Dear Reader:

Don’t you love this vintage necklace containing various pendant clock styles and parts in the title photograph? Honey gave it to me for Christmas….then Bekah and Ady gave me a watch with BIG numbers on it so I can read  time without squinting….thank you so much Bekah!

Next I casually mentioned to Lee that it took me so long to text because the letters and numbers were so small on my Iphone. Lee said he could enlarge them for me in a flash…and in a flash he did just that.

I felt like singing “I was blind but now I see.”

The pattern of these “timely gifts” was not lost on me. Time moves on with or without our permission and leaves behind only the subtle signs of aging through realizations….like the one that you can’t see as well as you once could.

During Advent….time passes slowly for some of us or quickly for others…but regardless it passes. If we are waiting for the birth of Jesus to personally change our poor personal habits, problems, and mistakes in one day…we are probably going to be sorely disappointed.

God isn’t a magician Who performs magical acts to impress us at the moment we want all our dreams and desires fulfilled. Advent isn’t about just fulfillment…it is about longing and that longing is not going to be satisfied with superficial or material wishes…Our deep longing is really for something different in our lives, Someone to watch over us, to be with us.

Quinn Caldwell says it this way: “Christmas didn’t fix everything…it started fixing everything…the tenor of our wait is different. Now we’re not waiting alone. Now we are waiting with the God Who could have remained above it all but instead chose to dive into it with us and not leave us until the end.” 

Not being alone…The most poignant moment of Christmas this year came right after John took this picture. (Ben and Lee had just left so Lee could help Ben change into a surprise Christmas sweater he and Vikki had gotten him …which matched Lee’s sweater.) John’s seat was vacant since he was taking the photo. But the first two and half rows were filled with the Barbour/Turner/Dingle clan. I was so proud.

A new version of “The Blues Brothers!” Love it Lee!

Suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and Rick Carson, my friend Linda’s husband,  whispered to me. “It must feel wonderful doesn’t it?” As he paused I must have looked a little puzzled until he finished his statement saying “It must feel wonderful to be so loved” and he pointed to my family consuming the first few rows of chairs.

And it did….the Barbours had made quite a sacrifice this Christmas Eve to be with the rest of the family and for me to be surrounded by all my children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, great-niece and brother really was “too wonderful.”

So until tomorrow….Isn’t it enough to know that we never have to walk alone…that from the time of the birth of Christ we are one in the spirit? That is Christmas enough for me.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Hope is eternal….so every time we try to get a photo of the four grandchildren together we forget the earlier futile attempts and charge full steam ahead. Call it a Christmas miracle but we came close this time!

*Another God’s Wink from Anne…she and her family were having a “Yankee Swop” and look what she “won.” Too funny!

Dear Reader:

I have been excitedly waiting ….to show off “Big Red‘….who has produced three beautiful red blooms…just in time for Christmas! No blooms all spring or summer or early fall….and suddenly on Christmas Eve “Big Red” gave me my Christmas present….three of them in fact! I love you “Big Red,” the persevering geranium, since 2008!

Before I give you the link to my story (too long to print on the post)  I want to share with you this last Quinn Caldwell message for Christmas Day.

” Now would be a good time to get comfy, fix a drink of something good, put on some soothing music, turn off all the lights except for the Christmas tree, pull a chair up to the window and look out. 

For a prayer tonight, all you need is your own breath…no more words from me. Well, maybe just three:

Thank you, Amen.

The M&M gals (Marcia and Mollie) made this wreath arrangement….I just love it…don’t you? Now sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy the story.

…….

Why the Elephants Came to the Stable

A Christmas Miracle….Ben got released from the hospital at noon and Lee, Bekah, and Ady put him in the car and headed to Summerville. Overall he really dodged a bullet…the mildest stroke one can have and still call it a stroke…so he was very lucky and is on some blood-thinner medicine.

Everyone was so tired (of course with the exception of Ady) that they fell fast asleep before the church service. Ady and I played outside, sang songs…she even helped me pick up sticks in the garden…we had a great time. Your prayers really came through!

I think the story went over well….I hope it did….my family provided its fair share of loud Christmas joy throughout most of the story…but perked up, as usual, with the candle lighting…the highlight of the service for them.

Then we were all back at the house for homemade soup, club sandwiches , cheese dips and crackers, desserts (including Baklava.) But mostly it was just fun being together….

• I came up with a plan this year to help the older children, Ady, Eva Cate and Rutledge help give out the gifts without total chaos….They were told they had to display kindness by giving out gifts to others, being kind elves, before they could open their Boo stockings. It actually worked well….they loved it.

