Friday, December 23, 2011

Wishing You a Lovely Christmas. . .

 I'm going out of town in the morning to celebrate Christmas with my children and grandchildren. Yay! But I want to wish any stragglers at my blog a truly lovely Christmas/Advent celebration. I think I'll add the wonderful little poem left for me in comments by Rebecca (thank you Rebecca--and everyone else, too--for the comment(s); I'll get back to those when I return):

"Welcome, all wonders in one sight!
...Eternity shut in a span. Summer in winter. Day in night.
Heaven in earth and God in man! Great little one!
Whose all-embracing birth lifts earth to heaven, Stoops heaven to earth."
(Richard Crenshaw, 1648)

I really do appreciate the thoughtful comments very much. Jennie, if you see this, I'm thinking about your request. I don't know if I can actually finish those speaking notes you referred to, but I might write a thought or two before I go. So sorry you were watching for that and that I didn't finish it. I'm not sure I'll get a chance to add more thoughts, so don't count on it! :-)

Adding to this post Saturday morning: I turned on the quiet music of Arvo Part this morning, wishing I had not run out of coffee (!), and sat on the carpet of my peaceful living room floor to open stocking gifts from my mom and my sister. I thought it would be a nice thing to do before leaving town later this morning. As I unwrapped one gift, strong whiffs of coffee wafted out from the paper (yes!). So, I made a French press pot of coffee and sat at the computer with the  intention of working my way through the recent comments so that I could pointedly and mindfully pray individually for each and every one of you.  And I do pray that God will touch you, bless you and your families, give you wisdom all along your way, direct your steps (even when you don't think you know where you're going--He does!), and fill you with His Love and Light and Hope this Christmas season (and always). I pray you (and I) will increasingly know the Great Joy that is found in Him. Have a beautiful, merry Christmas!

The sun came out today, and, inspired by sunlight coming into the house, I started to snap some photos. I was just getting warmed up when my sister called to see if I wanted to go for a stroll in today's amazing, gorgeous sunshine and blue skies. Of course I was glad to go. So, I had just these few photos, but they will have to do (I'm posting them because thought I'd put up a few "parting shots" in the next post or two before I go away for good):
I think my first photo ever on this blog featured this table in very early
morning light. Oh yeah--there it is up on my header.
This is later-in-the-afternoon light with a
much more cluttered table (it's not always cluttery!)
and more "stuff" on the wall.

I think I took a summer photo from this same angle
when the maple was in full green leaf.
Winter gives a much different look.

 O Tannenbaum!
This is my official Christmas tree.

The hutch in winter afternoon light.

Because everyone is dying to know what is attached to my fridge!
Postcards from friends and family.
Roman's picture.
A verse written on a card by Aimee
that she included in a letter she mailed to me.
Various magnets.
"Susywawoozy Woman"
is what my nephew and niece call me.
Or sometimes they call me "Sushi."
They made me the magnet.

8 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas Susan! Hope you have a wonderful time with your family. (I was really excited to see another post... I'm going to keep hoping for another, and then another, and then another...) :)

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  2. A very Happy Christmas to you too Susan. We are enjoying balmy weather too. How strange! Keep those parting shots coming... but if they really have to stop then I wish you happy new years every year, wherever they take you.

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  3. Merry Christmas.
    be blessed beyond measure..

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  4. Merry Christmas, sweet Susan! So happy you got coffee just in the nick of time! I will miss your presence here, and the wisdom you have so graciously shared, but I love your example of whole-hearted obedience. Love & prayers ~ Tracy

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  5. Glad you enjoyed the poem, Susan. May your next adventures be full and life-giving!

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  6. Oops, one more thing Susan. I don't know where I originally found that poem, but I Googled it again this morning and found that a) it is by Richard CRAshaw, and b) it is the chorus of a much longer (beautiful) poem. Just a little fyi.

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  7. Susan, I did see your answer and was grateful. I won't count on it, but would love whatever wisdom or comments you have left on that topic. I did just love the original post, and sent the link to my daughter so we could discuss it, and chew on it together. Thanks and a very happy, productive, wonderful New Year to you! Jennie

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  8. Amy, you are funny! :-) There might be another post or two, but they really do need to end here before long since school starts in just over a week. . . But thank you. I appreciate you.

    Oh, Lucille, thank you for a lifetime of New Year's wishes! But you can't entirely get rid of me because I will keep haunting your blog! :-)

    Jane, your new profile picture looks very much like a friend of mine! Thank you for your relentless encouragement.

    Hey Tracy! You used your name, so I can, too, right? Yes, that coffee arrived just in the nick of time! :-) And later in the day, another little package of Stumptown coffee came in the mail, and that was sooo perfect because I took it with me and shared it with my family at Christmas! Yay. ;-)

    Rebecca, Thanks for bothering to share that with me because now I can look up the whole poem, and I, like you, love to get those little details straight! Did you enjoy the Christmas scones? I liked knowing that you were going to make those. :-)

    Jennie, thank you again. Still hoping to get at least *something* down. Blessings to you (and your lovely daughter) this New Year, too. :-)

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