9th Day of Christmas ~ Christmas Miracle Affirmed + a lovely lunch and tea!

I had two quilting guild friends over for lunch today!

I made the chicken soup I had made before...

it should have had more broth however, was too thick... 

but we do our best and keep learning... 

My Husband sent me the best news today,

that our Christmas Miracle is really confirmed, affirmed, happening.

I called my Mom immediately of course, while I was making soup!

It's such a answer to so many prayers... 

***

The lunch was so nice... just to enjoy,

eat together, talk, enjoy tea and conversation.

I shared my Grandma's goodies, my friend S's toffee and gave a chocolate goodie bag

to my friend P who likes sweets and both took a small container of 

chocolate covered cherries home with them.

That's my version of a successful lunch! Sharing! Enjoying! 

Later I took a walk... it's cold right now and I am one of the few who loves it...

I need to get back into walking more... 

Laundry washing, drying and folding later on 

and I talked to my Grandma while I washed up the lunch dishes...

I have more chicken soup for us to eat later... it is still the 12 days of Christmas

for us so tomorrow is fast free!

I am going to enjoy chocolate, tea with milk and such things, God willing!

Dinner was the rest of the turkey casserole, some leftover Indian leftovers with rice

and yogurt and salad. 

***

Tomorrow I am home and hope to do more letter writing, and reading more of Miss Read!

***

This morning I listened to vespers for St Seraphim as it is his day today (Julian calendar)

That was really nice ...

Also heard this...

Later it went to Paschal music and I thought how wonderful it is that

Christmas and Pascha (Easter) are so linked... so joyful! So full of HOPE...

Music is so powerful...

I've listened to this various times as well

***

I pray that God will keep us in His care...

I am feeling better, after yesterday feeling that I was getting a cold...

(was so glad that I finally juiced our lemons and made hot ginger tea

with lemon juice and raw honey for us at dinner)

but I am still concerned about sickness coming to our house and I pray

for health... and mercy, God's mercy...

and I pray God's mercy also for you.

On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me...

Since my Husband had the day off, 

we gave each other the rest of our Christmas gifts....

Husband got the history, toy soldier books + Tolkien.

I got everything else.  

We have a small stash of things for gifts for the other (things given or found at sales) 

and my Husband

picked out everything today for both of us.

It was really cute. 

He would give me a bag with a book or DVD in it

and then another bag which I would then give to him.... :) 

5 things each, very symmetrical. 

***

I rested a lot today.

Am still tired but that's no surprise as I pushed 

myself when I was already tired to make the Christmas lunch.

I just knew it was a 'now or never' thing, esp. with my one church

friend having her third child in the next 2 months. 

***

Tomorrow I hope for quiet introvert day.

Today I finally finished up some cards (birthdays) and 

such things. I still have a few Christmas cards to send out

(people's whose address I did not have when I was doing the whole 

bunch of cards in December)...

***

I also got my email inbox down to currently 88 unread emails only,

so that's a blessing.... one of the things we talked about at the 

Christmas lunch was how technology can create stress,

including email over-load, texts etc. 

***

Well, that's the 9th day of Christmas on my end!

I am grateful for the books I have been given and look forward

to more time to just sit and read.

Tomorrow I hope for some more reading time!

***

I just found this recipe for vegan pancakes, am thinking of making this

on Wednesday for my friend (new calendar) ... and my 

grocery delivery just got a new vegan "chicken" that I hope to try

on Thursday, as DV another friend is coming!

Now you can see why tomorrow is a "rest" day!

The Christmas season is busy!

***

I listened to the following last Friday and was really nice, calming... 

I am putting them here to remember to listen to them again soon....

9th Day of Christmas with a wonderful small Christmas dinner party!

We had a wonderful dinner with 

the Munchkin and his Mother!

We rested a lot in the morning hours.

Mr Husband was very tired after socializing,

and I felt it too. 

We kept the dinner simple, using a rotisserie Chicken and pre-made

Idaho potatoes with butter mashed potatoes,

heating up both in the oven.

I used my polish pottery covered baker for the potatoes,

which worked perfectly!

The little truffles and cookies were our 

Christmas gift from my sister, perfectly timed

and I was so glad to have such an easy dessert option! 

It was such a wonderful time of fellowship,

enjoying Christmas Crackers, reading the jokes,

wearing the crowns, giving gifts

and being together.

Mr Husband loved the great brain books when he was a 

child and it was a delight to give a copy to our Munchkin.

He also loved the Mad Libs, which Mr Husband also 

was fond of as a kid.

We also gave an icon of his +father's patron Saint,

which the Munchkin really loved.

I told him also that our priest Fr. D. was so glad to hear

that we would be giving the Munchkin 

this special icon at Christmas this year.

I savour these special Christmas times

and it was so wonderful that we did not miss it this year, 

even though we did miss much of earlier Christmas.

Mr Husband and I talked about how we still had Christmas this year

and still had and have Christmas joy,

even in the midst of the sickness. 

Christ is Born!

Glorify Him!

On the 9th Day of Christmas....

We continued to feast on St. Basil's bread...and drink copious cups of tea...

We found, used at a very inexpensive price, a book on Tolkien's Art...

we enjoyed sitting together for a spell and looking at the pages...

We really enjoyed our Christmas setting, 

the 12 days of Christmas are a time that we get to sit together a bit more...

and look at books and drink tea... 

I had wanted to get this book (above) for Mr Husband a few years ago,

but we really wanted it at a lower price than what was on the market then,

so this past year we got a library discard at a much more reasonable price....

It was a Tolkien year for Mr. Husband...

We now have 4 blue and white Christmas plates to put up above our windows,

where the Christmas tree is.

This DV won't be done until later, when we have family to help us....

Mr. Husband very kindly gave me these two books! 

Spiritual reading is something I always try to do but often feel I fail at doing enough of.

Managing time is a challenge, with the various projects and church things

that I am involved in.

My sister and brother-in-law sent us the nicest presents,

a lotion and lip gloss set for my birthday and

a yummy Christmas present of caramel corn!!! 

And the sweetest card! 

My parents gave Mr Husband an early Belloc book.... 

I got some tea for my cold (day 5 now), some vanilla beans and wine that I had

to decide, with help of social media, on which is for the Roast (the one on the left).

 Pictured above is cheddar cheese and an dried apple treat that 

comes all the way from Lithuania.

We love it and love having it with cheese and crackers.... 

We had a fun and eclectic meal for dinner!

Left overs, cheese and crackers, salsa and salad with cashews.

*

And so it was a very good 9th day of Christmas...

9th day of Christmas...

We had more of the mini cheesecakes.

And chocolately chai tea.

Origination and hot cocoa 

Green Tea and Original 

We opened two presents each...

Friday we plan on doing the last presents! 

I hope to make a special casserole also!

Gifts included...

The early years of CS Lewis

A really great index too!

A book on Lewis focusing on his imagination...

And one of the early biographies...

This Christmas was a very "Lewis" Christmas!

*

Thanks for all your prayers;

the family friend in hospital with pneumonia is still ill and 

with some sort of added infection.

There are so many temptations and trials in life.

Everyday I hear of new sufferings in the lives of 

my friends and family.

We need to seek God and ask Him for help

in these precious times of our lives....