How it is now, in the midst of the Nativity Season

It's Saturday afternoon.

I made it through being gone two weeks,

two good weeks, to my parents in MI.

Mr. Husband and I were apart for 4 days

and the gratefulness of me being back

Mr. Husband has been speaking of for 3 days now.

*

I stayed longer to go through childhood and teen-hood and 

then early adult years of the 20's and early 30s worth of things

and got rid of more than half of everything.

My books that were there are now about 1/3 left.

My childhood toys, halved.

Letters and papers, maybe halved.

Pictures, still have much to do but got rid of some.

*

I also had dates with my Mom, with my Aunt and Cousins,

my Godmother, siblings, Thanksgiving meals and more family visits.

*

It was good.

Also hard to go through things, 

as so many of my friends and others have

suffered great losses that when we were in our mid-twenties

could not foresee. 

*

Mr. Husband's allergies are raging,

I am tired from a nonstop schedule of things and

am just praying to recoop so I can bake 

St. Nicholas cookies and such things.

*

Mr. Husband is traveling again soon, for work.

It will be my time to miss him.

*

I got more fun Christmas things,

napkins, ornaments, a new table cloth,

and beautiful napkin ring holders.

*

I hope to do two Christmas dinners that others are at,

as well as time with Mr. Husband.

*

This coming week includes eyeglass appointments,

Husband's work Christmas party,

a few meetings, and I hope baking, home decorating

and peace in our home.

*

I found out recently that I am a bit low on iron;

I've been having some fatigue issues, to the point that

I am not as strong as I was last year.

So while I am reading a lot of blogs but am not blogging or

even commenting as much on others.

*

It's the Nativity Season and I am asking for mercy.

For me and for many who I know who are

struggling with a lot of heavy and hard things.

*

I think one of the reasons I love Christmas so much

are the many stories of hope coming in the midst of

darkness, cold and indeed the bleak mid-winter.

Christ has come to be with us in the midst of 

all that life is, messes, mix-ups, joys, sorrow and 

time spent waiting and searching.

*

God gives beauty and hope in it all;

I was at a Chanticleer concert yesterday

and this song was preformed

with such beauty, precision and a real 

sense of Orthodoxy that Tavener had picked up

in his searching.  

To see and hear it performed in person

was a real sense of hope beyond what most

of us see in terms of our daily lives

struggle.

*

It's the Nativity Season and I am asking for mercy.