iPod Woes - and Wonders!

It all began back in December when my daughter told me about her iPod Touch and how amazing it was.  I decided to join the technophiles and get me one.  I had no intention of paying for it, though.  I was going to get a FREE iPod with my RBC Rewards points. 

At the time an iPod Touch was available for a mere 30,000 points.  Unfortunately, I waffled.  I didn’t need an iPod – free or otherwise – and once the points were spent, they were spent.  So I waited.  But the call of the iPod was more than I could resist and so I decided to take the plunge and order it.  Well, darned if they didn’t double the points needed to get one.  I took it as a sign and resolved to put iPod ownership out of my mind. 

Then my daughter suggested that I get a Future Shop gift card with my points instead and order it that way.  Hmmm....

I logged into my RBC  account and filled out all the necessary stuff like my name and address and what I wanted to spend my points on and clicked on the Submit Order button.  A little pop-up window announced that the function was not working and apologized for any inconvenience.

  

Another sign!

For the next few days, I logged into my account and went through the motions of ordering (practice makes perfect) only to have the pop-up apology repeatedly remind me that it wasn’t working.  Okay.  That’s it.  No iPod for me. 

But, of course, I got stubborn.  My resolve dissolved and I went back after a few days and tried again.

Success! 

My points were spent and a confirmation e-mail landed in my in-box announcing that a Future Shop gift card was on its way.  Whoot!

The card arrived two weeks before I expected it to on Friday the 13^th.  This may have been another sign, but I ignored it, not being superstitious about Friday the 13^th, and Googled Future Shop.  I found the iPod I wanted and dropped it into a shopping cart.  Before I could find anything else to buy, I went to complete my order. 

Again with the filling out of on-line forms.  At the bottom of the order page, I was asked to enter my gift card number and security PIN.  The page changed and I noticed that the balance on my gift card was zero.  That wasn’t right, so I cancelled my order and called Customer Service.  A very nice man told me not to worry, that, yes, there was a problem with the gift card balances not showing up, but that my order would be processed and the gift card would be applied and I could rest assured that my credit card would not be charged.

Okay!  Back to the Future Shop web site.  Back to placing my order.  I did hesitate for just a moment, but finally clicked on Submit Order and then went happily on with my day with complete faith in the system.

On Wednesday, the iPod arrived at the post office and I picked it up.  Oh, happy day.  I had a new toy to play with.  And what a fun little gadget it is! 

A short hour after picking up the iPod, my happy bubble was unceremoniously popped when I happened to log into my on-line banking and saw – much to my horror – that my credit card had been charged the full amount of the iPod.  I know I swore.  What else does one do when a charge appears on one’s credit card that should not have appeared?

I re-Googled Future Shop and found the customer service contact page.  I opted to send an e-mail in which I detailed the circumstances and politely asked that the charges be reversed and the gift card be applied.  A short while later I got a reply saying that this could not be done.  The e-mail suggested that I did not follow the instructions and that it basically sucked to be me.   Not acceptable!

I shot back another e-mail, insisting that Future Shop fix this.  I argued that their web site had a glitch and that I should not be punished for their functionality failure.  Again, I received a reply that was not to my satisfaction.  I was told to take the iPod down to my local Future Shop store and return it and then buy it again with the gift card.  The closed Future Shop store is 200 miles away.  Not gonna happen.

I explained my dilemma in a third e-mail.  This time the reply was an offer to send me a mailing label so I could send the iPod back. 

Oh, for pity sake!

I abandoned e-mail communication and picked up the phone.  I dialled the toll-free number for Customer Service and spoke to a kindly lady named Fay.  I gave her my order number and explained the whole sordid affair to her.  She was sympathetic – at least – but said that she could not reverse the charges or apply the gift card.  She did, however, say that she would pass my problem on to another department where there were people who could.  Awesome!

She re-capped my story so I knew she understood and asked me to give them 48 hours to respond. 

It’s been 72 hours and no one has gotten back to me...

But that’s not all.  Yesterday I went to charge the iPod and nothing happened.  Strange!  I checked to make sure that the cord was properly connected to both the iPod and the computer.  Nothing seemed amiss.  I unplugged the iPod and plugged in my camera.  Nothing happened.  My first thought was that my USB ports were fried again. 

I got out the library laptop and plugged the iPod into it.  Nothing.  So I tried the camera.  It was fine. 

