On Fast Forward!!

 

Here is sit on Monday morning, trying to figure out which direction to go.  I decided to sit and write a blog.
I would love to tell you that I have sat and had lots of quiet time, reflecting the joy of the season. It is just not the case. I am feeling a whole lot more like the Scrooge and Grinch. Not at all like I want to be. I just seem to be doing everything by the seat of my pants.

 

 We are having just lovely, cold weather. Rain and snow in the mountains. I am just loving this winter weather finally. The trees are about two weeks ahead of schedule. The weatherman said we are supposed to get wind today, so I think our trees will finally get a long rest. Not a lot of hooking going on. I did dye wool last week, but here it sits just like I left it.

I read this today. It makes me think that I need to focus my mind on being grateful and stopping and listening. Instead of running to and fro.

"First, behold how very ordinary and common things are to us that transpire on earth, and yet how high they are regarded in heaven. On earth it occurs in this wise: Here is a poor young woman, Mary of Nazareth, not highly esteemed, but of the humblest citizens of the village. No one is conscious of the great wonder she bears, she is silent, keeps her own counsel, and regards herself as the lowliest in the town. She starts out with her husband Joseph; very likely they had no servant, and he had to do the work of master and servant, and she that of mistress and maid. They were therefore obliged to leave their home unoccupied, or commend it to the care of others."

---Martin Luther

 

When I was a little girl. We moved out here in November. It was cold and I would pretend, that this old barn where we kept the cows with calves, was where they laid baby Jesus in the manager. I took one of my dolls and filled the manger with straw. My grandparents, let me leave it that way until after Christmas. I went out every day to check on the baby in the manger. For some reason. the cows left the straw alone that was under the doll. I would go out and sit on top of a metal cow stand and now I know it was Venus, but for me I thought it was the star that led the wise men to the baby. I would sing every Christmas carol I knew. Which was maybe three, Silent Night, Away in a Manger and We Three Kings. We three kings was something like " We three kings of Orient Are..." Then lots of humming. Lots of joyful noise.

Christmas was different then. Not so much about gifts and all of the stuff I get caught up with. It was more about having a nice meal with all of my aunts and uncles and cousins and lots of laughter. It was about watching my beautiful Mother laugh. Even now when I dream of her, it is her laughter I hear. So today, if I could leave you with one wish, I wish you all a day of laughter. The kind that lights your eyes, and gives you joy.
~Blessings with my whole heart, to you~
Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

" When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened which the Lord had told us about." So the shepherds went quickly and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in a feeding box. "  (Luke 2:15-16)

She said Yes!!!

 

Finally, I can tell you my secret. I have been so afraid to blog, in case my story was leaked. So when I have something like a gag order I can't ever think of what to write. So my poor blog had to sit here with no updates. Yesterday, our son William finally asked Miss Makenzie  to be his wife. She of course, said YES!!!

 

He had cooked up this scheme, she thought they were going to just be models again for a photo shoot. She was supposed to be looking at something else and when she turned around, there he was with her ring. 

 

 

She was surprised!!!

 

I could never figure out why anyone would be sad when their kids get married. My Dad and my Grandpa wept like I was going to die or something. I felt so guilty. Not us. I get another daughter!!! Makenzie is just a wonderful girl, she makes William so happy. Meg and Makenzie are already good friends.  My gifts over flow into my lap. I never dreamed all of the blessings that I have received in these last 15 days. First, driving to Arizona, getting to watch the kids there. Kessie being more than great after this birth. Sophie being just perfect. Now a new daughter to love in my life!!!

 

They are just the cutest couple. They just make me laugh. I couldn't figure out why I feel like I can't seem to get caught up, when I was writing this post, and I counted the days, that is a lot of changes I think, well for me anyway in 15 days. Life is moving so fast.

So now you know.
Thank you so much for stopping by today.
~Kim~

"To conceal anything from those to whom I am attached, is not in my nature. I can never close my lips where I have opened my heart."
Charles Dickens

Twaddle on Tuesday

 

How are you today? Are you getting your shopping done, and your cookies baked? I have got the lights up Really Ron and Peter, got the lights up on the house and the Christmas tree decorated. But so far, not much shopping and no cookie baking as of yet. I hope to conquer the shopping list on Friday. Have you had a nice week? Since it has been a week since I posted.

 There seems to be such bad news all of the time, and I refuse to talk about it here on my blog. I thought today, I would share a Christmas memory. I think this one was triggered the other day, when I was looking through old books and I saw The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald.

