a spirit of simplicity

  Recognition Each December just before the new year I choose a few things to focus on in the coming year.  Here are a few for 2021 Recognition...in regards to myself.  Acceptance, admission, appreciation, awareness I will be turning 58 in the spring and I am looking forward to it. I’ve never been one to shy away from birthdays and I don’t understand why people chase youth.  Embrace the journey. The first four words in the thesaurus under recognition are: Accept..who I am now. Admit..not so much failures but imperfections...and be able to still accept who I am. Appreciate..who I am now and who and what I have in my life and be grateful. Awareness..of myself and the way in which I direct my steps.  Lichen Which is quite random. There’s just something about lichen which I have always loved.  It is described as a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of fungus and alga. It typically grows on rocks and trees near moss or in a shady spot.  I like the colours and the texture and

  Christmas Eve was a walking day. The temperature was up to the low forties Fahrenheit with just enough of a breeze coming off of the Atlantic to beautifully scent the air. I walked about two hours through town stopping at tiny beaches here and there to collect glass and pretty shells.   Chandler Hovey light is across the harbour at the tip of the neck. Joe and I watched the planetary alignment of Jupiter and Saturn on solstice night from a beach on the neck. The clouds held off through twilight and when it got cloudy enough that our view was obscured we drove out to the lighthouse. Each year during the holiday season they light it up this way and at Independence Day it is lit up red, white and blue. The top is always green.  When we lived in Nahant we could see it’s green light blinking at us from across the ocean and a few towns over. Now that we are living back in Marblehead where we both grew up, I think that light was calling us back home.  It’s Christmas morning as I am typing t

  The good The amaryllis that I planted at Thanksgiving bloomed just in time for Christmas!  ~  The fun We celebrated Christmas the week before Christmas Day on a much smaller scale than we normally do. My daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren showed up in style though.  ~ The random Christmas Eve was quite warm so I went for a long walk around town. It was beautiful. ~ ~ ~ The good, the random, the fun

  I spent much of yesterday putting things back to rights at home. The tree and all its trimmings have been put away  the living room is clean and calm. The amaryllis bloomed just before Christmas  the pink poinsettia is still going strong. I love the beginning of the new year. Everything is organized and shiny....so many plans, so much promise. My new desk calendar sits at the ready ~ ~ ~ Monday:   white bean and lemon soup, salad, fresh bread Tuesday:   bacon, mushroom, and spinach frittata, salad, fresh bread Wednesday:   one pan lemon chicken with asparagus, rice Thursday:   chili, cornbread, salad, chocolate cake Friday:   leftovers  Saturday: simple Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, green beans Sunday: roast pork loin with apples and onions, baked sweet potatoes, Swiss chard ~ ~ ~ The hearth and soul Little cottage link party    Celebrate your story .   All about home Meal plan monday    Menu plan Monday Charming homes and gardens     Grace at home

   t Remember not the former things Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness  And rivers in the dessert. Isaiah 43:18-19 ~ ~ ~ Sunday scripture blessings Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye, Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills One man gathers what another man spill.  St. Stephen will remain, all he’s lost he shall regain... 26 December the candles burn all day. I light the leftover bits of candles that need to be used up  letting them burn down to the ends until they are gone. The house smells like beeswax all the day long. Wintertide brings slow stillness and low light.  Colourful hats and mittens and warm fuzzy snow boots Sit in the doorway ready for weekend walks down narrow and winding lanes that lead to out to the harbour and back toward home. I’ve treated myself to a paperwhite kindle which should be arriving by post this week. I am looking forward to loading it up with all sorts of new and interesting reads  for stormy days and nights by the fire.  The pink poinsettia that I bought just after Thanksgiving is still going strong and the couch is quite a cozy spot for escaping into a good book.

  A very happy Christmas to you all And God bless us everyone. ~ ~ ~ Grace at home .  Thursday favorite things .  Thankful Thursday Friday fave fives . 

  I climbed to the top of the hill at Crocker park  of a morning after a snow. Abbot Hall is on the highest peak in old town and from there it descends down to the sea. The harbour is empty except for a few fishing boats. A cold wind at my back I tromp back through the snow toward my little warm and cozy home.  We stood on the edge of the Atlantic to view the plantetary alignment. Because of the clouds I didn’t think we’d be able to see much and I left my camera at home... Oh me of little faith. I did manage to get this picture with my phone before the clouds moved in though.  ~ ~ ~ Our world Tuesday Nature notes     Pictorial Tuesday    Image-in-ing    My corner of the world    Community global   

Winter Solstice ~ Quite the darkest and shortest day of the year. Last week the snow fell on our narrow winding streets and the wind coming off of the harbour tossed the snow laden limbs of the giant pine to and fro. We had candles at the ready and a nice plump chicken roasting in the oven  warmed our home and filled it with a cozy aroma.  Today we celebrate winter solstice and there are oranges and cloves and colourful ribbons to make Christmas pomanders. Last year there was a house full of friends laughing and celebrating but this year will be quiet. I have decided to embrace the stillness and solitude. Handel’s The Messiah plays quietly,  candles gleam in the darkness,  and the scent of oranges and cloves fills our tiny and peaceful living room.  ~ ~ ~ The hearth and soul Celebrate your story .  Little cottage link party .  All about home Charming homes and gardens   Grace at home You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  t For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, That whoever believes in him should not perish But have eternal life. John 3:16 ~ ~ ~ Sunday scripture blessings Scripture and a snapshot You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  We had a snowstorm which started Wednesday night and went all through Thursday. It was a snow day for all and Joe and I sat inside our cozy home watching the wind blow the big pine tree limbs around. I put a chicken in the oven to roast with lemon, onion, and dill and the whole house smelled delicious and warm.  The folks around the corner were hanging their wreath as I walked by on Saturday afternoon. It was quite the endeavor. There were two people across the street where I was standing while I took the picture. They were yelling out directions..up a little on the right...the two people on the ground and the two people in the third story windows moved the wreath around until the peace sign was straight. It wasn’t really snowing...it was raining. I added the snow via an editing app because it looks so much prettier than rain.  I’ve been keeping all my Christmas shopping local and as I walked about town on Saturday I came across this spinning angel candle decoration. I remember that

