Sing a New Song

Today was Small Business Saturday and I was privileged to enter many small retail businesses and eateries in our picturesque and historic downtown's retail district.  I am a caroler.  For the past several years, I have strolled with a group of singers, meandering in and out of our downtown establishments, singing holiday music and hopefully adding some holiday cheer to the shoppers' experience.  Annie, our organizer, makes it a fun adventure and Nancy, our music librarian, added to the merriment by selecting some new music for us this year.  Consequently, in addition to our familiar selections, we got to sing some new songs today.  Whether singing new or old songs, it was fun to be part of Small Business Saturday and perhaps contribute in my own some small way to their efforts to help our community thrive, create jobs and boost our local economy.  If you don't normally shop in small businesses, now's the time for a new song.  Shop small and you'll contribute to the preservation of your local retail district and community. 

An Un-Christmas Party

While others were out searching for Black Friday deals this morning, I was at an Un-Christmas Party.  My creative friend Kitty invited me to her home to a party designed for just the two of us:  To watch "White Christmas" and sing along at the top of our voices.  Any excuse to get together with Kitty is a good one, for she is a dear and amazing friend.  But being a fan of "White Christmas" made the invitation all the better.  We climbed into our recliners, bowl of popcorn and apples at hand and tuned in to the magic of "White Christmas."  I thought I knew the lyrics to all of the songs, but Kitty outshone me with her ability to remember every word of even the lesser known pieces.  Periodically throughout the movie, one of us would comment about Danny Kaye's lithe and limber form, Vera-Ellen's dancing abilities, Rosemary Clooney's silky voice and sparkling blue eyes, the enchanting atmosphere of the inn, the beautiful red dresses worn in the last scene, and the crooner himself, Bing Crosby's ability to make us tear up when he sang "Count Your Blessings" and "White Christmas."  The grass may have still been green outside and the sun shining brightly, but inside, Kitty and I were snuggled up singing "Snow," while waiting for a White Christmas.

Now Thank We

A recent Facebook post included a quote attributed to Henry David Thoreau: "I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual...."  On this Thanksgiving, I am devoting quiet time to reflecting on all that I am blessed to have.  We live in a world of constantly wanting more, but on this day, I am content with who I am and what I have.  Like Thoreau, my thanksgiving is perpetual.  Today, I think of my loving husband Larry, my family and my friends, my work and my recreation, my writing and my reading, my warm home and my full refrigerator.  I have everything I need and more than I could want.  As we gather around the table today, may our prayer be that our thanksgiving be perpetual.

A Cat Named Courage

I recently met a cat named Courage.  His human companion told me that the cat normally was fearful when strangers came around and would immediately run and hide.  For some reason that day, Courage and I hit it off.  He stayed put in his little kitty bed and allowed me to pet him and scratch him under his chin. He never once ran away to hide.  Instead, he seemed content and curious at the same time, comfortable enough with me to stay put, stretch out and take me in.  Courage the cat got me to questioning the depth of my own courage.  When confronted with something new, do I usually run and hide or do I see it for what it is and allow myself to become comfortable with it?  We all have opportunities to look fear in the eye and display our own courage.  I think of the many wonderful people in my life who do so with grace and dignity, and I realize how much I want to display those same characteristics.  So, on this day, I will take a lesson from Courage the cat and see newness and change as the opportunities they really are.

Altarations

I love to putter around with our home décor, but I wouldn't call myself necessarily very artistic or imaginative when it comes to putting together arrangements.  However, I recently found myself volunteering to help prepare our church sanctuary's chancel for Thanksgiving.  My good friend Donna is highly creative.  Everything she touches seems to become just that much more beautiful.  She came loaded with a carload of natural items, baskets, pottery, root vegetables and dried wheat.  My other good friends Gloria, Alice and Judy also came laden with items.  I brought along my own additions.  Together, under the guidance of Donna's artistic eye and gentle approach, we created what I believe was a bountiful and beautiful chancel scene of Thanksgiving.  It was only to be enjoyed for one day, for next weekend, the scene will change and we will decorate the church for the Christmas season.  But, for me, that one day was the stuff of which memories make, working alongside wonderful women in my life, tangibly creating a spirit of Thanksgiving.

Quiet Time

My life tends to be quite busy these days and I am grateful for the opportunity to enjoy such busyness.  Whether it be my employment, my freelancing career, my volunteer work or my time with Larry and friends, my to-do list is usually quite extensive, longer than I should try to pack into a single day.  However, the other afternoon, I had the opportunity to carve out important time to sit quietly with a friend who had recently come home from the hospital.  Our quiet time together was intended to help my friend, but in reality, it was even more beneficial to me.  It was during those moments of silence, that precious time to be (for which I named my blog), that I truly focused on the present, relaxed my thoughts and refreshed my mind, body and soul.  During this season of giving, perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is quiet time, time to simply be.

Chilled to the Bone

With words like artic air being tossed around by the meteorologists, I thought I was prepared for our frigid temperatures yesterday, but the blast of cold air still surprised me as I set out the door at 8:00 a.m.  The sun was deceivingly bright, making me think that the day would be warmer than it was.  By the afternoon, I decided that, despite the 19-degree high temperature, I would take a walk.  I bundled up in my full-length down coat, donned a hat under my coat's hood, added a scarf and gloves for good measure, and ventured out to the public library to return a book.  Although I was completely covered from head to toe (to the point where my glasses fogged up), I was still chilled to the bone.  The wind blew me around a bit.  The soles of my tennis shoes tapped as they touched the cold sidewalks.  As my walk continued, however, I warmed up, appreciating the bracing air, the sunshine, the female cardinal I saw in a tree and the opportunity to get outside to refresh my lungs and my perspective.  By the time I returned home, I had nearly all but forgotten that the temperature was so low, for along the way, my outdoor adventure had fed my spirit and warmed my soul.