Betwixt
Well, here we are again, in that weird in between week.
It’s New Year’s Eve, and the rain is cascading down outside.
We spent part of the morning talking over the year just finishing, and what we’re looking at for the year to begin.
I’m not big on New Year resolutions, but it is an opportunity to rethink and reset…
I’ve been working my way through the Christmas food. One of the things I indulged in this last week is Reindeer Bao Buns.
Cute.
Quite tasty (vegetables in hoisin sauce).
They’re meant to look like reindeer – the brown things are antlers.
I just can’t help seeing them as very cranky reindeer! 😀
I went for a wander the other day. Just down the road and back, which I’ve been meaning to do since we moved here (5 months now!), but haven’t got around to.
I still miss the cold, dark Christmas days of the U.K. – hot sunshine still feels a bit…wrong.
I do like that we can sally on into the new year with sunshine and flowers.
The neighbours have provided a variety of flowers to enjoy 🙂
It’s still raining.
The garden will be glad!
❤
And yes – there is an (older) English language version...
Peace On Earth
It was a hard weekend.
Being reminded of the darkness (again)…
The hatred bubbling over into terrible action.
Choices – actions – that are hard to understand –
and some reactions that inflamed rather than soothed.
I don’t know what to say, really.
This is a season that heralds peace. Joy. Hope.
But it has always been in the context of a darkened world.
And so, I will pray.
Because I believe that to be a powerful place to start.
But I will also pay attention to the marginalised, and oppressed. The ones who don’t live in the same level of ease and safety as I do.
I will question the tendency to blame a whole community for the actions of one.
Look for what is true, and challenge unthinking reaction – whether mine, or others’.
And remember the words of One who came as a baby, to bring reconciliation.
This is what Jesus said (quoting Isaiah) –
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,
because He has anointed Me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
****
There is still light.
Hope.
And peace for us.
Storage Problems!
Not so much the house (although we’d have to think where we would put more “stuff”).
I went to put together the previous post and found, when I tried to upload photos, that I’ve run out of media storage space!
Just before Christmas – there will be photos to share!!
It’s been 18 years of free space, so I suppose I can’t grumble.
I’ll be looking at a paid plan to upgrade, although I might have to wait till the new year. Possibly delete some of the older media? Not sure yet…
I’ve been a bit off colour the last couple of days – not The Virus (or flu), but enough to feel a bit wonky – not being sure what day it actually is, and randomly falling asleep. Even while reading!
We’ve still been able to get the necessary things done.
I just don’t want to tackle taming my media library just yet.
Thankfully, I can still add some music 🙂
This is for those who have had too much Mariah Carey, but still sort of like the song.
😀
And this is those who are leaning in to quiet joy.
❤
Tree’s Up! (2025 Edition)
The smoke alarms seem to be fixed,
so no more overnight vigils for us!
I slept very well Thursday night, but it’s been a bit patchy since then… I’ll keep trying 😀
I’ve finally got the tree decorated,
and the other bits and pieces in the lounge.
It’s snuggled up next to the wifi modem (router?)
My lovely Renaissance angel is back in place.
This is her 32nd year at the top of our tree.
❤
Snowmen hang around the big TV cabinet.
…and gnomes check out some classic mysteries.
Bits
and bobs!
And the centrepiece –
including a tiny nativity scene that fits into a matchbox.
A miniature snapshot of the Christmas story.
Because that’s what it’s all about, after all!
It’s been a busy, and satisfying, day.
Time to slow down…
Taking The Night Shift
We’re still waiting for our smoke alarms to be fixed – hopefully tomorrow.
Because we had to deactivate the alarms (to stop them going off incessantly), we have been following a roster of one person staying up (to check for smoke/fire), rather than everyone having a sleepless night.
Yes, the likelihood of a fire is tiny, but we’re in the position of not being covered if there is a fire, since we deliberately turned them off…
It’s my turn tonight.
I have a painful shoulder(blade), which helps keep me awake, but I’ll also be watching shows online, or reading.
Right now, I will while away some time sharing photos I’ve had sitting, waiting to be seen 😀
Firstly – what have we enjoyed at cafes lately?
A hot chocolate and a matcha/pistachio (or maybe matcha/white chocolate?) “cookie” (biscuit, for us Aussies)
I think this was a franchise type cafe, that we wouldn’t normally go to, but we had been chasing down a particular item, which involved driving all over town. We were tired, and this was refreshing.
Last week we tried out a cafe down the road, next to a nursery.
A cruffin…
and a red velvet hot chocolate.
Very nice. I’ve tried cruffins a couple of times. For something that’s covered in sugar, it’s not overly sweet.
This was our dining companion for a time.
…as we (almost) sat under the light of the disco-ball pot.
I have been noticing the different flowers around me.
These beauties by the mailbox.
Most of the petals on this had fallen off, but it still looked sweet. The centre bits almost look like little pink bow ties!
And here are some cheerful marigolds in our church garden, radiating the sun.
❤
Are you feeling Christmas-y yet?
How about a song!
Time to take a turn about the house!
Rest, In The Quiet
I wanted to share a song, by Roma Waterman – it’s from the album “When God Sings”.
Just in case you need to sit in the quiet space for a while…
1000 Fields of Roses 