Category: Christmas at Sonnystone 2017

Boxing Day

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn Christmas 2021, Christmas at Sonnystone 20171 Comment

It’s the Second Day of Christmas and I’m expecting the delivery of my turtledoves anytime now. Boxing Day in the UK was originally about opening the alms boxes to give to the poor, but has devolved into a shopping day. It’s also St. Stephen’s Day in the Catholic church, the day that Good King Wenceslas looked out where the snow lay round about…

Last Monday was the anniversary of my daughter’s birth and we were in NYC to celebrate. After luncheon at The Community, we proceeded to the movie theatre to see “West Side Story”. (We Loved it, we cried, we marveled…you really should see it.) Then we trooped back to the apartment to sing and blow out candles; I’m Sure her wishes can come true.

We had a super time on Christmas Eve with the Jrs. After a good meal replete with mashed potatoes and gravy, we opened presents. Then it was off to the movie theatre to see “Encanto” which was encanting…(insert punny emoji)

We called the grandies on Christmas morning; beyond that it was just us, two old kids, exchanging presents, drifting through the day, content with grazing the leftovers, amicably sharing. The Day was balmy, so we walked through the woods, planning a pruning spree next month; walked around the gardens discussing plans for the 2022 upgrades; walked down to the campfire circle and envisioned a wall of forsythia between us and the neighbors’ pond… I hope your Christmas was just as heartwarming as ours…

We may or may not have visitors from Manhattan this week, depending on Covid testing. I think Emma may have gotten caught in the blizzard out there…

Peace

Christmas 2017

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2017, Christmas at Sonnystone 2017Leave a comment

 

Dear God,
In this sacred season,
May Your Spirit move through me
And shine upon the world.
May Your Love be expressed
With every thought I think
And every action that I take.
May Christ be born anew
in me.
We give to you this passing year,
And pray for blessing upon the year ahead.
Heal us of our wounds, dear God,
And forgive us our mistakes.
May mercy and compassion
Light up the sky
And heal our broken world.
Amen

(2017 Holiday and End of Year Prayer from Marianne Williamson)

Peace

 

Keeping up with Christmas

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2017, Christmas at Sonnystone 20172 Comments

My Pain Rant continues, though it’s gone from 100 to about 15 in the last 10 days.  I’m babying it along and have a follow-up with the doctor on Monday.

In the meantime, I’m working on not getting in a hurry…  At Christmastime, when there are so many demands, it’s a real work of Zen.  Be Here Now.   Everything will be done on time.  It makes me realize that all that hurrying isn’t necessary.  I’ve been crippled up for a couple of weeks now, and yet it’s all done or getting done with plenty of time to spare. The NYC gifts are being delivered daily.  The cards have been mailed, the cookies are baked.  The Eville presents are wrapped and ready for delivery…

I’m coming to grips with the undeniable fact that I have some control issues (shh…don’t tell the kids I admitted it).  It came to the forefront as I was letting Casey “help” me with baking, you know, just putting the cookie dough on the baking sheets and into the oven, then taking them out and cooling them…it turned out more like  “not like that”  “don’t put that there”  “only let them sit one minute”  ….   suddenly, I walked smack into my kitchen island, banging my sore hip on the (thankfully rounded) corner.   I limped on back to my comfortable chair and Let It Go.  It all turned out fine, as you probably could guess.

By the way, I made a new recipe for oatmeal cookies this year.  I added banana, cutting back 1/4 cup of butter on the Quaker’s Best Oatmeal Cookies.  It is delicious.

Tonight we’re going to Olivia’s Winter Christmas Concert, where she will perform with the 4th and 5th grade choir.  I think I’ll have to stand, but that will be fine!

 

 

Christmas Kick-off !!!

On By Jo Mayne CaseyIn 2017, Celebrations at Sonnystone, Christmas at Sonnystone 20171 Comment

Yesterday morning we had Breakfast with Santa at Gattitown with The Jrs.  Samantha, or as she calls herself, “Amanty”, was much friendlier to Santa this year.  We ate some decent food, played unlimited games, gave our lists to Santa and listened to him read a story.

 

 

 

Later that afternoon, Olivia and her little sister came over and decorated the tree…

 

Let the festivities begin!!

We’re outside today with no jacket, pretending like this is going to last… One more day, anyway… Snow predicted for the end of the week!  That will match our Christmas mood better, though..!

Peace