One of my staff members plugged the iPod into her computer.  Nothing. 

To say that my gorge rose is very nearly an understatement.  I was physically nauseous.  First a charge on my credit card and then the damn thing doesn’t work after only two days.  This couldn’t be happening.

The staff member, also an iPod owner and enthusiast, brought her cord in to see if that was the problem.  As it turned out, it was.  The iPod charged as it should and all was well.

Well, except for now I had a charge cord that was screwed. 

Another staff member came to my rescue and brought me an old charge cord from an iPod that doesn’t work anymore.  I haven’t tried it, but I am hopeful that it will see me through until I can get a new one.

If the silly thing wasn’t so darned cool, I think I would just return it and be done with the whole mess.  Unfortunately, I can’t seem to bring myself to do that.  This little gadget really is amazing.  The apps are a riot and an addiction to Angry Birds is already taking hold of my psyche. 

I can use Facebook and Skype with it.  I can check the weather, which is updated hourly.  I can take photos and videos.  And the camera is reversible – front or back.  I can watch TV on it and enjoy Youtube videos.  It has an excellent calendar on which I can record events and appointments.  I can read e-books and listen to audio books.  There’s a dictionary with Word of the Day, a thesaurus and a voice-activated look-up, which is a hoot when it doesn’t understand what I’m saying.  Sky View lets me see the planets and stars even inside.  Epic Win is a to-do list that rewards me when I complete any given task. 

It’s a computer in the palm of my hand. 

I’m determined to get the credit card charges reversed.  But that’s a Monday problem.  For now I’m going to just have fun with my new toy.  But maybe in the future, when I want something and all the signs are against me, I’ll listen!

Maybe!

The Art of Ebru

In spite of myself, I am attempting to learn a new art form.  Though I told myself that I would not start any new hobbies and stick to the ones I already have invested in, I couldn’t help myself when I saw a Youtube video on Ebru.   Ebru is the art of marbling paper and fabric.  It originated in Turkey and has been around for many hundreds of years. 

The process is fairly simple.  Getting good results is... Well, it’s definitely an art! 

Marbling is accomplished by splattering paint or pigment onto water that is thickened with carageenan.  This is called the size.   Carageenan (aka Irish Moss) is a type of sea weed and is also used as a thickening agent in food.  It’s also hard to come by and it’s not cheap.  Diligent research revealed a more readily available and cost effective substance:  cellulose.  I am using common wall paper paste with reasonable results. 

Once the water is thick – but not too thick! – the fun can begin.  The mess begins as well and I’ll have to rearrange my studio so that I don’t splatter the pieces that are drying on the rack.

After the paint has been splattered a marbling effect is achieved by drawing a thin rod or a comb through it to swirl the paint and make specific patterns.  Then, if one so desires, pictures can be painted on top of the marbled background by dropping tiny blobs of paint onto the water and then manipulating them with the rod into various shapes.  The possibilities are endless.  My abilities are – so far – somewhat limited.

A quick bath in clean water to rinse off the cellulose and the work is ready to dry on a rack.  Later it will be ironed to get rid of the wrinkles and – one day – be framed for display. 

Here are some samples of my first attempts at Ebru...

Here I am drawing flowers
on a marbled background.

And this is what it looks like on the paper.
After drying and ironing, it looks better.  

The "Valentine" after being rinsed
and waiting to dry.  

Hearts still on the size.

With a bit more practice, I’m fairly confident that I will be able to create some interesting pieces.  I might even get brave some day and try making silk scarves.  Maybe!  We’ll see.  That is definitely a down-the-road thing.  

My first week back at work after the holidays was great!  It was tough leaving Oliver home alone all day, but he survived.  And it was wonderful to be greeted again after a day in the office by a loving pet.   He’s hiding right now instead of enjoying my delightful company.  I cleaned the house and he is still terrified of the vacuum cleaner.  He’ll just have to adjust to it.  There’s nothing like the feeling of satisfaction after giving the house a thorough cleaning and tidying. 

The weather continues to be uncooperative.  While I realize that there is no point in complaining – we get what we’re given! – the warm temperatures and the rain are wreaking havoc by causing ice to build up everywhere.  The roads are treacherous and walking anywhere is a nightmare.  My winter shuffle makes me look like a helpless old woman, but I am determined to stay upright and avoid injury if at all possible.  My ice walkers help, but even they can’t prevent me from slipping all the time. 

