Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 50F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..
Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 29F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: November 30, 2021 @ 1:51 am
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Cheery greetings to everyone. This is Gloria’s mom. With the holidays looming and her being a busy Mom, she could use some extra time to regroup and refresh, so I will fill in for her this week.
It’s early morning, and I am having quiet time. Some of my favorite times in life are the times I rise early, make a cup of coffee and relax with my Bible and journal. Somehow, it flows better with a pen and paper to express my thoughts or write prayers of Bible verses that are especially meaningful.
The house is quiet, and God is near. Almost always. I use my favorite mug, which is a mug from my sister, Rhoda, who lives 400 miles away. It says, “Sisters — As sisters we will always be connected at the heart.” My favorite coffee is mixing a little bit of creme brulee-flavored coffee with regular coffee.
This morning, my mind has also traveled to three days ago, when our daughter, Anna Faith, married Lucas Byler. (Anna Faith is one of Gloria’s “little sisters.”) There is something so special about a wedding; it’s something you can feel in the air! And when it’s your own daughter, it’s ultra-special, even though you know there are adjustments up ahead in your home. But we don’t view it as losing our daughter. We gain a son.
As the mom of the bride, life has been packed sometimes with food planning, organizing and preparing. I do feel a deep relief that all that is past! At the same time, I look back to the wedding day and literally just treasure the memories, holding them close to my heart. It was so, so, special to have family and friends come from near and far, and join us for the joyous occasion. For our culture, it was a “smallish” wedding, with somewhere around 275 guests.
Probably one of my best memories is all the singing. My mom, who is 83 years old, loves to sing, and that has been handed down to all of us children. We sang and sang at the wedding. Five of Anna Faith’s friends surprised her at the reception and sang a favorite song, which was touching. The last song was, “Somewhere in the Skies,” our ultimate goal — to be with Jesus forever someday, beyond the skids!
The four couples (and several helpers) appointed to be our cooks did an excellent job with mashed potatoes, gravy, noodles and tossed salad. Plus several of my husband, David’s, brothers grilled chicken early that morning. Then there were seasoned pretzels, ice cream cups and, yes, cupcakes! Most of those were placed on three-tier cupcake stands on the tables. There was also a coffee bar with coffee and hot water for hot chocolate or tea or spiced cider.
All went well for the cooks, except all at once they discovered that the one 100-cup coffee maker was not working, and it took a lot of coffee! They came up with Plan B, and it all worked out.
Instead of a separate bridal table, there was one big family table, including Lucas and Faith. It was 38 feet long and 5 feet wide. (It took lots of rooms, because there were 52 of us Rabers and Bylers.) Lucas and Faith sat in the middle, on one side. The two sets of parents were privileged to sit beside them.
I wish you could have seen Daniel and Gloria’s family who, of course, were included at the family table. Gloria and her girls had matching brand new wine dresses. And the boys had wine/reddish shirts. Our daughter Mary Grace had sewn dresses for Gloria and Julia,(We all know that Gloria is such a busy mom!) but Hosanna wanted her own mom to sew her dress. And, oh, I wish you could have heard 4-year-old Jesse’s clear voice singing, “Hallelujah, Thine The Glory.”
This week’s recipe — Amish Celebration Salad — is an easy but delicious “Celebration Salad” that we love to make for special occasions and events.
½ head iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
½ cup dried cranberries
1 cup fried bacon bits
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups of corn chips
Dressing
½ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup mayo
1½ cup vegetable oil
1½ cup sugar
½ cup prepared mustard
Chop lettuce and put into large bowl. Add cranberries, bacon bits and other ingredients. Toss together. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss, chill and serve!
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First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
