Reflections and Other Thoughts as We Bring in the New Year.

Hello, Dear Friends, here we are at the end of one year

and the beginning of another, and we must find a way to put one 

behind the other. 

Not an easy task given the difficult year we have had. 

This is the time to make peace with what has 

come before and find a way to create a new 

beginning. 

We've had our first snow of the season, which 

has covered the landscape in pristine sparkles. 

 The perfect metaphor for the new year ahead. 

Blanket the old with sparkling hope,  

pristine new dreams and deep resolve. 

It's been very cold, and our mountain road is treacherous, 

so, we have been sheltering in place. 

A term we are all quite familiar with these days! 

We are going nowhere fast.

 

I am glad that we stocked up before the Christmas holidays

so that we wouldn't have to shop again until after the first of the year. 

In the meantime, we are staying warm in front of the fire

with our favorite books and journals. 

Occasionally, I sneak away upstairs to read 

alone in peace and quiet without interruption. 

Ramblin' Man and Kai are always up to something,

and it usually includes coming in and out

multiple times. 

xx

I love the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books. 

They consist of sweet stories from people's 

lives. 

They renew my faith in our fellow man and women-kind. 

My absolute favorite genre of book is memoir. 

I've had this book for years, unread, but just unpacked 

from storage while the library was being remodeled. 

I couldn't put it down. 

If you like reading books about different cultures, 

and overcoming incredible odds, 

you will love this book. 

Copyright 2005. 

It was a New York Times bestseller 

and is just as relevant today as it was then. 

It's too cold to go out and build a snowman, 

and the snow is too powdery to stick together, 

so, I make myself happy with my snowman 

treasures inside. 

This little sea-glass beauty is from my sweet sis-in-law. 

A vintage snowman that Ramblin' Man's dear mom 

brought out on a visit from New England one Christmas

 when my children were small. 

I bought this one for myself at the local Hallmark 

store years ago. 

He has earmuffs and skates with paper-clip blades

and a wooden wagon filled with felt snowballs. 

My own little snow-boy. He loves the snow. 

An American Eskimo, he lives up to his name. 

"My goal in life is to be the kind of person my dog

thinks I am."

- Paul Dunn -

My little cockatiel, Birdy Boy keeps me company, too. 

He is patiently waiting for me to give him a treat

on the top of the door to 'his room'. 

I take him out every day for a sweet visit. 

He's over 20 years old! 

He's very tame and will come when I call and sit 

on my shoulder and give me kisses.

This is the view from his cage. 

Once I brought home another cockatiel friend

for him, thinking he was lonely, but all they did was fight. 

I had to re-home his little 'frienemy'! 

He seems very content and happy, 

and believe me, an unhappy cockatiel will let you know! 

Memorial ornament for my dear Mother-in-law. 

It is filled with white feathers. 

Ghosts from Christmas past. 

My dad's pipe and tobacco can. 

Sweet little things given to me by my Mom and Sis-in-law.

The trunk is a music box.  

Did you have a nice Christmas? 

Thought I would share some photos from Christmas 

day at our home. 

I don't often share photos of myself and my family, 

but thought you might like to see them. 

After all, my blog is all about home and family!

xx

From left to right, our grand-girl, Sam, daughter, Jennie, 

Me, and new little family member, Jack, our youngest grandson. 

Out two sons, Dustin and Gabe. 

Our daughter-in-law, Jen (Dustin's wife), daughter-in-law, Erica (Gabe's wife), 

and my eldest daughter, Heather. 

Ethan and Gavin watching the snow fall. 

A white Christmas! 

Liam and Ethan (Gabe and Erica's) found Grandpa's old glasses. 

Grandson fun. 

xoxo

Steve, Jennie's husband, couldn't come 

because he was on duty (Captain), 

but she stopped and had this photo taken 

on the way. 

Son-in-law, Eric, (Heather's husband and father of Gavin, Declan and Liam), 

and son Dustin. 

Jen and Dustin. 

 Auntie Heather with Jack (getting fussy). 

Brother and sister, Dustin and Heather. 

Youngest and eldest, but only 5 years apart. 

Gabe and Jennie in between. 

We were busy. 

xoxo

Dustin was a popular photo companion! 

