Twinkling
Christmas lights twinkle all around.
I am sending you all holiday love. Can you feel it?
Did you have a wonderful time during these holy-days?
Can you feel the Sun returning to the earth, lightening our days with hope and joy?
(If you can’t, that’s OK. I can’t either. But the calendar does say that the light returneth to the Northern Hemisphere. Often in January I measure the return. It equals ten minutes of light each week. If you don’t believe me, check it out yourself.)
We’ve been celebrating Christmas a day late.
December 26th = December 25th in our books.
Santa, Santa (you David Sedaris fans recognize this reference)
That’s because our #2 child arrived via United Airlines yesterday at 1:42 p.m. She came smiling from New York City. (When you arrive via airplane at our regional airport you must walk off the plane unto the slippery runway and walk into the airport, rather than on one of those fancy jet walks.)
She thought the snow in Calumet was mediocre, but here in the woods it hangs appropriately on the branches and Santa heard her request to delay his visit one full day.
Last night we watched the movie Elf on my Kindle Fire. The three of us–Mom, Dad and beloved child–gathered close on our couch and laughed hysterically at the silliness of an Elf story. Guess where the Elf visited? New York City! Just from whence our own little elf came.
What the Christmas Tree looks like in Rockefeller Center, NYC, courtesy of daughter’s phone
This morning Dad and I were up at 5:30 and 6:50 a.m. respectively awaiting the Gift Opening. However, our little elf didn’t appear from her bedroom until 9:30 a.m. (By then, Daddy Elf was back in bed, snoozing.)
Little Elf, Little Elf, when will you get up?
I received a glorious green shirt, a teapot, pecan coffee, coconut chocolate (be still my heart!) and a rabbit dish towel which proclaims “Use my tail to dry your dishes.” Lots of other cool things, too. Wedding photos from San Diego. Calendar. Delicious granola, which shall see the light of milk tomorrow morning. Money. Cards. JC Penney gift cards.
Exciting stash that Santa delivered. You can see his sleigh tracks in the back yard. Looks like one of the reindeer lay down while Santa scurried down our woodstove pipe. It’s hard to figure out how he doesn’t get blackened and burned in the descent, isn’t it?
This morning we bought a pig. Heifer International will give a pig to someone who needs it. The gift catalog says: Pigs need little land and can thrive on crop and garden by-product scraps. An average sow can provide a family with up to 16 piglets a year. Pigs usually double their three-pound birth weight in their first week and can grow to more than 200 pounds in six months! This fast-growing gift means communities can be quickly transformed as offspring and training are passed on and on.
Heifer International Pig
I could tell you pig stories, if you’re not still opening your own presents. Years ago our #1 son and his daddy volunteered to deliver baby pigs to our friend’s house. The baby pigs–which were quite grown-up by delivery–escaped from Christopher and Barry’s care because the electric fence was not properly on. Our teenage son and his aging papa were forced to chase the escapee 50 pound pigs throughout the woods. Eventually, they tackled the errant escapees and deposited them in the fenced-in and electrified enclosure.
I believe many of our friends ate roast pig later that summer at the Mouth of the Huron during an annual camping trip. Not yours truly.
However, the person who receives our piglet gift via Heifer International will undoubtedly munch upon pork, Merry Christmas!
We’ve been talking with Grandma, Grandpa, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle, Uncle and Brother/Son today before we cook thai-glazed fish and other accouterments.
I need to pause by other blogs and wish MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! (you know who you are) but the rest of the family gazes expectantly and I must be Present for Them, just as soon as I read them this blog and listen respectfully to their editing suggestions.
Love to all of you! See you soon! Belated Merry Christmases to all you dear ones, Near and Far.
Lake Superior Spirit 
Sounds like you have had a meaningful and beautiful Christmas, even if it was a day late. Time with family, no matter when it occurs is always a treasure. And by extending generosity to those less fortunate, the world becomes less large and more like community. May you be blessed by your giving spirits. Glad you received such wonderful gifts Kathy ♥
It’s good to feel fortunate enough to extend generosity to those in need. Doesn’t it feel good when we have the means to do that? Not every year have we been able to give monetarily like this pig. Smiling thinking about the generosity in your life this year.
The holidays and having family near interfere, in a very nice way, with blog activities. I am hopelessly behind already I think. But there are some other things I’m finding more important. I know, I know – how can that be?!
*Smiling, Carol* How can that be? I am STILL hopelessly behind. However, am not allowing myself to write another blog post until caught up. We’ll see if that resolution holds.
It is POURING down granulated sugar snow here!! inches and inches!!
Merry Christmas again!
It’s snowing lake effect snow here in Marquette this morning, too, Elisa. Unfortunately, Kiah and I have to drive 80 miles home in it later today. Could you whisper to the Universe to calm down the snow til later this afternoon? And Happiest of New Years to you!
Yes I will try. However, I must state, that I did not try very hard for it to stop snowing for the funeral this morning. It is pouring and pouring snow here, and we were only to have been to 2 inches, HA!
