Magic Bean Buyer

 Have you been listening to The Nutcracker?  Bill was playing it when I got home from Jenny's last night AND he had a fire going, so we ate dinner in front the of the fire and later watched   Christmas Vacation.  Funny.  Birdie is the Sugar Plum Fairy in the front row (bow in hair).  This was a few years ago, but don't you love all that pink?

 Do you have the carols playing at your house?  

 Jenny was sick with a flu bug yesterday, so I went over to help so she could stay in bed.  Little Lizzy is such a snug little cuddle bug and Samantha was happily flitting about the house!

 Here's a little more Nutcracker loveliness!

St.  Lucy's Day is December 13.  That's my sister's birthday, too!  One year I made buns and I might do that again.  I like some of the little divergences from the norm during the holidays, do you?  Could we narrow some of the "to do's" down a bit?  Isolate a few of the simple joys?  Frances and Jody (Left-Handed Housewife and Gumbo Lily) are reading Little Women.  They have already begun.  Isn't that a great idea?  I like to read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  I AM reading A Christmas Carol.  Dickens is good about now.  Kim (Farm Girl) is reading Bleak House.  Don't you find all of our differences inspiring?  I do.  Last night, before bed I was reading A Circle of Quiet again.   Madeleine L'Engle says that one cannot create while in the state of self consciousness.  If we are too aware of our self, we aren't free to create.  Is that what causes writer's block and painter's block and all the blocks?  What do you think?  What are you going to make this holiday season?

I finish with this lovely invitation from Shel Silverstein.
“If you are a dreamer come in.
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
a hoper, a pray-er, a magic-bean-buyer,
if you're a pretender come sit by my fire.
For we have some flax golden tales to spin.
Come in! 
Come in!”