Simply having a wonderful Christmas time…

David and I were blessed with a Christmas time filled with beautiful sights,

cold and wintery, but oh so cozy nights.

Tickles and giggles,

and smiles and good loving…

The time went so quickly but was very full of all the good stuff that gathering together with loved ones brings.

We have spent a couple of days at home now, cleaning up from the big snow, and we are off on our next adventure soon.

Coldplay at Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Uncasville, CT !

Merry Christmas & Happy 12th Anniversary to US !!!

We will be home just in time to ring in the New Year.

Have you been thinking about a Word of the Year for 2013 ?

I like this ritual very much.

My 2012 word was “Live”. It was a good word to refer to and to help me come back to the present moment.

My 2013 Word of the Year is percolating under the surface right now.

I will grab hold of it when it is clear and of course, make myself a Rock my World rock with it to keep as a talisman for the year.

If you are interested in having a Word of the the Year Rock in a Box with your own word, I have these sweet little gifties available in the etsy shop again this year, with a new design for 2013.

There are also a few of the stitched wool felt cuffs that I have so loved making available now as well.

I hope that you are finding this in between/winter wonderland/full moon timesweet, Beautiful Ones, and full of moments that make your Soul hum….

Big, big love to you !

Celebrate the Good Things !

I escaped Black Friday to Montreal, Quebec where Thanksgiving is celebrated in October, and where shopping and bargains have nothing to do with the traditional festivities.

I instead got to surprise my sister Natalie and most of my family by showing up on Sunday for a birthday lunch in Montreal’s Chinatown.

My Mom and I arrived a little early so we walked around and played for a bit, trying to stay out of sight of the restaurant where we were meeting.

It was a blast to see the looks of surprise on my sister’s face when she saw me, and also to hear Miss Katie yell out “Kimmy !!!” when we made our entrance.

Then it was time to decorate the birthday girl a little.

My beautiful sister, Natalie in her birthday regalia !

(Today is her actual birthday. Happy Birthday, Sista !!! I love you !)

My Mom and I hit the dollar store before the party so we all got to take part in the fun !

Thomas reviewed the technique for eating periwinkles in black bean sauce for those who were new to the game, and for us old pros who have been eating them since we were his age.

It may look a little gross but man, are they yummy !

Kate wasn’t into the periwinkles. Rice was more to her taste.

Check out her special chopstick style !

We sang a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday very loudly in the restaurant, with noise makers hoots as a finale.

Then we gathered in the street for some pictures to document the day.

Thomas really makes this one of my Uncle Charlie, my cousin Mathieu, and his beautiful girlfriend, Nadia. Typical Thomas pose !

I love this one of Mathieu swinging Katie around. She kept her legs pointed straight, like a ballerina !

Charlie took this picture of all the girls and our hambone, Tom.

Lots of happy faces !

It was kind of a whirlwind trip but so worth the time driving there and back.

I love my family very much, and being there to celebrate Life and all the good things about it is very, very precious to me.

Okay, now it is time to buckle down !

The craft fair benefiting the Manchester West High School Theatre Knights program is on Saturday, December 3rd !

Off I go to finish crafting !

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones !

I hope your day has a little bit of life celebration in it too.

Bye-bye, July !

When I lived in Montreal, I spent a lot of time at Lac Bibitte.

As a teacher, I had the summer off and usually spent about three or four weeks of the summer up there.

Now, being 7 or 8 hours away (depending on the crazy-ass Montreal traffic),

summer time spent up there is much rarer.

This weekend was short but oh so sweet at the Lake.

Precious cosmos in full bloom – planted this year by my sweet auntie Lise, in the same spot my dad used to plant them every summer.

The lake watcher on our lawn, again my Dad’s creation (see where I get my rock fairy genes ?).

He now sits hidden in long grass as cutting the lawn is prohibited in order to preserve the shore line. Things stay the same. Things change…

There are shadows of the past everywhere for me in this spot on the planet.

And yet, the present moment is so available when you focus there.

It was sweet to have my beautiful Mommy there with us this weekend, right where she belongs among some of my very favorite people on Earth.

And of course, this one…

She fills me ( and her Uncle Dave) bursting full of love, giggles and silly joy !

Family fills you up.

Even the loons know that !

(Mommy, Daddy and baby loon out for an afternoon fishing troll…)

As do hugs from this beautiful woman, my aunt/sister/mother/friend/cheerleader/role model of strength and womanhood, Lise. And her hubby of 40 years, my uncle Charlie.

Heck, we even had an abundance of puppy love at the Lake this weekend,

with Amber, Charlie and Lise’s dog at the top of the screen, Tonka, my cousin Matt’s ugly beautiful girl, and

my sweet Chica, angel dog who was in Yellow Lab heaven up there !

Ultimately, of course, it is all about the love..

love of place, love of family, love of this moment in time

that Love is the thing that keeps us filled up.

So I am saying good bye to July 2011.

It has been a treat of a month with so many wonderful moments.

And a very fine finale, indeed !

*******************************

Oh, and in the spirit of documenting the month of July, I wanted to share the pages I created in my sistah, Brandy’s Traveling Sketchbook this month.

I am really digging how these rocks of mine are coming to life…

And of course, my love for the ocean and the beach shines through…

I am a little late getting this one in the mail but Jennifer, the next sistah on the list, should have it in a day or two.

So bye, bye July.

Hello, August !

If you bring me even just a portion of the treats your predecessor did,

we should get along just fine !

Happy August, Beautiful Ones !

We are all a part of it...

This beautiful song and lyric that was on

Kind Over Matter

today

and inspired this journal page :

And this beautiful rock found on the beach at Hampton on this fine

summer-like spring day

inspired these nice photos of its finder...

and

one of her treasures,

a silver hand found in Mexico.

Heart in hand...

I know

that

I am

part

of

something

beautiful.

Happy Tuesday, Beautiful Ones.