Blah-bitty, Blah, Blah

Christmas is over (I think Will had a great time but was a wee bit over stimulated) and it's back to the old grind. Except that I am lacking of motivation to start my house wifely duties back at full swing. This time of year we get so caught up in the shopping and visiting and wrapping and what that the normal stuff has to wait a while. Like the Mt. Vesuvius of laundry just waiting to explode in the basement. My house hasn't gone the way of "Clean House," but the vacuuming has to be done, dishes are waiting for me, and frankly, I'd rather do crossword puzzles.

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Why do I find it so difficult to get myself motivated to clean? Maybe it's because at the core of me, I don't think it's what I was meant to be doing at this moment. But it IS where I am, and somehow I've got to be the very best that I can be at that task that I've been handed. Just maybe tomorrow . . .

William's Eyes

It is early in the morning. William and Tim are asleep beside me. breathing heavily, like sleeping people do. Will just kicked the covers off, his lovely swan legs stretching. A load of firewood has been delivered. Winter fires are guaranteed; the cats will have a place to congregate.

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Tomorrow is Christmas. Having an almost 4 year old gives one a chance to see Christmas through the eyes of a child again. "Where Santa?" is the question of the hour. Explanations of baby Jesus, who grew to love everyone, are ever so important. The excitement of seeing a Christmas tree is fresh again. And tomorrow morning - what sort of spectacle will is hold, after Santa has visited and the room is festooned with presents and magic?

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William's eyes have been big, full of wonder this holiday season. What sort of time of year is this, when houses sport magical lights and people walk around with smiles on their faces? When the world becomes a fairy land of snow and ice? When candy and cookies abound, the house becomes full of visitors, warmth, and love?

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May you once again see this brilliant season through the eyes of a child and fell it with the heart of The One.

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Merry Christmas.

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Tumblr

So I went and opened a Tumbler account called (wait for it) Dropped Stitches. I've got a gajillion great photos that I don't have room to post on the blog. Go check it out!!

A Christmas Quiz

So these days, I'm all about "borrowing" other bloggers ideas, but I love this Christmas quiz, which I found posted on Sara's blog


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Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, absolutely. Never been much of an egg nog fan, except it's good as a cappuccino base.

Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa has all those elves to wrap his presents, so they definitely are wrapped (with much different and cooler paper than the other presents)!

Colored lights on tree/house or white? I like them both. I think a tree looks more elegant with white lights, but colored lights are more festive. Our tree has both. Oh! My favorite are bubble lights, though - they are the kitchy greatest!

Do you hang mistletoe? When I was young, I went to this holiday party where there was mistletoe hung and this boy that I didn't like tried all night long to get me under the stuff. It's scarred me to this day.


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When do you put your decorations up? It's usually up to my daughter, who puts it up and organizes the decorating. She usually wants it up ASAP. Typically this happens the day after Thanksgiving.

What is your favorite holiday dish? Two come to mind, the first of which is German Spritz cookies, and the second is corn pudding. My grandmother used to make great cheese and broccoli rice, which I miss.

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Going into downtown Columbus to see the State Auto Nativity Scene, and looking for all of my favorite Nativity animals

Photo credits (1), (2), (3), (4)

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember exactly how old I was, but one night I was really excited about Christmas and couldn't sleep and wandered down the stairs while the parents were putting out the "special" presents. I scurried back upstairs and pretended not to know a thing.

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I didn't even know that this was an option until I was an adult. Sometimes we would open presents at our family Christmas Eve party, but this didn't always happen, so no, we don't!

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Tons of lights, lots of ornaments collected through the years, many handmade ornaments from the kids, and many vintage ornaments that my mom had when she was younger and have been passed on to me. It's a very colorful tree

Snow! Love it or Dread it? When there's just a dusting of it, it's nice, but anything more than that and I want to see grass again.


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Can you ice skate? It's absolutely pathetic how dreadful I am being that I am the mother of a figure skater!

