Mumsey’s Ramblings - Something About Nothing And Everything God Sends Me

For some time now I have been wanting to post a new blog post here but have struggled with what to post. I had wanted to get back to posting on a regular basis and with everything that has been happening to me over the last couple of weeks, couple of months and even a couple of years I haven’t known how or where to start. 

Today was Sunday and as is usual for me I went to church. But that in itself is different for me now as well. We don’t have a minister at the moment but the man who preached today has been doing so on the last Sunday of the month for a few years and so we are very familiar with him. 

He preached on the scripture from Psalm 137 which was made famous by Boney M. 

Psalm 137:1-4

 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. 

2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 

3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 

4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 

He shared on how as Christians we should dare to be different in our world today as the world is different. “How can we sing a new song in the strangeness of today?"

Where everyone else is speaking out what they believe and so have a right to believe and speak about it, how do we as Christians, speak out of our faith and belief. Do we not even do so, for fear of being vulnerable, caught out, trapped and even abused for what we say or believe.

He went on to talk about how we have to be new in our thinking and ideas, with encouragement and examples, but the first part struck a chord with me.

Interestingly, after the service, a lady came and spoke to me about some things that had happened recently for me and in conversation said she had been talking to someone and had said, “The Fiona we knew before will never be the same after her accident”. I was a little surprised (inside myself) as I have struggled with this myself and here she was, speaking it out. I know my body is not the same and am finding it really hard to gain the full mobility. But I also know that my faith was cemented in my vision of almost entering heaven and being reassured there is life after death and God is building a room for me there. 

John 14:2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 

I had been through a time of despair over this belief before the accident and God had brought me through, knowing I needed to confront this crisis before I went through the accident.  

But what of now? 

As I mentioned at the beginning some major things have happened. 

A few weeks ago, I was not voted in as an Elder after two terms of three years. This meant I can no longer take the 8.00am Liturgy service, as my Lay Minster license had also lapsed but being an Elder I could.

In January my father (at 93) passed away to be with Jesus and I know his beloved wife. Though I am at peace with that, there are all the emotions that go with it. And now my brothers and I are sorting through the house and the enormous amount of ‘stuff’ that my parents had accumulated over their lives. 

And as I mentioned I am still recovering from my accident which at times makes me extremely tired and sore, along with waiting for my two knee replacement surgeries that have been put back because of that. 

So this is a new post to start again and as my blog is called “Mumsey’s Ramblings - Something about nothing and everything God sends me” you will see all sorts of posts in the future, for my record and for you to see what I’ve been up to.

Gratefulness

 After my experience of Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome and understanding how bad the undetected outcome could have been I was very grateful that ...

Something made me stop
That because the helicopter flew low over our house 
Harry came out to look at it and found me
He knew something was wrong and rung 111 
The medics were just back from a previous emergency so didn't take long to get there
They were experienced to note I had had a cardiac episode
Because I was stuck in triage for 6 hours the young doctor was on his shift by then 
He took the time to read my history notes and guessed what the problem was. 
He admitted me and the medical staff took care of the rest
and so I was checked, tested and had surgery to correct it

I believe that God had it all in hand and the circumstances were all part of His provision. I am extremely grateful for this. If I focus on the sad things that affect me (and I won't name any of them), I lose sight of all I have to be grateful for. 

Sometimes it can be very obvious, other times not so much and others might take a bit of thought to realize how blessed we are for something so that we can be thankful and grateful for it.

So I decided to make a grateful post every day on Facebook for a year.  If I keep it up for a whole year that will be 365 things. The year is nearly up and I will have to see if I want to keep doing it as many people say they look for my grateful posts each day. Being so grateful for so many circumstances on that day I realized that we all have a lot to be grateful for everyday, we just have to look for it.

If you are a "friend" of mine on Facebook you will have seen them and if not I don't have a public account so you wont see them. I know some of my regular readers are not on Facebook at all so wont have seen them so I am going to post a few on here.