Wondering about whose funeral you were attending… It was a miracle yesterday for us as it quit snowing, the roads turned dry, and we enjoyed the rest of our day except for the fact that both B & K are sick sick with a bad cold. 😦 Hope you are enjoying your snow, Elisa.
“Piggy up” after giving one away. I bet that was a sight to behold when those pigs, of days past were running in the woods. Lots of chasing of pig tails that day. I bet very time they caught a pig they were squealing with piggish delight. ( you should write a post about that event if you haven’t already.)
Anyhoo- in my book you can make any day of the year Christmas. The importance of that day is a celebration of the holy one and of the people that are dear to you. So that is what you did and I am glad that your daughter could make it home to be with her mom and dad- even if she slept until 9:30am.
I laugh still to think of those guys chasing the piglets through the woods, Yvonne. It’s probably not possible to write an entire post about it, though, as these are all the details that are remembered! And, yes, it feels delightful to make any day of the year shine with preciousness and holiness. Many of them do, anyway. It’s our eyes that get clouded sometimes.
Guess what, Kathy……it SNOWED yesterday!
I think that snowman card and all those snowflakes you sent, really were good luck! 🙂
Will try to post a little bonus on my blog sometime later.
Michaela, how FUN! that you got some snowflakes in Texas. I was wondering if they would arrive. 😉 Will try to get blog-hopping soon. Have been dreadfully behind. Two weeks behind, at least, now. 😦
Oh Betty will be so happy that you got a pig from Heifer. But if she’s taught us anything, it’s that, that pig won’t be eaten. That pig will be bred and one of the off-spring, will be passed on to another person and the gift will continue being passed forward. And that pig will make many pigs and a family will be empowered and lives will improve.
Happy New Year Kathy. You rock !
WHO is Betty, Sybil? Inquiring minds want to know. The brochure did say that the pigs multiply and are merry. OK, they didn’t say “be merry” but they do reproduce and the love passes on and on. Happiest of New Years to you, Ms. Sybil!
Thanks for the holiday LOVE!!!! MWAH Right Back At Ya!!!
Hey there Ms. JasmineKyleSings! I am glad you caught the holiday love down there in the south, lol. Is it snowing in your world now? It’s snowing here as we speak.
It’s snowing again here it’s beautiful. Like out of a movie
I like it when we don’t have to drive in it. Unfortunately…need to drive in the “beauty” today. Could you keep the snow down south until later today? Pretty please?
I’m asthmatic I can’t blow that hard! I’ll have to call old man winter!
Ok ok I’m on it!
It worked, Jasmine! Thank you! 🙂
Wonderful to have family around at holiday time! Thanks for the lovely picture you painted of your day!
Tis, Ms. Cindy of the Beaver Island. I would love to be painting stories right now about the snow falling here in Marquette and the way the hot tub at the motel felt yesterday, but must catch up to comments…and eventually to reading other blogs…before these fingers are allowed typing freedom again! Thank you.
Kathy – I giggled at your lone strike-through on the word “aging.” And your meal of thai-glazed fish sounds scrumpdillyiscious!
Laurie, I’m not sure that Mr. Barry giggled. tee hee. I had better watch it; he’s a column writer, too! Hope you are having a most wonderful weekend. It IS the weekend, isn’t it? Lost track of the days w Kiah home.
Sweet to join you in your memory making Christmas….love the pig gift!
Ruth, you helped make my Christmas extra-special with your gifties. I am still smiling when looking at them. Need to make a cup of chaga for Kiah. I like it mixed with peppermint. 🙂 Thank you a hundred times!
Echoing Brenda: “May you be blessed by your giving spirit.”
Since we’re all One, OM, I can see you blessing yourself, too. *grin* Love you!
My Mom is waiting until New Years for all of us to manage to get together but Karina had us over on the 24th which was really sweet. Today the three of us saw Les Miserables together. Nice having the kids around. Merry Merry Holy-days to you!
Lisa, what did you think of Les Miserables? Saw it last night. What a powerful movie! (Even though a few people walked out in the beginning.) I cried buckets and now want to listen to the music some more. Were you familiar with the music beforehand?
I was somewhat familiar with the music beforehand. Karina’s choir did two of the songs over the years. I’d been keeping an eye on the production as I was intrigued with the live singing rather than the studio singing typical of this kind of thing. So I’d seen some of the songs in preview formats. Having seen context the videos didn’t do them justice. I’ve never seen the play. Like I said on Facebook – of the two movies THIS is the one that haunts me.
Lisa, I’m listening to some of the songs on YouTube this morning. You are so right…haunting…
So coolio that you donated the pig through Heifer International, Kathy! Sounds like a wonderful Christmas and may you and your family flourish and prosper in the New Year.
isn’t coolio the bestest word, Patty? I found myself saying it out loud yesterday. It was actually Barry’s idea to donate an animal via Heifer. And the three of us sat down together on Christmas and decided which animal. The pig won.
