Happy Holidays

Up the street from us is a Christmas house, full of lights, music, the spirit of the season. To tour it helps bring the season alive. Music, hushed voices, children's laughter adds to the sparkle of the lights. My holidays are quiet this year, full of thanks. Gifts impossible to put a monetary value on. My list of thanks is long. And on that list is the friends of my blog, I'm grateful for everyone of you. I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, full of love, family and kindness.

Sunday

As Christmas fast approaches I find myself thinking of it less and less. This year there is no family involvement and so it is quiet. Work is busy, the days there long and tedious there is no thought for anything but the job. But it is peaceful and I'm tired from days at work, and the cold weather keeps one under wraps. Today I worked on my journal. It was fun. I went to my best friends house (who is taking the FTB class also) we drank coffee, chitchatted and explored our way through the instructions. I finished my first book, and started a second. As I write this post I realize that even if I'm not celebrating Christmas this year with lots of gifts and parties, I am celebrating it with simple times of love. Wishing you all much love.

Baby steps

Things did not go the way I planned this past week. One in particular big expensive money bump in the road. Several thousands of dollars later and all is well, but it was not easy. I had to be a grown up and take care of adult responsibilities. It is hard to sometimes realize that you are it. You really are the one taking care of yourself. Somedays this comes as a big surprise to me even after all these years. My network is small. Slowly I work at growing that network. Trust is difficult, to put yourself out there to expose your heart to others. Today I had coffee with a group of women I'm learning to trust and like. It is a small step but big for me. When I was younger the friends I had were casual and fleeting but now I look for something deeper. There are fewer to love as we age and the importance of family and friends takes on more meaning. I hope you all treasure those close to you.

FTB

Better late than never, I enrolled in Mary Ann Moss's Full Tilt Boogie online journaling class. I'm sure you have all checked it out all ready but I'm singing its praises. I've not started any actual work yet, just been assembling supplies and watching the many videos she provides in the class. I spent the week-end going up and down the isles of ebay and etsy looking for photo albums, shopping for watercolor paper, waxed linen and book needles. Today presents came in the mail. I keep journals, using my photographs, adding poetry, quotes and some writing, I've used spiral bound books in the past but they fall apart and I'm left with a mish mash of pages, this class has me excited about putting together a book that will hold up and not fall apart. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.

Shades of grey

Shades of grey. That is what greeted me on my morning walk. The skies are heavy and full of moisture, the air thick with mist. Fog horns bleat their sad lonely song, keeping ships safe from the shores. The call of birds is muffled and they tuck their little heads into warm wings. My feet trip along the graveled path. I'm alone but not lonely. My face is damp with cool moisture from the low lying clouds, I'm glad for a warm home to return to and hot coffee. Enjoying the day and the grey.