April 3

Today I am grateful for our bed. Its not a hotel room or something from a home magazine, but it is a place I love. I rest, get a good night's sleep as there is no TV or other distractions and the bed is comfortable. The colour green is restful and the bedding soft. I am grateful for my bed

April 4 

Today I'm grateful for hollow Easter eggs. They remind me that the tomb was empty

April 5

Today I am grateful for community. I couldn't think of a picture so this is our street sign. Today Harry has been splitting wood for an older neighbour as she couldn't do it herself. We have been putting out excess feijoas for free and today a lady gave me a handful of cherry tomatoes as she had extras, in exchange, not that I was wanting anything but we will have them for tea. A small community/street like ours just connect. I am grateful for neighbours

April 6 

Some of you may cringe .. but 

Today I am grateful for spiders We have a couple of big ones who take up residence. One in the kitchen (this one) and one out the front door. (Harry tends to feed that one) They make a web and catch all sorts of flies and insects and eat them. I think of Charlotte, from Charlotte's Web and let her be. I'm grateful  for spiders

April 7

Today I am grateful for empty changing rooms. Today I resumed going to Swimzone in Matamata for aquatics. After, I like to take my togs off and shower all the pool water smell off, and there are usually other ladies so you try to be quick and discreet. But today I was on my own in these rooms and so just got changed at my own pace. I am grateful for privacy

April 8

Today I am grateful for Harry's wood splitter. I don't actually use the splitter myself but today Harry and Daniel processed 2 Ute fills of wood for winter. They chain sawed the logs, split them into fire size pieces then stacked them under cover. I'm grateful for easy wood splitting

April 9

Today I am grateful  for Harry helping to pick up our feijoas. We have two feijoa trees and for years while the children were still at home we used to send them out to pick up the fruit and they really hated doing it. Last year Daniel was living at home while we were in lockdown for COVID and it was so nice not to have to crawl under the trees so much myself. This year its just us two and it seems since my little (big) hospital trip Harry has helped do things and one is to come out with me to gather them with me. We put the bags out the gate for people to take for free. I'm grateful for helping hands

April 10

Today I am grateful for surprise dates. Out of the blue Harry said would you like to go out for dinner and maybe catch a movie, you'd like that wouldn't you? Well yes - who wouldn't? Now those of you who know us (Harry) well, will know that's not a common thing in our lives, so of course I said yes! We went to Cambridge to Tivoli Cinema and saw "Then Came You", having hot drinks, cake and popcorn Then to The Good George for a shared taco platter and drinks I'm grateful for dates

April 11

Today I am grateful for Wesley McLay. Wes is from Tauranga and works within the Mental Health and well-being sector. Today he preached for us at the Tirau Community Church as our Pastor John is no longer with us. Today he preached from Psalms 23:4 showing that many people from the Bible suffered from bouts of depression and other aspects of Mental Health and called out to God in ways very similar to David in Psalms 23:4.Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV) I was reminded of my low times and comforted by the reminder that I am never alone and others feel the same. I am grateful for preachers

April 12

Today I am grateful for warm Autumn days. Because of a few wet days and not always having a lot of washing the washing pile was getting big. I also change the sheets on a Monday. I always separate my coloured's from my whites and towels so today I had three loads to go out. I also go to aquaerobics on a Monday morning  followed by a chai latte with the ladies. I then got groceries so it was lunchtime by the time I got home. But today was warm with a bit of a breeze so I was able to get all the washing done, dry. I am grateful for dry washing days.

April 13

Today I am grateful for grandchildren. In particular the Stone family I went to Hamilton to look after them as Jennifer had parent teacher interviews after school until late. So we made blueberry muffins and had fun. I am grateful for family.

April 14
Today I am grateful for aquaerobics. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I go through to Matamata to the pools and join a group of ladies (and the occasional man) for 45 minutes of directed aerobics in the heated pools. I have very sore knees so doing these exercises in the water means less impact and pain on the knees. I'm in the process of waiting for knee replacement so this helps keep me fit but not in so much pain. Today I am grateful for water exercises

April 15

Today I am grateful for homegrown potatoes Harry has always grown our potatoes like his father did. It's a continuing experiment with brands and planting times. This is a Rua potato (and its was about 880gr) and is from his second plantings. We have been eating our own since before Christmas. The last time I brought potatoes was in October. I am grateful for Harry's potatoes

April 16

Today I am grateful for Grandparents Day. Tirau school has it's day when Grandparents can come and join in with some class work and be with their grandchildren. Sarah and Carl have moved back close to Tirau and their children now go to Tirau School. It can be a bit hard to spend time with both grandchildren but their other grandparents were there so they ended up with double visits. Isla did a family tree and Sean did a grandparents poem and we helped with the decorating.  I am grateful for grandchildren

April 17

Today I am grateful for new gates. We have hens that we let out to roam around the section but sometimes they wonder out the driveway and up the neighbour's looking for bread to eat. The lady in the next house over used to drop her bread over the fence as she knew the hens would come up and get it. We have just got new neighbours and so they don't get cross Harry finally hung the gate Steven dropped off over a year ago. Now the chooks won't be going anywhere! Today I am grateful for gates

