Simple Christmas

 I think there is nothing better than a Christmas Day that falls on Sunday.

I can't remember that many -

maybe I have just forgotten,

maybe many churches I have been in have canceled services on Christmas Day.

But what better way to celebrate our Lord's birth than in His house on His day.

Not with a pageant (their over),

not with a program (probably a limited group),

but simply a Christmas service focused on Him.

The focus of my blog is simplicity - 

truly the example of Jesus!

He came simply.

A simple family,

a simple location,

a simple "welcoming committee."

And today we celebrate Him!

Merry Christmas!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

 Here we are ...

the month has flown by.

I did visit my surgeon on Tuesday.

The x-rays look good.

So I am done with doctor's visits.

Still rehabbing to increase mobility,

but done with the bills and doctor's visits.

Our Christmas has not gone quite as planned -

changes due to a "Bomb Cyclone."

We awoke Thursday, the start of our vacation,

ready to head to the "Ark Encounter."

The storm was coming, but we would finish our travel

and be ready for our visit on Friday.

Before we left, we checked the website,

the Ark was closed Friday due to impending storms.

Oh, well, we could still go visit family on Christmas Eve.

Or maybe not, the sun did not come out enough to clear the roads.

Kentucky, like NC, does not really have plows and other road machinery for storms.

The police and the governor encouraged people to stay home.

So it is Christmas Eve, and we are alone in our little house.

We are enjoying the Christmas lights;

we are enjoying Christmas music in the background;

a cranberry apple crisp is in the oven, perfuming the house with "Christmas";

we have enjoyed pot upon pot of hot coffee;

we have enjoyed skype calls, texts, emails, and regular calls with friends and loved ones.

We have been thankful for a warm house,

we have been thankful for protection in the storm

Our plans may have changed,

but, Praise God, He never changes.

'Tis the night before Christmas ...

and we rejoice in our Savior's birth.

Immanuel ... God with us.

How we have relished that fact in 2022.

Through moves,

though home purchases,

through injuries,

through inflation,

through job changes.

Our Savior is with us.

Our God offers us His presence - 

as a baby many years ago

and in our hearts today.

I Found My Happy Thought

 When Peter Pan found his happy thought ...

he could FLY!

Well, I must have found my happy thought,

because I drove myself to town for the first time in 11 weeks!

It was kind of exhilarating to be in the stores bustling before Christmas.

I enjoyed just wandering without feeling that I was holding anyone up.

Between living right in the city and then being a "cripple,"

I think I have had about 6 months off from driving this year!

And that means that I can drive myself to my final (I hope) checkup with the surgeon on Tuesday!

If You Want to Break a Wrist - A Satirical View

 Be prepared, be prepared, be prepared.

If you want to break a wrist - plan ahead.

First of all, teach your husband how to perform a basic ponytail.

If there is no time for this, at least teach him how to use a hair straightener.

Second, stay current on all of your home projects - don't leave anything for tomorrow.

Always keep a stash of small trash bags and duct tape around for cast shower covers.

Stock the cupboard with food in boxes (cans are difficult to open).

Be sure to have at least a few "stretchy" shirts with short sleeves and elastic-waisted clothing items.

Make friends with the flip-flop.

Plan your accident between summer and winter 

(you don't want to sweat up the cast, your jacket/coat sleeves may not fit over your cast

and the yard work is waning)

Sign up for share services (health insurance) the month before your accident to help with hospital bills.

Learn humility and willingness to ask for help.

Keep life as simple as possible.

Most of all - Plan to avoid the accident.

Be careful on ladders!

The Power of Light

 One of the most beautiful parts of the season is the sparkling, twinkling lights.

We have had some dark, rainy days recently and the lights certainly do warm the days and disperse the grey.

The lights ... a picture of the Light of the World - Jesus Christ.

He came to give an answer to the darkness of sin in the world.

What a blessing to us all!

The week after Thanksgiving,

we did a little decorating outside.

Be did not want to be "that house" in the subdivision!

Turns out that we didn't have to worry about it,

but the house does look happier with some greenery and lights.

Then we debated the inside.

We had retired (thrown out) our little alpine Christmas tree in OR after over 10 years of service.

Little did we know what inflation would look like this year.

Hubby liked the lights and garland outside so much

that we decided to do it in the house as well ... instead of a tree.

It adds lights and a place to hold some favorite ornaments.

And it saves valuable floor space - win, win, win.

And of course, the decorating was not complete without the Nativities.

More Recovery Than A Wrist

 Other than the first 27 years of my life when I didn't know what a workout was,

I do not believe that I have ever had more than a week off from my workouts.

With surgery, splint, cast, and the first few weeks of wrist rehab,

I went 8-10 weeks without a really good workout.

Yes, I tried, but there was only so much I could do without jarring too much,

lifting too much,

or being in an unstable position.

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving,

hubby and I did our "Turkey Trot."

It was rough, but it was a start back into things.

We did 6 rounds of jog 2 minutes, and walk 2 minutes.

This week, I have started back at the beginning of the Couch 2 5K program.

The first week is a 60-second jog and a 90-second walk for 8 rounds.

I need to build my endurance and stamina back.

I also started back to more dedicated strength sessions instead of just cardio.

There is a bit of creativity involved to accommodate this weak, stiff wrist,

but it is good to be back.

I don't know how long the wrist rehab will take or how long it will be till I can use my 12 lb weights again,

but you have to start somewhere.

Right now I am rehabbing the wrist for 45 min to an hour 3-4 times a day.

I am "running" 3 times a week.

I am back to my workouts 5-6 days a week.

And when I am not rehabbing ...

there is the typical "woman's work."

But the house is fairly easy to keep in shape,

and I am keeping the meals simple and light after our holiday feasts.