It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

December 7, 2012

It's nearly 3pm on Friday afternoon. I'm drinking my friend's herbal tea mix (she grows the plants in her garden and it's fabulous) and watching the sun set over the mountain. The birds are jockeying for position at the feeder and as I type, out of the corner of my eye, I see the wing span of the gray jay as he swoops in for a landing.

I have to go start a load of laundry so it will have time to hang and dry by the wood stove this afternoon and evening. And in just a few minutes we'll put on our jackets and boots for our walk by the river while there is still some light in the sky. Though the sun sets early behind the mountain there is still light in the sky till the sun truly sets on the horizon (which is not visible from our home). 

I've had the strong urge this week to connect with family - grandparents, aunties, cousins. My Skype account has been busy. 

We took out our one bin of Christmas decorations yesterday. A hodge podge of mostly folksy handmade art that has grown meaningful to us over the years.

My favorites are the things my grandmothers have made and given me. Colorful crocheted doilies, quilted hot pads and a welcome sign for the wall.

The kids have their own favorites - the stuffed snowmen their grandma gave them many years ago on a Christmas trip to our "home" province of Alberta. 

We started a Jesse Tree. Our first ever. We're using Ann Voskamp's free devotional. It's perfect for families with kids our age. Any younger and I think most of the prose would whoosh over their heads. 

I bought Steve Bell's Christmastide album. If you celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas I think you would like this album. I'm enjoying it and my favorite song so far may be Descent.