Month: December 2019

Holding on to Christmas

17 Comments

I thought about taking the Christmas decorations down today, but my not-so-little one convinced me to leave them up a little longer. I figured, if I take them down by Friday, I will still be about three months ahead of my normal schedule. 😀 .

Like my son, I’m having a little difficulty letting the Christmas season go. It took me a while to get in the spirit of things, but I’m not ready for the parts that I love so much to go away–unrushed mornings, Christmas movies, uninterrupted time with the guys, reading and writing, creating and crafting, and hours of contemplation without the nagging “things to do” list over my head.

I’m certainly not ready for the end of [receiving] über cute Christmas postcards from pen friends–like the card above.

My Love Notes pal and literary twin, Bianca, sent the sweet postcard featured. Immediately after retrieving it from the post office box–and before reading the message–I knew who sent it! Who else but Bianca would find in Germany a little girl with my skin color hugging a snowman? She always finds the perfect, most adorable cards that speak to some part of my identity, interests, or character.

The postcard was designed by Tanja Angermeier of Monimari, who creates “sustainable stationery for children’s hearts.” You can find more about Tanja’s work and Monimari by visiting her website. To get a steady diet of Monimari, you can also follow her on Instagram and even purchase some of the items in her Etsy shop.

Thankfully, even after the Christmas decorations have been stored and the last Christmas postcard has been received, we can still make the choice to carry the Christmas spirit with us all year. We can choose to walk with a spirit of love for humankind every single day. After all, that spirit is always in season.

Ordinary Moments of Joy

22 Comments

I had zero holiday spirit. None. I did everything I could to conjure the warm feelings the Christmas season usually brings. I went to Christmas parties. I decorated the house. I participated in gift exchanges. I read and meditated on scriptures about the birth of Christ. I even bought an ugly sweater (really, a hoodie). Nothing worked.

I was deep in a hole of exhaustion, confusion, stress, grief, and it was far too taxing to exact from myself anything other than that strange mix of feelings.

Until last night. As I was scrolling through Instagram posts, I ran across a one by Brene’ Brown in which she talks about spending Christmas in her mom’s hospital room. She begins that post:

The purest form of joy comes to us in ordinary moments, and those moments can happen any place where gratitude is alive. —Brené Brown

“Joy comes to us in ordinary moments.”

It’s amazing how a single statement can prompt a shift.

I paused and asked God to help me to recognize and seize moments of joy, despite those contrary but legitimate emotions.

So today I opened my heart and with gratitude welcomed joy in all the ordinary moments and in all the ways in which it presented itself–watching my guys open gifts; chatting with my mom; preparing a dish for the family dinner while watching funny YouTube videos with the guys; texting Christmas greetings to friends and loved ones; enjoying Christmas dinner with my aunts, cousin, and her kids; listening to my aunt’s hearty laughter, knowing this first Christmas without my uncle is so difficult for her; eating way too many sweets; spending this moment with my blog before grabbing my fuzzy blanket and cuddling up with the guys to watch more Christmas movies.

Ordinary moments imbued with gratitude. Pure joy.

May you walk with gratitude and joy during the holiday season and through the coming year.

Merry Christmas!

A Dear Deer in the Snow

4 Comments

Watercolor Deer by Eileen V. “Frohes fest und die besten wünsche für das neue jahr.”

I promise I will not do another “12 Days of Christmas Postcards,” but I will share a few (?) of the super cute and original ones that come in–like the one above. The watercolor of an adorable deer relishing the snow was created by my Love Notes friend, Eileen V.

Don’t you love how she captures the deer’s delight? It seems humans aren’t the only ones who can’t resist looking up and losing themselves in the wonder of snow.

Interestingly, the card Eileen sent last year also featured a [rein]deer in the snow. Coincidence? Maybe, Eileen has a thing for deer. 🙂

Oh, Christmas Tree! | #WordlessWednesday

10 Comments

Christmas is not a story of hope. It is hope. –Craig D. Lounsbrough

The university held its annual Christmas party yesterday. The theme this year, “Christmas in the Alps,” matched the cold, cold of outdoors.

