This is a virtual Christmas card winging through invisible ethers to find you in your own neck of the woods. Whether you’re celebrating the holy-days in your apartment, condo, city house, country land, north woods prairie, beach, small town–I am hoping that your hearts can find some joy and peace this season.
May the rich blessing of Spirit surround and bless you in the upcoming days and weeks and months.
If you’re so inspired, please tell me how you’re doing today. What you might be feeling. (This is a safe space for all feelings, as you know.) How you’re celebrating. If Santa has been good. If elves delivered your presents far and wide. If your heart is aching or full, or a combination of both.
I am grateful for so much today. For the exquisite gift of existence. They call it Presence–and I think it’s the greatest present of all. Don’t you?
Merry Christmas!
Day 69 of a seventy-five day journey to connect more deeply with God, Spirit, Holy, Love…to explore “What the Heart Knows” during the waning days of 2020.
Lake Superior Spirit 
Merry Christmas ! From South New Jersey, It’s wet and dreary here.
I’m just hanging out going to read, watch some shows, roast some veggies. Keeping it simple.
Hi Jeff! We just talked to Chris and his wife out there in New Jersey, even though I know they are north of you. Hope you have an enjoyable day–no more leaks! Merry Christmas to you.
Hi Kathy! No leaks yet this morning! Thank you goodness! Eating my Holiday Lunch, spicy black beans, roasted veggies and rice.. yummy
Enjoy your day!
Thank goodness for a leak-less day. *smile* And your holiday lunch sounds so yummy!
Merry Christmas from down here in lower Michigan! We have Christmas snow! The perfect amount, it fell overnight and is so pretty! Katie is in heaven! We took a walk up the street and she pranced all the say, her nose and face covered in sow. Now she’s curled up in front of her squirrel viewing window sound asleep. As far as she’s concerned today is off to a wonderful start!
Me? I’m putting together the stuff for stuffing. Cooked the sausage, dark meat chicken, apples, onions and celery to put together with the stuffing cubes later in the day. I also stuffed a stocking for Bruce, but that’s filled with cashews, and a couple of his favorite candies. I hope he shares some with me! 🙂 All the packages I sent got to their destinations last week, so I’m happy there too. I hope to talk to most of my siblings today. And then I just might go on another walk with the Katie-girl, if she’s up to it.
Have a wonderful Christmas up there in the north woods. OH!!! No the sun has come out for a moment making all this beautiful snow sparkle. That’s a lovely holiday gift. Hope you have sunshine too.
You have snow–hip hip hooray! And isn’t it wonderful when we don’t have to drive in it? Wondering how many inches you got. We just got about two inches (maybe three) so everything looks fresh and white, but it’s not clinging heavily on the evergreens yet. Laughing at the image of Katie enjoying herself so much. It sounds like you’re having a wonderful relaxed Christmas. Just beautiful… PS No sunshine here. Just gray skies. It feels like they’re here to stay these days. But it’s always like this at this time of year. Just have to remember it will reappear in January and February. Fingers and toes crossed. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and yours from cold Cincinnati. In the low teens. Brrrr …. A different Christmas with just the two of us. Staying in. Have music in the background all morning.
It IS a cold Christmas, Frank! Brrrr indeed. Now you’re making me wonder what it is here. It says 22 right now. I am smiling thinking of you listening to music all day. You have such a love for music! Merry Christmas to you both.
Merry Christmas to you from very cold Missouri (at least we think it very cold, might seem mild to you but 11 degrees is very cold to us). It is cold enough in Florida where my daughter lives that there are predictions of falling iguanas. Seems they tumble out of trees in a stupor when cold but it doesn’t kill them – at least that. They revive as the day warms up. We are moving slow here this morning. I’m trying my hand at made from scratch with yeast, kneading and rising time requirements – Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls (our traditional Christmas Day treat that I have always just popped out of a can). Trying for a healthier version this year.
Merry Christmas to you, Deb! Eleven degrees is cold to us at this time of year, too, brrrr. It’s up to 22 right now so that’s more reasonable. I have heard about those falling iguanas–that is the craziest thing ever. What a world we live in! Your healthy cinnamon rolls sound delicious. Enjoy your day with your three guys!