April 18

Today I am grateful  for homegrown beetroot. We have a vegetable garden where we grow most of the vegetables we eat. I don't have a huge success with it all but I keep at it. I often plant beetroot seeds and they come up with varying numbers. Last year after my dear sister died we helped a little at her house with her daughters and family to sort of empty it but also take what we wanted, and we took home all her seeds. She had a variety of seeds for each type of vegetable including beetroot so I planted a few to see what they'd be like. There were the usual red and some pinker variety. I had five come up and have now pickled them for salads and my homemade burgers Today I am grateful for beetroot

April 19

Today I am grateful for Road trips with Harry. We have finally gone on our Easter holiday to Wellington to see my Dad and Resa and family. I know, a bit late, but I wasn't up to it after my heart issue. But now we have driven down and I didn't do any of the driving. Its a 6 hour drive including a couple of stops for food, fuel and 🚻 but I do my knitting. I drive myself when I come down on my own but it was nicer not to have Harry drive. I am grateful for safe travels.

April 20

Today I am grateful for my Dad. Last year he lost his eldest daughter/child to bowel cancer. He also had his wife of nearly 68 years pass away at the age of 90. He still lives in their large home on his own with the help of a morning and evening carer visit and meals-on-wheels. My brothers and sister-in-laws keep a watch on him as well. Today we went into town to get some groceries and for Dad to do an errand he wanted to do. He can't drive now so I took him. He walked quite a long way and back, from the car on his own. He said he had a few people ask him if he needed help. He was quite proud he'd walked that far and so was I. This is not the best pics, but .. Today I am grateful (and blessed) for my Dad.

April 21

Today I am grateful for warm sunny rooms. We are spending a few days with my Dad at the family home of over 54 years. There are lovely big windows in the lounge and dining room so when the sun shines it gets really warm. We had a relaxing day just chatting in the warm. Today I am grateful for sunny spaces.

April 22

Ok so ... Today I am grateful for glass tumblers I know previously I posted about my friendly spider on the ceiling in my kitchen, but this one is different. Harry and I were just having a last cuppa for the night, when a rather large spider, about 4 cm wide/long decided to just walk across the floor at my feet. I couldn't believe the size! Fortunately we had an empty glass tumbler close by so Harry caught the under it and with the help of an old card and me opening the back door he was able to put it outside. Today I am grateful for glassware!

April 23

Today I am grateful for coming home. If you've been following along you will know we've been away for a few days visiting my Dad. Travelling home was awful with general traffic during the day, school holiday traffic and then its the ANZAC weekend which means a long weekend and so it was a very slow drive home. But home now and my lap rug is so pleased to see me she has settled in. Harry's lit the fire and although its not cold its cozy and it's home. Today I am grateful for home

April 24

Today I am grateful for YouTube. I know a bit different but with the presence of this I can watch all sorts of things in particular Shiver Me Tingles   This is my youngest daughter. Without going into details it means I get to see and hear her which, for those who know, is a real blessing. Today I am grateful for YouTube

April 25
Today I am grateful for ANZAC Day. On this day of 25th April every year in New Zealand 🇳🇿 and Australia 🇦🇺 we remember not only our ANZAC's but all those who went to war and fought for peace in WW1, WW2 and many other wars, especially those who gave of their lives, but also those who were blessed to return. Today I was the Lay Minister at Tirau's service of which there were over 100 people including adults and children. Some mentioned they had never been before. Today I am grateful for our ANZAC'S

April 26

Today I am grateful for 'lost gardens ' I know strange post but yesterday I spent some time working in our vegetable garden. Over the last 16 months with stuff going on in our lives both emotional, spiritual, physical and all the things going on around us, I didn't do a lot of gardening. I'd pop out for a bit and do some planting or weeding but not like I used to and I was late with things like tomatoes, capsicum, pumpkins and cucumbers so there's not a lot going on out there. I decided it was time to get out and see what had survived. After the weeding I was pleased to find a few vegetables and others still coming on. Today I am grateful for forgotten gardens

April 27

Today I am grateful for leftovers. Because I worked in the garden most of the afternoon yesterday we decided to get takeaways for tea. We didn't quite finish it so it got put in the fridge. Today I wanted something warm for lunch so I heated it up with some other bits and had a yummy 'sweet and sour' lunch. Today I am grateful for leftovers

