and pretty much guarantee you’ll find something you need. My stepson came yesterday to borrow the extension ladder. My stepdaughter is coming out today to get an extra water heater we have out there to replace the one in her house. I love that we can have these things at our fingertips, even though I would much prefer if they were neat and tidy and organized...and much less voluminous.
\n\n\nIt is so hard to believe summer itself is very nearly gone. It’s been a lot of hard work with a lot of things accomplished and that gives me a certain sense of satisfaction. I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-06T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/06/day-cool-nights-camping-at.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday","Farm Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/05/26/day-wow-what-a-weekend.html", "title": "Day 71: Wow, What a Weekend!", "content_html": "\n“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat; winter and summer, day and night.”
\nGenesis 8:22 CEV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/30fa2f0213.jpg\")
As you know, yesterday was Memorial Day.
\n\n\nWe are surrounded by so much death and dying this year that it’s easy to lump it all into one basket. There are days to thank veterans and days to remember mothers and fathers. We memorialize 9/11 and undoubtedly, when this pandemic has passed, there will be some commemorative date to remember those who died from Covid. But, this is the day we traditionally remember those veterans who died while serving their country.
\n\n\nThis is my Uncle Sonny. He died on 5/5/55 at Landstuhl Air Base when the jet he was flying suffered mechanical difficulties. He apparently knew he was going down because he steered the crippled jet toward a newly plowed field to try and set her down. A wing clipped a tree and sent him cartwheeling into the ground. If he had ejected from the plane, the trajectory would have sent it into a crowded barracks and that is just not something he would have allowed.
\n\n\nI was only two years old when we lost my uncle, yet I grew up understanding the clouds in the eyes of my family. He was a precious family member to me, even though I don’t recall having met him. I have many immediate family members in my life who served their country but none gave that full measure of devotion that my Uncle Sonny did.
\n\n\nGone...but never forgotten....Lt. George Melvin Chadock.
\n\n\nOur weekend was a whirlwind of activity and yesterday was spent getting the pump going on the pool and starting the cleaning. We ran to town to get flowers and decorated everyone’s graves. Then we went to the farm and mowed. Well, I mowed. Mr. FixIt used a hoe and cleared the leaves out of the ditch along the driveway. When we were done, we treated ourselves to an ice cream bar that I had stashed in the freezer there. I remarked to him on the way home...we have gone from meat locker to microwave in less than a week.
\n\n\nToday is mowing at the Ponderosa and physical therapy. And so it goes...round and round.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-05-26T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/05/26/day-wow-what-a-weekend.html", "tags": ["Family","The Farm","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/05/10/day-a-different-kind-of.html", "title": "Day 55: A Different Kind of Mother’s Day!", "content_html": "\n“...And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””
\nMatthew 28:20 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7435aab184.jpg\")
As I sat at my keyboard last night, I looked for pictures of my mom and thought of all the Mother’s Days we had together. Really...very few. Once I left home to seek my fortunes, I am not sure we ever got to see each other on Mother’s Day. I always came home in the summer months when the kids were off of school. But I always called her and sent her a card and flowers.
\n\n\nI keep my pictures of Mom in an album on my iPad marked “”Family”. That way, when I get lonesome for them, they’re all in one place. I thought of all the sad and sentimental things I could say about my mom and how much I miss her. But, the truth is...even though I miss her desperately right now...I would NEVER want her to have had to experience what’s going on in the world. All the anger and divisiveness and ugliness would have upset her greatly. She had such a tender heart. And this virus would have worried her to death. I am much more peaceful knowing she is with her family and with Jesus.
\n\n\nMy eyes scanned the photos and lingered on my own children...from when they were littles to when they had littles of their own. These girls made me a mom. I wasn’t always very good at it. I made huge mistakes and it broke my heart that I let them down. So many years were lost to depression when I just couldn’t seem to connect with them as they needed. I’ve spent much of the last twenty years trying to fix that. Trying to be a better mom. Trying to create new and better memories.
\n\n\nSince I moved back to my home state, I have returned to Colorado every summer to see the girls and spend time with my grandchildren. Then, the pandemic hit and I am not at all sure I’ll get to go back this year. There was a time when I would have focused on that loss and that’s all I’d see. Things are different now. Now I see where God is taking this situation and turning it for good.
\n\n\nMy girls and I have communicated more since the Stay at Home orders came out than we ever have. There are lots of phone calls and texts, sharing pictures, video chats. When I watch their Facebook feeds, I see them reaching back for THEIR comforting touchstones and I see myself there. In the raised bed gardens. In the baking and making and growing. In the phone calls asking for advice. It has warmed my heart.
\n\n\nIn the last two months, during this lockdown, I have finally realized...I made a difference in my kids’ lives. The things I taught them, stuck with them. And now, they are using those gifts I gave them to comfort themselves and their families. This means more to me than any trinket they could give me. It doesn’t get much better than this.
\n\n\nMr. FixIt told me last night he didn’t get me anything for Mother’s Day because shopping isn’t the same. And I told him not to buy me flowers. I smiled and said, “I have everything I need for Mother’s Day. I have a great big blended family that gives me great joy.” Besides, I’d rather have kitchen stuff than flowers that wither and die.
\n\n\nI hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day. And if you are actively grieving, I hope you find some moments of peace and comfort with your memories of your loved one.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.””
\nProverbs 31:25-29 ESV\n
#MothersDay, #Children, #Holiday
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-05-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/05/10/day-a-different-kind-of.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Forgiveness","Aging","Presence","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/04/12/day-an-easter-well-never.html", "title": "Day 27: An Easter We’ll Never Forget", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/59d64cceec.jpg\")
I was ten years old when JFK was assassinated and I remember every detail of that day...and the days and weeks after. That event changed my life by taking away the innocent idea that everything is good in the world. Martin Luther King. Bobby Kennedy. The Challenger explosion. 9/11. All monumentally bad things that happened and changed the world in an instant.
\n\n\nLife went on after each one, but I’ll bet most of us remember where we were and what we were doing when they happened. The thing the past can teach us is...things change. Things can be really bad. But they’ll be ok again. Albeit a different kind of ok...but ok nonetheless.
\n\n\nI look back over the Easters in my life. There were a lot of them that didn’t hold any meaning to me other than the Easter Bunny bringing candy and colorful eggs to my kids...even when we were living a Jewish life. Because, in my house, it was ME making the choice to become Jewish and you don’t take Santa and the Easter Bunny away from a five year old.
\n\n\nThe Easters that had meaning to me during my childhood were when we went to Grandma’s little white church on the hill. We came back to her house and had a big supper and pigged out on candy. I remember one particular Easter, my paternal grandmother baked me a bunny cake that was so clever. And someone made my grandma a sugar egg that you could peek inside and see the Easter Bunny delivering eggs.
\n\n\nBefore Mr. Virgo died, we went to Mass for Easter but he always had to work the holidays, so again...not so memorable.
\n\n\nIt wasn’t till after Mr. Virgo died that I truly started to feel the true meaning of Easter. Good Friday is so somber and solemn and sad. Then Easter bursts forth with Joy at the first rays of morning light. Ever since I found my church home, I have enjoyed Easter Services with my church family and this time it’s different. We have to listen to our pastor online like the majority of others. It’s not the same as being there, but it’s still corporate prayer.
\n\n\nEaster has never changed. Whether we are in a building or not...THAT is not the church. WE are the church. Wherever two or more of you are gathered in His Name...there is love. If you are isolated and alone during this time...remember, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you so you are never truly alone. That was one of the biggest comforts to me when I became a widow.
\n\n\nYes...this is an Easter we will never forget. It’s a story we will share till the day we die. Things may seem dismal in the world. But Jesus overcame the world. It in with Him that I find my deepest Joy...even in the darkest of moments.
\n\n\nMay you all have a Blessed Easter. May you connect with loved ones on this day. And, may you find the peace that surpasses all understanding.
\n\n\nHe is Risen!
\n\n\n❤️?❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2020-04-12T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/04/12/day-an-easter-well-never.html", "tags": ["Faith","Hope","Gratitude","Grace","God","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/28/the-family-christmas-extravaganza.html", "title": "The Family Christmas Extravaganza", "content_html": "\n“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.”
\nJohn 20:1 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3ac78d9dd4.jpg\")
We entertained my bonus family last night for our annual Christmas gathering. I started a new tradition with them when I entered the picture...chili and cinnamon rolls. One of the grandchildren loves Key Lime Pie so I made one along with an Apple Pie...another family favorite. Along with the chili came a large platter of peanut butter sandwiches. This is a West Virginia thing. When we were in school, the cooks either served peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter cookies on chili day. We had both last night.
\n\n\nThere was enough to send everyone home with some chili and desserts. I took the easy route this year and used paper plates and bowls and plastic silverware. The kitchen looked like a bomb went off in there and I don’t care. It had to wait till morning.
\n\n\nWe added something different this year and did a white elephant exchange which went over really well. There was lots of laughter and feigned sadness when one of our gifts was “stolen”. The kids mentioned several times how fun it was and they want to do it again next year.
\n\n\nThese big family dinners seem like a lot more work the older I get. That’s one of the reasons I adopted my Colorado family’s tradition of the chili and cinnamon rolls. After Thanksgiving, everyone is sort of turkeyed out and another big meal seems overwhelming to me. I dream about the possibility that someday all my Colorado family will come to me for Christmas...but they don’t come here for the same reason I don’t go there. The weather is just too unpredictable and with Colorado being such a tourist destination, it isn’t cheap to fly there any time, let alone in the winter.
\n\n\nNow that this event is behind us, I feel like I have a little time to breathe for the next few weeks. We received tickets for a WVU basketball game as one of our Christmas presents and I’m really excited about that. It was a lot of fun the last time we went.
\n\n\nI hope you all are enjoying the holidays in whatever way you can.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n“Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”
\n\n\nPsalms 128:3 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-28T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/28/the-family-christmas-extravaganza.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Marriage"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/24/christmas-the-camper-girl-camper.html", "title": "Christmas \u0026 The Camper - Girl Camper Moments", "content_html": "\n![\"santa](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bea9f06da0.jpg\")
Here is a link to Girl Camper Moments...the branded series I write for the Girl Camper website. I share this story every year on Christmas Eve...as a reminder to me that, even though that first Christmas was so incredibly difficult, time passes and we accommodate ourselves to grief.
\n\n\nWe learn where the edges of that jagged hole are and how to avoid falling in \"ass over teakettle\". It took a lot of tears and prayers, and God carried me when I was too tired to walk. My prayer is always that you find hope through my stories.
\n\n\nIn this iteration of the tale, I elaborate on what I did after I had my \"Santa experience\". I know not all of you are camping enthusiasts, but I'm sure you all have a safe place where you feel comforted and can let down your guard. For me, that has always been my camper...my little sanctuary on wheels.
\n\n\nI hope you read and share the retelling of my first Christmas without Mr. Virgo. I hope it helps those whose hearts are broken during what was a joyous occasion before the loss.
\n\n\nGirl Camper Moments: Christmas & The Camper
\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/24/christmas-the-camper-girl-camper.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Change","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/23/happy-hanukkah.html", "title": "Happy Hanukkah!", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7fe1283bf7.jpg\")
Christmas and Hanukkah overlap each other this year. It doesn’t always, as the Jewish calendar is lunar and changes year to year. I started celebrating Hanukkah as a single mom when Daughter #1 was around three years old. I rented the basement of another single mom who had two little children. Niza was Jewish and exposed me to the Jewish holidays and traditions. Then, when Hubby #2 came along and was Jewish, the traditions continued.
\n\n\nWe still had a Christmas tree because you don’t take Santa away from a three year old...or her mama, for that matter. I always love Hanukkah. It is the Festival of Lights. It’s actually a very minor holiday in Judaism but Hallmark and the competition of Christmas and Santa Claus has caused it to be more commercialized.
\n\n\nHanukkah centers around the story of the rededication of the temple by the Maccabees after it had been desecrated by Antiochus. The temple was cleansed but when they went to refill the menorah, there was only enough sacred oil to burn one day. It would take at least eight days to get supplies of sacred oil from elsewhere. The Maccabees debated whether to go ahead and light the menorah, knowing it would burn out...or just wait. They decided to go ahead and rededicate the temple and light the oil. A miracle occurred when the oil burned for the full eight days.
\n\n\nIn later years, it became the custom to light the menorah and eat fried foods to symbolize the miracle of the sacred oil. Traditionally, latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (donuts) are eaten. A game is played with the dreidel (a four-sided top with Hebrew letters). Songs are sung and gifts exchanged. This is repeated every night for eight nights. It’s a really fun holiday. I haven’t really participated in a Hanukkah party for quite some time...although I do make latkes at least once over the holiday.
\n\n\nFor those of you who are Jewish and celebrate, I wish you all a joyous Hanukkah. Chag Sameach! May your Latkes be crispy and your candles be bright!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n“Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,”
\n\n\nJohn 10:22 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/23/happy-hanukkah.html", "tags": ["Faith","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/15/the-perfect-christmas-kind-of.html", "title": "The Perfect Christmas Kind of Day", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3712e6016f.jpg\")
It was rainy and fairly warm yesterday and I did something I haven’t done in AGES. I spent the entire day on the couch in my fuzzy jammies with the snowflakes on them. We watched “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase...a must every year. Then I put on my headphone while Mr. FixIt watched football and played on my computer all day. Yes, I fiddled a little with the websites, but not like...work. Just tweaked a bit here and there. I made brownies and beef stew on Friday so they were both even tastier yesterday. And my long time friend, Anna, called me from Belize. We talked for an hour and it was so much fun to catch up with her!
\n\n\nMy friend Marion sent me this photo of our hometown. It’s black and white and was taken at night in the 1950’s during the Christmas season. OMGosh! It takes me back. In those days, downtown was where you shopped. There weren’t any shopping centers or malls. Our only “big box” store was Sears. There were a couple of large locally owned department stores and the likes of GC Murphy’s. Jewelers, shoe stores, a fabric shop. Typical small town shopping at its finest.
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1df3e94c13.jpg\")
One night, a few days before Christmas, Dad would get us all in the Oldsmobile and drive us downtown to see these very same Christmas decorations. On our way back home, we stopped at Dr. Fankhauser’s house to see their display. They always had carolers and a Nativity. And one year they had Santa sitting astraddle a rocket! It was tradition.
\n\n\nMy friend Sharon lived down the street from me and we always gathered a group of kids together to go Christmas caroling around the neighborhood. We watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman on our little Zenith TV with the picture that rolled and rolled. Dad would fasten aluminum foil to the rabbit ears and try to get better reception, with little luck.
\n\n\nSledding down 56th Street hill was a huge neighborhood activity and we’d come in half frozen with wet gloves and soaked feet. Mom would make us hot cocoa and we’d stand straddling the furnace grate in the floor. My brother and I would fight to stay awake to see Santa but we never made it past 10:00. Then we’d wake our parents up LONG before dawn and squeal with delight when we saw presents under the tree.
\n\n\nWe didn’t have a lot of money but there was always a little something for each of us. I begged mom to wrap each present separately so it would look like there was more there. As an adult, I totally understood why there were five things in a box. She was tired and wrapping paper cost money and got thrown away. We saved wrapping paper, ribbon and bows and used them from year to year. We recycled old Christmas cards into gift tags. We used the empty paper rolls as swords and trumpets!
\n\n\nWe treasured our Christmas ornaments...some of which belonged to my grandparents. We were always so careful when we put them up and Dad was really particular about the decorating. The smallest ornaments at the top...the largest at the bottom.
\n\n\nWe each had a stocking and in the bottom were mixed nuts in the shell, a tangerine, a candy cane, and if mom and dad had a little extra, there were Swiss chocolate ball and bells wrapped in colorful foil. There was always, without fail, a Lifesavers “Story Book”. I immediately gave the butterscotch roll to my mom. They were her favorite.
\n\n\nOne Christmas was really sad. I don’t know what was going on in our family, but money was tighter than usual. Mom ordered gifts for us from the Spiegel Catalog but they didn’t get to us in time. When we got up on christmas morning, there was a letter from “Santa” telling us our gifts had somehow fallen out of the sleigh on his way to our house and he would have to bring them to us later in the week. Then, when the box arrived, my dad made mom send it back...unopened. That was so disappointing, but I never realized until many years later how hard that had to have been for my mom back then.
\n\n\nThere are some unhappy Christmas memories that involved my dad’s problems with alcohol, but I’ve decided...at the age of 66, I don’t really need to rehash that all over again every year. I’ve told the stories. They’re out there in the blogosphere. That’s enough of that. When I look back now...my dad is in the background. We love(d) each other in our own ways, but now he remains a shadowy figure that no longer haunt me.
\n\n\nWho says you can’t rewrite history?
\n\n\nI want to remember this picture. And mom’s wool winter coat with the brooch on the collar. The thin gloves tucked in one pocket...a floral hankie in the other. There were always pennies and sticks of gum in her handbag for good girls and boys. She smelled like Evening in Paris and wore red lipstick and house dresses with patent leather heels. She had a pair of clip-on earrings for “fancy”. She pretended to be thrilled with a ten cent bottle of cheap cologne from Kresge’s. I don’t know...maybe she was. I do know this...I adored her and I miss her every day.
\n\n\nYes...this picture makes me smile.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
\n\n\n1 Peter 4:8 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-15T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/15/the-perfect-christmas-kind-of.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/12/winding-down-the-year.html", "title": "Winding Down the Year", "content_html": "![\"Mug](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3ceec9306b.jpg\")
“I’m looking for a little down time…maybe after the holidays.”
The year is quickly fading and before we know it, we will turn the page on…not only another year, but on a decade. There will be stories about the best and worst and we’ll wax poetic for what was, what is, and what might have been. It’s hard to stay in the moment in a moment like this.
\nIn looking back over my last year, I realize a turning point occurred early on. I was happily sitting and knitting a gazillion dishcloths and watching movies with Mr. FixIt the entire month of January. It was divine spending hours with hot mugs of tea and the smooth feel of fiber and needles in my hands. Then…my good friend Janine stepped in and called a halt to the whole thing with these wise words:
\n“Stop knitting and write your book! You can knit when you’re on your book tour.”
\nWow…she’s right, you know. I was enjoying the hygge environment I had created but I was also killing time till spring came and I could get back outside and play. I spent the entire month of February sequestered in the big camper and wrote over 75,000 words. And I haven’t really stopped moving since.
\nI bought that little camper in March and then the grass started growing and camping season started and the new Girl Camper website was being developed and we traveled….everywhere. And now, the year is all but over and I’m on sensory overload. Not from the holidays, per se. It’s just been a high gear year and I’m really ready for a little down time.
\nTake yesterday, for example. I hadn’t finished my first cup of coffee when Mr. FixIt announced he needed to go to Lowe’s to get the drywall for the bathroom he’s finishing and I decided to go into town with him. I wanted to pick up a gift card for my brother. I figured we would be back in ninety minutes…tops. Ha! We pulled back in the driveway at 5:30.
\nThere is no such thing as a “quick trip to town” for some reason. Not when you decide to stop for a late breakfast and the usual errands and a stop at the grocery store and the original destination of Lowe’s and then the grandkids need something. We often look at each other and say “What on EARTH did we do when we worked full time???”
\nThe upside of the day? I got to hold my little great grandson for half an hour and get some snuggles, so the day was not a loss.
\n❤️
\n““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.””\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-12T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/12/winding-down-the-year.html", "tags": ["Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Comfort","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Aging","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/11/its-a-kiss-christmas-keep.html", "title": "It’s a KISS Christmas - Keep it Simple, Santa!", "content_html": "Matthew 11:28-30 NIV
![\"Shiny](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/357bd5f4ae.jpg\")
“Simple and elegant…vintage Shiny Brite ornaments like these hang on our tree here at the Ponderosa”
Wait! How can it possibly be just two weeks till Christmas Day??? It seems like I was on the RPod Tour yesterday and now we are sliding into the home stretch and the year will be over. I went to the farm Monday midday to write. I fell asleep to the sound of rain on the tin roof. I couldn’t help it. Not only was it soothing, but it’s my happy place and I’ve been running around like crazy this year. I just enjoy it so much.
\nI woke up yesterday morning and looked at the weather reports. When I went to sleep it was 61℉ and raining. By morning they were predicting snow in the afternoon. I had limited groceries with me so I decided to pack up and head back to the Ponderosa. When I walked in, I heard the carpet shampooer running in the basement and that can only mean one thing. The basement flooded again. I went down and helped my sweet Mr. FixIt clean up the mess.
\nOnce we got the worst of it done, I sat down to write. I have deadlines to meet every couple of weeks and I had a lot of work to do. Several hours later, I turned off the computer. I’ll finish this morning. Mr. FixIt baked some peanut butter cookies. We watched the news. We read the mail. We got our first Christmas cards yesterday. I haven’t even thought about doing ours yet. I haven’t gone Christmas shopping. I haven’t baked cookies or made special gifts. Nothing.
\nI used to feel really bad about myself if the holidays weren’t visions straight out of a Hallmark movie. I have SO gotten over that. The house is decorated…enough. Did I get the Christmas Village out on the dining room table? Nope. It’s ok. If my friends and family get a New Year’s letter from us, is it going to be the end of the world? Nope. It’s ok. If the kids get cash cards instead of intricately wrapped gifts, will it make the holidays any less bright? Nope. How about if I buy a store bought cheesecake instead of making fifteen dozen cookies…does it take anything away from our celebrations? No.
\nBecause…all the decorations and the hoopla, the frenzy and the manic late nights aren’t what this holiday season is about anyway. It’s about love. And celebrating Jesus. And gathering the family and holding them close. I started a new Christmas tradition for Mr. FixIt and family when I came into the picture. I make a big pot of chili and homemade cinnamon rolls. It’s low key. We exchange modest gifts. And this year, we’re going to have a White Elephant gift exchange as a fun activity. If you’ve never done that, it’s a lot of fun. Here are the rules:
\nEach participant supplies one wrapped gift, usually of similar value. The gifts are placed in a central location, and participants determine in which order they will take turns selecting them. The first person opens a wrapped gift, and the turn ends. On subsequent turns, each person has the choice to either unwrap a new present or to steal another’s. When a person’s gift is stolen, that person can either choose another wrapped gift to open or can steal from another player. To avoid never-ending circles, each gift can only be stolen once per turn. The game is over when everyone has a present. Generally, it is recommended to have at least six participants for the gift exchange party. With a larger group, game play may be more protracted.
\nIt’s a KISS Christmas…Keep it Simple, Santa!
\n❤️
\n“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-11T02:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/11/its-a-kiss-christmas-keep.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Fun","West Virginia","The Farm","New Ideas","Gratitude","Comfort","Holiday","Wisdom","Peaceful Moments","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/12/03/recovery-day.html", "title": "Recovery Day", "content_html": "Matthew 6:21 NIV
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9e70d90054.jpg\")
“Christmas Lights & Pie”
When all the food is put away…when all the dishes are done…when all the guests have said their last goodbye…what time is it? It’s time for PIE! Well, really…is there ever a BAD time for pie? We turned off the lights…all but the tree. And just enjoyed the quiet.
\nI took the kitten in bright and early to be spayed and immediately came home and slept three more hours. Working to put on a big family dinner takes the starch out of you. And it gets harder the older you get.
\nThe babies were so much fun. Princess First was in rare form, ate like a champ, colored brilliantly, and melted me with “Pweeze, Gigi!” I’m toast. Then there was Prince Second. Oy, he is a solid chunk of sheer joy. He smiles and coos and bats his big eyes at me. All I wanted to do all day was kiss and nibble on those cheeks…they are so delectable!
\nOnce the kitten was ready, I went to pick her up. They informed me she needs to stay in the house for the next ten days. You know what that means, don’t you? It means we now have an indoor cat. Bring me all the antihistamines in the land! It’s better, really. I worry about her outside with that road even though she was safe in the pole building every night. I also found out we can board her with our vet when we go out of town. So it was a win-win day.
\nNow I can turn my focus back to writing. The OH-WV Chapter page on the new Girl Camper website needs my attention every couple of weeks. There are presents to make. Cookies to bake. Calls to make. Cards to send. This will be a busy and quick month for all of us. Then we can start making all our camping plans for the New Year! There’s going to be some fun things happening on the east side…up and down the mid-Atlantic area so keep your eyes peeled for announcements!
\nKaty bar the door…all heck is gonna break loose around here!
\n❤️
\n“Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-12-03T02:30:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/12/03/recovery-day.html", "tags": ["Faith","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Holiday","Wisdom","Girl Camper","Girl Campers","Choices","Change","Be Joyful!","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/30/when-kindness-matters-most.html", "title": "When Kindness Matters Most", "content_html": "Proverbs 24:27 NIV
![\"Be](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/915ddf5f24.jpg\")
“Kindness Matters Most…especially when it involves children.”
My dear friend Diane sent me a link to an article in the New York Times yesterday. It was a story about the new mayor of Charleston and how she barked up the wrong tree. It seems, in an effort to be inclusive and considerate of the Muslim and Jewish population in our state’s capital, she decided to rename the Christmas Parade. She announced on a Facebook post that the Winter Parade would be on such and such a date…and thus began a civil uprising. Well, maybe uncivil is a more appropriate description.
\nI understand what she was trying to do. And I appreciate it. Having lived 27 years as a practicing Jew in a small town and watching discrimination at work was an eye opening experience for me. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for what some people go through on a daily basis in this world.
\nThe mayor was attacked from all sides and had very few backers. Part of it was the way she went about it…making a unilateral decision without consulting anyone. But the biggest part was the way the world is now. I could have been a mediator by profession because I can easily see both sides of this issue. People were feeling attacked and that, in the spirit of political correctness, they felt the mayor was trying to steal Christmas. When, in actuality, she was just trying to be kind to everyone in the community.
\nAs I read the comments to the story, several of them were from minorities saying they never felt they were “less than” or “excluded” because of Christmas celebrations. While they didn’t observe the holiday themselves, they never felt threatened by other people celebrating. I remember talking to a Rabbi once and asked him what he would do regarding my children’s participation in these programs. He said “Lip synch the words to the religious songs and belt out the secular ones. There is a lot of beautiful music in the Christian faith. I think it’s very important that we don’t try to dilute anyone’s holiday.” That made a lot of sense to me.
\nThis story brings to mind something that happened to me when I lived in that small mountain town in Colorado. Hubby #2 was a new physician and we had only lived in town a few years. One Christmas, a couple of things came to a head that are very similar to what happened in Charleston this month.
\nFirst, the wife of one of my husband’s colleagues was Jewish and she had two sons in the public grade school. There was no mention in the curriculum of any holidays besides Christian ones. She wanted the children to have a greater world view and asked if she could form an ad hoc committee to explore how to go about broadening the horizons without stepping on anyone’s toes. Even though my younger daughter was only a baby at the time, I knew she would be going to the same school in a few years so I said yes when I was asked to join.
\nWe held meetings with the school board. We offered to provide children’s books for the school library with stories about Chanukah and Passover. We volunteered to come into the classes during story time and share traditional foods of other cultures. And, we asked that the school program in December be renamed the Winter Festival. That’s where we ran into road blocks and it got ugly…fast. Our mayor hung a banner across the Main Street through town claiming that “The heathens are trying to steal Christmas from our children! Don’t let that happen!” Those were the exact words. Heathens.
\nIn the historical context, the word heathen means “an individual or a people that do not acknowledge the God of the Bible; a person who is neither a Jew, Christian, nor Muslim; a pagan.” We certainly were NOT heathens and it was a blatant slur…not the least of the discriminatory experiences I encountered in my years as a member of the Jewish community.
\nOur little mountain town was formed by a large ranching and mining community. There were two black children, a handful of Hispanic children, and no Asians the year my daughter started 7th grade. We had relocated there from Denver where my daughter was in a tri-lingual classroom…English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Her school was a cross section of humanity and she was dumbfounded by the “white bread” community she found herself living in. Every holiday, a large cross was lit on the top of a mountain within view of the whole town, reminding everyone that that “we celebrate Christmas in this town.”
\nAt the same time the banner went up across the Main Street and the cross was lit on the hill, we found out that the cross was on city property and the electricity was being paid for with tax money. This is where I had a problem. I can educate. I can buy books and bake cookies till the cows come home, but there is a separation of church and state in this country and the founding fathers made it that way on purpose. I believe in honoring that and if I would have been Christian at the time, I still would have believed in that.
\nThen, things shifted in town. It turns out the ACLU got wind of the situation and put the town on notice they would be taken to court if they didn’t make other arrangements for the cross on the hill. A citizen donated a piece of land up higher than the original location, and a new and larger cross was erected. Every year, a collection takes place to pay for the electricity and upkeep of the cross. I was thrilled with that because it was not only even more beautiful than before, it now complied with the law.
\nAs time went on, some things in town got better, but there was still an undercurrent of anti-Semitism. When Daughter #2, who was just a baby when this all went down, was in high school, she was bullied and called a “stupid, effing Jew” among other derogatory comments. I went to the administration but the bullying continued and we finally determined she would be happier at the alternative high school.
\nShe is doing well now. She is 29 and married. But she carries the emotional scars from her experiences. This is why I am sensitive to all people. This is why I don’t want the little Jehovah’s Witness children to have to sit in the cafeteria, ostracized by their peers because of their beliefs. I want the little Jewish children to be included in the holiday extravaganza because they have a holiday to celebrate, too. I don’t want any child to feel left out.
\nI don’t know what the answer is for you. All I know is, I personally know what discrimination feels like. And I know what it feels like to hold your child in your arms when she’s been crushed by bullies. Therefore, I say “Happy Holidays” if I am not sure of the person’s beliefs. I don’t care if someone says Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas to me. I am not insulted. Why would I be? It’s a blessing when someone wishes you well. I’ll take that any day of the week over some of the terrible things people feel free to say to each other these days. Because…kindness matters.
\n❤️
\n#KindnessMatters, #Discrimination, #HappyHolidays
\n“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-30T02:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/30/when-kindness-matters-most.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Positive Energy","Growth","New Ideas","Grace","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Fear","Forgiveness","Courage","Warning","Choices","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/29/black-kitty-black-friday.html", "title": "Black Kitty, Black Friday", "content_html": "2 Peter 1:5-9 NIV
![\"Black](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/af6ab00d63.jpg\")
“Little Black Kitty - Big Black Friday”
We have to go to town today. Ugh! I avoid Black Friday like the plague. But, we are having our family Thanksgiving on Sunday and there are fresh things I need to buy to prepare. Mr. FixIt was lamenting because Walmart will be crazy. We almost forget about real stand alone grocery stores and they should be less chaotic. My favorite store in the area is the Kroger over in Belpre. It’s as close to a Denver grocery as I have ever found here.
\nYesterday was a beautiful day…just the two of us. We cleaned house a little. Mr. FixIt shampooed the carpet down the hall. I made the brine for the turkey. We washed the windows in the family room. I am so glad to get the bathroom fixtures and tools out of there…it needed a good cleaning. We put up the tree and it made me miss my Colorado peeps…a lot.
\nI talked to my brother yesterday and I FaceTimed with Daughter #1. She was cooking her Thanksgiving Dinner as we chatted. My son-in-law was in the background, peeling potatoes. As I watched her, she told me what she was doing. She took her phone and focused on each dish and told me how she made it. She makes this really great Sausage-Cranberry Stuffing. I asked her about making sweet potatoes and she showed me a trick I had never heard of before.