That sounds like a great family thing to do!
Sounds like a lovely Christmas day. Mine was too – my house was filled with family and food. And Santa brought me a Kindle Fire! I’m having fun with it so far – have you been able to blog from yours, Kathy? I haven’t tried that yet.
Hello, Ms. Karma! Well, how are you liking your Kindle Fire? Glad Santa heard your wish and brought you one. No, I don’t post blogs from it, and actually rarely comment from it. Prefer to type on a real-life computer.Prefer the Kindle for watching solo movies, reading, checking email, etc. Let me know what you think!
Hi Kathy,
Lovely Christmas! Best wishes for a super 2013!
Hugs,
SuZen
The best to you, too, Ms. SuZen! May you keep shining your light brightly in 2013!
Why let the calendar dictate when you celebrate Christmas?
My dad was a hog farmer (among other things) when I was a wee lass, and the pigs occasionally got out. I can relate to your chasing story. They are faster than one might think!
I love that you wrote the words “wee lass”, Heather. And how synchronistic that you understand about chasing pigs! Not very many would understand about that, methinks. Hoping your temperature eases to normal very soon. Sad that you’ve been sick during the holy-days.
Thanks for the story of your family; it is wonderful to hear all of that. I also enjoyed the pig story. We used to do the Heifer International stuff. Thanks for the reminder, may be time to get back into it. Glad to hear of your fun.
Thank you kindly, Lucinda, for reading and commenting. It feels like a good thing to share with others in need. It’s sometimes challenging to decide where our gifts should go, isn’t it?
What a lovely blog, thank you Kathy. Sounds like you had a beautiful Christmas celebration. So did we, like every time the whole family is reunited. Christmas has this particular mood and meaning though. Traditional family meal, the soft light of candles, generations happily chatting together, gifts opened with oooh and aah ! Truly gooood moments.
Happy New Year to you and yours !
Hello, dear Isa, I can feel your sacred holy-day spirit shining like candles in between each of your words. It is a gift simply to be with family and friends in the spirit of love and kinship. The true spirit of the season. Happiest of New Years to you, too!
Merry merry…and happy happy! Glad your #2 child could make it from NYC. Makes the holidays so much more special! Congratulations on pig gifting..you will make someone’s day/week/year.
Dawn, it does make it more special when family can celebrate the holy-days with us. Many a year we’ve celebrated just the two of us. Would like to make it downstate to be with parents and my family next year, but it’s often hard for Barry to leave work depending what day the paper comes out. And it’s Tax Collecting season. Darn work for interfering, lol.
We were like you, celebrating on the 26th, because Daughter and her family celebrated with the In-laws, Christmas Day. It looks like you had a wonderful celebration. I’m sure someone will appreciate your pig-gift. That was such a generous thing to do. 🙂
Hello, dear withershins, you got caught up reading all my blogs, didn’t you? That was a Christmas gift for me! 🙂 Glad to hear we were celebrating on the same day. And now, on to New Years! Will hopefully be over blog reading soon.
I am wishing you a belated Merry Christmas, Kathy, and an early Happy New Year – and to your hubby and elf-kinder, too. ❤
Thank you, my elf-friend, Stacy. Have you ever listened to David Sedaris at Christmas time? Especially his story about being an elf at Macy’s at Christmastime? If you haven’t, do! It is the Biggest Laugh in the world. That’s why I say “Little Elf, Little Elf” and “Santa Santa”.
Ah, that explains it! I’ll have to google that. ❤
Kathy, wishing you a joyous new year and hope your Christmas was full of good memories and family time. (As your daughter flew westward we were already exploring her home turf for a few days over the holiday!) ~ Kat
Hello Ms. Kat! How cool that you were able to explore New York City. Did you see the actual tree in Rockefeller Center? I would love to be there at Christmastime some year, except she’ll probably move away by the time we get there during the holidays. Merry Christmas to YOU!
We saw the Rockefeller tree and many other classic Christmas lights, walking Fifth Avenue with all the department store windows and lights was just like a postcard! — I posted one of the tree in my 2012 recap post, but more will be coming! However, the crowds are something else this time of year (my husband about went off the deep end as we moved through the crowds so I could grab a few shots of “the” tree! ~ Kat
These thoughts would tell of a generous, loving, warm family Christmas also thinking of friends. Great time was enjoyed by all. See you soon early next year. – Claire
Dear Claire, it’s wonderful to see you this morning! I must get over and read your poems soon. Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. And, gosh, 2013 is just around the corner, isn’t it?
Yay for Heifer pigs! We made several visits to their headquarters in Little Rock when I lived in AR. They do such good work.
Wishing you and yours a joyous 2013!
Lunar, thank you for acknowledging what good work this organization does. Many blessings to you, my spirited friend, in 2013!
Wonderful memories in the making. Happy New Year, Kathy! All the very best in 2013! 🙂
Happy New Year to you, too, Marianne! Many blessings for wonderful memories in 2013!