“Mr. FixIt is a good gift giver…exactly what I would have picked out for myself!”

“Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.” Wikipedia

I don’t think I have ever had a more relaxing Christmas Day in my life as I had this year. Mr. FixIt gave me Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve and I never changed out of them yesterday. I ate chocolate cake for breakfast. I knitted all day. I caught up with loved ones on the phone and via chat. Mr. FixIt and I watch movies all day. I ate leftover chili…and chocolate. 

“A nearly full moon peeks in the window over my head.”

The other night, as I lay sleepless, tossing and turning thinking of all that needed to be done, something caught my eye. Mr. FixIt breathed the slow, even breath of deep slumber as I had a moment of regret spending all that time knitting and not enough baking, shopping, wrapping. But just for a moment, because this is what captured my attention.

“My Santa and Mrs. Claus”

Dear Santa,

This is the sixth Christmas without my Mr. Virgo. I know you remember the day I sat beside you in your great big comfy chair. It was that first awful Christmas after he died. I was crying and you saw me standing there alone. And that great big heart of yours was so soft…you moved over to make room for me and patted the seat, letting me know I should come sit for a while. 

“We found this channel on Dish Network that shows nothing but a wood burning fireplace with the snaps and pops. We had it on all afternoon while I knitted. It was awesome…and no dirt or smells!”

I was reading a tweet yesterday from a woman who struggled with an eating disorder. It embarrassed and frustrated her so every day she told herself, “Tomorrow, I will begin to address this and heal.” She told herself that for twenty years before she finally did something.

“Making Cinnamon Rolls in the kitchen at The Ponderosa.”

Not having things done ahead of time made for a rather long and hectic day yesterday. I didn’t even start wrapping presents till noon and the family started arriving around 4:00! But hey, I made three dozen pepperoni rolls, two dozen cinnamon rolls, and two huge pots of chili. We had a table full of snacks when they got there…chips and queso, cheese and crackers, nuts, and Rolo pretzel cookies. When they left last night there was a small container of chili and six cinnamon rolls. It was tons of fun and we had a great time. 

“Hot cocoa and knitting…stop and enjoy the season.”

Productivity is a matter of personal interpretation. Did I wrap presents yesterday for the family Christmas dinner tonight? Um…nope. Did I bake the Pepperoni Rolls like I thought I would? Huh, uh.  However, I DID sip hot cocoa while listening to Christmas carols and knitting dishcloths. Why? I’ll tell you…

Because, we get so wrapped up in trying to have the perfect Hallmark holiday that we forget to just…be. To enjoy the moments. To sit down with someone you love and watch the rain pour down and ask if we’re ready for another cup of tea. To listen to Christmas music. To feel the warmth of the fire. To catch up with a friend on the phone. To read Christmas cards. To light candles with the scents of pine and cinnamon apples. 

“My favorite entry in the Gingerbread competition at The Blennerhassett Hotel…three little gnome houses on “stump” cakes!”

One of my favorite places in my hometown is The Blennerhassett Hotel. It is the finest hotel and restaurant in town and I have had the pleasure of visiting it many times. It’s the place where my gal pals from my high school class gather for coffee. It’s where they have the parade of trees.  Then the gingerbread houses. I marvel at both. The innovative ideas for the Christmas trees always leaves me smiling at all the creativity. And the gingerbread houses are just flat out amazing. This year, my favorite was the one with three little gnome houses on tree stump cakes. Camping was a big theme, as well. 

“Hand knitted dishcloth with the ASL sign for “I Love You” in the pattern.”

 Yesterday’s post had me thinking about quick, last minute gifts for the holidays. I was in town Sunday afternoon so I stopped at Walmart and picked up some cotton yarn. Those cute patterns for dishcloths had me thinking I’d like to whip up some. 

Mr. FixIt had to go to town yesterday to help a friend build something and do a little Christmas shopping. I elected to stay home. I asked Alexa to play “Soft Christmas Music”, turned up the stove in the family room, grabbed a cup of coffee, and curled up by the tree. I pulled up the fox fur blanket that I had made from the coat Mr. Virgo gave me years ago. And I set to knitting. 

“Forgiveness=Freedom”

I’m not sure what I expected when I became a Christian in 2004. Lightning? The parting of the sea? Enlightenment? Thunder? I do know what I received was life altering. I received a healing to my very core. I felt like every cell in my body had been made new. It was remarkable. 

When I was a baby Christian, I was like a sponge. I knew God, and loved Him. I knew Jesus, and finally embraced Him. But, when it came to the Holy Spirit, I was clueless. I had no idea exactly who He was, how He worked, what His function was. As the years have gone by, I’ve learned more and more and have developed my relationship with the Holy Trinity. And once in a while I get a big A-Ha moment that shines a light on some aspect I didn’t understand before.

“A lovely display of vintage hotpads and dishcloths.” Photo Credit: Pinterest

Staying out at the farm brings out the nostalgia in me. My grandma didn’t have fancy things. And when she sewed, her aim was function, not fashion. She mended sheets, shirts, and work pants. She often used old blankets, and even old quilts, as the batting for new ones. She sandwiched the old between fabric if she had the money…sheets if she didn’t. Then she tied them with colorful yarn or perle cotton every few inches. I found a pair of knitting needles and some yarn in her work basket but she said she had never mastered the craft.