a spirit of simplicity

  My daughter, Hannah's house is just so pretty. It's a large, Victorian era duplex with beautiful light. Some of the windows have been replaced but there are a few old leaded windows that are old and beautiful and the light is so soft that I am always taking pictures. This is an sweet old table that she picked up in her travels. She put some vintage Christmas ornaments in a terra cotta pot and next to that is a lemon tree plant. The whole thing sits under her kitchen windows. So pretty. My husband and I went to her house on Christmas morning. She served us delicious French toast and mimosas. ~  A friend of mine flew over Marblehead on her way home from vacation and had the wherewithal to take a photo.  It made me think of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem.  This year I was able to purchase a poinsettia through my church in honor of my mother. It was comforting to know that she was represented during the Christmas Eve Mass. I had a chance to rearrange the living room a little bit. I

  I am thankful for my daughters. I wasn't always sure I was doing everything right when they were growing up.  Lord knows I made some mistakes. But I loved them more than anything....still do even though they are thirty something. They turned out good even through my clumsy parenting. I am so proud of who they are as woman, both so different and yet both so beautiful, and compassionate, and kind, and full of strength. ~ ~ ~ Thankful Thursday

  Waiting on the Amaryllis ~ ~ ~ Nature Notes   Our World Tuesday image-in-ing

  I love to visit my daughter, Hannah's house.  She lives in a big, old, Victorian era duplex. This is her dining room. Joe and I were there on Christmas morning and she made french toast.  I always end up walking around taking lots of pictures in her house because the light from the old windows is so beautiful and soft. She has so many old, antique things about.  It's just so pretty. She found this beautiful old table at a second hand store! It's under her kitchen windows and she's placed a terra cotta pot filled with vintage Christmas balls ornaments and a lemon tree plant.  ~ ~ ~ What's going on in your home? Monday Roasted winter vegetable and white bean chowder/green salad/fresh bread Tuesday roast chicken with tangerines, green olives and silan/jasmine rice/brussel sprouts Wednesday roasted roots and their greens with wheat berries and horseradish cream Thursday braised beef with semolina dumplings Friday green salad with fruit and chevré Saturday fresh fish/g

  t and she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 ~ ~ ~ scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  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

  We had our family Christmas party on Saturday. My sister brought two bags of silly holiday glasses and headbands which we all wore! This is my daughter's family. It's almost impossible to get them all together for a picture so I was pretty happy to snap a picture of them!  It was my granddaughter, Abigail's, third birthday last week as well! She celebrated in style wearing not one but two tutus! My daughter and son-in-law always make their house look so festive! Verne and Abigail came to spend the night at my house on Wednesday! I had already decorated my Christmas tree but had saved a few ornaments for them to hang. Verne did a little rearranging...apparently, I didn't have enough hanging from the bottom of the tree. After all of his hard work he laid back in my husband's chair to relax and watch Frosty the Snowman. Thursday morning we had blueberry waffles for breakfast. Then we put on our hats and mittens and went for a walk around the corner to the toy store a

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ "For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas when it's mighty founder was a child himself." Charles Dickens I am so thankful for my grandchildren's help in decorating the Christmas tree.  I thought it looked pretty good until I realized that it was missing a child's touch. ~ ~ ~ Thankful Thursday

Joy to the world! The savior reigns let men their songs employ while fields and floods rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy repeat the sounding joy repeat, repeat the sounding joy! I love the second verse of Joy to the World. When I was a little girl we lived on the edge of a conservation area and our backyard let out into a beautiful wood filled with rocks and hills and fields. I would walk through the snowy paths singing this song and imagine that all the earth was filled with joy. t Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered with corn; they shout for joy they also sing. Psalm 65:10-13 ~ ~ ~ our world Tuesday nature notes image-in-ing

  t Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in everyway. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 ~ ~ ~ scripture and a snapshot Sunday scripture blessings

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ t The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:18-25 There are many cultures where dreams are respected or revered. Generally, ours is not one of them. My mother used to dream of her loved ones that had passed away rather frequently, especially her parents. They would even tell my mother things in her dreams. My husband dreams vividly and his mother does as well. Often they will call one another to say that they had both dreamed of a family member on the same night. I rarely dream of deceased loved ones.  I do have dreams about my mother though. I have dreamed about her 3 or 4 times since she passed away in June. In my most recent dream I was on a swing hanging from an interior doorway.

