Sunday, December 31, 2017

New Year's Eve

Played with my Air Fryer again.
Honey roasted carrots this time
and, boy, were they yummy!

Held.

A very good way to end 2017: 
watching Downton Abbey. 

Happy New Year!

.             *             .

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Evening Mass - Feast of the Holy Family

The Christmas angels are back! 
❤️🎄❤️🕯❤️


Lighting candles tonight after mass,
 I asked darlin' hubby,
"who do you want us to light a candle for?" 

Without missing a beat,
he named our nephew who's birthday is today
(and a little auntie birdie tells me is struggling a bit).

🕯

So the third one from the left on the top row
is for him.

May he find Peace.

💙

.             *             .


Friday, December 29, 2017

Hold on for the Miracles

It'd been awhile since I'd played with
my Soul Call Cards.

I didn't really have a question in mind
as I drew cards.

But as I did?
A warm smile spread.
It felt like the angels were confirming 
an experience from just yesterday.

I know, it can seem like
 a very tall Mountain at times.
But true Friendships are worth it
in the end.
Look carefully,
Weigh and Hold the tension,
Weaving (and remembering) the 
track record of good will
(when it's there)
leads to the 
Miracle of Restoration.

And Joy.

🌷  .  ✨  .  💖

.             *             .

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Santa Brought Me an Air Fryer

Playing with my new toy.

 Grilled cheese sandwiches? 
 Yummy!

Up next: homemade French fries

They were good too!

.             *             .


Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Christmas Cheer

🎄 . ❤️ . 🎁

How fun that today's mail 
doubled our Christmas cards for this year.

(That's way down from years past.)

.             *             .

Monday, December 25, 2017

A Regular One

Let's take a regular photo 
before 
we start playing with Snapchat filters! 

😉

.            *            .

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Silent Night

(My very favorite service for the whole year)

 💕

.             *             .

4th Sunday of Advent


.             *             .

Chrismon Tree and Me


.            *            .

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

Happiest of Happy Birthdays to our dear goddaughter!!

❤️🎂🕯🎉✨👑🎁🎈

May your special day be blessed with Joy, Hope, and Laughter! 

We love you, sweet girl, 

💕💕

.            *            .


Thursday, December 21, 2017

Altar Lessons

Let yourself be held

Let Love in

Stand in your light & shine

Joy

.          *           .

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Snowman Surprise

Since it turns out that we won't be decorating this year 
I thought it might be fun to have some cute Christmas napkins. 
I found this jolly fella today and thought he was perfect.

..

After a late afternoon of baking, 
I sat down to enjoy a couple of my "Chips Galore" cookies after supper. 
I even took a picture of them on my napkin before eating them. 

..

When I finished and went to wipe my hands, 
I grinned so big to discover that 
Auntie Joy was twinkling up at me ... 

again! 

⛄️  .  🎄  .  🍪

(I had *not* noticed her before.)

..

.            *            .

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Abiding and Adventing


.          *           .



Remembrance - Day 40 of 40

"Peace comes from remembering Love is real." 
Yes. 

💕

And that's what my sweet little 40-day practice has been about. . .

Remembering some of the dear people 
who have touched my heart with their presence 
and Grounding, 
rooting myself in their Love. 

Smiling because along with Peace?
Grace, Mercy, Hope, and Joy 
have tagged along as well. 

It has indeed been a very good season of Remembrance. 

Warm thanks to those of you who have been following along 
and holding me in your thoughts and prayers. 

Blessed be. 

💕

.           *           .

Friday, December 15, 2017

Sweet Surprise

Received a sweet surprise from a kind stranger today.

Turns out, she says with a warm smile,
she's from my sister, Aimee, 
and her family.

.           *           .

Remembrance - Day 39 of 40


.           *            .
 

Morning Traveling Mercies


.             *             .

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Today is the Day!

Today is the day! 
 I am now officially a 40-year cancer survivor/thriver.

It's been a lovely quiet, puttering-type day 
started off with daily mass 
and a visit with Mother Mary. 

I have no doubt 
she's watched over me every step of the way 
and I wanted to thank her in person. 

Blessed be. 

💕🕯🎉

Smiling big as Auntie Joy looked in on me 
with some wise counsel on this special day via today's mail. 

Blessed be. 

❤️❤️

.            *            .

Remembrance - Day 38 of 40

Seek Joy 
and 
Let Love In. 

💜

.            *            .

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . .

Hubby and I ran some postcards out to Lawrenceville
and, while we were there,
we walked around the square a little bit.

❤️

.            *            .

Remembrance - Day 37 of 40


.           *           .
 

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 
the patroness of the Americas.

May she continue to watch over us, 
guide us, 
and lead us all to Peace. 

Amen. 

❤️

.            *            .

Remembrance - Day 36 of 40

Measuring spoons 
because Gramma Underwood 
is the one who taught me to light a candle 
to remember my loved ones when baking. 

A pink heart 
because both of these dear women 
tenderly took me into theirs. 

