Merry Christmas!

And behold, on that morning so long ago,
came the Child that changed everything.

 From my family to yours... 

when life is hard and your stability is threatened,

when it seems the storms will knock you right off of your feet,

when the festivity-filled days of Christmas are long gone
and held only in memory,

our prayer is that you will know true Love, Joy, Peace;

that lasting Comfort will fill your hearts today and every day.

Lately

A little Mexican Nativity- Souvenir of my Youth, Tarnish and Twinkle Lights, Knit Stockings, Christmas Songbooks, Fun Times with my Band, Low-lit Barn, Forestry People from across the State (award not given for tall-ness), Bitter Cold, Future Holiday Trees lit in the Night, Glowing House and Stars, Crabapples Hanging on despite Winter, Festive Shadows on the Ceiling, and the Girl and I out for a Frosty Walk ("Wook, Mama! My Shadow is almost as big as yours!").

Oh... and you're going to love it... this stitcher, having removed lamp from beside the stitching chair to make room for the Christmas tree, can now be found most evenings, working her fingers by headlamp light... gotta keep those priorities in perspective, eh?

 You can thank the Farmboy and his fancy phone for this picture.

Coming Soon...

My Funny Valentine (a redwork band sampler) is nearly completed, with (fingers crossed) a release date of December 26th. Something to look forward to filling in your post-Christmas slump.

Eight

I don't know how it happens, this swift passing of time.

One day he's small and snuggled in my arms, and the next, he's grown so big he can knock me down with his exuberant hugging if I don't brace my feet in a hurry. Still sweet as honey and growing more clever by the second, my baby boy, the one that scared us with his early, so-tiny entrance into the world, is officially eight years old today.

My sweet Boy, I love you to all the Super Mario Galaxies and back.
Happy You Day!

Traditions

I started a new tradition last year, one that the kids and I are enjoying immensely.

Instead of using the classic Advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas, we have a stack of holiday and Winter-themed books all wrapped up, waiting to be opened and read, one per day.

After they've been opened and read, they go into an old crock, where they are easy to grab and read again, as many times as desired.

I eliminated a few of the books from last year, for various reasons, and therefore got to add a few new titles. Based on some of your recommendations and my own searching, we added A Wish for Wings that Work by Berkely Breathed, Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo, Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray, Just Right for Christmas by Birdie Black, and Owl Moon by Jane Yolen.

If you're interested, you can check out my Advent Bookshelf over at Goodreads to see the complete list.

Here we'll be, every evening around 7:30 Pacific Time, cozied up with our backs to the fire, embarking on another winter-y adventure.

Adventures

If you like a good show, complete with lasers, dry ice, strobe lights, pyrotechnics, and fireworks... If you're a fan of electric guitars, crazy-talented piano players, and amazing rock vocals... If you're a sucker for all things Christmas... Then get you to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra show stat!

The Farmboy and I used to go every other year or so, just the two of us, and have been waiting somewhat impatiently until we thought both kids were old enough to enjoy the show. This year was finally the year, and not a single one of us was disappointed.

Lately

Early sunsets far to the Southern horizon, those two sweetest faces, the return of Winter's birds and frost, a Thankfulness Tree, piano ivories waiting to be tickled, artwork and chores, the Farmboy's abandoned coffee mug, frozen birdbath, steaming pasta pot, fifteen years' wear on the handrail, a warm fire, my instrument of choice, and a little something wintery for your desktop background.

Catching Up

Good morning everyone... I'm here to say hello, but only briefly. Its been a little while, I know... I got knocked out by my Adrenal Fatigue again two weeks ago, and am slowly recovering my energy and sense of self. That AF just doesn't know how to respect boundaries! I've been in for another visit to my Naturopath, and we're starting a different approach to try to help me fully recover and not be so susceptible to recurrence.

The nice thing this time around, is knowing what is wrong with me. Last winter, the not-knowing was perhaps the hardest part. I know that each day is going to start out HARD, feeling like I need a week's worth of sleep, an IV drip of pure energy, and something to get my silly heart to stop beating so fast. But I also know that each day, some sooner than others, I'll start to feel better, more rested, more energetic, as the day goes by, and the knowing that I'll feel like myself by bedtime gives me the strength I need to push through.

I have lots on my mind, some things better left to my head, but some things that need to be aired, and I hope to start being able to breathe life back into this blog again soon. Thanks for listening...