Was I Dreaming?

Was I dreaming yesterday afternoon...

...or did I really sit in a peaceful livingroom, just me by myself, rocking my grandson, on a White Christmas Day, watching snow fall, listening to Bing Crosby's "Adeste Fideles"?

...did I really wake up to this?




...and then this?


(little Timothy's "My First Christmas" hat and pj's, from yours truly...)


...did I actually hear that my oldest son has been promoted to Squad Leader?


...did my Main Squeeze really get me the one present I specifically asked for?

(A Fisher-Price Nativity Set) all my "babies" will play with this, every Christmas, at Mimi's house, forever and ever, Amen.


...and a necklace, with my grandson's birthstone, the back engraved with these words: "To The Most Beautiful Grandmother Ever"...was that me, or was I dreaming?


Did I really, really receive a big Jonathan Howe Original? Not a print...an original? Not a "little one"...a big one? Someone pinch me.







And did I really get all those emails and phone calls from friends, just to wish us "Merry Christmas"?
How many times on this blog have I said it? I am living a dream I do not deserve. After weathering the worst, vindication comes in the form of receiving His Best. He giveth more grace.

When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

The LORD has done great things for us, And we are glad.
(Psalm 126)

God Rest Ye Merry!

(my front door - come on in!)

I've always wanted to greet people I care about in this way at Christmas time: "God rest ye merry, my friend."

For many years, I never understood that old carol, "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen". It originates all the way back to the middle ages, and was written in old English. In those days, "merry" didn't mean "happy" as it does now. In those days, "merry" meant "mighty". A great and powerful king was a "merry" king, and a great and terrible army was a "merry" army.


"Rest" didn't mean to put your feet up, nor did it mean that you took a nap. "Rest" meant, in old English, "to keep in a continual state of".


"God keep you in a continual state of might and strength, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day, to save us all from satan's power when we had gone astray.

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy! Comfort and joy! Oh tidings of comfort and joy!"

This Christmas, I've been smitten over and over with the simple statement of a great heavenly host. There...filling the heavens...Jehovah Sabaoth, Lord of the Hosts, sent His great host to break centuries and centuries of silence between God and men. God could have commissioned them to say anything. These ministers of His, this great, innumerable host, are as flames of fire, carrying out His Word, down to the smallest detail. They've declared war before, down throughout human history - lots of times.

Would this be that sort of message?

God could have instructed His hosts to give only the facts: "Messiah is here."

He could have sent a message of judgement.

God dropped a bomb, to be sure. He dropped a bomb that would forever make that field in Bethlehem the greatest, most utterly meaningful, most famous "ground zero" of all time. But it was an explosion of joy.

The Grace Message was finally detonated.

A blast of mercy, engulfing the planet. Into the black of the night, into the darkness of our human spirit, came the bright light of Good News. It was tidings of comfort and joy. Jehovah Sabaoth utilized His great host, He sent the mightiest, "merriest" troops in the universe to tell us, "YEAY!" and to promptly throw a party amongst the stars, in full view of a few shepherds.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, Peace....Goodwill....to men."

Peace.

Goodwill.

Let it sink in. Let those two words be the good news they were meant to be. Your very own tidings of comfort and joy.

Merry Christmas, dear ones. God rest ye merry...

The Christmas-Tank is FULL...

It was one of those perfect moments. All by myself, in my car, driving in the velvet darkness. A pinch of Christmas lights, was combined with a heaping cup of Amy Grant's "Breath of Heaven", and sprinkled with snow falling copiously in the glow of my headlights ....God stirred all these ingredients together for me tonight...

...and I was enchanted!

How often do I get to go shopping in the snow? With a cute wool peacoat on, a hand made red scarf, and an adorable crochet cloche hat, with a red crochet trim, and black boots? I felt like a Christmas movie, everything (including me) looked like a Christmas movie...and I was smiling, glowing, gloating over the ideas I was gathering.

It was one of those (very rare) evenings when I could walk confidently into an upscale store, and heads might turn...not because I didn't look like I belonged there, but because I DID look like I belonged there. Fashionable from head to toe (oh, glee!), with red leather gloves on my hands, I was tranquil and gloating over my secret knowledge. What was my secret knowledge?

