Dear reader, you are invited...

"Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world."

~Sarah Ben Breathnach

 

 

I've always had a sincere love of notebooks and list making.  Interestingly, I enjoy writing a list simply to allow myself the "crossing-off" pleasure of items and tasks.  "Did that," I chide at the completed chore.  "Finished," I proudly gloat to the errand gone by.  And perhaps even more disturbing is the fact that I often save these crossed offed lists.  Do I do 'cross off and save' as a way of validating my self?  As a way to feel accomplished and worthy of a few moments of high quality couch napping?  I can't say.   

 



 

However, I can tell you this.  I am currently engaged in a different type of list making, a type of jotting down that's not only cathartic, but joyful and rejuvenating and wonderful and gratifying.

 

But, pardon me, I'm getting ahead of myself.

 

Sometime in October or November, I came across a book by the title of The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story Christmas.  I knew I had to have it.  Something about it called to me, and without missing a beat my husband and I made a quick stop at Barnes and Noble.  You guessed it, the book--well the book became mine.

I fell in love.  Ann Voskamp writes in such a way that one feels she is sitting down for hot coffee with an old friend.  Allow yourself envision it....

This friend is the kind of friend who has chipped, faded, and mismatched mugs, full of good cries, hearty laughs, and meaningful conversation; a kitchen table pocked full of dings and dents, evidence of memories and shared moments and solved problems; an old braided rug, worn thin from years of friends shuffling in, children playing, and pets resting.... I kid you not, I bet Ann is that kind of person.
 

(My Jesse Tree and grass that serves as straw for Baby Jesus' manger)

 

While reading The Greatest Gift, I also participated in her study and made myself a Jesse Tree, which depicts the ancestors and family heritage of Christ.  When Christmas day came and I finished the last page of the story, I felt full, albeit empty- longing for more of Ann's words.
 "Now what?" I sat wondering.

    

Enter, One Thousand Gifts.  The words are gentle and beautiful and soft and kind.  The premise of this book is grace and Eucharist, and finding joy in the everyday moments of life.  Generally speaking, it's about finding God and thanking God for the little (and big!) glimpses of wonderful in daily occurrences.  It's life changing, that I can promise.
 

 

So, back to my love of notebooks and list making. 

 

While reading the book, it suggests that the reader keep a list of the gifts (with the intention to find one thousand) that fill and grace her life.  It's a very spiritual discipline, and I've found it highly transformational, giving deep awareness to gratitude and beauty and love and thanksgiving.

 

I found myself truly excited to embark on this journey of gratitude and gift listing. I searched around until I found the perfect little notebook, one that

was pretty, would fit in my bag or purse, and that simply put, made me happy. 

 

I'm reading and I'm listing and I'm finding myself so aware and blessed and thankful. 

 

Won't you join me? 

 

Let's read and make lists. 

Let's find the magic in the everyday and give thanks for our many gifts.

Let's do this together.

 

Blessings and peace for a happy new year,

Cathy

 





Oowwwlll...

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."

~ William Shakespeare, from Macbeth

The lamppost just clicked on, delicately lighting the path to our house. What a perfectly snug evening. Munchkin has perched herself upon the arm of the couch and gently chews her paw, my coffee pot hisses, and I'm sitting in complete calm and quiet. This is the life I love.

All I can hear are the sounds of cars rushing by, leaving sprays of water in their wake. Occasionally, the sound of a horn echoes in the distance, or I notice the firing up of the heater as it practices for its winter marathon.

I sip my java and gaze around, taking in the tender glow of flickering candles. How marvelously cozy it feels. I think I'll reach for my handmade afghan and cover my chilly toes. I'll be needing those fuzzy socks sooner rather than later.

My eyes fall upon one of my favorite childhood stories-- a classic bedtime read.

Popcorn
By Frank Asch

Looking at it makes me hope that all the mamas and papas take time to read to their little ones. happy sigh

And I realize, that even from a young age, I expressed possessive tendencies.

I also come to understand that I found it necessary to catalogue my books in my inaginative, personal library. It seems as if this particualr book only got checked out once.

I smile.

Oh gosh. I love that book.

Happy Makers

"If you want to be happy, be."

~Leo Tolstoy

Tomorrow my baby fur-face turns six years old. Yes, I'm knitting her a sweater. The nurturer in me simply couldn't resist the wonderfully fun pattern and extra chunky yarn. She's bound to earn the fashionista of the neighborhood award. Two paws up for her.

Reading...mmmm...happy sigh

This summer I've found three amazing books, all of which you must read.

The summer reading list consists of:

The Cather in the Rye by John Steinbeck

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

I'm addicted. We won't discuss how much delicious java I've consumed on this lovely, relaxing morning, ok?

Have yourself a joyous little day, full of all kinds of happy makers.

Toodle do.

Treasures

"The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination."

~Elizabeth Hardwick

I've always been one to bury my nose in the pages of a book. I enjoy everything about books; the way they feel, the smell of their pages, and the gentle sound of cracking glue when they're opened a bit too wide.

Books- my safe haven, my release, my friends.

