Much Ado About Nothing: Out with the Old....In with the New!

It's January 8th and even though I'm not one for making New Year's resolutions I do usually find myself thinking along those lines at the first of the year. A new year always brings a mixture of thoughts and ideas. I love the promise of spring still hidden under a blanket of freshly fallen snow. There is still time to plan and dream about all the projects I want to do this year. I can look out my kitchen window and imagine how the new garden will look or how nice it will be to see the grape vines coming back to life and sending out little green shoots. I imagine how pleased we will be if our little fruit trees have managed to survive to burst forth with new life and promises of their own.

January also brings a desire to get everything clean and better organized inside. I want to go through closets and drawers and purge all the excess stuff that always seems to accumulate in dark places. I want to get all the school books and supplies back where they belong. I'm excited to start new school projects, begin new chapters and sometimes even add new subjects. Truth be told, I usually get excited about school before the Christmas break is even over!

But......this year is different. This year I started out excited but then had to seek out encouragement to keep going. It was hard to get myself out of vacation mode....... hard to switch gears. I guess it's because my "gears" are all seized up. I haven't felt well at all this school year. I am so blessed to have high school students that are more than capable of working independently, but I have missed being involved in their daily work. On my good days they could bring their work to me where I reclined on the couch so I could help them when they struggled with a new concept. I finally decided that our school activities needed to move to the main floor of the house. Now I can sit in my favorite recliner and be involved in every discussion, help when needed and generally feel useful again. I have really enjoyed study time lately. I guess it's more special to me since I've missed so much this year. God is so good and He has given me the grace to endure this illness with the necessary adjustments to make it more bearable.

Our new library has comfortable chairs to study in, five bookcases, one desk (just in case) and usually two spoiled rabbits. All four girls are often found in there after we have concluded our studies for the day. I just went to see what they were up to and found one listening to a book, one reading a book, one writing a book and one illustrating a book. It made me chuckle to myself to see how they were spending their free time. Phil and I had been in the living room enjoying our own books. It's so nice to get into a good book again. There's something magical about snuggling up by the fire with my warm prayer shawl a cup of tea and a good book; especially when it's so cold outside!

January 10
Yesterday Jocelyn was off work so she took the opportunity to make scones and serve us tea, providing us with a much needed break during our government studies. She served the scones with warm blueberries and cream. Papa was awake and getting ready for work so he was able to join us as well. We had so much fun laughing at him as he tried to act like a proper guest, holding out one little finger and speaking in an English accent. I wish I had taken a picture!

As I finish up this post I am enjoying the heat and glow of the fire while the snow swirls outside the window. The living room looks bare since the abundance of Christmas decor has been whisked away and tucked back under the stairs until next year. I dream of better health and renewed energy to tackle new spring projects, but for now I will tuck away my "to do" list and share my last pictures of 2012.