Monday, December 10, 2018

December...


 
Hello again to anyone who is still reading here.  I've been away from the blogs for a little while, just taking a break and doing some things.  One  "thing" I've been doing for December is drawing or painting or creating each day.  Even just a very small drawing suffices.  Each day there is a prompt that can inspire the art.  I'm trying to think outside the box with it.  It's been fun for me and reflective in a way.  I'm finding that the more I draw or paint, the more I want to do it, and this is one of my goals.  To just keep on with it.  Winter is a very good time for me to work on art, but I'd like it to be more of an everyday thing throughout the year.  I've been learning a few watercolor techniques on YouTube that have been very fun and have brought some nice results. 

Last week some of the women and girls in our family attended The Nutcracker ballet in the city.  The Moscow Ballet Troupe performed and the local ballet studio supplied the children's parts.  It was spectacular.  The little ballerinas in our family were greatly inspired, and those who are not ballerinas were much impressed. 

 
Do you remember string art from the 70s?  You know....the nails all pounded into a board and then different colors of strings were woven in and out to make a picture?  Well, my daughters, my mom, and I went to a class where we made a string art snowflake.  It was a three hour class and we spent four hours there to complete it.  Some who attended the class did not complete their snowflakes, but took them home.  We were happy with our results, but all that pounding was quite an experience.  String art has become the new rage once again.  It would not be my first choice in art, but it was fun to try it and have something pretty to bring home.

I still don't have my Christmas tree up yet.  I'm really not a Grinch, but I am just taking things slow and not getting too wrapped up in the Christmas hurry & flurry at the moment.  I will though.  I think.  I am lighting candles, making juniper wreaths, and placing sprigs of evergreen here and there.  My father-in-law brought me a beautiful poinsettia which brings a dose of red and green Christmas cheer to our home.  I do enjoy a cup of chai tea in the evenings by candlelight or by the wood stove fire -- small signs of Christmas-ness. Oh, and there is snow.  I didn't have anything to do with that part, but it looks more festive here when there is snow on the ground.  I heard one lady who wasn't keen on holiday decorating say, "If you want to enjoy the season, just look out the window."  Amen!

The part I really love about winter is that we are in a nice, slow-down time here at the ranch and it's really been wonderful.  We needed it after a very busy year of work. We have more time with each other, more time to play, more time to just relax and be.  Again, it's a reflective time for us, for me.  We have been looking back on our year, evaluating what we did and did not do, planning for the year to come, and assessing how to go about it.  It's a good thing.  My favorite reflection is that Babe in the Manger, Jesus, whose name means, Jehovah Saves.  I'm so glad He came down to us, to save us, to be with us, to bring us His peace.  I hope you are enjoying the small, quiet things and the big, loud, joyful things of the season.  Christmas Peace be yours.
 

18 comments:

  1. I can see why that snowflake took all those hours to make. So much detail. Very pretty. Your days sound lovely. We don't have our tree yet either. Merry Christmas!

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  2. I love hearing from you, precious friend. I'm so glad things slow down for you guys, even if it's brief.
    The Nutcracker! How wonderful!

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  3. ImInot big on string art, but your snowflake changed my mind! I love it! I also have made it a point to slow down and enjoy Christmas. My husband and I take a day off, go to town, and get gifts before the big rush. Maybe it is more expensive instead of waiting for the sales, but my sanity is worth it. I have been enjoying chai tea in the evening. It is very satisfying at the end of a cold day. Merry Christmas!

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  4. Your household sounds wonderfully cozy and nurturing to the soul.

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  5. I'm glad that you can wind down after those very busy times on the ranch. Drawing and painting is a good way to observe your surroundings and then have something tangible to reflect upon. I went with daughter and granddaughter to see the Moscow Ballet Company perform in The Nutcracker a year or two ago. I'm sure it was memorable for your local city ballet school children to have been part of the performance that you saw.

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  6. How lovely that you are creating every day. The String art snowflake is unusual and quite pretty. I remember way back when String art was around one of my kids made a large many sailed ship.

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  7. I always enjoy your posts Jody! I think of you often and wish we could just sit down for a cup of coffee sometime. Wouldn't that be fun? It's lovely to get a glimpse of your world and what's important to you, especially your creativity, faith and love for others. ❤️

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  8. It sounds like you're having a restful season and enjoying your creative side. Enjoy this nice time of year! :)

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  9. I know you need the rest. You and your family were so busy this year. I love that you are drawing and learning some thing new. I love that. It always feels so nice to my brain to do art.
    I love that you have snow. You know I don't really remember that string art. I love your snowflake. Thank you for being so faithful to my blog. I am thinking I might just go back to my other blog in the new year. I love your blog and I love your visits. Have a very merry Christmas.

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  10. It's nice to see you back Jody -- and with such a pretty snowflake. I'm surprised string art is back -- well, maybe I'm not -- all those things from our childhood (like macrame) are back LOL. I'm with you -- taking it slow this year -- still haven't decorated the mantel, but a little tree is up and the shopping is done. The rest of it will get done -- it always does! Merry Christmas!!!

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  11. The Nutcracker ballet sounds like an amazing way to celebrate the season, I've been fortunate enough to see The Moscow Ballet, they are so good. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas day, my friend.
    Amalia
    xo

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. I love that you're doing creative things each day. I wish you'd share photos with us of what you're creating. The snowy photos are lovely. We are warm here today, outside doing chicken duty and such stuff in just a t-shirt and pants. We will chilly-up in January. I also did not decorate much this year and tried to have as much of a low-key CHristmas as I could. I plan a serious slow-down in January. We all need that, don't we? Our sabbath in the year.

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