It snowed overnight last night and I woke to the ground covered in four inches of snow. As I write this I can hear the wind howling.
My happy story is simple tonight. It is also going to be short because I have a crew of rather short pirates wanting hot cocoa with marshmallows. They’re a desperate band of cut-throats even if one of them is wearing a ballet tutu for a reason I cannot begin to fathom.
This morning after breakfast, we bundled up the <s>girls</s> pirates in so many layers of clothing I didn’t think the 2 year old would be able to walk. It’s her first real snowfall and her sisters were eager to be outside.
I told Ms. Carnacki she should go out with them, that it was important for them for their mother to be a role model about such things as braving the cold and shoveling the steps.
So three minutes later I was outside shoveling the steps and then helped the girls down.
They tromped through the snow and my oldest dropped and made a snow angel and I could almost swear that she could make the wings without moving her arms. They’re already there. Just invisible. I could almost swear that then she hit me with a snowball.
She laughed and I fired back and they retreated to the shelter of their treehouse.
They really got into the spirit of it. The almost 5 year old called time out and called me over. I knew she was up to something. She’s 99.9 percent pure mischief on her good days.
“Is this where you inevitably and not unexpectedly trick me?” I asked.
“No,” she said, her voice filled with barely suppressed giggles.
I came close and she dumped a sand bucket’s worth of snow on my head and I retreated back to the shelter of the tool shed.
We had a lot of fun. As much as much of me hates the cold of winter, there is something to be said for having a back yard of snow to play in.
We went inside for lunch and Ms. Carnacki had hot cocoa and tomato soup ready for us.
It’s true you know. Many times the greatest pleasures in life are the simplest.
That’s my happy story for this evening. Your story might be about anything you want it to be.
Carnacki, you’ve described the type of pleasure that brings me through almost every day of my life, based in simple joy & what’s given us by the Creator in grace.
My happy story is only that I’ve been blessed with another day of this type of experience. I stepped into the new woodland snow this afternoon & was surrounded by the serenity of the natural world at rest. Today’s snow feeds tomorrow’s blossoms; in this, peace & balance exist.
Glad y’all had fun today!
The whole house has a slight cold…lil’ congestion, irritated throat, cough, and general ickiness. It was however, nice to wake up to perfect blanket of snow outside. 😉 I think that we got about 8 to 10 inches…
We can dig ourselves out in the morning. 😉
Thank you.
I have many memories of days spent with my son and daughters just like the day you describe. Few things can top that.
My family has a nice tradition of making a great day out of Christmas Tree hunting. There is a place here, a farm actually, where we go to get our trees. There’s a huge barn with decorated trees inside along with all the little special items that we like to collect to mark Christmas for that particular year. Special ornaments, and candles, bells and things like that. It always smells so good to, with pine and spruce and the oak that the barn is made of. Hay, and smoke from the fire outside where the kids stand and warm their hands while drinking hot cocoa. And if it happens to snow on that day, well……you know ;o)
My kids are growing up now. Your description of your kids causes me to look back and remember those precious times spent with them and my wife. Life can be fleeting and sometimes we take for granted special little time capsule moments like those. I try hard not to. It’s what makes families strong and interconnected.
Our Christmas Tree day is tomorrow.
Thank you for reminding me.
Peace
Oy! That reminds me! Still have yet to put up that tree….
😉
When I was very young, around the ages of five through eight, my Dad would take us to a tree farm and we would traipse through the woods to find the perfect tree and cut it down. I even have pictures of my sisters and me sitting on the tree in the front yard in the snow. The funny part is my dad always seemed to find the tree with the crooked trunk. We had a big bay window where the tree went but he always had to tie it up so it wouldn’t fall over.
I lived in a family of great dysfunction but somehow my parents always seemed to make Christmas special.
At 53 I am having my first grownup fairy tale Christmas! I get to make cookies and pies and a yummy beef stew for our Kids and grandson next weekend. It’ll be our Christmas as a new family. Dec 18th is my second anniversary-(the first one my now sober alcoholic spouse was in jail and the xmas before that he was so drunk everything was ruined).