I didn't belong in any exclusive store, and was deeply enjoying the thought. I don't ever buy anything in "upscale stores". I just gather ideas. Have you seen the latest Christmas commercial, where the wealthy lady is showing you her Christmas mantel, with its stockings hung, and telling you all about the provenance of each bejeweled stocking? She then reaches out to still one that is swinging back and forth, saying, in her most controlled and educated tone, "I want these to hang straight and still. The movement will cause wear and tear."

A hilarious satire on people who buy "upscale" for the sake of "upscale". My secret knowledge was just this: This season isn't about what you own or can get. Christmas, from its inception has been about how very much you can do with what small thing you have right there beside you....whether that be a stable, or gold, frankincense and myrrh, or a shepherd's staff. Are you using it to glorify Christ? To make Him known? To love others? In the words of God to Moses, "What is that in your hand?"

A Blue Christmas - the COLOR Blue

I'm having a bit of a "blue" Christmas, but I'm not at all sad...

This is a little tree I put up in my dining room every Christmas. This year, I was inspired to decorate it differently than I have for at least six years! (I think it is about time for a change, no?) So I added touches of turquoise blue...

...with pops of red. I lovelovelove the red/blue combination. It is so close to the orange/blue combination I also love, and have been decorating with.

I used simple burlap for a tree skirt on this little tree - and leaned my big wooden initial "A" against the wall. This picture doesn't really do it justice - the look is so adorable!

Please excuse the extension cord...ahem. I promise, when I'm ready to share more pictures of my red and turquoise dining room, I'll do better.



My six-foot-three "baby" and I baked our traditional Ginger Snap Christmas Cookies today...just the two of us. We found out yesterday that he'll be looked at by a small college in a state south of us...won't say who yet...not a junior college, either! The assistant coach will be in touch with Tim, if they like what they see. We're praying that his "hooping skills" increase more and more! I snapped this picture today, thinking that this time next year, he could actually be away at _________ college. Who knows?



...the finished product. YUM!




...and he packaged up a dozen, as a gift to his girlfriend. What a sweetheart!

Friends, I pray your Advent Season is blessed and highly favored. My heart is very, very full these days, and I expect the overflow to spill onto these pages. Thank you for spending a little time with me...I love you!

The Day In Pictures

Considering the consequences of their home made Slip N' Slide...



Amber looks on, with great concern...

Sarah...

the sons-in-law

A good rinsing...

Trying to walk back up...

Ending the day with a rousing game of Settlers of Caton, and this...

Happy Independence Day Eve!

Memorial Day

Ribs for a small army...


tablescape


empty platter, eagerly awaiting smoked ribs.


The view outside my bedroom window, looking out to the master bedroom deck...

The family has gone fishing now. Ribs were outstanding. I'm here, enjoying the quiet. Hope your Memorial Day was blessed...remembering the great sacrifices of our men and women in uniform!

A Day In Pictures...

guess what day it was?


The classic mirror shot - me trying to decide, "Do I look like a grandmother?"

Cards from all six children...and one grandchild.

My present from the six children...(four mine by birth, two mine by marriage...)

From my youngest, Isaac - the big surprise of the day. He thought to get his momma these beauties...

Flowers from "the grandbaby", to "Mimi" (or Gran or Nonny or whatchamacallit, I really don't care how it comes out...just let me hear the beautiful name!) and a picture frame from a friend -

and some magazines from another friend and fun things to fill my pantry from a friend who knows my love for all things kitchen-ey.

From My Man.

The best Mother's Day ever.

Ever, ever.

Thank you, thank you Hannah, Sarah, Josiah, Isaac, Justin and Jonathan. I love each of you more than you can know.

Thank you, Tim. You know how to love me, and I love how you love me, and I love you. I wouldn't be the mother I am without you.

::goofy grin::

Thank you, thank you friends - you know who you are. This is why I say that the adventure of motherhood should never be undertaken without a few life-long girlfriends. I love you!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day first of all to my mother...then to my daughter, Hannah, who is expecting my first grandchild in December...

::smile::

...and then to all my mom-girlfriends. Motherhood is an arduous, blessed journey, not to be undertaken without a few good girlfriends.

A toast to us!

A God-Kissed Day

A golden, God-kissed day. Gathering with the saints this morning was precious, the word on resurrection was encouraging.



