festive pictures, just joy!

Around here, the news is depressing. The reality is quite frightening, when case numbers climb and hospitalizations increase, and all that goes with that multiplies. I am praying for our nurses, please join me in that. They can only stretch so far. The doctors, too.

Miss Suri should cheer you up though. She's a good girl. She wants to be your friend. She will wag, and if you don't pet, she will gently remind you with her giant paw. Once you start petting, she doesn't expect you to stop. If you tell her to go lie down, she will, after you say it a few times, she wants to make sure you really mean it, and are absolutely not going to give in to the pitiful look on her face and start petting again...then she goes and lies down, head on paws, and SIGH. She sighs, and it's the cutest thing ever. If you say her name and the word TREAT, her ears go forward, and she tilts her head. Sometimes if you make eye contact from across the room, her tail starts thumping, and over she comes, for some pats on the head. She also snores terribly when she falls into a deep sleep. And don't even get me started on her sister...

Little Miss Sunshine is a whole different doggie. She's snuggly and sweet, but also full of the devil. She destroyed a cute little snowman that was up on the fake fireplace, while they were home alone yesterday. She likes playing and fetching, and is much less likely to come when you call her outside, unless you lie and ask her if she wants to go BYE BYE. She will definitely come for that, so I know she can hear me loud and clear. I just don't like tricking her. I will stand there and shake the box of dog biscuits, and ask her if she wants a treat. Sometimes she stops and looks at me, and weighs that decision, and decides that no, she doesn't not actually want a treat more than she wants that squirrel she was after.

I'm home alone with these doggies, and the two kitties. Everyone else went to church, and at the last minute, I decided I shouldn't go. I don't have anything catchy, I'm 99% certain of that. My sinuses have been backed up lately, with those sinus-y headaches, and the plugged ears. No runny nose, no fever, no cough, just that sleepy feeling. I was all set to go out the door, and I just thought, on the off chance this is a cold, no one wants a cold these days, I should just stay put. I never do that, and through the years, have always just powered through, even if I had a cold. We were trained to do that, here in the U.S.A., remember the commercials for the cold medicine? Just take a hit, and go to work!

Can someone please explain to me how Christmas sneaked up so close to us? It was far far away in the future when I started decorating. Now, it's almost panic time already.

I have been wrapping presents. Camille was asking why we have so many. Well dear, with 13 kids here locally (I shipped gifts to some on the west coast, and have things to send the others), and five spouses, and 7 of the grandkids, well...even with two gifts each, that's like 53, plus some for Paul, and add to that the kids still at home, and Evelyn, will get like 8 things each...plus we've picked names and gotten gifts for kids at church, plus the kids' friends...it's a LOT.

I used to drag them back in my room after I wrapped them, but now I'm just bagging and stacking them in the end of the living room.

A bit of snow gives the house that Christmas-y glow.

I like the Little Tikes car in the background on the deck.

I have to get up before dawn to drive Jonny to the airport tomorrow. He's flying out to Salem to visit Kathryn and Darius and little Achilles for ten days.

So blessings here, Grandma in Florida sent fruit! Two bushels of grapefruit, and one of oranges! We're sharing, so if you know me in real life, yes, you can have some!

I had some good coffee this morning, added a half of scoop of gingerbread coffee to it, no sugar, just a bit of flavor. We might make gingerbread houses this year. It's so hard that I don't eat sugar anymore. Everything yummy, I don't eat it. I admire it, but nope, I can't. I did make popcorn last night though. Every two or three weeks, I cave and have stove popped popcorn, in coconut oil, with butter, so good. Anyway. Life is crazy right now, and honestly, it can feel a bit dark, and it would be easy to slip into depression. (disclaimer, I am not talking about clinical depression, nor am I minimizing anything!). I am convinced these temptations to fear, doom, and gloom are just spirits. It's written that we don't fight against flesh and blood. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this present age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Eph. 6:12-13) One more thing: I have found one of the quickest ways to find joy and contentment, is when I stop thinking about myself, and bless someone else....