Ady and Eva Cate…their first Christmas together then and now together again.

While the cat’s away the mouse will play….Rutledge left his truck on the “pew” seat to go down for the children’s story with Harvey so Jakie moved in quite quickly.

Merry Christmas Everyone…May the Joy of this day fill your heart with happiness and bring a little bit of Christmas to you each day of the year!

Dear Reader:

It is hard to believe that Christmas Eve has arrived! Today I will be making last minute food preparations for tonight when we gather over at the house following the 5:00 Christmas Eve Service.

My story is re-written, revised and ready to tell. A copy of the story will be available for everyone to read tomorrow….my annual Christmas gift to you. “Why the Elephants Came to the Stable.”

Quinn Caldwell, the author, I have used in his book “All I Want for Christmas” is a minister at Plymouth Congregational Church in Syracuse, New York. He is a published writer, popular speaker, and a  daily devotional contributor for Stillspeaking Daily Devotionals.

I have thoroughly enjoyed his Advent/Christmas devotionals this year and I hope you have too. Every Christmas Eve, he  would re-tell The Christmas Story….but not without first sharing this introduction he wrote years ago. Enjoy!

“If you came to this place expecting a tame story,

you came to the wrong place.

If you came for a story that does not threaten you,

you came for a different story than the one we tell.

If you came to hear of the coming of a God

Who only showed up so that you could have a

nice day with all your loved ones,

then you came for a God whom we do not worship here.

For even a regular baby is not a tame thing

And goodness that cannot threaten complacency and evil

is not much good at all,

And a God who would choose to give up power and invincibility

to become an infant for you,

certainly didn’t do it just so you could have dinner.

But

If you came because you think that unwed teenage mothers

are some of the strongest people in the world

If you came because you think that the kind of people who work 

third shift doing stuff you’d rather not do might attracts an angel’s

attention before you, snoring comfortably in your bed, would.

If you came because you think there are wise men and women to be found among undocumented travelers from far lands and that they might be able to you show you God

If you came to hear a story of tyrants trembling while heaven comes to peasants.

If you came because you believe that God loves the animals as much as the people and so made them the first witnesses to the saving of the world…

If you came for a story of reversals that might end up reversing you…

If you came for a tale of adventure and bravery where strong and gentle people win, and the powerful and violent go down to dust, where the rich lose their money but find their lives and the poor are raised up like kings..

.If you came to follow the light even if it blinds you.

If you came for salvation and not safety, then, ah, my friends, you are in precisely the right place.”

So what are you here for?

…………………….

Pretty powerful thoughts, huh?

So until tomorrow Merry Christmas to one and all!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*These photos of the paper whites I gave Anne symbolize quite beautifully the power of God’s life given for us on earth….to grow and bloom.

• Ben is still in the hospital but continues to improve…I told him  he had already experience two Christmas miracles….having his neighbor home who could rush him to the hospital…and getting the “miracle drug” that helps reverse strokes. God was at the right place at the right time. Thank you for your continued prayers….hopefully all the test results should be back today and Ben will know where he stands with the mild stroke he endured and future treatments..

Dear Reader:

I remember my children almost always got the same part in the Christmas Nativity program each year….they were shepherds. In fact…after a couple of years of this…I just started putting old robes in a bag along with an attached neck-tie to be ready for the next Christmas pageant.

Shepherd roles have been unfairly looked down upon in their importance to the Christmas pageant I believe. Even my own children would return after the roles had been given out…and say rather sadly…“Shepherd again.” The big roles, like Mary and Joseph were usually called out first…then some angels, the Three Wise Men (Tommy did get one of those roles one year) and everyone else was a shepherd. (I was secretly happy…I already had the robes and neck-ties ready….wouldn’t have to go hunting for myrrh or any other odd concoction .)

One year, though, Walsh decided to wear an old pair of Dee Dee’s pj’s rolled up…(which would have worked okay since they were pretty “bloomy” on him) but I had a hard time convincing him that the “golf” cap just didn’t quite go with the shepherd theme. He sure did love that cap…I think it was attached to his hair.

As I continue growing up (Thank you Lord!)  leaving quiet time in my day becomes more and more important to me. I call it my “Pause for a Cause”…time to re-group and keep my priorities straight. I need some time to talk to God about life in general.

Shepherds were pretty much loners….you wouldn’t see them “hamming” it up at the annual office party….in fact you probably wouldn’t even see them at the party…since they were uncomfortable in social situations.

Quinn Caldwell (“All I Want”) provides this insight into a shepherd’s life with humor and an interesting twist.