Jennie and son, Jack. 

Our twin grandson's (Heather and Eric's), Declan and Liam

in the playhouse. 

Ramblin' Man and grandson, Jack, eating an apple. 

 Gavin, Declan

and Ethan, along with 

Jennie's dog, Lovey, and our Kai, 

who wore his red bandana all day. 

He was a very good boy. 

xx

Steve and daughter Lilly (sick at her mom's), the only two missing. 

Here they are all together at home with Sam, Jennie and Jack. 

The loves of our life. 

We are truly blessed. 

That being said, it's not always easy keeping up 

with this crew. 

I tire much more easily now that I'm 

older, and sometimes I stay awake at night 

worrying about one or the other. 

And all those different personalities take the skill 

of a diplomat, the selflessness of a Mother Teresa, 

and the thick skin of a politician. 

Hey, we women could rule the world, 

couldn't we? 

Sigh..., if only...

I certainly think it would be a much kinder, more inclusive world. 

Although, there are some true 'mean girls' out there, for sure.  

With all the incivility and vitriol going around, I 

want to channel my Scots Irish grandmother

and say, "A kind word never broke anyone's mouth."

xoxo

But seriously, I am incredibly proud of each and every one of them. 

They are kind, generous, funny, hard-working and loving. 

It was a privilege being their parents and 

watching them grow, learn and become the great 

human-beings they are. 

They chose equally wonderful partners and 

now we get the blessing of watching our 

grandchildren thrive and grow under 

their patient and loving parenting. 

Life is good now after all the hard work 

and struggles.

 

And the teenage years. 

xoxo

" A dog owns nothing, yet is seldom dissatisfied."

- Irish Proverb -

I've been thinking of a word I want to highlight 

in the coming new year, and I've decided on 

the word, Grace. 

Grace seems to be in such short supply 

in this day and age, and I think it needs 

to be resurrected. 

There are several interpretations of the word, 'Grace'. 

There is divine Grace, being the love and mercy of God. 

There is the grace we give to others through forgiveness,

empathy and kindness, and there is physical grace - a graceful 

presence, graciousness. 

All three forms are so important to repair this 

broken and grieving world. 

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak

but their echoes are truly endless.

- Mother Teresa -

"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.

It's a way to live." 

-Jackie Windspear, writer

I've had some leftover ham from Christmas dinner, 

and have been trying to use it up in creative ways. 

These little sandwiches turned out to be a hit. 

I used leftover rolls, buttered both halves and placed them facedown

on a baking sheet. I also put some thin ham slices on another baking 

sheet, drizzled with leftover glaze. 

(Made with melted peach preserves, brown sugar, 

mustard and ground cloves). 

 

I heated both the rolls and ham slices in a 375 degree oven

for about 5 min. until the buttered rolls were golden and the ham slices 

were sizzling. 

Then I assembled the sandwiches by spreading the buttered rolls 

with dijon mustard, the glazed ham, and a slice of swiss cheese, 

put them back in the oven until the cheese melted and voila! 

They were soooooo good! 

I served them with the leftover fruit salad I had on hand, 

but applesauce is good, too. 

I've been putting together some 'resolutions' for the new year, 

and I've come up with a few. 

Drink more water. 

Eat more fruits and vegetables. 

Make an effort to start an exercise routine. 

You, know, the usual. 

But I also want to work harder to fit in 

more of the things that I love to do. 

Like sewing, crocheting, gardening and sketching. 

And I want to be more diligent in keeping a journal

on a regular basis - a personal journal and also, 

a nature journal. Perhaps with sketches. 

Most importantly, I want to practice stoicism

along with grace. Kindness along with faith 

in the knowledge that things are exactly the

way they are supposed to be. 

I do believe that whatever is presented to us in life 

 is for a reason, to be brought into the light, 

 resolved and healed. 

 

I also believe that every time we extend grace to one 

another, it brings more light into the world. 

So, as we leave this challenging year behind, 

I hope that we can all go forward with courage, 

resilience and faith, grounded in kindness and empathy, 

but not afraid to seek understanding, truth and justice,

knowing that these always prevail, whether in this life, 

or beyond. 

xoxo