Billy:
We are at the farm for a few days, have been since Christmas Eve day. There is so much I want to tell you. There is also much I want to do and NOT do. And so, you must be patient with me.

One of the advantages of having snow is that we can do cross country skiing. The weather has been fabulous for it. The dogs love to come along. The first day, Billy got frustrated and we had to bring him home and have him stay in the house. He was sinking in the snow too much and didn't know to walk in the trail. I think he was just too excited. The second time he came along. He hates to miss any fun. The usage of the trails by the dogs is not really beneficial. The trails get kind of wrecked but the dogs don't always stay on them. Some places the snow is not so deep and they do their own investigating.

Now I need to think about that cheesecake I was planning for supper. And I think I need to make new ski trails. We had some snow and wind day before yesterday. I suspect I'll be doing a new path. It's kind of hard work but someone has to do it. After I make it I can go flying on it the next time.

Till later,
Wendy,
With huge hugs to all. Wishing you angels all about and the time to pause to feel their presence.

Please keep Darlene, her son Mark, and her entire family in your prayers.
Christmas blessings to you and yours.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Please click on image to enlarge.

Christmas so close: The top piece is photos of our tree. I finished decorating it yesterday after it had been up about 8 days.
If you can believe - the bottom is a doodle I did mostly during a meeting I was at today. The meeting was about 4 hours long. The drive to and from was about 5 hours long. We left at 7 a.m. I'm quite
wiped but wanted to do something creative afterwards.Tomorrow & Thursday I hope to do most of the wrapping. We got a couple of gifts wrapped tonight but much left to do. I don't mind. I love wrapping AND I am so happy the meetings are done for a couple of weeks.


MERRY CHRISTMAS

"Give yourself a perfect day. Do what makes you happiest.
Look upon what gives you joy. Speak to those who warm
your heart. Listen to that which lifts your spirit. Surround
yourself with sights and sounds and people who give you
pleasure. For all the happiness you give to others all year
long, give yourself a perfect day.”

Author Unknown
But Greatly Appreciated!

"It is possible to be standing on one side of a door and
perceive the world as a dark and lonely place, while on the
other side of that very same door are countless people just
waiting to lend support and cheer you on. All that is required
is that you turn the knob.”

Author Unknown

Christmas Froggy Princess: Just a few of the Christmas decorations starting to magically appear in our home. I'll try to get a better view of the dear princess another day.

Of angels and mothers:
"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path"

Agatha Christie (1890 - 1976)

See windyangelsandyou for "Angels all about"

"How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?''
Dr. Seuss

Advent Concert -St. Peter's Chorus:
This photo shows a number of things. It shows tired me in concert black after the Advent Concert of St. Peter's Chorus. This is the 40th year of the chorus. I've sung with them for many of my last 27 years. I've taken some time off but it's difficult not being a part of this amazing group. We had a large choir this term, about 50 people. I always feel somewhat deflated after participating in a concert with the Chorus, because I have to say good bye to the wonderful songs we prepared, but I am pleased to be singing in a couple of other settings yet before Christmas. I am singing in a coffee shop on Thursday. That is much smaller, less formal. I'm not certain yet of exactly what's happening there. I'm also singing a solo and with a smaller choir of about ten people next Sunday. I'm not really ceratin of that performance either. But I love to sing and I love Christmas. I think it won't be difficult planning and preparing something.

This picture also shows our beautiful daughter who is back to her normal self. That is a wonderful feeling even though she will not be on medication for seizures until after we see a specialist. One pharmicist friend said it seemed Cat's body was revolting against the medication. She was so ill with side effects and possibly a bit of stomach flu also going around. It was frightening and energy draining for me. There were a couple of days I could barely leave her side because she was in such discomfort and so scared. It's great to have her back to normal even though that normal is sometimes a grouchy teen. Sigh.

AND, the picture also shows that I actually was able to get our living room cleaned so that we could set up our Christmas tree and I can do the other Christmas decorating which I love to do. The tree is not decorated and I have no idea when it will get decked. Regardless, I love the its scent. I can decorate as I find a moment here and there.

Until next time - my very best wishes for a relaxing season of advent as you prepare for the coming of Jesus. Huge hugs to all.

