Happy days...happy Christmas!

Finally! The first grade Merry Matisse videos were published. The second grade clay ornaments were fired, painted, glittered, and sent home. All the other grade level projects were put on the shelves for our return in January. At last! I am finally home for Christmas!!

The past week was a flurry of activity both at home and at school. My sister, Rosanne, and her husband, Wayne, came from Georgia to stay at Mom's for the week. Our evenings were filled with delicious dinners and plenty of laughter as we caught up on the events in our lives since our July family reunion. Mom, my sister Kathy, and I provided the meals, but the highlights were the desserts, thanks to Rosanne's week long baking and candy making efforts back home in Georgia......yum!!

Now, with two weeks of vacation ahead, it's time to prepare for one of my favorite times of the year...Christmas! Lights and carols to enjoy, presents to wrap, cookies to bake, and the joy of anticipating a visit with my two precious little grandsons.


The recent warm weather and rain have left our landscape a bit sodden and dreary, but here's a glimpse of the backyard as I left for school earlier this week...so lovely as the moon was setting just before sunrise.


I hope that wherever you are, and whatever your weather, your heart and home are filled with the warmth and blessings of this sacred season as we anticipate and celebrate the birth of our Savior so many years ago. Merry Christmas to all!

 

 

Snow Days bring Christmas joy!

 

Of course, too many snow days could mean going to school longer at the end of the year, but for now, I'm taking my December blessings as they come! This week I'm scrambling with my second graders to get their clay Christmas ornaments decorated and ready to take home, so I have to admit that I didn't mind sloshing my way to school in the unexpected (at least to me!) snow early this morning.
   

Freshly falling snow is so peaceful, especially early in the morning or later in the evening. With the Christmas lights glowing softly and the hush that comes when traffic is stilled, there is a beauty that we often miss in the rush to complete our Christmas shopping, baking, house cleaning, and other holiday chores.


A snowy day, whether during the week or on the weekend, gives us time to slow down and savor the moment if we will let it. It's so easy to worry about chores not done, lessons not taught, or errands not run, but those things will still be waiting for us when the flakes stop falling and the roads are cleared.

 

So wherever you are and whatever your weather, as we get closer to that magical time of Christmas, take time to breathe in the quiet joy of the season. Let peace, joy, and quiet expectation replace the hustle and bustle, if only for a moment.
                                                                          

 

 

 

December already???

Here it is, December 7, and it's now been over a month since my last post! With the combination of teaching, taking care of a house and yard, and travel to visit family over Thanksgiving, it's been quite a busy month. All this, and still trying to get my Etsy shop up and running by the first week of January. What was I thinking anyway?

The leaves were slow to fall this year, and the snow a bit earlier than usual, so we actually had some piles of leaves raked up that were frozen before they could be hauled back to the wooded area behind our yard. As a matter of fact, when I was shoveling the sidewalks this afternoon, it seemed that I was shoveling as much leaf debris as snow!

I am making some progress on the Etsy shop, although at a much slower pace than I had hoped. Right now, I'm listening in on The Thriving Artist Summit, an online seminar for artists and crafters who are either running a business already, or planning to do so in the future. It's been an inspiring series, although I am a little bit behind on listening to all the interviews with successful artists and business coaches. Fortunately, each interview is available for three days after the first time it is scheduled, so I've managed to hear most of them and I've been able to download all the great information that each of them is offering...for free, which is great for someone on a budget.

 

The highlight of the past month was my visit to Rochester, NY, to see my daughter and her family for Thanksgiving. The boys, Aiden and Jackson, are growing up so fast! I saw them last during the first week of August and it seems that Aiden has grown at least an inch taller and Jackson is now actively crawling and beginning to pull up and cruise the furniture. Aiden generously gave me some of his latest artistic creations, which I will be framing for our family room here in Ohio...so cute!

Even more fun was being able to watch Aiden helping to decorate the Christmas tree. He loves all things Christmas, especially Santa, so just watching the joy on his face made my heart sing!

And now here it is, December, with Christmas just a little over two weeks away! I was blessed with the words every teacher loves to hear... "snow day"... on Friday, which gave me some extra time to clean house and decorate for Christmas. Although I no longer put up a large tree, I have three table top trees, plenty of lights, my Santa collection, and other holiday treasures to make up for it.


Although it has been a hectic and crazy month, I have so much to be thankful for...good health, a loving family, dear friends both near and far, and a career doing and sharing the art that I love so much. As we continue through the final weeks of Advent and prepare for the joy of Christmas, I hope and pray that each and every one of you are blessed with a spirit of gratitude for the goodness in your own lives.