Chankanaab is a National park in Cozumel, Mexico. We visited there many years ago for our wedding anniversary. For a first time snorkeler it was a dream come true! I laughed so hard (because I was having so much fun) that I repeatedly blew my mask off and had to rise to the water surface to put it back on!

The edge of the water used to have steps cut into the coral so you could just sit and watch the many colored tiny fish or go in gradually from that point. The water is so salty that you are made naturally buoyant. This is a gift to those of us who are not strong swimmers as the salinity makes it hard to sink below the surface.

Then Bob pointed out to me that there was a dock out in the water that we could swim to. If I got tired, I could get on that little perch and rest before we swam back. Little did I know that submerged in the water was a statue of Christ looking up at us with His arms open towards us. I was delighted.

Lord of the wind and waves , spoken of in Matthew 8:27 and Mark 4:31, honored in this lovely place of salinity and fish. Bless the ones who put the statue there, Lord. Thank you for the gifts of seas and fish, buoyancy and sight!

I am married to Mr. Tidy. He knows I call him that. We are not quite alike in this matter, though he has trained me fairly well over 48 years!

So the Christmas tree come down December 25 as we were finished with the family celebration. And the mantle decorations changed to winter instead of Christmas. Table is being changed over, also.

Why all the rush? Well January 3 Bob is being admitted for a scheduled surgical procedure. The critical illness of January 4, 2018 left him with damage to one of the heart nodes that regulate heartbeat. His pulse is often 38 whereas mine can run 100. Normal is 60-100 beats per minute.

This is basically the same way the doctor showed the pacemaker to us in his office. Bob will be admitted after the procedure for overnight monitoring. They want to be certain that everything is regulated properly.

Everyone assures us it is a simple procedure. That sounds fine until it is your heart (or the heart of a loved one) they are talking about! Bob is looking forward to warmer hands and feet, more energy, less dizziness, fewer headaches, and overall feeling better.

More energy?! Not certain how I will keep up with him then!! He is scheduled to return home January 4. We are hoping this is the end to the illness that nearly killed him January 4, 2018. May the year 2019 be much healthier and calmer. Lord, hear our prayer!

This came in an email from Printery House. I just love the detail and the topic! Especially the King who laid his crown at the feet of Jesus.

What more can I say? I welcome my King.

The first year we were married I was so excited to give Bob his Christmas gifts. I hoped to surprise him. He sat with each gift, examined it, and proceeded to guess each one before he opened it. I was so disappointed!

Many years later his sister came to visit us in Ohio from California around Christmas time. She had taken a Southwest flight into Indianapolis. The day she was due to fly out Bob was working and the kids were in school. I drove her back to Indianapolis. Our house was already decorated and the gifts were under the tree. When I returned from the airport, Bob was home from work. He ran out to the driveway and declared, “I felt your presents!”

I was instantly angry. It took a moment for Bob to realize that I heard him say “Presents” and he meant “Presence.” He was apologizing profusely.

He does not guess what is in his gifts any more. If he does, he does not say it out loud!

Christmas time was upon us and Emily, at 3-1/2 years, was fueled by excitement. We had recently purchased a plastic creche set which she was allowed to play with. Both Boba nd I had explained to her the true meaning of Christmas, and she was enchanted by Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. Perhaps the baby Jesus was so fascinating because she had a baby in her life, too, in the form of her younger brother, 5 month old Jeffrey.  In keeping with the family tradition of new clothes for Christmas we had purchased something entirely new for Emily, her own. purse! As Christmas Eve approached I tried to teach her that her purse was for tissues, her offering, and things she might need while away from home.

It seemed a feat of circus proportions getting our family ready for church service that evening, Jeffrey, bundled against the winter weather, was none too happy to be overheating as I grabbed my coat and Bob got Emily into the back seat of the car. I finally drew a deep breath as Bob drove us to church. I reminded Emily that we were going to church to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. She thought that was  great idea!

We placed Jeffrey in the nursery where he could make as much noise as he wanted. the service was refreshing after all the turmoil of getting there intact and on time. As the congregation began to sing “Silent Night” I noticed Emily fumbling with her purse. I asked what she had in her hand, fearful it would be some loud toy or worse yet, something gooey. SHe open her palm to show me the plastic baby Jesus in His manger bed. She looked up at me with dark brown eyes glistening and said, “I thought He ought to come.“

 “I thought He ought to come.“

No creche will ever be the same for me. She understood the message about Christmas! And even in the excitement of a new purse, she brought Jesus to church for His birthday. Thank you Emily for a wonderful memory!

One adventure our Grandson loves is going to see the train layouts at the Cincinnati Museum Center. It reopened this year after a major remodeling project. There is a small train the children may ride and ring the bell as they go around. One year we thought we would never get him off the ride!

Well this year, sadly, he was too tall to ride that train! He did display his feelings with the magnetic build-it-yourself snowman! Then we moved on to view the massive train layout with Pop.

So moving to a huge room with almost countless tracks there were my guys oohing and ahhing again.

Hoping your traditions are joyous, also!

November 14 journal entry: All shall be well – ALL MANNER OF THINGS shall be well. Meditation music from the Insight Timer app (https://insighttimer.com/) is entitled “Floating.” Very useful for centering. The sound of  the kitchen toaster is grounding me in the here and now. 

Writing is not silence, but like doing a soldier crawl towards silence. 

Shedding cares along the crawl. Forearms scraped but dragging me along.

I will drop distractions and invite You to enter deeper Lord, into my mouth and pen and mind – enter dwell ABIDE

WELL! I hit the wrong button in new editor and WHAM! it posted.

When I was a child, to me, the twinkle lights on the Christmas tree were just wonderful! I don’t mean garish flashing entire strands. These were soft white lights that would turn off and on randomly, thus the twinkling effect. 

Several years ago after Thanksgiving dinner at our daughter’s house, we took the Grandgirls with us to Target for my husband’s first experience of Pre-Black Friday shopping. Low and behold they were selling twinkle lights! I already had one strand to put on our tree, but I thought a new strand would look lovely around the sliding glass door.

So we stood in the miles long line to purchase those and one or two other things. The next day our youngest Grandgirl helped me hang them around the door. I gave her the honor of plugging them in. Will never forget her comment, which Bob and I still repeat with giggles,

“Are they supposed to twitch like that?” 

Obviously the magic was lost on her. Love that girl and her original thinking! 😉 

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