\nFirst, she cleans, peels, and cubes her sweet potatoes. Then she puts brown sugar in the bottom of a CrockPot to the depth of her first knuckle. She puts the cubed sweet potatoes on top and pats them down a little, and dabs about 3 tbsp of butter on top. Cover and turn on low for 2.5 hours or so, then turn to high. Stir gently every once in a while to coat the potatoes with the brown sugar. The sweet potatoes have enough moisture in them, you don’t have to add liquid. When they are fork tender, turn the CrockPot to warm. She throws miniature marshmallows on top at that point and they melt and get gooey by serving time. I don’t usually add marshmallows to my sweet potatoes because I don’t like them that sweet. Her late grandpa taught her how to make them. We really miss Pop, so I’m happy to have one of his recipes.
\nAs I was washing the windows in the family room, the little kitty sat so regally out in the yard watching my every move. She is growing fast and will go in Monday to be spayed. I’m glad we decided to stay home because it was snowing in the mountains about the time we would have been driving through. I’m hoping to have some time to knit today, because I didn’t even pick it up yesterday. And, tomorrow I need to start cooking. I hope you all celebrated Thanksgiving in a way that brought you peace.
\nIf you are heading out to shop on Black Friday, let me share something with you I saw online.
\nLook around.
\nAll that clutter, used to be money.
\nAnd that money used to be time.
\nMaybe consider experiences instead of too much stuff.
\nWhen you’re dead and gone…no one will ever say, “Gosh, I wish Grandma would have bought me more stuff.” They’ll miss YOU. Six months from now, they won’t remember what you gave them, but they’ll remember spending special time with you.
\n“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-29T02:30:59-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/29/black-kitty-black-friday.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Gratitude","Holiday","Wisdom","Aging","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/27/giving-thanks.html", "title": "Giving Thanks", "content_html": "\nPsalms 90:12 NIV
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/151fd0549b.jpg\")
Surrounded by family, fifteen inches of snow, and enough food to last a month! I baked five pies yesterday…two sugar free pumpkin, two regular pumpkin, and a burnt sugar pie. My grandma always made burnt sugar (also called butterscotch or caramel) pies because she had a cow and sugar was cheap. Anything else was too expensive. And hers were SO good. We'll see how mine holds up to the taste test today. I also made a big pan of yeast rolls. Today I make my famous sugar free candied yams. And whatever else my cousin throws at me. We will gather 25 family members and friends. We will remember those who are no longer with us. And we will give thanks for our many blessings.
\n\n\nOne of my many thanksgivings is for this page. I don't know if you understand how important your love and support has been to me. I was telling my cousin last night, one of the biggest gifts Marshmallow Ranch has given me is knowing I'm not the only one. I'm not the only one who grieves. I'm not the only one who gets anxious at 2:00 in the morning. I'm not the only one who finds socks (or chili or the color green) sad. I'm not alone. There are many of you reading this who are walking your own paths. We've come to walk together. We've come to trust each other. We've come together as friends…soldiers…partners in crime. We've laughed and we've cried and we've held that sacred space for each other to return to.
\n\n\nI thank you all from the bottom of my heart. You are unbelievable. May you remember the little things. May you find much laughter. May you feel the love of your families.
\n\n\nHave a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!
\n\n\n<3
\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/27/giving-thanks.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Baking"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/23/let-the-preparations-begin.html", "title": "Let the Preparations Begin!", "content_html": "![\"Sun](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c9548c81e6.jpg\")
“At the end of a dreary, grey day, the sun peeked through the clouds.”
We went to town yesterday to do “Phase 2” of the Thanksgiving shopping. I have a tip for you that will save you TONS of time if you’re shopping at Sam’s. Quite a few years ago, I downloaded the Sam’s app on my phone then never did anything with it. About two weeks ago, I was walking into Sam’s with my phone in my hand. I happened to look down and I had a notification that I was near the store. I clicked on it and the app opened and my Sam’s card popped up on the screen.
\nOur Sam’s has started checking your member card again upon entry so I just showed the lady my phone and she waved me through. No fishing around in my purse or rummaging through my wallet! I gave the app a cursory glance and saw the button for scanning your items. As I went through the store, I scanned each item before placing it in a box I had found by the front door.
\nWhen I was done shopping, I realized I didn’t have a debit card loaded so I sat down in a camp chair in the outdoor section and filled in my info. (I would suggest you do this at home and not out in the middle of everything like I did. Hindsight is 20/20.) Once all my info was in, all I had to do was slide my finger across the screen, my payment went through, and a QR code popped up as my receipt.
\nWhen we went shopping yesterday, I showed Mr. FixIt how to do the shopping in the app and it was so slick. No waiting in lines. It cuts your time in the store to a fraction and that suits me just fine.
\nOne thing I will warn you about. When we came into Sam’s, there is always a long display of seasonal items to the left of the door. Yesterday, it was filled with holiday food items and the first display was pumpkin pies. Big…gorgeous…yummy looking pies. I haven’t had a pumpkin pie since last year and I was SO excited. I could hardly wait to get home and cut into it.
\nIt. Was. Awful.
\nThe filling was thick and pasty. The crust was undercooked and flavorless. And there was about twice the amount of pumpkin pie spice in it than was needed. I was SO disappointed. I think I’ll take it back today when I go to town to have coffee with the girls.
\nI really wanted to get a fresh turkey again this year. Our celebration won’t be until December 1st due to work schedules and the man in the meat department at Walmart said they probably wouldn’t have fresh turkeys that late. We bought a big frozen Butterball Turkey but I’m going to start thawing it WAY earlier than I did last year! I put it in the refrigerator a full five days before I needed it and it was still frozen solid the day before Thanksgiving.
\nHave any of you brined a turkey? Last year was only the second time I’ve done that and it makes the sweetest, most succulent turkey I’ve ever had. I only rinsed mine off before baking and I should have let is soak for a few hours in cold water to leach off some of the sodium from the brine because it was really salty. Keep that in mind if you decide to do that.
\nI finally ordered myself a Genuine Granite Ware turkey roaster this year. I got the big rectangular one that will hold up to a 25 pound bird. I haven’t had a Granite Ware roaster in decades. I don’t know what ever happened to my old one. Gone in the downsizing, I suppose. I’ve tried cooking a turkey about every way you can imagine. In a brown paper sack. In a plastic roasting bag. Covered with foil. Uncovered. In an electric roaster. And even deep fried. The best and easiest I have every made was in a Granite Ware roaster, just like my grandma’s.
\nGranite Ware Covered Rectangular Roaster, 19.5 x 12.88 x 7 Inches - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000050AVD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_3jj2DbRY14ZRX
\nSometimes, you just have to go back to your roots.
\n❤️
\n“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
\nEphesians 5:15-16 NIV
\n#Thanksgiving, #Turkey, #GraniteWare
\n", "date_published": "2019-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/23/let-the-preparations-begin.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Fun","Love","Holiday","Warning","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/11/11/tell-me-about-yourself.html", "title": "Tell Me About Yourself", "content_html": "![\"Monday](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bcf843108c.jpg\")
“It’s Monday…Let’s do something different!”
It’s Monday! It’s a brand new week and I wanted to do something different. We will be heading into the holidays soon and I’ve been reading posts where people already have their holiday shopping done. And wrapped! I wish I could say the same…but I’ve been a little busy!
\nDo you, or someone close to you, have an online business that sells gifts appropriate for holiday gifting or decorating? If so, please leave a link to your website or favorite item in the comments. I’m all about supporting small businesses and independent artisans.
\nAre you a writer, poet, artist, photographer, singer, songwriter, actor, or other creative? Drop a link to your content or social media sites. I’m all about supporting creative people.
\nDo you have a special talent you’d like to share? Is there something about you that’s fascinating? Do you have a story that needs telling that might help someone else? Tell us in the comments below or give us a link to share. I’m all about promoting people in their efforts to gain a platform.
\nI was thinking about this in church yesterday. It’s not always all about me. God has given me this wonderful platform to touch the loves of others. It shouldn’t be just through my words. It should also be through yours. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a gift…a talent…a skill. Stories should be told because they will always help someone else. Talents and gifts should be shared as examples of what God does in our lives. We are here to lift each other up and I’d love to start out the week with a stepping stone.
\nWhat do YOU do? Where are YOU from? What moves YOU? Let’s learn about each other.
\n❤️
\n“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-11-11T02:30:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/11/11/tell-me-about-yourself.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Gratitude","Holiday","Wisdom","Choices","Monday Morning Motivation"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/07/04/independence-day.html", "title": "Independence Day!!!", "content_html": "Hebrews 13:16 NIV
![\"Colorado](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e48ddbe64c.jpg\")
“Colorado’s sky is always amazing!”
It seems like I’m in Denver just about every Independence Day. Since I don’t travel here in the winters anymore, I make my trips extra long in the summer and they just about always hit during this fun, but noisy, holiday. As I am writing this, neighborhood fireworks are going off all around me and it sounds like a war zone.
\nYesterday, I helped Daughter #1 upholster a padded cover for a chest she uses as a coffee table. Their new couch doesn’t have the recliners like her old one and they needed something comfortable to prop up their feet when they watch TV. It turned out beautiful and we were very proud when it was finished.
\nBig has her learner’s permit and I rode with them to lunch yesterday. It brought back memories of when I taught her mommy how to drive. I was very pregnant at the time and it was quite an adventure. My granddaughter is a very conservative driver and she did a great job. I cannot imagine learning to drive in Denver traffic! It’s crazy busy here all the time now…not just rush hour.
\nI forget how amazingly beautiful Colorado’s sky is! We came out of the grocery store at sunset yesterday and the clouds and light were stunning in every single direction. I stood there like a tourist seeing it for the first time…turning round and round taking pictures in the parking lot.
\nToday is full of family, food, and fun! I hope you all have a fun and safe holiday!!!
\n❤️
\n“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”\n\n", "date_published": "2019-07-04T01:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/07/04/independence-day.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Travel","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/04/22/service-sunshine-and-seafood.html", "title": "Service, Sunshine, and Seafood", "content_html": "2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV
![\"Low](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/681ea9f4cb.jpg\")
“Low Country Shrimp and Grits”
We enjoyed our Easter service at the United Methodist Church across the road from our timeshare. We attended the contemporary services and the music was very nice. The sermon was thought provoking. And it was fun to go to a Southern church and see folks in their Easter dresses. The children enjoyed a demonstration up front with the Pastor before the services began. The church itself was lovely with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Curratuck Sound.
\nAfterwards, we drove around and found a restaurant that was open and had a seafood extravaganza and ate till they had to roll us home. I had the Low Country Shrimp and Grits. Yummmmmm. We came back to the condo and some napped while others walked or made phone calls. We were all still too full to eat dinner but we did finally polish off the apple pie we started Saturday night.
\nIt was a lovely, lazy, family day sharing stories and photos. Today, we are tourists!
\n❤️
\n“The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.””\n\n", "date_published": "2019-04-22T01:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/04/22/service-sunshine-and-seafood.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Fun","Gratitude","Grace","Peace","Holiday","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/04/21/easter-sunday.html", "title": "Easter Sunday", "content_html": "Mark 6:30-31 NIV
![\"Curratuck](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/81f365f422.jpg\")
“The sunset over the Curratuck Sound:
I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older…or maybe it’s gaining a deeper connection to God…but Easter this year seems to have a much, much deeper meaning for me than ever before. I have a close church family relationship…probably for the first time in my life. And I have Mr. FixIt and my bonus family to go to church with. Whatever the reason, this Easter is completely different…personal.
\nWe arrived at the beach yesterday afternoon and did our obligatory stop at the grocery store. We weren’t at the condo more than half an hour when my son-in-law’s parents arrived. Oh, my…I love them dearly and was SO excited to see them. Ben & Sue are the salt of the earth. Good, hardworking people with great character and a terrific sense of humor. I’ve known them now since 1993 or so. I’ll tell you what…my daughter won the lottery when it comes to her husband and in-laws!
\nSue and I never really talked about faith much till the last couple of years and it has been wonderful to share that part of myself with her. We have a lot of wonderful discussions and I am so happy to have them here with us this week.
\nWe found a church right across the street that has an 11:00 service today so we won’t miss Easter.
\nMay you all have a blessed Easter! And for my Jewish family and friends…Happy Passover!
\n❤️
\n“He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”” Luke 24:6-7 NIV\n \n", "date_published": "2019-04-21T01:30:31-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/04/21/easter-sunday.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Travel","Positive Energy","Gratitude","Grace","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Peaceful Moments","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/17/kiss-meim-irish.html", "title": "Kiss Me...I’m 23% Irish!", "content_html": "
![\"St.](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/331bc5bfd6.jpg\")
“We’re all Irish on St. Paddy’s Day!”
According to my DNA test results, I am 23% Irish-Scottish. I wish I would have known this before Mr. Virgo died because he was a very, very proud Irish lad. I mean…McKinney, right? It doesn’t get much more Irish than that. He acted like he had a corner on the market when it came to Irish roots. He adored St. Patrick’s Day. Every year, we had corned beef and cabbage and fried apples for dinner. He stopped short of wearing green since he worked in 5-Star hotels and restaurants. He had a certain decorum about him. But, ohhhhhh, that was HIS holiday.
\nHe called me the night of the 16th and said…”OMGosh! I forgot to buy green food coloring for the beer! You’ve got to go to the store for me!” Ok…every…stinking…year.
\n“Are you telling me you can’t think of this at least ONCE in the 364 days between the holidays?” I was always thunderstruck this incredibly organized VIRGO couldn’t seem to grasp that he was going to need green food coloring every year.
\n“Yes! Please…it’s 9:00! The stores are going to close soon…I need to bring it in with me in the morning. Get as many bottles as you can!”
\nsigh
\n“Ok, babe…I’ll do my best!”
\nWe lived in a teeny little town with one grocery store. I rushed in and cornered the first grocery clerk I came to. “Quick! Green food coloring! I need ALL of your green food coloring!”
\nDo you have a picture in your mind of the look on her face?
\n“Ummmmmm, ok. It’s over here.”
\nFour little bottles. I bought them and tried to calculate if I could get to the next town in time before they closed so I could buy more when my better angels said, “Nahhhhh…that’s enough.”
\nEvery year…same thing.
\nI was sitting in the pizza joint typing this the other night. I haven’t really felt Mr. Virgo around for quite awhile, but as I was in the middle of typing this story and literally laughing out loud…the radio overhead got really loud.
\n“At Last” by Etta James.
\nWe danced our first dance to that song. I sat back and looked at the empty seat across the booth from me and smiled.
\n‘Are you here? Did you come to say hello? Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Mr. Virgo! I’m so glad you stopped by.’
\n❤️
\n“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-03-17T01:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/17/kiss-meim-irish.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Fun","Love","Holiday","Wisdom","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2019/03/10/my-first-job.html", "title": "My First Job", "content_html": "
![\"McCrory’s](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a4eb8e3462.jpg\")
“McCrory’s Five & Dime in Downtown Parkersburg”
I got my first job when I was 16. My family didn’t have much money, and if I wanted to buy anything extra, I had to come up with a way to pay for it myself. I saved my babysitting money in a piggy bank. Then when I had a fair amount, I went to the bank and opened a savings account. Then I learned McCrory’s was looking for help with sales and stocking the store in the evenings after school. I walked downtown from my mom’s office and got the job.
\nI especially remember a beautiful jewelry box. My mom didn’t have nice things like fancy jewelry and the like, but what she did have…she treasured as if it were something from Tiffany’s. I wanted that jewelry box for my mom.
\nI knew that once the money went in my savings account, it was off limits for spending. That’s when I heard about The Christmas Club. If you went in to the bank and put in a dollar, you could open an account that basically just parked your money for you till the holidays. Then you withdrew all but a dollar and started over.
\nI put that jewelry box on layaway at McCrory’s and opened my Christmas Club account. I remember feeling SO grown up when I put money in my account and knew it was going to be something special for my mom. Every Saturday, my friends and I would take the City Bus downtown to walk around the stores. My first stop was the bank to put some money in my Christmas Club. Then we went to GC Murphy’s and I bought a 45RPM record and a small ball of angora yarn to wrap around my boyfriend’s ring to make it fit me. Then we would sit at the lunch counter and have a Cherry Coke and laugh and talk for a couple of hours.
\nSometimes we would walk through Dils Brothers Department store. The front of the store had huge display windows that were tastefully decorated. We took the elevator up and down. There was a woman in a uniform who operated the elevator and called out each floor. Every once in a while, you heard a small soft chime overhead. I believe it was some sort of communication to the employees. None of us could afford to buy anything at Dils. We couldn’t afford Broida’s Stone & Thomas or Buttermore’s Jewelers either, but we walked around and pretended we could.
\nWhen the first of December came around, I went to the bank and cashed in my Christmas Club and bought my mom that jewelry box. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. I had enough money to buy her a bottle of Evening in Paris as well as some bath salts. I know I bought her gifts over the years, and as my financial situation improved, her gifts became more elaborate. But none were ever given, or received, with such pride as the ones I gave that Christmas from the first money I ever earned on my own…from McCrory’s Five and Dime. ❤️
\n“Dishonest money dwindles away, but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” Proverbs 13:11 NIV\n", "date_published": "2019-03-10T01:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2019/03/10/my-first-job.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Peaceful Moments","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/28/latkes-for-a-late-hanukkah.html", "title": "Latkes for a Late Hanukkah", "content_html": "
![\"Latkes\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/194e4931af.jpg\")
\nFor those of you who have been around long enough to hear all my stories, you know I was a practicing Jew for 27 years. You don’t live that long submersed in a culture without it becoming a big part of your identity. Hubby #2 was Jewish, and while I didn’t convert for him, it all happened around the same time…dating and discovering Judaism. I became a Christian in 2004, but I relate culturally to the ethnic foods and holidays I celebrated all those years. It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked traditional Jewish dishes and last night was so fun!
\nThis photo is not my latkes…I chose one from Google images that looks exactly like mine. You wouldn’t think there would be so many ways to make the crispy potato pancakes fried in oil, but there are. Some use packaged shredded hash browns. Some grind the potatoes into a coarse mush. When you squeeze the water out and mix up a batter, the pancakes resemble a regular pancake. Some use a shredding attachment on a food processor. That works well if you are making a ton of latkes for a party. I like to use the old fashioned grater like Grandma used and shred about six good sized peeled red potatoes by hand. I also grate up a medium sized onion. I mix in about 1/8-1/4 cup all purpose flour which serves two purposes…it keeps the shredded potatoes from getting dark and it helps the pancakes hold together. At this point, you can set the potatoes aside to finish a little later.
\nI squeezed the excess moisture out of the potatoes and added four eggs lightly beaten and about a cup of Matzah Meal. I like my potato mixture to be think enough to form into thin patties and fry in hot oil till they are golden and crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Oh, my…they are divine. Some people eat latkes with applesauce on them but I prefer a dollop of sour cream. I made a big pot of Turkey Matzah Ball soup to go with the latkes, and a Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread for dessert. So yummy!
\nWhen we were visiting the FixIt kids the other night, I told them about Hanukkah and they were intrigued so I promised next year we’ll have a Hanukkah party. And maybe a Passover Seder, too! I think it can only benefit kids to be exposed to other cultures and religions and traditions. It makes for a more tolerant society and allows them to be conversant wherever they may go in life. ❤️
\n“The time came for the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. This was during the winter.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-28T02:30:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/28/latkes-for-a-late-hanukkah.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Fun","Gratitude","Comfort","Holiday","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/24/christmas-a-season-of-healing.html", "title": "Christmas: A Season of Healing", "content_html": "John 10:22 ICB
![\"Santa](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0c682f301c.jpg\")
“My Santa and Mrs. Claus”
Dear Santa,
\nThis is the sixth Christmas without my Mr. Virgo. I know you remember the day I sat beside you in your great big comfy chair. It was that first awful Christmas after he died. I was crying and you saw me standing there alone. And that great big heart of yours was so soft…you moved over to make room for me and patted the seat, letting me know I should come sit for a while.
\nI was crying…trying so hard to regain my composure. You waited patiently for me to gather my wits about me. Finally, I leaned towards you. You leaned in to hear. “My husband died. I need a new heart.” I could almost hear your heart breaking for me. You put your arm around my shoulders and whispered back. “I’m so sorry.” Your voice was thick with emotion. You patted my back as my shoulders shook with sobs.
\nIt wasn’t long till I got it together. I apologized for being such a mess. You said, “Nonsense. You’re perfect!” As I prepared to leave, you asked, “Won’t you have your picture taken with me?” My heart skipped a beat and for just a moment…a fleeting moment, I felt the joy of childhood as I nodded yes.
\nWe took a photo, you and I…and we were bonded in that moment. I’ve written to you every year since that December day in 2013. I’ve related my progress as I’ve navigated this grief journey…my ups and downs. My successes and the stumbles. And here it is…2018…and have I got news for you!
\nI got married!!! Yes…it’s true! I came back to West Virginia two years ago. Along the way, I ran into my best guy pal from high school and, well…the rest is history! We were married in a field at his home. We were married by our lifelong friend…a pastor. And, Santa…he such a good man, my Mr. FixIt. We are two peas in a pod. He goes to church with me every Sunday. It is the first time I have been equally yoked in a marriage and it is amazing!
\nI just wanted to let you know I’m doing well. I still have moments where I experience grief. I always will…it is the price you pay for great love. I continue my mission of writing here and reaching others who are on the same journey. Thank you for being there for me that sad, sad day. Thank you for being my cheerleader. And thank you again…from the very bottom of my heart…for being real and asking Jesus to bring me a new heart. ❤️
\n“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2018-12-24T02:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/24/christmas-a-season-of-healing.html", "tags": ["Faith","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Courage","Be Joyful!","Marriage","Uncategorized"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/20/winter-wonderland.html", "title": "Winter Wonderland", "content_html": "Psalm 147:3 NIV
![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9909153693.jpg\")
“My favorite entry in the Gingerbread competition at The Blennerhassett Hotel…three little gnome houses on “stump” cakes!”
One of my favorite places in my hometown is The Blennerhassett Hotel. It is the finest hotel and restaurant in town and I have had the pleasure of visiting it many times. It’s the place where my gal pals from my high school class gather for coffee. It’s where they have the parade of trees. Then the gingerbread houses. I marvel at both. The innovative ideas for the Christmas trees always leaves me smiling at all the creativity. And the gingerbread houses are just flat out amazing. This year, my favorite was the one with three little gnome houses on tree stump cakes. Camping was a big theme, as well.
\n![\"Camper](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e3ffff5b6e.jpg\")
“Camper Gingerbread House…SO cute!”
The Blennerhassett is where our High School Reunions meet on the second night. It’s where I sought refuge in February 2015 when I was living in my camper high over the banks of the Ohio River. The temperature got down to -25 wind chill, my refrigerator stopped working and all my food was ruined. I went to The Blennerhassett and took fifteen bubble baths in two days and came back refreshed and ready to face the rest of the winter. There is often live music in the bar on Friday nights. And there is a Farmers Market one day a week in the summers. It is truly one of my favorite places.
\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a093ffcea6.jpg\")
“Camping at Christmas Ginerbread House”
This year, Mr. FixIt and I were downtown paying a bill and ended up wandering into the hotel to walk around and marvel at the exquisite gingerbread houses. There is a competition and the prizes are the big rosette ribbons like the ones I earned when I baked competitively in Colorado. There is also a People’s Choice Award.
\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ec4e52105b.jpg\")
“Another little camper gingerbread house!”
Yesterday, I made about 12 dozen Rolo Pretzel Cookies and knitted dishcloths. We cleaned in preparation for the big family gathering Friday night. Tonight is the Thursday night bowling league Christmas party so we’ll be making beef noodles to take. I’m baking a Hummingbird Cake today. And, I’m going to bake up a big batch of Pepperoni Rolls…West Virginia’s state food! So, watch for pics and recipes tomorrow! ❤️
\n“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-20T02:30:59-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/20/winter-wonderland.html", "tags": ["Family","Camping","Fun","Comfort","Peace","Holiday","Art"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/18/say-i-love-you-with.html", "title": "Say “I Love You” With a Little Yarn \u0026 a Lotta Love", "content_html": "John 6:35 NIV
![\"Knitted](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c4a7ec551b.jpg\")
“Hand knitted dishcloth with the ASL sign for “I Love You” in the pattern.”
Yesterday’s post had me thinking about quick, last minute gifts for the holidays. I was in town Sunday afternoon so I stopped at Walmart and picked up some cotton yarn. Those cute patterns for dishcloths had me thinking I’d like to whip up some.
\nMr. FixIt had to go to town yesterday to help a friend build something and do a little Christmas shopping. I elected to stay home. I asked Alexa to play “Soft Christmas Music”, turned up the stove in the family room, grabbed a cup of coffee, and curled up by the tree. I pulled up the fox fur blanket that I had made from the coat Mr. Virgo gave me years ago. And I set to knitting.
\nIn the comments on yesterday’s post, my friend Jamie told me someone made her a dishcloth with the ASL symbol for “I Love You” knitted into it. I asked for the pattern and her friend sent the link. I still have the remnants of grief brain so I had to really concentrate on the pattern. I had to take out a row every now and then when I couldn’t remember where I was in the pattern. But before too long, I had one finished! I’ve started a second dishcloth from one of the pattern in the link I included yesterday.
\nThe other day, Daughter #2 called and said she missed my cooking. I asked her what dish she loved the most. Turkey Tetrawhatzit…my version of Turkey Tetrazzini. So, before Mr. FixIt got home, I put some of the frozen turkey from Thanksgiving in a pot with a little water and simmered it till I could shred the meat with a fork. In an electric skillet, I sautéed half an onion, some sliced mushrooms and celery in a little butter. I added a drained can of mixed veggies. When the turkey was shredded, I tossed it in the skillet with about a pint of the drippings from the pan I roasted the turkey in. While that simmered, I cooked some egg noodles. I mixed up some flour in some of the broth and thickened the turkey mixture, stirred in a cup of sour cream, and brought it just to a simmer then added the drained cooked noodles. Topped with a little shredded Parmesan and…voila! Turkey Tetrawhatzit! Comfort food at it’s best…and it made me think of my daughter. Mr. FixIt said…”Send her a picture!” I did…then called her so she could “join us for dinner!”
\nIt was a lovely day…peaceful, comforting, homey, warm with a big dash of “I Love You!” ❤️
\n“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-18T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/18/say-i-love-you-with.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Prayer","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Comfort","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Art"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/12/feel-your-feels.html", "title": "Feel Your Feels", "content_html": "Psalms 23:6 ESV
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/29e69ca1ec.jpg\")
“These are some of my favorite Christmas memories.”
As I sit and write this post, Mr. FixIt is in town helping his daughter with something and I am getting ready to address Christmas cards while listening to carols on Pandora. I just had my coffee and a couple of the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies I made yesterday. Another heavy hoar frost has the branches of the forsythia decorated with fuzzy white crystal fingers outside the window where I am perched. The mechanical angel on top of the tree is gently moving her wings and arms as she nods her head slowly. It’s a peaceful scene here on the Ponderosa.
\nAs I was baking my grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Monday, I was reminiscing about Christmases spent out on the farm. Grandma seldom had any extras around because money was always tight living off the land. But, as Christmas approached, you could be sure to find certain special treats brought home from the Five & Dime in Harrisville in small brown paper sacks.
\nI especially remember the Christmas candies Grandma always set out in a special glass dish. Ruffled ribbons, chocolate straws, peppermint sticks…all conjure up the warmth of my grandma’s house at Christmas.
\nMy Uncle Bob had a developmental disability and lived at home all his life. Every Christmas, Bob would walk back on the hill with Grandma and select a tree to drag back down to the house. They were sparse little Charlie Brown trees. I thought they were kind of sad and pitiful back then because ours was always a big, full tree we selected from the lot down at the Shopping Center. Looking back with 65-year-old eyes, I’d give anything to go back and see the ornaments and sweetness of my childhood Christmases on the farm.
\nMr. FixIt and I have an artificial tree. He purchased it for me the first Christmas we were dating. I was in Colorado and he was walking around the mall when he saw Sears had their trees marked down drastically. He called and asked if I wanted one. He sent several photos and I selected a slim tree with feathered tips on the needles that make them look frosted. It’s prelit with white lights. No twinkling for me. And no colors. I like white light…and lots of it in the wintertime. It helps with my winter blues.
\nKeeping these memories alive helps comfort me in times of great loss. When I conjure up images of my grandma, my mom, my cousin, my aunt, my other mother…it reminds me while they are away from me physically, I have them with me always in my heart. Christmas isn’t always a happy occasion when you are actively grieving. Holding the memories close can help ease that pain and gives you the outlet you need to process your grief. Feel your feels, I always say. ❤️
\n“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-12-12T02:30:17-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/12/feel-your-feels.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Comfort","Love","Peace","Holiday","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/08/the-ghosts-of-christmas-past.html", "title": "The Ghosts of Christmas Past", "content_html": "Isaiah 32:18 NIV
![\"“The](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/9f03db1820.jpg\")
“The Parkersburg High School Band - 1960’s”
This is the time of year where my Hallmark heart kicks in and I feel the feels…a lot! Anything makes me cry…especially sappy sentimental stuff. Yesterday would have been my second father-in-law’s birthday. I was very close to him and I wasn’t able to attend his funeral because I had just totaled my truck and had a subdural hematoma. I couldn’t fly. I really miss him. I have so many “Pop” stories. Since his birthday was December 7th, it often fell on Hanukkah and Christmas is right behind.
\nThe subject of voicemails from our loved ones came up yesterday, as well. I texted Hubby #2 to tell him I was thinking of his dad. Then I remembered a video I have of Christmas 2009. I went back and watched it. There was seven beautiful minutes of Mr. Virgo and my grandchildren when they were so little. There were my daughters and son-in-law. There was my sweet brother. And…there was Pop! I watched it over and over. It made me smile and tugged at my heart strings at the same time.
\nLast night we were supposed to go to our graduating class Christmas Dinner. I didn’t feel real great yesterday morning yet I worked in the kitchen most of the day. By late afternoon, I was feverish and achy. We decided not to go and I hated that, but if you’re getting sick, it’s irresponsible to go out amongst the public. At first I was so hot I had to go outside and stand for a while. Then I couldn’t get warm and spent the rest of the evening under a pile of blankets. I felt a whole lot better by bedtime.
\nAs I browsed on Facebook last night, I came upon this photo of the Parkersburg High School All Male Military Marching Band. No, there were no girls allowed back then. That changed after we graduated in 1971. This picture was taken back in the ‘60s. I remember my parents taking us downtown to watch the Christmas Parade. I remember these Christmas decorations hanging across the downtown streets. I remember the thrill of seeing and hearing this award winning band as they marched down the street in their crisp uniforms and clean white bucks. Their precision and military style brought a sense of patriotic pride. Again…pictures like this, at this time of year especially, bring a happy/sad mix of emotions that I can’t resist diving into.
\nI think today I will bake cookies and watch Christmas movies! I may even hang out in my jammies all day!!! ?
\n“That precious memory triggers another...” 2 Timothy 1:5 MSG\n \n", "date_published": "2018-12-08T02:30:55-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/08/the-ghosts-of-christmas-past.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/12/04/a-victorian-christmas.html", "title": "A Victorian Christmas", "content_html": "
![\"Lynn](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0529fa2e27.jpg\")
“Lynn Nicholson opened her home for the Victorian Christmas Tour this weekend. Lynn has been a faithful reader for the last three years and it was a treat to visit with her!”
It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does…it blows me away.
\nGasp! “It’s Ginny McKinney!”
\nI had just stepped into the door of Lynn Nicholson’s house when I caught her eye from across the room.
