Some Days

 As I sit in reflection over my tea this morning, I am enjoying the little bouquet I picked at my house in the garden just yesterday. I am reminiscing on the day just yesterday. Some days are just like this, but it wasn't just an ordinary day. It was time of goodbyes.

Yesterday I walked through the house that I had lived in for 22 years. Where did all that stuff come from? Wow! There is a lot waiting for buyers tomorrow to carry away little and not so little treasures. I feel like I moved a lot, but yet there is so much left behind.

I was their care taker for awhile. Now someone else can enjoy them.

 

 

I saw a cookbook waiting for someone to buy and realized there was only one recipe in the book I enjoyed; so I photographed it to still have.

Estate sales are fascinating me now. The company actually brought in some more stuff just to make it look full; though most of it was our stuff. The pricing fascinated me and I could tell the person doing the sale knew his stuff. My antiques were priced appropriately.

Can you believe it, but after walking through all the stuff in my house I took myself off to the antique mall. It is my peaceful place. It's not where I necessarily buy, but love taking pictures. And who did I run into, but the guy doing our estate sale. I knew he had several booths there, but didn't expect to see him.

I love the displays of live plants at the mall.

Isn't it beautiful?

Then I came back to the house for another walk in the garden and to pick a small bouquet to enjoy on my tea table this morning.

In the bouquet is a camellia bud and daphne buds, plus a bit of rosemary and tea to sweeten the deal. To me it is a lovely bouquet of remembrance and love for the garden. I will miss the garden more than the house.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

 

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”

Victor Hugo, Les Miserables 

About all the energy I have to share at the moment is Monday's post, but hopefully next month I can share more. My "live-in gardener" (now I need a new name for him) and I are still digging out of our house. It was a rough week this past week and still we have more to do. Much to our surprise,while trying to get our son dug out of our basement (still going on) my husband ended up in the hospital for a day and a night with a kidney stone. So a lot of the moving and cleaning went to me. I cleaned up some of the yard and kept my son moving forward, plus some dear, long time friends came one morning and helped move some furniture to our son's apartment. How amazing those little thoughtful gifts of help have been. They are like glimmers of hope. Hope that very soon it will be finished. Friends and our daughter have been our stars.

I took a few walks in the garden and was amazed at what is waking up.

The daffodils are coming up.

 The hellabore are budding and the daphne is beginning to bud.

 

I think what I will miss most are my walks in the garden.

This week the estate sale team will be working in the house and my husband, son, and sometimes me will still be in the basement working too. Then in one week the real estate team takes over. Yes, there is a light, at least a glimmer, at the end of the tunnel.

Are you seeing any glimmers of Hope/light in these dark times? I hope so!

Sending love,

Marilyn

 

Focus on the Stars

 

Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.

Thich Nhat Hanh 

He says the best things that capture my attention and help me to hold on to that HOPE.

Just a flash back to a Joey picture.
 

When I saw this quote using my word for the year, HOPE, I knew today was the day I needed to share it. HOPE chose me because I just knew it was going to be a "difficult to bear" kind of year and for me I needed to hold on to HOPE. We must all "believe that tomorrow will be better".

Let's dream a little dream of a better day.

A day where the lights shine for each of us, the little glimmers that grow into the sunshine and warmth that holds us in the sparkles of light and flowers and gently rolling seashores. 

What I am watching today, puppies and kittens and a fund raiser for the Humane Society: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICFiwn3-SOA&ab_channel=MeidasTouch    

 

I love pink noses on kittens. This is Frankie, my daughter's cat.

And since it is Martin Luther King Junior's birthday today, let's end with a quote by him.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Sending love,

Marilyn

Focus on the Stars

 

"Light is Knowledge, Light is Life"

I am not sure where I read the above quote, but it is a good one.

Light is focusing on hope, hold onto it with all we have, and don't let go.