April 28

Today I am grateful for chooks. Harry has been cutting some firewood from a friends place and there have been lots of huhu grubs in them when he splits the rings. He saves then in a tray and when there is enough for sharing he gives them to the hens ... and they have a party. Someone somewhere would probably say they'd eat them and they taste like peanut butter but we'll let the hens decide! Today I am grateful for the hens

April 29

Today I am grateful for my clothes dryer. I have had my dryer for over 40 years and it's still going strong. I haven't used it a lot as I normally dry our clothes outside or undercover in the garage or on the drying rack by the fireplace. Sometimes I finish off the damp things on top of the hot water cylinder. Today the washing got dry outside but the towels were a bit stiff as there was no wind, so I popped them in the dryer for 15 minutes which makes them nice and fluffy. Today I am grateful for dryers

April 30

A few years ago now, I spent some time at a lovely place called the Titoki Healing Centre. They have beautiful gardens as just one of the many things that make the retreat a wonderful place to rest and heal. The Burgundy Iceberg Floribunda Rose caught my eye and I bought myself one. It's doing a last flowering before the cold of winter and when I see it flower it makes me smile and long to go there again. Today I am grateful for Burgundy Rose

Musings From Kerre Woodham’s Musings From Middle Age

I have just finished reading this book, Musings From Middle Age, that I have had in my collection for a number of years – you know that stack of books by your bedside table … but mine flows under the dressing table as well!

I bought this book one day at Paper Plus when Kerre was actually there doing a book signing. It was a quiet day and she chatted briefly and wrote in my book 

"To dear Fiona with five kids. I hope you get a change to sit down, relax and read this! Happy reading. Love Kerre x”

At that time, I think we had our youngest just move to Christchurch so I was going through the empty nest stage in life. I can tell you back then, it may have been over ten years since our first child had left home and by then I was used to one less in the household every couple of years (and some aspects hubby and I were looking forward to!) but, there is still a grief to go through when indeed all your children have moved out and no longer need your daily input! 

I suspect Kerre was in awe that I had raised five children as she only had one. But for me that was my choice and I did love it. I was lucky that I didn’t have to work in paid employment until I took some part time work later once all the children were at school. We may not have done the best, as one has indicated (no longer having contact without letting us know what the issues were so we can all talk and understand, respond and heal) but we did what we knew and learned along the way. Every child/family/situation is different so there are no rule books on how to do it. Even if there are books giving advice and ways to work through all these times there are never two situations the same. 

And that is where I come to the point of this post. 

I read Kerre’s book and it was an easy fun book with short chapters making it ideal to pick up and read when there were little pockets of time to do so. This is Kerre’s third book and so is no famous author and will be better known for her work in the earlier days of Fair Go, as a New Zealand journalist and ‘one of New Zealand’s best loved personalities as she dishes up a bold, sharp and energetic show Monday to Friday 9am-12md’ on newstalk ZB.

Now I’ve never written a book and admit English was not my best or favourite subject. I couldn’t spell (the wonders of spell check weren’t around in ‘the olden days’), reading out loud was one of my biggest fears as I just didn’t know what or how to pronounce some of the words and my life was reasonably sheltered so there were no big subjects to write about. Writing a book is quite an accomplishment and I take my hat off to those who do and get them published. 

So when I logged my completion of reading this book on my “Goodreads” challenge for 2021 I scrolled down and read some of the comments. I often wonder what would people say if they spoke to the people their comments are aimed at in person (face-to-face), if they would say what they write or if they hide behind their keyboards giving off their energetic ‘hates’ with no fear of retaliation. 

Here are some of the comments: 

Jo rated it 1* did not like it/ didn’t-finish. - Depressing ageist gender-role reinforcement. I'm really not sure why this book exists. I'm pretty sure that women are getting told by plenty of other sources that once they hit 40 they become invisible and hideous, that regardless of whether they fight or succumb to (the inevitable) aging they will appear ridiculous and an object of mockery, and oh yes, in case you forgot- you're old and you're ugly. Maybe if you are lucky you will score a bloke who still sees you as the young hottie you once were. But you will have to nag him to death, because that's just the way things are. 