“Shepherds in Jesus’ day weren’t known for their gregariousness or for the extent of their social networks. They spent days, weeks at a time with no company but their flocks and their predators. When they came back from the range or down from the hills, they were known for their awkwardness, even standoffishness. I assume they didn’t show up at worship that often. 

And yet, when they heard what had happened, they went running to find the baby and his parents. And not only that, they told everyone they met what had happened. They didn’t hide out in comfortable solitude; they went right to the center of the action. Sooner or later they had to go back to the fields, but it’s hard to imagine they were quite the same when they went back as they had been when they came. 

So until tomorrow…Quinn concludes his commentary by saying that even human loners are called back to church by the Christmas Story…it is a strong pull, a yearning in each of us to follow the star back home.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Happy Birthday to my Kringle (Walsh) Dingle who was born on December 23rd and returned home on Christmas Day. What a special gift to receive at Christmas…the kind that keeps on giving…

This photo was taken on Walsh’s first birthday…was delighted to find  (beside seeing mother in it)….Aunt Pap....she and Walsh share the same birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY WALSH AND PAP!!! WE LOVE YOU BOTH! (How about my “winged” hair-do…cute, huh?…I was ready for take-off!)

*If you didn’t catch this hilarious four minute video on selling a home and the role the St. Joseph figurine plays in doing so….I beg you to take a minute and watch…I was laughing until tears came down!

*My brother, Ben, called me last night and he has suffered a “mini-stroke” of some type…he couldn’t remember the technical term but a neighbor was able to get him to the hospital in time and he was given what they call the “miracle pill” which can reverse the effects of a stroke. They had been running all kinds of tests yesterday and were keeping him overnight for observation and to get the results of the tests.

Ben sounded good on the phone…no slurring or anything, but again we just don’t know until he hears back today from the doctor -please keep him in your prayers as we await test results. We are hoping and praying for the best results for him!

Dear Reader:

A couple of years ago in the Nov/Dec Saturday Evening Post (2012)…one columnist (Ellen Michaud) created twelve Christmas blessings for the twelve days of Christmas. She used Norman Rockwell paintings to illustrate each blessing and then used her own experiences to define each blessing in her life.

I decided to try to do the same thing…but find a variety of pictures or photos to illustrate each blessing. Here goes.

1. Blessing of Community- 

Every day I feel so blessed to have ended up in Summerville, South Carolina. It started with my first teaching job, after graduating from Erskine, at Alston Junior High in 1971-72. Little did I know that first year…that the little town (back then) would be home for me and my family for the rest of my life. I fell in love with Summerville quite quickly and I am even more in love with it today.

2. Blessing of Giving-  Just the word, itself, immediately brings Honey Burrell’s face to light. I learned long ago…that you can’t out give Honey…it always ends in futility…so just say “Thank You” and more importantly “Love you” …and thank God for letting our lives intertwine.

3. Blessing of Light-The older I get the more drawn to light I become…and I believe it is more than just aging eyes….it is the wonder and beauty of the light against the darkness that fills me with such joy…physically and spiritually. 

4. Blessing of Hope– Last year Georgia DuPree brought me this creative manger using the letters for HOPE. And that is what it is all about…Jesus brought us hope when there was none. Hope has seen me through the dark days of my life and I can’t imagine life without it.

5. Blessing of Music:  Can you imagine a world without music, especially at Christmas? Brooke and I were a little sad at Henry and Lacy’s Episcopal church service in NYC that there were no Christmas hymns sung during the service so close to Christmas.

So when I returned this past Sunday I was looking forward to singing all my favorite Christmas hymns and once again…nada. Jeff said we were still waiting-still in Advent…the Christmas hymns would come Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the Sundays after. I can hardly wait! Joy to the World is calling my name. (U-tube can help us out right now)

This is a high spirited version sung by one of the top children’s choirs in our country. Listen and get ready to start snapping your fingers.

Joy to the World with Lyrics Christmas Carol … – YouTube

6. Blessing of Simplicity – This painting was always mother’s favorite every Christmas…Beth Edison gave it to me as a surprise after going to the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee one year. The beauty of simplicity is illustrated as the little boy calls out “Oh Golly” in excitement over his one little toy. I love it too…it helps keep me grounded during the holidays. 

7. Blessing of Family- Need I say anything here since you are a “captive” audience to family photos continually. Family is my life.

8. Blessing of Taste- Where do I begin with this one?….Oh, I know…Vickie, my neighbor and friend, sent her granddaughter over with a plate piled (double-decker high) with Christmas goodies…I have consumed about half the plate to date. When I was going through chemo I lost my taste buds for long periods of time…I could eat but nothing tasted right…now that they are back….life is good again!