💕

Blessed be.

.               *               .

Monday, December 11, 2017

2 Christmases, 19 years apart

A beautiful Moma and her dear girl, 
watched over and held by Mama Grace 
and the angels... 

Still. 

❤️❤️

As is sometimes the case with me, she says with a soft smile, this one holds more 
vulnerable truth than I'm ready to share on my FB "living room" wall.

We had a mighty rough go in the 19 years between these two photos, my Moma and I. 

But in the end? The stars aligned in such a way that we were able to make peace before 
she died just 13 short days after the photo on the right on Epiphany (Jan. 6).

Between that and the discovery of my bone cancer on Dec. 14 (and my parents' divorce 
8 days before on Dec. 6), I think that's part of why I so adore Advent. It's a season that 
not only acknowledges, but honors the waiting we humans do which is sometimes an 
aching l-o-n-g-i-n-g for things that just aren't possible... in this moment.

But, 
she says with a soft smile, 
that doesn't mean that healing will never come. 

Ah, yes. It can and it does. 

(Right, Moma?) 
(and Mama Grace?)
(Right, Baby Girl.)

❤️❤️

.             *             .

Remembrance - Day 35 of 40

It's such a blessed mystery 
when the right person shows up, 
sometimes seemingly from nowhere 
(or the Mist) 
in the very season in our lives that we need them.

Turning over the blue slip of paper this morning 
brought a big grin and a small squeal of delight. 

It's her birthday today! 
 She has definitely been an angel in my life. 

Blessed be.

.            *             

Sunday, December 10, 2017

Remembrance - Day 34 of 40

Two gentle guides 
who saw all of me, 
rough edges and all, 
and, 
while not in so many words, 
reassured me that I was (am) 
Enough 
and lovable 
just as I was (am). 

Blessed be. 

🕯  .  💙  .  🙏🏻

.            *            .

Second Sunday of Advent

#prayingincolor 

.            *            .


Saturday, December 9, 2017

Remembrance - Day 33 of 40

Two folks who I have no doubt
have carried me in their thoughts and prayers
during the hard, feel-like-I'm-falling parts  
of my journey.

.         *          .

Adventing in the snow


.           *           .

Friday, December 8, 2017

Remembrance - Day 32 of 40

Aunt Loretta was a successful university professor and author 
in her chosen field of nursing. 

Reckon she, Gwen (a beloved teacher), 
and Archangel Uriel (who one of my 4 Sister Trees is named after) 
are wanting to reassure me that, 
when the time comes, 
I'll know what the right next thing will be in exchange for a paycheck? 

 Could very well be.
..

For now, 
with Mama Grace's blessing, 
I want to continue to "spend" my energy and time well, 
focused on the task at hand of remembrance. 

Blessed be.

.           *               .

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Winter Ballet Recital

Hubby and I had the pure pleasure 
of attending our sweet girlies' ballet recital this afternoon.

The class posing for us.
Our beauties are on the bottom row,
first and fourth.

Their teacher was making some opening remarks.

Showing us the steps they've learned.



All done!

Their surprise,
handmade with love.

.          *              .

Remembrance - Day 31 of 40 - Part 2

Waking up this morning and coming to my chair,
I just couldn't bring myself to draw a new set of names.

In that moment, I knew . . . 
I needed another day with my dear Moma.

And since this is my lovely little practice,
that is unfolding as I go,
I granted myself the permission
to follow my heart.

I love you, Moma!

Blessed be. 

💕

.             *             .

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Remembrance - Day 31 of 40

"Miracles do happen."

Indeed they do. . . 

Sweet, powder blue butterfly 
hangs in our bedroom right next to my closet door 
where I can see it every single day. 

Inscribed on the back in her handwriting: 

To Debbie. 
Love, Mom. 
January 1994. 

I love you, too, Moma! 
(and so, *so* loving that she showed up today,
December 6)

Blessed be. 💕


.           *            .

Holiday Helper

Penguin Percy and I 
have been up to some
Christmas crafting.

⛄️ .  🎄 .  🐧

.           *           .

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Remembrance - Day 30 of 40

Two very special women 
who have tenderly held 
my breaking heart, 
aching body, 
and parched soul. 

Blessed be.

.            *            .

Auntie Joy

Joy has been calling to me, offering her hand out to me for a good while now.

She's been showing up in unexpected places like winking at me from book pages, waving 
to me via song lyrics, and shimmering at me through photo prompts.

Charmed by being so whimsically wooed, a few weeks back I delightedly curtsied and 
accepted her warm invitation to be dance partners in 2018.

Grinning big because I stopped in a store yesterday on a whim and found her twinkling 
at me... again. 

So, of course, this will be my next journal.

Ok, Joy, you lead and I'll follow. 
💕💕

#AuntieJoy2018

.           *           .

Yuletide Young 'uns

Mary and I have some 
welcomed company this morning. 

😉

She and I have been creating sweet little angels 
for my goddaughters and nieces. 

💕 . 💕

.         *         .