darling duckie

christmas card 2011

Photo by Ashley Karras

Card Designed by Amber Bowen

merry christmas from us to you

Are you all ready? We had a few hiccups here and when it was all done, I didn't feel much like celebrating. But now that the house is clean and the parties are underway, it feels like Christmas.

on my nightstand... which is cool since I haven't had a nightstand for a year now

(Billy took apart, sanded, reassembled, painted, and finished my nightstand. I love it. It looks great and it feels great to have a place for my books.)

I have been finishing some books and trying to write my thoughts about them. Jane Eyre. The Hunger Games Trilogy. Now I just need to finish Midwives (last months book club choice) and then get My Life in France (this months book club pick) hopping along. I guess that's a good thing about having to lay low... I can get a lot of reading/movie watching in.

we are women posts... as of late

I haven't been very good at telling you about my posts over on the We Are Women blog. Would you like to know what I have been doing over there lately? (You might already know but if you don't, keep reading... and clicking... the links.)

Millie got sick and I wrote about it here: Intuition

The Busyness Becomes You (an essay)

I said DANKE on Thanksgiving.

I shared the video of J.K. Rowlings commencement speech because it is just too good not to.

And on the days inbetween, I share quotes that inspire me.

 

savor

I read this post from the Shutter Sisters today and thought it adequately describes what I am trying desperately to remember. Savoring the moments: the warmth, the love, the fun, the excitement of the holiday season... and really, just savoring life. Last weekend, on Thanksgiving, I was running around the house trying to get things clean. I love having a nice clean home to come home to after a little vacation but I was just stressing out. It was a blessing that we were going out of town, not only to see our family, but to force me into leaving that incessant list that I am forever adding to and so seldom checking off. It forced me to relax and enjoy. We were only gone for a couple of days but upon our return, I exerted much effort in keeping "relaxed Alicia" here. And it was well worth the effort. We slept and ate and played and watched movies and ate and played downtown. I tried not to worry about parking or walking or bothering other people with a baby who had "found her loud voice" as my friend put it. We went to a museum and saw the Christmas lights and ate at a cafe I have been thinking about for months. I tried to take small, slow bites of the lovely strawberry napolean and really let the flavors settle in my mouth. I held Billy's hand and we talked and enjoyed ourselves even though it was cold and crowded and hard to find a parking spot.

And you know what? In the end, we even had time to get somethings done. We finished putting up the new bookcases and put the Christmas decorations up and Billy fixed the vacuum and the computer.

It was worth it to savor the tastes and sights and sounds. I really should try it more often.

So here's to savoring the yummy little moments of life.

blustering billowing bully

I do believe the neighborhood leaves have come to our yard in an attempt to escape the wind today. Not that our yard offers any particular refuge yet still they come. They are huddled together in corners and along the sides of the house. I feel so bad for those leaves and even our trees. They all seem to be taking a beating. I would let them in but we all know what messy house guests leaves can be. So I will let them gather in their corners without any complaint from me.