Yesterday my doctor called me to tell me my kidneys were starting to fail (no symptoms but with scleroderma that is not good) I have many tests to go through next week, but I am going to put on a happy face and enjoy my first grownup Christmas and not tell anyone until after the holiday.
There’s always some good with the bad, right?
Rosie…I am so sorry to hear of your kidney problems. Know that you will be in my thoughts and I will ask the Universe to heal you. Enjoy your “grownup” Christmas. I also hope that things are going better with the spouse. At least he is sober still. I think of you often my friend.
He is doing really well. This is a rough time of year but he can talk about the urges and is not acting on them. I truly appreciate all the support and advice you’ve given me. I think of you whenever I think my spouse might falter- as you are proof that sobriety can and is successful. I know you have inspired many on both sides of this issue!!
Oh Rosie, I am so very happy to hear this. Yes, the firsat few holidays are the hardest. I believe we can all overcome this cunning, baffling and powerful diease. It is certainly not always easy but my worst day sober is 100 times better than my best day drunk. Love to you my friend.
Enjoy your grown-up Christmas and then put all of your energy into yourself. I wish you the very best.
My thoughts will be with you as well Rosie.
Be well and take care Rosee. Please let me know if you need anything, I’m right next door in Claremont… Seriously.
Why haven’t we met? LOL!!
No kidding!! I just remember a year or so ago seeing you on dKos and mentioning Newport, where I was living at the time. And obviously, I’ve always remembered that…
We should really get together, seeing as your 20 minutes down the road or so… Too funny! And in this lil ol’ neck o’ the woods too! 🙂
I don’t know if this is helpful, but my kidneys failed last year for a couple months, but they returned to full function as my body recovered from a more comprehensive trauma.
Hopefully you will have a similar result.
I truly appreciate it.
-SBJ- that is what I am hoping is that it is just a blip thing and not major. Years ago kidney failure was the demise of scleroderma patients but there are lots of new meds and procedures out there now. I should know more by the end of the week.
If the problem has been detected early on your chances of effective treatment are greatly enhanced.
My own kidney failure was the result of massive heart failure and several “deaths” from which I was repeatedly snatched back. Even so the doctors thought I’d remain on dialysis permanently even if I did survive long term. Evidently I surprised everyone, including myself, and if the medications are anywhere near as effective as they’re reputed to be, you should be able to get past this without great disruption.
I’ll look forward to celebrating your successful navigation through this tricky patch.
Best regards.
Heart and kidneys at the same time. Did you have any near death experiences as in the spiritual sense?
Glad to know that you are still with us!
No death or near death spiritual experiences that I’m aware of, though I had so many (Probably drug induced) delusions and extended hallucinations during all that time, (3 Months), that these are my most powerful memories of that time. Possibly these hallucinations constituted journeys into alternative universes or something, since the memories of the “experiences” are so real, but of course it’s impossible to verify such a hypothesis.
(One of my hallucinations was agreeing to donate some internal organ to Jean Bertrand Aristide in exchange for $3 million dollars to be given to an organization devoted to helping disposessed children. I went through the surgery and was then, for some reason smuggled across the border into Canada even as my surgically removed organ was on it’s way to Aristide who was on the lamb in Africa. Eventually I too was moved to Africa where I kept being moved around just one step ahead of people looking to capture me and in some way screw up the whole deal. In the end the childrens group got the money, my own fate was not clear. If this was an alternate universe and I was able to provide this sort of help for disadvantaged children I am happy to have been able to do so.)
Even so, I’m glad to be here in this universe, warts and all.
Sounds like a story for a novel! LOL!
Life is a gift and I think those of us who have been near the edge appreciate it most..warts and all.
I don’t have a happy story, but I have found a place where anyone who wants one can make one of his/her own.
The Katrinasanta site is very cool. So please everyone, help spread the word and help if you can.
Defiantly wishing everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS! 😉
(“defiantly” cause whatever BushCo does, I do the opposite!)