Pressley family

December 2022

I cannot believe today is December 1 of the year 2023. Seems like just yesterday we were doing silly poses at a friend’s house in December of 2022.

The older I get the faster this ole world seems to turn.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the reason for the season, I love to decorate, I love to listen to Christmas music, and I love to cook all the goodies I only make this time of the year.

In the spirit of Christmas I’ll be sharing a short Christmas story each day via video during the coming weeks. If you’d like to follow along you can find them here.

A few folks have asked about t-shirts they’ve seen us wearing in recent videos. You can find them in our new merchandise store here.

I will be offering planting almanac calendars for 2024. If you’d like to pick one up you can get one here. Before purchasing I would encourage you to check with your local businesses to see if they offer one for free. Insurance companies, feed stores, banks, and funeral homes sometimes give them away in my area.

Folks have been asking about Granny. She is doing pretty good and is trying to rest a lot. In another week or so she will have more scans to see if the treatments worked to shrink the cancerous mass she has.

I really enjoyed this year’s Thankful November series and I hope you did too. I didn’t quite get through all the giveaways so be on the lookout for a few more in the coming days.

Last night’s video: Updates: Bonus Christmas Readings, Reaching 250K, & We Are Plum Foolish About Green Beans!

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53 Comments

  1. I’m so glad to hear that Granny is doing better. I’m so glad that she’s not having to wait for the scan. I finished treatments in July and have to wait until the end of this month for my scans. There’s no surgery for mine. I don’t seem to worry about it much these days and know that I’m going to be fine. Just know that Granny is in my prayers and I hope she recovers from the treatments as fast as I did. Tell her funny stories and make her laugh a lot. That’s some of the very best medicine there is.

    I hope you and yours have a wonderful and very Merry Christmas.

  2. Sure miss reading Blind pig in first thing in the morning, but today was the day I get shots in my eyes for Macular Degeneration. Oh what a fun time…NOT. but it is over and after sleeping most of the day We were able to see the Friday read and discuss it as both Hubby and I can relate as we usually do, fiction or fact. Also watch the first Short Christmas read. So glad to find that we can purchase the Almanac. Prayers still for Granny and you guys. God Bless

    1. Glenda-ouch! I can’t imagine how unpleasant that is. I will be praying for your eyes. Glad you are feeling better and that you both enjoyed the reading!!

  3. Such a fun picture! Time does seem to speed up as we get older. This year has flown. And I have seen how God is in control. And that’s a wonderful feeling. We’re keeping Granny in our prayers. And we hope you all have a warm wonderful weekend

  4. Time truly does seem to fly !!!! But … what a wonderful gift to be here !!!! Thank you for this sweet community of dear ones & for all that you and your sweet family share . I loved the Christmas stories & will be looking forward to them !! Love & Blessings to you all !!!

  5. I’m loving the picture in front of the fire place. Everyone seems to be having fun with it too. Hope everyone there has a great and glorious day.

  6. Late commenting today..setting up new wi-fi and learning all over again!
    I’m liking the Christmas story so far. If I may ask about the rust colored sweater you have on..did you get it online or store? That’s the kind I wear.
    Have a great evening. Blessings sent to all!

  7. I agree that these fall months have flown by! Seems just the other day we were eating Thanksgiving food.
    I always love to listen to you read!!! Continued prayers for Granny!

  8. Christmas is in the air! We got our new Christmas tree up and lit but waiting for the kids to put the ornaments on it. Merry Christmas to all. Give Granny lots of love and attention. She is a precious person. Enjoy each and every day. Life is a Gift from God.

  9. Time sure does fly by before we know it it will be December 2024. Praying for a joyous 2024 and full healing for granny. Merry Christmas may the Lord bless each one richly.

  10. Are you sending the link to emails? This is two days in a row I didn’t get one. Praying that Granny’s mass no longer exists – That has happened for some folks before.

    1. Jackie-I am sending them. It might be going into your junk or spam folder. If it’s not there let me know and we’ll investigate further 🙂

  11. What a cute picture of your family! Silliness is good for humans 🙂 Loved seeing you all by the wood stove in the basement. Cozy and warm. Poor Matt was roasting though. God bless you and special prayers for Granny and that blasted tumor <3

  12. Time absolutely marches on…!!! I try every day to live in the moment as much as possible as this seems to slow things down for me. Praying that the treatments helped Granny—the one thing I am know is that God has a special plan for each one of us. One of the hardest things to do in life is to move forward and live your own life while a family member or friend is going through a serious illness or other serious situation. There is only so much one person can do for another even in good times. At the present time, my husband’s brother is involved in a very serious situation with his adult son—very difficult choices are having to be made by my brother-in-law where no matter what he decides it will be a lose-lose situation for both parties. It definitely seems that everywhere we look there is some kind of difficulty—very stressful times for sure. I am frequently reminded of the difficult years we had with our own parents from 2007 to 2017–we my lost our parents one at a time, with each one enduring a very brief illness that was thankfully not cancer-related; but still serious and difficult to manage. My one close encounter with cancer was prior to my father’s death in 2014 when my stepmother found out she had stage 4 liver cancer. She chose not to take any treatments—it was a very difficult time for about seven months. I hope and pray that the treatments have helped Granny so that surgery can rid her of her cancerous tumor. I have a very good idea what you have been through during the past year and my heart and prayers are definitely with you.