Jill rated it 1* did not like it. - Kerre Woodham what were you thinking? You warn in your book “only intended for the eyes of women aged 40 plus”. Well I would say more like 90 plus … and not at all if you are a woman. If dear reader, you have picked up this book thinking it will be like Woodham’s “Fat Chick” books then you will be sadly disappointed as it is just Woodham’s take on the aging process. I will confess that I only read the first 55 pages, so perhaps there is some improvement thereafter? Maybe someone would like to read ‘Musings from Middle Age ‘and tell me if it gets better? But I myself was not prepared to waste any more time on it. As a woman of a certain age, (the same age as Woodham actually) I have noticed that I have become invisible, gravity has kicked in and wobbly bits abound, but I have reached a degree of acceptance – I mean if Rachel Hunter can’t get a man then why should my singledom bother me unduly. However, am I really expected to believe that the gorgeous, blonde bombshell, and raconteur extraordinaire, Kerre Woodham, with her large as life personality, has become invisible - I don’t think so! If a publisher wants a book written on the subject of aging gracefully, why not choose an author who has a few more years under their belt. This book makes me feel like an aging harridan! I still have a good 40 years in me for goodness sake – 60 is the new middle age! This book made me so angry. However if you are a man, and want to know why your wife, sister, mother, life partner or whatever, is angry or moody all the time – then read this by all means – you might find it funny – unfortunately, I certainly didn’t.

Rebecca rated it 1* did not like it/not-finished. - Sorry Kerre. I like you but this book is crap!

The books back cover reads: 

Is there an invisible line we cross at a certain age when we become ‘un-chat-up-able’ and become someone’s mum? When do barmen and supermarket check-out operators start calling us ‘madam’ and why do some women have the unnatural urge to cut their own hair with nail scissors or run away to Buddhist retreats when they hit forty?

In this hilarious collection of stories from the brink of middle age, Kerre shares her insights into what makes us tick as women ‘of a certain age’. Topics explored include: coping with the empty nest; shoes, shoes and other indulgences; when is it futile to dress to impress? is there such a thing as a female mid-life crisis? and many more. Told in Kerre’s frank and self-deprecating style, this is a hilarious account of living life to the fullest - no matter what your age. 

The Goodreads website comments: 

A laugh-out-loud account of one woman's journey to the brink of middle age as she discovers her new place in the grand scheme of things. Is there an invisible line we cross at a certain age when we become ‘un-chat-up-able’ and become someone’s mum? When do barmen and supermarket check-out operators start calling us ‘madam’ and why do some women have the unnatural urge to cut their own hair with nail scissors or run away to Buddhist retreats when they hit forty? In this hilarious collection of stories from the brink of middle age, Kerre shares her insights into what makes us tick as women ‘of a certain age’. Topics explored include: coping with the empty nest; shoes, shoes and other indulgences; when is it futile to dress to impress?; is there such a thing as a female mid-life crisis?; and many more. Told in Kerre’s frank and self-deprecating style, this is a hilarious account of living life to the fullest - no matter what your age.

 “Jo” it would seem back then, that she(or maybe it’s a he) has either been through that stage and feels “invisible and hideous, …. appears ridiculous and an object of mockery, … old and ugly” and if she was “lucky” may have scored a bloke who still sees her as the young hottie she once was. But I sure hope she hasn’t nagged him to death, because that isn’t the way things are. Jo would also discover that Kerre is married to her Irishman who seems to adore her.

“Jill” seemed to want a lot more out of this book than she read in “the first 55 pages”. No the book was not the same as her “Fat Chick” books, by why do they have to be? Why does an author have to write the same sort of books all the time? Yes it is “just Woodham’s take on the aging process.” So why expect more? If Jill had read more she may have found the book a light laugh along as she admitted she was the same age and just enjoy it. 

And that is what the book is – a sort of autobiography of Kerre’s “middle years” with no suggestion to use it as a failproof guide but one that will make you smile, maybe even laugh out loud, screw your mouth up in disgust or maybe (in my case) nod your head understandingly thinking “and you wait until the next stage!”

Good on you Kerre, I enjoyed it.

Reflecting

When you look at what you have done in the past and what you would like to achieve in the future do you ever think "I've wasted so much time?"

I sure have over the last few weeks. 

If you follow my blog, and/or know me personally, you will know what some things have been like.

With the death of my Mother and Sister last year I have been on a huge journey of grief, not to mention that added death of our Minister of 6 years. I worked along side him, not just in the church office but, as a lay minister and friends of his wife and him. It is a process one has to adjust to, not something with a time limit.

Life is never the same, the course just turned in another direction and in time you learn to live with the loss because it is now a part of who you are now.

But on this journey you will always learn knew things not just about life but of what is important to you.

With both my families loss there was the issue of sorting through their belongings and it is interesting to look at the things they had kept or hung on to, the things they didn't finish and the ideas that perhaps they had that you didn't know about. 