Hello
Heartfelt thanks Kathy
I’m Monica, near Rome
it was a nice and peaceful Christmas here at home with my family
it’s raining outside and the streets, due to lockdown, are deserted
Happy holidays to you
See you soon 🙂
Monica, so nice of you to pause on Christmas and say hi! It must seem very strange for you this year with rain and deserted streets. We were in Italy 1.5 years ago for our daughter’s wedding down in Positano. We spent one night near the Rome airport in a town called Fiumicino (same name as the airport, I guess). What a trip that was! Loved your country.
Yes Fiumicino is the town near the airport.
I live in the Castelli Romani area
I don’t know if you know her
we are about 15 kilometers from Rome.
What a beautiful Positano!
Your daughter has chosen a beautiful place to get married 🙂
I’m glad I read your post today
you are a very kind and loving person
and so I felt the spirit of Christmas in your words
Happy holidays and thanks for your reply
🙂
Thank you. You are so kind to say so! And now I’m feeling the Christmas spirit in your words, too.
🙂
Thank you so much
Merry Christmas, dear friend, to you and all the family! Just finished Zooming with Sonya and family, messages between Andrea and me, puttering, snacking a bit, and feeling beyond grateful for my many, many Christmas blessings. Thank you, and much love!
Merry Christmas, my good buddy! I am glad you’ve been able to connect with both the families today. And I LOVED reading your sweet Facebook gratitude and love post last night. Continued blessings on your holy-day!
Merry Christmas Kathy, it’s now early evening here. We’ve shared gifts and dinner with my mother-in-law, who has now gone back home. The dishes are done and the mess tidied away and we can relax.
Andrea, can you remind me again where you live? You may have said before–but when I visit your blog I am always wondering. It sounds like you had a nice quiet Christmas. That moment afterwards where you can relax often feels sublime… Merry Christmas to you and yours. ❤
I live in NE England Kathy, there’s just one county between us and Scotland.
That is cool. Some of the words you’ve used in your blog suggested that might be your area, but I didn’t know. So you are “up north” just like we are!
Wishing you and Barry a very Merry Christmas. We are social distancing here in the flatlands near our family with several safe and in some cases outdoor get-togethers.
John, it is SO very nice to hear from you. I love that you are socially distancing and being respectful of the virus. Outdoor get-togethers sound perfect. Merry Christmas wishes back to you and Jenny!
Merry Christmas, Kathy!
I hope you had a good Christmas, Stacy! ❤
The football game is on in the background, we’ve just enjoyed a chai/rooibos tea and coffee while munching on a chocolate or two…the snowcapped mountains are sparkling in between banks of cloud and we’re feeling relaxed and merry (family called from back east!) and all is well.
I hope you and yours have a lovely evening and a wonderful new year…
My goodness, that sounds like a perfect way to spend a Christmas afternoon. (Although I am not sure about football. My dad and brothers used to watch after every holiday meal and my mom and I “escaped” to read our books. Although now Mom watches football!) Please do remind me–if you read this comment–where you are from that has the beautiful snow-capped mountains in your view.
We live in Vancouver, British Columbia just below three ski hills and access to an urban forest/park just down our street!
OK, I will try and remember! I knew you wrote a blog about Vancouver Island–which my daughter and I visited–but didn’t know you lived right nearby. Thank you.
I hope you and yours have a healthy and bright new year, Kathy!
I’ve begun my traditional decluttering/cleaning/organizing, it keeps me grounded and helps to start fresh in a brand new year…
Merry Christmas, Kathy! I had a lovely day, just me and the dogs. I did some reading (I highly recommend Caste, a well-researched and wonderful, though not cheerful, book), took a long walk (the wind made it quite cold), sorted baskets of yarn and organized crochet hooks for MAYBE future projects, did two loads of laundry, had a nice chat with one daughter, and cooked for myself as if I were having company (I wasn’t). Now, I’m off to bed. Best wishes!
Merry Christmas, Cindy–a date late! But it’s still the Christmas season, right? Your day sounds so relaxing. Will look up the Caste book. And kudos for taking a walk even though the wind was cold. The benefit of having dogs, right? You can’t stay inside. Glad you celebrated for yourself and cooked a nice meal!
Merry Christmas from Australia, after an enjoyable Christmas Day spent warm in heart and body. ❤
Sounds like you had a most wonderful day! Feeling the warm glow coming off you. And now…on toward New Year!
Happy Christmas! We woke up to a 6 earthquake!