The other day when I left work I was trying to open Gracie’s (my van) sliding door to stow Zippy (my mail cart) but the door was frozen shut and when I jerked on it my left foot slipped out from under me.  I managed not to fall but I wrenched my neck a bit and am paying the price for it now.  It’s not too bad today.  Yesterday was extremely uncomfortable, though.  Hopefully, I’m good to go for Yoga on Tuesday.  The housework hasn’t seemed to make it any worse.

I’m now on the hunt for a funky writing table to go with my new chair.  Last night, my sister, brother-in-law and parents came for a short, but very pleasant visit.  Sis and BIL surprised me with an wonderful gift – this gorgeous, antique office chair:

This lovely antique office chair was a gift
 from my sister and brother-in-law!

Several months ago, my sister had posted a photo of it on her blog.  They had decided to get rid of it and I responded by saying that it was too bad I was so far away as I would love to give it a new home. 

Well, in a serendipitous turn of events, my sister, her husband and my parents had traveled together up north here to attend my niece’s wedding.  They brought the chair with them and now it sits in place of pride in my living room.  Thank you, P & G!  I am thrilled!

I’m thinking of doing a bit of baking this afternoon.  It feels like a baking day!  Some peanut butter cookies, some brownies and maybe some chocolate chip cookies for good measure.  I might even get brave enough to take out my knitting later.  I’m anticipating a battle of wills over the yarn with Oliver, but I have a hankering to make something.  We’ll see how it goes!

Welcome to 2012

It’s time once again to ring in the new year with my annual numerological assessment of 2012.  What energies does it hold?

2+0+1+2=5

Five is the number of celebration.  It’s positive aspects are fun, adventure, creative expression and joy.  On the negative side, 5 represents over-indulgence and selfishness.  Let’s aim for the fun, adventure and joy this year!

An important aspect of 5 is gratitude.  Count your blessings and be sure to say thank you for them often.  The simple act of kindness is a powerful way to overcome negative 5 energies.  So smile!  Do a good deed.  Compliment freely.  Help a stranger.  Help a loved one.  Oh, and be kind to yourself as well! 

2012 contains two 2s, one 0 and one 1. 

0 represents potential.  It is a void - a space to be filled.  Being a circle, the zero also reminds us of the cyclical nature of all things.  The never-ending circle of life:  birth, life, death... 

1 represents the self.  The positive 1 is confident and blessed with healthy self-esteem.  It can stand alone courageously and uphold its principles and values.  The negative 1, is selfish and petty.  It can be cruel. 

2 represents partnership.  Love or business is strengthened with the number 2 energy.  With two-2’s in the year, there is an emphasis on these aspects.  (Yay!)  But one must be careful that the 2 remains in balance.  An unbalanced relationship of any kind can mean power over or suppression of one by the other. 

So 2012 has enormous potential to bring many good things into our lives.  We could very well find ourselves joyously celebrating love and/or success, having all sorts of fun adventures and finding new ways to express our creativity.  Wow!  Sounds like a busy year ahead. 

Today, in particular, is a 7 day.  Seven is the number of spiritual energy.  A positive 7 is filled with compassion and love and is deeply connected to Spiritual Source.  (Whatever that may be for each of us)  2012 01 01 as you can see has three 1s in it.  The Self is encouraged to communicate inwardly through meditation or reflection.  Today is a good day for such activity.  It is also a good day to reach out to those we love and say so!  Communication, while not overtly represented, is being strongly encouraged. 

There are three 0s as well.  That’s a lot of potential!  Today is a day to foster new beginnings, a day to let go of the past and start fresh.  Let that creative energy flow!  Fill your day with something wonderful.

The two 2s once again invite successful love and business interests.  So go ahead and make that deal!  Or bask in the light of love. 

I chose this photo to represent 2012 because of the symbolism of swans.  The swan as a totem is filled with amazing energies:  Love, Grace, Union, Purity, Beauty, Dreams, Balance, Elegance, Partnership and Transformation – all of which tie in quite nicely with 2012. 

So, Happy New Year!  May 2012 bring all of the very brightest of blessings into your life.  

Meet Oliver

Yes, I know that I swore that I was done with pets.  The heartbreak of losing them is just too hard to bear. 

