a spirit of simplicity

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We've set up the tree in the living room. The beautiful old building just across the way is  the old coast guard station. It was built in 1898 and is on the list of national historic places.

The good, the fun, the random We were at my mum's house for Thanksgiving this year. I woke before dawn, turned on the Christmas music  and started making pies. Two pumpkins, a pecan, a Nantucket cranberry, a dish of roasted butternut, and Bette's spiced party nuts.  We had the boys this year which was nice. Bonnie and Dan came with Verne which was totally awesome! He loved having the boys to play with and I had brought him a special toy. My sister Holly and her Joe came as well and  my brother Larry, who we weren't expecting. It was a great group. Turkey was delicious and everyone commented that all the fixings were the best they'd ever been.  After dinner the guys walked out to the park to play a game of football.  Older now but just as willing to get together  and jump around with each other in the freezing cold. 

Sea smoke on the water Friday morning. It was 16 degrees as I drove my husband off island to the train station for work. Sea smoke doesn't happen very often  and less so in November. I should say that sea smoke is caused when very cold air moves over warmer water. It forms when a light  w ind  of very cold air mixes with a shallow layer of saturated warm air immediately above the warmer water. The warmer air is cooled beyond the dew point and can no longer hold as much water  v apor , so the excess condenses  out. The effect is similar to the "steam" produced over a hot bath or a hot drink, or even an exercising person. An InLinkz Link-up

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves." I cannot help but think of this verse on Black Friday. I'm all for saving money when I can... but first let's remember why we're here. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ An InLinkz Link-up

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My sister and brother and I serendipitously ended up on the couch together on Thanksgiving and my daughter caught a picture. Over the weekend I started decorating for Christmas. I had this old red table/bench and I brought it in to use as a seasonal coffee table. I also bought an artificial Christmas tree. It's small enough that when I host Christmas Eve it won't get in the way. I left it with just lights for most of the week because it looked so pretty. I decorated it on Friday morning while I drank my coffee. We had the boys for the long weekend and Verne loved playing with them at my mum's on Thanksgiving day. He was so cute! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ An InLinkz Link-up

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Gather During my workday, as a toddler teacher, I am often heard through out our school saying to my brood of little chicklets "Let's sing a gathering song." And we all sit down together...well...we do our best...some of us are toddlers. It re-groups us when we are getting a little out of control. It re-centers us so we can move as a single unit to the next activity. It calms us. I have to admit that Thanksgiving has never been my favorite holiday. It's always seemed like a lot of work for very little payback. While I do find a certain happiness in serving my family.... Thanksgiving is a lot of special, time consuming food,  and a lot of clean-up. These past few years though, I have been focusing more on the gathering. I've been thinking about how gathering together as a sort of funky tribe of family and friends centers us, and calms us, and grounds us in terms of

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Over the weekend I purchased an artificial Christmas tree. I have it set up..yes, already...in the living room. Only the lights are lit....no decorations yet. The boys have grown up some so we have white lights instead of the coloured lights of the past 5 or 6 years.  I like simplicity of the white lights. We have no ornaments on it yet. Just the simplicity of the light white light and green branches. I have noticed a few other trees lit up in windows around this rather tiny island. Joyeux Noel... and happy Thanksgiving. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ A few years back I stumbled across this old wooden table/bench at a yard sale. I paid $5.00, shoved it into my car, and drove it home. I use it as a planter on the porch but this weekend I cleared the terra cotta off it, gave it a good scrubbing down, and brought it into the living room. I like the red colour for the season. ~ One pot chicken braised chicken and apple cider, potatoes, green beans Egg roll in a bowl, rice Cranberry, orange chicken breast, sweet potatoes, broccoli meatloaf, potatoes, peas one pan pork chops with apples and onions, rice sage pumpkin pasta bake, salad sheet pan steak and veggies and of course....turkey ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This is the day the Lord has made Today 19 November, 2018 On my mind I've been going over the Thanksgiving preparations  in my mind. What I have to make to bring to my mum's  and what I still need to pick up at the market.  What’s going on outdoors? It's dark still as dawn hasn't quite broken yet. It's going to be rainy much of the day and in the mid forties (f) From the kitchen Egg roll in a bowl this evening  with ground turkey and rice. Right now I'm having coffee Thanks and praises My sister, who is receiving treatment for a return of her colon cancer will be heading to Washington DC to address the Senate about taxing the scanning machines they use in her treatment. She will be representing her state.  Joys and sorrows I bought an artificial Christmas tree this weekend.  I found a nice one on sale at Target. It's set up in the living room...I know, I k

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Revelation 7:16-17 Perhaps those of us who are missing a loved one this year will find some comfort in this verse. Even if I can't be the one to do it, I know that God will wipe their tears away and they will rest easy in his loving arms. ~ My absolute favorite Christmas song is  Have yourself a merry little Christmas. It's so poignant. I sometimes imagine that this year could be the year they refer to when they say,  "Next year all our troubles will be out of sight." "Through the years we all will be together...if the fates allow." But we don't know what the fates will allow or who will be with us next year, or even tomorrow.