Merry Christmas!

Can you believe Christmas is only a couple of days away? I had meant to get more holiday posts on here, but I have been busy "doing" and not had time to blog about them! I will be back to posting after Christmas, but until then, Merry Christmas! And Happy Birthday Jesus- the best present of all.

Do you ever feel

Do you ever feel like your heart is just soaring and you want to run and do a crazy dance throughout your house? I do, and that is because God has gifted me with the most incredible friends imaginable!

Thanks Connie! And Kim! And another Kim . And Christine!!

Comment moderation

Due to someone who thinks they can advertise their garbage on my blog, I have gone to full comment moderation. I hate doing this, but I also hate being used as an advertising board for someone else.

And now back to Christmas!!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!! Cause I am majorly stressed

UGH!! Here I sit at 4:13 AM feeling sicker than sick and knowing it is because I have done this to myself and gotten all stressed over what has yet to be done, and how to best do it all. I do this every single year, and then can't enjoy Christmas because I am feeling so sick. Right now, my plan is to NEVER eat again!! Ever. Not one smidge of anything. Even the thought...blerghhhh

I have been trying to get my parcels put together to send off with a flourish to Ontario. I knew Christmas was coming all year, and I should know better!! Money has been tight and so we did most of our shopping in the past few weeks. And we spent way too much. Trying to keep up with everyone else and making sure that everyone is happy. Well, they might be, but here I sit, not very happy at all! There are some changes needed in this department, and they are going to happen before I am tucked away in some home making baskets for gifts instead.

We have decided to not venture back to Ontario this Christmas. Why? There are many reasons. One is that we don't really want to risk the drive in stormy weather. The other is because Mike can't leave his job just yet ( though he has 2 weeks off currently, he has 4 more as well!!) He has been keeping touch constantly with his Blackberry,and going in to the office when we have been in Halifax, which I don't mind, as he is home with us for two glorius weeks!! I am happy to be staying put, as anymore stress and I would only be seeing my family if they visited me in the bathroom! I do not travel well, and never have, even when I was little.

I do have a friend who needs some prayer and some thought in the next while. Her name is Audrey and she is going to be having surgery for breast cancer on January 4th. She is very scared, as we all would be in her shoes, and needs some prayers to be able to face this and know she is not alone during this time. Cheering you on Audrey and praying for you always!

Here are some photos from life in my neck of the woods recently. I am not sure how much posting I will be doing for Chritmas, or if anyone reads this anymore even! But it is nice for me to be able to go back and read snippets of things we have done throughout the year. I have been just an awful online buddy, I have not had much time to email or post on blogs, as life has needed my attention here and I have been struggling to find a balance. Once I get my head on straight, I hope to be a little better with correspondence!!

As usual, the postst are coming out huge, I must have something odd set on the camera. Just click on the photo to see the whole picture.

Wintery house




The lighthouse, wayyy in the background! This is what I see at the end of the driveway.




Chickadee in the tree just outside my window.






Front of the house decorated for Christmas.







Front hall entry decorated for Christmas. I have this small tree in a bucket of water standing up in an upside down kitchen stool! We have our main one in our living room, and another small one in the kitchen. We cut all of them from our own property! They look a little Charlie Brownish, but I thank God that He even provided our trees for us, which I something I have always dreamed of, cutting our very own tree from our very own property!

Blessed are the poor

I hope this makes sense, as I am really tired and need to get to bed!!

Saturday morning was a whirlwind of activity around this house, as Devin was going to a birthday party at the Art Gallery of Halifax with his new best bud, Ethan. It was also exciting and stressful for me, as I had not been brave enough to drive into the busy downtown core of the city. Mike had to work, so it was up to me! Off we went in a flurry of maps and diagrams, and we arrived at our destination and dropped Devin off in one piece, we were actually there early! Jeremy and I strolled down along the harbour, which was pretty bleak and empty. The hustle and bustle of the summer crowds was gone, adn it was cold and lonely. We found a snow boarding event taking place (yes, in the downtown area!) and stopped to watch. As we watched, something caught my eye. I turned and watched a homeless man sitting on a bench, with his hat extended, hoping to persuade people to spare some change. Jeremy and I just stood and watched for a time.

He had no teeth and he was an older man who had obviously not known much other than life on the street and having to fight and struggle for what he needed. Yes, he may have had trouble with alcohol. Yes, he may have intended that change he collected to go towards more alcohol. But as I stood there, I watched as person after person walked by and didn't even acknowldge him sitting there. He tried to smile at people, he didn't force himself on anyone. He sat quietly while people tried to pretend he wasn't there. Can you just imagine how hard it is to have to resort to begging on the street to get by? I can't even imagine how hard and degrading that would be. And then to have people walk right by without even a second thought.

He is no different from anyone else. He is a human being, in need of love and kindness just like all of us. I had a pocketful of change. I went up to him, and looked him in the eye, and put my money in his hat. I didn't care that he may spend it on alcohol. I just wanted him to know that someone does value him, and someone does care about him. He couldn't understnad me, and I was wishing I had kept up with my sign language. But our eyes met and his face changed from one of despair and struggle to a big , bright gummy smile with a handshake of thanks thrown in. I will never forget the look of thanks on his face, and how it lit up brighter than the sunshine that streamed through the bare branches of the trees. I just love that man, and I have no idea who he even is!

After reading my friend Connie's blog, and watching the video she posted there, I will never pass by another person in need and not try to help them as much as I can.