9. Blessing of Touch-There can be no better feeling than a hug and a Christmas hug is even better than that…case in point last Saturday at lunch….

10. Blessing of Sight- This precious little mother bird has built a nest in the first bush on the right leaving the porch. Every time I step out on the porch it pokes up its head, recognizes me, chirps good morning, stretches, and stays perched on the bush for awhile just enjoying the day. Now I have “Big Red” and my bird in a bush! What a sight!

11. Blessing of Smell… I have been slow cooking a large pot of  homemade vegetable soup all day and the smell has filled the house with yummy scents that come under the heading of comfort foods. Nothing takes us back to our childhood faster than an old familiar smell. I call this “Lucille’s soup” because mama made it about once a week when we were growing up…served with hot cornbread.

12. Blessing of Silence- Last night, soon after it turned dark…I went and sat out on the deck lighting two candles in my new candle holders (Thanks Honey) …it was perfect weather..just a little crisp like early fall (on the first official day of winter.)

I turned the fountain on so I could hear just a hint of water falling..and then completely tuned out everything else….until I became enveloped in the pure, quiet silence of peace. I was in a lovely place.

So until tomorrow…May all the blessings that you desire come to you and may you be a blessing to others.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I want to share Joan Turner’s original Christmas card this year with all of you…I can hardly wait each Christmas to get it…it is like receiving a mini-painting for posterity.

Joan also mentioned that there might be another reason why “Jospeh” figurines suddenly disappear from nativity scenes each year. Very interesting…

St. Joseph Home Sale

 Hi Becky, Here is another reason Joseph is missing sometimes…selling your home by burying Joseph upside down in your front yard. My sister always does this assuring her of a quick sell. I thought you would like to read this.Love, Joan

http://www.catholicsupply.com/christmas/stjoe.html

December 22 was my mother’s birthday….I love and miss you mom….Happy Birthday to you forever! You taught me what a mother should be…and what a mother you were!

Dear Reader:

Sunday morning, around 8:00 a.m. I opened up all the window shutters and the front (storm) door to witness the most beautiful frosty morning. It looked like snow had fallen and since I knew from future forecasts this would not be the case for Christmas Eve or Day…I grabbed my camera and took some pictures of the “frosty tundra.”

My Iphone weekly weather forecast is predicting 81 degrees Christmas Eve and 82 Christmas Day! On my way to Sunday School the car temperature gauge read 38 degrees. In four days the numbers will almost be reversed…at 83. El Nino is a mischievious weather shaker-upper. It can’t be too good for us physically with the temps jumping around like a jack rabbit in a cabbage patch.

At first Christmas Eve and Day here, also, looked to be more on the rainy side (hot and wet….come on now!) but thank goodness the rain chances seem to be declining. I am glad I decorated the deck last week with a string of lights….we all might be out there  in shorts and t-shirts.

Weather aside…Christmas is more, so much more than discussions on the temperature for the day. (After all it was probably pretty warm the day Jesus was born too.) This year Christmas Day in Jerusalem is supposed to be at a high of 60 degrees…nice spring weather but still 20 degrees cooler than us here in the Lowcountry. There is a pretty good chance of rain storms for Christmas in Bethlehem too.

As far as I can recollect no where in the scriptures does it mention rain on the day Jesus was born, or unusually hot weather, or a cold snap. Apparently none of the Gospel writers deemed it important enough to include.

I read something interesting in the modern-day advent devotional (All I Want) about Joseph’s historically lack-luster role in the Christmas Story (like the weather) and how there is much more to his story…but first…

We tried every trick to get Rutledge and Lachlan to turn and face us… hopefully with a smile… but Rutledge was upset that he couldn’t take off his socks and shoes and wade in the ocean with his truck (which he did anyway…check out the feet)

And Lachlan didn’t like the wind blowing in his face….so both boys look like (what I told Walsh) two little Columbus’s calling out “Sail on….and on and on.” (Or perhaps Horace Greely…”Go West Young Man…Go West.”) Walsh gave up and just grinned….the most frustrating photos now make the best ones later! Walsh delights in being a dad to these two adorable munchkins!

And I have no doubt Joseph took great delight in Jesus while he was growing up. Quinn Caldwell did some research on Joseph and discovered some interesting information on him:

...”Would you even notice if the figure of Joseph went missing from your nativity scene? I mean, half the time you can’t even remember which one is Joseph and which is the shepherd. He deserves better, you know?