Even before Neiko died I kept saying that I was never going to have another pet.  Watching him suffer with his weakening hips and growing slowly more feeble was awful.  Why do we put ourselves through that?  Loving and caring for these animals and then having to let them go?  Who needs it?

The emptiness in this house after Neiko died was palpable.  Sure there was no more hair all over the furniture.  He was no longer waking me up in the middle of the night to let him outside.  I didn’t have to feed him or brush him or worry about getting his nails clipped.  I didn’t have to fret about where he was or what he was up to.  But neither was he there to greet me with his wagging tail when I came home from work.  He no longer snuggled with me on the couch while I watched TV.  I wasn’t being entertained by his tricks.  I didn’t have his soft, warm fur to pet.  The not having him was worse than the losing him. 

I’ve had lots of pets.  I’ve lost lots of pets.  But the having them was so much better.

I waffled about getting another one.  A dog would take lots of work.  There’s the house breaking, the training, the walking and the grooming.  They are so cool and so much fun, but they are a lot of work.  A cat would mean a litter box and cat sick and furniture clawing.  They too are cool, but they can be a pain in the butt.   Dogs and cats need to be fixed, an expense I could do without.

Yes.  No.  Maybe.  I don’t know. 

I decided to just wait and see.  If the right pet showed up, I’d accommodate it. 

Well, guess what?

A visit to the Northwest Animal Shelter web site one day – just out of curiosity – had a new pet ready for adoption.   A six-month old kitten named Christian was at the top of the list on the cat page.  Hmmm...  He’s litter trained, he’s had all his shots, and he’s already been fixed.  And he’s cute as a button! 

Oliver exploring his new home at Alegria.

My hands were filling out the on-line adoption application before my brain could fully process what I was doing.  I agreed to a home inspection and to allowing follow-up visits after the adoption.  I agreed to return him to the shelter if he didn’t work out for me and I promised to make sure he got proper vet care.  I submitted details about my life and my home.  I gave an exhaustive account of my pet-ownership background and the types, ages and frequency of the visitors I get.  I almost didn’t click Send.  I was expecting to have to jump through no end of hoops for this cat. 

On Thursday I got a call from Christian’s foster mom.  She invited me to come and get him.  It really was that easy.  My daughter and I drove to the foster mom’s home where I paid my adoption fee and placed him in a carrier for the ride back.  No fuss, no muss.  Just thank you for giving Christian a new forever home.

The first thing I did was change his name.  Christian is now Oliver.  I don’t know where the name came from, but it just seemed to fit.  It means olive tree and the branch of the olive tree is a symbol of peace.  I figured that a symbol of peace would be a good way to ring in the New Year! 

The poor little guy got car sick on the way home.  Suddenly the van was filled with a distinctly fishy odour with over-tones of bile.  It was not pleasant, but it was probably better than anything that might have come out the other end.   Thankfully we weren’t far from home.  We had to make a couple of stops – for cat supplies! – before I could get Oliver out of the carrier and clean up the mess. 

Oliver survived the ordeal quite well.  When I got him home and opened the door to the carrier, he, in true cat fashion, sauntered out like he owned the place and began exploring his new home.  While Oliver explored, I busied myself with setting up his litter box, putting out his food and water dishes, unwrapping his toys and his scratching pad and, of course, cleaning up the cat sick! 

Peeking through the banister.

After he had thoroughly gone over every square inch of available space (some doors were closed) Oliver hopped onto the couch and curled up beside me.  His loud purring told me that he approved and was grateful to be at Alegria with me.  He even gave my hand a few licks.  We watched an episode of Murder She Wrote and enjoyed some snuggle time.  Oliver settled in like he was meant to be here.  And I think that maybe he really is.

The house feels more complete again.  There’s a pet who needs me and seems to even like me once again.  Oliver may depend on me for food and shelter and a clean litter box, but I already depend on him for the companionship he so generously and lovingly has to offer.  It’s hard to believe, but I already love him with all my heart.  He hasn’t replaced Neiko, but he sure has filled that empty place in my heart where Neiko used to be. 

Oliver has staked his claim on the back of the couch.  

I’m sure we’ll have many happy years together.   And when I have to face that loss, I’m sure I will be devastated.  But I’ll get through it, knowing that I was able to give him a good home and lots of love.  

The Story of My Life - In 18 Volumes

A month ago my dog died.  It hit me pretty hard and the tears still swell up when I think about Neiko and what a great dog he was.  I miss him terribly. 