\n“OMGosh! It’s you!” Lynn said as she walked toward me. “Welcome to my home!”
\n![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/450161a23d.jpg\")
“Lovely Christmas Villages are all around the living room in Lynn’s lovely home.”
We greeted each other with a warm hug as if we’d met years ago. And, in a way, we did. I had recently arrived in West Virginia when I saw in the paper they were having a walking tour of Victorian homes in the Historic Julia-Ann District in Downtown Parkersburg. I knew these beautiful homes by sight as we often drove by when I was growing up. I remember pressing my nose to the window in the backseat of the Oldsmobile, dreaming of what such elegance might look like inside. Never dreaming one day I’d know people who lived there and could go inside to visit.
\n![\"Belsnickel-like](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f4b3dfc811.jpg\")
“Icy crystals are sprinkled over the Belsnickel-style Christmas decor Lynn is so fond of collecting.”
The summer of 2015, I walked up and down the streets of Julia-Ann Square visiting yard sales. A woman and her husband were sitting in the driveway in front of their lovely home. We struck up a conversation and immediately clicked. I gave her my card. Now, three years later, I step into her home on the Christmas tour and…she knows me. I mean…she really KNOWS me. Lynn has been reading my blog every morning since the day we met in her driveway and I am equally thrilled and humbled.
\n![\"Belsnickel](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f29107ea32.jpg\")
“More Belsnickel decor.”
As we walked around her house, Lynn shares her treasures and gives us a history of the home. It was built in two phases. The original part of the house is log and sits in the back of the lot. Additions were added on over the years and the house gives off a Federalist vibe with a taste of Colonial thrown in for good measure. The principal floors are impeccable and built in bookcases provide ample space for the family heirlooms they keep on display year round.
\n![\"Three](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f031eaeb07.jpg\")
“As I visited with Judy Smith in the Caswell-Smith House, who should walk in but…Hubby #1 and his lovely wife! How fun!”
There were four houses on the tour this year. One is owned by one of my former classmates from high school, Debra Schaffer. Another is a massive mansion that is for sale. But the one house everyone always raves about belongs to my lifelong friend and relative, Judy Smith and her husband, Norm. If you recall, Judy and Norm had us over for dessert the week after the wedding. Norm gave Mr. FixIt the tour of the house as Judy and I sat and visited.
\n![\"Two](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5d25e1c879.jpg\")
“Charlotte and me…in the perpetual Christmas room at the Caswell-Smith House.”
The Smith-Caswell House is truly like stepping into a museum. And they live there. You can go there any time of the day and it looks the same. The beds are always made. The dishes are always done. The house is always dusted and impeccably clean. And every surface is adorned with something delightful. Music boxes, statuary, silver, crystal, china, and art from around the world is virtual eye candy. The icing on the cake is the warm hospitality with which every guest is greeted. This home was not only decorated for the owners, it is appointed with the guest in mind. The Smiths know this house is bigger that them. It belongs to us all a little bit. At least during the summer Garden Tour and the winter Christmas Tea.
\n![\"Scale](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1a1f31cd4e.jpg\")
“The new train in the postage-stamp sized backyard at the Caswell-Smith House.”
I took my wonderful friend, Charlotte with me this year. She is my cousin’s wife and my dear friend who graciously feeds the cats at the farm when I am not there. I wanted to do something special to repay her and since she has never toured the Victorian homes, we met for a long afternoon of browsing and sitting for cookies and Wassail.
\n![\"Feather](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/479b3ae535.jpg\")
“Vintage feather tree with hand-blown Victorian glass ornaments.”
As we stood in the small first floor bedroom in Judy’s house…in walked Hubby #1 and his wife! This brought the visit full circle and allowed me to connect the dots for Charlotte. Judy’s parents lived in what is now the home of my heart…my grandparents’ farm. Her parents brought her home to that house after she was born. They moved and my grandparents purchased the farm. Our families were always close and I always called her parents Uncle Ken and Aunt Lucy. When I started dating Hubby -#1, he spoke of HIS Uncle Ken and Aunt Lucy and they turned out to be the same people. Uncle Ken was my former mother-in-law’s brother. Confused yet? Hang on! When I married Hubby #1 and we had Daughter #1, that made her and my grandchildren blood relatives of Judy! I love that I am close to my exes and consider them family. I get along well with their wives. Heck, I get along well with Mr. Fixit’s ex wife. I try to exemplify love in all relationships so the generations coming up know it doesn’t have to be ugly when marriages don’t work out.
\n![\"Group](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8c6237b30c.jpg\")
“The day started out having coffee with my home girls…the ‘71 Divas Do Coffee!”
I want to end by letting you know I spoke with my cousin Tom’s wife last night. She wanted me to know she is doing surprisingly well. She has her moments, but having the four and a half years to grieve along the way as she prepared to say goodbye has been a great help in her adjustment. She appreciates everyone’s prayers. So, thank you for that.
\nLife is a huge quilt. We are all connected in some way, but love is the thread that holds us all together. ❤️
\n“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2018-12-04T02:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/12/04/a-victorian-christmas.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","West Virginia","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/25/a-tale-of-thanksgiving.html", "title": "A Tale of Thanksgiving", "content_html": "1 John 4:19-21 NIV
![\"Thanksgiving](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d969739655.jpg\")
“Thanksgiving Turkey”
Multiple trips to the store.
\nTwo turkeys because the frozen one refused to thaw.
\nTwo full days cooking.
\nA fifteen minute feeding frenzy in which 90% of the food was devoured.
\nFollowed by three hours cleaning the kitchen.
\nI am thankful for the following things.
\nAnd…
\n❤️
\n“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-11-25T02:30:59-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/25/a-tale-of-thanksgiving.html", "tags": ["Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Holiday","Choices","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/23/flexible-is-my-middle-name.html", "title": "Flexible is My Middle Name", "content_html": "Colossians 3:17 NIV
![\"WV](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8fa5e6da3e.jpg\")
“Thanksgiving Sunset on North Mountain”
The first change in holiday plans came when my cousin’s mother-in-law was admitted to the hospital and we decided to stay home Wednesday night and leave yesterday morning. Then, when we got there, we found out my elderly aunt fell this week and was too banged up for her brother to bring her for dinner. So, Mr. FixIt and I packed up some food and headed for a visit with them.
\nAs we were driving, I suggested we go back home after dinner instead of staying the night. We have fourteen for dinner tomorrow and there is much to be done. We returned to my cousin’s to eat and then headed home. It’s hunting season in West Virginia and the deer are all stirred up. We nearly hit six deer in the first ten miles. We arrived home, safe and sound. Fourteen hour round trip but OH so worth it!
\nThe uncle we visited is the one whose wife died the day after our wedding. I’ve been worried about him because he and my aunt were inseparable since they were in high school. He still has my elderly aunt living with him but right now he’s doing much better because he is getting some regular sleep.
\nSometimes, after being the long term caregiver for a dying spouse…there can be almost a sense of relief. Not that the loved one is gone, but that the suffering has ended. Fast on the heels of that can come guilt. You know you did everything you could while your person was here. You know you were at the end of your rope. But, you can easily punish yourself for feeling relieved that you can eat and sleep and rest. Once your mind goes into guilt mode, it’s easy to start finding other things to feel guilty about. Those times you lost your patience. Those times you said or did things you regret. It’s easy to beat yourself up about that because you KNOW you aren’t glad they’re gone. You just needed the pain to stop. For them, and for you.
\nThis doesn’t happen with everyone, but it happens more often than you think. And it’s hard to admit. Being a long term caregiver is not something I have gone through personally, but I’ve been around enough close family members to see how difficult it is. My point is, if you experience a sense of relief, please don’t beat yourself up. You’ve done a long, stressful, most difficult thing easing a loved one through their final journey. Be gentle with yourself. ❤️
\n“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”\n\n \n", "date_published": "2018-11-23T02:30:42-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/23/flexible-is-my-middle-name.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Peace","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/11/22/nothing-like-the-last-minute.html", "title": "Nothing Like the Last Minute", "content_html": "Romans 8:28 NIV
![\"Fresh](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/526c5ab0ee.jpg\")
“A fresh turkey takes the guesswork out of thawing.”
We were going to leave yesterday to travel to my cousin’s for Thanksgiving dinner but they have a loved one in the hospital and wouldn’t be home till late. We decided to leave bright and early this morning as that would give us another day to prepare for our company coming Saturday.
\nMr. FixIt and I bought a 25# turkey in preparation for 14 guests and plenty of leftovers. We bought said bird early last week. I pulled it from the freezer and put it in the fridge in the garage on Friday. I figured it would be totally defrosted in the ensuing eight days. Well, yesterday morning it was still hard as a rock. I mean, maybe the slightest icy give under the skin, but that’s it. No way that monster is going to be ready for Saturday’s guests. Heck, it might not be ready for CHRISTMAS at that rate.
\nI pulled the turkey from the fridge and let it sit in a galvanized tub on the basement floor till I realized the temps are supposed to be down in the twenties over the next few nights. That thing will never make it and since we’ll be gone for a couple of days, I can’t put it in the sink with water or leave it out of the fridge in case global warming shifts into high gear before Friday. I made the decision…I had to go to town and buy a fresh turkey. On the day before Thanksgiving. In a small town. My chances of meeting success were drastically slim.
\nI left Mr. FixIt and his vacuuming (for the fourth or fifth time this week…I’m not sure there are fibers left in this carpet. But, I digress.) and headed to town. The first store I come to…besides Dollar General…is Walmart. Since Dollar General most assuredly doesn’t carry fresh turkey, I elected to stop at Walmart. I didn’t hold out much hope and I was totally prepared to have to drive all over town. I sent up a little prayer and said, “Lord, you know I’ll drive all over town to find a fresh turkey but I sure would love it if You would make sure I find one at the first store I come to?” Sure enough, there was my turkey…and everything else I needed!
\n![\"Homemade](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/df4beec72a.jpg\")
“Homemade chocolate cake…Grandma Lois’ recipe.”
I came home and baked a cake for today. My son-in-law’s mom makes this cake all the time. Her mom got the recipe in an exchange at her ladies club years ago. It uses buttermilk, mayonnaise, and boiling water and it is the BEST chocolate cake I think I have ever had!
\n![\"Hydroponics](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1cf7b3e746.jpg\")
“Butter crunch lettuce…one hour from harvest to table…in November! Hydroponics rule!”
Later in the day, my friend Diane posted she had just bought some hydroponic lettuce produced in our tiny little town. I asked where I could get some and she brought a head over as a gift. It was fabulous and I can assure you, this is where I’ll be purchasing my salad greens this winter. And…NO fear of E. Coli! Win-win.
\nI hope you all have a wonderful holiday. May your turkey be tender and your gravy lump-free! I am thankful for all of you!!! ❤️
\n“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”\n\n", "date_published": "2018-11-22T02:30:28-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/11/22/nothing-like-the-last-minute.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Holiday","Wisdom","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/05/26/memorial-day-weekend.html", "title": "Memorial Day Weekend", "content_html": "1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
![\"Cemetery](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a6c41170e9.jpg\")
\nMy mom is buried on the far end there. She has purple flowers. Purple was her favorite color. Just ask anyone who knew her. It went so well with her perfectly white hair. Her headstone has my brother’s name engraved beside hers. The next headstone is my Uncle Bob’s. He lived at home all his life. He had a bad stutter and the kids at school made fun of him so Grandma kept him home to work the farm. He was strong as an ox and had the gentle heart of a lamb. His job every week was to ring the church bell to gather the worshipers at the little white church house on the hill. His headstone is engraved with “Mgr. of the Bell”. He was an angel unawares.
\nGrandma then Pop-Pop come next. Then Uncle Sonny who was killed in a plane crash in Germany in 1955. He was an Air Force Pilot. He was the light of everyone’s life and the light dimmed greatly for this family when he left us. Even though I don’t remember him, the stories I’ve heard all my life make me feel like I knew him.
\nTucked between the two far headstones is a small tuft of Mr. Virgo’s silver hair that I buried when I moved here. Even though he is buried overlooking the house we shared in Colorado, I wanted a piece of him here in the family cemetery where I could visit him. One of my friends lives just a stone’s throw from Mr. Virgo’s final resting place overlooking the golf course we used to play. I texted her yesterday and asked her, yet again, if she could leave a handful of wildflowers on his grave for me this weekend. I know he will get his flag, but I wanted him to have flowers, too. Jeanne told me that even though she never met him when he was living, she feels a kinship with him. She speaks to him every day when she walks through the graves on her way to the hiking trail in the hills beyond. She is always happy to lay a lilac or a peony with a whispered hello from me. She told me she found a glow in the dark golf ball and set it on her kitchen sink. She’s going to take that along as well. He’ll love that!
\nHere’s a salute to all the men and women who gave of themselves to serve our country. Here’s to those who soldiered on at home while their loved ones were gone. And here’s to the Gold Star parents whose child gave their all, most often on foreign soil, far removed from any comfort they may have provided. That loss weighed so heavy on my grandma. She always pictured that maybe, if she were there, she could have at least been there in his final moments, even though he was killed instantly. A mother thinks these things.
\nAs you celebrate the first grand weekend of summer…please, remember. ??❤??
\n“Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.”\nPsalm 27:3-5 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-05-26T01:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/05/26/memorial-day-weekend.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Prayer","West Virginia","Love","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/04/01/he-is-risen.html", "title": "He is Risen!", "content_html": "![\"Resurrection](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6956ca1ad9.jpg\")
“He is Risen!”
May you Rejoice and have a Blessed Easter. What was once nothing more than a Hallmark holiday for me has become a day of Rejoicing in the Risen Christ. Mr. FixIt and I went to church last night. They offered two services yesterday and two today. We felt Saturday would be less crowded. Wow…were we wrong! There wasn’t a seat in the place at the 5:00 service. The Worship Team outdid themselves and Pastor Justin gave an amazing message about just exactly WHO Jesus really is. It was wonderful!
\nIf you are a practicing Jew, this is the Passover season. I hope you enjoyed your Seders with friends and family and that your brisket was tender! I was a practicing Jew for 27 years. I organized the Seders for our small town. In 1986, we had 10 people. By the time I quit organizing them ten years later, 75 people attended. I had to finally give it over to a committee because it became too much. People brought side dishes and helped, but they always wanted me to make my famous Matzo Ball Soup and the Charoset and the Brisket and the Kugel. One year I even made homemade Gefilte Fish. It was a ton of work but there is nothing quite so fulfilling as feeding crowds their favorite holiday dishes.
\nI met my writing deadlines last week. Now it’s time to get those taxes done so it’s back to the farm tonight where I can spread out my papers without distraction. I’ve made continued progress on copying content over to the website. I wish I would have listened to my gut instincts four years ago and built the website then so I wouldn’t have this backlog. But, hindsight is 20/20. It will be great when everything is on the web page because you’ll be able to look back at the early posts more easily. When new widows come on board, they may not find posts they can relate to in my current writing. So I want them to have easy access to relatable topics.
\nIt’s April…can you believe that??? My Pop-Pop was born 119 years ago. He died when he was 72. I had just graduated from high school and it was my first experience with death. My Grandma was so strong. She lost a son 15 years before in a plane crash. I miss them so much. Their farm offers me solace and it’s such a peaceful place to write.
\nEnjoy this beautiful spring day! ❤️
\n“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.”\nLuke 24:2-3 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2018-04-01T01:30:30-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/04/01/he-is-risen.html", "tags": ["Faith","Prayer","Hope","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2018/01/01/out-with-the-oldin-with.html", "title": "Out With the Old...In With the New!!!", "content_html": "![\"Happy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6358b13262.jpg\")
\nI love when the calendar turns to a new year. The slate is wiped clean and you can start fresh…a great big do over. Never was this more impactful to me personally than January 1, 2014. It was the first New Year’s Day after losing Mr. Virgo. Somehow, I had it in my head that if I could just say “My husband died last year” it would somehow make the loss easier. It didn’t. Not by a long shot.
\nI had, in my crazed grief-stricken brain, thought it would be a good idea to start dating someone…just five months after my sweet husband died. Holy Mother of God…what was I thinking??? In my defense…I wasn’t thinking. That first year…well, really the first two years…I wasn’t sane. Not in a conventional definition of the word anyway. I did some things right, but my thinking was just off. My decision making skills were lacking. Thank God time and lots of prayer and introspection have brought me to this new place…this new life.
\nNow when I look at the New Year, I contemplate where I’ve been, what I’ve done, and formulate new goals. I don’t make resolutions. I’ve never kept a resolution in my life. But I do come up with a focus word. The word for 2017 was “Reach”. I think I lived up to that. I launched a new website. I spoke to several groups. I was interviewed on several podcasts and publications. I had a branded series developed for me called “Getting Bolder” on the Sisters on the Fly website. I continued to write an essay every day here. I traveled to Florida twice, the Outer Banks, Tennessee, and Colorado. I camped and/or had outings with the Girl Campers and Sisters on the Fly several times. I continued working on my social media platform to improve my chances of selling this book I’ve got basically written. And…I introduced you to Mr. FixIt. It’s been a really big year and I reached about as far as I could!
\nSo, now I need a new word for the new year. There are so many things I want to practice in the coming year. Patience. I am not a patient person. Compassion. I try, but I am not always successful practicing compassion with people who try my patience. Love. I want to feel my Heavenly Father’s love and involvement in everything I do so that I might feel that same love toward everyone…including those to whom I want to show compassion because they have tried my patience. You see where I’m going with this? You might think I’m going to choose the word “Patience” to meditate on this year, but you’d be wrong. I learned a long time ago not to pray for patience because when I do, God gives me every single little opportunity to practice it and I just don’t have it in me to be that challenged anymore. No, I have a different word in mind.
\nMy choice? Presence.
\nIf I am present in all I do, I am here to show up and do what is needed. If I am present…I feel God’s love. If I am present…I can actively choose to love others as Jesus loves me. If I feel God’s love, and actively choose to love others the way Jesus loves me, in every interaction I have…everything gets better. My relationships with family and friends are bound to improve. My interactions with others…even complete strangers…can only improve when I exemplify the kind of love Jesus has for me.
\nHow do you remain present in today’s hectic world? To achieve the kind of presence I am looking for, I need to start every day with a connection to the Source. I need to reach for His Word first…before Facebook. Before the news and weather. Even before Mr. FixIt. It doesn’t take much. Five minutes. Five minutes first thing every morning, before anything else, I will seek His face and feel His love for me. I will invite Him to come into my day…into my world…and walk with me. It’s no different than asking any other loved one to go for a walk with me. But the benefits are undeniably higher.
\nThat’s my word. Presence. Feel every moment. Focus on God’s love. Bring His Love and Light into every aspect of my life. I can’t help but shine! ❤️
\n“After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.”\nEcclesiastes 5:18-20 MSG
\n", "date_published": "2018-01-01T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2018/01/01/out-with-the-oldin-with.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Presence"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/26/practicing-minimalism.html", "title": "Practicing Minimalism", "content_html": "![\"Opening](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4ebfd31ac0.jpg\")
\nI’ve had opulent Christmases where opening presents was a long, drawn out affair. And, I’ve had lean Christmases where money was scarce. I’ve seldom had a Christmas where we just intentionally bought each other a small gift so we could do something else…in this case, put new carpet in the family room that we recently painted. I have to tell you, it felt good to not have to worry about shopping, wrapping, paying for, and storing more “stuff” while still having a small token to enjoy.
\nI gave Mr. FixIt a nice weather station that records wind speed and direction, rainfall, temperature and humidity. It’s connected to the WiFi so we can check our weather at home wherever we are through an app on the phone. Kind of fun!
\nI got a much needed cushion for my banker’s chair and a book commemorating the Centennial of our high school. We had a big breakfast, watched movies, and went for a long drive to look at Christmas lights. Perfect!
\nAnd now, Christmas is over for another year. We’ll still have a week of festivities surrounding New Year’s, and then we have that long stretch of cold, grey winter. That’s what does me in. I love the cold and snow…at Christmas. Then I’m ready for March. It’s better now that Mr. FixIt is in the picture. He brings a welcome distraction. I remember the first winter or two after Mr. Virgo died were absolutely miserably long! I think Christmas lights should be left up till at least the end of February to bring light and joy into the night!
\nWe are planning a lot of activities to pass the time till warm weather returns. Hand therapy will take some time. Dinner parties, crafting weekends with the girls, sewing projects. I want to teach Mr. FixIt’s daughter how to knit. Maybe his granddaughters would like to learn, too. There are projects inside that need doing…stripping wallpaper and painting, replacing the backsplash and countertops in the kitchen, replacing some doors and baseboards. Lots to keep us busy.
\nThis is my new life. I still sometimes sit in awe that I have been blessed with another opportunity to love, another family to cherish, another home to care for. It seems surreal after so much loss, so much pain. I swore I would never do this again. Oh….but, I’m SO glad I did. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything! What a blessing this is! ❤️
\n“Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.”\nProverbs 15:16 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-26T02:30:08-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/26/practicing-minimalism.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/25/merry-christmas.html", "title": "Merry Christmas", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a4048ce496.jpg\")
\nWishing you Peace and Love…today and always!
\nLove, Ginny
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-25T02:30:48-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/25/merry-christmas.html", "tags": ["Faith","Hope","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/24/santa-is-real.html", "title": "Santa IS Real", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d52e8da8f9.jpg\")
\nHe held three beautiful children on his lap that afternoon in the mall. Three shining faces, looking up at him in rapt attention, their eyes glittering in awe. He’d done this many times over the years…listening to the repeated requests for dolls, trucks, maybe a baby brother or sister once in awhile. It never got old with him. He was born to be Santa!
\nAs the children got up one by one and gave the jolly man a hug, they smiled into the camera for that “Christmas Card shot” and he sent them on their way with a candy cane and a wave. He looked around and saw the line had finally thinned and he could take a much needed break. That’s when he saw her.
\nA woman stood alone, a fair distance away, but not so far that he missed her tears. Their eyes met and he held her gaze for a few moments.
\n“What’s this?” he thought. “Something’s up.”
\nThe cocked his head to the side, and without looking away, he moved slightly to his left in the chair, and patted the seat beside him. The woman looked a little startled, as though she might turn and run. But, he softened his shoulders, softened his eyes, and patted again.
\nThe woman gripped the wad of Kleenex in her hand, took a deep breath, and moved cautiously forward. At first, she sat on the stool at his feet with her eyes cast down. She didn’t say a word. He bent forward and whispered.
\n“Please, sit here. Come up here where I can talk to you.”
\nThe woman dutifully got up and moved to the seat beside him. He could tell she was visibly distraught and he didn’t want to rush her. There was no one in the line and the mall had hit the mid afternoon slump.
\nThe woman began to whisper and he had to lean in close to hear her.
\n“I lost my husband.” she said. “I need a new heart.” At this point, she burst into tears. He put his arm around her. He pulled her close in to his side and whispered.
\n“I am so sorry.” There wasn’t much more he could say to that.
\nThe woman struggled and managed to choke out the words. She had lost her husband to a sudden heart attack as they were standing in a travel trailer, picking out one to take them on adventures in retirement. And then he was just gone. She didn’t know how she was going to live without him. It broke his heart.
\nAfter a while, the woman regained her composure and apologized.
\n“Oh, I’m so sorry. I must look a fright!” she said.
\n“You’re perfect.” he whispered as he handed her another Kleenex and they smiled at each other. She got up to leave.
\n“Will you have your picture taken with me?” he asked.
\n“Really? I’d love to.” she replied.
\nAs the “elf” handed her the photo, she looked at it and her lip quivered ever so slightly.
\n“Thank you for stopping.” he said.
\n“Thank you for being real.” she whispered back.
\nIt’s been five Christmases since I met my Santa. Every year, I send him my letter, telling him what I’ve done this year…things I’ve accomplished, things I still need to do. And I thank him. For being so kind to a grieving widow suffering through her very first Christmas without her love. Santa writes back and tells me his life was forever changed that day and he is so happy to see me doing better every year.
\nIt’s going to be a big letter this year! I get to tell him about Mr. FixIt and how much bigger my family is now after adding 12 more people to it…including a new great granddaughter! I get to tell him about our travels and how we got to spend time with my Colorado family this year and how much I miss them at Christmas.
\nI think I taught him a lot that year. I taught him just how difficult it is that first year without your love. The second was probably worse. At least, it was for me. If you are struggling with the loss of your loved one, do be gentle with yourself. This is such a fragile time of year. I’m here to say…with time, prayer, hard work, and perseverance, life can get better again. Joy cometh in the morning, the Bible says. And, it does.
\nOh, and just in case you’re wondering…Santa IS real. And…he is my friend. ❤️
\nDear Santa…
\n“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.””\nRuth 2:12 NIV
\nLove,
\nGinny
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-12-24T02:30:27-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/24/santa-is-real.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/22/here-we-go-awassailing.html", "title": "Here We Go a’Wassailing", "content_html": "
![\"Cider](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a1bd41145f.jpg\")
\nI remember going caroling as a young girl. A group of my friends and I would gather and roam the neighborhood, ringing doorbells then singing carols to the family who answered. Of course they were home. It was just after dinner time…families were always home at dinner time.
\nI loved Christmas when I lived in England. Steeped in such old world traditions, carolers there literally looked as though they had just stepped from the pages of a Charles Dickens novel. Wassail is both a greeting and a drink. Traditional wassail is a complicated affair that includes eggs. This recipe is more like what we call spiced, or mulled, cider. Victorians carried a bowl of wassail out into the street and sold cupfuls for pennies. A bit of toasted bread was placed on top. Hence, the expression…”Let’s have a toast!” when you raise your glass.
\nWassail, or spiced cider, or mulled wine…all conjure up Currier and Ives scenes of horse-drawn sleighs, women in capes and muffs, men in top hats, snow gently falling. Sleigh bells jingling with the rhythm of the horse’s gait. The last scene of one of my favorite movies, White Christmas, shows this very picture as they throw open wide the doors behind the stage.
\nI doubt we will have a white Christmas this year in West Virginia. But we WILL be having “The First Annual FixIt Family Holiday Extravaganza” on Saturday. This will consist of the WVU Basketball game, hors d’oeuvres, opening presents, and eating a big pot of chili with homemade cinnamon rolls for supper. I’m over my cold, thank you God! (Zicam is my secret weapon…reduces a two-week ordeal to three days!) I didn’t go to Colorado this year…for a number of reasons. Mainly because Mr. FixIt had hand reconstruction surgery two weeks ago and couldn’t do much of anything. He’s doing really well…thank you for your prayers. He went to get the stitches removed but it’s not quite healed up enough for that so he’ll go back next week.
\nWhat are some of your favorite family holiday traditions? I’d love to hear them! And, if you have a recipe you’d like to share, please do. ❤️
\n“Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.”\n1 Corinthians 11:2 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-12-22T02:30:51-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/22/here-we-go-awassailing.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/19/the-modem-of-the-mind.html", "title": "The Modem of the Mind", "content_html": "
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8e8765720c.jpg\")
\nI really love living out in the country. It’s peaceful. There’s lots of wildlife. It’s a slower life. I like life slow. I don’t like slow internet, however. Being a writer is a beautiful thing…until I’m standing with my cell phone over my head waving it around like a dead chicken, trying to get just…one…more…bar. It can be maddening.
\nMany of the images I use in my posts are really large…especially since I got my new iPhone. Great camera equals great pictures. Great pictures equals larger file size. That presents two problems. One, Wordpress only accepts files up to a certain size. Two, internet in the country is powered by two squirrels and a possum! It sometimes takes multiple attempts to get a photo or meme down to an acceptable size. That takes time and patience.
\nI went to the only office supply store in our little corner of the world and asked what I could do to make our internet work at the far end of the house where I write. We tried a booster. That didn’t work. We tried a repeater. That didn’t work either. Finally, I got the manager and he gave me a lesson in how WiFi works.
\nWiFi, it turns out, is pretty much like your water system. If you have one faucet in your house, every last bit of water pressure is going to send that water out like Old Faithful. However, if you have every faucet in the house turned on, the dishwasher running, a couple of showers, and someone flushes? You’ll be lucky to get a dribble. When we first got WiFi in our houses, we had a desktop computer, and maybe a laptop. Now we have, in this house alone, two iPhones, an iPad, Alexa, a laptop, two computers and a smart TV. It isn’t any wonder we can’t get everything to run well.
\nAs I was driving home from the store after that enlightening conversation, I thought about how my faith journey can be so much like that WiFi. When it’s just me and God, the signal is loud and clear. I feel His presence. I hear His Holy Spirit in my heart. I connect. But when I start plugging in device after device, my connection gets spotty. I start dropping calls. It is not good to keep God on hold. When I have too many “devices” plugged in, like we all do at the holidays, something has to go. And the first thing that went was my health. I caught a cold. I haven’t had a full fledged cold in a really long time. I mean a knock-you-down-and-drag-your-sorry-butt-to-bed kind of cold. This is that kind of cold, darn it.
\nThe good news is, colds are finite. You’re miserable for a few days and it gets better. I’ll be fine by Christmas. But, it IS a reminder to unplug some of those “devices” and spend some one-on-one time with God so my signal is clearer. ❤️
\n“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”\nRevelation 3:20 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-12-19T02:30:33-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/19/the-modem-of-the-mind.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/15/the-happy-accident.html", "title": "The Happy Accident", "content_html": "
![\"Alice](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f8cf29b352.jpg\")
\nI love this time of year! There are so many fun things to do…parties, family gatherings, cookies to bake, trees to trim, packages to wrap. One thing I really miss this year is the chance to see my granddaughters perform in their annual holiday programs at school. I miss my girls. So, when Mr. FixIt’s son called the other night to tell us about his youngest having her program, we were thrilled to say, “Yes!”
\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d63c2ddab2.jpg\")
\nI asked Mr. FixIt where the concert was going to be and he said it was at the historic hotel downtown. Neither one of us could figure out why on earth they would have it there. The venue isn’t nearly big enough. But, we didn’t ask questions. We just dressed for the occasion and headed downtown last night. We were lucky and found a parking space pretty close. We were really early so we could get a good seat. We got a coffee and walked around looking at the gingerbread houses on display for the contest being held this week. Finally, we headed to the ballroom to find a seat. When we opened the door, it was set up for a Christmas dinner party. We looked at each other in confusion. A gentleman said we could go on in.
\n“Ummmm, we’re here for the junior high choir concert.”, I said.
\nNow it was the gentleman’s turn to look puzzled. “This is the First Bank Christmas Party.”
\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/77daf111c6.jpg\")
\nI saw the light bulb come on over Mr. FixIt’s head. He started laughing. “It’s at the school!” he said. “It has the same name.” In his defense, he’s been taking pain pills since his surgery, but we had a good laugh over it. We had plenty of time to get where we needed to go and we found good seats. If it hadn’t been for Mr. FixIt’s misunderstanding, he wouldn’t have seen the gingerbread houses. So, it was a happy accident that we went to the wrong place first.
\n![\"Gingerbread](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/325a2913fd.jpg\")
\nThis particular granddaughter goes to the same junior high I went to. I remember we had a strong choir program so I was looking forward to not only seeing her perform, but to see how well the choir did in general. As it turns out, they’re doing great. Over 270 students take part in the music program. That’s nearly half the students. They did a great job.
