Beauty in the Ordinary

Monday, December 31, 2012

Let's Not Get Ahead of Ourselves

...let's just take this New Year

one beautiful day at a time...

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Happy New Year!

Let the countdown begin...

2013

may it be everything you desire.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Happy Christmas Sister Dearest...

(From Temporary Holiday Quarters)
A Little Condo by a Man-Made Lake
Way-way South of the Border

December 26, 20012

Dearest V.

This morning I am filled with Christmas memories, from days long, long ago, in far off England when we three youngest children would come tearing down the stairs to find our very own pillow-case, stuffed to the frills with toys and sweeties that our parents could barely afford financially, but were oh so generously given emotionally. Why no memory of our eldest sister in those early Christmases I can not fathom, but I only see you and I with enormous teddy bears and David with his brand new tricycle.

Then the sumptuous meal always finished with the Christmas pudding that we could only manage a mere spoonful of. And the final vision of an exhausted mother curled up asleep on the couch still wearing her paper Christmas hat.

Later years brought the trips to Salisbury and midnight services at the cathedral followed by a Dickensian-style (in the best way) Christmas Day at The Rose and Crown. Ha, ha...how funny and tender those memories are!

Christmas today wears a much different gown...we boarded a plane in the snowy-cold hours of Christmas Eve morning with other sleepy but excited travelers to the announcement of 'no potable water on board as we are the first flight out of the day' (how does that make sense?); so no early morning tea, and it's a draughty plane that carries us the short three hours to our children.

The past two days have been filled with laughter, gourmet-cooked food, indulgent wines, magnetic dart games and hilarious versions of trivial pursuit, long walks with the girls and my grand-puppy.

How time changes the face of these holidays. Feeling, however, remain the same. You are my earliest, happiest and most constant memory of Christmas. I think I miss you most at this time of year.

Write and tell me of your Christmas day with your grandsons...I'm sure it was wonderful and hilarious all at the same time. Happy Christmas...love j.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

From Our Home to Yours...

May this Christmas be all you wish it to be...

soft...

bright...

cosy...

tender...

sweet...

hopeful...

delicous...

playful...

but most of all, may it be filled with the gifts of...

magic...

wonder...

friendship...

beauty...

and love.

from our house to yours...

Happy Christmas.

Heading off tomorrow so that our little family can all be together this year; for who knows what the future will bring.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Help Please...

I would like to make one of these this Christmas...

Recipe anyone?..

Tips?..

Any and all advice most warmly received.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

"Love Is Christmas"

I don’t care if the house is packed,
Or the strings of light are broken.
I don’t care if the gifts are wrapped,
Or there’s nothing here to open.

Love is not a toy, and no paper will conceal it.
Love is simply joy that I’m home.

I don’t care if the carpet's stained; we've got food upon our table.
I don’t care if it’s gonna rain, our little room is warm and stable.

Love is who we are, and no season can contain it.
Love would never fall for that.

We sing oooooooooooooooo
Oooooooooooooo
Ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Let love lead us, love is Christmas.

Why so scared that you’ll mess it up? When perfection keeps you haunted.
All we need is your best my love, that’s all anyone ever wanted.

Love is how we do, let no judgment overrule it.
Love I look to you, and I sing.

Oooooooooooooooooo
Oooooooooooo
Ooooooooooooooooooooo
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Ooooooooooooooooo

Let love lead us, love is Christmas.
Let love lead us, love is Christmas.