Year's end

A long overdue trip to the library 

The bustling metropolis of downtown Scottsville, KY

Dominic has lost two teeth in two weeks!

Just checking in, as I've been on something of a Christmas hiatus.  We have been having chill, grey weather, and thus have been taking advantage of the joys of home and hearth.  The kids have been doing a lot of drawing lately (Gabriel is making up his own board game), reading books from the library and watching movies.  We are sipping tea and cocoa and chai, nibbling Christmas cookies and fudge. And as I write this, I am watching the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring,with the hope and intention of watching all three parts of The Lord of the Rings before we pick up school again on Monday.  I've actually been looking forward to doing this for months, geek that I am.  Watching the movies is not always a quiet affair in this house, and I refer here not just to the young and loud members of our family, but to the fact that we are all so familiar with the books and films that there is almost always a running commentary going on with various views, comparisons, insights and analysis .

I have not done a lot of reflecting today on the year past ; nor have I spent much time projecting into the future.  If I have any resolution for the year ahead, it is to try to live in the moment more; to live mindfully, not letting precious moments blur into oblivion whilst my mind is on other things.  At nearly 50, I don't feel that I can be all that frivolous with my moments.  It seems that when I do reflect on the past year, my overall impression is just that it zipped by with breathtaking speed.  I want to gather my moments thoughtfully and savor the very best of them, as one would do with a box of special confections.

I wish everyone a happy and peace-filled new year with many, many joyful moments!