It's been quite the month. You do want to hear about it, right? Well, you're probably low on attention because of sleep deprivation, so here's a mostly picture update about some of the awesome bits of the last few weeks...
1. These socks. A Christmas gift from awesome roommate R. They rarely left my feet for most of the winter. (Let's hear a collective ewwww.) Quite the fashion statement, eh? Especially when I wore them outside the house paired with my rubber slippers.
2. The perfect gift for my four year old niece. How many of you have given a gift that was kissed, hugged, cuddled, talked to, named and not put down for a week after Christmas? I have! Introducing Sarah the Horsie. Godmother/auntie win!
3. This beautiful nativity set, brought all the way from the US, chosen with love by good friends. Interesting story- we had the most beautiful nativity set, but had no time to make a stable/crib scene. My newly married cousin B made a a beautiful setting for a nativity set- stable, inn, hills... and couldn't get an affordable nativity set. So she put a card in the place where Baby Jesus should have laid which said 'HIS home is where YOUR heart is.'
4. These manly (but blurry) men and the showcase they stand beside/have collapsed on:
My friend B not only donated the showcase, but took responsibility for transporting it to our house... and together with D and I, carried what turned out to be an EXTREMELY heave piece of furniture up and down flights of stairs. But now we have a place for our books (not a bookshelf, but close)... woohoo!
5. This spontaneous and very successful sweater drive, which I promise to write an entire blog post about because it was so cool.
6. A successful Christ-like Christmas celebration on the 25th night that was a little crazier than I expected it to be, but included a visit to our neighbouring migrant worker with biriyani and gulab jamuns, a very crowded and noisy house, old, old friends who turned up unexpectedly, and singing late into the night.
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7. This article written by Matthew Archbold:
3 of the Most Wildly UnChristian Christmas Songs Ever
that I wish I had written because I have been mocking 'Feed the World/Do they Know It's Christmas' for years... it kinda begs mocking, notably this line:
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How did this line make the cut? What a wonderful Christmas sentiment- let's reflect on those who suffer while you do not... and THANK GOD it's them, not you!
And then,
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Because if it isn't snowing, if you don't live in the USA, and if you're poor, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OR WHEN CHRISTMAS IS!!!! If they think AFRICA doesn't celebrate Christmas, I wonder what they think of Indian Christians. Probably never heard of 'em.
Okay, I'll stop.
8. These books:
My sister gave me an awesome Christmas present that arrived early- a subscription to a library that delivers books to your doorstep. So after all the tension, tiredness and work of Christmas preparation was over, I came back from Midnight Mass, grabbed some freshly baked Christmas cookies, snuggled into my blankets and started reading the first Hunger Games. I really enjoyed it, and finished the last book a couple of days ago. I do have a lot of thoughts and opinions (blog post anyone?) but overall they was thought-provoking and very readable. The end was kinda a downer though... I expected it to end on a more unrealistic high note, I guess.
I did have to resist the urge to retreat to my bedroom in the middle of the noisy crowded party I was hosting to finish reading my book. But mature hostess trumped introverted bookworm. This time.
9. Christmas card from a blog reader (thank you, S!), and more expected in the mail, Christmas cards that I made and mailed, and probably arrived long after Christmas :-), a fruitful Christmas outreach at our church, a cousin's engagement, Baileys Irish Cream (which people only offer me at Christmas).
10. A wonderful New Year's Eve celebration with a small group of friends- we played my favourite game, Balderdash, ate some good pasta and quiche, shared our highs and lows of the past year over a glass of wine, and prayed for each other. What better way to start the year? (Apart from Midnight Mass, which I skipped because I'm tired of being out in the cold.)
It was a good Christmas. Now can I take a breath?
1. These socks. A Christmas gift from awesome roommate R. They rarely left my feet for most of the winter. (Let's hear a collective ewwww.) Quite the fashion statement, eh? Especially when I wore them outside the house paired with my rubber slippers.
2. The perfect gift for my four year old niece. How many of you have given a gift that was kissed, hugged, cuddled, talked to, named and not put down for a week after Christmas? I have! Introducing Sarah the Horsie. Godmother/auntie win!
3. This beautiful nativity set, brought all the way from the US, chosen with love by good friends. Interesting story- we had the most beautiful nativity set, but had no time to make a stable/crib scene. My newly married cousin B made a a beautiful setting for a nativity set- stable, inn, hills... and couldn't get an affordable nativity set. So she put a card in the place where Baby Jesus should have laid which said 'HIS home is where YOUR heart is.'
4. These manly (but blurry) men and the showcase they stand beside/have collapsed on:
My friend B not only donated the showcase, but took responsibility for transporting it to our house... and together with D and I, carried what turned out to be an EXTREMELY heave piece of furniture up and down flights of stairs. But now we have a place for our books (not a bookshelf, but close)... woohoo!
5. This spontaneous and very successful sweater drive, which I promise to write an entire blog post about because it was so cool.
6. A successful Christ-like Christmas celebration on the 25th night that was a little crazier than I expected it to be, but included a visit to our neighbouring migrant worker with biriyani and gulab jamuns, a very crowded and noisy house, old, old friends who turned up unexpectedly, and singing late into the night.
.jpg)
.jpg)
7. This article written by Matthew Archbold:
3 of the Most Wildly UnChristian Christmas Songs Ever
that I wish I had written because I have been mocking 'Feed the World/Do they Know It's Christmas' for years... it kinda begs mocking, notably this line:
Well tonight thank God it's them instead of you
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How did this line make the cut? What a wonderful Christmas sentiment- let's reflect on those who suffer while you do not... and THANK GOD it's them, not you!
And then,
Do they know it's Christmas time at all?
Because if it isn't snowing, if you don't live in the USA, and if you're poor, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OR WHEN CHRISTMAS IS!!!! If they think AFRICA doesn't celebrate Christmas, I wonder what they think of Indian Christians. Probably never heard of 'em.
Okay, I'll stop.
8. These books:
My sister gave me an awesome Christmas present that arrived early- a subscription to a library that delivers books to your doorstep. So after all the tension, tiredness and work of Christmas preparation was over, I came back from Midnight Mass, grabbed some freshly baked Christmas cookies, snuggled into my blankets and started reading the first Hunger Games. I really enjoyed it, and finished the last book a couple of days ago. I do have a lot of thoughts and opinions (blog post anyone?) but overall they was thought-provoking and very readable. The end was kinda a downer though... I expected it to end on a more unrealistic high note, I guess.
I did have to resist the urge to retreat to my bedroom in the middle of the noisy crowded party I was hosting to finish reading my book. But mature hostess trumped introverted bookworm. This time.
9. Christmas card from a blog reader (thank you, S!), and more expected in the mail, Christmas cards that I made and mailed, and probably arrived long after Christmas :-), a fruitful Christmas outreach at our church, a cousin's engagement, Baileys Irish Cream (which people only offer me at Christmas).
10. A wonderful New Year's Eve celebration with a small group of friends- we played my favourite game, Balderdash, ate some good pasta and quiche, shared our highs and lows of the past year over a glass of wine, and prayed for each other. What better way to start the year? (Apart from Midnight Mass, which I skipped because I'm tired of being out in the cold.)
It was a good Christmas. Now can I take a breath?
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