Easter lunch was...startling. I managed to make enough to feed an army twice over. I cooked a good part of the afternoon yesterday, so that it would seem "easy" to come home to ham bathed in an orange/brown sugar glaze, stuffing, mashed potatoes, three bean salad, creamed peas, croissants, and gravy to go over any or all of it.

Every member of the family was here, including the sons-in-love, and my brother. Full table, full hearts, empty tomb. Does it get any better?

After clearing the dishes, I actually got a nap.

Then, instead of all of us going to the lake and out on the canoe as originally planned, someone came up with the idea of blessing me with an afternoon of garden work! I awoke to a request for supplies and hot dogs (for a late dinner). Off to the hardware and grocery stores I went, coming home with a pair of "loppers", a flat of basil, some impatiens and a flat of wave petunias, hot dogs and chips.

My flower patch got tilled by Jonathan, my herb garden cleared of the giant dead rosemary (a casualty of the colder than average winter) by Justin and Hannah, flowers planted by Sarah, and all the brush gleefully burned by Isaac, who has become quite the pyromaniac.

The overgrowth around the pond was cleared and an errant thorn bush dealt with by my man, giving the budding peonies and irises room to breathe. Evergreens got pruned and shaped, and the side shade garden weeded.

All this, and Jesus too. Somebody pinch me.

We managed to squeeze in some basketball, passing football, and a leisurely dinner - hot dogs off the grill, chips n' dip, with three bean salad leftovers - plus we enjoyed a fire in the firepit, along with beverages and quiet conversation about married life. Bliss.

I sit, propped up on pillows, listening to the sound of the pond waterfall, and sleepily chatting with all of you...thank you for stopping by. I love blogging so much, and I honestly love all my friends I've met along the way.

Not every day is golden - not every day feels God-kissed, even though every day is. I appreciate the privilege of sharing life with ya'll, and look forward with you to a glorious spring.

He's doing a new thing, you know.

The Week Before We Celebrate His Resurrection

The yard, here at the cottage this week:

The view from the hammock today:

Our Easter Table:

This afternoon, I dyed a few eggs using some blue and some green food coloring - then splattered them with craft paint in "burnt umber"...then I modge-podged a few more with some torn pieces of a toile paper napkin...one of my daughters created the vignette with the Celtic cross, nest, and the bird.
Each night, we light a series of six candles, counting down Holy Week to Resurrection Sunday, and the three of us (Isaac, Tim, and I...it is "just us three" at home now, amazingly) read a short passage about the final days and hours of Christ before His death.
We are keeping Easter joyfully here! You?
Linking with Beth over at A 2 Z...

Holy Week's Gratitude Journal

I pray you are slowing down enough to ponder the awe of this Holy Week - the week before Easter. Just as with the season of Advent, I am taking time each and every evening between now and Sunday to consider the Passion of Christ, and its impact on my destiny, and on my ordinary day.

I truly want to do something different in the way I keep Easter, this year. As close as we are to that special day, I am still not sure what to do differently, other than taking more time to meditate on the events of the week that led to the crucifixion of God in the flesh. I want to celebrate, to decorate, and to deeply consider. New life is bursting forth all around me - there is much to be immensely grateful for.

I am living a dream that I truly don't deserve. Isn't grace incredible?

Last year, I began keeping a "1000 Gifts" gratitude journal, with the encouragement of Ann Voskamp, a blessing-of-a-blogger. Today is her "Multitide Monday". Fellow bloggers can link up with her blog on a Monday, and count our blessings together...

~hearing the canary croon with Nora Jones, about an hour ago.

~the fire burning in my outdoor firepit right now.

~both daughters, now married to good, Godly men.

~that cute girl puppy, wearing a pink bandana.

~my chicken cordon bleu turned out amazing!

~"Hey baby, Tim's my handyman..."

~the fact that I knocked out my entire "to do" list today (and it was insanely long...)

~there is time to spare for a long, luscious bath...

~our weather forecast contains "six sunshines in a row" for the first time in months, literally! I'm beside myself with joy.

~the hundred plus daffodils about to burst into bloom in my three huge pots, under my mailbox, and in the flower bed.

~candy

~used bookstores

~hearing from the newlyweds, whose itinerary is a sweet secret.

~a honey who made me a great cuppa coffee just now...

Gratitude Journal in Pictures:

about to blossom

the lettuce seeds I planted awhile back! (we had a small salad tonight...)


Spring decor

Linking with A Holy Experience...

spring table