May your Holiday 2023 be filled with an Abundance of All Things you consider Good.
LOTSA LOVE, NEAL & HR
One more selfie …
(Robert always takes the selfies because I invariably drop the phone.)
A Selfie Christmas
Tag: Photography
Five Friday Happy Bringers 12/22/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. Our amaryllis …
… blooming at just the tight time.
2. Beautifully precious grandchildren …
3. Cold and hot running water! What an incredibly tremendous blessing (which I far too often take for granted).
4. Our annual tradition of reading the delightfully nostalgic little book, A Cup of Christmas Tea and enjoying tea and cookies.
5. The reason for the season.
Have a Blessed Christmasv Weekend.
Countdown to Christmas: 12/21/23 — “Taste the Flavors of Christmas”
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, the 21st Day of Advent … TASTE THE FLAVORS OF CHRISTMAS.
Here are today’s instructions:
Certain flavours are inextricably linked to Christmas. A mince pie, a piece of gingerbread, a glass of sherry or eggnog, anything with nutmeg in it.
For this mindful tasting exercise, simply choose one of your favourite Christmas treats, and for a few minutes give your full attention up to the enjoyment of its flavours.
Before you start eating or drinking, sit down with your treat in front of you and engage your other senses. Notice how the treat looks, smells and feels. Is your mouth watering? Do you have any particular expectations? Fully experience the present moment, the palpable anticipation before the enjoyment.
Consume your treat as slowly as possible. Focus on the feel and taste of each bite or sip, the texture and sensations in your mouth. Consider all the flavours that are combined in what you can taste.
Try to block out all other thoughts and concerns for these few minutes of enjoyment. Channel all your attention solely into the experience of consuming this Christmas treat. Do the flavours bring back any fond memories of Christmases past? Are any other emotions awakened? Simply notice the progression of your emotions and bodily sensations as you eat or drink.
This exercise should demonstrate how much there is to enjoy when we take our time with our food and drink and focus our mind completely on the enjoyment of the present.
YUM!
One-Word Wednesday: 12/20/23
“Mistakes”
On our recent anniversary trip to Atlanta, for some reason I kept making “mistakes” as I took photos.
Like these at the Atlanta Botanical Garden …
Or these from our Airbnb balcony with a great view of Atlanta’s skyline …
And even though they are mis“takes” …
… they are still kinda pretty.
All mistakes aren’t ugly.
Shhh … Silent Sunday. 12/17/23
Five Friday Happy Bringers 12/15/23
My weekly gratitude journal, of sorts.
1. A truly wonderful anniversary trip to Atlanta last week. Year 7.
2. Marveling at the AMAZING outdoor lights display at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Garden Lights, Holiday Nights.
And Atlanta won the National Championship of outdoor holiday light displays!
3. The Amazing Ability to see!
4. This tree outside our Airbnb in Atlanta.
5. My anniversary cards from HR. (You may recall that Robert has this wacky habit of giving multiple cards on special occasions. Which at first I thought was sort of weird but now love it.)
May you have a colorful weekend ahead!
T-Shirt Tuesday: “Savannah Wildlife T-Shirt Series” #11
So a while back, I did a short series of T-shirt Tuesdays with cool wildlife T-shirts I saw at the Savannah Wildlife Refuge gift shop.
Recently we went back, and I snapped a few more photos. (With a few folks staring at me for pulling the T-shirts off the racks and positioning them for my photo op.)
Today … the Heroic Heron.
Some of Robert’s photos of herons …
May we not be afraid to get our feet wet today.
HAPPY WET-FOOTED TUESDAY!
Monday Moaning or Monday Marveling? 12/11/23 “Seven”
Definitely marveling today.
Robert and I are up in Atlanta for a week celebrating our Seventh Wedding Anniversary.
We’re staying at a very cool Airbnb with a terrific view of the Atlanta skyline from our balcony.
Other than sitting on the balcony, we’ve seen a beautifully moving performance of A Christmas Carol at The Alliance Theatre …
God blessed us everyone!
And The Nutcracker at The Cobb Energy Center …
(Do you think at 71 I’m a bit too old to become a world-famous male ballet dancer?)
For our anniversary dinner, we went to the beautiful Atlanta Fish Market.
Afterwards, I went to the market section of the restaurant and bought HR a good-sized fish for our anniversary—and then had our picture taken in front of it before it was iced and wrapped to be taken home.
Tonight we head to The Atlanta Botanical Garden for their FABULOUS Garden Lights, Holiday Nights outdoor lights display.
Come and go with us! Help us celebrate 7.
Countdown to Christmas: 12/11/23 — “Mindfully Decorate”
This year my Countdown to Christmas is a nontraditional Advent Calendar centering (pun intended) on mindfulness.
On the front of each card is neat little picture, and on the back are the instructions for the short meditation.
Today, the 11th Day of Advent … MINDFULLY DECORATE.
Here are today’s instructions:
Some people adore decorating the house for Christmas, while others cringe at the thought of it. Wherever you put yourself on this scale, this exercise is designed to encourage a more involved and rewarding decorating experience.
The first step is to approach the task as though this is the first time you have ever put up Christmas decorations. Disregard any prior routines and consider anew which decorations to put where, and why.
Be fully present in the moment as you decorate. Examine each decoration before you put it up. Notice each detail of it – how it feels in your hands, how the light shines off its surface, what aspect of Christmas it represents. Think about each item’s existence, sitting in a cupboard for most of the year then coming out in December for its time to shine.
Give care and attention to the Christmas tree. Study its shape, smell its scent, touch its needles. Lovingly dress it in your chosen decorations.
Be aware of your thoughts and emotions as you go through the process of decorating the house. Do you start to feel anticipation for the coming days? Are there any decorations that instigate a fond memory from the past? Embrace these feelings as they happen.
By immersing ourselves fully in a task like this, we realise how much can pass us by when subscribing to a standard routine.
(Since we’ve already finished our decorating, I had to alter this meditation by thinking about our holiday decor.)
NealEnJoy 