    Happy 2nd birthday to my beautiful granddaughter, Abigail Rose. She was born with a cleft lip/cleft palate and has already been through two major surgeries. Though she be little she be fierce! ~ ~ ~ Little things Thursday

  Walking the neighborhood of an afternoon I happened to come upon these folks hanging a giant peace wreath on their State street home. There were two in the upstairs windows, two holding the ropes on the sidewalk, and two across the street making sure that everything was straight. I could smell the pine boughs from where I walked underneath. And when I walked by the next day it looked beautiful! The perfect accompaniment for the season. ~ ~ ~  Our world Tuesday     Pictorial Tuesday .  Image-in-ing .  Nature notes Wordless Wednesday    My corner of the world    Community Global Wonderful Wednesday   

  I purchased a couple of new pillows for the loveseat in the living room.  Also, a cute little pink tray on the trunk.  Though I admire all the beautiful white chic on instagram...I simply cannot live without a bit of colour. When I was young we had one of the candle powered spinning angel decorations. It made a joyful ringing noise as the angles twirled. This one that I have now doesn’t make sound but the angels spin just the same.  The hearth and soul Little cottage link party All about home Charming homes and gardens Grace at home You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

 Take joy t These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. John 15:11 ~ ~ ~ For some reason blogger will not allow me to share a link here as I normally do.  Today I am joining with: Sunday scripture blessings at peabea.blogspot.com  Scripture and a snapshot at justasecondblog.blogspot.com If you have any ideas as to why I cannot use the little link box please let me know. You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

    Just across the street is a very small house with a very small white gate. I should explain that we live in old-town Marblehead, MA and our street is really a one-way narrow lane. There is just enough room for one car to drive...almost like a single driveway. There are no sidewalks. The little house across the street was once kitchen house for the General Glover house on the street just behind it. It was built in 1762. Kitchen houses were built to protect the main house from fires. Of course, this little house has had quite a bit of work done to it since then and it is now the small house next door. And it happens to have quite a charming little gate with it’s sweet green wreath and a bit of snow falling.  We had my step-son Joey with us over the weekend and got up to visit with my grandchildren as well. He was teaching Verne some skateboarding tricks. Both of them have grown so much I can hardly believe it! It was rather stormy here on Saturday and I spent the afternoon watching A

  A stormy day... When the wind blows in a north east direction over the Atlantic and over our little old village we call it  a nor’easter.  The worst storms are nor’easters and if there is a high tide as well things can get pretty scary. The infamous Blizzard of ‘78 was a nor’easter and is still talked about to this day...even after the winter of 2014/15 which dumped over a hundred inches of snow on us and left us with snow banks well into June! A nor’easter blows heavy winds and huge waves that can destroy sea walls and buildings.  Fortunately, though the winds shook the house and rocked the big old 5 story pine tree we were left relatively unscathed. Even the snow that they called for didn’t really fall here this close to the ocean. We had a dusting but no accumulation on the ground...not even enough to sweep off the front steps.  I meant to get outside and walk down to see the harbour but it was so very cozy and warm  I ended up drinking a Sam Adams winter lager with my lunch and s

  I had to purchase a new tree topper this year. I’ve never had an angel on top of the tree before but after hearing a song by John Prine I decided that I would look for one.  We held hands and stared at the lights on the tree As if Christmas was invented for you and for me When the angel on the tree top requested a song We sang Silent Night all day long. It’s really a beautiful song and it made me think of Christmas in my own little town. I love to see shoppers with brightly coloured bags in their hands and trees lit up in the windows of the homes above the antique store fronts. I love to see Christmas trees in the old homes along the streets of old-town as I walk after dinner. It’s so peaceful and cozy to see the tiny lights. So, I bought an angel for the tree this year as my glass tree topper broke last year.  She is made of felted wool. I am not partial to plastic or the kind that are lit up...or twirl. She has blond hair just like my daughter, Hannah.  Here and there throughout th

    t And suddenly there was with the angel  a multitude of the heavenly host Praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth, peace, goodwill toward men. Luke 2:13-14 ~ ~ ~ Scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  I set up our Christmas tree during the Thanksgiving weekend.  It’ so pretty. Tucker approves of the Christmas lights in his favourite window.  I saw my grandchildren last weekend as well. I happened to glance out of the living room window one morning and was treated to the most beautiful sunrise.  In these darkest days of the year it’s nice to see some light.  Just around the corner is the Marblehead Boat Yard and every year, at Christmas time, they put a giant star up on top of their crane. I came home from work a few days ago to see it shining high above the harbor. It’s sort of reassuring in these times.  ~ ~ ~ Friday fave fives Friday favorites