With the dust settling from holiday celebrations, I wanted to sit for a moment and tell you about the blessings of this week. Thank you, Susanne of
Living to Tell the Story for hosting this spot.
1. A quiet, restful week: After all the festivities and fun of Christmas and New Year, it's been nice to just relax this week and unwind. Except for a quick run to the grocery store, I've stayed put in my warm home, reading, watching movies, a little arranging of things as the idea came to me. . . . It's been lovely.
2. My church's 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer: Every year, my church spends 21 days, beginning soon after New Year's Day in a period of prayer and nightly services at church. Some people fast food except for fruit juices. Others fast things like social media or other pursuits. Some fast just one meal a day. Every night (except Saturday) there is a service with special speakers. Since my eyesight just doesn't handle night driving very well, I'm so thankful that the services are live streamed. And if you watch it on Face Book, it's even closed captioned. Another blessing. We began January 3rd.
3. A tea station: I've wanted to set up a dedicated spot for all my tea things. It may be coffee first thing in the morning, but tea is a treat for the rest of the day. After Christmas decorations were retired for another year, I set up a spot on top of a cabinet. It looks cluttered because I have accumulated a lot of teas. Now that I have them all together, I know what I have, and I'll stop buying for a while and use up what I've got. My lovely teacup and little holder of Old Country Roses is there for display. As my mother used to say, it's "more for show and not to blow."
4. Knitting progress: A few weeks ago, I showed you a photo of the beginning of some fingerless gloves I was working on. The yarn was a dark gray and I was having all sorts of problems. My daughter suggested using a lighter color wool which I did. I also switched from my circular needles to aluminum straight needles. It's made all the difference. So, here is what I have so far....
Hopefully, these fingerless gloves will be done this winter (while I still need them!)
5. Quarantune: No, I didn't spell that wrong.
Quarantune began in 2020 when dulcimer (and other folk) had to curtail their usual festivals and workshops due to the pandemic. Besides this being an economic hardship for the musicians, it was a disappointment to those who attend their workshops and concerts every year. Thus, was created Quarantine 1.0. It brought all the musicians together in a big 2-day event filled with workshops at a very nominal fee for the participant. For $10, you could participate in a one-hour workshop via Zoom with the great ones out there - Bing Futch, Stephen Seifert, Brett Ridgeway, Jessica Commeau and many others. It was such a success that even after restrictions lifted, they continued the event. Now, about every 4 months, it happens again. It's fantastic for those who just can't get to a real live event like me. Quarantune Winter Fest begins February 1st to the 4th and I'm all ready to register for at least two workshops. Always fun!
With the new year begun, I've thought of all the things I want to accomplish this year. My mother had so many sayings - one being that "my appetite was too big for my stomach." For me, that means that all my plans and goals might need to be tempered a bit. This is the time to sit back and ask God - "What do You want me to accomplish this year!"
A late Happy New Year to you all!
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