We've all heard the old saying, "Never judge a book by it's cover." Well, let me tell you, I suffered head-over-heels infatuation with this book the moment my eyes first spotted it. And those three little words, eat-pray-love, instantly appealed to my psyche. Yep, I wanted to read it, had to have it, and hunted it down like a mad woman.

If you've ever tried to shop for a novel in the booming metropolis of Somerset, Pa., you know it's similar to locating a palm tree in a cornfield. Yep, not happening.

You see, I refuse to purchase literature at Wal-Mart. I have my reasons and won't bore you with the details. Unfortunately, Sam Walton's retail empire serves as the only place that's open regular hours and consistently has the goods and items i want/need. Ugh...Wal-Mart and books. In my opinion, they mix about as well as oil and water.

Anyway, the stars must have been in perfect alignment, because, you see dear friends, the only bookstore in this tiny, quaint town had a copy.

One copy. Lucky me.

Are Books Your Cup of Tea?

"There are a few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

~Henry James

Confession: Take a perfectly good afternoon (evening, morning, or combine them all), mix in a great mystery, stir in some Darjeeling leaves, and waa-laa it's a recipe for pure bliss.

Lately, I've found myself totally engrossed in books on the topic of tea. I wonder why? Could it be my ridiculous obsession with Teavana? Or, is it my ongoing love affair with literature? Perhaps a combination? humm...I'll ponder that...

If, as a child, you adored Miss Nancy Drew and her sidekick, Bess, half as much as I did, than I'm quite certain you'll find sincere enjoyment in The Tea Shop Mysteries, a series of books by Laura Childs.

So far, I've been unable to stop myself. I imagine my new infatuation is akin to the 'high' drug addicts experience after taking that first hit of a potent substance.

I've already made best friends with the characters and secretly want to be Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. Her southern hospitality and graceful charm combined with intelligence and self-confidence fuse together to place her high on my list of people to be reincarnated as.

Although the books are easy to read and offer no significant insight into character analysis or theme, they are indeed entertaining.

On the other hand, as much as I enjoy an easy beach-chair read, I also believe it's important to read pieces that will help me learn and grow as a person. Have you read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson? Please do. It will change your life.

Of course, it's no big secret that I'm extremely passionate about the topic of education. I believe all children can learn and ....ok... this is not going to turn into my plan to fix our crumbling educational system here in America.

As I was reading the book I was speechless... I'll leave you with some passages that truly touched my heart.

"After their familiar breakfast of chapattis and cha, Haji Ali led Mortenson up a steep path to a vast open ledge eight hundred feet above the Braldu. The view was exquisite, with the ice giants of the upper Baltoro razored into the blue far above Korphe's gray rock walls. But Mortenson wasn't admiring the scenery. He was appalled to see eighty-two children, seventy-eight boys, and the four girls who had the pluck to join them, kneeling on the frosty ground, in the open. Haji Ali, avoiding Mortenson's eyes, said the village had no school, and the Pakistani government didn't provide a teacher. A teacher cost the equivalent of one dollar a day, he explained, which was more than the village could afford. So they shared a teacher with the neighboring village of Munjung, and he taught in Korphe three days a week. The rest of the time, the children were left alone to practice the lessons he left behind."

"And it was obvious that most of the money that reached this altitude was earmarked for the army, to finance its costly standoff with Indian forces along the Siachen Glacier. But a dollar a day for a teacher, Mortenson fumed, how could a government, even one as impoverished as Pakistan's, not provide that?"

"After the last note of the anthem had faded, the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with sticks they'd brought along for that purpose."

"Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons? I felt like my heart was being torn out. There was a fierceness in their desire to learn, despite how mightily everything was stacked against them, that reminded me of Christa. I knew I had to do something."

May I suggest you make yourself a little cup of tea and visit this place. I promise it will get your gears turning.

Before I go, take a peek at this conversation between Sir Edmund Hillary and Urkien Sherpa.

"Tell us, if there were one thing we could do for your village, what would it be?"

"With all respect, Sahib, you have little to teach us in strength and toughness. And we don't envy your restless spirits. Perhaps we are happier than you? But we would like our children to go to school. Of all the things you have, learning is the one we desire most for our children."

Bitten...

"A torn-up book is rarely dusty."

~ author unknown

This week I witnessed something wonderful. Actually, it both fascinates and excites me.

I have an entire classroom full of pre-teen girls who are completely and utterly obsessed with the Twilight series of books. It has been brewing for quite a while, but Monday brought the eruption of the volcano. Thank you, Stephenie Meyer, for providing my students with an outlet that shows the true joy of reading.

After I gave into the madness and read the first book in the series, I started to share with my students how much I enjoyed the book. I told them bits and pieces of the plot, careful not to give any of the "good stuff" away. I would preach about my favorite characters and how I wanted a red truck like Bella's.

Well it seems that they, too, have been bitten by the vampires. And, personally, I couldn't be happier.

Every morning my girls come running (literally) into my classroom, where they proceed to give me a very long synopsis of what they read the night before. I listen and nod and smile and comment and we bond. It's a great way to have dialogue with adolescent girls.