In the Middle Ages, they had a special Latin title for him: Nutritor Domini. It means “Feeder of the Lord.” In one sense, this just meant that he was the family’s provider, the one who brought home the bacon. Well, not bacon; they were Jewish. But you know what I mean.

In another sense, Nutritor Domini is a much more tender and intimate title. Nutritor is an uncommon word; it is the male form of nutrix which was a wet nurse when the biological mother couldn’t feed her child. In calling Joseph Nutritor Domini, they were implying that Joseph’s care was as gentle and as loving as breastfeeding. He was the Parent who steered Jesus in the right direction with strict rules about healthy eating and living.

So until tomorrow…”In honor of Joseph, find a way to feed somebody who needs it….When God was born into the world, tiny, squalling and helpless, Joseph could have walked away. Instead he picked the baby up, shuffled out to the kitchen in the dark, and started heating up the bottle.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

A Christmas “Miracle” with little Caleb arriving almost four weeks early at 6 lbs 7 ounces and 18 inches in height….What a wonderful Christmas surprise….what a wonderful gift! Congratulations Grandmother Brookie!!!)

Jo Dufford sent this precious little American Greetings video greeting card….take a minute and watch….too cute! Will bring a smile to start the day! I love it!!! Thanks for sharing Jo!

Just click on the puppy

Dear Reader:

It wasn’t Christmas Eve last night but Boo was hard at work on the grandchildren’s stockings. Slowly a tradition has started that the grandchildren get to open their “Boo” stockings Christmas Eve and their presents Christmas morning when the family gathers  for brunch at John and Mandy’s house.

The family meets at the church for the 5:00 Christmas Eve service and story and then come to my house  for a meal and get-together… and to exchange a few presents with family members who will be at different locations Christmas morning.

The children, of course, are anxious to open presents so I decided a couple of years ago…handing out Boo stockings satisfied the need to have something to open before the “big” day. It quieted the continuous begging to open “just one more.”

I remember, from my own childhood,  that the sight of Christmas stockings bulging with unknown items on Christmas morning was always so reassuring that Santa really had come. (I always breathed a sigh of relief.) The presents, under the tree, would come later…but the “full” stockings was the indicator that “all was well” between the jolly old elf and myself.

Don’t we all all, as struggling Christians, wish sometimes that Jesus would give us the “all right” sign with “stockings hung by the chimney with care?” That there would be an indicator hanging from our mantle signifying that  our relationship is strong and on-going and that we have been “good” this past year and not “naughty?”

I would settle for a card hanging from the mantle (like the one made for the Colonial Bazaar last year) on Christmas morning. Jesus would let us choose which blessing  we want  Christmas Day and then be filled in the spirit with it.

I think I would choose “faith” for my extra dose of spiritual re-enforcement this Christmas. The way I look at it…if our faith is strong then love, strength, hope, laughter, and peace fall into place.

So until tomorrow…I wish for you, dear readers, love, strength, hope, laughter, faith, and peace this Christmas….”in your stocking hung by the chimney with care” from the One Who cares about us the most…Who was willing to give His life for ours so we would have eternal life…what better gift can we ever receive?

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*I have brought in the poinsettias the last couple of nights….don’t want to take a chance on losing them out to just two cold nights. And look how much beauty they add to the tree.

Mollie’s mom, Marcia, is down from N.H. spending some of the holidays with her two adorable grandsons. We all met for lunch at Poe’s on Sullivan’s Island and then took some fast photos on the beach Saturday afternoon…it was a little chilly. *Grandmothers like nothing better at Christmas than pictures of their grandchildren around them….for Marcia and I to get to share them in one photo was perfect! Merry Christmas Marcia!

A sneak peek at just a few fun shots from yesterday…

“In the eyes of children we find the joy of Christmas. In their hearts we find its meaning.”

Author: Leland Thomas

*And speaking of children….remember I asked for prayers for Brooke’s beautiful daughter-in-love, Veronica? She was sick… congested and feeling very badly? Well I hate to say but she ended up in the hospital….And…at midnight (on the nose) Veronica and Riley welcomed their beautiful baby boy ( Caleb McCulloch Sauls) into the world! (He wasn’t due until the middle of January.)

What a wonderful surprise! And a  Sunday baby….Mother Goose says:

But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

Riley and Veronica will always remember their beautiful early Christmas present (and tax deduction) on December 20, 2015! Happiness is! (Thanks  for all the prayers readers, once again y’all ‘done good’!) Congratulations Veronica and Riley….he’s a most adorable keeper!!!!!

