Gloomy December Greetings

The Pacific Northwest is gloomy in the winter. But with the gloominess comes a certain serenity and introspection. It' a time to be pensive; to think about things. Oh yes I do love the sun, but I would not trade my gloomy Decembers for sun-filled ones. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Many  a damp Saturday mornings will find us in the woods with our labrador retriever. He loves to race over brambles and logs; sniffing deeply the scent of rabbits and squirrel. I love the walk for different reasons...the heady smell of fern and moss beneath my boots, a single maple leaf floating silently to the ground, and the sound of Canadian geese calling out to one another...we watch them sail over the treetops and then they are gone. And then it is quiet in the woods once more. Maybe this is why I decided not to make my home all Victorian fru-fru this Christmas season. I want need something more simple.

Oh yes, the grandchildren set up the Nutcracker Village on the armoire in my living room. And the Christmas tree is adorned with jewel-colored lights this year. (Albeit I must admit to not having put a single ornament on it this year, except for the one that Isabella made for me for my birthday with her very own little hands.)

But my family room, the place where we really live is different. Just a few select items here...a wooden nativity, a woodsy centerpiece and perhaps a few sprigs of fir. And three bark-wrapped candles sit on the kitchen eating nook. When lit they remind me of the Trinity...Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Blessings to you this gloomy December!

 May He lighten your darkness and warm your hearts this holiday season...and may you always sense His abiding Peace.