I have 'saved' bits and pieces from the clean outs because I wanted to hang on to what was a part of them but also I felt I could finish things they had started. But in doing this I now feel burdened to keep these things and do what I thought needed doing and there are now boxes of 'stuff' building up in a room. 

My daughters look and struggle and I know exactly how they feel, as it was the feelings I had at my mothers things. I want to do what is best but I also want to get on with the rest of my life, as in the big picture the years are counting down. Not in a morbid sense but just in a "This is what I want to do" but all these other things put on by others - either from my own doing or expectations of others - are taking that time.

There is a huge reluctance to toss or give away but one thing I know I need to deal with it, and now.

They say that you often have to produce a mess before you can start the clean up and I now see that is what I have to do. Another saying is you can't organize cutter.

But the process has begun and I will see it through. And with that I will be able to get on with the things I want to do for me, whatever that means in the big picture.

I have seen for me last year (Yes 2020!) so much time was lost and it can never be found again, but in getting on with sorting the blockades, the way forward will be easier. 

Being in control of 'it' means that 'it' will no longer control me.

Boxing Day

In New Zealand along with a lot of British Empire countries, Boxing Day is a holiday, the day after Christmas (26 December). Its' traditional meaning is taken from the giving of a box or basket filled with holiday gifts or food the day after Christmas. It comes from a time when the rich used to box up gifts to give to the poor, a ‘Christmas Box’ in Britain. Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants and the day when they received a special ‘Christmas Box’ from the master as a present. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give ‘Christmas Boxes’ to their families.

These days it has taken on its own demises with commercialism meaning the Boxing Day sales entice most to spend more in bargains they might miss out on. There are major sporting events, traditional mid-winter swims in the northern hemisphere and before it was cancelled in 2004 fox hunts were a traditional part of the day.

I refuse to be drawn into the sales and this year family who had  stayed and celebrated at others were gone. Harry rode his bike to the boxing day bike street racing in Wanganui so I was at home alone. It was a day for me of clearing up after family, washing sheets etc and just resting and reading.

My readings for the day had been from Matthew 2:1-12 where it clearly states that the Magi or wise men were not there straight after Jesus was born. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea... 
so the three wise men did not visit Jesus for a week or so (Epiphany) after he was born although at Christmas we include them in nativity scenes. We know that the shepherds were the first to be told about the birth and went straight away to the stable to see the Christ Child, but who else knew?
Who else visited or saw?
Perhaps the inn keeper came to check on them and maybe some who heard the shepherds rejoicing  17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
But what was that first boxing day, the day after the birth like?
Mary had given birth. It seems it happened at night.
Was a midwife called?
Was Mary and the baby checked that all was well?
Who cleaned up the mess?
They had been visited by a group of shepherds come in from the fields.
Were they a smelly lot? hovering around an hours old baby.
Did those who had heard come to look and see as well?
Did Joseph have to go out and get in some food and water?
Exactly when did they have to go and register for the census?

So for a time Mary would have been alone. In a lowly stable with her baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a food trough for the animals.
She had time to think.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

This boxing day I had time to think.
To ponder those first days of Jesus life.
What a start for a King, my Saviour.
I don't imagine those swaddling cloths being very clean or white. They were bands of cloth, probably cotton and the custom at the time was to wrap the new-born in these strips of cloth after washing the body and anointing it in powdered salt. First the baby was laid on its back diagonally on a square sheet of this cotton cloth. After folding the cloth around the infant the shroud was tied with ribbons. Then the baby was wrapped, arms and legs included, with the “swaddling cloth.” This binding prevented the baby from hurting himself by kicking or scratching or rolling over.
Mary would have seen this done and knew what to do.

But after the build up and climax of Christmas - that first Christmas - the birth of Jesus, the day after will have been quiet.

New born baby cries, the murmurings of animals in the stable, the noises outside by those passing by would just be happenings around but the stillness of a new birth will have been quiet.

In those days women would have been around mothers who had given birth to help and know what was involved, but Mary was away from family.
She was alone with just Joseph her husband of less than nine months.
A time of reflection and to wonder at what the future had in store.
Was she worried, afraid of what to do next?
Was she unsure of how to bring up this Child of God?

I too reflected on the events of the last few months for myself and family and wondered, as well, what the future holds.
We are encouraged at this time of year to think about the last year and the coming new one but it is often closer to the 31st of December.
I, whoever, focused on my journey and all that I hope and pray will be for my family, friends and me.

Take time over the next week to just focus and ponder on what you want in your life and seek to fulfill it.