Do you remember your favorite gift? Hmm. There's been quite a few, but the morning that I got my Millennium Falcon stands out. I was quite the Star Wars fan (and still have all of my 1970's figures).

What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? That it represents the birthday of our Savior.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Those aforementioned German Spritz cookies

What is your favorite holiday tradition? I love the preparations the night before Christmas, all of the secretive and hushed scurrying about while Santafying the house.

What tops your tree? From the time I've been a little girl, it's always been an angel. When I was a kid, she wore a hot pink dress and had yellow hair like a troll. The one we have now is a bit fancier, but I secretly wish for that troll angel every year.


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Which do you prefer giving or receiving? I love the giving. Finding the perfect present, hunting it down, and seeing the face of it's recipient are the best.

What is your favorite Christmas Song? My grandpa told me I liked depressing songs, which was anything in a minor key. So it would make sense that "Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel" is my favorite. My favorite modern one is "A Baby Changes Everything."

Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? They're okay, but I could live without them.

Favorite Christmas Show? Without a doubt, "A Charlie Brown Christmas." However, I also love "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Elf."

Saddest Christmas Song? "Christmas Shoes" which I also think is kind of hoaky.


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Fantasy Christmas List

My friend Relyn posted her fantasy Christmas list yesterday and I am copying her! You know I want peace and love and all that stuff; this is going to be a totally self-indulgent list of fantasy items that I really love.

A Rose Festooned Cottage

This one would do

The Inside of which is a Perfect Shabby Chic Paradise

Whoever designed this can do my house!

Surrounding the House

an amazing, lush, English garden

Inside the Garden

this amazing garden room

And in the back 40

this incredible field which looks like this the entire growing season

And while we're at it

I wouldn't turn down this Cartier Love Bracelet

or this hot pink, lizard Hermes Birkin.

And that's my fantasy!

St Lucia's Day

St Lucia's day has always intrigued me. Photos of beautiful Scandinavian women with wreathes holding candles in celebration of St. Lucy, followed in procession by other women in white holding a single candle. The images are beautiful and so evocative.

This exerpt from the website Phases of Womanhood gives a great description of St Lucia and the origins of the day.

"St. Lucia was born in Italy, a virgin-martyr from the early 4th century. She is the patron saint of Sicily and of eye ailments. She is typically depicted wearing a white robe and holding a palm branch. However, Swedish artists depict her with a crown of candles on her head. Legend has it that, years after her death, during a great famine in Syracuse, St. Lucia appeared on December 13th, which was then celebrated as the darkest night of the year and also happens to be the date of her martyrdrom. St. Lucia wore a crown of candles on her head to leave her hands free to carry baskets of bread for the starving peasants."

Long time readers may know that the stories of the saints are one of my great loves. And this may be why I am so fascinated by this beautiful celebration. Perhaps next year we can have a St Lucia's day in our house.

Christmas Time Is Here!

Only 5 more days until Christmas! Ahhh! I haven't wrapped a thing, but at least my shopping is done (well, except for one gift, but that pretty much counts as done). Tomorrow, my mom and dad are bringing over a big present for the whole family that only I know about. It's a goodie. Tim might have a swooning spell. I'll tell you this about it - they used to have a ray tube in them but are now flat and pixelated. And the one we have is 20 inches and this one is 32. Good for watching college football bowl games one. I've given it away, haven't I?

In case you don't have any gift tags, here's a sweet set that you can download online:

Download pdf file Here

And some lovely pictures to reflect upon (I have to have the lovely pictures!):

All photos via We Heart It

My most viewed post; ie. perfect post for this time of year

Still a bit crazy here; yesterday Tim fell and flexed his knee in a way he hadn't since surgery. It was very, very painful so a trip to the doctor and x-rays ensued. Happily there was nothing wrong on the x-ray and this morning he feels much better. My husband is a rabid bear when he is in extreme pain, though, and it took everything in me to keep saying "for better, for worse; in sickness and health" in my head. And I was so irate and nervous and tied up in knots that I had to spend last night in total mushball decompression mode.

So I decided that today I would reprint my most viewed post, which is perfect for these days before Christmas.

