Ponderings in Blogland

Wandering

through my archives

I come across

from time to time

a few names

commenters

who used to frequent this blog

Sharing

my life

my struggles

with one heart

and trueness

way back

in my fledgling

beginnings

And I wonder

Where are they now

How have they weathered their storms

Has life treated them gently

For a few

though

I wonder

what I have done

deserving of this frigid silence

Ah... but

Ignorance

Is it bliss

akin to hair flips

and then

flippant tones

No

No

That is not the way

Peace, then,

instead

and love

Love and good will

stretches my heart

expands my soul

expands my life

Warning... (aka... speaker check!)

TURN YOUR SPEAKERS DOWN A BIT!!!

The music is back, folks.

Enjoy.

:)

Frozen

This post will not be about the weather, I promise. Because I know, once I start going on and on about how unbelievably cold it is here, with wind that whips icicles through my very soul, someone is going to ask, Well, Nutmeg, exactly how cold is it? And I'm going to have to answer that it has been a high of 36, ok? So, don't bug me as I type this while nestled under three blankets and sipping a steaming mug of cocoa.

Nope. Not going to talk about that. So there.

:P

Today is a frozen-in-time kind of day. The last day of the week before all heck breaks loose with holiday parties and field trips and birthday parties and mom's nights out and nativity parties and another holiday party. And that's just this week. You think I kid.

I do not.

I wish I could say that I am using my time wisely, cleaning and scrubbing and doing laundry, since I will barely have time to pee the next few days.... but, alas, I am not. I ferried kids out to friends' houses, brought some other friends to our house, made hot cocoa, planned out a few Christmas gifts, and yes.. had a steaming hot cup of cocoa, liberally pummeled with whipped cream.

I need this time. To just freeze. To contemplate and take stock of our Advent season. Honestly, I think it is going well. We are keeping up with what I wanted to do, added in a full-fledged Jesse tree, and now our home is being graced with a pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima for the next 8 days. (She came yesterday... perfect timing, no?) While our prayer time was a tad rushed last night, it still happened, and Her presence is a constant reminder of what this season, this time is all about.

So as I frantically gallivant about this week and next, making lists, madly baking and maniacally cleaning~

I will try to freeze... every once in awhile... just to make sure that my focus, and the focus of my family, is where it needs to be.

:)

"Tis the Season Part II

My favorite Holiday album by far!

Enjoy....

:)

Tis the Season....

A note for Little Dear...





















Our Jesse Tree...



















DH's project....























Grandma's love...



















Love for Mama....


:)

Please Pray!

The niece of an old college roommate is undergoing surgery for a brain tumor right now, as I type this.

Pray for success and peace.

Pray for His will and acceptance.

Pray for a miracle.



ETA: From my old roomie's Facebook:

Surgery is done and it seems to be a success. They removed all of the tumor. Recovery may take a while or she may improve right away. Julie is probably with her daughter now. So far so good. It will be a few days before they know if the tumor is malignant or not. Thank you all so much!!

The Scandal of Never Being Scandalous

LOVE this quote from Melinda Selmys' book Sexual Authenticity:

It doesn't help that everyone else is trying to put forward the idea that they are not in the same boat. This is the problem that I have always had with a certain kind of Christianity (...) where everyone pretends that they are shiny, happy, pious people.

The problem with the Pharisee standing in the middle of the market square in his properly tasseled garment, with his hand lifted up in prayer and supplication, (...) is not only that he is drowning his own soul in pride but also that he is drowning the souls of everyone who sees him in despair.

The image of the "whitened sarcophagus" is absolutely perfect: inside, the Pharisee is just as corrupt and worm-ridden as the people he looks down on. His outward perfection is of the sort that people only possess in funeral statuary and eulogies, an ideal that we can only aspire to when we are dead.

So when this ideal is put forth as a living reality, as "being a Christian," it is little wonder that people turn away and say, "No. Not for me. I can't do that." Or, more commonly, "I can't stand those sanctimonious prudes. Why would I want to be like them?" This is the problem with the Pharisees - almost paradoxically, by never doing anything scandalous, they scandalize everyone around them.

Genuine holiness requires humility.

It's a good thing to let others see our brokenness, our humanity. In fact, it is refreshing. Not one of us is perfect. We do not have to live up to some unattainable standard. Our hope rests in Him. Thank goodness for that.

:)

Frivolity

So.... we've been invited to a Gaudete Sunday Celebration by a wonderful couple who moved to the area a few years ago. Even though we have a Nativity Play that day, in which a bunch of families get together, watch the kids stumble through a beautiful rendition of the Christmas Story (and turn it into a comedy in the process...) and then have a pot luck dinner together....
~ whew~
We are bound and determined to branch out, meet new folks, enkindle new acquaintances, and go to this Gaudete Sunday shin dig afterwards.

Here's the kicker, though. The dress is swank casual. Sounds uber-awesome, huh?

I just have no clue what that means.

The hosts were kind enough to reveal that the male counterpart would be sporting a smoking jacket, and that the other men invited were encouraged to bring along cigars and pipes and such. DH threatened opined that he may just go to the thrift store and see if he could rustle up a white suit.

Personally? I think he needs to be kept very busy for the next few weeks, and thus very. FAR. AWAY. from any thrift stores. A-hem.

Now.. as for the women in the group? And their swank attire? Um... yeah. Hmmm.

I was thinking along these lines...(not being the holiday dress kind of gal) and maybe pairing it with a print scarf or top or funky vest.

Or maybe this?

But certainly not this. (a little much for my crowd... and my mama-shaped body)

Come on fashion gurus... help me out.

:P

WTH?

We awoke to snow pouring from the sky this morning. Yes, it is snow, not rain. And that shot is the best I could muster in my pj's before becoming seriously frozen solid to the spot. I think it was 37 this morning.

Not that snow in December should be all that surprising. But snow in Texas during any time of the fall or winter is usually precipitated (heh heh) by days and days of newscasts about sand trucks and school delays and such.

This one snuck up on us with no warning whatsoever.
















And here is the aftermath. Maybe about 1/1000th of an inch. And that's if we're lucky. No need to praise my amazing photography skilz. I'm all about variety, apparently.

:P

A Nutty Thanksgiving...

.... in pictures....

:)

































































































































:)