To distract myself from my grief, or maybe to help process it, I tackled one of the projects that has been on my list since I bought Alegria – to paint a mural on my living room wall in the space where the opening to the bar used to be when Alegria was the Legion Hall way back in the 70’s.  I spent a good deal of time staring at this weird space wondering what it should be.  Months of coming up and then rejecting potential ideas passed.  It was just a few days before Neiko died that I finally nailed down the basic premise of the mural.  A book shelf.

At first I was going to paint a life-sized book shelf, dividing the four-foot tall space into four shelves and then filling the nine-foot long shelves with old-fashioned, leather-bound books.  I estimated that the shelves would hold somewhere in the neighbourhood of 400 volumes (ish).  The concept was fabulous.  It was also exhausting just to think about.  The surface being so rough (it was stippled) would make painting the titles and details extremely tedious.  The idea of a book shelf was good and didn’t fade like all the other ideas did.  But I just couldn’t imagine actually tackling it. 

Then it hit me!  Why not paint giant books on one shelf? 

Before!   This 4' x 9' space was once the opening to a bar.

On December 3^rd, I started drawing lines on the wall.  The design was loosely based on one of the book shelves on J.K. Rowling’s web site, a mix of vintage and modern books.  I had no idea what the titles should be, but soon the wall was filled with a series of 19 rectangles and I began filling them in with colour.   Painting the basic spines took several days and about 30 hours.  Filling in the spaces around the books took another six.  (Yes, I kept track!)

I was about half done painting the spines when it occurred to me that it would be fun to have books that represented some very special people in my life:  my kids, my best friend, my grandkids and my husbands.  There were 19 spines.  My list of special people was eight.  But what if more grandchildren came into my life?  What then?  My first problem.  And what about the girls’ spouses?  Should the current ones be given books?  What would happen if any of them split up?  (It’s happened before.)  My second problem.  Then I couldn’t figure out what books I should paint to represent Eric and Dave.  My third problem.

I made a list of books that I wanted on there for myself; books that represented my personal interests.  Knitting, yoga, mystery and fantasy fiction came easily to mind.  But which books?  How would I narrow it down?  There were just too many.  Another problem. 

I was chatting with my oldest daughter and I asked her what book would represent her Dad the best.  Her immediate answer was:  Archie comics.  I laughed out loud.   I was thinking of Les Miserable, because it was the only book he ever read as an adult.  But Archie made way more sense.  He loved Archie comics and literally hundreds and hundreds of them passed through our home.  Okay, an Archie comic it was.  There was a perfect, slim volume that would serve perfectly. 

After that the ideas really started to flow.  My best friend’s book would be The Medicine Wheel in honour of her Native heritage and the fact that we took the Medicine Wheel Facilitator’s Training together when we worked at the Friendship Centre.  I knew just which book it would be, too. 

For the grandchildren, present and future, one really special book would represent them all.  Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin.  If you haven’t read this book, go immediately to your local library and check it out.  It’s just the best children’s book ever.  (You can also hear the story on-line by Googling Pete the Cat and I apoligize in advance if the song gets stuck in your head.) 

Agatha Christie got me hooked on mysteries and I’ve read all of her books.  My favourite was Death on the Nile and so that title represents the mystery genre on the far right of the mural.  J.R.R. Tolkien  is, by far, my favourite fantasy author.  But I couldn’t include The Hobbit and the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy, so, instead There and Back Again by Bilbo Baggins takes its place on the far left of the mural representing fantasy fiction. 

Ali and Tracy were easy.  A book about fairies for Ali and a book about Dogs for Tracy.  Bizz, however, stumped me.  Spiders?  (Eek.)  Weaving?  (Possibly)  Grooming?  (Maybe)  Best to ask her.  And the answer should have been obvious – eco-crafting and living green.  So she ended up with two books, smaller and not nearly as fancy as her sisters’ books, but definitely her.  For my own other interests, I came up with titles for knitting, herbalism, yoga and Celtic lore.  Some real titles and some made up.   

Dave’s book was still blank.  What on earth could I do that would honour him?  He’s a pretty weird and complicated person and, again, the answer should have been obvious.  But I was stuck on his fascination with aliens and alternative energy systems and such.  As soon as a topic presented itself, I rejected it.  I kept coming back to drumming.  Since he is a drummer, it seemed fitting.  But a title continued to elude me.  As did a graphic.  His book spine remained empty.