Dear Reader:

 I bought this book by Steven Johnson (How we Got to Now) after watching several of his programs on television and finding him fascinating….lots of history and interesting facts that one never learned in a school history book.

The one that caught my imagination was the strange adaptation of the hummingbird to survive in a changing world. He explains in this excerpt: The Hummingbird Effect.

How new ideas surprise us:

THIS IS HOW CHANGE happens in the natural world: sometime during the Cretaceous age, flowers began to evolve colors and scents that signaled the presence of pollen to insects, who simultaneously evolved complex equipment to extract the pollen and, inadvertently, fertilize other flowers with pollen.

Over time, the flowers supplemented the pollen with even more energy-rich nectar to lure the insects into the rituals of pollination. Bees and other insects evolved the sensory tools to see and be drawn to flowers, just as the flowers evolved the properties that attract bees.

The symbiosis between flowering plants and insects that led to the production of nectar ultimately created an opportunity for much larger organisms — the hummingbirds — to extract nectar from plants, though to do that they evolved an extremely unusual form of flight mechanics that enable them to hover alongside the flower in a way that few birds can even come close to doing. In other words, they had to learn an entirely new way to fly.

Insects can stabilize themselves mid-flight because they have fundamental flexibility to their anatomy that vertebrates lack. Yet despite the restrictions placed on them by their skeletal structure, hummingbirds evolved a novel way of rotating their wings, giving power to the upstroke as well as the downstroke, enabling them to float mid-air while extracting nectar from a flower.

………………………………..

Just as Johnson was able to successfully play the “dot to dot” game in uncovering the hummingbirds’ unique flying techniques in order to survive….I played a “dot to dot” game to make this connection from Christmas to hummingbirds myself.

Brooke told me that one thing she wanted us to do as a mini-project while we were in NYC was to send a Christmas card to a little girl who was terribly burned (90% of her body) in an accident (the incident killed her parents) and who now lives with an aunt as she continues undergoing more surgeries to repair her damaged skin.

The child wrote that she wanted to decorate her room with Christmas cards from well-wishers…it would encourage her and her aunt during the holidays. Brooke and I found a card that had an ornament inside so she could use both the card and cardboard ornament on her walls. The card was a Papyrus card whose symbol is the hummingbird. There is a little message inside each that reads:

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying out hopes for love, joy, and celebration. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweetest creation.

That beautiful little message, along with the hummingbird’s desire to change (quite drastically) to improve its life, as well as, enjoying the sweet “nectar of life” touched me. If a little hummingbird is willing to re-learn how to fly completely differently than its ancestors for years prior to this change…don’t you think this is a lesson for us humans.

If you would like to send a Christmas card too….here is the child’s name in case you have trouble reding it off the card: Sa’fyre Terry

Think about the people who successfully ‘rode’ out the hard recession our country underwent only a few years ago….the people who made it and turned their lives around had to sometimes completely re-learn a new trade or even dig down deep and use their creative juices to become entrepreneurs in a new world of self-discovery. They became hummingbirds.

So until tomorrow…as Christmas quickly approaches…let us all be open to change, not stuck in old traditions, but willing to incorporate new ideas and acceptance of all different kinds of love in our every-changing world for, not only Christmas, but every day of the year..We need to stay open for God’s grace.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Just received an email from Anne with this title: Serendipity Strikes Again. She had supper with a neighbor (Shirley) last night and this is the card she got from her….a double “Wink”….(Anne’s maiden name is Driscoll.)

I was SO prepped for your blog today.  Look what Shirley gave me LAST NIGHT. And note the artist’s name: O’Driscoll. LOVE when this happens!

*As I was cleaning out dead stems, branches, and pine cones from the garden yesterday I saw a lone yellow butterfly who seemed somewhat confused…at one point it even landed on my shoulder as if asking “What happened…yesterday it was summer and all my pals were here…today the wind is chilly and everyone is gone….where do I go?”

Don’t you know that God’s creatures must be confused…they don’t have the luxury of understanding the laws of nature with El Nino in the driver’s seat? I just hope the little fella found some family to hang with during the cold night last evening.

I added some wreaths to the white picket fences in the garden….to give it a more ‘Christmasy” look.

*I need to leave the house more often….it seems like just about every time I do…I come home to another surcie. My neighbor, down the street, Julie Hucks, left this beautiful angel chime on my door…I put it on the moon gate….I can hear the chimes in the wind (and it was windy yesterday)…they sound like church bells to me…and the sound lures me to sleep. Thank you Julie!!!