Right before we moved I wanted to have lunch at a restaurant near our house. As I stepped out of the car I saw HOPE in the window of this children's shop. And then the book behind the window was "Climb the Mountain". I knew the move would be like struggling up the mountain, but from the top we would see new horizons. I needed to hold on to HOPE for sure. I needed to focus on the little glimmers of light.

 

 

And then as I was parked in a "NO PARKING" spot waiting to pick up the truck to move, I looked up and saw HOPE once again.

We made it to today. As I sip my morning tea and peak out the window I dream of hanging pictures on the walls and making this sweet little apartment HOME. There are glimmers of the finish line, but still more to do. For today I will keep my eyes on the stars.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

 If you have followed along with me for awhile you will know I focus on a word for the year. This year I had two words, but the main word was Kindness. It has been fun to notice Kindness each and every week and share it with you. Kindness does bring Joy too. My secondary word was Move. When I added that word I was thinking of moving my body, but had the feeling it might involve a move of home. Yes, I am moving home as we start 2025, but ended up working toward that goal throughout the year. Now the moving my body didn't work out so well; so I do believe having a gym in my new home will help with that goal. I can't wait! So Move will be carried over into 2025.

The picture was my creche this year sitting in the alcove of my home's front entrance. A star was involved in the birth of Jesus. The star guided his family home.

 

Now I am posting this one of off day and then I think I need to take a couple weeks off for the move. I may not be back until mid-January, but I will return. With this post I am also here to say I hope you had a most terrific Christmas and that your New Year is amazing.

It always amazes me each year how a new word pops up. My word for next year, I believe it is going to be very important for many of us. It is strange that I have never chosen this word, as it is such a "in your face" word. I think it just jumped out and grabbed me after the election in November and I have been more and more noticing it as we fly toward 2025.  

So HOPE it is with a side of MOVE.

Without the dark, we'd never see the stars.” “But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” ― Martin Luther King, Jr.

Light your candle, say a little prayer, embrace those around you and send HOPE in the dark night.  

The Monday's theme for 2025 will be Focus on the Stars. We will be focusing on the beauty of our world, even in times of chaos and darkness. 

Sending Love and Best Wishes, 

Marilyn

Midwinter's Song

 

In the Bleak Midwinter

Song by Christina Rossetti and Gustav Holst

 

In the bleak midwinter
Frosty wind made moan
Earth stood hard as iron
Water like a stone
Snow had fallen
Snow on snow, snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter, long, long ago

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ

Enough for Him whom cherubim

Worship night and day
A breastful of milk, and a mangerful of hay
Enough for Him whom angels fall down before
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore

Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Cherubim and seraphim thronged the air
But only His mother in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the Beloved
With a kiss

What can I give Him
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
Yet what I can, I give Him
Give my heart

 

 

For some reason this hit my heart this year at Christmas time. Hoping your Christmas season is magical and full of love.

My "live-in gardener" and I move the first week of January; so I am in the throes of moving, packing, clean, and preparing.

Sending love,

Marilyn

Words of Kindness and Joy

Yesterday the Christmas program at my church took place. It always involves the children singing, but also singing and poems by adults, plus a bit of silliness. Christmas always needs a bit of silliness too.

 

This is the pastor dressed as a saxophone playing dragon. He played Christmas songs on request.

 

 

But there were also words of kindness too.

One of the women sitting behind me and leaned over and said, "I am sending you a link for amazing Christmas music I found on YouTube". She was thinking of me and knew I would enjoy it. It was a Christmas concert with Sting. I am loving listening to it, a bit at a time. The music are songs I have never heard. I thought you might enjoy it too; so I will add a link right here. I was thinking of you.

 

 https://youtu.be/PfViC0fThiU?si=TsDsJQHhanntPEdu

 And just because, my live-in gardener and I went out to dinner this weekend. I loved the ambiance and couldn't resist sharing it with you.

 

Kindness is: "I am thinking of you".  Such a simple thing to do and say, but so often people don't say it. 

 

Sending love,

Marilyn