still celebrating

Here is is, January eighth... and yes, my Christmas tree is still up... along with all of my other decorations. We even turned the lights on the other night, which was probably a big mistake- it looked so beautiful, and this tree which I have not loved as I have so many others, stole my heart. Colorful twinkling lights... throwing sparkling reflections on our precious ornaments... maybe I needed these quiet moments more than I knew. A few more days until I can even think about getting it all put away, so I may as well enjoy. And, sometimes when you still have your tree up, there are great perks... like this little treasure I found on the kitchen counter after work yesterday...

Crazy, I know, but this little gift sent me screaming with joy into the other room where my husband was just quietly reading. I really wanted these measuring cups... I had seen them at the store, and thought that they were beautiful, and fun! But I was not going to spend that much for silly measuring cups, even at 30% off... even though they would look pretty in the drawer... and collapse and leave the drawer maybe a little more tidy. And then, there they were, on my kitchen counter... expertly wrapped by the man who shares his life with me... and who sometimes knows me better than I know myself. How I love these after Christmas finds... tucked away in the closet behind the shoes... or on top of a cabinet, just out of sight... like the Easter eggs you come across in July. Little celebrations that brighten an ordinary day... and bring laughter and joy to my heart.

a warm reminder

The first thing that comes to my mind when I think tea, is being little and having my first sips of tea at a Chinese restaurant. The steaming silver pot... the little porcelain cups, just the right size for my little hands... and a couple of packets of sugar. Going to the restaurant was a treat in itself, and having grown-up tea just added to the pleasure. When Carie introduced to me chai tea last spring, I would occasionally brew a cup at home, loving the spicy flavors... but I just can't make it as good as Panera can, and so on most days, coffee easily wins. But on my little trip back to Scituate in December, I became a tea girl. Amy would put the kettle on and soon, we would be enjoying steaming mugs of hot sweet tea on a cold wintery night... or afternoon. Tea in the morning is just something hot to warm and wake you... but sitting down with a friend and chatting over a cup of tea in the afternoon... or settling down at the end of a brisk day, mulling over the events of the day with a hot cup of tea and a friend... those moments make memories. Lively conversation... reminiscing and giggling... sharing heart to heart... over a cup of tea. When I walk in the door from work, I find myself putting the kettle on. And when I do, my thoughts find their way back to Amy's cottage kitchen, and our tea time. And wrapping my hands around the steaming mug of hot, sweet, spicy tea is a warm reminder of our winter weekend, and most of all our long wonderful friendship... which I would not trade for all of the tea in China.
A good friend is a connection to life,
a tie to the past, a road to the future,
the key to sanity in a totally insane world.
Lois Wyse

fresh and new

Ahhh... a new calendar... squeaky clean, and just calling to me and my sharpie. Ahhh... a new year... full of potential, and memories to make. Today my bright new calendar has been filled... with birthdays and anniversaries, times and places we all need to be. Nice and tidy, just how I'd love my life to be. Just my very own neat handwriting... no scribbles, no doodles, no mistakes. Squeaky clean, fresh and bright. Once I hang it up on the fridge it will be fair game... for three other's scrawling hands... events planned and cancelled... for real life. The life that is mine... cluttered... full... sometimes darn right messy. But it is my mess... my beautiful mess. And whatever the new year brings... wherever it takes us, we will journey there together, holding hands, and thanking God for each and every day.

seeking treasure

I have surprised a few people, including myself, at how much I love camping... outside, in a tent. I suppose that I may not look like the camping "type," but I do love it... and before we even arrive home from our outdoor adventure, I am thinking about the next time we can go. I love just getting away... from the day to day routine, from the electronics, from the pressure that sometimes builds up in the four walls of our home... that to-do list that is always running inside my head. Yes, to be away is nice... and to be away with family and friends, and an open agenda is even better.
On this trip, we brought along a new Christmas toy... electronic, yes, but camping friendly! Eric loaded up the new GPS with coordinates for geocaching, which I really think is just treasure-hunting with an earthier name. As our party of eight headed out on the hiking trails, we let the Garmin lead the way... it was an expedition of fun. Does the path turn to the left? Oh, good! Half a mile... quarter mile... 500 feet! We laughed, we trekked, enjoyed, we searched... and the seeking added another level of fun to our hike.
Try as we might, we did not come away with treasure, or even trinkets. There was maybe a little disappointment... but in reality, the treasure was all around us. The treasure was in the air... fresh and clean, and laced with the faintest scent of oranges. The treasure was in the trees... as the sun filtered down through the leaves, creating a spattering of shadow and light. The treasure was in the path... walked by thousands before us, and in the thousands that would recover our own footprints. The treasure was Florida itself... not the palm trees swaying on the beach, or in the theme parks the lay miles north... but in the real Florida... the Florida that some never see, and most never seek.




Most of all, we came away with treasured memories... of a few days when we traded the comforts of home for the comforts of a crackling fire... good food cooked in a cast iron pot... and time. Time with family that is growing up just a little too quickly. Time with friends who love us just the way we are, quirks and all... and friends who we love, just the way they are, quirks and all.
Treasure... more precious than gold.