*Please keep Veronica Sauls in your prayers….Veronica is Brooke’s daughter-in-love (Riley’s wife.) They were supposed to come this weekend to have an early Christmas with Brooke and Ted since they will be at her family’s for the holidays. Veronica is due the middle of January (their first child) and has been pretty exhausted at this stage…but now she has strep throat, ear infection, and congestion. She is miserable. I know Veronica would appreciate the spiritual support from prayers while the med’s kick in hopefully. Thank you.!

*Also Sis Kinney would like prayers for her sister in law (Marilyn)  who has just gone through surgery for breast cancer. Medical problems magnify around the holidays emotionally…don’t they? Thanks for the spiritual support!

Dear Reader:

I have come to the realization that tending a garden, in all seasons, imitates life to the fullest. I find myself assessing all the plants and flowers (also the baskets) as I pull dead stems off of them and tuck a little more pine straw around some for a soft cozy bed.

Some of them are already gone and have uprooted themselves to let me know it’s over….and others have just dug in deeper to survive the winter. (if we have one this year.)

Like humans making resolutions before the New Year for our personal lives…I, now, find myself jotting down which plants did well, which didn’t…which to re-plant and which not to…. basically how to learn from the previous season. (And isn’t that what we want to do each year… to learn something new about life that we didn’t know before?)

Even though the garden seems rather lifeless at first glance…except for singing chimes-also pretty silent…if we start looking around, we find the Christmas “secrets” of the garden that will astound you.

…Even Santa can be found taking a quick little nap in the SC state flower vine-the Yellow Jessamine!

I found Tommy’s old iron decorative train we used to put by the fireplace each year and let it dry on the deck after a long overdue washing. (I decided to decorate and put lights on the deck since it looks like a good possibility we can all be sitting out there this Christmas Eve!)

At first I was going to title this blog post “Finding Red at Christmas in Your Garden” but then I discovered so many more different colored little flowers and plants still courageously fighting for one more bloom and I thought they deserved their moment of glory too.

(Who would have thought that morning glories, sunflowers, petunias, hibiscus, gerber daisies and azaleas would still be blooming….) Apparently El Nino is the strongest in 18 years and will be at its greatest strength this winter. But it will finally weaken in late spring (thank goodness before summer!) At least we will save on electric bills this winter!

The garden can keep its own Christmas secrets hidden …and if you don’t take the time to leisurely walk through the garden…you will miss the little “miracles” right under your feet.

So until tomorrow…Let us all receive the blessing of simplicity as we enter the Christmas season and help us, Father, keep things simple throughout the New Year. Busyness is not the life style that humans need….reflections and observations are.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Let me introduce our next ‘Angel Around Town.’ Her name is Melissa and if any of you shop at Mr. K’s Piggly Wiggly in Knightsville you might have seen her behind the deli counter. She is amazing!

I entered the store on a hope and a prayer that I could find one item I really wanted for Christmas. Honey first introduced this cheese spread to me several Christmases ago and it is simply the best.

When many of the Piggly Wiggly stores went out of business Summerville was so fortunate to be able to keep two stores right in the area. However, this cream cheese dip got lost in the move and was no longer on the counters. I was so sad last Christmas without it.

The name of this cheese spread is Savoure and has always been found only at Piggly Wiggly stores. When Melissa was called in to problem solve the absence of this wonderful spread she told me that if she could find the recipe she would make me some and enough for my friend (I had called Honey to tell her I might be on to something.)

It took a few minutes for her to find it….but she came out with a big smile, asked how many containers my friend and I needed and we set a time for pick-up. Now that, my friends, is truly an act of sheer kindness. Melissa is our angel today for going the ‘extra mile’ to help others. Merry Christmas dear Melissa! You make the world better for simply being in it!

Dear Reader:

Last night the doorbell rang and there was a UPS deliverer with a package….he looked so tired and he admitted that he was ready to get home for supper but he still had several more packages to deliver. Gin-g had given me some pumpkin bread so I cut off a slice and handed it to him….he wolfed it down in two gulps…so I ran and got him a Christmas coke and he left “ho ho ho-ing.”

So many people sacrifice their time for others at Christmas and it is so easy to overlook them in the hustle and bustle of the holidays.As I stared at the package I was puzzled…I didn’t have anything else on my Christmas list that I had ordered.

When I opened the card and gift I was overcome with emotion….that adorable Lisa Register (from Chapin, SC) had sent me the beautiful angel in the title photo along with this card.