The team always does an amazing job with the decor, and we felt like we were in Switzerland. I’d intended to photograph some of the cozy elements created to capture the theme, but I’m still a bit fatigued–it was a hard semester. I did manage to get shots [on my phone] of some the ornaments adorning the very tall tree.

The images speak for themselves, so they are perfect for a #WordlessWednesday. [Click an image for a closer look].

 

How to Carry the Christmas Spirit Year Round

6 Comments

Fall 2019 is O-V-E-R! The grades are in, and I’m a couple of short reports away from winter break. I am beyond exhausted–too tired to write a post–so I’m sharing a post by my Brittany of Ordinarily Extraordinary Mom. In this post she offers three ways to carry the Christmas spirit all year.

As I turn my attention fully toward family and holiday preparations, Brit’s Christmas spirit is just what I need to spark a little holiday magic. Maybe, this post will do the same for you.

ordinarilyextraordinarymom

“Christmas is here everywhere.

Christmas is here is you care.

If there is love in your heart and your mind,

You will feel like Christmas all the time.”

(Writers: Mariah Carey, James Horner and Will Jennings; Singer: Faith Hill)

***

3 sure ways to carry the Christmas spirit all year long. #christmas #christmascheer #christmasspirit #holidaycheer #gratitude #love #grateful

*Please note this post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Last year I created Christmas cheer.  I needed it.  I needed a year to recover.  I needed a reason to get my mind off life’s curve balls and back on to the reason for the season.

This year, I am grateful for peace.  I am grateful for normal.  I am grateful that my biggest worry is which paycheck I will use to cover which gift.  I am grateful for a decluttered Christmas schedule.

In searching out the source of this newly discovered peace, I found that peace should always accompany the Christmas…

View original post 467 more words

#ThursdayTreeLove | Naked Tree and First Snow

10 Comments

Snow was falling,

so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more

than prettiness.  –Mary Oliver, from “Snowy Night,” What Do We Know

I’m taking a very short break from grading because it’s time for #ThursdayTreeLove, and I can’t resist sharing one of the snow pics I snapped with my iPhone earlier this week. It’s a simple snapshot, but it captures a naked tree and our first snow of the season.

Snow is rare in the Deep South, so many of us get excited whenever it comes our way. In this photo, the snow had just begun to fall and the temperature hadn’t [yet] dropped enough for the snow to stick.

I do not like being cold, so I stood just outside my office building and videotaped the snow for a few seconds. [Video below]. It was so relaxing to take a break and watch the snow fall.

Enjoy!

I am joining Parul Thakur for #ThursdayTreeLove every second and fourth Thursday of the month. If you would like to play along, post a picture of a tree on your blog and link it back to her latest #treelove post.

Into Morning | #WordlessWednesday

13 Comments

Sometimes, it’s necessary to ignore the ice cold temperature and race outdoors at the first sign of light to catch a glimpse of God.

“I Wake Close to Morning”
Mary Oliver

Why do people keep asking to see
God’s identity papers
when the darkness opening into morning
is more than enough?
Certainly any god might turn away in disgust.
Think of Sheba approaching
the kingdom of Solomon.
Do you think she had to ask,
“Is this the place?”

from Felicity, 2015

#DoGoodDecember: Do Your Little Bit

11 Comments

Do your little bit of good where you are; those little bits together overwhelm the world.  –Desmond Tutu

I was overjoyed to open Facebook and find the Kindness Calendar at the top of my newsfeed–posted by Debra D, one of my Love Notes pals. Kindness is the perfect way to end the year and I plan to “do [my] little bit of good where [I am].”

Will you join me?

Click the image or the link above to view and download the calendar. If you need a little motivation, check out one (or more) of my blog posts on the subject. Who knew I had so many?

Have a kind week!