  Today is my granddaughter, Abigail's, third birthday! Happy birthday senorita sassypants! ~ I am thankful for my sister, Holly. Her birthday was the 15th.  ~ I am grateful for my husband, Joe, or Hey-Joe as the grandchildren call him.  ~ I am thankful for me and for my health! ~ At the beginning of December one of the parents in my class gave us an Amaryllis. We put it in a sunny spot and the children have watched it grow and grow. We wondered if it would bloom before the winter break. My mother loved Amaryllis and would give the bulbs away to friends and family every year.  Our plant bloomed on the 14th....my mother's birthday! ~ ~ ~ Friday fave fives Friendship Friday

  Natalie Faith Cute as a little button! I am thankful for the chance to get to know this tiny little creature. She is the quietest of my three grandchildren. She loves to crawl around her older brother and sister and try to keep up with whatever it is they are doing...she wants to be part of that as well.  Thankful Thursday

  Night Wood at The Mount Stockbridge, MA I was alone when I walked through this path of lit trees. As if time was in slow motion and I was being given a magical gift... as if I was walking into a different dimension.  There were people walking all over the place but the pathway was almost empty as I walked. It really was an amazing experience. There were other lights along the pathways and even a northern lights show in the wood but the experience of walking down this tree lit path alone was one I won't soon forget.  ~ ~ ~ Nature Notes Our World Tuesday Image-in-ing Pictorial Tuesday

  (Natalie Faith) t For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. Upon his shoulders dominion rests, and this is the name he has been given: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:5 scripture and a snapshot Sunday Scripture Blessings You are invited to the Inlinkz link party! Click here to enter

  My sister, our cousins, and I went to the Night Wood show at The Mount in Stockbridge over the weekend. It was at Edith Wharton's home and it was spectacular.  I got the most peaceful and calming feeling come over me as I walked down this tree lit pathway. It was as if I was the only one there.  My sister and I and our cousins all got together for our "cousins weekend" on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We stayed at the Inn at Stockbridge and it was so beautiful.  On Sunday afternoon we went into Stockbridge and did some shopping. We had picture taken in front of an old car that was parked in front of the Red Lion Inn.  My cousin got a great shot of my sister, Holly, and I.  My favourite part of the Night Wood walk was the northern lights display. The lights went from green, to blue, to white. It was really quite spectacular.  This is one of the Christmas trees that was set up in one of the common rooms at the Inn at Stockbridge. We all admired the Christmas tree skirt so

  I am thankful for the opportunity to get together for a weekend getaway with my sister and our cousins.  We all had a wonderful time in the Berkshires! I am second from the right in a dark hat and a light sweater, my sister is second from the left in a black vest and red sweater, and my cousins are far left, center, and far right.  ~ ~ ~ Thankful Thursday

  I placed a Christmas planter on my parent's grave.  I was glad to be able to do it. I know my mum would have liked that.  We got our tree up and decorated over the long weekend.  It looks beautiful. ~ The Marblehead (my town) Magicians, which is the high school football team won the Division 3 championship on Thursday night. I don't really have any idea what that means but it was so fun to drive home and see the parade and all the people walking through town so happy! It was televised so every one had seen the game. ~ I decorated my kitchen window so that whenever I am doing the clean up chores everything looks cheery and Christmasy. ~ I got my nails done on Thursday night. I'm going away with my sister and our three cousins this weekend and my nails were a mess. I wash them so much at work that they just dry out and break. I think the gel polish will help to protect them a bit. I got a pedicure as well.  ~ ~ ~ Friday Fave Fives Friendship Friday

  I am thankful for little lights. I was thinking last night, as I was falling asleep on the couch while watching television, what if each little light on a Christmas tree represented a little love or a "good deed" that someone had done. What if all the little lights spread throughout the world at Christmas time meant that some one somewhere had done some small act of graciousness that never received any recognition, or a person who was struggling was able to find a moment of peace... I was thinking about how much I love Christmas and it occurred to me that it isn't really Christmas that I love so much, it's Advent or the season of Christmas.  When I was a little girl there were only big colourful Christmas lights but I remember the first time I saw tiny white Christmas lights. I was in the car with my mother and father and my little sister and brother. We were driving through Boston and all the deciduous trees were lit up with plain white lights.  It was absolutely m