She had emailed me while I was flying back from NYC Monday afternoon asking for my address and now I know why. She said that she now recognized the everyday angels (from Monday’s blog) in her life too. Lisa….You are an angel in my life for all your support and love in my sometimes feeble attempts to share my thoughts and observations of life with you. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

When Brooke asked me if I would go to NYC with her last September for a long weekend… a couple of weeks before Christmas I only hesitated for a minute…then I threw all my concerns about unimportant things out the window and followed my friend to NYC. (This is the same friend who would leave Walterboro at the crack of dawn on my chemo treatment days to come to Summerville, pick me up, and take me to Charleston. A friend like Brooke doesn’t come along every day.)

As it turned out…it was a very good decision for both of us….but first….here are some photos of the last day spent in NYC….beautiful little neighborhoods, Calvary St. George church and the coldest ride on top of a double decker Holiday Lights bus I ever spent.

We were sitting on top of a double decker bus with the wind blowing from 7-9 p.m. (or later) and I just about froze! Brooke took a before and later photo on the bus ride. I was still smiling but deliriously…I was laughing actually hysterically. I still don’t know how Lacy kept her “cold” (not cool) without turning into a popsicle. She must truly be a ‘New Yorker’ now! (I would have put Brooke’s picture in but her eyeglasses were so fogged up you can’t even see her eyes under her scarf!

I am just going to show you  a few samples of the decorations because I was so cold by then that I can’t remember which store fronts went with which store….but you know the drill on  5th Avenue: Saks, Tiffany’s, Cartier, Trump Tower, Polo, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Prada, and the Gap...among many others.

Henry and Lacy….thank you so much for spending your weekend hanging out with us gals….you both deserve a medal! We loved ya for it! Merry Christmas to both of you!

And what was our last meal in New York City Sunday night…a NYC hot dog! We couldn’t leave the city without one and as luck would have it…look what was located at the end of our block….just as good as they advertise!

We had done what we set out to do….see, hear, smell, touch, and definitely taste New York….and it was delicious. Monday morning we packed, got a cab to Penn Station…finally figured out how to board the New Jersey Transit to the Newark airport….all was well and then we got off the train to get on the air-train that would take us to the terminal for our flight when Brooke made the terrible discovery. She had left her pocketbook on the train…and it had already pulled out of the station.

Thank goodness our tickets were electronically secure on her Iphone which she had on her but she had no ID…none. (except me and for some reason my verification that she was who she said she was held no clout what so ever.)

The angel at the Air-train desk heard Brooke’s sad story and just let us through the handicapped gate…which, at the time, was quite appropriate…we were mentally and emotionally gone!

Poor Brooke went through three supervisors at the United gate security with all kinds of questions which took about half an hour…the time was drawing nigh to get to our gate. Then Brooke’s suitcases were turned upside down while she was examined to the point that I told her she didn’t need another physical for five years!

By the time we got on our flight (we had the last two seats by the bathroom….actually appropriate for what had happened…we were exhausted and starving!) Finally we just lost it and giggled most of the way home….what else was there to do?

About halfway through the flight I looked out and saw this sight outside my window and knew God was letting us know He was still in charge and all was right with the world.

But the sweetest conversation took place between a little boy (about 9 or 10) and his father in the row right in front of us. We had landed and were waiting for the unbuckle sign to come on….the young boy was avidly watching several planes take off near us and commented to his dad: “I just thought of something dad….each plane is going to some place  isn’t it? So aren’t we , also, always going to some place?” His dad nodded and replied: “You are exactly right…I think you just defined life…we are all heading to some place, some point in our lives.” 

When the “unbuckle” sign flashed on…the introspective child became just a little boy again and screamed out to all the passengers “Yeah…we are alive…we did it.” Everyone around him laughed! Brooke and I added an “Amen”!!!

So until tomorrow…Brookie…I will follow you, my friend, through life… and NYC… because that is what friends are for!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*When I got home late Monday afternoon there was a decorative bag on the porch and who was it from?…My friend, neighbor, and Clemson co-hort in screaming through the games…Donna Clark.

I already have my attire now for watching the bowl game on New Year’s Eve! Watch out tigers…the Boo is ready! Thank you so much Donna…can’t think of a better way to be welcomed home!!

I got my energy back yesterday and attacked all the Bradford Pear leaves that had fallen….I actually like yard work because there is such a sense of accomplishment when finished… unlike housework that never ends.

Later in the afternoon  Honey (the philanthropist galore) arrived with the Apple Pineapple Centerpiece…an annual tradition for the past few years since Honey introduced me to it. The centerpiece makes the whole room smell so good…it’s beginning to smell a lot like Christmas! Thank you Honey for the centerpiece, helping me get two household items unstuck, and leaving an extra surprise. You never cease to amaze me!!!!!! Merry Christmas!