Friday, December 30, 2011

The 'Tween Days

Those days in between Christmas and the New Year tend to be some of my favorite days of the holiday. They have much to offer!  The shopping is over.  The rituals of Christmas, wrapping, shipping,delivering, checking the list twice to be sure no one was missed, is passed!  Cards have been sent, cards and gift rec'd.  Whew. . those are all biggies.  So now you can relax.  Enjoy the beauty of the Christmas tree and decorations on a calm day instead of a busy day.  It's now acceptable to take it all down if you have tired of the clutter or just bask in the glow if not. Reread Christmas cards and letters without having to rush through them and check to be sure that a card was sent to that person.  Too late anyway, will catch them next year.  The 'tween days are a good time to contemplate the coming year.  What do I want to do differently?  Make New Year's resolutions if you are in to those things.  I am more into just the contemplating.   I like to do things that make a difference.  In dealing with my LB issue, I have been very self centered this year.  After all, if I do not concentrate on surviving the big "C" would I be around to make a difference for anyone in my life or the world.  So my 'tween days thoughts wander through the annual ones of healthier eating and more exercise,(Tom's peppernuts and stolen baking projects were exceptional this year and reflecting on my waistline) better organization(always an annual as I think about the coming tax season), keeping check on my shopaholic activities(reminded of yesterday as I scarfed up the end of year clearance items at the Beall's store).  But also I am thinking of making a difference in others lives is important to me.  My daughter and grandson are both having graduation ceremonies in May. Daughter on track to excellent employment and grandson on track to college.  I like to think I have and will have a supportive hand in that.  That will make a difference.  I continue to be supportive to Kiwanis charitable activities. I continue to believe they make little differences for many.  But I need something more. . contemplating. . . thinking. . . I am so fortunate. . so many other are not. . .As the Quaker Friends say  "A way will open. . "

I am feeling well.  I spent a gift certificate on a couple expensive bras(I normally don't splurge on underwear purchases) that are evenly shaped, since I no longer am.  Why didn't I think of this before?  I have always worn the softer, unshaped ones which just don't work well in my out of balance LB situation.  I must be getting better to be so happy with such a trivial matter! 

The New Year is coming quickly!  Had a delightful dinner last night with Silver City  friends and acquaintances.  We usually hibernate for New Year's Eve but were invited to go to an early dinner with good friends at Bear Mountain Lodge just outside the town and one of our favorite spots.  That's a go!  We have some photography to deliver to a locally gallery this morning and will stop by our favorite breakfast spot on the way.  Yes life is good.  And time to contemplate that in these 'tween days of 2011. . .

Happy New year all. . the photo I am using is an abstract(like this post?) ice painting by my good friend "Mother Nature"..  She always supplies me with the best raw material for my photography. . hugs and love to all. . .

Sandy

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Silver City Christmas Season, 2nd Year, with Hugs



This is our second year to be residents of Silver City for the holidays.  Last year, having just moved here from Colorado, we knew few people and were just feeling our way around.   This year it feels like home and I like it!  I realized a few days back it was so nice to go places and be greeted with hugs by people we now know.  I am a hugger.  Learned somewhere in midlife, not from my early life. I can still remember the shocked look on my Mother's face the first time I came home for a visit and greeted her with a spontaneous hug.  As with many loving people in my early life , hugging was not an automatic greeting.  Actually, it was through"Lulu" a dear friend somewhat my senior and a 5 foot bundle of energy, bubbling over joy and wit who greeted everyone with a hug, not a handshake, that  I came to learn what I had been missing as a 30 plus years of non-hugging. What a gift! I lost track of  Lulu several years back. I need to find her and say "Thank You"!   Tom is a hugger.  Mancos was full of huggers.  Hugging is good for  the soul.  I am so happy to now feel a part of this friendly, hugging community known as Silver City, New Mexico.

We are off for our Oklahoma Christmas visit in a few days.  It is a multi purpose visit, not the least of which is to spend Christmas with daughter Heidi and the grandchildren.  Also am needing to see about some major repairs needed on my rental house and a couple of other things.  We are doing our annual trek to the Bluff Balloon festival mid January and sometime soon will be going for a check up at Mayo.  Am feeling good, LB is still healing slowly but hopefully complete within the next few weeks.

 I was delighted with the photo above being published in the December issue of Western Friends magazine.  I call it "Aspens and Evergreens" and was taken on our last trip to Colorado.  I used the original version before on the blog but this one is the one run through the computer "Paint It" program. Evergreens are nice but really love those aspen trees!

I expect I will not have the opportunity to blog again before the 25th, so I will send a  Merry Christmas! to all my friends, family and Friends out there.   And yes, a big "Christmas Hug!" to each and everyone of you!

In the spirit of this joyful holiday. . with love. . Sandy

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

The View

Very cold, very beautiful!  Snows aren't as frequent here in Silver City as in Colorado or  Michigan or come to think of it even northern Nevada but they do come with a beauty all their own.  The landscape changes immediately to a winter wonderland and shrubs and native plants take on shapes and personalities the you have not seen on most days.   You can't beat mother nature for winter decorations.  The view here is from our back patio. I usually crop out overhangs etc to make it look like I did more than open the slider, but I rather liked the icycles on this one.  And so many of the wildlife photos I take do not even involve opening the sliding door and are shot through the glass.  I guess this house was designed for senior citizen photographers!

Life is busy with holiday happenings.  I am enjoying working with Kiwanis on Christmas projects, including gifts for long term residents at an area hospital.    And FeVa Fotos is making a showing this Saturday at a holiday bazaar sponsored by two of the artist groups we belong to.  And that involves putting together a lot of new FeVa Christmas "keepsake" cards for that sale.  Always fun!   As a Kiwanis project , I worked on holiday lighting of a gazebo in our local downtown park.  More complicated than it sounds!  But I have never worked with a nicer bunch of city officials including the young men on the  fireman crew who came to hang the lights.  And Tom has been up the ladder several times to achieve a proper setting on the timer!  Something else that proved more complicated than it looked.  But as of last night We Got It!   Most of my packages are mailed . .and only a couple of Christmas Parties to go. . This season always comes on so fast. . and it is evidently here!

The status on my healing body part remains about the same.  Slowly. . slowly. . but no problems that I am aware of. . I should be going back to Mayo for a check up next month for sure.  But for now and just thankful for another holiday season to enjoy with a Tom  and exchange greetings and goodwill with family and friends.   Even without a cancer recovery it isn't difficult to find gratitude for a good life when you look at the needs of those near and far.  We aren't that far from an area of our world where we are told some  mothers are eating every other day so their children can have something to eat every day.  That one got me!    "Be thankful you have enough." Not my quote but one that looms large in my head.  There are many who don't have enough.  So I guess that is my thought today.  Gratitude for being one of those who has "enough".   And humbly grateful for the being blessed with  so much more.  Sending love and hugs to family , Friends and friends. . .Sandy