  13. Morning everyone. Matt smiling makes the picture. In December I look back over the year. I still have a few Gypsy peppers on the vine, it’s not too cold here yet in Arkansas. I’m missing all the birds, strange I’m not much of a bird lover. My mother passed on November 14, a month after her 100th birthday. When I get sad, I think of how long she lived, most don’t get to live so long. My birthday is the last few minutes before HAPPY NEW YEAR. Looking back, it wasn’t the best year. But it was better than others.

  14. Happy December ‘oneth’ Pressley family! A lovely photo of the 5 of you. Maybe over the month you could arrange for one to share with Granny included? May her upcoming scans show the treatment did what it should have and what we all prayed about!

    Loved the tree shopping! I have not seen a tree like what you chose before. Very different but lovely.
    May it just be a blessed, healthy, safe and wonderful month for you all. In a blink we’ll be into 2024!! May we all make our moments count and treasure the ones the Lord has loaned us, as one day He will be doing a recall!

  15. I’m a newer follower- maybe a little longer than a year. Can you post about how you decided to start the blog and YouTube channel, please? I don’t cook, garden, or live anywhere near southern Appalachia -I’m walking distance to the river meeting the bay. Even though my life is so different from yours, I love watching your channel and reading your blog. Filming in your house and garden rather than in a designated studio area is so homey. It makes all the difference. I’ll wear your t-shirt in New England. If people ask about it, I’ll direct them here. 🙂 I hope Granny’s scans show great improvement. She’s so sweet.

  16. What a beautiful picture! It’s hard to believe that it’s already December 1st. Wonderful Christmas memories flood my mind this time of year. Let’s all try to make every day count and not to forget the Reason for the Season.

  17. My husband and I really love watching you and your family.
    I love to be able to buy some of Katie’s jewelry but I am not able to fine it on Esty. could you please help me.

  18. Love the picture you posted of you all. Glad to hear bout Granny. Prayers still going up for her. It is hard to believe December is hear. Time sure does fly. Your grandbaby will be here before you know it.

  19. Hi Tipper:
    I am a little bit behind watching your videos but took one in last night when you all went searching for a Christmas tree, I love the real trees but have not had one since a child, so surprising because my husband always cut down his own tree before he met me but he wants an artificial one again this year, oh well, Walmart is dropping one off here today, (Ms. Christmas, Victoria, our daughter bought it for us.) I am not complaining, I have my health and without that nothing would matter. Beautiful Christmas photo of you all, wishing all of you and people on this blog a wonderful and Blessed Christmas and a very special prayer going straight up for Granny. God is good

  20. Time does fly. Every Christmas season is really busy for us, I have to remind myself to stop and enjoy it sometimes.
    Praying that Granny’s treatments worked and they’ll be able to remove the mass.

  21. Great Christmas picture of the family! I’m so happy to read Granny has made it through her treatments and doing better than expected. Thanking God for His blessing of getting her through the treatments and for protecting your travels to get her treatments. Prayers will continue for a good report for her and for all your family. Like another subscriber wrote, we hope Granny will be well again so she can come visit us on another of your videos.

  22. Y’all look so happy in the picture…..love it. Thank you for sharing it with us! I have loved reading about all the giveaways this November and I am looking forward to December plans. Love and prayers to all of you and Granny and Little Mama too.

  23. Looking forward to the Christmas stories every day. I saw on Facebook this week to read a chapter of Luke each day and by Christmas Eve you will have read the entire story of Jesus from birth to resurrection! I am going to do my best to complete that task. So glad that Granny is feeling better. I will be praying that her scan results bring even better news!

  24. Love the picture from 2022. Y’all have a beautiful family and such sweet personalities. I’m looking forward to seeing the newest member of the family. He’s coming into this family and will never find an absence of love. December is here now and I personally am looking forward to the new year, but hope we at least feel the beauty of the Christmas Season and it doesn’t pass too fast. Blessings to Granny and Momma Katie. May they be healthy and continue to thrive, and enjoy everyday living. Have a great weekend and stay warm and dry. Raining and cool here today. Later dear friend. Jennifer

  25. Happy December, One and All!
    What a treat to see a 2022 photo of you all. Thank you.
    I look forward to seeing and listening to Granny as soon as she feels better.

