Thursday, December 05, 2013

Edging towards Christmas, one day at a time...


I still have to put out today our
two Nativity Icons,
to do what is planned for today.
*
I am also planning ahead for Christmas.
I almost have all of our gifts ordered...
I also found that I can get in CD form
the record that I listened to as a young girl
at Christmas Time.
*
It's a simple record that
shows a time when classical music was still
more normal.
*
DPL10453 - True Value Happy Holidays Volume 15
*
It should be here in CD form before Christmas!
I was inspired again to look for it when I read
Juliana's post on some of her Christmas music!
*
Now I just have to order some gifts for
the littlest of the short people in my life!
It's such a beautiful time of year.

I got this box at the rummage sale in October.
It's perfect for all my tall needles.
I am making scarves for all the nephews and nieces.
That would be 15 my friends.
I have a lot of knitting to do!

I made over ten balls of
white cotton yarn yesterday.
Hoping for lots of knit wash clothes for gifts this year.

I am loving our Christmas books
that I ordered while on Thanksgiving holidays.
 
I had a wonderful phone conversation this morning
with a dear friend in Ottawa.
She told me that she and her Mother are
praying for Alana and Wes.
I know I have dear and good friends when they
are concerned about those I am also concerned for.
Talking to her reminded me of all the good
and beautiful things that God gives us
each day.

These pictures are from a simple meal that
I made on Dec 3, the eve
of the Feast of the Mother of God at three years old,
and it was wonderful after this meal
to read prayers about the lighted candles
that many were holding as the Mother of God
went up to the temple.
I never did expressly write about ideas of how
to celebrate this feast.
They are simple of course...and I welcome
any additional ideas!
*
~pray prayers of the Feast for vespers and/or matins
~go to vespers, vigil and/or liturgy for the feast
~make a festive meal on the feast day
~light candles
~if you have an icon of this Feast, put it on display
~remember the young children in your life and remember
that they can make much progress towards God
~make one's house a temple worthy of being always with God
 
It is such a wonderful feast and it already has in it
hymns of Christmas!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

The table looks so cozy and inviting. I'm sure the Blessed Mother was looking down smiling :) I wish we had a dining room or school room. Our kitchen table is used for so many things it's hard to be 'fancy' for an everyday type occasion.

Paula

elizabeth said...

Hi Paula,
Thanks! It is hard to not have tons of room; I know all about this! Sometimes to have a clear table, our couch gets piled up... I do understand this... :)

Lisa said...

One always remembers the Christmas music one heard as a child. It's not always easy to find them on CD.

elizabeth said...

Lisa,

Yes, it is so true.

This website was boon for me in finding the Christmas music of my childhood...

http://www.christmaslpstocd.com/index.php

Lisa said...

With regard to your comment on my blog:
a couple of months ago when I decided to learn to knit with dpns, I devoted most of a day to making myself stick with it. I will say I was miserable for a while and hated it! But repetition does make you learn, and I got used to it enough to knit some with worsted weight yarn. Now, using super bulky, it's like I could almost do it in my sleep! (not really, but you know). But that's the best way to learn something difficult, I think.

As for the link - I didn't really get it when Susan sent it to me, but right now I'm able to be helped by it. There's a time for everything. You'll get there!

Martha said...

We had a beautiful service here in Cincinnati, but I didn't hear the Nativity hymns, maybe I wasn't paying attention well, or maybe they were in Slavonic. ♥ I put our Nativity icon out yesterday after church!

Elizabeth @ The Garden Window said...

Elizabeth, it is always a joy to me to read about and look at your daily life in words and pictures :-)