Even the boys have been bitten. They pick at the girls and make fun of Edward and Jacob, but the funny thing is they actually know about them and haven't even read the books.

For better or worse, they are subject to constant chatter about Edward and his silver Volvo, Jacob and Bella's time at LaPush, and the ever present battle about who is hotter: Jasper or Emmet. It's honestly hilarious to listen to. I wish you could hear it. I always jump into the conversation, adding my two cents and stirring the pot.

Monday morning brought many jealous girls as two of my students started off the week with Twilight tote bags. They proudly carried their notebooks and folders into room 11 in style. The envy was apparent as the other girls flocked to check out the new goods. Naturally, they all plan to get their own this weekend.

Since Monday we have started a Twilight collection in the room. We are making a collage of Twilight memorabilia. We have pictures, magazine articles and photos, t-shirts, tote bags, computer printouts, bookmarkers etc. I revel in the excitement-- they are talking about books!

When I think about all the children that have borrowed and read and enjoyed and passed my book on to the next student, I just couldn't be happier. I find true delight when I look at a book and it shows wear and tear.

I glance around my classroom at the numerous copies of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn and observe the ripped covers, curled pages, and cracked spines. I don't mind one bit.

This means they have been read. This means they have been loved.

(The above photos were taken in my classroom on Monday afternoon, as we attempted to make a quick collection of all items Twilight. I tried my best to capture the tote-bags, the aforementioned coveted accessory.)

Pot of Gold: Understanding

"Religion is about having the right answers, and, some of their answers are right. But I am about the process that takes you to the living answer, and once you get to him, he will change you from the inside."
~taken from p198 of 'The Shack,' by WM Paul Young

I've always been a questioner. Sometimes, I think, I spend far too much time questioning, analyzing, and looking at situations from multiple vantage points. This can be good. This can be bad.

Believe it or not, when I take a position on something, I often go into a silent conversation with myself. In this conversation, I play the opposition; the opposite side of what I think. At times, I've found that my opposition is right. Then, I am forced to retract my prior thoughts and opinions and re-evaluate my agenda.

More often than not, this leads me to what I call "circle thinking." I go round and round, but never really reach a solidified conclusion. Personally, I believe this has its benefits. I tend to be liberal in my thoughts and truly respectful and open to the opinions and propositions of others.

However, when it came to religion, I just had a hard time. I struggled with so many thoughts, questions, and belief structures. But, and this is important, I wanted to believe. My mind just wouldn't let me.

I could not let go of so many nagging thoughts from my brain. My heart would say, "Believe!!!" but my mind would echo, "humm....well how do you explain (insert your own question here)?"

I was between a rock and a hard place.

Recently, a dear friend of mine, someone I look up to greatly (yes, Greta- that's you!) suggested I read the book, 'The Shack'. Greta just so happens to be the best person I know. She's honest, real, forgiving, and understanding. She listens with a true heart, offers unbiased advice, and is completely devoted to God. I'm beyond blessed to have had the opportunity to merge lives with her.

Anyway, the book truly changed my life. In it's own way it answered so many questions I had pondered for years and years. It was simple and easy and basic, yet deep and thought-provoking and invigorating. I've been going to church, reading my bible, doing daily devotions, and spending time in prayer, thanking God for the blessings in my life.

I've bough this book for all the dearies in my life. So far, all have reported that it has life changing implications.

Naturally, it's not the end-all, answer-all of life. However, it gave me the foundation, the building blocks, and the mortar I needed to begin building a strong relationship.

Wintery Storms

"The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy and freezing rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency."

~Susan Allen Toth

Today was lovely, exciting, relaxing, and refreshing all rolled into one. School was dismissed at 11:30, and I was safely on the couch by 12:40. What a fantastic way to celebrate the first full week of work. Can you see the smile on my face?

I started reading The Shack today. I thought I'd share with you a passage, as it describes my day perfectly...

...There is something joyful about storms that interrupts routine. Snow or freezing rain suddenly releases you from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules. And unlike illness, it is largely a corporate rather than individual experience. One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview. All those affected this way are united by a mutual excuse , and the heart is suddenly and unexpectedly a little giddy. There will be no apologies needed for not showing up to some commitment or other. Everyone understands and shares in this singular justification, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart merry...

I hope you had a glistening and sparkly day, too.

New Fascination

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume."
~Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene VI

I never thought I'd do it. To be honest, I tried my best to avoid jumping on the bandwagon. However, here I am, totally engrossed in a series of books about vampires. If only I could spend a few days in Bella's world.

Right before Christmas vacation, I was approached by a few former students who wondered weather or not I read the "Twilight" series of books. I immediately went into my speech about how I don't enjoy vampires and how i prefer real-life, believable stories. After much explaining, coaxing, and promising that the stories were not jam packed with fangs, blood, and full moons, I decided that I'd give the first book a try. I was quick to say that I'd try the book, and that if I didn't like it, I wouldn't finish it.

It's official, I'm totally and utterly infatuated with Bella and Edward and the town of Forks. I finished "Twilight" in two short days, and am currently lost in "New Moon."

What adventures will the Cullen clan take me on this afternoon? ...mmm.... I'm making some tea and settling in.