\n![\"Choir](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7b68a818eb.jpg\")
\nSchool programs always take me back to the days when I performed onstage. I was in choir all through school and loved it. I still remember my first solo. I was in sixth grade and sang “What’s New at the Zoo in the musical “Cowboy on the Moon”. Yeah…it wasn’t Broadway material, but oh…I thought it was magical! The lights, the applause, the nervous excitement, the new dress or choir robe. Some of my most fond memories are of choir concerts. ❤️
\n“Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”\nPsalms 33:1-3 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-12-15T02:30:04-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/15/the-happy-accident.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Fun","West Virginia","Love","Peace","Holiday","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/13/just-one-more-day-with.html", "title": "Just One More Day With Wanda", "content_html": "
![\"Aqua](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c1b6956e68.jpg\")
\nYesterday’s post struck a sad place within my heart so I wanted to take today in a different direction, though in the end…I’m not sure I have. I’ve really loved all the reminiscing we’ve been doing this month. There were certainly Christmases that were difficult for me growing up and I don’t have good memories of them. But most of my holiday memories are all warm and fuzzy.
\n![\"Blonde](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f0fec18dab.jpg\")
\nI ran across this photo the other day on Pinterest. Remember aqua? Mom let me “redecorate” the living room when I was in high school. Man…that woman must have loved me to the core to let me do what I did to her house! First, we bought the aqua sofa. Then I painted the walls a lighter shade of aqua. We found a room sized remnant of a dark aqua shag rug that I put down. I found shiny drapes in the same dark aqua. We bought these blonde wood end tables, probably at Sid’s Furniture. The lamps had odd angles and big shades. The piece de resistance was a big wall clock with an atomic sunburst pattern. OMGosh! It was like living in an aquarium! Too bad we didn’t have this aqua Christmas tree. That would have been a hoot. My poor mom kept that color in her living room till the day she died some 44 years later.
\n![\"Grey](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/02484f4405.jpg\")
\nOur kitchen was so small. The walls were pale yellow. We had this same grey Formica table and chairs. The countertop was green with metal trim around the edges. Mom put up sunny yellow curtains with ruffles and it looked so cheery. The bathroom had pink fixtures. Mom let me paint and wallpaper in there sometime in the ‘80s. Remember when peach was a color you painted walls? Turquoise, peach with pink, yellow with green and grey. Lord have mercy. Mom loved it…because I did it. She wouldn’t let me change a thing. Partially because it meant she might have to get rid of stuff and I can absolutely relate to how daunting a chore that is.
\nIt took months to fix it all up after she passed so I could sell her house. She would have loved the changes. I think. Maybe. I loved the new look. It was hard to sell that house when I was done and I’ve regretted the decision ever since.
\nI miss my mom. I miss our talks every Sunday. I miss her cool hands on my brow. I miss her calling me “Sis”. Or, Virginia Lynne if she was mad at me. I miss her naïveté to the ways of the world. I miss her big, loving heart. I miss making her laugh till she couldn’t catch her breath. I miss her spirit and her attempts at cussing. She couldn’t spit the words out. I miss her loyalty and her generosity. I miss her especially at Christmas. She used to frustrate the heck out of me, which is what moms sometimes do to their daughters, I think. But….oh my. What I wouldn’t give to spend just one more day with Wanda. ❤️
\n“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”\nJohn 16:22 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-13T02:30:25-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/13/just-one-more-day-with.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Love","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/11/a-new-old-tradition.html", "title": "A New Old Tradition", "content_html": "![\"Dr.](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/3ce5352af6.jpg\")
\nMr. Fixit and I have a unique relationship. Even though we have only been together a year, we share our earliest childhood memories because we grew up in the same town, at the same time. We are a little over a year apart in age, yet we graduated high school together. We have a lot of conversations that start with…”Hey, do you remember…?” That is unusual unless you’ve been with someone forever. We were in very early grade school together, then my family moved from Parkersburg up to Vienna…the next little town upriver. We joined up again in high school and became the best of friends so, we have literally known each other just shy of fifty years, even though I remember him from 1959.
\n![\"Snowy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cb71e4a5d7.jpg\")
\nAs we create this new life together, we are revisiting time-honored traditions we each enjoyed with our families growing up. Last night, we shared one of our favorites…driving around looking at Christmas lights. We started our day out going to church. Afterwards, we went to the old Dutch Pantry restaurant for lunch. Now, the Dutch Pantry opened in 1972…the year after we graduated from high school. And, much to Mr. FixIt’s disbelief, I have never eaten there. To celebrate their 45th year in business, the Dutch Pantry is serving four meal specials…at 1972 prices! We had a huge plate of melt-in-your-mouth pot roast over dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans for $2.45!!! It was SO good. Afterwards, we headed to the mall and walked around. I bought a red Christmas sweater for $11 and we went to our first movie together. When we came out, it was dark. We stopped at Rural King and bought cat food and litter, got a cold drink at McDonald’s, and headed to City Park to drive through and see the animated light displays.
\n![\"Parkersburg,](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bdae72c4a4.jpg\")
\nOne of my most treasured childhood memories was the one night during the holidays when we piled in Dad’s Oldsmobile and drove around to see the Christmas lights. The last stop was the most special. Robert Fankhauser…Dr. Bob…brought me into this world. (Back in the days when they held the baby upside down and smacked them on the butt! Can you imagine???) Dr. Fankauser had a big house on Grand Central Avenue…the main drag through Vienna. He always decorated with elaborate displays. Painted plywood cutouts of angels and carolers and Santa and Rudolph and Elves were the standard fare. But this one year, he made a rocket ship…a nod to the space age we were in. This first photo shows that rocket ship. There was music playing over loudspeakers and everyone drove slowly by with their windows down…ooooohing and ahhhhhhing over the beautiful decorations. It was truly magical.
\n![\"Market](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5544e2b31a.jpg\")
\nI love creating new memories with this sweet man who shares so much of my past memories. It is so special and I t makes me smile. ❤️
\n“I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,”\n2 Peter 1:13 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-11T02:30:29-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/11/a-new-old-tradition.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Holiday","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/10/its-that-time-of-year.html", "title": "It’s That Time of Year", "content_html": "![\"Snowy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e4e54a2659.jpg\")
\nI visit this topic every year. There’s always a big hullaballoo every year about what to say when greeting others around the holidays. It seems like there are just WAY too many perceived offenses surrounding this subject. There are those offended by “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings”. There are some who are not necessarily offended by “Merry Christmas” but who wish to be more inclusive. Sometimes the debate gets heated and we forget what the whole thing is all about in the first place. Love. The kind of love that transcends all other love.
\nWhile I was not born Jewish, I lived as a Jew for 27 years. I became Jewish for a number of reasons, but it was NOT to convert because of a marriage. I married a Jewish man, but I considered myself Jewish before I met him. When he joined a medical practice in a small town on the western slope of Colorado, we were faced with a bit of a dilemma. Everything was strictly “Merry Christmas”. Which is fine. I have no problem with that. The Christmas program included Hanukkah songs, which was great. But, it was Hanukkah songs without acknowledging Hanukkah, per se. The other children in the school weren’t taught there was anything else BUT Christmas. They thought Hanukkah was the Jewish Christmas, and it isn’t. It doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. And, being a stickler for education, I wanted the children to learn about all the winter holidays. I wanted all the children to be included and celebrated. And to do that, it couldn’t just be about ONE holiday…as if that were the only one.
\nI joined an ad hoc committee on religious sensitivity in the schools. We added books about other winter festivals and holidays to the school and public libraries. We asked for the program to be called the Winter Celebration. We were met with incredible resistance. The mayor of the little town was a former priest. He took great offense at our request. To the point that he hung a banner over the Main Street of town accusing the “heathens of trying to take Christmas away from our kids”. Personally, I really loved that man. He was kind, generous, and worked very hard for our town. He got our local representative involved. It was a real mess. We met with them. We communicated. We pleaded for our children to be included. And, as time passed…they were. We weren’t trying to take anything away from other children. We were trying to expand the scope of the holidays to embrace all children.
\nI don’t feel any holiday should be diluted. Every faith has its own place in this melting pot of a country. Religious freedom is what this country was founded on. I am a great proponent of inclusivity. In the years since, I have become a Christian. My faith is very important to me. But, I have a memory. And my little girl was ostracized by her peers. She was…to her face…called a “stupid effing Jew” and that is totally unacceptable.
\nSo, here’s my bottom line. I do not care if you say Merry Christmas. I didn’t care when I was Jewish if you said Merry Christmas to me. You were being kind and wishing me well. What’s not to love about that? I, however, will more than likely say “Happy Holidays” to you unless I know for certain that you celebrate Christmas. Because, I am not clairvoyant. Unless you are wearing a Santa suit or elf ears, I’m not going to assume who or what you are. I will respect your human-ness. With a heartfelt holiday greeting.
\nI love Christmas. And, I love Hanukkah. I am not familiar with Kwanza, but I love that there is such a holiday. For me personally, I love the story of the Nativity, of the birth of the Christ Child. And, I love all of you. I hope this season is full of love, no matter what your faith…or lack thereof. This is a dark time of year, and a dark time of the world in many ways. We all need all the Love and Light we can get…and not just in December! ❤️
\n“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;”\nLamentations 3:22 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-10T02:30:37-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/10/its-that-time-of-year.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Forgiveness"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/09/its-ok-to-sayno.html", "title": "It’s Ok to Say...No!", "content_html": "![\"Background\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/097e55ae69.jpg\")
\nThe first year of widowhood, absolutely everything was totally overwhelming. I cried my way through the grocery story. I was filled with angst over making decisions as small as getting my hair cut while I easily went out on a three month trip in my little camper. Work was difficult and I made mistakes. I sat through family holidays literally biting the insides of my cheeks to keep from screaming. It was so hard.
\nThe second year wasn’t much better for me. Worse, in many ways. Mainly because now I was awake and aware and he was still gone. This, however, was the year I learned to say no. In the tiniest of ways. When I felt overwhelmed during the holiday celebrations, I left the room for a break. And no one made a fuss. No one got mad. No one had a hissy fit. As a matter of fact, I’m not really sure they noticed. And that emboldened me to try saying no more often.
\nThis is the fifth Christmas without Mr. Virgo. You would think after this long, and having a new love in my life, I’d have a handle on this whole grief thing, wouldn’t you? But, I don’t always. Take the last month, for instance. My stress level went through the roof. Mr. FixIt and I started fixing up his house. We had his family over for Thanksgiving. I’m just getting to know them and I really want things to be good. We traveled to see some of my relatives over Thanksgiving. Mr. FixIt traveled and I took care of two homes, five cats, cleaning, decorating and rearranging. Then we had pre-op visits and his surgery. I had a huge change in my health insurance and my bill went up. Not something I planned for. I need new brakes on my truck.
\nI always go see the kids and grands in Colorado at Christmas. I kept putting off buying my tickets because I didn’t know how this surgery would affect Mr. FixIt. I didn’t know how long it would be till he could drive, cook, even dress himself. Everything piled up and my anxiety was through the roof. Finally, I had a talk with my daughter. I explained my situation and before I could even finish, she said, “Mom, it’s ok. You’ve got a lot on your plate and you have to do what you have to do. The kids are big enough now to understand adult stuff happens and things don’t always work out the way you planned. Don’t worry about it…it’s fine. Really.” And…just like that…the weight fell off my shoulders. I hadn’t even realized how tense I’ve been till I let go of that and sighed.
\nAs it turns out, it’s absolutely the right decision. Mr. FixIt’s surgery went well, but there are things we hadn’t thought of that he can’t do alone. Opening his pill bottles. Washing the dishes. Showering and dressing. I know this man. If I’m not watching, he’ll be trying to do things he should NOT be doing. I told my friend, Gail, I wasn’t going to Colorado. She said, “Family is important. But so are new relationships.”
\nIt’s ok to say no. It’s ok to acknowledge your limits. It’s ok to take care of yourself and not feel guilty. It’s ok not to be the perfect mother, grandmother, lover, friend, wife, sister, colleague. It’s ok to not go to that party. It’s ok to turn down that invitation to the ornament exchange party. It’s ok to back out of something you thought you could do, but when the tie came to do it it just felt too overwhelming. It’s ok. It’s ok. It’s ok.
\nYesterday Mr. Fixit and I hung out at the house all day in our jammies. We watched movies. We ate good food. I made homemade vegetable beef soup and hot rolls. We didn’t do a darned thing and that was ok. My stress level dropped exponentially after the surgery was over and I knew I didn’t have to scrape together enough money for a plane ticket in a week or two.
\nThe lesson learned here is…there’s really not much that you absolutely HAVE to do surrounding holidays. We have such great expectations and they seldom pan out the way we imagine them anyway. So, why not just give yourself a break and stop trying to create the perfect holiday? Try these things instead…
\nPractice saying no once in a while.
\nMake a cup of tea.
\nBreathe.
\nEat a chocolate.
\nRead a magazine.
\nGo for a walk.
\nTake a nap.
\nSend a card.
\nWatch your favorite movie.
\nTake a bubble bath.
\nLight candles in the evening.
\nCall a friend.
\nDraw a picture.
\nKnit.
\nBake cookies.
\nWatch the snow fall.
\nGo for a drive.
\nDonate to charity.
\nListen to music.
\nGet a massage.
\nPray.
\nSelf care. It’s not selfish. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Reduce your holiday expectations. Just say…”No…no, thank you. I’d love to another time. Thank you so much for asking but I’m stretched so thin right now, I need to practice some self care.” Be honest. Tell the truth. Just. Say. No.
\n“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”\n3 John 1:2 ESV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-09T02:30:49-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/09/its-ok-to-sayno.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/07/a-lost-art.html", "title": "A Lost Art", "content_html": "![\"Vintage](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2b81d02043.jpg\")
\nHow many Christmas cards did you get last year? Not too many, huh? Yeah…me either. Maybe it’s because I lived on the road for a couple of years. Maybe it’s because Mr. Virgo died. Maybe it’s because the “old guard”…the older generations…are passing on. Maybe it’s because I stopped sending them. Whatever the reason, the giving and receiving of Christmas Cards seems to have fallen to the wayside with the likes of the “Thank You Note” and the “Handwritten Letter”.
\nI remember it being such an honor for Mom to let me open a Christmas Card when it arrived. I slowly opened each envelope, being careful not to rip the return address. We ooohed and ahhhed over the picture on the cover marveling over the glitter or the crystals of “snow”. We read every word. We pored over the newsy letter that was enclosed in the cards of those who lived far away. These weren’t “brag letters”. These were informative bringing us up to date with the news of the year because phone calls were expensive and this may be the only way to catch up.
\nMy mom knew a man named Mr. Pancake. Really…that was his last name. One year, he had Christmas Cards made. They were cutouts of a pancake with a smiley face on it. Inside, it said “Merry Christmas from the Pancake House.” We kept that card forever. I think it was still in Mom’s treasures when she died. I don’t know if I kept it or not. That was my most memorable card.
\nI love the photo cards that you can look back on and see how children have grown and the older folks have aged. I even love the “brag letters”. Getting a piece of mail that isn’t a bill or an advertisement is such a joy that I don’t care what’s in it or on it. I just appreciate the thought.
\nI was shopping the other day and came across the Christmas Card display. I browsed through them, smiling over Santas and Snowmen and Reindeer. My heart warmed at the Nativities and The Wisemen and Angels. My fingers and hands were sparkling with glitter when I chose a small box and took it to the register. When Mr. Fixit got home from Florida, I showed him my prize. He smiled and took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’ll get my address book.” he said. I smiled back and said, “I’ll get mine.”
\nNext, we’ll make one that is “ours”. ❤️
\n“You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”\n2 Corinthians 3:2-3 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-12-07T02:30:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/07/a-lost-art.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Fun","West Virginia","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/12/02/more-christmas-memories.html", "title": "MORE Christmas Memories", "content_html": "
![\"Ceramic](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/bf84f90cf7.jpg\")
\nI have been on such a nostalgia kick lately! Here’s one I know you all will remember and you probably had (still have!) one of these bad boys. My mom had one that she made in a ceramics class. As a matter of fact, I think I might have made one somewhere along the way. I seem to remember painting on the glaze that puffed up like snow and gluing the little ornaments in the holes. Wow…that’s like opening the top of your head and reaching WAY back in the memory banks!
\nMom got to the point where this was the extent of her holiday decorating. When Christmas was over, she dusted off the “tree”, put a dry cleaning bag over it, and took it back upstairs to the attic till the next year. I found it up there after she died. It’s one of the things I saved when I cleared out her house. And, unfortunately, it’s one of the only things that broke during one of my many moves over the years. It made me so sad.
\nI was rummaging around in the upstairs of the cellar house the other day and ran across one of these in a box up there. I need to get it out and set it up on the dining room table. My aunt used to put it out when she lived there.
\nI was wandering around the mall yesterday and was thinking of more things we used to get at Christmas. Remember those round bath oil beads? They were jewel-toned, came in about four or five scents, and often were in a tube with a plastic crook on the end to look like a candy cane. You put on in your bath and the hot water would melt the gelatin bead and the oil would come out into the water. Only, who could resist picking it up and playing with it till it completely dissolved???
\nHow about the Easy Bake Oven??? OMGosh! Do you remember how horrible that stuff tasted??? Yet, we ate it! There was Chatty Cathy, Betsy Wetsy, Tiny Tears. I always wanted one but never got one. I did get the bride doll that was as tall as me! And I had a Barbie. My Aunt Marge once traded eggs for a Barbie Doll dress that the neighbor made. I knew that was a big deal for her to do that and I took extra special care of that dress.
\nHow about the socks with the toes in them? Or games like Operation or Chutes and Ladders or Candyland. I remember getting a set of Old Maid cards once.
\nOne year, money must have been really tight. Mom ordered our Christmas presents from a catalog and they didn’t come in time for Christmas. So on Christmas morning, mom gave us each an envelope with the pictures of what we were going to get when the box arrived. But then, when the box did come, Dad found out Mom had charged the items so he made her send them all back. We were so disappointed and to this day, it makes my heart ache for her. She had to have felt horrible that we didn’t get a Christmas.
\nWe moved into the house we grew up in over Christmas break when I was in second grade. The house and furnishings were our Christmas that year. I remember my Grandmother bought me a bedroom set. It was grey, very modern. It had a twin bed and a dresser that had a drop\nFront that turned into a desk. Grandmother made curtains out of pink fabric with grey poodles on them. There was an old TV console in my bedroom and for some reason, she made a cover for that as well. I even had a black metal trash can with a poodle on it! My brothers room was decorated with a Cincinnati Reds theme. That was a grand Christmas!
\nI remember when I got old enough to babysit, I would go downtown to Kresge’s and buy Mom a little bottle of Evening in Paris perfume or a chiffon scarf. She always acted as though that was the finest gift a mother could have wished for and it made me so proud. I loved wrapping the presents. As a matter of fact…when we got old enough, she would put our gifts in boxes and I’d wrap my own presents! I wrapped everyone’s presents. It took all day on a Saturday. I’d sit on the floor in front of the TV and use up all the bows and the stickers and the gift tags and have a big time. Then I’d pile everything under the tree. We didn’t have a lot. But we had enough. ❤️
\n““Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”\nExodus 20:12 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-12-02T02:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/12/02/more-christmas-memories.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Forgiveness","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/30/throwback-thursday.html", "title": "Throwback Thursday", "content_html": "![\"Glass](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/acb1650193.jpg\")
\nI don’t know about you, but I’m scared of all this threatening talk between the US and North Korea. I need memories of my childhood to focus on so I can sleep at night. So here goes…
\nI love, love, LOVE Pinterest! Think of anything….some obscure thing from your childhood…and you can just about guarantee someone has posted a picture of it. Like…Glass Wax Window Stencils! I remember the can, the color, the smell, how it felt when it dried on your fingers. I could hardly wait for Christmas so we could get a new set.
\nAnd spray snow in a can…remember that? Oh, that stuff was wicked awful. Who knows what kind of chemicals were in that stuff? We would spray it around the bottom of the windows to look like drifted snow. And I would spray it on a mirror that mom set on a table then I’d set up ice skaters and make it look like they were skating on a pond.
\nRibbon candy? And those straw-like candies that were crunchy on the outside and had some sort of chocolate on the inside. And Christmas morning we would have an orange in our stocking. Or better yet, a couple of tangerines. And a candy cane. And a handful of nuts, in their shells. And a Lifesaver Storybook! We didn’t have much money when I was growing up, but we had enough for a stocking and a couple of toys. I remember the year I was ten…I got a bike! Somewhere there’s a picture of me in my baby doll pajamas, my finger over my lips and my eyes open wide as I caught sight of it! It was blue. One speed. I think the metal label said JC Higgins on it.
\nThere were a lot of Christmas memories that I used to drag around like a load of bricks…usually surrounding my dad and alcohol. But now? Since I lost Mr. Virgo, I’ve decided to rewrite history and just remember the good parts. There was almost always a doll. A game that my brother and I had to share. Clothes. (Insert eye roll here) I begged Mom to wrap every single thing so it felt like I got more stuff. (See? I learned early about accumulating “stuff”!)
\nThe paper was thin and printed with what are now vintage Santas or Rudolph or stripes or metallic foils. There was flat satin ribbon when we were a little more flush. Usually it was curling ribbon and a bag of cheap bows. And gift tags! There were little gift tags made out of card stock with “Season’s Greetings” and “Silent Night” printed in glitter with a space for “To:” and “From:”.
\nChristmas has always been my favorite holiday. Christmas and my birthday. Some of my very best memories totally surround those two days. What are some of your best Christmas memories? Did you go caroling and sledding? Did the neighbors invite you in for hot cocoa with a big melty marshmallow in it? Did you build snowmen and forts for epic snowball fights? Let’s share some warm fuzzies and forget about the scary stuff for a little while. ❤️
\n“Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”\nMatthew 18:4-5 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-30T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/30/throwback-thursday.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","Gratitude","Love","Peace","Holiday","Aging"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/28/the-stick-tree.html", "title": "The Stick Tree", "content_html": "
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/df4b74fec3.jpg\")
\nYou’ve all seen that spindly little Christmas tree Charlie Brown had, right? Basically a stick with some twigs branching off. As far back as I can remember, that was the tree out at the farm. My Uncle Bob was a simple man. When he was told to go cut down a pine tree for Christmas, he did just that. And being a practical man, he brought back one that was easy to carry and would not take long to decorate. He was the smartest of the bunch, turns out.
\nGrandma didn’t have a lot of ornaments. I remember some of those made by Shiny Bright. There was a very old hand blown Santa that my fat baby fingers accidentally broke one year. sigh And, there was an angel that went on the top of the tree. Her dress was made of vinyl with a net skirt over it. Her upper torso, arms, and head were like a doll made of hard plastic. Her hair was spun glass. And her wings were silver pressed cardboard. Somehow, I managed to acquire that angel. I suppose because I’m the oldest grand daughter and got married first, I don’t know. But that angel has been with me forever. She is too fragile to put on top of a tree…I’m afraid the cardboard tube that slips over a branch might break. So, she gets tucked in a place of prominence on the front of the tree…up high enough to avoid any encounters with two or four-legged children.
\nWe always had a big, fat tree at home that my dad bought at a lot. I remember the excitement of driving around looking at Christmas lights then stopping at the lot to pick out our tree. I wore a woolen coat buttoned up to my neck, someone’s hand-me-down, I’m sure. I had a blue velvet hat that tied under my chin with blue satin ties. And, hanging on one side we’re two white balls made of real rabbit fur. I remember shaking my head back and forth to feel them bounce around. I wore that hat till it literally disintegrated. I wore rubber boots that fit over my shoes and buckles with an elastic string over a button.
\nDad would walk us up and down the aisles to choose the perfect tree…i.e. the cheapest without too many holes in it. Once the price was negotiated, an attendant would help Dad carry the tree to the Oldsmobile and strap it to the top with sisal rope. Once we got it home, there was trimming to be done before we could take it in the house. We had strings of lights with big reflectors that went on before screwing the big bulb in. This was a safety feature that kept the needles from touching the hot bulb and catching fire. And many of the ornaments hanging on my tree that I so carefully preserve were placed on those big, fat trees at the house on 55th Street.
\nI remember feeling so sorry for Grandma and her skinny little Charlie Brown tree. Now I look back and appreciate the simplicity with a fervor. I use an artificial tree now. The first one I’ve had since Mr. Virgo died. I opted for a slender one. I thought I’d be putting it in front of the window at the farm. Instead, it’s over here at Mr. FixIt’s. I never would have dreamed. This is the fifth Christmas without Mr. Virgo. To have found this new love and new joy and renewed zest for life is something I am profoundly grateful for.
\nIt’s the simple things I crave now. Things held by loved ones long gone. Gentle, loving companionship. Soft music. A warm fire. Good food. And a loving God that made all this possible for me. I am richly blessed. ❤️
\n“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”\nRomans 15:13 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-28T02:30:45-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/28/the-stick-tree.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/27/the-ghosts-of-christmas-past.html", "title": "The Ghosts of Christmas Past", "content_html": "
![\"Antique](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ae88575c4b.jpg\")
\nI think this is my all-time favorite Christmas ornament. It’s been in my family as long as I can remember. I have a dozen or so of the smaller ones of the same era but this is the only big one that survived. I can still remember the box it came in. I am always extremely careful with all my ornaments when I store them, but this one especially so. It is so fragile and the paint has been flaking away for years.
\nThere are so many ornaments on this tree that have a story. Baby’s First Christmas. The angel topper from Grandma’s tree. Hand blown glass Santas. A sterling silver tree that was a gift to Mr. Virgo from The Ritz Carlton in 2011. An Old World Santa with the tip of his Christmas tree broken off that Mr. Virgo rescued from the trash at the Hotel Jerome in Aspen. Dozens of coveted hand made ornaments gathered from my friend Judy’s famous Christmas Ornament Exchange Parties. And, the seven Ne’Qua ornaments Mr. Virgo and I bought together on our trips…one for every Christmas we shared.
\nChristmas has always been my favorite holiday. I found an e-mail the other day where Mr. Virgo had asked me to get our Christmas decorations and stage them in the living room so we could put up our tree that weekend. We always put on White Christmas and decorated the tree together. The first Christmas after he died, I followed the tradition. I did fine until I got up the next morning and saw what I had done. I can’t tell you how close I came to taking the whole thing down and putting it away. I cried for days. It was brutal. The next Christmas was spent in my friend’s apartment, sitting in the dark, staring out the window as the snow slowly drifted down through the circles of light around the old fashioned street lamps of Marietta, Ohio. It was still brutal.
\nThe next two Christmases were spent with my Colorado family. That was much better. We decorated the tree together and baked a million cookies. It was fun.
\nEach holiday season is a little easier. Last year, even though we weren’t together, Mr. FixIt and I had started dating and had fallen in love. Holidays were again filled with light and love and joy. Mr. Virgo was still there with us in spirit but the sadness of his absence had abated somewhat. This year, Mr. FixIt and I did the majority of the tree trimming before he left for Florida. I finished up last night. I’m actually glad I had those few hours decorating alone. I turned on Christmas carols. (I can’t figure out how to turn on Mr. FixIt’s DVD player. ?) I held each special ornament in my hands and thought of the person who made it, or where I got it, or who was there when it was used year after year. The Ghosts of Christmas Past paraded through the room and through my mind and heart as I smiled through the tears that stung the back of my eyes as Tony Bennett crooned The Christmas Song.
\nThis is a new life…a different life. Another chance at love. Another gift of making memories. My heart is full to overflowing with the beauty of it all. God has been so good to me…us. ❤️
\n“A cheerful heart is good medicine…”\nProverbs 17:22 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-27T02:30:52-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/27/the-ghosts-of-christmas-past.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/26/o-christmas-tree.html", "title": "O Christmas Tree", "content_html": "
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/1fffbc5f7c.jpg\")
\nLast Christmas, Mr. FixIt and I had just been dating a few weeks and December found us traveling in opposite directions. He went to Florida with his buddy and a few days later, I went to Colorado for a month with my kids. That’s the longest we’ve been apart since our first date and we neither one liked it. That’s when I figured things were pretty serious between us.
\nRight around Christmas, I was talking to him on the phone, lamenting that I didn’t get to put up a tree and have a Country Christmas at the farm. When I pulled in the driveway upon my return, I stopped in my tracks. While I was gone, this sweet man had decorated the farmhouse for me to come home to. Not only that, but he was standing there in his grey wool trousers, black dress shoes, a white shirt, and a red sweater vest. He looked so sharp and my heart nearly exploded! What a sweet and generous thing for him to do. He also bought me an indoor lighted Christmas tree, but we didn’t put it up because it was almost New Year’s when I got back from my trip. So, this is the first year we have a tree together.
\nSomeone mentioned they wanted to see a picture and someone else wanted to know about the mechanical angel, so I decided to post a video for you this morning. I still have ornaments to put on but didn’t get home till late last night so I’ll decorate more today.
\nI went to the funeral yesterday. As it turns out, Sis wasn’t just my grandma’s friend and neighbor. We were related…through marriage. I’ve told you before, you can’t throw a stick up this holler without hitting someone I’m related to. I got to see several cousins and met Sis’s son. He’s been my Facebook friend for ages. It’s such a small, small world.
\nI am so relieved that I can attend a funeral service now without wigging out. My friend’s son was killed in an accident a year or so ago. Another friend took one look at me during the visitation and said, “Let’s go.” She got me out in the air and my heart started beating again. You certainly don’t LIKE going to funerals, but you have to be able to express condolences without flipping out and it took me a while to get there. For the longest time, I seriously felt like I was just one crisis away from losing it altogether. That “one crisis theory” hung over my head like Damocles’ sword which increased my anxiety exponentially. Full blown grief is about as close to flat out crazy as you can get. I didn’t know if “I” would ever come back. Thank God I did. I couldn’t live like that forever.
\nMy sweetie is gone for his annual Florida guy’s trip so I’m spending the week catching up with “back burner” things…stuff I put off because it’s much more fun to go play with my bestest buddy. I need to be pretty productive this week! ❤️
\n“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”\n2 Corinthians 9:6 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-26T02:30:10-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/26/o-christmas-tree.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Prayer","Strong Women","Hope","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","God","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/24/and-soit-begins.html", "title": "And So...It Begins", "content_html": "
![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/aa1b343fa7.jpg\")
\nThe other day I found myself with a little time on my hands and stopped at the Blennerhassett Hotel for a Starbucks. The Easter Seal Parade of Trees was on display so I took my coffee and wandered among the holiday decorations, getting inspiration. There were some stunning trees this year. The trees are decorated by volunteers, sponsored by local businesses, and auctioned off to the highest bidder. It’s a wonderful fund raiser for the Easter Seal Society and helps provided needed services for area physically and developmentally disabled children.
\nI grew up going to the Easter Seal Treatment Center. My big brother was born with cerebral palsy and went to therapy every week. He had physical, occupational, and speech therapy for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was a play table with little doors. You went in and the door shut after you. It was designed to allow children with disabilities to stand up for a period of time. There were toys and puzzles you could play with on the table in front of you, but what really stuck with me was the milk and cookies we got at snack time. Even though I had no need of these services, I was allowed to attend many of the sessions because I totally understood my brother’s speech when others found it difficult.
\nMom learned to drive when my brother was first starting therapy so she didn’t have to rely on my dad to get us to school and therapy at the end of the day. I’ll never forget my mom’s friend Elaine trying to teach her to drive. I sat in the back as mom drove around and around City Park. At one point, we ran up an embankment and nearly hit a tree. Mom put her head down on the steering wheel and cried. She kept saying, “I can’t. I can’t do it!” And Elaine would pat her arm and say, “Wanda…you have these kids to take care of. Of course you can do this. Now, let’s try again.”
