I've not been in picture-taking mode for months. Instead, imagine...

...the sound of remote control cars endlessly circling has been the background along with frequent refreshings of our new worship CDs. The kettle has nearly continuously refreshed the teapot with yet another new flavour to be poured into lovely pottery cups just big enough for my hand and small enough to necessitate a refill, again and again--it was the year for tea gifts!
*happy me*

With cold sunny light pouring in the windows and a cozy woodstove within arm's (or back's) reach we have felt little need to venture far. A few walks or runs for the brave, church and gatherings with friends. Christmas weekend has been a haven. Our hearts are full to overflowing with our blessings and we have been challenged to renew the keenness of our awareness of God and our ears to hear him through a more intimate and deliberate relationship with him.

As today leaves thoughts of Christmas behind and turns towards the new year, so my thoughts turn slowly and thoughtfully to the next year and the plans that already start to fill it. I have a window of planning time--a whole week to work at some of those ideas I'd put off till 'later'. Likely 'a whole week' will be not nearly enough time but I hope to not waste it. Yes, it's Christmas holidays and we have friends to visit and turkey to eat. Life's pace is more relaxed though no less full and my mind has time and space to roam and to return refreshed, hopefully with ideas blossoming into concrete plans. I hope as this year unfolds for myself to be gentler with my family, more dependant on God and thus productive in lasting, satisfying ways. Ways that may not be obviously lasting but by their very rightness will be satisfying.

Perhaps my words are leaning towards the philosophical and esoteric. My apologies for the confusion since I am hinting only at my thoughts and not stating them clearly.

Ask about it over a cup of tea someday....

We saw the moon!

The moon was so bright before bed that we all trooped outside to be in the moonlight as though day. Even as we stood there chatting, the clouds blew in across the sky; not a flutter of wind at ground level but lots way up high. We looked at each other in dismay* as we wondered whether it would clear before the lunar eclipse at 2am. Not much we could do so we set our alarms and went to bed.

It was cloudy at 2am. The sky orange at first but then darkening to a smudgy charcoal grey and finally nearly black. But no moon. We checked all the webcams from the NASA website and although we did see the moon for a while most of the sites went offline from heavy traffic. And anyway, it just wasn't satisfying watching it on a screen. It didn't seem real. I had already been out to see the smudge in real life so when I glanced out the window hopefully, again, and saw a star I flew to get my coat and boots on. The boys had all gone to bed so it was just BTG and I who nipped outside and saw the moon! God cleared a little patch for us near the time of totality just enough to see the moon dark and red with a bright ring around its edge. It only lasted about five minutes--maybe ten but it was enough!

I had to share it. I saw the moon.

*fun to actually write that line!