Christmas Planner (8)

Christmas Planner
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

If you have been following my Christmas Plan that started here, you will have a planner with

• A calendar 
• Planner page with added menu 
• Ideas sheet 
• Stationary needs 
• Gift list 
• Gift shopping list 
• Book or list of Card recipients 
• Christmas letter
• Important dates

This is probably it for the planner, but you need to keep it with you when it comes to Christmas things so you can be sure you are doing/getting what you need and no fall off the wagon. You may even have other things you would like to add to it like favourite recipes, addresses etc.
Keep the planner when Christmas is over for next year so you can use it again and make new lists or  slightly change things you have done. I also like to refer to it after Christmas to note anything I didn't like or forgot to do/add
It's also good as it lets you know what you gave/did last Christmas.

So today we are ready to go and shop.
Now before you rush out the door you need to think of the Christmas song

"He's making a list
He's checking it twice...."

Check your gift list.
Have you got all the ideas sorted?
Are you sure it is what the person wants/needs? You don't want to find they have sold it on Trade Me on Boxing Day!
Check for sizes, colours, title etc.
Sort out what shops you will need to go to, to purchase them.
As I have mentioned before I save for this time but I also need to stick to that budget.
If you prefer to buy online make sure you are only buying what you want not being sucked in by something extra for a few more dollars. Also take into consideration the cost of packaging and courier fees.

You might also like to check your other purchase lists for stationary and non-perishable grocery items.

Now armed with the lists go out for the day and enjoy the shopping. Remember to stick to what you have planned and don't get sucked into all the other enticing displays and adverts to get you to buy more.

Make sure you treat yourself to a nice stop for a coffee or what ever you fancy during the day to reward you successful planning. This is fun.

And please remember this is the time for joy - the true meaning of Christmas is Love.

Christmas Planner (7)

Christmas Planner
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

So now the fun begins.

By now I have written all my cards and posted them.
I am confident in all my lists (Cos' I love lists - they help me not to panic!)
I know what is and isn't' happening for the Christmas Celebrations (Unless something changes and you can't plan for that, but just learn how to adapt! - breathe)
So although some things and parties have happened I am now ready to run with it.

Depending on what day of the week it is I either get the tree up and decorated or at least get it started.

Note Milly under the tree.

I love the season of Christmas and so decorate a few places.
My sister just has a table setting of candles and a few Christmasy things on a platter type arrangement. It is a precious time for meditation of the meaning of Christmas as she is on her own and so doesn't go for all the tree and trimmings.

So what ever makes you feel happiest then do - and if others want something else get them to do it. Just don't complain if you suddenly decide you want it done a different way to what they do e.g. the way the tree is decorated.

I don't like to decorate to far in advance because then I get a bit 'tired' of it, but I do want it up for awhile before the task of taking it all down is upon me and I end up thinking "I've only just put it up!"

Hubby does the lights outside the house and this is actually best started at the end of November so you can get them all up and connected well before you actually want to have them turned on.

Day 8 can be found here

Christmas Planner (6)

Are you still with me?

The start of my planning can be found here with links to the next ones within the post and at the bottom of this one.
You will have a Christmas planner with

• A calendar 
• Planner page with menu 
• Ideas sheet 
• Stationary needs 
• Gift list 
• Gift shopping list 
• Book or list of Card recipients 
• Christmas letter 

This is the time I do the recheck of lists etc.

Is the gift list sorted?
Is the size, colour, style, brand written down?
Is the budget set and realistic to stick to?
Is the shopping list for non-perishables completed?

I then focus on the normal things of any month but especially for December/January. In New Zealand most of the country closes up from about 23rd December to after the first week of January as it is not only Christmas but the summer holiday season for most people. That means that business' can be closed and even doctors, dentists etc run on skeleton staff while others like ourselves have a break.
This means that the paying of bills or having appointments are virtually impossible. The computers in these places will spit out bills or cancel subscriptions automatically so you need to tend to what needs doing.

For this reason I work out what bills need paying until mid January and what income there will be to cover these and keep that separate. In New Zealand its school summer holidays and the new year will start at the end of January so that will mean buying uniforms stationary etc so this expense needs to kept in mind as well.

I will also check what medications maybe running low and make sure they are stocked up on as well as other things that may be hard to get or we may forget.
Even more so if we are gong to be away the last thing you want is to suddenly remember in the middle of your holiday that you forgot to cancel the paper, pay a bill, miss an appointment or find the warrant on your car ran out on the 3rd of January.

So yes I make another list for all those things that need checking. I have a standard list that I use each year and either cross off what is not needed this year or set a date for it to be sorted by.