\nElaine was a saint. And…so was my mom. I look back now at what her life was like and I’m in awe of her. I wasn’t always a supportive child and I sure wish she was here now to receive this new appreciation I feel for her.
\nChristmas is such a special time of year. I love bringing beauty and light into the long, dark nights of winter. We came back last night from our Thanksgiving visit with my family and will work today to get some decorating done before Mr. FixIt leaves for Florida on Saturday. This will be our second Christmas together…my fifth without Mr. Virgo. Bittersweet becomes more and more sweet with time.
\nI hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I ate a lot, loved on my family, and took a nap!!! ❤️
\n“You’ll take afternoon naps without a worry, you’ll enjoy a good night’s sleep.”\nProverbs 3:24 MSG
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-24T02:30:07-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/24/and-soit-begins.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","The Farm","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/23/with-gratitude.html", "title": "With Gratitude", "content_html": "
![\"Ginny](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a3ca25658f.jpg\")
\nIt’s deer season in West Virginia and I bagged my first deer yesterday. Unfortunately, it was with Mr. FixIt’s 2007 Tundra. There was no stopping and I did exactly what I was supposed to do. I didn’t swerve. I held steady. Fortunately, there’s not much damage to the truck but we will have to replace the bumper. I’ve never hit a deer before. One fell down in front of me once but I drove right over it and it jumped up and ran away. I am grateful we weren’t injured and the damage was minimal.
\nThe other night, Mr. FixIt and I were having dinner and talking about Old Mama Kitty being gone. He stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth and asked, “You don’t suppose she wandered into the cellar house when you were in there last week and got trapped, do you?” OMGosh! The look on my face must have been pure horror. He looked at me with such compassion and said, “Don’t worry…we’ll go right back out there and check.” We drove the twenty-two miles and I ran up to the building and checked but she wasn’t there. Im sad she is gone but I’m grateful I didn’t accidentally trap her and keep her from food and water.
\nWe visited my mom’s sister and brother and his wife yesterday. My aunts are having memory issues and my uncle is caring for them. So far they’re holding their own. Actually, the aunt whose dementia is really bad was having a pretty good day. She recognized me and told me she had been worried about me. She put her arm around my neck and pulled me close. She told me she loved me. She waved goodbye with a smile. I am grateful to have made that connection with my aunt.
\nMy uncle regaled us with funny stories all evening…one of which I thought to record. He told the story about the day they rolled the old farmhouse I’m living in down onto the new basement they built. We all laughed. I am grateful for this man’s strength, courage, and sense of humor. Most of all, I’m grateful for his heart…it is full of love!
\nI am grateful for my Colorado family. They are healthy and happy and enjoying their lives. My brother is doing well. I’ve more than doubled my family since bringing Mr. FixIt into my life. More people to love!
\nI am grateful to all of you for making a little space in your lives for my words. You all bless me every day. Thank you for indulging me in my stories. May you all be richly blessed.
\nHappy Thanksgiving! ❤️
\n“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”\nPsalms 100:1-5 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-23T10:36:49-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/23/with-gratitude.html", "tags": ["Family","Travel","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/20/you-never-know.html", "title": "You Never Know", "content_html": "
\n
You buy a desk…you need a chair, right? And not just any chair. I wanted an old banker’s chair. I found one on Facebook Marketplace. I went to pick it up Saturday. The woman I spoke with over the phone was lovely. I felt comfortable meeting her to pick up the chair.
\nThe house was back away from the road…the quintessential farm house. White with green shutters, a long covered porch. As soon as I drove up to the house, the garage door opened and I was greeted by a middle-aged woman. I’ll call her June. June directed me to the chair and helped bring it out to the truck. We stood in the driveway and chatted for the longest time. This was her parents’ place, she told me. Her dad died in July and her mom is starting the daunting process of downsizing. I told her my heart is with her in her loss…then I told her about Mr. Virgo. Suddenly her eyes lit up and she said, OMGosh! You write a blog! You’re Marshmallow Ranch!
\nThis always slays me when someone knows me. And I always go through a little mental inventory of my behaviors leading up to the moment of recognition. You never know who you might be talking to. I have a certain self-imposed regulation. I want to always put my best foot forward and exemplify good Christian values. It was wonderful to make June’s acquaintance.
\nThe family dinner party was wonderful. The only mishap was forgetting to take the candied yams out of the oven to serve. The company was delightful. I cooked for three days and I was exhausted when I posted this so I’ll catch up more with you tomorrow. ❤️
\n“She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.””\nProverbs 31:27-29 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-20T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/20/you-never-know.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/19/almost-heavenhomemade-apple-pies.html", "title": "Almost Heaven...Homemade Apple Pies!", "content_html": "
![\"Homemade](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/78f5f508bf.jpg\")
\nOne of the happiest places in the world for me is a kitchen. I used to bake competitively and had a huge kitchen back then. My last house had a rather small galley kitchen but I still managed to bake several times a week as Mr. Virgo had a sweet tooth. When I sold that house after his death, I lived much of the next three years in my camper. I don’t know if you have ever tried to bake in a camper oven but they are nothing like a home stove. The bottom of everything burned and I gave up trying to bake anything. There is a big country kitchen at the farm, but I traveled so much this last year, I really didn’t cook all that much. I kind of got out of the baking habit.
\nWe’re having our early Thanksgiving dinner with Mr. FixIt’s family today. I actually started cooking Friday evening. I cooked a bag of cranberries and put them in the fridge in a covered container. I have the sweet potatoes parboiled and in the fridge ready to assemble with butter and brown sugar today. The fresh green beans and ham have been cooked and will just need reheated. Yesterday I fried bacon and added chopped pecans and dried cranberries. I parboiled Brussels sprouts and tossed them with the bacon mixture in my huge electric skillet, then put the whole thing in the fridge. I mixed up two pans of dressing…one sage, the other with nuts and cranberries…sealed them with foil and put them in the fridge as well. Then I made two pumpkin pies and two apple pies.
\nToday I have to bake a 20-pound turkey and a ham, hot rolls, the two pans of dressing, and the sweet potatoes. I’ll heat everything else up and time it all to be ready at 4:00. The table is set. The ice is made. We are expecting thirteen for dinner. I’ve got this!
\nThe family room is finished. It took three coats of Kilz and two coats of Valspar with primer to cover that dark green but we got it done. I didn’t get curtains made in time for dinner, but that will come soon enough. I sat there enjoying the fruits of our labor, listening to soft music in the background as I wrote this. It was very warm yesterday…nearly 70, but rain came in at dusk and it will continue to get colder as the week progresses.
\nAll but the most stubborn of leaves have fallen now, the color all but gone. I have such vivid memories of going out to the farm for Thanksgiving dinners and having it look just like this. It’s funny how our senses take us back so quickly, isn’t it? The sights, sounds, and smells transport me over six decades and brings me so close to my mom and my grandma. I miss them both so much. And I miss my Colorado family. The grandchildren are growing so fast. I always say this, but I wish Colorado and West Virginia were closer. It’s hard when your heart has two homes. ❤️
\n“She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.”\nProverbs 31:15-17 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-19T02:30:46-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/19/almost-heavenhomemade-apple-pies.html", "tags": ["Family","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","West Virginia","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Wisdom","Humbled","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/11/04/i-spy-with-my-little.html", "title": "I Spy With My Little Eye...", "content_html": "
![\"Woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/61b19a035e.jpg\")
\nSome very observant readers picked up on something in my picture yesterday. My inbox lit up like a Christmas tree! I didn’t answer the questions directly and suggested they come back today to read my post. I love a little mystery. What was it they saw? A ring…a shiny ring…on my left hand!!! squeeeee
\nYes, I have a ring! And in all fairness, so does Mr. FixIt. I gave him his first though. So here’s how it went down, what it means, and how we’re feeling about it.
\nEarly in the year, just a couple months after Mr. FixIt and I started seeing each other, we found out there was something wrong with his blood. The initial thoughts were he had leukemia. Suffice it to say, we were both pretty devastated about it. After all, we just “found” each other again after 45 years. It would be terribly tragic to turn around and lose him, too. He had more tests run and they were worse, so we went for a bone marrow biopsy.
\nWe had been talking about a life long commitment but that’s as far as it had gone. Then the blood thing came up. I wanted some way, some outward sign that would show Mr. FixIt that…no matter what the results of this bone marrow biopsy, I was in this for the long haul. I didn’t want him to worry or be afraid. I happened upon a beautiful gentlemen’s ring and in a moment of impulse, I bought it. We were leaving for the hospital when I pulled out the box and told him I wanted him to know…good or bad…I’m not going anywhere. I thought he was going to cry. He knew I was sticking with him, but the gesture was not lost on him. He asked if this meant we were engaged. Smiling, I said, “Halfway.”
\nOne evening we were going out to dinner with friends and I stopped by Mr. FixIt’s to get ready. I was sitting out front when he came home. He said, “Oh! You’re wearing my favorite dress!” I stood up and twirled around. He had a concerned look on his face and I thought. “Uh-oh. Somethings wrong.” He looked at me and said the dress was missing something. Something sparkly. Then he gave me this beautiful ring!
\nHere’s where it gets complicated. This is the most personal I’ll ever get about our relationship. I don’t want to get married again. At least, not in the conventional way. I’ve had three husbands. That’s two other women’s quotas. It has nothing to do with how much I love Mr. FixIt…or Mr. Virgo, for that matter. When women of a certain age become widows, they qualify for “widow’s benefits”. If they get married, they lose that. Things don’t work in the widow’s favor in this regard. Therefore, a lot of very long engagements take place in my age bracket. And that’s just fine.
\nFrom a faith standpoint, it slays me that women are forced to lose income in order to\ndo what God says to do. Someone said to me…”Well, you aren’t trusting God to provide.” To which my answer is…maybe He already provided. Maybe those widow’s benefits ARE his answer to prayer. The Lord takes care of those who help themselves. To me, it would be crazy to throw away money He had provided.
\nLong engagements are still in vogue. I will be here for the long haul. The rest is a matter of semantics. So, no…there’s no date set. No fanfare. No hoopla. Just love. Lots and lots of love…always and forever. I’m sure I’ll be talking to God about it when I get to Heaven. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long conversation! ❤️
\nEdit: He still has an abnormality which they have determined is not leukemia. They still don’t know what it is. We have to repeat the tests in six months. I’m sorry. I was writing this late and missed that piece.
\n“…..may you ever be intoxicated with her love.”\nProverbs 5:19 NIV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-11-04T01:30:20-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/11/04/i-spy-with-my-little.html", "tags": ["Faith","Family","Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","Growth","Gratitude","Grace","Love","Peace","Holiday","Forgiveness","Humbled","Aging","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/07/04/the-fourth-of-july.html", "title": "The Fourth of July", "content_html": "
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e47f3421b0.jpg\")
OMGosh! How does the summer fly so quickly and winter drags on forever? Yesterday was the quintessential perfect summer day. We had our first dinner party yesterday! This is something that, I have to tell you, absolutely thrills me to no end. Mr. Virgo was not one for socializing because he worked long hours and was exhausted when he got home. Mr. FixIt is a social butterfly just like me and we are looking forward to entertaining often. I invited my cousin and his wife who live down the road from the farm. Mr. FixIt told me the other day that he loves cabbage rolls and…I just so happen to make GREAT cabbage rolls! I haven’t made them in years. It was entirely too hot to turn the oven on so I cooked them in the crockpot. It worked out great. Tennessee tomatoes, fresh green beans with bacon and onions, fresh corn on the cob. Charlotte brought salad. A new tablecloth in a salmon pink quilt pattern and a basket of strawberries dressed the new picnic table Mr. FixIt bought me for my birthday. He set up the dining canopy for some evening shade.
\nAfter supper, we went for a ride in the side-by-side. If you don’t know what that is, it looks like an ATV (4-wheeler) but has a front and back seat and can carry four people. It’s rugged and has a sturdy roll bar and cage around you as well as seat belts. We went all over the back roads up on the ridge behind the farm. All the way, my cousin was telling family stories I knew nothing about. They showed us where they are building a compressor station on a big gas line that is going down all the way to Louisiana. The compressor station will be built straight back over our hill and it will make a good deal of noise. It is upsetting to think that in a year, the whole timbre of the region will be changed forever. I think that’s why I’ve been led to live here…so I can really experience the peace I remember before it’s gone.
\nSome of these backroads where people live are unbelievable. Little children running barefoot…not a care in the world, living in squalor while a ridge or two over are huge homes tucked into quiet groves of trees. We bumped and bounced around till we came to an area where the “road” was actually the riverbed. We were driving along holding our feet up because the water was up over the floorboards. Up steep hills and over places where cinderblocks were thrown into the deep ruts to hopefully allow passage. I was hootin’ and hollerin’ all the way. On the way back, I turned to my cousin’s wife and said breathlessly, “OMGosh! I feel like I’m sixteen!!!” What a great day/evening. We got back just after dark…exhausted and beat up but highly entertained. I hugged by cousins goodbye till I return from Colorado the end of August.
\nI am immensely grateful for the infinite sweetness of this life. I am wealthy beyond my wildest dreams and it has absolutely nothing to do with worldly goods. I ran into a gal at the yard sale yesterday who lives out the road from the farm. When I told her where I was living she said she just knew someone new was living there because the house is coming back to life. I am so blessed to be living here at this time of my life. And to have Mr. FixIt and family and friends to share it with.
\nBe safe out there today and enjoy your holiday! ❤️
\n“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”\nPsalm 16:11 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-07-04T01:55:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/07/04/the-fourth-of-july.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Fun","The Farm","Gratitude","Holiday","Starting Over"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/06/30/rest-relaxation.html", "title": "Rest \u0026 Relaxation", "content_html": "![\"Beaver](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d944442d3b.jpg\")
\nWe all need a little R&R from time to time, don’t we? My little two days away were peaceful, yet productive. I really wanted to see how the new truck performed pulling TOW-Wanda. My other truck had a rear axle ratio of 373. That thing would pull TOW-Wanda up Vail Pass at 65MPH in cruise control…piece of cake. Trucks with that rear axle ratio are scarce as hen’s teeth in these parts but a dime a dozen in Colorado. That’s because Coloradans have some pretty steep passes to go over and a large proportion are towing big stuff like campers and horse trailers. Around here, that ratio is overkill. Let me tell you, there is a huge difference between a 373 and a 331 like my new truck. I was so worried it wouldn’t be able to tow the big camper but she worked like a charm. Very smooth. I watched my transmission temperature on the hills and she did fine. A little hot on the very steepest hill, but I took it slow. I’m sure the Rockies will give her a run for her money but I think she can handle it. I feel much more secure now than I did before I went.
\nI knew there would be some maintenance issues to address before the trip. When I went to pick her up, the first thing I noticed at the storage lot was the nose of the camper tilted down. She wasn’t like that the last time I went. Turned out, the ground under the front jack softened after the last really big rain and the wood block it sat on shifted. The jack dug down into the ground and held solid but it could just as easily have bent the jack. Thankfully, it did not. I pressed the buttons to raise the jack. Nothing. I called over to the workman and he came out with the tractor. He lifted the nose and sat the jack back down on solid wood. I told him the electric jack wasn’t working. He said the battery was dead. I said the only time this had happened before was when there was a problem with the fuse that is on the pigtail line running from the battery. No, he said…your batteries are dead…even though I assured him I had just gotten them last spring. I wish I would have opened the little fuse covering but didn’t. I took his word. I went to Walmart and bought a battery charger then went back to the lot. With the electric line hooked to the back of my truck, I was able to raise and lower the jack and finally got hitched up and left. What should have taken four hours took seven.
\nI arrived at the Beaver Creek State Park (Lisbon, OH) campground and discovered the refrigerator was warm. This was a mystery but I decided to worry about that later. I finally got unhooked at the campground and hooked up to electric, I opened that fuse cover and there was my answer. The fuse was badly corroded. Some battery post cleaner and a new fuse fixed the problem. Next to address was why the refrigerator didn’t run on gas. I took the cover off the gas tanks, moved one slightly, and it started to hiss. The hose had sprung a leak, but only just then…not on the drive up. I puzzled over the problem and figured the igniter didn’t go off because of the fuse thing. But now I had to address the gas hose. If one goes out, you should replace both. It doesn’t cost that much and better to be safe than sorry.
\nThe nearest RV dealer was twenty miles away and fortunately they had the hoses. I asked if these were what I needed and the guy said yes so off I went back to the campground only to discover the fittings on the hose was too small! Back to the RV dealer for two adapters, which he just so happened to have, and back to the campground. Lesson learned…always double check your fittings when you buy replacement hoses. Everything fit back together perfectly. I checked for leaks with dish soap…nothing. Good. Turned on the gas, switched the refrigerator to gas, and voila…it turned right on!
\nI took my hose out from the underbelly of the camper only to come to the sad realization that my site was electric only and I had neglected to fill the water tank before I left! No hot showers or doing dishes for me because I was NOT hooking that camper back up for anything! I ran into town and bought water and heated it in my electric teakettle for dishes. I kept some water bottles in the bathroom for rinsing the toilet and used the camp bathroom for solid waste.
\nBLT with fresh leaf lettuce and Tennessee tomatoes, fresh corn on the cob, Amish potato salad and fried green tomatoes…a perfect camp dinner. I was so excited to have friends at the campground. We sat around the campfire and caught up. Other than the maintenance items, which I fully expected to deal with, it was a wonderfully relaxing couple of days away. I hope you all have been enjoying your last few days of June. It’s hard to believe that the 4th of July is upon us! I’m in the final countdown before I head out on my next big road trip! I need to deep clean TOW-Wanda and get her packed. I backed her up into the driveway at the farm so she’s here where I can work on her. Stay tuned! ❤️
\n“let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered."”\n2 Kings 12:5 ESV
\n\n", "date_published": "2017-06-30T01:55:18-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/06/30/rest-relaxation.html", "tags": ["Travel","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","TOW-Wanda!","Camping","Fun","goRVing","Holiday","Peaceful Moments","Girl Camper"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/05/14/the-fruit-of-the-vine.html", "title": "The Fruit of the Vine", "content_html": "
![\"Grapes](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e81d056149.jpg\")
\nI went to my home church last night. You all are going to think that’s all I do. It isn’t…but this was Revival week so every night but Friday night has been spent in church so that’s what you get with your morning coffee. My home church is wonderful. It meets in a warehouse. It started out just two short years ago with 127 people. Now we regularly serve over 1300 people in three services every weekend. 1259 Salvations. 226 Baptisms. 2556 VIP’s (new attendees who fill out a visitor card). They have a great Praise Team and the pastors are a husband and wife team who do a wonderful job. Because the Sunday services are standing room only, the pastor asked for volunteers to come to the Saturday night services to give the new people a chance to come in and find a seat. Isn’t that a wonderful “problem” to have? We are in the process of buying a huge warehouse so we can have a seating capacity of 1300 per service. I love it!
\nLast night, in honor of Mother’s Day, the pastor’s wife gave the sermon. She delivered a great message and talked about the Fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we need to nurture these fruit as the attributes of a Christian. We all can use practice in these areas. I’m willing to bet, forbearance and self-control will be the highest on most people’s list. We are a self-indulgent people and patience is a virtue that is not easily attained in today’s world. With any fruit-bearing vine, good care is needed to produce the best fruit. A barren vine needs to be pruned in order for the plant to produce it’s best. Sometimes we have to lop off those unproductive parts of ourselves…those things in our lives that do not serve us and actually do harm. Pruning these things away is difficult and oftentimes downright painful. But, we will be the better for it.
\nTonight I go back for the last night of Revival. Can’t wait to give you the report tomorrow! Happy Mother’s Day…and on behalf of your moms, give us a call today. If she’s gone…my heart is with you. It’s so hard to lose your mother. You’ll never regret being good to your mom! ❤️
\n“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”\nGalatians 5:22-23 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-05-14T01:55:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/05/14/the-fruit-of-the-vine.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Prayer","Positive Energy","God","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/04/14/happy-easter.html", "title": "Happy Easter", "content_html": "![\"Violets\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/109e7e4ad3.jpg\")
\nI could never understand why today would be called “Good Friday” and not “Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Friday”. After all, today is the day Jesus died on the cross. The images Hollywood has created are mild compared to what really happened that day on that hilltop. There are places in Europe that call this “Sorrowful Friday”. That is appropriate. And some people think the English “Good” evolved from “God’s Friday”. Whatever the origins, it wasn’t until the last few years when my faith was challenged and ultimately deepened that I understood why the death of Jesus was good. It fulfilled prophecy. It saved souls.
\nPassover is observed this week, as well. Before I became a Christian in 2004, I had lived a Jewish life for 27 years. I love the Passover Seder. The traditional foods, the story of the Passover. I can still hear my late father-in-law as he breezed through the Haggadah every year, picking and choosing what he would read, what he could leave out. Those were wonderful memories and we all miss him. The first Seder had to have been bittersweet to my kids and grandkids observing without their Pop.
\nI am going to take a three day break in observance of the holidays. I wish you the very best holiday, whichever you observe. And if you don’t observe, I wish you love and light. I’ll be back Monday! ❤️
\n“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,”\n1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-04-14T01:55:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/04/14/happy-easter.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","God","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/02/14/dear-mr-virgo.html", "title": "Dear Mr. Virgo...", "content_html": "![\"No](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f063f0fd61.jpg\")
\nIn less than a month it will be four years that you’ve been gone. Our last Valentine’s Day together came and went without giving your impending death a thought. I fixed you a wonderful meal. You brought me flowers and a little heart shaped cake. You gave me a gushy card. I love gushy cards. You knew that. You stood in the card section carefully reading each one till you found the gushiest of the gushy cards to satisfy the incurable romantic that lives within me. You were sweet that way.
\nI could barely breathe the first Valentine’s Day after you died. The thoughts of others still sharing this special day of love broke me. I hated lovers. I wanted to smack all the happy people holding hands and kissing. I wanted to walk between them, breaking them as I was broken. I was that insane woman walking up the street, pulling her hair and muttering and soiling herself on the bus. Only I wasn’t really. That’s just who I was on the inside. Everyone else saw a smile that was not quite connected to my eyes. They could only suspect I may be coming unwrapped.
\nThe second Valentine’s Day was worse. I wasn’t protected by the fog anymore. I was openly bitter and angry. Fewer people looked me in the eye. Alone. Alone, alone, alone. My daughter, in her innocence, asked, “Aren’t you over this? It’s been two years?” Oh…she had no idea what she was saying. Thank God, thank God, thank God.
\nThis is the third Valentine’s Day since your untimely exit. It’s better. Infinitely better. And, like CS Lewis in A Grief Observed, “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear”. Like Mr. Lewis, I was not afraid. I just had every sensation that fear gives you. The fear has subsided and left me with a sensation that I’ve misplaced something important. Like the dreams new mothers have that they can’t remember where they put the baby, I feel like I left you on the back seat of a taxi in a crowded city. There’s no getting you back…no lost and found in which I might rummage, looking for that shock of silver hair that would let me know it was you. No…I have resigned myself to the finality. And I’ve turned down several streets…each taking me further and further away from the house we lived in together.
\nThis is not a sad thing anymore. Not that it’s a happy thing. It’s not that either. But I’ve found my balance. My inner gyroscope has me upright and moving in the right direction. I have joy again. I have things to look forward to. I have lots of love in my life. I have found peace in the space between you and infinity. There will be moments still when I get knocked off the high wire. I’m grateful God has a big net.
\nYou gave me eight Valentines. That was all we were allowed. But you will always live in my heart. As a matter of fact, it is BECAUSE we loved so much that I’m willing to risk my heart again if God brings me someone. It doesn’t scare me so much anymore. I was your last love. I will always and forever be your last great love. I am so glad we had that beautiful life together.
\nThank you for picking me, handsome man. It was such an honor to be your Valentine. ❤️
\n“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”\nPsalm 23:4 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-02-14T02:55:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/02/14/dear-mr-virgo.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/01/03/happy-birthday-ranchers.html", "title": "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RANCHERS!", "content_html": "![\"Cup](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/16181618ac.jpg\")
\nFor someone as big a tech-head as me, I am absolutely stunned sometimes by new developments in technology. A week ago, I sat for twelve hours working on my new website with my uber talented son-in-law. At the end of that marathon, he asked me if I write my posts on Word first then transfer them. I shook my head. He said, with a questioning look on his face…“You write them directly on Facebook? On your laptop?” I shook my head again…and held up my cellphone. My iPhone 6 Plus, to be exact. His jaw dropped. “You write 1,000 word essays…on a cellphone?!?!” I laughed. In my defense, after writing an essay every single day for the last four years, I’ve gotten really fast with that right index finger and I hunt and peck my way through a 1x2 inch touchscreen “keyboard”. Still…he shook his head and said…“Stay right here. This is going to blow your mind!” Then he went downstairs.
\nA few minutes later, this brilliant man that my older daughter had the good sense to marry, came back upstairs and handed me something straight from computer heaven! A tiny, folding, portable, bluetooth keyboard that wasn’t much bigger than the cellphone itself. I was flabbergasted! Why have I not been made privy to such a wondrous invention??? After turning it over and over in my hands, folding and unfolding, I asked…“Where do I get such a miraculous gadget???” He smiled and said that word that thrills all technogeeks…“Amazon!” I immediately pulled said site up on said phone and purchased said item with PayPal. Didn’t even have to get my wallet out! Oh, how I love technology!!!
\nSo, now…I’ll be typing my posts on this little gizmo in a quarter of the time, leaving me an extra forty-five minutes every day to do something else. That’s an extra 1.629464285714286 days!!! Wow!
\nToday is Marshmallow Ranch’s 4th Birthday. Four years ago, I started this page as a way to promote jewelry I was making from antique silverware and maps in my art studio I had cleverly named…Marshmallow Ranch. At the time, it was nothing more than a spare room upstairs in my house in the Rocky Mountains. Three months later, Mr. Virgo died and this project grew out of my desperation to have someone to talk to about this horrible grief journey I was on. I knew I couldn’t be the only one on this path so I reached out. There were less than 400 “Ranchers” at that time. And now…look at us! I am very proud of this wonderfully supportive group of fellow travelers and look forward to many more years of sharing as we navigate this thing called grief…one campfire at a time. ❤️
\n“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”\nEphesians 2:10 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-01-03T03:00:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/01/03/happy-birthday-ranchers.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2017/01/01/reach.html", "title": "REACH", "content_html": "![\"Happy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/141664bed4.jpg\")
\nEvery New Year’s Eve I come up with a new word to focus on for the coming year. I have been mulling words over for the last several days. At first I was going to choose “adventure” but that didn’t seem to encompass all that it could. It seemed limited to travel and that’s not all I do.
\nThis is going to be a really big year. Yes…I’ll be traveling a good bit. And yes, much of it will be with TOW-Wanda. But there are other things happening. BIG things!
\nFirst off, I’m launching a website which is very exciting. One of the biggest problems I find with Marshmallow Ranch being housed on Facebook is accessibility to older posts. We have people here who lost their loved one last week and we have some whose loss was decades ago. I’m closing in on the 4th anniversary of Mr. Virgo’s death. I’m not in the same space I was three…two…or even one year ago. When new people tune in, I’d love to have a menus where they can just click “Year One” or “Year Two” and then read things that are more pertinent to what they’re going through. The new writing helps provide hope that there will be joy again, but it isn’t easy to relate to the ship when what you need is a rope.
\nAlso, I’ve been exploring the idea of creating my own podcast show. I have a couple of friends who are encouraging me, as well as my agent. To be honest, in this day and age, publishers want to see an author with a ready made following before they jump and publish anything for them. I need a larger social media presence if I’m ever going to make this thing fly the way I feel it can. These are steps I can take that will help boost that and help Marshmallow Ranch become more discoverable in the search engines. This is all about “expanding my territory” as Jabez pled to God. If this is supposed to happen, God will make it so.
\n“Reach”…that is my word for 2017. Reach…for the stars! Reach…for love! Reach…for success!
\n“Reach”. It encompasses many dreams…it promises to be a great year!
\nHappy New Year!!! ❤️
\n“A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.”\nProverbs 18:16 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2017-01-01T03:00:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2017/01/01/reach.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Positive Energy","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/28/heading-home.html", "title": "HEADING HOME", "content_html": "![\"Favorite](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d95e4c32ba.jpg\")
\nWhere is “home” for you? Even when I lived in Colorado for forty years, when people asked me where home was, I’d say West Virginia. Yet, home is where my heart is. When I am in the loving embrace of my family, I am home. When I was with Mr. Virgo, I was home. Now my heart is in West Virginia so I’m heading home today. Home to the farm and the barn cats and my WV family and friends.
\nI spent yesterday afternoon with daughter #2. We laughed till we couldn’t breathe. It is really interesting how your relationship changes when your kids become adults. I love it! My flight leaves about the time you’re reading this and it will take me about eleven hours to get home…so, it’s going to be a really long day. Oh, how I love to travel! Prayers for travel mercies. ❤️
\n“The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”\nPsalm 121:7-8 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-28T03:00:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/28/heading-home.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Hope","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/25/christmas-greetings-peace-on-earth.html", "title": "CHRISTMAS GREETINGS: PEACE ON EARTH", "content_html": "![](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/70d571c793.jpg\")
\nMerry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men.
\nEnjoy your family today. I’ll be back tomorrow! ❤️
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-25T03:00:15-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/25/christmas-greetings-peace-on-earth.html", "tags": ["Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/24/the-gift-is-in-the.html", "title": "THE GIFT IS IN THE GIVING", "content_html": "![\"woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4b27e49c98.jpg\")
\nI live in West Virginia most of the year. My grandchildren live in Colorado, so I needed to create a ritual for each one…something they could look forward to, and cherish the memories of, for years to come. When I’m visiting, I spend one full day with each doing just what they want to do. And, since the first sentence my twelve-year-old granddaughter uttered was “Shopping for shoes!”…she and I headed for the mall for our “Girl’s Day Out” yesterday. It was a beautiful outing, she got exactly what she wanted for Christmas, and we had several hours of quality time to re-establish bonds that are stretched by time and distance.
\nAs we left the mall and began the long drive home through traffic, we talked about how going into a large mall two days before Christmas is like chumming for sharks in a fish tank. You’re elbow-to-elbow with a zillion people, standing in lines that wrap around the stores, and the parking lot??? OMGosh! Everyone is jockeying for position to make their great escape and 4-way stops mean nothing to these people. You take your life in your hands…and for what? Stuff. Stuff they’ll outgrow. Stuff that will go out of style or they’ll rapidly grow tired of. I ruminated on this the entire drive home while my granddaughter snoozed with the exhaustion of mall-fatigue in the passenger seat.
\nI had to stop by my daughter’s house for a swim bag then drop my granddaughter off at swim practice before heading to the grocery store. Suddenly…I felt Mr. Virgo’s love, specifically his love of Christmas, in the car with me. It took my breath away and then I felt that now-familiar, soothing “voice” of the Holy Spirit say, “Turn here.” I was dead-even with Walmart so I immediately turned in. I’ve learned to listen. I drove up and down the rows looking for a parking spot, waiting for the next whispered direction. This time it didn’t come in words but a little mini-movie. I smiled as my mission was revealed. I was feeling buoyant…a bubbly sense of love, good cheer, and Christmas spirit…the Spirit of Giving instead of the vapid extravaganza that played out in the mall earlier.
