Today's Thankfulness

It snowed yesterday - but only after we had freezing rain for a time. Travel was not recommended for anywhere around the Regina area. I was wanting to go out, but didn't really need to go out - so I didn't. I'm thankful that I didn't need to go out yesterday. This morning I got up and shoveled out my driveway. I'm thankful that it didn't really take that long - and I'm also very thankful for Bram, who normally does that for me. (Leo's still in bed.) I'm very thankful as well, for whoever drove the little bobcat that did the sidewalk for the whole block, so I didn't have to do my sidewalk. I had a quick visit with my next door neighbour to the west, who offered to shovel my driveway for me, but I had it done before he had finished the errand he had to do first. I'm thankful that it wasn't such a big job to do it; and also for the opportunity to visit with my neighbour. It's a beautiful sunny day today, only -4. Although they still don't recommend much travel today, I'm going out because I'm feeling a little housebound. The streets have been cleaned and I've got a few errands to run. I'm thankful for snowtires (and for Walter who put them on for me).

I was wanting to sew a little jumper today for Gloria but can't find the pattern I traced off for it, so maybe my errand will be to pick up a pattern from Fabricland. (Oh the hardship - I need to go to Fabricland!)

Sewing

I haven't sewn for so long that I wondered whether I even remembered how to do it again. I got home from Saskatoon yesterday afternoon and vowed to stop procrastinating about it. Traced off the pattern (it's Kwiksew and they have to be traced) and cut out the pieces. Couldn't manage to get myself to start sewing though.

So this morning, I hunted out a serger, and a foot pedal, and a power cord - got it up and ready to go and sewed Abby a wetsuit. I'm pleased with myself. It's so tiny! I hope it fits. I'm feeling pleased with myself. If you omit the time taken for procrastination, it was about one hour to trace out the pattern and cut it out, and one hour to sew it. Not bad!

Christmas Morning

It's Sunday morning. I'm in Saskatoon at my parents' house; updating my blog from my Dad's Ipad. Spent last night at my brother Rob's house - but they're in Gravelbourg. It's a standing joke that whenever I come to visit, they're not home.

Things that I'm thankful for today:
1. The warm weather. We're not having a white Christmas but the highway was clear and dry when I drove up here. I'm thankful for the good weather when there are so many traveling. I remember the Christmas when my kids spent 12 hours in an airplane sitting on the tarmac in Vancouver and didn't make it to Regina until a day late. This year, Rose is in Ottawa and Bram is in YK, but I'm still with family for Christmas.
2. Modern communications. I've already texted to Rose back and forth for Christmas; we talked to Robin last night on Skype; I'm posting to my blog this morning. When I was in New Guinea, for the two years I was there, I talked to my family a total of three times; once for each Christmas, and once when I sent off a really blue letter and they phoned to make sure I was ok. To write a letter and receive a reply usually took a month.
3. Family. I had supper with my parents last night (and breakfast this morning). We'll be having family meals for much of this week - we had one yesterday, one this afternoon, etc.
4. Worship. We'll be going to worship shortly. What a blessing to be able to go and freely worship and praise God for our many blessings.
5. Music. I'm listening to Handel's Messiah right now. What amazing music that is. I'm so happy to be able to participate in creating music, listening to music, experiencing music.

The day before

I slept in until 7, then I got up and started making present bags. Thought I was done twice, then remembered other presents that I had tucked away elsewhere. But I think I'm done now. Presents wrapped and under the tree. House tidied (well, almost - I do need to do some more there.) Laundry in the dryer. Ready to go.

I think I'm doing three Christmas dinners this year. One today. One tomorrow, and one on Tuesday. I'm hosting the one today; then just bringing stuff for the next two.

Things I'm thankful for today:
1. For the countless blessings I am given each day. I woke up this morning thankful for a warm bed and clean sheets and a warm house. That was just a start.
2. For being able to give gifts to others.
3. For my children. Although right now they're both thousands of km away; I'm only a second away from them on Skype, and they're always in my heart.
4. For my extended family. That it's only possible to get together in three different family gatherings, because there is so many of us.
5. For the beautiful weather. I don't have to worry about blizzards or anything else as I travel to Saskatoon this afternoon.

