May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.
- Neil Gaiman
This post WOULD have been up a week ago, had my Internet here at Innisfree not been misbehaving. Turns out, I had moved the lil MIFI gadget because of all of our Christmas decorations and now that I've put it back where it was, all is well. Some things have much simpler solutions than we imagine!
(The egg above is the first one produced by our chickens, you remember the ones that we hatched from eggs last Spring? Doesn't Eric look like a proud papa?)
This is an angel mouse... Seth and I made it and he gave it to his teacher. I try to make all our craft projects out of things we already have around. This was made with bits of paper, old wrapping paper, cardboard cut from cereal and cracker boxes, glue & a bit of glitter. I don't believe in angels, exactly, but I believe in Grace. Tell you why.
Our life is a faint tracing on the surface of mystery, like the idle, curved tunnels of leaf miners on the surface of a leaf. We must somehow take a wider view, look at the whole landscape, really see it, and describe what's going on here. Then we can at least wail the right question into the swaddling band of darkness, or, if it comes to that, choir the proper praise. ~ Annie Dillard
Casey, Seth, Marjorie & Eric ~~ Christmas Eve 2011
Christmas Eve bonfire after church service: Innisfree
Casey & Seth, my oldest & youngest, both born on February 1st.
Casey gave (almost) everyone tools. Seth wore his carpentry apron all day!
Duchess has one talent... she can open presents! Casey & Colin.
Colin gave almost everyone POLO clothes/shoes/accessories. Mar gave almost everyone SMITH COLLEGE wear!
My kids. Everyone together on Xmas day, all are clean & sober. Grace of God and the miracle of the AA programs. This is a first in at least ten years. SOOOOOOO blessed, and they have worked so hard. Believe me when I say I never thought it would happen.
This is my cat Vashti, ready to sit near me while I finish out all the reading I have planned for my dwindling sabbatical afternoons! See you all... SOON!
PS. Don't forget to surprise yourself!!