\nI walked into the store and went straight to the Christmas cards and searched for the perfect one then headed to customer service. I asked if I could anonymously pay for someone’s lay-away. They informed me they “called in” the layaways a week earlier. If they weren’t paid off, the merchandise went back out on the floor. She started to go ask someone about what to do, when the mini-movie started up again and I said, “No…please don’t bother. I’m supposed to do it another way.” I headed over to the ATM and withdrew some cash. Not a lot. Not enough to hurt my budget. But enough to make a difference in someone’s holiday.
\nThe card was perfect…a pop-up card with gifts that said, “Surprise!” when you opened it. I tucked the bills in the folds of the popup and sealed the envelope. Then I wrote on the front of the card. I wrote about Mr. Virgo dying four years ago and how much he loved Christmas. I told them I had asked Santa that first Christmas to give me a new heart because mine was broken. Then I told them it’s been four years and I have my new heart now. I told them I know how times are tough these days but there is a loving God that gave His only Son for us and while I couldn’t give so grand a gift, I could give them this small token and that I wished them a Merry Christmas. I signed it “Your Special Santa”. Then I said a prayer and I asked God to show me who needed this gift.
\nI wandered through the store till I was drawn to a young couple looking through the toy aisles…picking something up…putting it back. Obviously they were calculating fun factor vs. cost. They were not dressed well. They looked like they worked hard for everything they had and it wasn’t much. I tried not to be too obvious. I didn’t want them to think I was stalking them. I really wanted the woman to walk away from her cart so I could drop the card on her purse but, of course, she didn’t leave her belongings unattended. Finally, I got the push I was waiting for. I walked up to them and said to the young woman, “Excuse me…I think this is yours.” She said, “Mine?” I hugged her and said, “Merry Christmas.” and walked out of the store. It felt SO good. It made me cry. I am so blessed. That was my gift to myself this year.
\nTonight is the first light of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve. Some celebrate the Festival of Lights by giving small gifts every night for eight nights. And, some celebrate the birth of Jesus. He came in a stall, born amongst livestock, and laid in a manger. What if…. What if the innkeeper didn’t really shun them? What if the inn really WAS full and there was no room to offer the expectant parents? What if the inn keeper apologized and offered them the next best thing…a quiet, safe, warm place for Mary to bring the Christ Child into the world? He was born in a lowly place…he died in the most tortuous way, but the Gift was in the Giving.
\nI quickly walked away from the young couple who a few moments before had been trying to balance a meager budget to stretch over the holidays. I wish I could have seen their faces but I didn’t look back. That wasn’t part of my gift. Tears stung my eyes as I felt how proud Mr. Virgo was…that he was remembered in just such a way. I think I walked a little taller to my car. Such…Joy!
\nHappy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Joyous Kwanza!
\nMay you and yours find Peace in this Season of Giving!
\nLove…\nGinny ❤️
\n“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”\nProverbs 19:17 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-24T03:00:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/24/the-gift-is-in-the.html", "tags": ["Grief","Positive Energy","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/23/santas-gift.html", "title": "SANTA'S GIFT", "content_html": "![\"woman](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5f1f42e6ea.jpg\")
\nThis is my fourth Christmas without Mr. Virgo. I first told this story just nine months after he died while we were looking at a travel trailer to take us into retirement. This has been my most widely shared story ever. It is a story of love and loss and hope. I’m posting it again today. Feel free to share it with others who may be feeling the sting of loss on their first (or second or fifth or…any) holiday without their loved one.
\n“It was a bitter cold December day in Colorado. I’d been a widow for just nine months. I knew I was isolating myself in an attempt to…what? Ease the pain? Hide the pain from others? Sleep through it? Probably all of the above. I had found the Sisters. I had been on two trips and the Christmas Party. That helped more than I could have imagined. But…the long, dark days of winter came and TOW-Wanda went to live in a locked storage area by the airport and my only escape from this huge sense of loss was to crawl under the covers. I couldn’t run away and play with my friends. And, let’s face it…while we can heal in the company of our comrades in tutus, there comes a time when we have to face our greatest challenges alone. And here I was…at the edge of a real depression. I’d been there before. It was a place I didn’t care to visit again. I had to do something. I had to make myself move.
\nI knew I needed to be around people and get back into the world a little bit. After all, you can’t mattress surf forever. I had lived in a small community on the western slope of Colorado since 1986. I knew there was a good chance I would run into people I knew…supportive, loving people…and I needed hugs. I forced myself out of bed and dressed. I wore Mr. Virgo’s leather bomber jacket…for warmth…for comfort. I drove to town and stopped at all my favorite shops to talk and hug…sometimes laughing, sometimes crying. I decided to stop at the mall on the way home. I often did anything I could to avoid going home to that empty house.
\nThe mall was crowded with last minute shoppers. I parked on the outskirts of the lot and slogged through the slushy, dirty snow. The grey surroundings matched my mood. I started at the Penney’s end and worked my way down. I saw a friend who knew of my loss and offered me hugs and encouragement. I saw a friend who hadn’t heard and I had to tell her. That was always harder because I had to share THEIR loss as well as feel my own. I wandered through shops, totally disinterested in a holiday that had meant so much to my husband and me. It didn’t mean much with him gone.
\nI finally made my way to the other end where Santa was stationed. I stood to the side and watched as three fresh-faced children looked up in awe at this man in red with the snowy white beard…their faces aglow with wonder. I stood for the longest time, unaware the tears were dripping off my chin. The children finally finished telling Santa their wishes and were given a candy cane as they returned to their proud parents, happily chattering away. I was bereft. I saw nothing but this gaping chasm that had once held my beloved. There was a hole in my heart that I felt would never heal.
\nSuddenly, I noticed Santa watching me. He tipped his head slightly as he studied me. He was having an internal conversation with himself as he watched this strange woman crying nearby. A moment later, his mind seemingly made up, he scooched to the side of his big velvet chair and patted the seat beside him. I looked to the left and to the right. No one but me. I took a deep breath, walked up to the jolly old elf and sat beside him. Neither of us spoke. My shoulders shook with sobs as I tried to contain myself. Santa rested his arm around my shoulder. When I could finally speak, I leaned towards him and whispered. He leaned in closer in order to hear me.
\n“I lost my husband. I need a new heart.”
\nSanta drew me closer and whispered back, “I’m so sorry.”
\nI continued to weep for only a minute or so and, as is the nature of grief, the moment passed and I soon regained control. I apologized and said I must be a total mess to which he kindly replied, “No…you’re perfect.”
\n“Will you have your picture taken with me?” Santa asked.
\nI turned into a wistful child and said, “Can I?”
\nThe elf snapped our photo and when I reached for my wallet to pay, Santa said, “No, this one’s on me.” I smiled and thanked him.
\nAs I rose to leave, Santa leaned in and whispered, “Thank you for stopping to see me today.”
\n“Thank you for being real!” I whispered back.
\nThat first Christmas was the worst, as the firsts after such a great loss often are. Many of us struggle with the holidays, for whatever reason. “Getting Bolder” isn’t always easy when you’d rather hide under the covers or run away from your problems than to face them head on…especially when Jingle Bells is doing anything but making you feel jolly. I found great strength in a kind man who wore a red suit and offered the simplest of human emotions. Love.” ❤️
\n“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”\nIsaiah 9:6 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-23T03:00:18-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/23/santas-gift.html", "tags": ["Grief","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/21/little-a-grandchilds-heart.html", "title": "LITTLE: A GRANDCHILD'S HEART", "content_html": "![\"A](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43bd16d920.jpg\")
\n“Little” is nine-years-old but her soul is ancient. This is my deep, insightful thinker. My wise comforter. She was five when Mr. Virgo died and it was her sensitive, thought provoking wisdom that touched my heart more than all the comforting remarks put together. She’s spiritual and we talk about God and Jesus and heaven. We really “get” each other.
\nWhen I visit my family in Colorado, I make a special point of spending one full day with each of my grandchildren…one on one. I’m trying to instill in them the preference of experiences over stuff. When I asked “Little” what she wanted for Hanukkah and Christmas (we celebrate both in our family), she said she wanted to do something crafty. “Little” is a maker…just like me. I wasn’t at all sure what we would end up doing but I knew we had to start at the mall. After wandering around for a while…and enjoying a plate of traditional lemon crepes…we wandered into Williams-Sonoma, one of my all-time favorite stores. An idea began to grow. I found a set of American Girl cookbooks and an apron/oven-mitt set that she fell in love with. We added matching measuring cups, spoons, and a spatula and she came away with a respectable beginning of a cooking arsenal.
\n“Little” has ADHD and she brought it up in our quite lengthy conversation as we browsed. She described herself as “unique”. I love that. I told her I was unique as well and while I had never had a formal diagnosis, I’m sure I have ADHD. She looked up in awe.
\n“Really?!?!” she asked.
\n“Yes. When I was little they didn’t have the medicines to help like they have now. But I learned to compensate…just like you’re doing.” I don’t want her to ever feel “less than”. I don’t think I need to worry. She’s pretty amazing.
\nWe sat out in the mall for a bit and browsed a cookbook and settled on Chicken Noodle Soup. After picking up the ingredients on the way home, “Little” and I made a huge pot of soup and cheese quesadillas. It was a big hit and “Little” had her moment to shine outside of the shadow of her older sister. It was beautiful.
\nThese beautiful beings teach me more about life in three weeks than I get in the whole six months between visits and I love them beyond belief. ❤️
\n““See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”\nMatthew 18:10 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-21T03:00:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/21/little-a-grandchilds-heart.html", "tags": ["Family","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/20/the-choir-concert.html", "title": "THE CHOIR CONCERT", "content_html": "\n
![\"A](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e3e717f8fa.jpg\")
\nYou haven’t lived till you attend your twelve-year-old granddaughter’s middle school choir concert. Seriously. Those kids were so great…funny, sweet and gawky in their awkwardness. They’re like new foals…all feet and legs and eyes. They duck their eyes and bite the inside of their cheeks in the supreme act of standing…alive…in front of…(gasp)…PEOPLE! People who are looking at them. And taking pictures of them. And um, you know, like…smiling at them and stuff. It was classic. It took me back to those years when her mama was doing the same thing. Well, not exactly the same thing. My daughter stood on a stool and “put on a show” to anyone who would sit still for five minutes. As a theater major, she lived for the spotlight. But her older daughter? Maybe not quite as much. I love her brilliant wit, her doe eyes, her modesty.
\nAs we prepared for the concert yesterday, I was trying to decide what to wear. I had worn black corduroy leggings and a black turtle neck sweater all day. At the last minute, I just added a sparkly belt and a necklace.
\nI walked out of the bedroom and my nine-year-old granddaughter looked me up and down with a critical eye and said, “Nice belt. It’s real sparkly.”
\n“Thanks!” I said. “I just threw it and the necklace on.”
\nShe cocked her head and said, “Well, when in doubt, add glitter!”
\nI love this kid. She’s not only her mother incarnate, but the little-girl me! Both girls shock me with their insight and dry sense of humor. They have left a trail of glitter on my heart. ❤️
\n“May the Lord bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to see your children’s children— peace be on Israel.”\nPsalm 128:5-6 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-20T03:00:48-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/20/the-choir-concert.html", "tags": ["Family","Hope","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/19/the-redbirds.html", "title": "THE REDBIRDS", "content_html": "![\"Ne'Qua](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/8930bc0242.jpg\")
\nThe cardinal is West Virginia’s state bird. I love watching the flash of red when a male cardinal comes in to the feeders or flits among the branches of the shrubbery along the creek on the farm. There is nothing more beautiful than a radiance of cardinals resting amongst the red berries on a dogwood branch in the snow. The mama cardinal is a little duller color than her mate, but still shows a lovely dusty red.
\nThe other day I showed you the Christmas ornament I found for the farm. It was a bottle brush tree under a glass cloche. It is special and will have a place of honor on my tree to remember my trip to Colorado. However, I went shopping Saturday afternoon and found THE perfect ornament for this year. Ne’Qua ornaments are so special and this is the first I’ve seen this year. There were only three left at the Hallmark store. On one side is a beautiful poinsettia and on the other…a pair of cardinals. I knew this one was mine. Someday my grandchildren will divide up these special ornaments but for now, I will cherish them, and the memories I make in the places where I buy them.
\nSo, now I have two ornaments. It’s only fitting as my life seems to be at a crossroads of late. This way. That way. Old things. New things. Experiences. People. Out. In. It’s like a handful of glitter has been tossed up and I’m watching the dance as it floats through the air. Life is very rich right now. So rich I can feel it like the velvet tongue of a kitten. There’s beauty at every turn. Beauty in my memories of times past. Beauty in my everyday experiences. Beauty in my interactions with people. Even a poignant beauty in my love for Mr. Virgo.
\nI will never stop loving that man. He is a part of me as much as the marrow in my bones. But, he’s like the lovely red bird. He flits through my peripheral vision and lights on a branch for a moment…then off he goes again. He isn’t front and center every waking moment these days. While I had a terrible fear this day would come, I’m finding a release of the pent up tension that trying to hold onto him created. Now I can let him fly free….free to come in and out of my periphery, of my heart, of my life. And this is good.
\nThis is as it should be.
\nIn researching the meaning of the cardinal, I came across a lovely little blog called The Cardinal Experience. It is written by a young widow who sees a cardinal repeatedly after her husband died. He was a pilot and promised her he was going to fly to heaven on red wings. She thought he meant the red wings of his beloved plane. But maybe it was this little redbird that cried incessantly “Cheer! Cheer!” forcing her to leave her house and get back into life. You can read her blog post here:
\nhttp://www.thecardinalexperience.com/journey/index.php?page=pages&id=1
\n““Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”\nMatthew 6:25-27 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-19T03:00:25-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/19/the-redbirds.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/18/countdown-to-christmas.html", "title": "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS", "content_html": "![\"Snow](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/91021d858b.jpg\")
\nOne more week till Christmas. Where on earth did 2016 go??? My granddaughter had a swim meet yesterday and afterwards I went to the mall. I was hard pressed to find a parking spot. First off, we got about 10" of snow overnight and the temperature was hovering at 0 when I left for the swim meet. It didn’t warm up out of single digits all day yesterday! I walked around the mall for hours, mostly people watching and getting some much needed exercise. My phone came alive with texts from friends all over the country. It was fun to catch up with so many people.
\nAll this snow reminded me of the first snowstorm after Mr. Virgo died. I had worked a sixteen hour day. When I left the office it started snowing and by the time I got home there was eighteen inches of snow in my driveway. I had a snow shovel with only one name on it…mine! I got out in the cold and the wind froze me through. I shoveled and shoveled and shoveled some more. And the more I shoveled, the angrier I got. I shoveled enough to get my car in the garage and went inside. As I walked through the bedroom, I noticed the picture of Mr. Virgo and his dad on the highboy and I stopped to give him a piece of my mind. After all…he had a lot of nerve up and dying on me and leaving me with all that mess to take care of on my own. I was not a happy camper and had some apologizing to do to God for all the swearing that went on.
\nThings are different now. First, I sold my house so I don’t have to shovel. Second, it doesn’t snow much in West Virginia. And third, I don’t shovel…period. I cant remember the last time I got angry at Mr. Virgo for dying. He would have loved my daughter’s graduation on Friday. He would have loved this snow. He loved winter. I know I miss him or I wouldn’t have cried so readily…so hard at the cemetery last week. It’s just different now. It’s my “new normal”. And while it isn’t the normal I predicted…or wanted…it is my normal now.
\nI can tell you one thing…I did not feel like slapping all the happy people at the mall yesterday. There was a time not all that long ago when that would have seemed perfectly logical. Progress is being made. Healing is being done. For that, I am grateful! ❤️
\n“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”\nJeremiah 17:14 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-18T03:00:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/18/countdown-to-christmas.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/16/memory-lane.html", "title": "MEMORY LANE", "content_html": "![\"Rivers](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/19067257bd.jpg\")
\nThe first time I came to this restaurant was in 1986 when Hubby #2 was being interviewed to join the local medical practice as an internist. It was my first “doctor’s wife” experience…a role I never really fit into very well. I was very nervous and I’m sure I spent most of the night chattering away while wringing my hands under the table. Things went well though and we soon moved to this adorable mountain town the Rand McNally Atlas voted as the “Most Fun Town in America” two years running…Glenwood Springs.
\nPenelope’s became Rivers Restaurant at some point and was a favorite Friday evening hot spot till our second child came along and we didn’t get out as much. Then, many years later when Mr. Virgo and I got married, we had our wedding here. We were married out on the balcony on a beautiful spring day nestled between snow storms. We had a brunch reception with a number of wonderful food choices, champagne, and a divine carrot cake generously provided by the Hotel Jerome in Aspen where Mr. Virgo was working. It was truly a beautiful day full of love.
\nI was supposed to go back to Denver Wednesday but the snow did not cooperate and I ended up staying one more night. I’ve only been in this restaurant once since Mr. Virgo died. It was on a date that turned into a disaster when I was seated facing the very table Mr. Virgo and I sat at our reception. The only thing I could do was stare at that table. When my “date” asked what was wrong, I told him and he blew right over it with, “It’s a beautiful place, isn’t it?” Yeah…no more dates with Mr. Sensitivity there. No more dates actually for a long, long time.
\nSince I stayed over an extra night, I visited with my brother for a while and was headed to my “surrogate parents” to spend the night and was driving by here. It’s been almost ten years since we danced on the parquet floor over there to the left. Our wedding cake was served on the table where the Christmas tree is. We sat at the table to the right in front of the windows. I can sit here now and remember where each guest sat. I remember waiting in the ladies room for the guests to be seated so Mr. Virgo wouldn’t see my dress. I remember the minutes ticking past the appointed hour, cracking the door open, and saying, in a loud stage whisper, “Let’s get this show on the road! I want to get married!!!” I remember hearing Mr. Virgo laugh when he heard me from the front porch where he was waiting as well. I can remember dancing to “At Last” by Etta James…the only time Mr. Virgo ever danced with me. I remember the champagne toasts and what each person said. Good memories. Warm memories. Poignant memories. But not sad memories anymore. Just really great sesame ahi tuna steak with mango ponzu sauce, warm beet salad, garlic mashed potatoes with horseradish sauce, and a medley of steamed vegetables. Served with a side of love. Always love. Nothing but love. ❤️
\n“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”\nLuke 2:19 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-16T03:00:42-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/16/memory-lane.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/15/merry-bright.html", "title": "MERRY \u0026 BRIGHT", "content_html": "![\"Bottle](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5c604ac0ed.jpg\")
\nI came to the mountains Sunday to spend time with my sweet brother and to visit friends. I’ve soaked in the hot springs, eaten at my great restaurants, and browsed in the beautiful shops. I’ve driven around and gazed at the Christmas lights. This is a resort town in Colorado, full of rustic, twinkly good cheer and it has done my heart good to revel in it.
\nYesterday, I took my coffee up to the cemetery and sat with Mr. Virgo for awhile. I surprised myself by how quickly I was reduced to a puddle of tears. I haven’t cried in a long time, but this outpouring of grief was deep…from the depths of my heart. While it was sadness pouring out, it was wrapped in love and gratitude. I sat for a long time…whispering my love message into the ether and felt comforted in the end.
\nI decided to stop at my favorite shop on my way out of town. The other day I shared that I hadn’t purchased a special ornament this year. I haven’t seen any of the Ne’Qua ornaments that we loved, but there…nestled on a shelf…was the sweetest bottle-brush tree ornament and it made my heart smile. I felt Mr. Virgo whisper, “For your farmhouse Christmas!” I asked them to wrap it well and put it in a box and I’ll hand carry it home.
\nThere is a reason the rear view mirror is smaller than the windshield. I look forward more and more. It is what it is, yet all is as it should be. My world is still Merry and Bright…I just hold his memory in my heart now…this fourth Christmas without him. And my heart is filled with love. ❤️
\n“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”\n1 Corinthians 12:4 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-15T03:00:40-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/15/merry-bright.html", "tags": ["Travel","Hope","Positive Energy","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/13/all-the-trimmings.html", "title": "ALL THE TRIMMINGS", "content_html": "![\"Ne'Qua](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/62ca5aa71d.jpg\")
![\"Table](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43d39c88ed.jpg\")
\n832 cookies!!! Yesterday was the great Cookie Baking Marathon with the family. I absolutely love these people…every single one of them. And they are a vocal family. It’s great fun…everyone laughing and talking over one another. The kids running around playing and challenging each other over who iced the best cookie. Christmas carols and the television and electronic games and telephone calls. A great cacophony of joy and raucous noise that weaves the fabric of what constitutes a family.
\nIt is really interesting. In the first two years, and even somewhat the third year, after losing Mr. Virgo, noise grated on my nerves. After an hour, my head hurt and my teeth were on edge. This year, was totally different. Ten hours of eight adults and four kids jammed in a kitchen was great fun! I nibbled on one too many cookies so when it was time to head out for BBQ, I elected to spend a little down time, write my post, and chill before we start packaging up all the baked goods for distribution to friends, neighbors, co-workers and teachers.
\nI “talk” to thousands of people every day in the written word. But, 75% of my daily vocalization is to farm cats! I live a pretty quiet life. I’m not complaining…I really enjoy the bustle my family brings to my world. I just also like my peaceful moments when I can concentrate and write.
\nI’m supposed to head to the mountains today but it’s snowing hard in the high country. I’ll be careful and go when the roads are clear. At the front end of my trip, time stretches out before me and now a week is gone already. Plans were made today to spend quality time with my grandchildren one-on-one doing something fun that they enjoy. They grow oh so fast. Today was one of those days when memories were made and love was felt deep within. ❤️
\n“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”\nRomans 14:19 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-11T03:00:13-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/11/the-marathon.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/10/baking-day.html", "title": "BAKING DAY", "content_html": "![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/7ec03068ed.jpg\")
\nOk, disclaimer…I lifted the picture from the Internet when I Googled “Christmas Cookie Fails”. That being said, who hasn’t seen similar results when you’re baking for the holidays? Oh, there are people out there who make perfect…and I do mean PERFECT Christmas cookies. (See Buffalo Baking Co! My dear friend Patti and her daughter Jamie make the most beautiful, and delicious, cookies!!! https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloBakingCo/posts/1338179656203105 ) I’ve tried. Seriously, I have. But I don’t have the patience to decorate dozens of cookies. One, and I’m done.
\nToday is the family cookie baking marathon in my son-in-law’s mom’s beautiful, big kitchen. From Grandma Lois in her mud-eighties to my youngest granddaughter who is nine, this place will be buzzing till late afternoon. Dozens of dozens of cookies will be produced today. There will be fudge. And we’ll dip anything we can get our hands on into melted white, milk, and dark chocolate. There will be nut clusters and cherry mash, dipped Oreos and turtles, rolled cookies and drop cookies and bar cookies. And yes…some of them may be unrecognizable. But I can guarantee you they’ll be good. And they’ll be eaten. Anyone lucky enough to get a variety plate out of this kitchen will be blessed indeed!
\nIt will be a fun day, for sure. And memories that will be cherished for years to come will be made. I look forward to this day all year! I’ll post pics tomorrow. ❤️
\n““You must bake twelve flat loaves of bread from choice flour, using four quarts of flour for each loaf.”\nLeviticus 24:5 NLT
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-10T03:00:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/10/baking-day.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/04/a-victorian-christmas-in-the.html", "title": "A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS IN THE JULIA-ANN DISTRICT", "content_html": "![\"Victorian](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/501546b611.jpg\")
\nThere is a historic district in my hometown that has the most amazing homes built by lumber barons, oil and gas men, lawyers, doctors, and government officials in the latter half of the 1800’s. Every summer, the Julia-Ann District holds a garden tour and every Christmas they hold a tea and tours of these magnificent mansions. I have a close family friend who owns a house that is like living in a museum. It is stunning, truly. I have always wanted to volunteer for the Christmas Tour and this year it worked out. I led tours through a home that once belonged to a family in the oil field machinery business and now houses the offices of the WV Baptist Convention. It is a three story home built in 1880 and was really quite modern for its time. I climbed up and down steps for five hours this afternoon so I not only had the fun of leading tours, I also got my exercise. By 5:30 last evening I had climbed three stories…24 times! Wowza…and that was in cowboy boots! It was great fun. I’m thinking I really need an entire Victorian wardrobe. I love the fashions of that era. But…it depended on where you stood on the social ladder whether you sat in the lap of luxury or served those that did.
\nOne of the interesting tidbits of information I learned before the tour involved the reasoning behind floor to ceiling windows in Victorian homes. There was an old superstition in the Victorian Era to never bring a casket through the door of a house that was used by the occupants. It invited spirits into your home. Since funeral homes were not common in those times, either a false door or floor to ceiling windows were built into the front formal parlor or sitting room to allow a casket to be brought into the home. Communities had groups of women who took it upon themselves to attend to the dead and “lay out the body”. The departed would lay in state for 3-4 days to allow time for family to arrive. Since this was before embalming was common, the practice of placing flowers around the room was a practical solution to any bad odors.
\nSo, there’s your “I learn something new every day” moment. ❤️
\n“My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”\nIsaiah 32:18 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-04T03:00:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/04/a-victorian-christmas-in-the.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/03/forced-memories-from-the-archives.html", "title": "FORCED MEMORIES FROM THE ARCHIVES OF FACEBOOK", "content_html": "![\"Man](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/0027a46985.jpg\")
\nIf this is your first Christmas without your loved one, you must be prepared for something. Facebook Memories. They pop up, unbidden. They take you back, whether you want to go or not. I remember seeing the memories before the holidays, but man…once they started showing me Thanksgivings and Christmases past? That was brutal because I wasn’t prepared.
\nI’m in a different place now, for the most part. That doesn’t mean I don’t feel Mr. Virgo’s absence or that I don’t ever get sad. I do. Just not as deep and not as long. A photo from 2009 showed up this morning. It was just the tree in the living room. Then I remembered this one and went searching for it. This was his last Christmas. We couldn’t possibly have imagined that. We were back in the mountain house after having lived away for a few years. We always put our tree up on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We watched “White Christmas” and football. We had a nice dinner and sat in the dark with the lights on the tree as the only illumination. Mr. Virgo had this special brand of candle that smelled of pine. OMGosh! That thing reeked…but he loved it and I tolerated it for him.
\nWhen I see this picture now, I’m filled with warm memories and a certain bit of melancholy that is becoming more like nostalgia with each passing year. I have learned to love this life that I built for myself, but I stand at the edge of the man-shaped hole in my heart and throw a wreath in the waves that come in. I observe. I hold tight to those memories. I smile a bit. I let my heart hurt a bit. I let myself “feel” grief. Because, the only way to get through grief is to grieve. And even though most days my ship is steady in the water, there are some still that are rocky. I have a much better feel for sailing now than I had three years ago. I know which way the wind blows and God is the Captain of my ship. ❤️
\n“It’s smooth sailing all the way with GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies.”\nPsalm 84:10-12 MSG
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-03T03:00:26-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/03/forced-memories-from-the-archives.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Hope","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/12/02/the-mountains-are-calling-and.html", "title": "THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING AND I MUST GO", "content_html": "![\"Prisma](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/04dcb2df4a.jpg\")
\nWhile I don’t relish snow and cold, I’m leaving soon to go see my family in Colorado. A Colorado Christmas is a beautiful thing, especially with grandchildren around. They’re getting so big! That’s the hardest thing about being away from them…seeing how fast they grow. My heart is torn…I truly feel “home” in two places so I have to split my time. And for now, home base is in West Virginia.
\nI’ve been watching with great sorrow as the Smokies burn. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve “almost” gone camping in the Smoky Mountains only to change my mind and now they will be scarred for the rest of my lifetime. The mountains you see in this picture have burned…twice in the time I lived there. I will never forget the Storm King Fire that took 14 firefighters. Young smokejumpers based out of Oregon. The fire started as one small pine that was struck by lightning on a Wednesday. That night, you could see a little wisp of smoke up there and we were all alarmed but we were told they were just going to let it burn itself out. Three days later, the hot, dry winds blew the fire into a conflagration the likes of which I had never seen. The sky was black and the sun was a dim red dot. The young firefighters were working below a ridge line when the winds shifted and they could not outrun the flames to the top. It was a terrible tragedy. A few years later, the Coal Seam Fire erupted in much the same place. I was the last car allowed to drive west through South Canyon. The flames actually arced over the highway and the river and hit the hillside to the north of the interstate like a tremendous fiery arch over my car. I was immediately engulfed in thick smoke and ash. I was too frightened to stop and too terrified to keep going. Fortunately, I got through it in maybe fifty feet. I cannot imagine what these people are going through. My prayers are with them. I have family there as well as my agent, Italia.
\nAfter the wildfires in Colorado, they flew helicopters overhead and sprayed a mixture of seeds and fertilizer and reseeded the mountainsides. And, within a couple of years, the only evidence of the fires were the crooked, blackened skeletons of piñon pine, cedar, and scrub oak. Our greenery is scarce to begin with in the Rockies. It’s not like the lush, green deciduous forests in the east and south. That will take generations to come back.
\nThe fact there are forest fires this late in the year in a typically wet, humid area of the country is alarming to me. Pray for rain or snow to come quench these fires and save what’s left. Pray for the families of the victims. Pray for the survivors whose every belonging is gone.
\nAnd now, for some good news…Bernie can hear! I watched a live video feed Wednesday as they activated my former father-in-law’s cochlear implant. It will take a while for his brain to catch up and process the sounds correctly. I cried as I watched his face light up when he heard my daughter’s voice as she told him his children were watching from all over the country. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. They were greatly appreciated. ❤️
\n“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.””\nMark 10:27 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-12-02T03:00:32-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/12/02/the-mountains-are-calling-and.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/30/doing-new-activities-keeps-your.html", "title": "DOING NEW ACTIVITIES KEEPS YOUR MIND FRESH AND BOOSTS YOUR MOOD", "content_html": "![\"Glass](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b8c587ff46.jpg\")
\nI’ve done more new things in the last three and a half years than I have in my entire life combined, I do believe. I’ve always heard of Oglebay Park in Wheeling and they put on a huge Festival of Lights at the holidays. Over 600 acres you drive through with animated light displays and trees galore. I’ve always wanted to go and since I’m leaving soon for Colorado, I decided to run up to see the spectacle and get my holiday month off to a great start!
\nWhile last night was fun, something awesome is happening this morning. My second father-in-law is having his cochlear implant turned on today and we’re all joining a live Facebook session to watch. Please say a prayer that all goes well and it gives him the gift of hearing again. It is so important for his quality of life since he is nearly blind from macular degeneration. He’s a good man and has worked hard all his life. He raised three kids on a meat packer’s pay and I love him dearly. Thank you in advance for sending some kind thoughts for Bernie.
\nFamily…no matter who they are or how they come into your life, they are a part of who we are. I was blessed with three husbands and enjoy an extended family through them, even through divorce. I love every one of them. ❤️
\n“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”\n1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-11-30T03:00:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/30/doing-new-activities-keeps-your.html", "tags": ["Travel","Fun","West Virginia","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/26/and-so-it-beginschristmas.html", "title": "AND SO, IT BEGINS...CHRISTMAS", "content_html": "![\"Christmas](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d3a78bbd7d.jpg\")
\nI’m the only person I know who can turn a four-hour drive into a twelve-hour adventure and spend less than twenty bucks! I left my cousin’s early yesterday and drove up to my uncle’s house. I took my aunt a sack of McDonald’s sausage biscuits…her favorite. I took my time and made a last-minute decision to drive up to Canaan Valley Lodge for the best chef salad I believe I have ever had. There were only two other people in the restaurant and the wait staff were most attentive and fun to talk with. I stopped in Elkins, Buchanan, and Weston. The Christmas Parade was about to take place but I scooted through town instead of stopping for some small town American fun. I had to drive slowly to keep from hitting the deer who were out in force. I made another last minute decision and stopped at the cemetery to pay my respects to my family for Thanksgiving. Two years ago, I placed a few strands of Mr. Virgo’s hair between a couple of the headstones so I can visit him there, too. I am so grateful that the pain of losing him has, for the most part, turned into gratitude for having had him and happiness for the memories he gave me. I got home and answered messages and called the neighbor to let her know I was home and to thank her for feeding the cats for me. It was a wonderful trip and a great Thanksgiving.
