Thank you dear dear CB...this is a gift!
Merry Christmas to you too!
And to you, sweet Lupita...
I hope you both have had a beautiful day.
I had zero expectations and nearly zero preparations, and I found out how to receive.
Staggered out of bed this morning, downed some tea and let the pooch out, then went back to bed for more sleep. When I got up, the minister and his wife had left for out of state, and left me a charming Christmas surprise in the breakfast room--the little tree I'd put up for him had been moved back for me, lights on, and there were treats and gifts arrayed all around it, plus a thank-you letter for them about being grateful to live here. I was very touched.
Then Gennulman and I went to see Mom at the nursing home and brought her a sack of cheer...she was in good spirits and really enjoyed seeing him for the second time. "You're from Kansas? I'm from Kansas too!" about 6 times... The little old ladies in their wheelchairs were all dressed in holiday red and very plucky, though there was some sadness, you could tell.
He and I spent the rest of the day at his sister's grand house where he's house-sitting while their family's in England, and we cooked and ate and did the neatest thing...he invited me to draw mandalas with him (he's been doing this now and then with his sister and an art therapist as they rediscover each other, never having been very close until after his mother died a year ago and when she fetched him here to live). I made him a really neat gift and it brought me such joy to create anything at all. There's a picture of him mountain climbing in a book and since he'd lost most of his belongings during his homeless time, I wanted to give him something fairly permanent. So I scanned the picture, got the designer who works for my company to divide it into 3 tall skinny image files, printed them on tissue based on this COOL instructable...
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-unique-tile-picture-for-less-than-3/...and decoupaged them onto three big tall slices of Jerusalem sandstone I got from a stone yard an old man I know owns. His crew sliced it to the right width (4", by about 16" tall)...and it worked. There are some flaws and a couple wrinkles, etc, but the effect is wonderful. The tissue I used was from some store that had printed "love" in silver -- in just one place, in the sky, very faintly, and backwards, you can make out the word if you look...
He loved it. It moved him. I was over the moon at the chance to make art and make something that mattered. I wanted to honor him, what he's climbed.
He made me a luscious lunch, we drew mandalas and interpreted each other's (I loved that!), I went home to let my pooch out and throw in some laundry, then went back for an evening of cuddling and watching AMELIE. Great wonderful heart-full movie, in case you've missed it.
From exhaustion to a day full of light and contentment...it was lovely.
I realize what I like most about Christmas is that it's a day when the whole town has permission to be still and the clock stops. Plus sacred music.
And friends.
Thank you, friends...
much love to all of you,
Hops
