it's almost Christmas
with candy canes and silver lanes aglow
It’s a typical Saturday morning in our house. We spend our weekends in our downstairs living area during the colder months. It’s cozy with the soft butter walls and the fireplace all aglow. I love our summer routine of being on the deck. And I love this in a different way for all the same reasons. While JB does the weekly household finance reconciliation, I have finished many of little things I do online. We’ve had our coffee, breakfasted on eggs and toast, and the day stretches before us with a mix of small chores and piddling.
I’m the piddlier more than he. I catch up on various blogs / Substacks, listen to my daily Church-y session, play a game (that’s I’ve been playing on and off for 18 years), and do some writing. There is always work writing that can be done….and writing my heart calls me to do.
There are toys to wrap. For the first time in a long time (since 2011), we’ll be spending Christmas with JB’s family and I picked up gifts for all the littles under 10. We typically spend New Year’s Eve with his family, we made the decision to make some shifts this year.
Today was newsletter day.
When I first began my coaching newsletter in 2011, it came out weekly. I shifted that to monthly after 10 years, and now (since Dec. 2023) it comes out quarterly. I’m a long-form writer and I know my newsletter doesn’t fit what marketing folks would advise. And I’m ok with that because I am staying true to who I am. It takes me three or four days to pull together with it’s various sections and how I approach drafts and edits.
I will say I am particularly pleased with the topic for Winter: Becoming. And I’m proud of the writing I’m doing there as I know that it can make a difference to someone. Even if it’s just one person that needs to read what I had to say.
My pace has slowed down in the work blog a bit. I’m more or less up-to-date VS being several weeks ahead as I was before Thanksgiving. Perhaps the New Year will bless me with another period of hyperfocus.
Celebrations and Gratitudes
As always, I could wax on and on…instead I’ll just share some things I’m feeling particularly delightful about.
Christmas Butter is here. Yes, my semi-annual stocking up of Kerrygold Butter (on sale this week for $3.99 VS the regular price of $5.99. And miracle of all miracles: my Easter Butter stockpile lasted until the first sale of this season!
Ohio Weather. While this can usually be a “bad” thing it can also be a good thing. This week we had four inches of snow, it popped back in the 50s, and then dropped back in the 20s the next day with fresh snow flurries. The best part is JB got authorized telework 2 days this week due to the weather. We won’t have a White Christmas, but with travel on our calendar, I don’t mind that too much.
Deep conversations with my husband. We talk every day, of course. But, I am sure, like most of you, those conversations typically stay on the surfaces of life: work and family and the world. This week we went into one of those deeper conversations that I didn’t know my soul was needing about the complexity of family, work and career, life, love, and the future. We talk about those things, but not often all at once. And rarely do we have the mental and energetic bandwidth to do so after a full work day. Once again I am reminded why marrying this man was such the right thing.
Good boundaries and girl’s trips. Earlier this month, I traveled to Orlando to meet up with some friends to do a Disney World VIP tour.
I was blessed with time with one of my closest friends, getting to know other ladies more, and an opportunity to meet new acquaintances. Balanced this with a little solo time in Magic Kingdom and at Hollywood Studios.
I also am reminded of how important good boundaries are. I usually get my own room and that alone time is golden when with a group.
Additionally, I changed the hotel I was planning on staying at two weeks before the trip and I’m glad I did! A beautiful, serene hotel room with a huge walk in closet and shower. I also had just enough quiet time: over solo breakfasts and on the balcony each morning with my coffee.
The Ladies Writing Circle. I’ve been taking part in Michelle’s “Write Wednesday” circle on and off for the last few years. It’s poetry and freewriting and just enough time simply BEING with others as we write together for 90 minutes.
My Spiritual Life. This is a season of needing and leaning into my faith.
I’ve enjoyed (most) of Hallow’s Advent series. It’s been very well done this year - thoughtful, nourishing, and sending me to explore so many additional readings. (The Reed of God, The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen my Bible) and a vast improvement over last year’s where I strongly disliked their guest pastor.
I haven’t made it to Church as often as I’d like since returning from Disney, but when I do it’s especially nourishing. Prayer time at home is great. Yet, doing my rosary in a church hits a different part of my heart.
I hope that you see lots of blessings in your life. And that you are able to see the holy in the smallest ordinary things.