All signs and semblance of the holiday are gone! There is nothing left of Christmas 2014 except ...chocolate. This was the year of chocolate. Almost every gift came with some kind of chocolate attached to it. There were gourmet chocolates, cheap chocolates, ultra cheap chocolates (those rock hard waxy santa things) locally made chocolates and one box of high end chocolates that arrived on my doorstep at just the right moment. (that moment in the season when I all I want is to transport to the outer Hebrides). It's the kind of chocolate that you don't open right away because just the sight of the pristine, gold, beribboned box ,sitting on the table, wakes up all kinds of feel good brain chemicals. Anticipation of the sacred moment of opening reenergizes the weakest parts of the weary soul. And a primal territorial instinct is awakened.... Its MINE. As Jimmy was hovering over the box drooling and saying 'look what 'Goddess' (not real name) sent US!' I calmly explained to him that his name was no where on the box. When he crept closer to the prize...his intentions clear...I took up arms (a roll of colorful candy cane covered Christmas paper) and placed myself between him and the treasure. Every Ancestral Warrior Queen in my genetic line surfaced in that moment and we howled as a chorus "Get away from my chocolate!". And the earth shook and the skies rumbled and he said 'ok' and then went downstairs and pouted. I swear I heard him muttering as he walked away.... 'geez...I'd share with YOU'.
I almost felt guilty but not enough to open the box. Later on I will explain it to him in terms he can understand. I will start by saying 'its a chick thing'....... cuz for some mysterious reason, if you begin the conversation with 'its a chick thing', they actually listen and try to understand. Must be a guy thing ;).
The best thing about Christmas is that it means the light is on its way back. The girls will soon be laying again. Christmas eve they were all in bed by 3:30. On the advice of my Father ,I have never put a light in their coop. The farmers of old knew that hens needed a rest from producing, so, who am I to go against ancient chicken wisdom. While they are sleeping, I am planning. I want to put in some new beds this year . I have to figure out the onion situation in our new space. I had no problems with onions in the old place but, Mystic Cedars has a rhythm all its own and its taking me a while to find it. I will.
In the meantime... Lunch with friends. I had a chance yesterday to have lunch with old friends from high school. I had forgotten over the years how much I like these people. They are all talented and intelligent. As I listened to them talk about their life journeys I was impressed with the choices they have made. What I heard from each of them (with none of them actually saying it ) was that they all maintained their integrity no matter what life threw at them. In many cases they tamped their personal ambitions for the sake of others. Note that I said 'tamped' not 'gave up'. These are not sacrificial lambs. Not by any means. They have all achieved a vibrant balance in their lives. Yes, I am still in awe of them. I feel very fortunate that they smile benignly on me (even the ones who know about my misadventures, bad choices, bad habits and temperamental behavior). I look forward to seeing what they are going to do next. I also look forward to spending more time with them.
As much as I complain about the downside of technology and the isolating effect that we are seeing it have on a large scale...I don't think I would have been sitting there with old friends yesterday without it. Maybe its a generational thing but, even though social networking helped bring us all together, the smart phones were off at the table and it was all human interaction.
It felt good.
I almost felt guilty but not enough to open the box. Later on I will explain it to him in terms he can understand. I will start by saying 'its a chick thing'....... cuz for some mysterious reason, if you begin the conversation with 'its a chick thing', they actually listen and try to understand. Must be a guy thing ;).
The best thing about Christmas is that it means the light is on its way back. The girls will soon be laying again. Christmas eve they were all in bed by 3:30. On the advice of my Father ,I have never put a light in their coop. The farmers of old knew that hens needed a rest from producing, so, who am I to go against ancient chicken wisdom. While they are sleeping, I am planning. I want to put in some new beds this year . I have to figure out the onion situation in our new space. I had no problems with onions in the old place but, Mystic Cedars has a rhythm all its own and its taking me a while to find it. I will.
In the meantime... Lunch with friends. I had a chance yesterday to have lunch with old friends from high school. I had forgotten over the years how much I like these people. They are all talented and intelligent. As I listened to them talk about their life journeys I was impressed with the choices they have made. What I heard from each of them (with none of them actually saying it ) was that they all maintained their integrity no matter what life threw at them. In many cases they tamped their personal ambitions for the sake of others. Note that I said 'tamped' not 'gave up'. These are not sacrificial lambs. Not by any means. They have all achieved a vibrant balance in their lives. Yes, I am still in awe of them. I feel very fortunate that they smile benignly on me (even the ones who know about my misadventures, bad choices, bad habits and temperamental behavior). I look forward to seeing what they are going to do next. I also look forward to spending more time with them.
As much as I complain about the downside of technology and the isolating effect that we are seeing it have on a large scale...I don't think I would have been sitting there with old friends yesterday without it. Maybe its a generational thing but, even though social networking helped bring us all together, the smart phones were off at the table and it was all human interaction.
It felt good.
