Christmas 2022

 Christmas.  Come and gone.  How was your Christmas?  Ours was busy, noisy, and full of blessings.  We did have a white Christmas and it was very very cold.

 And now we are looking toward New Years Day this weekend.  Where did the year go?  Here are my Friday Fave Fives, the last one for 2022!  The link will take you to our host Susanne's blog.

1.  Christmas Eve service was lovely.  The Professor was on duty to do lighting, so Older Daughter sat with me.  I love singing all the Christmas hymns!

2.  On Christmas Day, we were up early.  The Professor busied himself with making his special coffee cakes, one gluten free and one regular.  And made coffee and more coffee.  I finished placing stocking stuffers at the fireplace and presents around the Christmas tree and set the table for brunch.  The hordes arrived, nine people in all, so we were a loud and happy group of eleven.  There was so much food--bacon, sausage, eggs, rolls, fruit, and more.

3.  After brunch, we opened our presents.  Having our extra family with us was so much fun.  These are the four very close friends--mom, dad, two young adult boys--who moved here from SoCal in the summer.  We love having them here and part of our family.

4.  While some of us finished cooking up dinner, the rest of us watched a couple of movies.  Elf!  White Christmas!

5.  In the evening, we chatted on zoom with our CA and AZ family who couldn't be with us here.  The only one missing was our oldest son a USAR Chaplain who is away on deployment right now.  I know he was busy blessing many soldiers while they are all away from family and friends this holiday season.

Can you believe it?  I didn't take even ONE photo!  We were just so busy having fun!

Almost Christmas!

 Fourth Week of Advent. 

We are almost ready to celebrate Christmas.

We also just passed the Winter Solstice.

The days will be longer.  However.  As I learned from one of my best friends who now lives in Iowa, midwestern people have a saying, "As the days get longer, the cold gets stronger!"  We are finding this to be especially true this Christmas weekend.  Right now, our temperatures are in the negative numbers.  There is snow.  There is ice.  There is wind.  It's frigid!

It may be cold outside, but there is warmth in our hearts as we contemplate the reason we celebrate Christmas.  "I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord."

And in keeping with warmth, I also focus on my weekly exercise of expressing gratitude and thankfulness with Friday Fave Fives hosted by Susanne.

1.  Obviously, I am thankful that I have a warm house with heat source.  Cozy blankets.  Warm sweaters and coats and mittens and hats.

2.  Our granddaughter PAL sang in a Christmas concert with the Arizona Girls Choir.  We were able to watch the entire concert after it was put up on you tube.  She is following in a long generational line of choral singers.

3.  My other granddaughter (I should call her Tall Girl) and Tall Boy came one afternoon and helped me bake cookies using my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe.  They chose the cookie cutters, so we have many dog, fish and cat cookies as well as trees and bells.  Then Tall Boy returned yesterday to frost them and to make the dough for HIS chocolate cookie recipe.

4.  Tall Girl and Tall Boy also accompanied us on our weekly visit with our friends at a local coffee shop.  How many teenage grands are willing to go to coffee shops with their grandparents and friends?  I was so happy they were interested--granted, the interest was probably partly mostly due to a promise of food...

5.  And of course, I am grateful for another year to celebrate ADVENT and CHRISTMAS!  Merry Christmas, everyone!

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice 2022

The shortest day and longest night of the year. 

The best part is that the days will now begin to be longer.

And four days until CHRISTMAS!

Fourth Week of Advent

PEACE.  That is the theme of Advent's Fourth Week.  That is what the world needs.  Peace.  We can only get peace from Jesus.

Did you have a chaotic or peaceful week?  Mine was a mixture of both.  Three trips in to the big city for medical appointments.  At least, one of them included a quick grocery shopping trip to two stores we don't have in our little town.  But we also had periods of quiet between which we definitely needed.  I try had to focus on the peace and not the chaos.  That helps me be thankful for all situations.  Here are five ways I found peace this week.  Willow's Week for Friday Fave Fives in this fourth week of Advent. 

1.  I am thankful that the stitches in my hand are out and the PA declared that I am healing well.

2.  According to the PA, I can resume my knitting as much as I feel like!

3.  I have been contemplating buying this book for a long time.  Finally, at the (slight) urging of my daughter-in-law, we found it online and I purchased it.  I am calling it my Christmas present to myself.

                                                       

4.  I have found a place to offer my knitted hats for sale.  During the summer, I had talked with the owner of a resale shop who told me she would take them during the winter/Christmas season.  This week, I dropped them off and am hoping she will sell them all.

5.  As our temperatures have dropped this month, I have been huddling under my afghans.  I am so thankful that I am warm and cozy!

How about you?  Where did you find Peace this week?

Advent's Third Week

Coming up is the third weekend of Advent.  The focus is on LOVE.

Join me and others in finding the LOVE in this week, five things that makes us thankful.  Here are  my Friday Fave Fives (follow the link to read more).

1.  It has been a week since I had the surgery on my hand.  The big bandage is off and I am improving daily.  I am even able to drive short distances.  I am thankful for living in a time and place where surgeries are available.

2.  This week, it was The Professor's turn to have a medical procedure.  Results were positive, for which we were thankful (and again, I was able to drive him).

3.  On Sunday evening, The Professor and I and Older Daughter watched I Heard the Bells in a local theatre.  It was really really good, well done.  It shows a glimpse into the life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  If it is being shown any place near you, I would recommend it to you.

4.  We love our coffee dates with our two friends.  This week, we met at a fairly new coffee house near their home.  The building is an old barn that has been remodeled.  And they just received their new tables and chairs which makes it intimate and cozy.  I am thankful for our friends and for fun places to visit.

5.  The weather was cooperating this week, so The Professor and I drove out to a section of the local trails that we hadn't walked.  We logged almost four miles in mostly country scenery and almost perfect late autumn weather.  What a LOVELY time to be out in nature.

May you find much JOY in this week!

First Week of Advent

 December!  Wow, can you believe it is the last month of this year 2022?  After a month of giving thanks, we now enter the month of celebrating Advent and Christmas. So much more for which to give thanks.  and so here are my five thoughts on my list of gratitude.  Friday Fave Fives is a great way to join others and give thanks weekly for all the blessings.

1.  Advent!  HOPE.  We joined a small group of people for dinner, Advent reading, and prayer time.  It was wonderful!

2.  Older Daughter had a successful business trip and arrived home safely yesterday.

3.  I had a surgical procedure done on my left hand this morning (hence my rather late FFF post).  The whole time was much less than an hour, and the doctor proclaimed it a success.  He was observed by three residents/medical students which is normal for a teaching hospital.

4.  I am so thankful that Younger Daughter was able to be with The Professor and me at the surgical center (she works in another center of the hospital) and was with me until the time for the surgery.

5.  Afterwards, I felt well enough to make a quick Christmas shopping stop and then grab a peppermint mocha.  And now I am home resting my hand and taking pain meds.

Bonus:  guess what!  I am not allowed to wash dishes for two weeks.  Too bad, huh?  I am thankful that The Professor is willing and those dirty plates won't just stack up.

How was your week as we begin December?