Real Women Make Quiche

I am wrapping up and putting away lights and greenery, seeing  bare walls once again, and tasting the onion quiche-lets I made this morning while still remembering with a wistful mental glance the Yale professor  from Connecticut I watched online this morning as he talked, his crisp shirt still marked with a crease on one side from being in a new wrapper, of poetry, publishing and syllabi.

And I wondered why it was that instead of being one of the listening, bobbing heads I could barely see in front of the camera, as he spoke of Yates, Hughes, and Frost, I was making quiche-lets, and boxing up Christmas in Sunny California.

This is where I live. This is what I do.

But I still wonder.

The Empty Boxes

Well, it's over for another year. The empty boxes are stacked up, trash can overflowing with discarded who-knows-what. We have been blessed with another Christmas! Despite my fears and misgivings, I was able to bless my children with gifts, and in the eyes of any second or third world onlooker, they are spoiled.

The fact is, I rub shoulders exclusively with first worlders, and compared to the average American, our Christmas was modest. That's not to say we were not extremely blessed and thankful. We revelled in the day, in wonder at our blessings.

But the truth is, each morning our boxes are all empty, no matter how full they may have been the night before, and we await the filling of ourselves from the Master Giver, from Whom all Blessings Flow.

Gloria In Excelsis Deo!

Feasting

I've been feasting lately. Don't worry. It's not a holiday binge, although on second thought, maybe.

You know how athletes in training, and kids who are growing eat you out of house and home, because they use up calories so fast they can't seem to get enough? Well that's how my spiritual life has been lately. I've been running a faith/trial  marathon, and I can't seem to get enough encouraging, admonishing, and correcting words if I go too long without truth-the kind you get from reading the Bible or attending church. I feel a need to contemplate a steady diet of truth to soothe my battle-scarred soul. I'm a bottomless pit!

It really is remarkable how you can be hungry for truth, get some, and the next hour, need more.

Proverbs says the wise man is hungry for truth. I hope I'm getting wiser. I've certainly devoured my quota of truth lately. How about you? Any truth feasts?

Thy words were found, and I did eat them. -the Bible

Castle Living

We toured a castle this weekend. I've often fantasized about living in one. Turrets, braziers in the great room, tapestries on the wall, a roast pig turning on a spit on the hearth, and of course a moat to keep out undesirable enemies. I would be the lady of the castle and order delicacies caught on the expansive grounds and prepared in the kitchen below in stone ovens. Entertainment would be provided during our elaborate feasts by courtiers, musicians and artisans, and everyone would revere the lord of the castle, my husband, of course! Our conquests and magnanimous treatment of everyone in our employ (noble knights included) would be known throughout the land.

That was before my furnace went out.

I had heard that castles were cold. Somehow I'd left the actual temperature out of my fantasy.

We've been waking up to temperatures under 60 F. I must concede that a castle just might get colder than that, unless you're glued to the fireplace.

I've been very attached to my fireplace lately, but last night we used up the last of the firewood. Which is why today, I'm typing this post at my local (warm) coffee shop. My lord (hubby) told me that the price of a cup of coffee would be cheaper than cranking up the electric space heater or turning on the oven, again. I'm not in a castle. But I'm warm.

Fireside

It only takes a spark
to get a fire going
and soon all those around
can warm up to its glowing
that's how it is with God's love
once you experience it
you want to sing
its fresh like spring
you want to pass it on

Do you remember this 'hippie song' from the seventies?

When I was a teen we used to sing it every week in our youth group meeting. Songs come and go in popularity, but love never does. This weekend, we have been surrounded by love, of all kinds, from all corners, and we are still in the warm glow of it all.

My children reminded me that they are huddling under multiple blankets at home, because our furnace is broken and the part is on order. Oops, sorry kids. I however, am still in the warm glow of their love, as they once again sent us off joyfully to have our weekend alone.

I hope you, my reader, are surrounded by love in your life. If not, I hope you'll find a warm spot to huddle up next to, and nurture your soul with people who love you. Perhaps that may even be in the words of a gifted writer. I've been enjoying the writings of George MacDonald lately as he ruminates about the intimate and real love of our heavenly Father. Perhaps you are the spark of love for others as well.

Go and warm your world!

A Weekend in Napa

We have successfully ensconced ourselves in the charming B&B in Napa that is our yearly retreat. What a refreshing blessing it is to get away from home and work responsibilities and just enjoy a few days together. Time seems to stand still for a while so we can catch our breath!

Our host and hostess spare nothing to make our stay comfortable and we are truly spoiled. We do have a bit of work to do (Jim plays piano, and I help facilitate) but the rest of the time is free. The other people that come each year to help along with a few new faces, are friendly and welcoming and the entire experience is a delight.

The weather is mild this year, and promises to continue so, although we heard the wind whipping around the corners of the hundred year old tudor mansion while we were snug in our bed last night.

The Historic Inns tour begins today and we are expecting 450 guests. We have checked in on our children, and are proud that they are managing well without us. After the roller-coaster ride of this year, we are so grateful to be at Cedar Gables Inn once again, and have this familiar place to re-charge for the coming year. Thanks to all of you who made it possible. Just in case you don't know who you are: Ken and Susie Pope, Lana, Emma, Clara, Janna, the good folks at Europa who fixed our van for a great price, Fed Ex (the provider of the $ to fix the van) and our Heavenly Father who orchestrated it all! Play on, Maestro! We are your instruments.

Good and Bad: In God's Hands

Life has been a swirl of change, good and bad as of late, and I have been somewhat remiss in not sharing it all with you, my adored readers!

First of all the bad news.

My hubby's foot pain (from dropping the pool filter on it) has mysteriously moved to the other foot and we now suspect he is suffering from gout. So in the middle of the injured foot getting better, the other foot began to give him excruciating pain. Remembering back to the evening with the magician, we realized he consumed not one but possibly more than three serious gout causing foods, and so the roller-coaster ride continues.

The disability check we were counting on for this week will be delayed because of a clerical error (not assigning blame anywhere here) and the weekend we were looking forward to in Napa will be just a little different than we imagined. That is of course, unless the foods and fluids which I've been researching on google and pumping into him will take effect and give a miracle cure.

Then last night, our daughter came home with the news that a steering column bolt had snapped off the van and she was barely able to drive it home. Thank goodness she had not been far from home at the time!

On to the other good news!

The faith lesson we've been attempting to extract out of this is a rich one. We'd just begun (again) to memorize and chapter of the Bible-Colossians 3, which begins with, "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above.." and are learning just how to do that when one's problems are so, well...earthly! One way is to keep remembering that God has everything under control and it is only by trusting Him that we can have peace of any kind. We have had moments of every kind of emotion, as you can well imagine, but are determined that we are safely in His hands. No other view seems sane!