Small Miracles

I put Bram on the plane this morning; dropped him off at the airport at 5:15 am. He's had such a bad cold all week, is on antibiotics and is improving, but had to ensure he had his pockets stuffed with tissues and that he had cough candies in his pockets to interrupt the coughing cycle. I feel sorry for the people travelling with him, as they'll all be exposed to his terrible cold, but at least he's been on antibiotics for a few days so he should be less contagious, I hope. Then I came home and gratefully went back to bed - to try to sleep.

When I have difficulty falling back to sleep, I frequently turn on my bedside radio on very low volume. It interrupts my own thoughts and helps me sleep again. When I woke up this morning, on The Current they were talking about the importance of gratitude and how people who keep a gratitude journal (five things they were grateful for daily) were benefited in many ways. I think I'll try that. Here's my five things for today:
1. Bram was well enough to travel; we got to the airport on time and he caught his flight. (That's really just one thing, not three).
2. Bram ran his cell phone through the wash with his laundry on Tuesday (both washer and dryer), but he tried it last night, and aside from needing to be charged, it works! (That's the small miracle in the title.)
3. I was able to get back to sleep after dropping Bram off, and then was able to sleep in.
4. I'm off work on holidays for two weeks starting today!
5. I've got all of my Christmas shopping done (I think); I paid cash for everything and I still have (a little) money left at the end of the month.

Far Away but not forgotten

Bram is packing tonight to go to Yellowknife for the holidays. I've got his present bags made and the presents put in them - and he's decided that he doesn't have room for all of them in his suitcase. That's fair; he can either open them before he leaves or wait until he's back in two weeks.

Rose won't be home for Christmas either. She's decided it costs too much to fly to either home for the break. Since she was denied her student financial assistance from the territorial government, and since she hasn't been able to find a job in Ottawa yet, she's been pretty short of funds.

I talked to her this morning at 5:45. She was awake because she had a toothache. It's hard to have my kids so far away - especially when they have needs that I can't do anything about. It makes me realize two things: one is that when I went to New Guinea, I was only 19 - Rose is 20, and instead of being half-way around the world, she's only halfway across Canada. And, we can talk daily by phone or email or texting. It makes me appreciate my parents so much more. Now that I'm a parent, I realize the tremendous faith they had to allow me to go so far alone. Secondly, I realize that I have to leave my children in the Lord's hands. It helps me to realize that they've been there all along - but I have to trust his love and care over them. They're really in no different place than they've been all along.

Projects and Plans

I haven't sewn (really sewn) for several years now. I miss it. What makes the difference for me is having my sewing space set up so that I can sew and leave it and come back without having to clean up and put everything away. So I've set up my sewing machine (that's a start) and I've found my serger, although it's not set up yet, and I want to do some sewing over the break.

My sister-in-law would like me to sew a wetsuit for her daughter, who gets hives when she gets cold. I sewed wetsuits for my kids when they were young, so I have done it before. I pulled out my rubbermaid tubs and found the leftover wetsuit fabric. Melissa has ordered the pattern (it's out of print and she had to order it from EBay) and when it arrives I guess I'll get started. I'd also like to get back into quilting. I quilted for years, and have really enjoyed it, but haven't done it at all since I moved down her to Regina.

Rose is also wanting to create. She went shopping this afternoon at Fabricland in Ottawa and found what she wants to start hand sewing a quilt (a traditional Japanese pattern). She was texting me about what to get and how much to pay for about an hour this afternoon. However she now has all that she needs and I'm anxious to see what her project will look like.

Bram is also planning a project. His is more art than fabric based - he's designed a picture that involves number theory, prime numbers, different colours and sizes of beads, etc. He now needs fishing line to string the beads (and probably a canvas for the project) and he'll be ready to go.

It's interesting how we're all wanting to be creative at the same time; but we're all going to be doing quite different projects. I'm looking forward to seeing the works in progress.