\nAnd now, the build up to Christmas begins with a vengeance. Driving home last night, there were lights everywhere…even way out in the country. That is one of the best things about the holidays….bringing light into the darkness. It is how I live my life…shining a light into the world. It gives me great joy to see the colors and lights and designs in the displays. I love to drive around town and see the neighborhoods dressed up. And snow will come soon. That’s icing on the cake as far as decorations go. I have lots of fun things planned for December. It wasn’t long ago that Christmas filled me with dread, fear, sadness, and anger at my loss. I am so relieved this year is different. This year is better. ❤️
\n“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”\nJohn 1:5 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-11-26T03:00:02-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/26/and-so-it-beginschristmas.html", "tags": ["Fun","West Virginia","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/25/babies-buddy-brushhoggin.html", "title": "BABIES, BUDDY, \u0026 BRUSH-HOGGIN'", "content_html": "![](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e1c9f2abcc.jpg\")
\nThanksgiving in rural West Virginia. Work still needs to be done on a farm…no matter what day it is. The son-in-law’s field next door grows some sort of inedible huckleberry bushes that cows won’t eat. And it chokes out the hay. It overgrows when the pH is off in the ground so the field needed brush-hogged (a brush hog is a really big mower that will cut through small trees and scrub brush) and then very finely ground limestone spread on it. All hands are needed when a big job comes up and Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity with the extra company around.
\nWe walked down to the shop and there was a problem with one of the spreaders. The axle was frozen and wouldn’t take grease so they got the wheel off, heated the axle with a blow torch till they could make it move enough to get some grease in it. Once it was reassembled, two of us sat on the spreader while they drove it down through a field till the wheel moved freely. How they know what to do for these problems is beyond me but it was fun riding over through the farm in a convoy of three tractors, a bobcat and the pickup full of farm dogs. They always want to go where the action is.
\nThanksgiving is all about family after getting a good chunk of work done. We gathered seventeen of us around our particular brand of traditional Thanksgiving fare…brown beans, corn bread, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, beef, pork, coleslaw, and several sweets. It’s totally different than the typical turkey and dressing feast. The beef and pork was home raised and butchered right here on the farm. It’s a simple, humble meal served to wonderful, earthy, hard-working people. It’s loud and boisterous and fun. There’s football and Nerf gun fights and crying babies and teasing and jokes and gratitude…gratitude for the love of a good family, a solid hand-built home, and the abundant blessings of a loving God.
\nI love my life.
\n❤️
\n“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”\nPsalm 107:8-9 NIV
\n", "date_published": "2016-11-25T03:00:16-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/25/babies-buddy-brushhoggin.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/23/reprise-the-ugly-side-of.html", "title": "Reprise: The Ugly Side of Grief", "content_html": "![\"Grief](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5dd6367e81.jpg\")
“Reprise: The Ugly Side of Grief”
I wrote this two years ago. I think it bears repeating with the holidays approaching.
\nThe Ugly Side of Grief
\nRemember when you and I first started this journey? I told you I would speak from my heart. I would speak my truth as it is in the moment. I would tell you what it’s like to walk this path and I told you that sometimes it wouldn’t be pretty. Remember that? Well, I’m writing this at midnight and tonight is one of those nights that’s just not pretty.
\nI woke up with a migraine Wednesday morning and didn’t take the time to take care of myself as I would normally. My aunt had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon so we were gone for several hours. (I’ve managed to get 2.2 pounds on her tiny little frame by adding cream and cheese and eggs to a lot of her foods. That’s a relief.) We got home and I fixed her supper. I really couldn’t eat much and I went straight to bed. I slept a couple of hours and woke up. And the second phase of my migraine kicked in….GI symptoms.
\nGrief is hard work. Being sick is hard work. Being sick and grieving and feeling anxiety build up in you and knowing the only thing you can do is use Rescue Remedy and ride it out till morning? That’s brutal. That opens all sorts of doors to thoughts better left for the light of day. When will this ever be over? Why did he have to die on me so soon? How am I ever going to find the strength to get through this? Is this what the rest of my life is going to look like? I’ve taken on a huge responsibility with my aunt’s care. Have I bit off more than I can chew? Am I strong enough to get through this?
\nThat last question is the crux of the whole thing…am I strong enough to do this? If you look at my frail little human self with my fears and my anxieties and my grief, the answer is an unequivocal “No…..not on my own.” I could not have gotten where I am today if it weren’t for my faith in a God much stronger than me. A God that will gladly carry every burden I have if I’ll just remember to turn to Him and ask Him to carry them. I couldn’t have made it this far without the countless prayers that have been offered up on my behalf. I hate the ugly underbelly of grief. The doubt and fear it stirs up in me scares me. And when I get scared, it’s easy to go running down the dark corridors of my 2:00 mind, jiggling door knobs, frantically looking for a way out of this purgatory.
\nMy rational 8:00 mind will return after while. I’ll get up and have coffee and the night will fade into memories of the many long nights of survival. And, until then, I will lay here in my comfy bed in my cold camper with my toasty electric blanket turned on high, and I will visualize sitting at the feet of God, my head on His knee, His hand stroking my brow, His love for me overflowing, His strength pouring into me, His gentle words of encouragement whispered into my ear. “It’s ok, baby girl. You fight hard and you get tired. You just rest in Me. I’ll take care of you tonight and tomorrow things will look a whole lot different…you’ll see. Trust Me.”
\n❤️
\n“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 NIV\n", "date_published": "2016-11-23T02:30:12-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/23/reprise-the-ugly-side-of.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","God","Holiday","Wisdom","Fear"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/05/30/lest-we-forget.html", "title": "Lest We Forget", "content_html": "\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/224bb98b08.jpg\")
He was just 25. A small-town country boy from West Virginia. Brilliant. Handsome. Full of promise...full of hope. He had attended WVU and wanted to fly jets. He enlisted as an officer in the Air Force and went to Arizona for flight school. Everyone loved him and were so proud of Sonny.
\n\n\nMy grandparents, my great-grandparents and an aunt drove to Arizona to see my uncle get his wings. My aunt had worked in San Diego, but the others had never been so far from home. It was the trip of a lifetime for them. Grandma kept scratchy black and white photos in scrapbooks along with postcards, napkins and matchbooks from restaurants, and the program from the ceremony. This was truly the story of a country boy done good.
\n\n\nAfter the required training, Uncle Sonny was shipped to Germany to Landstuhl AFB. He had quick assignments in Africa and surrounding countries, but it was peace time in 1955 and his work was routine. The pilots had a daily flight schedule for continuing education and keeping their skills sharp. They had to put in a certain number of flight hours.
\n\n\nMay 5, 1955 dawned with a cold, thick fog. Sonny arrived on the flight deck as scheduled but the plane he was supposed to fly was grounded. There was another plane available. It was older and was actually en route to become a static display. It had had three engines replaced in as many days, but someone made the decision to send the young pilot up for his required flight time.
\n\n\nThe preflight check was accomplished and the airman was aloft when he noticed the plane seemed sluggish. He wasn't gaining altitude as expected. He circled the airfield but the groaning engines just would not lift him higher. He knew he was going to have to set it down, but he was rapidly approaching the barracks and administration buildings filled with staff. It was against his nature to eject and let the plane crash, especially if it risked injuring innocent people. He noticed to his right, a freshly plowed field and headed there. He nearly made it, when his right wing clipped a tree and caused the plane to cartwheel out of control. My sweet Uncle Sonny...the man who carried me high over his head when he rejoiced my birth...was found still strapped in his ejection seat in the mud of a German potato field, mortally wounded.
\n\n\nThe news came in a telegram. \"We regret to inform you...\" The family collectively died that day. It was a couple of weeks before he came home in a flag-draped coffin. Grandma kept smelling his wallet, relieved there was no smell of smoke. It was a time of brokenness that was far reaching. It affected everyone, including us littles as we were being raised in the shadow of profound grief.
\n\n\nWhen Mr. Virgo died, I was handed the folded flag from his coffin, just as he received the one from his father and I from mine. We live these free lives of ours on the backs of such great men as George Chadock, Daniel McKinney II, Daniel McKinney III, and Olin Roush. May they forever be remembered for their sacrifices. May they forever rest in peace in the arms of their Father.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-05-30T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/05/30/lest-we-forget.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/02/12/when-two-become-oneagain.html", "title": "When Two Become One...Again", "content_html": "\n“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
\nJohn 15:13 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f343e5f8d2.jpg\")
I've been trying to remember my last Valentine's Day with Mr. Virgo. By the calendar, I see it was a Thursday. I must have been at home working in my studio because my activity log on FB shows me doing a lot of networking. Marshmallow Ranch was a business page at the time. I was exchanging info with other \"makers\" to reach more people. I'm sure I spent a good deal of time online that day. I probably made a lovely dinner for my sweetheart. I do remember him coming in with flowers (an orchid, maybe?) and a little heart shaped cake. I know he gave me the sweetest Valentine's card.
\n\n\nI had no way of knowing this would be the last one. He was gone 26 days later.
\n\n\nThis will be my 3rd Valentine's Day without Mr. Virgo. Third...thirteenth...thirtieth. What difference does it make? Gone is gone. When two become one, it opens a hole in your heart, in your life...in the world. I know many to whom it is just a day on the calendar...in this case, Sunday. I know some who still can't breathe. I have survived the first year when it felt like my brain was wrapped in gauze. I have survived the second year when my brain sizzled and burned...like a pat of butter in a too-hot pan. And now the third. The third is different. I've adjusted to being alone...for the most part. I no longer think about him every moment of every day, yet he lives in my heart. I no longer feel the sting of tears when I see his picture. I haven't cried myself to sleep in a long time...yet, when I stumble upon some tangible evidence of his presence in my life, it still accentuates his absence.
\n\n\nI was filling out a form online yesterday. When I came to the box for \"marital\" status, my choices were \"single\", \"married\", or \"divorced\". Something like that used to trip me up in the past. I can still call myself Mrs. even though Social Security says I am no longer \"married\". Yet, I'm not single. I'm on my own. It made me think about the passages we go through in life. When we marry, two become one in many ways. We move over in the framework of our lives to fit another in beside us. If we aren't careful, we get smaller so that, if we lose the one we love, it feels as though we have had half of us amputated. And in time, slowly...ever so slowly, we become more \"whole\". Not the same as before. No...not nearly the same as before.
\n\n\nI don't feel like half a person, most of the time now. There's just this hole in my heart, and in my life, and in the world. I used to fill that hole with shopping, eating, busyness... Now I cram it full of stories, and pictures, and music, and lots and lots of love. I fill it with big hugs that I give away like candy. I fill it with time spent with special people. I fill it with as much fun as I can muster. I fill it with raucous laughter. I fill it with my writing. Each word I write places another stitch in the gaping wound of my heart. The hemorrhaging has been stemmed and smaller stitches have been placed. Things are healing. I promptly address little leaks here and there. And now I am trying my hand at some decorative embroidery. I'm creating a stronger heart...a kinder heart...a gentler heart from the wounded one.
\n\n\nI am becoming one.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-02-12T02:30:48-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/02/12/when-two-become-oneagain.html", "tags": ["Grief","Gratitude","Love","Holiday","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/02/10/valentines-day.html", "title": "Valentine's Day", "content_html": "\n“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”
\n2 Corinthians 3:5 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/301d446a7c.jpg\")
It is right around the corner...that day where the world goes all soft and happily Hallmark on us and we don't have a date. The first Valentine's Day after Mr. Virgo died was brutal. It was just a month before the one year angelversary and my heart was feeling everything. The fuzzy gauze of that first year of grief was beginning to lift making everything worse. Those feelings of loneliness, abandonment... of being glaringly alone without my Valentine caused a lot of bad words to fall out of my face.
\n\n\nI've been reading some wonderful writers the last couple of days. One in particular I'd like to share with you today. Mark Liebenow speaks of cursing and grief....something I have had a great deal of experience with. Letting our grief out, giving it a voice, is a necessary process toward healing, something I read by Rachel Stephensen.
\n\n\nI stood on mountain tops, beating my chest, my head thrown back, my gut wrenching sobs keening on the early summer breeze. I won't go on...I'll leave you to read this timely post as I'm sure there are more here than me that can peel the wallpaper off the walls, cussing a blue streak.
\n\n\n\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
\n1 Peter 5:7 NIV\n
Photo Credit: glutenfreegigi.com
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-02-10T02:30:59-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/02/10/valentines-day.html", "tags": ["Grief","Holiday","Choices"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/01/01/a-new-year.html", "title": "A New Year", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/b01279f5a7.jpg\")
Every New Year carries me farther from my loss. I couldn't wait for the first one. The second one kinda came and went without fanfare because I was busy moving. Yesterday I had a good day. I met friends for coffee, visited with my \"substitute mom\", wandered the little shops in town, treated myself to a nice dinner at a restaurant I'd never tried, then soaked in the new Iron Mountain Hot Springs. I was a noodle by 6:30 and headed home. I tried to go to the cemetery on my way to the house where I'm staying, and I almost got stuck in the snow. I managed to get out and get to my brother/friend's house. Greg eats healthy and has NO junk food in the house and I really wanted ice cream. Sigh. So, I set to contemplating letting go of 2015 and embracing 2016.
\n\n\nA New Year is like a new box of crayons. The big box with the built in sharpener. The labels are all intact. The tips are not broken. The colors haven't rubbed off on each other. You just want to sit there and look at them and breathe in that new-box-of-crayon smell. Infinite possibilities.
\n\n\nHow will you color YOUR New Year?
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2016-01-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/01/01/a-new-year.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Gratitude","Holiday","Change"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/25/away-in-a-manger.html", "title": "Away in a Manger", "content_html": "\n“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
\n2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f53fa52d29.jpg\")
I know I've always said I won't be preachy here at The Ranch. And I'm not now. But...it's Christmas, so we're going to talk about the Christmas story today so please indulge me this moment.
\n\n\nI don't know why, but this year the Christmas story has had greater impact on me than ever before. I was fortunate to hear some really good sermons this season. I'm sure that has something to do with it. But more likely, it's because I have been tuned into the Bible by adding Scripture to illustrate each post since January. That has kept me in the Word every day for nearly a year. I'm becoming better versed as to where to find what book, how to use a contemporary compendium, and how to reach a stillness inside to allow the Holy Spirit to work in me.
\n\n\nTo me, the Bible houses a living, powerful force. It's almost as though it is a living, breathing organism. And it speaks to me from my current level of experience. I have had people say they have read a particular verse a hundred times and then, when it's used in a different context, it becomes contemporary and speaks to them. When I am experiencing difficulties, or when I have a question, I can literally hold my question in my heart, open my Bible to any given chapter and verse, and quite often the answer is right under my fingertips. This is not only remarkable given how long ago the Bible was written, it's also delightful. It's reassuring to know we can have quite literal conversations with God. I am a scientist at heart. I need empirical evidence. When I feel, see, and hear the Holy Spirit moving in my life, that's all the evidence I need.
\n\n\nBut, back to the Christmas story. The Christ child was born in a stable, wrapped in what was probably not much more than rags, and placed in a manger. This is not a sterile hospital environment. This is not a place where we would be comfortable laying our own newborn to sleep. There were animals in there with them. Dirty, smelly farm animals. This was really nothing more than a place that offered some shelter from the elements. And angels came down from Heaven to proclaim the birth of the Messiah. To whom? The Priests? The Kings? The wealthy socialites? No, the angels came down to shepherds. These were not ranchers. These were not wealthy land owners tending their flocks. These were a rag tag bunch of social outcasts doing a dirty, difficult job that no one else wanted to do. These were the lowliest of manual laborers. These men weren't even allowed to stand in the synagogues. They were forced to stand out in the courtyard, if they were allowed in at all.
\n\n\nSo why, when for centuries the Jews were expecting the Messiah to come with trumpet blasts into the highest of their social and religious hierarchy, did God choose to send His only Son in the form of a poverty stricken, vulnerable infant, placing Him in the dirtiest of environments, then send angels to announce it to the lowliest of society? Is it any wonder the Jewish people could not accept Christ as the true Messiah? They had been living this much anticipated event over and over in their minds till it was fantastical. Have you ever planned a fabulous vacation then been bitterly disappointed when you got there and it wasn't anything like you imagined it? Well, multiply that by a zillion and you'll come close to what the populace was expecting. It sure wasn't what they got.
\n\n\nAs it turns out, it was so much more. The Christ child was introduced in the basest of fashions so we could relate. Who did Jesus hang out with? Who did he minister to? It was workers, and fishermen, and thieves, and prostitutes. Tax collectors and shepherds. The lame, the blind, the lepers, the demon possessed. These were the lowly ones. The simple ones. The poor ones. They were far more apt to hear His message. They needed saving. They recognized they NEEDED salvation because they had nothing. They had no wealthy benefactor looking out for them. And thus, a movement was born that ripped the world apart and opened the hearts of man. He came to live with us and offer salvation. Not in a chariot. Not with a trumpet fanfare. But with barnyard animals lowing all around him and with an unwed virgin for a mom. For me. And for you. Wow.
\n\n\nSo, my wishes for you this Christmas are..... That your dreams come true. That you find joy in the simplest of things this day. And...that you find Peace.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
\nIsaiah 9:6 NIV\n
Photo Credit: mymerrychristmas.com
\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-25T02:30:16-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/25/away-in-a-manger.html", "tags": ["Faith","Gratitude","God","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/20/busy-busy-busy.html", "title": "Busy, Busy, Busy", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/aa37b9c0c3.jpg\")
My older daughter has two children. They have school, swim practice, riding lessons, and homework. They are always running from activity to activity. Her mother-in-law and I were talking about this the other day and how different parenting is now. There's hardly an hour of down time anymore. I got to thinking about that. I can tell you exactly why that is and, it's not really much different after all.
\n\n\nWhen Daughter #1 was five years old, I married Hubby #2. He was in his first year of medical school. I wanted him to study at home so I made sure the house was quiet. But you couldn't keep a five year old quiet very easily so we spent every spare moment on the run. We went to the library and on bike rides, to the park and to the mall, to movies and to museums....anything to make for a quiet environment for my husband to study. My daughter was raised thinking that's how you raise your kids.
There are so many activities for kids to be involved in these days. I think parents are pressured to make sure their kids can keep up and compete with others. Some utilize after school programs as a solution for day care issues. I wish I could tell them all to slow down. Take a breath. Stay in their jammies all day and snuggle on the sofa with good books or a movie marathon once in a while. Let kids be kids. Let them go outside and play. Unplug them from electronics. Reward them with experiences instead of stuff...or worse yet, food. Tell them you love them. Tell them often. Make memories by baking cookies or creating something beautiful together.
I understand it's hard. Parents burn the candle at both ends all the time. It's hard for them to find the energy to do one more thing. It's hard to find the time to nurture your kids, let alone yourself, your spouse, and your marriage. I don't envy young parents today. I'm glad I'm going to be back here to help more. I'd like to make things a little easier for my kids....help them get the rest they need so they can be even better parents and spouses. Right now they are awesome. Imagine what they could do after a few naps or date nights!
This is probably the busiest week of the year for most of us. We are busy preparing the \"perfect holiday\" when in all actuality, we should be preparing ourselves FOR the perfect holiday. It's easy to get caught up in the hype and commercialism. I missed Hanukkah this year as it occurred before my arrival. (My family is blended and celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas.) Yesterday, after a very long day at my grand daughter's swim meet, I told them we were all going out to have ice cream for dinner, my treat. My emphasis is experiences before stuff. They'll remember ice cream for dinner as a family much longer than some little tchotchke I might buy for them. As we count down the last days before Christmas, let's step away from the busyness of the season and remember why we are celebrating in the first place.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-20T02:30:42-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/20/busy-busy-busy.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Peaceful Moments"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/19/a-gift-from-beyond.html", "title": "A Gift from Beyond", "content_html": "\n“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.””
\nLuke 10:38-42 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/43731dad72.jpg\")
Mr. Virgo loved Christmas. He listened all year and actually made notes about things he saw that I liked or was interested in. He bought and carefully hid gifts for weeks before Christmas. He wanted every Christmas to be special.
\n\n\nAs you know, I've downsized tremendously and I don't need anything, really. I'd rather have experiences than things at this point. But still, wandering around the mall yesterday, listening to the carols, watching the hustle and bustle of the shoppers...made me nostalgic for my man. I wandered around for a couple of hours feeling material, smelling perfumes, looking at sparkly things. As I turned to make my way back through the mall to head home, I passed Chico's. I love that store.
\n\n\nThere's only one thing I would love to have if I found it. And that is a beautiful robin's egg blue coat I saw on Pinterest a few weeks ago. I had one similar 40 years ago and loved it. I Googled the brand and they don't make that coat anymore. I checked e-bay. Nothing. As I wandered through Chico's, I went to the sale rack and there was a coat-like sweater with a matching mock turtleneck shell. The same color and the same cut as the coat I was looking for. And...it was 50% off the lowest markdown price. I love a deal!
\n\n\nEvery year, I buy myself a Christmas present from Mr. Virgo. This year he's giving me a beautiful blue sweater set. As soon as I walked out of the store with my gold and white bag with the tissue-wrapped prize inside, I felt like it was really the holidays. Our beauty does not come from outward accoutrements....it comes from within. But it's ok to appreciate a beautiful gift. It's ok to adapt your traditions to fit your new circumstances.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-19T02:30:49-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/19/a-gift-from-beyond.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/11/a-different-kind-of-christmas.html", "title": "A Different Kind of Christmas", "content_html": "\n“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
\n1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/99bd8562e0.jpg\")
Warning: Kleenex Moment
\n\n\nhttps://www.facebook.com/markschultz/videos/10153764558437603/
\n\n\nI've always been the kind to cry during Kodak commercials. I should have been an official tester for sappy Hallmark cards. Things move me. Beauty breaks my heart open. Babies, puppies, soldiers coming home to their mamas....puddle. My mom always said I wore my heart on my sleeve and I do. That's not a bad thing. It may not always be comfortable for people but it's rarely inappropriate to shed a tear in public. It's what makes us human. And we need a whole big dose of humanity and love in our world right now. So, on that note, I'm sharing this beautiful song. Music is the universal language of love and light. Let's spread some around and get this weekend off to a loving start, shall we?
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-11T02:30:23-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/11/a-different-kind-of-christmas.html", "tags": ["Love","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/09/holidays.html", "title": "Holidays", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/81ee5dae2b.jpg\")
As we march through the season, I am remembering all the wonderful holidays I have been blessed to be a part of. When I was Jewish, one of my favorites of course was Hanukkah. A lot of people think of it as the Jewish equivalent to Christmas and I suppose in secular circles it appears so. In reality, it is a very minor Jewish holiday and has been given more prominence by Hallmark and commercialization.
\n\n\nAs a Jewish doctors' wife and mother in a small community, and given my penchant for parties, I've organized many Hanukkah parties in my day. I've fried a boatload of latkes. I've spun a ton of dreidels. One of the hardest parts of being a Jewish mother wasn't trying to make sure everyone had enough to eat. It was witnessing religious discrimination firsthand as it affected my daughters...the youngest especially.
\n\n\nIt's difficult to know what people want you to say to them this time of year. Some are so easily offended by Merry Christmas. Others are equally offended by Happy Holidays. To me, as long as you look in my direction and toss a greeting of some sort in my general direction, I'm tickled to death to think you cared enough to wish me well. I don't care what you say. But when I send out my greetings on the wind...I'm sending out Happy Holidays. Because, at this time of year there are many holidays and I'm not going to assume you celebrate mine. I just want you to have a happy one, whatever you do. I'm not trying to deprive you or take anything away from you. I'm trying to give you a gift of myself from my heart.
\n\n\nIt's not about being \"politically correct\". It's all about being inclusive, loving, and gracious. I'm not a mind reader. I can't tell what faith you are just by looking at you. I just love you because you're human. You are my species. I respect you far beyond the rituals you celebrate. There is enough derision in the world. Let's love our neighbors this year and greet one another with love.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-09T02:30:11-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/09/holidays.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday","Wisdom"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/07/hallelujah.html", "title": "Hallelujah", "content_html": "\n“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
\nMatthew 7:12 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/aeba561b8f.jpg\")
Yesterday was one of those wonderful days that started out great and just kept getting better. When I first woke up, I still had some remnants of a headache that's been bugging me in the background. So I thought I'd just hang out at home, laze around, and skip church. Then that still, small voice said to get up and go so I got up and went. I was so happy I did because it was another one of those days when the sermon was personally written to me. Have you ever felt that? You go into church, maybe thinking about a problem, or wondering about something and before you know it, you get your answer. I love it when that happens.
\n\n\nAfter church, I headed down to the historic district for the Victorian Christmas Tour. I have some close family friends who have the most amazing house down there. Honestly, it's like a museum. I'll post some pictures over the holidays that I took during the tour. It was fun to go inside some of the houses I'd always wanted to peek into.
\n\n\nNext stop was a lunch treat at Olive Garden. Leftovers for dinner made it more affordable. After lunch, I went back to the Victorian to get some pictures without the crowds. Then I headed up to St. Mary's Basilica of the Assumption in Marietta, OH to hear Handel's Messiah. The picture here is of the ceiling. What an amazing concert. Stellar talent. I saw people I knew which is always nice.
\n\n\nThese are the days you live for. Where joy tips the scale and grief is way below the surface. These are the days you want to keep at the front of your memory box to prove to your dark side there is truly light out there.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-07T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/07/hallelujah.html", "tags": ["Fun","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Friends"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/12/01/hello-december.html", "title": "Hello, December!", "content_html": "\n“You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.”
\nPsalm 18:28 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/eb352e9dd9.jpg\")
And....here it is. December! That glittery, glamorous, gaudy fun-filled extravaganza that helps us through the longest nights of the year. For most, it's a tinsely time to cook up some really delicious treats, plan some really outrageous surprises, attend some really crazy parties. And, oh my gosh! Do we have the party mavens to show us how it's done, or what? Martha Stewart is so perfect with her staff of thousands, creating color glossies of the PERFECT holiday with the PERFECT decor and the PERFECT gifts with the PERFECT food. All the Madison Avenue gurus have this whole thing carefully orchestrated. They have done the research. They know how to make us want what they have to sell. They know what buttons to push. They know you don't want to feel like a failure because you didn't carve your own ice sculpture or hand decorate five dozen sugar cookies for the church bazaar. So they give you every recipe. They give you detailed instructions for crafty things. They make it SO easy for us. And what happens when it's over? We're over-extended, over-budget, overweight, and overwhelmed. I know I probably ruined a lot of the magic of Christmas for my kids because I pointed out how the companies were just trying to manipulate them and trick them into buying their stuff.
\n\n\nI think one of the joys of being \"of a certain age\" is letting go of some of that holiday expectation. After all, it's not our first rodeo. Once you've had sixty or so Christmases under your belt, your vision is a little clearer. Along with aging often comes a more fixed income and there isn't a lot left over to do for the kids and grandkids like you used to. Grief can creep in and tug at your heart strings. Some of us want to make up for the loss of our spouse by giving the family a really nice holiday. Others may want to forget the whole thing and hope no one realizes it till it's over. There is no right or wrong way...but I can give you some suggestions based on my personal experience.
\n\n\n1) Take it easy on yourself. No one expects from you what you expect from yourself. It's not a magazine. It's life. It's real and messy and families fight and feelings get hurt and we kiss and make up. Or, we don't. It's life. What happens between January 1st and November 30th is far more important than what happens in December. Don't sweat it so much.
\n\n\n2) Write everyone's name down who you are recognizing with a gift. Write down how much you can afford to spend on each person. Stick to that. You can't make your family feel its loss any less by buying things you can't afford then adding the stress of debt in January. Better yet, choose an affordable amount and donate it to a local food pantry, or take the kids with you to purchase things for underprivileged kids. Let Santa and their parents buy their big stuff. My grandchildren are each getting a blanket that I made for them. They honestly don't need more stuff. They need time with me.
\n\n\n3) Enlist a trusted friend to help you be accountable.
\n\n\n4) Get some regular exercise. Eat right. Get a good night's sleep. Decision making skills are directly effected by good self care.
\n\n\n5) Stop buying those $&@# magazines. Ok...forget that. I bought two yesterday. Sigh. They're just so darned pretty, aren't they?
\n\n\nWell...Hello, December! Be gentle with me.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-12-01T02:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/12/01/hello-december.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Gratitude","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/29/holding-christmas-in-my-heart.html", "title": "Holding Christmas in my Heart", "content_html": "\n“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
\nMatthew 6:3-4 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/c5f4a2008f.jpg\")
Even though I had many things I could have done yesterday, I chose to visit some of my favorite shops in the area and get into the holiday spirit. There's a little antique shop in Williamstown that I absolutely love called The Painted Cupboard. While they used to also house The Woolen Willow, a quilt and rug hooking shop, they still carry some lovely hand died wools. I bought a homespun dish towel to cut into strips to use as ribbons for the hand painted Christmas ornaments that I'm making. I'll post pictures of them in a couple of days.
\n\n\nI think Christmas is when I miss Mr. Virgo the very most. He was a fool for Christmas. We often put the tree up the week before Thanksgiving because he was so busy during the holidays. Once ski season started, and we got into the holidays, we often wouldn't get a day off together till spring. So we made putting up the tree together into a HUGE extravaganza!
\n\n\nThe first thing we did was turn on Christmas carols. There was a particular pine scented candle Mr. Virgo loved that we stored away every year when we put away the decorations. That was the first thing out of the box.
Once the tree was up, we tag teamed the lights going round and round. Then came the red organza ribbon we used as garland with the big puffy bows to tie it to the branches. The curve of each drape down had to be eyeballed from across the room with the bows spaced just right. Then the ornaments were placed with the same care. Ahhhh...my Virgo man. Next came the candy canes and finally the angel topper. I SO loved that day...and if it weren't for the fact I had the promise of doing it again the next year, I swear we would have left the tree up year round.
We had some other special decorations. There was a woodsy Santa that we put on one of the end tables. My mom's mechanical Santa sat on the floor near a chair. Our stockings were hung on the entertainment center on either side of the TV. Mom's ceramic carolers went on the entry table. Mr. Virgo hung all white icicle lights on the front porch. We put a wreath on the door and hung an old pair of ice skates with ribbons and greenery on the antique sled in the corner.