 The princess is named Irene. It made me think of my Grandpa's sister who was named Irene, and I wondered if perhaps, her Mom had named her after that princess in that book. My Grandpa's family, were concert musicians in the late 1800s. For reasons he never told me they left the city and moved to Oklahoma. All of the children were gifted musically. I grew up watching his family play violins, guitars, and lots of singing. Except of course not Irene. She wasn't around and for the life of me, I have no idea why. She was my Grandpa's oldest sister.

When I was very young. Maybe, three or four. I should explain about my Grandpa. He was my Grandmother's second husband. My Grandmother divorced, her husband after World War Two  my Mom's dad. My Mom was raised by a single Mom in the late 40s and 50s. My Grandmother was a very modern woman for her day. In 1956 she married, my Papa. He never had children of his own so when I came along, I was his. He took me everywhere. He called me on Friday afternoons after he got off work, and he came and got me for the weekends. He carried me everywhere on his shoulders. We were the very best of friends.

 

On a Saturday, he asked me if I wanted to go to Irene's with him. I wonder what my Mom and Grandma were doing that made him ask. He bundled me up in gloves, coat and hat. He had a 1956 Yellow Ford pickup. It must not have had a heater, because I remember getting to Irene's house and being very cold. Her house, as I think about it today, was odd. It was very long. I wonder if it had been an converted train car like my other Grandma's house was.  I remember going in the front door, and at the very end of the house was the kitchen. The house smelled so wonderful and was so warm. She stood up with a cookie sheet in her hands and held the pan while Papa lifted me up and there were nice crispy Gingerbread Men with raisin eyes and little cloves for buttons.  I was enchanted.

 

She took my coat off and my hat and my gloves and brought me into the kitchen. My Grandpa disappeared.
I just remembered Irene sat and talked to me and told me the story of the gingerbread man. When they had cooled, she gave me this tiny little glass with a tiny gold Christmas tree on it filled with milk. She gave me a gingerbread man to eat still warm from the oven. I really didn't want to eat it but to be polite I took a nibble. I just wanted to look at it. After a while it was time to go and I was bundled up again. She gave me some more of the cookies to take home. I had to tell everyone the story that Irene told me about the gingerbread man.

 

I don't think I ever saw her again. There was always some skeleton in the closet I guess. I know she talked to my Dad a lot because his grocery store was across the street so she would call our house if something was amiss.
I just thought I would share this little story with you. It is nice to think about how sometimes when you are not aware, some little tiny act of kindness might become someones memory forever. Have a lovely day.
~Kim~

There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.
Charles Dickens

Now December!

 

Happy December! Have you hit the ground running this week? I know that I have been trying to get the house decorated and all pretty and warm for December. I love this cool weather. The oranges and lemons and grapefruit love it. Today, my plan is to make pillows. Yesterday, Emilie called and asked " Did I want to go to the fabric store?" We had such a wonderful time and as we were walking around, I found the ticking.

I had wanted to buy ticking as I saw the cutest Christmas pillows made from ticking. So here is my ticking.

 

I think any day spent with a sewing machine or a hook or a needle and thread is a good day. Having Christmas music and candles is a plus.

Emilie wanted to make a quilt, so we came back home and washed her fabric. While it was washing she made my centerpiece on my dining room table. It is so handy having a flower designer in the family. I went out and gathered pinecones and she made the greenery look so good. Here is what she made.

I do love these boxes that Ron made for me. They are so versatile. I wanted to show you the jar Peter won at work while we were gone.

They were having a contest to guess how many M&Ms were in the jar. He said it was filled a lot more.
and he guessed and got the closest. I keep telling him to take them back to work, but so far he has not. They do look nice and Christmasy sitting on the counter. I haven't even had one!

The rest of the day, Emilie used my rotary cutter to cut out all of the pieces on her quilt, while I ironed. It was just a nice day the way I love to spend my time. I think in December, I can forget what is important. I get so caught up in my lists, that I need to spend more time, doing what is important. Like stopping in the afternoon, watching the sun go down and having coffee. I think because I still have Mom's and new babies on my mind. I keep thinking of that other Mom who had her newborn son, who's crib was a manger. I want to spend my days thinking of those things rather than my lists.

Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

“We are women, and my plea is Let me be a woman, holy through and through, asking for nothing but what God wants to give me, receiving with both hands and with all my heart whatever that is.” (Elisabeth Elliot)