As I was working on the mural just a few days ago, I realized that I didn’t have room for a dictionary.  I did a mental head-slap for this oversight and stood back to review my progress.  The two remaining volumes were too small to be dictionaries.  I was deeply dismayed and actually experienced a moment when I considered painting over the whole thing and hanging photographs in the space like the previous owners did.  But I’d invested 80 hours into the mural at that point and giving up was not an option.

It’s only paint.  Right? 

Right.

So I painted over the two untitled volumes, making them into a single book and – voila! – an English dictionary was born.

In the end, three of the books do not have titles.  Instead they have symbols.  One is an Om, the seed sound of the universe according to Hindu and Yogic traditions.  One is a Treble Clef, which, in case you haven’t guessed, is for Dave.  And one is a Question Mark.  I have many, many questions about many, many things.  Maybe the answers are in this book on my wall.  Maybe not! 

I also dream of writing and publishing a book someday.  This book, the book with the large gold question mark, represents that dream. 

The mural took 90 hours to paint.  It fills a space 4’ X 9’ on my living room wall.  It tells a story about me and about my life.  And it definitely brightens up the room.  

After!  After 90 hours of painting this is what I ended up with.

One of the best things about living at Alegria is the simple fact that I can paint murals on my walls if I so choose.  Slowly I am creating the home I have dreamed of having virtually since I was a kid.  Little by little I am finding new ways to say to the world – or at least to visitors to my home – This is me!  Aren’t I fabulous? 

If that sounds vain, well, I could apologize.  But I won’t.  It’s not meant to be.  I’m just learning to like myself for who I am.  Hell, I’m just discovering who I am.  And so far, I’m not really that  bad.  I have a few faults and phobias and probably a personality disorder or two, but – hey! – I also have a pretty cool mural on my wall. 

Feel free to stop by and see it some time.  I’ll put the tea on. 

Namaste!

Some Unexpected Joy

December 25, 2011.  One week until 2012 starts.  It’s been a fantastic year.  One of the best I can recall.

While most other people are celebrating Christmas, I am spending a quiet day at home with my paints, a puzzle, a book and blessed peace and quiet.  Yuletide, having started on the 22^nd has me on holiday from work and thoroughly enjoying the change of pace and ability to relax. 

I spent last evening with Dave, Bizz and Dan.  We had dinner together and then opened presents.  Nothing fancy, just a few Yuletide gifts that warmed each of our hearts.  The days of spending stupid amounts of money on presents is well behind me, I think.  (Mind you I say that every year.  This has just been the first that the budget couldn’t be stretched to accommodate them.)  No problem.  It was fun without all the stress and hoopla! 

I did get a couple of unexpected gifts this year.  My staff gave me a great bottle of wine, some bubble bath, an adorable reindeer bottle cork, and some tea.  My assistant also made me a willow wreath and my programming coordinator made me a tiger’s eye bracelet.  On Friday, my niece showed up at my office with a gift for me.  I asked her if I should open it then or if I had to wait.  She instructed me to wait.  (It was tough!)  She gave me a set of six beautiful ornaments.  I was stunned when I opened the package and found these delicate and oh, so gorgeous ornaments nestled in a box.  Instead of putting them on the tree, I put them on the willow wreath.  They will hang where everyone can see them all year long. 

Gorgeous ornaments from my adorable niece now hang on the beautiful willow wreath made by Adele.

Bizz and Dan gave me some foot stuff – scrubs, and scrubbers and all the things one needs to make their feet feel special.  Ali and Dave gave me an Amazon.com gift certificate.  Dave gave me cash, with which I’m going to treat myself to a couple of Holy Clothing tops that I’ve had my eye on, but which my Visa has firmly refused to look at.  Or, it will go toward paint for the spare room.  Not entirely sure yet if my conscience will permit the Holy Clothing indulgence.  I think this is one of the most delightful Yuletides as far as gifts goes I’ve had in a long time.   Each present has been so thoughtful and so fun. 

I may have to invest in a wine rack!  Lovely gifts from friends and family !

The festivities were simple this year.  Simple and heart-felt beyond measure.  I feel like I couldn’t have asked for more if I’d bothered to ask.  Right now, in the glow of the Yule tree, I’m so at peace.  The solstice has given us the gift of the sun and the promise of spring to come. 

Brightest blessings, one and all!