Christmas is a-coming!

And with it little familiar bits from Christmases past are springing up around the house…

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This one is my especial reminder of Powell River, gifted to me by a friend just before we moved away…

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Little by little Christmas baking is happening—starting with caramel corn—the best ever recipe!

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And humble little ornaments are being created to share…IMG_20161209_193225327

And we have had the fun of a happy grandkid sleepover.  We all had a splendid time!  It was a fond reminder of when our house was full of young ‘uns…

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The walk to the mailbox has brightened…

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And the outdoors has turned into a deep-freeze as we head into our first Alberta winter since Bible School days in Three Hills!

The elk still come by and it’s no longer kids that trample the snow in the yard, but elk….usually by night when we are unawares.

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We are discovering new small town traditions.  The CP Rail Holiday train passed through this week, stopping at a pedestrian crossing on a cold sub-zero night to throw down a boxcar wall and voila! instant stage for some lively Christmas music.  Dancing along kept us all from frostbite, but just barely.

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And now, as befits the season, I’m home nursing a cold by the gas fireplace in our cozy little suite, listening to music…

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–LS

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14 KJV

Music is one of the best parts of Christmas!

Accounting for November

It’s strange the way the weeks speed up at year’s end and the days flip by…

I have only a handful of photographs to represent the whole month!  It’s an awkward season for taking pictures.  The once-golden aspen beauties have turned to skeletons.  And the snow hasn’t perfected its purifying magic on the landscape quite yet…

But there are hopeful signs of snow to come…IMG_20161119_114203254IMG_20161119_114218387IMG_20161119_114438214and in the meantime man steps in and makes it here so cross-country ski season can begin,  slowly but surely.

I’m in no hurry.  I love being in my nest all cozy.  And morning by morning I get up, open the blinds and snuggle into my quiet corner on the couch to watch the day begin…

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And all through November, at day’s end I pull out a pen, practice lettering a random alphabet (copied from the Internet!), and write down a word to capture some aspect of the day…

These were some of my favorites…

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And there is my record of November, all but lost in the shuffle of Advent season!

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–LS

She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet…
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come!  Prov.31:21,25