Mr. FixIt and I went shopping yesterday. We are at that age and stage in life when we don’t need to have a big hoopla surrounding Christmas. I needed a new winter coat. He needs a radiator on his truck. It’s kind of a wash. Since I’m not about to get a radiator and wrap it up for Christmas, I told him it was perfectly fine to go shopping together so I can try on coats and choose what I want.

This is the seventh Christmas since Mr. Virgo died. I look back over the years and remember how each one felt. 

2013: The loss was so profound the first Christmas. I was numb, empty, devoid of anything but pain.

2014: The second was equally painful but in a different way. I was awake...and he was STILL gone. And by then, I was living in West Virginia on the family farm and trying to help my aunt. I now know what she was going through was early stages of dementia, but at the time it was mean spirited and got ugly on Christmas Day when I was invited to leave. That was hard.

First...let me thank you all so much for your support and kind comments on yesterday’s post. It took me a lot of introspection and a lot of prayer to come to the realization that I needed to make a change in my writing schedule. The message I kept getting from God was “It’s time.” I’m the one that kept dragging my feet and trying to argue with Him. 

On March 12, 2013...my world as I knew it came crashing to an end. The future Mr. Virgo and I had planned ended right in front of me in the cold, sterile environment of a Colorado emergency room. Time stopped in that moment and I struggled to do the simplest of tasks...breathing was at the top of the list.

We woke up yesterday to a coating of white. It’s only the second time this year we’ve even had a hint of snow and it really didn’t amount to much. As a matter of fact, by the time 8:00 rolled around, it was pushing 40℉ and starting to rain. Then it rained...and rained...and RAINED! An inch had fallen by early evening and we were expecting another inch overnight. 

Pastor Heather delivered a message yesterday that I felt was worthy to share with you...in my own words but using her foundation and premise. It’s about the “gifts” we find at our doorstep every morning and which ones we will choose to open.

The other night, I was sitting in the living room, reading emails and preparing to write my post. The fire was going, the Christmas tree was lit, and carols played softly in the background. All was right with the world. I get a weekly email telling me all the grand and glorious skills Alexa can do for me and it’s fun to read what’s new. 

It was rainy and fairly warm yesterday and I did something I haven’t done in AGES. I spent the entire day on the couch in my fuzzy jammies with the snowflakes on them. We watched “Christmas Vacation” with Chevy Chase...a must every year. Then I put on my headphone while Mr. FixIt watched football and played on my computer all day. Yes, I fiddled a little with the websites, but not like...work. Just tweaked a bit here and there. I made brownies and beef stew on Friday so they were both even tastier yesterday. And my long time friend, Anna, called me from Belize. We talked for an hour and it was so much fun to catch up with her!

The best laid plans. I had every intention of taking yesterday off and doing nothing but knitting. As soon as coffee was finished, I headed to the office to finish up “just a couple of things”. Three hours later, I emerged when Mr. FixIt needed my help. We are working steadily on the master bath and yesterday was “hang the door”. I’ve never hung a door before...like a pre-hung door with the frame and all. That’s a chore.

Grandma’s farm is at the mouth of a holler. No one lives back up the holler anymore.

It’s “Feel Good Friday” and I want to share something with you.  We often talk about the hills of WV where my roots run deep. We talk about Grandma’s farm and the home of my heart. I tell you stories and memories that warm my soul and hopefully yours, as well. If you grew up like I did…you’ll be able to relate. And if you didn’t, you’ll be able to see how the luckiest of us were raised up.

“I’m looking for a little down time…maybe after the holidays.”

The year is quickly fading and before we know it, we will turn the page on…not only another year, but on a decade. There will be stories about the best and worst and we’ll wax poetic for what was, what is, and what might have been. It’s hard to stay in the moment in a moment like this.