My mom grew one of these for many, many years. She always called it Christmas Cactus*. I took cuttings from her plant about 15 years ago. It is not the most beautiful plant – until it blooms each winter. It usually is a bit neglected and then I go into care mode and it rewards my feeble efforts with flower love.
* Schlumbergera truncata – I think!
When I was 9, I left my local parish school. That fall I entered the thick grey walls of a girls’ school, a long streetcar ride from home. The halls that threaded the school where normally filled with the muted trampings of rubber soles and the rustling of black habits and long rosary beads. Those first months I felt the walls had eyes and ears that peered into my soul, weighed me and found me lacking in grace and whatever other qualities where expected in a student there. And I shrank into my introverted shell.
Then came late November and a gift was dropped into my soul. All the elementary students gathered at the beginning of the day in a strange wide place filled with windows in an otherwise enclosed hallway. The windows stretched from steamy radiators almost to the high ceilings. I remember that Monday filling the space with grey early light. There was a surprise as the heavy scent of Christmas hung in the air as we pressed in to be close to the large wreath of fresh greens somehow suspended above us. As a candle was lit, those several hundred voices sang out, “O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel…” I don’t know if I understood the words but enclosed in the sound was mystery and comfort.
I’ve sung and heard this hymn sung every year since and when I hug it close and let myself return to that dark place, I hear the echo of those voices down through time and touch again the mystery and the comfort.
I believe that God Himself touched that lonely little girl with His presence and began a game of hide and seek with her. It would take many years but again in real time He would touch my soul with the mystery, wonder, and comfort of His presence and I would know His name – Emmanuel – God with us – God with me.
Ann Voskamp is sharing about Advent wreaths, Jesse trees and keeping Advent. Ann has such insight and grace to touch mystery and wonder; you might enjoy a visit with her at the farm.
I know, I’ve posted many sunset sky photos. I can’t seem to help myself!
I was out in rush hour traffic and my camera was home on the counter, probably a good thing or I would have been seriously tempted to drive into a farmer’s field to try and capture the magnificence of 5:00 p.m. I had to wait until I could get home and this was the sky art at 5:20. As Heather said today, “There’s always beauty around us to enjoy.” I love that days begin and end with beauty surrounding us; even when we think we can’t see it, it is there.
A sweet new visitor for us. This Carolina Wren is very quick and this is my first photo capture. Leaves continue to fall and blow about and this energetic little bird barely stops for a photo op as he races around turning them in search of a juicy bug. The other day, he plucked a stink bug from the door. I don’t know if he ate it, but I do hope he has an appetite for them!
I’ve mentioned it before – this is such a great site – Cornell Lab of Ornithology Click and you can hear the song of this wren which is what draws me to the window! These little guys are loud and distinctive from the House Wrens that nest here in summer.
I haven’t put out a suet feeder in a while because the squirrels and crows are adept at stealing them. Today, I’m plotting where to put one to entice this visitor to stay a while.
Do you have a favorite bird in your neighborhood? Do you feed birds over winter?
Ever changing patterns of light and shadow illuminating leaves like jewels.
Feast for the eyes. Calm for the soul.
I decided to share my vintage crewel work because this bird always makes me laugh. A dodo, I presume, showing off under the Tree of Life design.
When I was quite young, I learned a few embroidery stitches. I think perhaps my older sister or a Scout leader taught me. In our community we had a five and dime type store where for a small expenditure a carefully chosen dresser scarf or doily type of piece, stamped with a design and some thread, were mine. I would walk home dreaming of the beauty soon to come but all too often I simply created knots and tangled thread made lumps inspiring the dreaded – “Let me see the back of your work.” tsk, tsk.
It was a terrible discouragement but there was something about the desire to make something beautiful which drew me. Eventually the soft wool and classic designs of crewel embroidery from Erica Wilson and Elsa Williams came to my attention. I made less mess and acquired a little skill. But in the business of life, unfinished projects sank to the bottom of a thread box.
Earlier this year I picked up a pattern and Perle cotton thread. In times of waiting, snow people took shape. Uneven and wobbly stitches aside, I enjoyed the very comfort of plying a needle again.
The Snow Happens pattern can be found here along with other fun patterns and supplies.
A blogger of note, Bronwyn Hayes of Red Brolly has some lovely stitching and photography tutorials, fun designs, quilting and recipes from life Down Under.
Today Ann Voskamp wrote on grief, hard grief. I think whatever grief we are going through is a hard grief. I picked two sentences to remember.
Joy is the way to live bravest of all.
Thanks therapy is God’s prescription for joy.
Last spring I read One Thousand Gifts, Ann’s book. Yesterday I wrote my 1,000th entry. It has been therapy. I am starting over today. 
They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.
Psalm 65:8 NASB
The glowing beauty in the fog gives way to the dry, rustling sound of raining leaves.
A tiny, fluffy, wind born seed rests on me and then is caught up on the breeze, flitting across the yard like a dancing, twirling fairy.
Bird chatter and busy feeding go on through the sunny hours.
Sabbath rest; I feel it deeply.