The Angel Appears To Mary

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings to you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and shall give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be call the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

(Luke1:26-38)

Rêver en français

Dreaming in French

Mon monde a été chaotique de tard et il fait froid ici. J'avais rêvé de la France; rêve avec moi, svp?

My world has been chaotic of late and it is cold here. I have been dreaming of France; dream with me, won't you please?


Un "hello" dans le rose


un journal et un petit Tour Eiffel


le fournisseur de fleur


la creperie rose


un mur à Versailles


une jeune femme chic


macarons de Lauderee


et Dieu a fait Bardot


les géraniums à la cathédrale


la baguette


Tour Eiffel un jour brumeux

Rêver est meilleur en français.

Dreaming is better in French.

Photo sources: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11)

Homecoming

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Tim is coming home today! Yay! I spent until late last night getting the house ready for him, moving around our bedroom to make the bed more accessible (including room for his walker - that my husband has a walker, well, I don't have the words). It will be a rough couple of weeks initially, I'm sure, but Christmas break is fast approaching and the kids will be around to help.

Yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary (thus the picture of wood, the traditional 5th anniversary gift - which would be much appreciated for our fireplace). It was spent eating candies from a Whitman's sampler and eating chocolate pudding cake with Tim in his hospital room. Martinelli's sparkling cider was also on the the menu, but a bottle opener couldn't be located in the hospital. One doesn't expect to have to celebrate anniversaries in the hospital, but that's life in all of it's glory.

I'm ready for the homecoming; I don't know about the nursing that will follow it. I predict, though, that in a matter of time Tim will be much more mobile than he has been in three long years, so in the end, it will all be worth it.

Heartfelt Gratitude

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It's been a busy week (to say the least) and so I haven't been individually answering my comments. I just don't have the time. But I do want to tell all of you that commented (and those of you that didn't but have us in your thoughts anyway) that I can't express the gratitude that I have for the prayers, the well wishes, and the thoughts that you have had for Tim and the family these last few days.

Tim was experiencing more pain today, so if you're looking for something new to pray about, prayers for a decrease in his pain would be so appreciated.

You all are wonderful people, my readers and fellow bloggers, and my world has been made a better place by having you in it. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

Sitting in the dark

I'm sitting in the dark in Tim's hospital room listening to him sleep. He's pretty doped up, which is fantastic, because with his last surgery (after his accident) nothing would control the pain, he didn't sleep, and he was in constant agony. But he's snoring and dopey and can't keep his eyes open. He rated his pain as a 5 on a 1 - 10 scale. His face is calmer and quieter than I've seen it in a long time.


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We arrived at 6:30 am, his surgery was at 8:30, he was done at 1:00pm and up to his room at 3:30. Sitting in a surgery waiting room for 9 hours is incredibly exhausting. Moving from one polka dot chair to another, trying to find the most comfortable place, going to the cafeteria just for something to do. But where else could I be? It will be hard to leave him here; I haven't slept without him for over a year. I am so relieved and happy, though, as he seems peaceful. All is well.

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Today I am grateful for kind nurses, orthopedic surgeons who are down to earth, attitude free, and do their job well, and the morphine that is keeping my husband out of pain.

All random and inert

We went in for Tim's pre-admission testing this morning. Now we are in this stage of limbo. The whole process has started, but nothing is happening. In some surreal way, it seems that time is both flying and creeping along.


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It's disconcerting for me, and I cant even imagine what Tim is going through. He is still terrified. He has nothing to compare this surgery to but his emergency trauma surgery in while they couldn't control his pain and he was in agony for weeks. The hope is that with this surgery a lot of his lower leg pain will cease almost immediately. Keeping my fingers crossed.


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The house has changed. The older kids have gone to stay with their grandparents and William will stay with them Wednesday night. I like the quiet, but it adds to the surreal nature of the thing. That and the overwhelming fatigue that I am feeling. I have to believe that our lives will change for the better, though. It is all part of God's great plan; he has totally taken the driver's seat on this one.


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