More musings

Traditions. What to keep, what to continue, what to delete. Tonight, over a wonderful dinner with a friend, we discussed family. Family near and far. Christmas this year will be quiet around here without our older children- yet, we have watched with excitement as our grandson listens and answers questions while we walk through the weeks of advent with the wreath and a story. This story- One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham_ has been read numerous times in our home as our kids have grown up. The illustrations are exquisite and the story is similar to following the Jesse Tree tradition. The 12 year old asks for more to be read every day- and I love that he is not too old, nor the 2 year old too young to enjoy the magic of an excellent story!
We also had goodies tonight. Today I made Dilly Party Mix, dark chocolate with candy cane, white chocolate with cranberries and 2 trays of peanut brittle. Tomorrow, probably homemade Irish Cream! We enjoyed cookies sent to us from Comox on our tray, along with ginger shortbread and spritz cookies. These are the traditions I want to keep- not so much about the gifts, but the connections! I would love to hear about your family's traditions, recipes, what you have decided to keep!
I also had visits today with two of my mommas-in-waiting. I am to be a doula again this spring, something I am realizing how much I treasure! To be a part of someone's most intimate moment, the birth of their child- what a gift, a magical moment and one not to be taken lightly. I will continue to study for my Lamaze exam in April- especially now that my wonderful friend has completed hers with flying colours! I can only hope to do half as well as she has! So much to be thankful for, so many reasons to praise!

Comments

  1. jessDecember 22, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    Judi, thanks for calling me your wonderful friend...I so appreciate our friendship..you are an inspiration to me and I know you will do even better on your exam. On another note my family is not so into the Christmas cookies but I usually make some kind of chocolate bark every year. Last year's was dark chocolate with dried cherries..YUM and with all those antioxidants justifiably nutritious too.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Weekend Wanderings

Sunny Saturday. Saturdays, with habits hard to break, are for cleaning, for renewal. We stayed in bed a little late today but awoke to solid daylight showing a new skiff of snow. Sunshine highlights, a machine to clear the snow, helped along by the shovel. Garbage deleted from the house, bathrooms sparkling, kitchen busy with ideas for meals. I love days like this! Sitting here with some Beethoven in quiet contemplation through new speakers, I take the opportunity to meander through the thoughts I have to share today. My family makes me so proud- in a very humbling kind of way! My adult children are living successful lives, each in a satisfying place or moving toward personal satisfaction through schooling or work. I didn't think much about that when we were raising our kids. We thought about values and chose ones that were important to us, to raise our children by. We chose friends who supported those choices. So much of our time was spent in solidifying those choices, driving th
Read more

Christmas Eve

Wonder. Watching a two year old light up, counting angels and cookies. Seeing the delight in an adult child's eyes when the favourite meal is prepared. Anticipating the joy on faces of family when presents are given and shared, when breakfast is made together, when turkey is ready. Hearing voices of family that is away, long phone calls, cards exchanged and letters read. I have noticed that some of my posts are starting with just a word- and I may just keep this up! It helps me to focus on what to write! Wonder is a lovely feeling, right up there with anticipation. I feel awe when I think of Mary, pregnant and single, traveling on a donkey so far from home, to give birth alone (we assume) in a stable. Giving birth is a sacred time, when women receive the gift of motherhood and join with all women of all time in a sisterhood like no other. But did she have her mother there to support her? A chosen midwife? A best friend? A doula? Or was her husband her only support in a time when t
Read more

Wednesday's Wonder

More of the love of life today. I have found out I will share my passion with a lovely young lady in the spring. She is becoming passionate about so many of the same things as me. Her momma is a wonderful role model, a mother of many with a love of life, a passion for women and their unique role. She is a good friend, one with whom I can talk about the deepest and most intimate topics knowing she understands, that she cares for the friendships of women and in this, models so well for her own daughters as they become women and wives and mothers. Now her daughters are loving life, the process of becoming 'lifegivers' being firmly planted in their hearts and minds. They are worth much more than rubies! And they are being taught how to care for the home, to care for children and elders, to care for husbands, to garden, to cook and clean- we are missing this so much in today's 'too busy' times. I am so blessed to call her friend ! More opportunities in this day included
Read more