\n\n\nWe bought a new Christmas ornament every trip we took together. We always bought a special one by Né Qua. They are glass and reverse painted from the inside. Very, very special. I have several of them. The first Christmas after he died, I bought one and sobbed through the entire selection and purchase. Last year, I bought a smaller one, and still cried. Yesterday, I walked into a shop...and there they were. A whole beautiful display of every shape and size of those precious mementos. I felt that familiar catch around my heart. The tears were somewhere lurking in the vicinity behind my eyes. I picked one up and ran my fingers over the curve. Peace on Earth, with a dove. Nice. \"Silent Night\" played softly in the background. Children chased each other and giggled while mama softly scolded. The world stood still for a moment as I was transported back to 2012...Mr. Virgo's last Christmas. Our first Christmas off together. His first Christmas off in 40 years. It was my most special Christmas with him. A warm glow started deep in my heart and spread through me. I stood for the longest time holding onto my memories with both hands. Then...I smiled as I carefully placed the ornament back and went on in search of a new journal. I'm on the last page of the current one. It's time to start new traditions now....a new page in this journey of hope and love.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-29T02:30:43-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/29/holding-christmas-in-my-heart.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Growth","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/27/and-so-it-begins.html", "title": "And So, it Begins...", "content_html": "\n“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
\nPsalm 42:5 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/82c59c1ff8.jpg\")
The turkey has barely chilled in the fridge and the onslaught of Christmas is upon us. Well...ok, retailers have been working on us since before Halloween. But I keep my blinders on till Turkey Day is behind us, at least.
\n\n\nHolidays....the minefield of grief. This is my third Christmas since Mr. Virgo died. I was still really numb on the first one. I remember thinking I couldn't wait for the ball to drop on New Year's Eve because that meant I could say \"he died last year\". As if that made the whole mess any better. It was just a line in the sand I couldn't wait to cross.
\n\n\nLast year wasn't much better. My aunt and I had a parting of the ways last year on Christmas Day that sent me in a whole new direction. While it has worked out for the best all the way around, it was quite painful to go through at the time. This year I'm going to spend Christmas in Colorado so it's going to be SO much better. I'm focusing on family fun!
\n\n\nThanksgiving was easier this year as well. I told a couple great Mr. Virgo stories. They made me smile. I had my moment later on when I was preparing for bed. I just flat out miss him and not having him here has changed me, and my life, and the way I see the world, and the way I relate to other people. At the same time, life is so beautiful and delicious. It's all about the journey...the good and the not so good. This is my story. This is my life. Every day is a new page in my book, quite literally.
\n\n\nToday is Black Friday. This year I'm doing something different. There is a movement being promoted by REI to opt out of the Black Friday shopping madness (something I never do anyway) to spend time in the great outdoors. Since I have become affiliated with the Girl Camper podcasts as their correspondent, and...since Girl Camper is produced by RV Family Travel Atlas, I'm going to post my outdoor pictures tomorrow tagged with #rvftaOptOutside.
\n\n\nI don't mind skipping Black Friday at the big box stores. But I am ever faithful to Small Business Saturday. Small businesses often depend on their holiday sales to carry them through the early months of the year in order to survive. Having been a small business owner myself, I encourage everyone to support the little independent businesses in your neighborhoods.
\n\n\nI hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I spent it with my cousin's family up on North Mountain and I'm telling you what...these people are entertaining, to say the least. There were toddlers up to a great-grandma. I told stories about Mr. Virgo and I felt the love of family. It was a good day.
\n\n\nI'm hitting the open road today. If you are traveling, do drive safely. We need you here!
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-27T02:30:24-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/27/and-so-it-begins.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/26/giving-thanks.html", "title": "Giving Thanks", "content_html": "\n“So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.”
\nGenesis 13:18 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cd00b21acb.jpg\")
I know you are busy today. You probably have a list a mile long of things that need doing. Perhaps you're still in bed and giving Facebook a quick check before you start your day. Maybe you're taking a break with a cup of coffee before the crowd shows up. Or, maybe there won't BE much of a holiday for you this year. Whatever your circumstance this day, won't you take a moment and share with us just one thing, no matter how big or how small, that you are thankful for today?
\n\n\nI will start...
\n\n\nI am thankful for a forgiving God who will carry my burdens for me, whether I remember to ask him to or not. ❤️
\n\n\nI am thankful for my beautiful family. Even though I am not with my Colorado family today, they fill my heart to overflowing. I am with you in spirit...today and always. ❤️
\n\n\nI am thankful for having had the love of a good man with the resultant memories that give me great comfort. ❤️
\n\n\nI am thankful for all of you who read my words faithfully and hang in there with me through thick and thin. You give me a gift every single day with your comments. Many of you ask me if you can share my posts. Any time you share and comment, my posts are seen by more people and the more people who see them, the better the chance someone who needs to receive the message will do so. This blog is my ministry and I pray every day that my words are a blessing to someone who walks this path so they'll know they're not alone. Thank you so much for being here.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-26T02:30:56-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/26/giving-thanks.html", "tags": ["Hope","Gratitude","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/24/a-trail-of-sparkles.html", "title": "A Trail of Sparkles", "content_html": "\n“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
\n1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/15ee866403.jpg\")
They are sitting in the booth across from me. A frail elderly man, a middle aged woman, and a young woman with a developmental disability. They are out for a celebratory holiday meal together. She orders waffles. He has a small senior meal. Her voice is loud with excitement. They don't notice because they are too busy loving her.
\n\n\nAs soon as the plates are cleared, they bring out a big bag of Christmas presents. She opens each one and let's out a squeal of delight and claps her hands. A makeup bag. A bracelet. A t-shirt. Pajamas. Through overheard comments, I've come to understand what's happening. Dad is here, perhaps from out of town, visiting his daughter. She has been accompanied to the restaurant by her caregiver. The love between these two is palpable across the room.
\n\n\nThe inevitable occurs. Their little reunion celebration is ending and it's time to go. She turns to her dad and says, \"You'll see me on Thanksgiving, won't you?!\" And he mumbles something unintelligible, his frail shoulders sinking with the weight of emotion. Her face crumbles and with a breaking heart, she weeps openly. She understands she's out in public. This is a restaurant. A special place. She tries so hard to regain her composure. The old man carefully takes off her glasses and gently, lovingly wipes away her tears. He slowly cleans her glasses and puts them back on her sweet face and strokes her cheek. She takes a couple of breaths and looks up into his sad eyes and says, \"Don't worry, daddy. They're happy tears. They're happy tears.\" He pats her hand, this beautiful child of his.
\n\n\nI turn away. I don't want them to see my own tears as I hear her bravely say, \"It's ok. I'm happy now. It's ok, daddy.\"
\n\n\nAs we get into the business of gathering our loved ones around us this week, let's not forget there are those less fortunate. When we get upset that the turkey's dry, or Aunt Betty is pissing everybody off, or the kids spilled something on the carpet, AGAIN...let's remember a young woman who cried because she doesn't get to be with her daddy for Thanksgiving. I know I won't. I'll never forget this moment...ever.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-24T02:30:47-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/24/a-trail-of-sparkles.html", "tags": ["Family","Hope","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/22/giving-back.html", "title": "Giving Back", "content_html": "\n“Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”
\nMatthew 15:29-31 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6424679e97.jpg\")
My brother was born with cerebral palsy. He received therapy services from the Easter Seals Treatment Center for free as we had very little money growing up. My mom came from good, solid stock and she was determined she would somehow repay them for these services. Somewhere in the '60s, she started working for the Center full time as their secretary putting together their mass-mailed fundraising efforts. She refused to take any pay for 7 years. Finally, the Board of Directors got together and insisted she get a paycheck for her services. She was so proud.
\n\n\nEaster Seals has been around for more than 90 years, helping children and adults with developmental disabilities attain the best quality of life they can. The Blennerhassett Hotel in Parkersburg, WV decorates the lobby and halls with Christmas trees sponsored by local businesses that are decorated by volunteers. These go up a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving and then they're auctioned off to the highest bidders with the proceeds going to the Easter Seals. As soon as the trees are cleared out, the Gingerbread House Decorating Contest comes in. It is a festive time to grab a cup of coffee and wander around, getting in the Christmas spirit.
\n\n\nThis lovely \"tree\" was created on a dress form and forms a stunning ball gown, complete with sash and poinsettia bow at the waist. It was decorated by my good friend, Jon Six (of Jon Six Hair Company) and his friends. Jon has a long history of giving back to a community that has so steadfastly supported his wonderful salon. From filling his own home with rescued dogs to filling a school bus with supplies for underprivileged children to selling tickets and fundraising for the local Humane Society, Jon's altruism shines as an example for all of us to do more.
\n\n\nI spoke with a friend yesterday about this. We see people that need help, yet we often walk by, or we think someone else will take care of it. Or, two hours later it occurs how we might have been of assistance to someone. Keeping a giving heart can help us see those moments. We surely can do more. As a widow living on a pretty fixed income, I don't donate financially like I used to. So I am keeping an eye out for opportunities where I CAN help. As Mr. Rogers said, \"Look for the helpers.\" Because where there are helpers, there is hope.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-22T02:30:01-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/22/giving-back.html", "tags": ["Family","Love","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/11/20/gratitude.html", "title": "Gratitude", "content_html": "\n“Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.”
\nProverbs 28:27 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/cc608dea08.jpg\")
We're sliding into Thanksgiving week now. Some of you will be heading out this weekend to visit family for the holidays. Some will be putting the final touches on the house and double checking the grocery list. And...some of you will be paralyzed with fear and sadness at facing your first (or yet another) holiday without your loved one. It can be wicked hard. I know this.
\n\n\nThe good news (and by \"good\" I mean probably the least sucky part) is, as difficult as it may be to face this first holiday season, you are not likely to remember much of it. In looking back at my first Thanksgiving without Mr. Virgo, I am fairly certain it was spent in Denver with the kids. But, I can't recollect a single thing about it. I know last year I was already living here in West Virginia and I had traveled to the Eastern Panhandle to celebrate with family.
\n\n\nI do remember a couple of holidays where I had to excuse myself for a bit and go off to another area of the house to have a moment alone. The holidays can be overwhelming. I don't recommend avoiding them because you'll just be postponing the inevitable. Adding something special, a new tradition, can be a nice way to honor your loved one.
\n\n\nOne thing that really helped me last year was writing down everything I was grateful for. I wrote a list on a page of thick paper and kept it folded in my pocket. Along with some tissues. Whenever I reached for the tissues to dab my eyes, my hand closed around that paper. I mentally checked off the list and it made me feel better.
\n\n\nThe firsts are difficult. Take care of yourself and check in with us here if you need some extra props.
\n\n\n❤️
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-11-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/11/20/gratitude.html", "tags": ["Family","Gratitude","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/07/04/th-of-july.html", "title": "4th of July", "content_html": "\n“Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.”
\n1 Timothy 5:3 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/911f5cb63d.jpg\")
Lazy summer days. Floating in the pool keeping cool and chatting with an old friend. Fresh, clean food straight from the grill with a glass of wine. (Fré makes a nice dealcoholized Cabernet that is quite nice.) then the Zac Brown Band in concert at Coors Field. And that was just July 3rd!
\n\n\nBarbara and I have been friends for 25 years. We raised our kids together. Our husbands were colleagues. We stitched and quilted, baked and canned, laughed and cried through the ups and downs of life and I adore her and her family. She's who I called when Mr. Virgo had his heart attack. I couldn't think of anyone else and she started the ball rolling. She's always been there when I've needed her and I hope I've returned the favor. There's nothing like the love of our sister-friends.
\n\n\nIndependence Day. It means so many things besides the obvious celebration of our country's freedom. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday!
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-07-04T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/07/04/th-of-july.html", "tags": ["Colorado","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/06/21/sweets.html", "title": "Sweets!", "content_html": "\n\"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.\"
\nPsalm 119:45\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/197e4a23bf.jpg\")
Look at these. Aren't they yummy looking? Now…look closer. They are stitched and beaded faux \"cupcakes\"…complete with little fluted plastic cups. These were created by one of the most amazing women I've ever known.
\n\n\nI met JO shortly after moving to the mountains when Hubby #2 joined a medical practice after residency. I was really new at the doctor's wife thing (something I'm not entirely sure I ever mastered) and that first Christmas, I was invited to an ornament exchange party. We were to make a dozen ornaments and you took a dozen different ornaments home with you. I still have a large box of beautiful, handmade treasures that I will never part with.
\n\n\nMy friend and I sat on her sofa this weekend and reminisced about those days when our kids were little and we gathered together once a week to stitch. There were sometimes 6-8 women gathered around her big kitchen table. We would laugh and cry, nibble on the latest delicacy someone was trying out and drink coffee. We would stitch and b€#% about whatever was on our radar at the moment. Eventually, we moved our gatherings when I opened my needlework shop. Things fell apart when the shop closed. The kids got bigger, life got busier, divorces happened, friendships got put on the back burner. And now, here we are…29 years later. Our kids are grown. We have grandkids. Our lives have become simpler again. We never stopped loving each other, though. We haven't forgotten how important we were to each other. Girlfriends are vital. I always advise young women just starting out their marriages to nurture those friendships because there will come a time when they will need them.
\n\n\nJO is seeking a reprise of the great ornament exchange party this year. I'm probably going to have to participate by mail this time, but I will anxiously look forward to getting that box in the mail with the little treasures in it.
\n\n\nDo you have girlfriends you love but have lost touch with? Pick up the phone and call them. Send a card. Invite them for lunch. Make time for the women in your lives. They help keep you young…and sane!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-06-21T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/06/21/sweets.html", "tags": ["Fun","New Ideas","Holiday","Crafts"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/05/25/memorial-day.html", "title": "Memorial Day!", "content_html": "\n\"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.\"
\nProverbs 17:17\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/6c43ac9a56.jpg\")
It's not National BBQ day.
\n\n\nRemember the meaning of the day.
\n\n\nTeach children.
\n\n\nHonor the fallen.
\n\n\nHave a moment of silence before you have your burgers and dogs.
\n\n\nCount your lucky stars.
\n\n\nThank God.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2015-05-25T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/05/25/memorial-day.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Holiday","Memories"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/04/05/floating-on-air.html", "title": "Floating on Air", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f85b75f92b.jpg\")
Children chasing ducks in the cool breeze. A hippie man with his Husky flashing a peace sign as I cruise by, the brilliant white flash of a smile. Joe Robinson's beat spilling out of the speakers of my pickup. A day spent with some of the coolest women on the planet. A workout at the gym. Lunch and great conversation with a friend. A long walk. A trio of trombones performing an impromptu concert in a small gazebo tucked away in a quiet corner of the park. Tiny black squirrels scampering just out of reach. New lovers, new babies, new life. Breathe.
\n\n\nYesterday was one of those days that sparkled. It seemed everywhere I went there was joy…relief that the long, dark days of winter are gone. I am grateful for my family. I am grateful for this life. I am grateful for my Savior who died for my sins.
\n\n\nIt's Resurrection Day. May you have a blessed Easter, dear ones.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-04-05T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/04/05/floating-on-air.html", "tags": ["God","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2015/02/14/happy-valentines-day.html", "title": "Happy Valentine's Day!", "content_html": "\n\"Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.\"
\nRomans 6:4\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/2dcb1be705.jpg\")
My great grandfather used to say, \"It'll stop hurting when the pain goes away.\" I never quite got the deeper meaning of those words till yesterday. I woke up feeling more peaceful than I have since Mr. Virgo died. It was remarkable. I couldn't put my finger on anything specific…I just felt lighthearted, like I could take on the world. The sun broke the horizon and made the frost on the windows glow a lovely golden yellow. It was 4 degrees outside but inside, my world was warm and beautiful and calm. I just laid there and enjoyed that feeling and was ever so grateful.
\n\n\nI'm heading for the two year mark now. Some of you have been following along from the beginning. If you are new, I lost my beloved Mr. Virgo in March 2013. We were buying a camper and he had a heart attack and died. I went ahead and bought one and started this journey. We've had lots of ups and downs, you and me. We'll have more. But today is a day to share the love and tell those who are important to you that you care.
\n\n\nYou all have been important to me…and, I care about you. I've gotten to know some of you personally. I recognize your names and look forward to hearing from you. We offer support and prayers for each other when they're needed. We encourage each other when the going gets tough and we applaud each other when we accomplish our goals. I am so proud of this page and of all you brave souls. I love y'all…more than biscuits and gravy! I hope you have a good day.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2015-02-14T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2015/02/14/happy-valentines-day.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Strong Women","Growth","Gratitude","Holiday","Wisdom","Courage","Change","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/12/25/happy-holidays.html", "title": "Happy Holidays!!!", "content_html": "\n\"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.\"
\nColossians 3:14 NIV\n
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/d0c256d68a.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/68830c3325.jpg\")
I'm heading to town later to meet friends for Christmas Eve and go to church services with them this evening. I'm really looking forward to seeing them as we haven't visited in a long time. Their son sent me this beautiful coffee mug from Tiffany's. He knows my heart races at the sight of that pretty blue box. He is a dear friend and has been a great support to me over the last sixteen months.
\n\n\nI was so incredibly touched yesterday by the response to the last couple of posts here on Marshmallow Ranch. There are so many people hurting at this time of year. I spent almost all day online offering support and love and just holding a sacred space for the broken hearts of so many beautiful people. People who have lost their spouse, their parent, their sibling, or…God forbid…their children or grandchildren. People whose loss was through divorce or the betrayal of friends. Our loss is all the same on the inside. Our hearts all break with the same jagged edges.
\n\n\nWhen Mr. Virgo died, I sent a note to a physician friend of mine who also happens to be a missionary. He told me that I have been in his daily prayers since 2000 when I was really struggling with a health crisis. I was stunned to know this extremely busy man on the other side of the world was remembering me in his daily prayers. I was humbled. I want you to know that you all are in my daily prayers, as well. If you have any special prayer requests, or need some support for something you are going through that you don't want written in the public eye, please know you are welcome to send me a private message at any time and I will do my best to offer what support I can. Many of you have asked permission to share posts from my page. Please, feel free to share with anyone who might be interested in my writing. I was absolutely stunned yesterday when I saw in my stats that Marshmallow Ranch has been read by over 104,000 people…this week alone! When I sit down to write, I pray that God brings me the right words on my end and the people that need to read them at your end. Your \"shares\" help that happen and I am so very grateful.
\n\n\nRemember….you are LOVED.
\n\n\nMerry Christmas, everyone!
\n\n\n❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2014-12-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/12/24/sipping-with-santa.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Be Joyful!","Widow"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/12/18/deck-the-halls-with-mr.html", "title": "\"Deck the Halls With Mr. Virgo, FaLaLaLaLa\"", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/694a11bb69.jpg\")
Oh, how Mr. Virgo loved Christmas! We always decorated the tree right after Thanksgiving. We watched \"White Christmas\" while we trimmed the tree with such an eclectic mix of ornaments. I have those wonderful Shiny Bright ornaments from my childhood. There are dozens of beautiful handmade ornaments from my friend Judy's carefully planned and executed exchange parties. I have one from the Hotel Jerome and another from The Ritz Carlton…both gifts from Mr. Virgo. And I have the ornaments we bought on our annual trips…usually to Estes Park. We always bought a hand painted glass ornament by Ne'Qwa. They're all boxed up this year, up in the cellar house on the farm. I won't have a tree. My camper is small and not warm enough anyway to sit out there and enjoy it. My aunt has her ceramic tree in the front window of the house and that suits her. I do have a lovely pre-lit garland that I'm going to hang up. I'm enjoying everyone else's trees, though. Everywhere I've been visiting has had a lovely tree and I get to hear about this ornament and that tradition. Much has changed in my life…this is just one more thing.
\n\n\nNow my grandchildren get to trim their tree and watch \"White Christmas\". My heart got all warm and fuzzy when they told me that. It made me think of all those years when my daughter would bring home a new ornament from school…the hand with her picture, the gingerbread boy out of cookies, the sleigh from a turkey breastbone. We watched the movie and decorated with whatever we had on hand. One year we emptied the kitchen utensil drawer and tied cookie cutters and wooden spoons with plaid ribbons and hung them on the tree. Another year we put every stuffed animal she had on the tree and used baby's breath as \"snow\" on the branches. It's amazing what we did with nothing. I hold lots of wonderful memories close to my heart of those simpler times. And right now? Well, this is an opportunity to relive some of the simpler times of my life. It will keep me focused on the Reason for the Season and less on the glamor and glitz. And there's something to be said for that.
\n\n\n❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2014-12-18T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/12/18/deck-the-halls-with-mr.html", "tags": ["Grief","Overcoming Obstacles","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/12/10/spread-love.html", "title": "Spread Love", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/af06c044e3.jpg\")
'Tis the season. Just about everyone has the warm fuzzies at this time of year. Carols being played everywhere you go bring back memories of past holidays. Cards, cookies, gifts…the very air sparkles with hope and love. Families travel to share the most precious gift…time…with their loved ones.
\n\n\nMerry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Holidays! It doesn't matter which holiday you are celebrating this time of year, there's lots of love and light flowing around. I would love to see these same feelings of brotherly love, of mutual respect, of loving kindness spread rampant every day of the year, wouldn't you?
\n\n\nLet's start a wave…a king sized, ginormous, tsunami-sized wave of love. And let's send it out into the world every day. Every single day. Aim to improve at least one person's day with a smile and a loving gesture. If you touch just one person a day, you will have touched 365 lives by this time next year. Think about that as you go about your business and ask yourself…\"How can I lift up the world today?\"
\n\n\n❤
\n\n", "date_published": "2014-12-10T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/12/10/spread-love.html", "tags": ["Grace","Love","Holiday","Be Joyful!"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/11/17/home-for-the-holidays.html", "title": "Home for the Holidays", "content_html": "\n![\"\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/f3362bd859.jpg\")
We're heading into the holidays and that's touchy territory for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Thankfully, I don't remember much about the first holiday season after losing Mr. Virgo. There is something to be said for the protective fog of acute grief. I wrote a blog post last Christmas about Santa Claus that still rips my heart out when I read it. It's hard to say what this Christmas will hold for me. I am blessed that I'll be heading to Colorado the first week of December and I can visit family and dear friends for a couple of weeks. That will break up the time and give me something to look forward to. Keeping busy is key for me. Too much time gets me inside my head.
\n\n\nThen there's the issue of decorating for Christmas which is huge for me. I have to be careful and not come storming in here like a bull in a china shop and change everything. This is not my house and my aunt is used to having the place to herself. I have made a few changes, mostly by hanging a couple of my paintings and moving some family photos around in an artistic grouping as opposed to being placed willy nilly here and there. Even a change as small as that was big for my aunt. I can imagine just my being here disrupts her, even though she repeatedly tells me she's happy to have me. She can't drive like she once did so she feels safer now. When I mentioned I would be gone the first two weeks of December, she was upset that I was \"cheating my grandchildren\" because I wasn't going to be with them for Christmas. I told her I wanted to be here and decorate and spend Christmas with her and she said she would prefer to not have Christmas. So, I'm left deciding whether I just decorate my camper, extend my stay in Colorado, or skip Christmas altogether. As you can probably detect, this has made me feel a bit melancholy this weekend. So many changes in such a short time. Things aren't always as you imagine them being but….if there's anyone in the world more flexible than me, I'd like to meet them! Sometimes you just have to adjust your dreams. It will all work out.
\n\n\n<3
\n\n", "date_published": "2014-11-17T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/11/17/home-for-the-holidays.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/11/01/beauty-is-in-the-eye.html", "title": "Beauty is in the eye...", "content_html": "![\"aging](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4ff335f107.jpg\")
“We Were Young and Beautiful…Now We Are Just Beautiful!”
A couple of nights ago, my aunt and I sat on the sofa side by side and called my cousin to FaceTime and watched to little ones Trick or Treat. She is enamored with the marvelous technology of the iPad and the internet. We were waiting for my cousin to call back and I was showing her what they will see when we connect. She frowned a bit and said “Oh my! I look a hundred years old!” Then I quoted this caption to her. I looked at the two of us on camera. We are 21 years apart, she and I…exactly the difference in age between me and my firstborn. I look at her beauty and her strength and hope I have half her qualities when it’s my turn to be 82. She is a no nonsense woman. She is educated, erudite, lithe, and witty. There was a time when she and I butted heads. We are both strong willed and independent. We have both mellowed with age and loss. And we are both beautiful.
\nAs is wont to happen on special anniversaries, I had some tearful moments yesterday. It was nine years ago that Mr. Virgo walked in and stole my heart. I needed to do something special to commemorate the day. I met my high school girlfriends for coffee then went to the new farm supply store to stock up on birdseed for the winter. I got my hair cut then went to the mall. Mr. Virgo and I were particularly fond of Christmas ornaments made by Ne’Qua. They are glass and hand painted on the inside. We bought one every year we were together. Last year I bought my first one alone. The Hallmark shop in the mall carries Ne’Qua ornaments so I took my time looking at each one…tracing their curves gently with my finger…allowing them to pull me back to the vacations Mr. Virgo and I took. We always bought our Christmas ornaments on vacation so we could relive our travels when we decorated the tree together. After some time, I settled on the perfect ornament. A small one with a male and female cardinal. West Virginia’s state bird. An appropriate commemoration all the way around. Mr. Virgo would be pleased with the choice, I’m sure.
\nIt is important to have rituals. Continuing rituals that you shared with your loved ones maybe difficult at first. Maybe you need to change the way you do it. But rituals can keep your connection to your loved one alive and that is important to some people in their grief process. I was distressed early on in my grief process when certain memories began to fade. I later learned it’s a common effect of grieving to lesson the acute pain of the loss. The memories came back with time. Now I have another sweet memory for when I decorate our tree this winter. <3
\n", "date_published": "2014-11-01T01:30:53-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/11/01/beauty-is-in-the-eye.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","The Farm","Comfort","Holiday","Aging"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/09/10/happy-birthday-mr-virgo.html", "title": "Happy Birthday, Mr. Virgo!", "content_html": "![\"clouds\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/a907a28214.jpg\")
“Happy Birthday, Mr. Virgo!”
He loved to celebrate my birthday but hated to celebrate his. He said it was just another day. His family didn’t make a big deal out of birthdays. He only had 62 of them. I got to celebrate seven with him. I was his last. His last love. His last best friend. His last partner in crime. His last birthday buddy. I am not sad. I smile when I feel the rich sweetness of his memory wash over me. But…I miss him like crazy.
\nHappy Birthday, handsome man.
\n", "date_published": "2014-09-10T01:30:44-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/09/10/happy-birthday-mr-virgo.html", "tags": ["Family","Grief","Growth","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/08/28/piece-of-mind.html", "title": "Piece of Mind", "content_html": "![\"child](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/46ffb95a18.jpg\")
“A card I gave my mother when she asked for peace of mind.”
When I was a little girl, I asked my mom what she wanted for Mother’s Day. She told me she wanted “peace of mind “. She was so overwhelmed. She not only had my dad to deal with (see yesterday’s post) but my brother had a developmental disability and I am sure I was a handful. I was probably about 10 or 11 when I made this Mother’s Day card for my mom. I knew perfectly well she meant PEACE and not PIECE, but I couldn’t help myself…it was too easy! It reminds me of my younger daughter. She was so precocious. She never related to kids her own age because they didn’t get her sense of humor. One year in probably 7th grade, she came home all excited because she came up with a great Halloween costume. She wouldn’t tell me what it was… Just that she needed a ladies slip and some iron on letters. OK. The next day I got her a slip that wouldn’t be huge on her and some black iron on letters. She grabbed them and the iron and took off upstairs. About an hour later she came down and I about fell off my chair laughing.
\nShe had ironed the word “Freudian” on the slip! Classic!!!
\nThe sad thing is, none if the kids got it. The teachers did. Her daddy and I did. We reminded her she was brilliant and beautiful and very, very clever. We still smile about that. <3
\n", "date_published": "2014-08-28T01:30:35-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/08/28/piece-of-mind.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/08/24/treasures.html", "title": "Treasures!", "content_html": "![\"vintage](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/82e7993337.jpg\")
“My Christmas Stocking.”
Awwwwww…..going through stuff and came across my brother’s and my Christmas stockings when we were little kids. So, so sweet. Man, it’s hard to be ruthless.
\n", "date_published": "2014-08-24T01:30:50-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/08/24/treasures.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/07/05/god-bless-america.html", "title": "God Bless America!!!", "content_html": "![\"independence](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/5ccd9091f7.jpg\")
“God Bless America!”
Have a Safe and Happy Independence Day!!!
\n\n", "date_published": "2014-07-04T18:30:36-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/07/05/god-bless-america.html", "tags": ["Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2014/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day.html", "title": "Happy St. Patrick's Day!", "content_html": "![\"happy](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/ccade477db.jpg\")
“Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”
Mr. Virgo was a good Irish Catholic from South Philly. He loved his corned beef and cabbage. He loved his tall tales. He called me every year from the hotel on March 16th and asked me to please go to the store and buy green food coloring for the beer because someone forgot to order it. I wonder if they serve green beer in Heaven? I KNOW they serve corned beef and cabbage!
\nTop o’ the mornin’ to ya, Mr. Virgo!
\n", "date_published": "2014-03-17T01:30:58-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2014/03/17/happy-st-patricks-day.html", "tags": ["Uplifting Stories","Holiday"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2013/11/26/over-the-river.html", "title": "Over the River", "content_html": "I remember learning this song in grade school. I wonder if they still teach it. It always excited me because I knew before long we would be gathered around my Grandma’s table out at the farm with a bounty of wonderful food. My favorite was her pumpkin pie. She grew her own pumpkins and made the filling from scratch. She always complained that she couldn’t make a pie crust that was fit to eat but it seemed those pies were always gone in a flash!
\nThis year, I am taking my brother Gary and heading to Denver in the ol’ 4WD sleigh. The weather forecast calls for clear skies with the highs in the 50’s so the drive should be just fine. We are all gathering at my son-in-law’s parent’s house and I’m guessing there will be a couple dozen of us. I am thinking of the grandchildren. We are making memories for them that they will carry on into their own adult lives and will hopefully pass on to their families someday. That gives me such a warm, fuzzy feeling. We must make it an epic holiday for our little ones. While we are often busy catching up with the adults that we perhaps haven’t seen for quite awhile, we have to make an effort to get down to the kids’ level and do something really fun with them. Let them help with dinner, set the table, make place cards or table decorations, carry things to the table, stir a pot…anything that makes them feel included and a part of things.
\nThis year, Hanukkah starts on Thanksgiving night. I don’t remember that happening in the past but, then again, I didn’t Google it either. We celebrate Hanukkah because my ex is Jewish and we celebrated all the Jewish holidays in our house. This has carried on in a wonderful tradition of blended family gatherings and this year will be no exception. I bought a few little gifts to share with the children and grands as well as something for Gary so he doesn’t feel left out.
\nIf you are traveling, please travel safely! Hug your loved ones close and cherish the moments!
\n![](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/e2475b1ca3.jpg\")
\n",
"date_published": "2013-11-26T02:30:35-06:00",
"url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2013/11/26/over-the-river.html",
"tags": ["Family","Gratitude","Holiday"]
},
{
"id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2013/11/26/thanksgivukkah.html",
"title": "Thanksgivukkah",
"content_html": "![\"Thanksgivukkah\"](\"https://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/uploads/2026/4146406dd7.jpg\")
“Thanksgivukkah”
Thanksgivukkah, 11/28/2013.
\nYep, I was right…this is a once in a lifetime event! Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will not fall on the same day again until the year 79,811! So, let’s all be Jewish this year and celebrate such a monumental event! Top your latkes with turkey and cranberry sauce! Play “Spin the Turkey”! Sing “I Had a Little Turkey”! Oy, Vey…this is going to be FUN!!!
\nHope you all have a wonderful holiday today, and remember…it doesn’t matter what you celebrate…just be grateful for all the blessing we have been given!
\n(We’ll miss you, Mr. Virgo…but I know you are smiling down on us!)
\nphoto courtesy of www.zazzle.com/happy_tha…
\n", "date_published": "2013-11-26T02:30:14-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2013/11/26/thanksgivukkah.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Gratitude","Holiday"] } ] }