Stop and Smell the Roses

I despise cold weather. As soon as Christmas is over, I'm ready for May. I can't seem to pile on enough clothing, my feet are like two chunks of ice, and my favorite spot at home is standing in front of our wood-burning insert. Ah, there is nothing quite like wood heat. Our family room is always so nice and toasty.

Obviously, January is not my favorite month of the year even though I must confess, I would love to see just a little snow. There is, however, something that I do like about January and February in all fairness to months one and two of the year. It is a slower, more relaxed time that Collin and I enjoy when we don't have to rush and be busy on weekends. These two months of the year, we purpose to spend Saturdays sitting by the fire, leisurely sipping our morning coffee, chatting a bit, and reading the newspaper or similar tranquil activities. Several of those Saturdays, we get into our vehicle and take to the highway. Sometimes, we just piddle in the Jonesboro shopping areas and sometimes, we embrace more exciting adventures by going to Memphis or hitting the open road in one direction or another. Last Saturday was one of such days.

Collin's parents asked us to join them for the day on an outing to Hardy and Ozark country. We had a wonderful time. We did have one particular goal in mind; breakfast at a quaint little diner located at the end of the Hardy main street. I can't even tell you the name of the place, but obviously, no larger than Hardy is, one can easily find it. They serve breakfast all day at very reasonable prices and the selections are delicious. I highly recommend that anyone who hasn't eaten there should seek out this little "diamond in the rough." After our 11 o'clock brunch, we traveled on into the hill country for a drive into Calico Rock, Mt. View, Batesville, and back home. There is certainly not a great deal of beauty to behold this time of year, but the barren mountain tops still speak majestically and hint that the promise of spring is on the way when once again, the peaks will echo with green. Our day was enjoyable and our spirits were renewed.

Something else we've come to enjoy is watching the birds outside our french doors. It is a balm to the weary mind, a remembrance of God's amazing creation, and the beauty found in the simplest things if we only slow down enough to recognize it and enjoy the wonder. We have hung two bird feeders outside our patio area and our little wooden swinging restaurants draw quite a crowd. One day, we counted 10 red birds at one time. We also have blue jays, wrens, robins, doves, and a rather large family of unwanted squirrels. But, hey, I guess they are God's creatures, too, and have to eat. Often as I gaze out the window watching, I'm reminded of God's promise that He will provide for our every need. He manages to feed the birds and yet, He loves us more.

So, I'm determined to find something good during these cold wintry days in spite of my shivering and shaking for I know that Spring is approaching when I must be busy cleaning my yard, trimming the shrubbery, and pruning the trees. There will not be free Saturdays to stop and smell the roses or in my case. . .

Pause and watch the birds,

Marcia

A Look Back at the Holiday Season

I'm a bit behind on my blog. With the holiday season approaching, life got hectic and my energies were put into other things, but what a wonderful time of the year.

I love Thanksgiving. The harvest decorations are beautiful and the colors of nature are my favorites. It's a wonderful time to be shared with family and friends when you really slow down just a bit and concentrate on life's blessings. This year was no exception.

We have a great deal of tradition steeped into Thanksgiving as we do Christmas. Micah and Rhyne drove in from New Orleans. Tuesday evening as soon as I could get home from school, the family had traditional chile supper with corn chips and shredded cheese. When the meal was over, we carried in the tree and trimmings and let the assembly begin. Although everybody was excited that the tree was going up and could hardly wait until the packages were placed below it's branches, Collin and I suddenly noticed that Micah fell asleep, Rhyne left, and Bryan disappeared. The two of us finished up the tree, and when all the family members suddenly reappeared, they all thought the tree was just beautiful. Sometimes I feel like one of those cartoon moms out of the Sunday newspaper with my kids. Micah and I did some shopping on Wednesday and we had our Thanksgiving meal with my mom and dad on Wednesday night. We celebrated the holiday with Collin's parents on Thursday evening and the rest of the week, I finished decorating the house.

December lead to other activities and celebrations. I invited the ladies that I work with to come over after school for some relaxation and refreshments. I think everyone had a good time; I know I enjoyed having them here. Collin and I were very busy with the Living Christmas Tree at church one of our December weekends. We attended the Riceland banquet with work associates who have become good friends and had a wonderful time. We also visited with friends at another open house hosted by friends from our church.

Christmas Day is very exciting for our family. We began the day at mom and dad's house having lunch about 11 o'clock. Micah and Rhyne joined us and we shared our presents with each other. Mid-afternoon we went to Collin's family's home for another meal and we had our family Christmas at home the very last thing. Both sets of grandparents came to our house with us this year to see what Santa brought everyone. After things quieted down, we all put on our pajamas and watched a DVD to wrap up the day.

New Year's was rather quiet for Collin and myself. Bryan had gone on a trip with friends from the university and our New Orleans children left to go home. The dust had all settled, the decorations were packed away for another year and we sat in front of the fire reflecting on what a special holiday season we had shared as well as a wonderful year and all our many blessings. As dear as my children are and as much as I love them and miss them when they are away from us, it's very special for just Collin and I to be together, enjoying the stillness of the moment and the peace of being home.

I love Christmas and all that goes with it; the sights, sounds, and smells, the shopping, the cooking, baking, and eating, the decorations, the secrets and the magic of Santa. I love beautifully decorated trees, Christmas carols, and remembering that a precious baby was born that changed the world forever. When it comes to Christmas, I always feel like a child at heart. The day has come and gone another year, but I'm already thinking about the next one. It's never too early to begin thinking about everyone you love and starting your shopping list.

Happy New Year, Marcia