Oh my! What a Christmas “surprise” that was! Hope no one was hurt and maybe Santa’s sleigh just knocked into something and everything reverberated. Maybe?
I agree, Presence is the greatest present of all. It’s a good thing because the presents from our daughter are stuck in the mail somewhere. 🙂 We had a lovely day with video calls and jigsaw puzzles and music and a spectacular sunset. I hope you had a Merry Christmas, too!
Barbara, you were one of the people I was thinking about when adding that bit about Presence/presents. So sorry about the stuck packages, darn it! Both of our kids packages to each other are also stuck somewhere with no tracking even telling where they are. Thanks for sharing some of the beauty of your day. It was really cozy here and involved lots of phone and video calls. Today is MUCH more quiet!
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
For us, this year’s season was defined by short, masked, mini-gatherings mostly outdoors, and a long Zoomy Christmas Eve. There was also loads of much-needed alone time and some time spent in the shallows.
Lunar, that sounds like a lovely Christmas season. Outdoor safe fun and Zoomy time. And, you know I agree, alone time is precious beyond precious. (Until it isn’t.) Merry Christmas to you as well!
Merry Christmas ♥ yesterday was a joyous, fun-filled, busy Christmas with an ache longing for my Dad and a sense of peace that he was nearby watching over me. We woke to a small 9 year old poking at us and exclaiming “Mommy, Daddy, Santa came, Santa came!”. After our own festivities, we trundled off to the in-laws for more gifts and scoop up the eldest for dinner. Then we dropped Will ((my husband)) and picked up my Auntie where we gloriously made our way to Gram’s ((my Mom’s)) for dinner. Much laughter and noise was had by all, followed by a delicious ham dinner. Then I played some carols on my flute and once that was done, off we trundled back to the in-laws because Nana and Eli are spending a few days of the break together while his great-Grandpa is in town ♥ Toby ((our middle)) is off to his best friend’s house for a couple of days before heading to his Auntie Beth’s. Our eldest ((Will Jr.)) is back home with Nana so he’ll get to spend a little quality time with his youngest brother ((when he’s not busy with friends)). Today, Will and I lazed around most of the day but managed to do a teensy bit of housework. Tomorrow is visiting my brother Steve and sister-in-law Mags for his birthday ♥ Then Will is back to work and this Mama gets at least 3 whole days alone with our sweet kitty cat ♥
I smiled reading of your Christmastime laughter and lazing and peace. And even the ache for your dad–because you loved him and remember him during the holy-days. Glad you had a joyous time with your family–and kitty cat!
A belated but heartfelt Merry Christmas to you from the Eastern Shore (or the Middle of Nowhere, as I tend to think of it). Presence is indeed the greatest of gifts. We had a quiet Christmas here, just the two of us, although we started out with a Zoom filled with laughter, love, and boisterous boys, ages 3 and 4, opening their Christmas gifts. Then a quieter Zoom with our older son, Chris, and his family. The girls are now 15 and 11 and were never quite as boisterous as boys (although they have had their moments…lol!). I decided the best thing to do over the holidays this year was celebrate as traditionally as we can. I’m glad we did. I think keeping with our traditions made it brighter than it would have been if we’d scrapped everything. I even got down an old food-splattered cookbook that my mother gave me when M and I got married (over 44 years ago — wow, time flies!).
Sending lots of love and gratitude your way, Kathy. Your posts have put a spotlight on what is important, and that was much-needed this year. ♥
Just realized I didn’t finish the last sentence in the first paragraph — my nearest and dearest interrupted about breakfast (he’s cooking waffles on his new old-fashioned cast iron waffle maker this morning). The reason I got down the cookbook was to make scalloped potatoes, something I haven’t made in eons, and something my mother made with Christmas dinners.
Robin, I so much enjoyed reading of your Christmas here today. It sounds like you had good family time, but also followed sweet traditions like the scalloped potatoes. That old cookbook must have so many memories tucked away in it. Precious memories… I am so glad you have appreciated the focus of these posts. Can’t believe it’s almost over. A new year right around the corner…
I’m going to miss your posts, Kathy, when it’s time for them to end. I keep hoping the Holy will decide there are still more stories to be told. 🙂
Gosh, I love you! The part of me that wants to continue telling stories is jumping up and down. To think that someone is enjoying these posts–and will miss them. Feeling a few grateful tears. xoxo