  26. Hi Tipper! That picture of you and your family is great. I read your post every morning and it makes my day!

  27. Tipper, I agree that this year is flying by. Christmas is the one time of the year when my memory of days gone by takes me on a roller coaster of emotions. The big colorful lights, the smell of the cedar tree, and the old-timey Christmas music are some of the things I try to include in the journey back to my childhood. We always got a toy and a stocking full of fruits and nuts just like most of the other kids we knew. Stress about gift-giving was not a part of Jesus’s birthday.

  28. Good morning, Tipper! What a fantastic picture of your family! It brightened my day for sure. Everyone looks so good and happy. My late husband would let his beard grow several days and then finally shave. Matt looks really really nice when he shaves. Not that he isn’t handsome all the time, but clean shaven looks so much nicer, lol. I noticed your tree right off. Holy smoke it was big!! My hubby refused to buy artificial and I agreed because we both like a real tree. A BIG real tree! I smiled looking at yours thinking how he would have approved. I’m so glad Granny is doing well. I totally get her being tired, I was during and after radiation as well. Gods blessings on you and your family and your readers,

  29. That is a great picture of your family! Continuing to join everyone in prayer asking for healing for your mother and that the treatments were indeed successful. Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

  30. I am a Christian and although I didn’t mentioned it my earlier comment, I pray that none of us will forget the true meaning of Christmas. I am going out on a limb, but I am going to say I also pray that some of the ways some others celebrate will not destroy some other families celebration.

    I mentioned the big family celebration with my wife’s family, there were so many family members there we would either rent a building or have it at the social hall of our church. Until the mid 90’s we also had our precious Granny. She was so much like our Granny on the BPA.

  31. So much to love about Christmas…esp when I was a child. Even as an adult, tried to make it special for my own children. However, their father seemed to want to celebrate it to the point of spoiling them. And without including ‘The Reason’.
    My late sister also loved this season.
    I live with my daughter now and her husband who is a JW. Since he doesn’t practice his faith, my daughter feels free to decorate accordingly to mark seasonal changes. Happy to see Granny gets a reprieve during this time. All can take time to cherish one another & making more memories.

  32. Hi Tipper, Enjoyed the video last night. Can’t wait for Granny to be well enough to visit us again via video.

  33. It’s the 1st day of December and I am still eatin maters from the garden. They are very small but still garden fresh. I still have a few green ones and a few red ones. That’ll brobly be the extent of my Christmas decorations this here year.

  34. CHRISTMAS, WE CELEBRATE OUR GOOD LORD JESUS CHRIST BIRTHDAY. I’m so sorry so many people don’t know him.
    I’m very hopeful the treatments have helped granny, I know it’s rough but granny sounds like a fighter. Hang in there.
    I’m wishing all of the people that reads the pig blog a wonderful Christmas season, good health, good food, and to be with your loved ones. Blessings to all

  35. I love Christmas for the same reasons and everyone generally is in better moods. Folks seem to be friendlier! I enjoyed your update video last evening! I will continue to hold Granny in prayer. God bless you and yours❤❤

  36. Good morning Tipper. I love the picture of your family on this post. Everyone looks so happy and ready for the Christmas season. It is such a joy to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and to do nice things for those we love—and maybe even for folks we don’t know. I look forward to watching your Christmas story videos and to hearing more good news after your Mama gets her scans. Take care and God Bless.

    1. As I get older and closer to the end of life on earth it seems like time or the years are going by faster, it seems last yesterday was New Year’s Day. Y’all look so good and happy in the picture, I am happy for you. I pray the news for Granny will be good. The family has a great joy in store for them in the coming year. On Tuesday of this week, I ran into/met (unplanned) 2 of my wife’s aunts at the cemetery where many of wife’s family members are buried. We talked about how many have died, many in the last 10 years, about all the fun/enjoyment we had with one another not only at the big family get together on Christmas but at other get togethers throughout the year. Now because of so many dying we not longer have the extended family get togethers. Even though I was an “outlaw” in my wife’s family I was always welcome and loved by them, and knew most of them even before I married into my wife’s family. There was always nothing but joy and happiness when we were together. What I just wrote was also true for being together with my family. I beg everyone to enjoy their families while you have the opportunity, the day will come when you will no longer have these opportunities.

    2. My Dad warned us boys, “It (time) will go by faster and faster.” And then one day it has and is and after that can never run slow again. You all are surely a handsome and pretty group and BP&A is a blessed place. I have been studying lately on this verse. PRO4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” And especially the “issues of life” part. I call these “heart questions”. They are not only the most important questions of life but they are ones the mind cannot satisfactorily answer. And central to them is love. And central to love is the One who is love Himself. That’s as close as I can get for now. As the saying is, “Better felt than told.”

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