Line drawing, doodle - without lifting pen from paper. OK, I was really hoping to have time to do another. I think I would really prefer to use a pencil and wish I'd grabbed a piece of unlined paper. I was at a meeting, not that many people so needed to leave some impression that I was truly listening. But there'll be no time to do another. I've spent majority of day sitting with daughter and cleaning out bucket. We've been advised to totally discontinue the medication. She hardly had any today but is still vomiting water even. I finally thought about gravol so was fortunate to catch pharmacist just as he was closing down his pharmacy. Good thing about small town - you get to know people. I totally forgot until now that one of drugstores is open hour later. This one appreciates our business. So we had to do lovely suppository trick.

The line drawing - I was thinking about dear friend Suze. Hope you recognize the Cathedral. The round blob on left tree is supposed to be a bird nest. Otherwise I'm pleased with the doodle, considering using a pen and looking up part of the time while doing.

You may not see much of me in next couple of weeks. I've very little done yet for Christmas. I'm not worried about the shopping so much. Wrapping is always delayed and I can't put as much detail as would like. But I need to get this house cleaned so have room for tree. I've put up a couple of decorations today amidst the art stuff. I needed to try to get someone cheered a bit. She was happy with the visit from St. Nik. We live in a very German city. Cat knows who brought the presents, but we still love to pretend. She believed in Sanata till only a couple of years ago, though 15 years old. We still believe in Santa. Cat is great about giving being as important as receiving. She only wants a lap top for Christmas - will be very pleased if gets a cell phone which she probably will because of her seizure.

Must be off. Happy holidays!

HOPE:The last few days have been difficult as we struggle with our daughter having side effects of the medication she was started with for seizures. For four days she has been hardly able to keep any food down, has had very little appetite, and has been very drowsy. Today she has been more alert but she became very frustrated this evening with the discomfort in her stomach and the whole idea that it is caused by the medication. This is apparently very common when individuals are started on this medication.

Cat has been trying to think happy thoughts. She was having difficulty finding them tonight. She is finally resting.

Hope is what has carried us through. See "HOPE" at windyangelsandyou.

Singing; gladness; joyful:

I started this background while I was staying in a hotel room last Thursday night. I had my book, a few watercolour crayons, a cheap paintbrush and my caran d'ache crayons with me. It was getting late and I wasn't sure what to put on the background. Then I remembered that all hotel rooms have bibles placed by the Gideons. I'd been thinking of these Psalms for a time and decided this would be a good time to put them to paper. I ran out of time.

I got back to it later the next evening when we were staying at my parents house in the City. The Good News Bible my Dad had there did not include the Psalms. He brought out an old Bible which he had received about sixty years ago for his 24th birthday. There I found these Psalms.

I love to sing. I started to sing when I was young. Within the next two weeks I will be singing in four different performances. The first two are concerts with St. Peter's Chorus, a group which has been in the community for forty years. There are 50 people with the Chorus this term. We have a wonderful talented director. Next Thursday I am singing with a friend in a local coffee shop that has weekly entertainment. Our writer's group will also be doing some readings. If I have a chance to write something before then I may also do a reading. the fourth singing will be at a local Church with their Choir and I may do a song or two on my own. Our own Church is at a distance so will not be singing there. I think these four opportunities will be exciting.

How Can I Keep From Singing?
My life goes on in endless song

Above earth's lamentations,

I hear the real, though far-off hymn

That hails a new creation
Through all the tumult and the strife

I hear its music ringing

It sounds an echo in my soul

How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars

I hear the truth, it liveth

And though the darkness 'round me close

Songs in the night it giveth
No storm can shake my inmost calm

While to that rock I'm clinging

Since love is lord of heaven and earth

How can I keep from singing?

Text: Robert Lowry, 1826 - 1899

Music: Robert Lowry, 1826 - 1899, alt.

Cool Slideshows

Having fun with cool slideshows. "Cat then" - Photos of our daughter taken about 10 - 12 years ago.

Cool Slideshows

Pelican Bay - An area close to where we live. These photos were taken on November 19. the hoar frost was gorgeous that day.

"O God, I thank You for this day of life
for eyes to see the sky
for ears to hear the birds
for feet to walk amidst the trees
for hands to pick the flowers from the earth
for a sense of smell to breathe in the sweet
perfumes of nature
for a mind to think about and appreciate
the magic of everyday miracles
for a spirit to swell in joy at Your mighty presence
everywhere."

Marian Wright Edelman
Founder of the Children's Defense Fund

Inspiration Peak