Serving up Sunday

[Lynlee]

"So long as we love we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend."
Robert Louis Stevenson

A lot of us have things to do just now. Preparations to make. People to see. Places to go.

Whats on your agenda? Share your TADAS.

Some folk are alone too which can be difficult. Even so there are choices we can make.
To be a friend to ourselves as well as others. To be available to serve others in wholesome ways.
To learn to live as best we can.

I guess We are all trying for that whether we have others sharing our home and lives or not.

[Lynlee]

The mother I hugged lost her dearest husband 12 years ago. And the 22yo baby of their large family.

my day
Some presents are wrapped and on their was with dsis to a family christmas I miss.
I made some doll clothes and a wrap for dgniece1 - thinking a doll in a towel needs some clothes if she is to learn to play with it. Late getting started sewing dolly things and I had thought I wouldn't get to dfriends house but went late after dsis came - just had finished wrapping that last gift.

Earlier I'd made that nightdress I've been thinking about and procrastinating about.

Dfriend was alone and in bed mostly asleep when I got there 90 min late. I stayed a while. Cpap machine had not arrived yet. I shared my mantra with her. Just a little way to try to help. Now is not the time for Arthur's video. Maybe later. She has taken to heart that she has put on "me" in weight and thinking what it will be like to put "me" down. To lose 110lb.

Watching "storm boy" here. I need start wrapping. And wash the few dishes not let them sit.
I'm heading to dd.1 tomorrow. a small gathering on Christmas Day - just the 4 of their family and me, and an old friend of dsil who is on his own. I'll catch up w dd.2 another time.

[OKay]

Good Morning!

LynLee - GREAT start for today! Thank you

I woke up several time during the night while my mind processed yesterday activities/events/family interactions. Being "ON" for so many hours is physically, mentally and emotionally draining. The older DGS's shared some things going on in their lives .....choices they are making. Their Dad knows what they are doing and isn't doing anything to stop it. The "if only" starts running through my mind which is useless. I don't approve the lifestyle they are choosing, however I love them regardless.

Today is church, lunch with DFriends then some much needed down time while LO takes a nap.....hopefully a long one.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I also had a non-restful night.

Was in bed 8 hours but awake fully for the last hour of that. Too many things on my mind.

Dh is still in bed but says he feels stronger this morning. Of course, he hasn't put a thing on his tummy yet so I'm not sure how he can tell.

I'm still feeling under the weather. Not sure if I'll get sick this afternoon after I'm done with Sunday School. If I'm going to get this thing, I really needed to get it by last night in order to be well enough for tomorrow night and Tuesday and Wednesday. Even the minister commented on how she needed me for Christmas Eve.

I'm working on clearing the kitchen table. Powered up my computer to email dd for her grocery list and then got distracted.

[OKay]

Kathryn - hopefully whatever Ken has will pass you by.

I've been trying to reduce the abundance of sweets in the house....aka temptations that keep calling my name. I sliced the remaining Fruit cake and put into freezer. I baked 3 dozen cookies and have them cooling and almost ready to package for travel. I'll put them near the coffee pot at church and hopefully they will disappear. I would have baked more, but ran out of time.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I'm so used to the kitchen table being a mess, I mis-spoke in the previous post. It was the dining room table I was conquering. And I have.

The kitchen table, after I leave for church, will just have two cards to open and the flyers and HGP grocery list on it. I still have to go through the flyers and make up a plan of attack for the grocery and Christmas shopping that remains to be done.

[blessedw2]

I had to laugh a lot yesterday... you know how you can get caught up in "planning" that perfect whatever ... for me it's Christmas. Yesterday I was reminded again, and it made me laugh, that my "if I put too much expectations on what will happen, God lets me remember that many things are out of my hands". Actually made me smile and laugh at myself and those expectations.

I had made a "perfect" gift for my d brother and his wife, got the "perfect" present for my dmom and shipped it to get there perfectly on time. My ego and my imagination was sent with those gifts. Found out my brother probably won't make it to dmom's this Christmas after all and that perfect moment of opening presents (of course in my elaborate holiday imagination) would be a moment they wouldn't forget how grateful I was for all of his help this year. The Funny thing is that My brother can't make it to my dmom's because flying in a small plane can be dangerous from up north. (sil is a flight instructor). My d mom will have to ship the presents to my brother. It was a wow.. I have been falling into the trap this yearof the ego looking for that "perfect" moment or gift again, either with my cooking, my gardening, my school work or what i do. Yesterday I found my self laugh out loud and enjoying God's little reminder.

Also we went to the Christmas Carol... dd older was exhausted, I had a stomach ache but we did make it and had a great time. My remembering it is the people in the moment and not the grand plan of perfect that made the adjustments in our outing lovely but smiling and letting the moment be what it was. I am thankful at the reminders in my life that help me not be too serious and make me appreciate and be thankful for all the little moments.

[Harriet]

"My ego and my imagination was sent with those gifts..." Oh, blessed, thanks for sharing that story from your Christmas! I see myself in it.

Here we are, lol or at least me right now!

What a thought-provoking quote to start our morning, Lynlee - one that reminds me of RLS' Scottish roots and life as a near-invalid. RLS, to my mind, was like a man of 2 parts, much like one of his famous characters. He was the insightful, brief poet my mother loved for her first graders (A Child's Garden of Verses) and the bedridden, frank writer of good-vs-evil concepts (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Kidnapped).

He certainly spent his life determined that he would not be useless, and would be a friend. He managed to inspire others even though he often had to do it as an invalid - he was completely mute after a hemorrhage when he wrote Child's Garden of Verses, remembering all the other sickly times as a child. On the island of Samoa, he became such a beloved advocate for the Samoan people, that when he died (at only 44) a path was cleared by sixty Samoan men to the summit of Mount Vaea, where he is buried. Anyway, that is a stellar quote we should take to heart.

[scattered]

Lynlee - your post brought a smile to my lips and a hug to my heart.

Blessed - Oh how do I understand those feelings.

Kathryn - I hope DH feels better soon and that you are able to stave off the illness.

OKay - you can send your sweets here... I am craving them and don't have many.

Harriet - you and your amazing knowledge never ceases to amaze me, thanks for sharing the Bio of RLS.

I was up till 2 am and woke at 10 am, I am working on my coffee and am getting ready to go find a sheet to use as the backing for DFS's blanket. I found 1.5 yds of camouflage fleece and am planning to make him a simple throw blanket. Then I need to get on the slippers.

ToDo/TaDa's
d2s
coffee
clear of DR table
find sheet for backing
measure and piece together
sew blanket
cut out DP's slippers
put together and sew slippers
cut out DP's DstepS's slippers
put together and sew slippers
Dinner

I think I'll have one more cuppa and then get moving

BBL

[blessedw2]

thank you d lynn for the thought for the day... also (((for that mother))) and your df ((())
d kathryn sending you healing thoughts for you and your dh. great on the dining room table
d okay gift your family love even if you don't agree with their choices is an amazing gift!
Hi d scattered have a great day.

Goals for today:
Smile! and other things that have to do with my family and Christmas Eve tomorrow