Ideas are:

• Doctor appointments
• Prescriptions ordered
• Hair appointment
• Car warrant
• Date leaving
• Date returning
• Mail collected
• Paper sorted
• Visitors arriving
• Visitors leaving
• Bills posted by

Once this check off list is sorted or as you do it write dates on the calendar in your Christmas planner. I also spend time finishing the Christmas cards especially the overseas ones and others even if they are not being posted right now.

This is also a great time to go over that list of ideas you had of the things you like (and don't) about Christmas. You have already made some changes so now it's time to look at what you haven't addressed and do so.
Remember this is about you and your family, not what others expect. You little family is making their own traditions. If it seems to hard then think about perhaps not dong it this year and making an agreement that you will next year but only if it is something that you feel is important to keep your relationship spared any harsh treatment.
E.g. If you are expected at Grandma's for afternoon tea every Christmas then you may have to say you will promise to do so every second year if it is not something the rest of your own little family want to do.
Just realize if you later feel like something was missing this Christmas and realize it was "Afternoon tea at Grandma's" you will have to make it part of your wish for your family traditions and talk it through with your own little family.

So you now have an 'Important Dates' list in your planner and your tasks are to check and complete lists ready to go shopping and cards ready for posting.

Christmas Planner
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5

Day 7 is here

In The Life Of Me.

A little while ago one of my daughters set me a challenge on Facebook to:

Day ? in the life of me. 
Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.
No explanations.
Challenge a friend everyday.
Today I challenge....

Now it could possibly be a sort of chain letter like what used to be sent out in years gone by.

A chain letter is a message that attempts to convince the recipient to make a number of copies and pass them on to a certain number of recipients. The "chain" is an exponentially growing pyramid (a tree graph) that cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Common methods used in chain letters include emotionally manipulative stories, get-rich-quick pyramid schemes, and the exploitation of superstition to threaten the recipient. Originally, chain letters were letters sent by mail; today, chain letters are often sent electronically via email, social network sites, and text messages.

But as it really is up to the person challenged, as to whether they take on the challenge and no-one is being threatened or hurt by participation or not, I thought I would give it a try. At least it gave me an excuse to share a bit of my life instead of just other topics of info.

And then I thought I would share it on here with the coloured pic and a bit of info ... just to show I wasn't tied to it and its demand!

so...

 Day 1 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.

No explanations.

Bible reading in the morning.

Day 2 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.

No explanations.

Work (Must have deleted the coloured one of above)

Day 3 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.

No explanations.

 Unfortunately I must have deleted the colour one of these.

It's taken on the road back from a Lay Ministry training day in Otorohanga

Day 4 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.

No explanations.

KFC Greeting table - Kid's Friendly Church, Sunday Mornings.

Day 5 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.

No explanations.

Milly in my exact favourite spot - I always have to move her
and she gives me 'that look'!

Day 6 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.
No explanations.

The view from my favourite spot (above)

Not the exact photo. I seemed to have saved the black and white ones but not the original.

Day 7 in the life of me. 

Seven days, seven photos, all Black and White of everyday life.
No explanations.

Baking, Jam and Walnut Muffins, Chocolate Caramel Square,
Lemon Loaf in the oven, Pumpkin Soup defrosting and
bread crusts to dry as the oven cools down for bread crumbs.

Once again not the exact photo. I seemed to have saved the black and white ones but not the original.

And after posting these I had realized that each day really is the same, but occasionally with something different like a course or visiting family or friends, errands and shopping to make them differ, but it is all good.

My Mum used to ask me each time she rung on a Saturday morning, how my week had been and I'd say "Just the same."

Now I could have given her details of everything I had done that week but sometimes she just didn't need to know.

She used to respond with something like "A bit boring then" and after awhile it got to me and made me ponder what my days and weeks were like.

It occurred to me that I was happy with how they were as I was open to anything happening over the week that would be different no matter how little and so I would respond to her comment, "No, not boring or I would do something about it." 

After a few weeks she wouldn't say that any more.

But I did like the way my weeks were pretty predictable and I could arrange things around that. It meant that there weren't unpleasant surprises and there was a sense of rhythm in my day to day life.

But now at 89, my mother sits in her lounge chair at their home day after day with not much happening apart from her daily care by others, and although that is fine and she doesn't seem to want to do anything else when I ask when I visit, I wonder if she comprehends a sense of boredom. 

I hope that if she does she will take up the offers of others to do something and if not she is content in just sitting and pondering.