Christmas

Twas the Twelfth Day of Christmas

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Twas the Twelfth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, stockings galore, a fire in the fire place, a full cup of coffee, and a strong west swell.  Not that I’m surfing, since my back is not back from its hiding place yet.

The day is crisp and clear. Surfers were surfing before I rose from the bed.  We are busy at work preparing food for our family who will join us for presents in the not too distant future.

Thanks to Mollie for making this fabulous Twelve Days of Christmas Wreath.

Merry Christmas to all.  May this day bring you peace and joy.

Twas the Ninth Day of Christmas

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Twas the Ninth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a ribbon of spun cloth and my 100th Follower, All Things That Dogs Blog.  It’s set in a retro Apple framework.

My brother and his wife raise Guide Dogs for Guide Dogs of America.  Our mom was legally blind by the time I was twelve, but it sure didn’t stop her from catching us poking each other or grabbing cookies from the jar. She said she had eyes in the back of her head, and they seemed to work just fine. 20-20 hind sight, I’d guess you’d say.

I’m sure she would love to see Bev and Allen’s current Guide Dog in Training, Bud.  Hats off to them for guiding 17 Dogs into service. So go Bud, Go.  You’ll be number 18 if you keep your nose clean and pass all your tests.

Bev and Allen have brought unwavering love and devotion to train all those dogs who bring their skills to those who cannot see.

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Bud – Guide Dog in Training.

I am grateful for my vision.  I am grateful for my family.  I am grateful to be alive.

 

Twas the Eighth Day of Christmas

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Twas the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, the most splendid early morning light on this, our Winter Solstice.

We drove down the coast for breakfast, our usual on Wednesdays, before my lovely baby-sits our little grand daughter.  Driving south on Hwy 1, 7:30 a.m. light spilled over the hills to set Pedro Point aglow, reminiscent of the haunting light of a solar eclipse.

Later I received a text from my friend Sue, with this photo of little V at the Christmas tree.  It speaks for itself.

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May you find time to bask in early morning light.

 

 

Twas the Seventh Day of Christmas

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Twas the Seventh Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a turtle and some thoughts on current events.  There are two turtles in our Christmas wreath.  I found the first on the third day of Christmas.  With all the horrific news, this turtle may want to pull inside and hide in a hole.  Or maybe it’s me.  But why?  Compared to Allepo, Berlin, and Turkey it’s pretty darn tame outside.  But the news seems slanted toward one catastrophe after another. I bring it home, over and over.

Then I remember to breathe and an old adage springs from my subconscious.  When I don’t have time to meditate two times a day, I need to meditate three times a day.  Or when I don’t have time for one walk, I may need two.  And when current events pile up and spill on the floor, maybe take time to do something fun.

So I printed a nice photo for my dad’s Christmas Present.  A simple photo in a lovely little frame of him, me, my son, and his daughter.  Four Generations, you can see it here.  I’m not the first in the family to pull this off, but it’s the first time I’ve been in the photo.

May you find time to make yourself happy.

 

Twas the Fourth Day of Christmas

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spiral-ornament-1Twas the Fourth Day of Christmas my true love gave to me, snuggles and sleeping in late.  It is frosty outside, though the bird bath didn’t freeze.

The Christmas ornament reflects back to our front yard where a California Poppy has started early. The poppy is my harbinger of spring, and it’s way too early.

Here on the coast it rarely freezes, but the photo below shows a time when it did.  My son grabbed a handfull of frozen bird-bath water for one of my all-time favorite shots.  It does get cold here.

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Twas the Third Day of Christmas

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Twas the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a turtle swimming from a reef wreath.  Perhaps it was scared by the storm’s worrisome wind, scattering lawn chairs and spinning our chimney cap ’til we thought it might take flight.

We find turtles without trying.  Last summer we found them while paddling up the Lagunitas Creek, out of Point Reyes Station.  After our paddle we stopped by Spirit Matters and found a lovely Kwan Yin seated on a turtle.  This past September, on our trip to Kauai, we found turtles while exploring the reefs at Tunnels on the north shore.  Turtles are magic in that when we find them, we are always in an environment that makes us smile.

Spread joy and good cheer.

Twas the Second Day of Christmas

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Twas the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, a kiss on the cheek, south wind and an inch of rain.

The sea horse is out of focus.  I’m on my fifth try and focus has evaded on each.  So I’ll focus instead on the nature of this tiny creature.  While traveling with my lovely in Kauai this past September, she kept gathering objects for Molly.  It did not strike my noggin that these items were for a wreath.  I do not know why.  Maybe 85 degree weather and blue sky seemed out of place with Christmas planning.  I’m not sure if the horse is from Kauai, but I did see a photo of two riders on sea horses of sorts, riding in 3 feet of water toward the Hanalei pier.

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photo courtesy of Lorrie Meyercord

Merry Christmas to all.

I forgot the first day of Christmas.

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untitled-5Twas the first day of Christmas (yesterday) my true love gave to me, a very busy schedule and the promise of rain.  This year we have a wreath, made with love, from our dear friend Molly. It’s an interesting wreath that I’ll share with you, a bit at a time.  Today it’s a chair and a sand dollar.

I’m sitting, watching the rain, thinking of star fish from the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve a few miles down the coast.  It’s a moody place.  The fog has its way with many a day, but blue skies brings smiles to more than the tourists.  Sea Lions smile and bark at the sun, though they seem pretty pleased when the fog settles too.  Whales breach outside the reef, while at low tide the reserve shows off sea urchins, anemones, star fish, and more.

Happy Holidays far and wide.