“I believe I have no prejudices whatsoever. All I need to know is that a man is a member of the human race. That’s bad enough for me.” — Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

“It is not how old you are, but how you are old.” — Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don’t even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child — our own two eyes. All is a miracle.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

I am feeling a little claustrophobic, being stuck inside. I go out once in awhile, but honestly? I don’t find playing in the snow with the children and husband to be all that relaxing. I love them dearly, I would die for them, but I don’t want to die because of them, know what I’m saying?

Probably not.

Let’s just say, I’m a fraidy cat. Also, I don’t like to be cold. The three of them (plus Miss Honey Butt’s Daughter, who has moved in for the week) are risk-takers and daredevilish and “pfffffffffft pffffffffffft pffffffffffffffft thump thump thump…” (that’s the sound of me, sucking my breath in, heart pounding).

Also, it seems like one of us always ends up with a nosebleed or a head injury. We had to walk to Plaid Pantry ‘pacifically to buy 1) more butter for baking and 2) another box of band-aids.

Still looking for peace. Still trying to avoid chaos. (ha ha ha arggggggggggggggghhh…) Still trying to get the house clean, just in case we do end up having Christmas Day over here, as planned. It’s not going that well, what with the wet mittens and boots and snow gear strung from one end of the house to the other.

I haven’t been able to do the last-minute shopping, and I’ve been so busy the last couple of months that it is all last-minute shopping. (Not the way I usually operate — I’m a planner. Who am I kidding. I’m an OCD over-planner.)

Go look at Byron Beck’s new blog — he’s living it up with Anthony and Storm so I don’t have to. Not that I wouldn’t love to live it up with them but you know. That would involve leaving the house.

Anyway.

These are the closing lines from “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” You’ll like them. (Thank you, L. This is beautiful.)

Peace.

wm

“Looking through my bedroom window, out into the moonlight and the unending smoke-colored snow, I could see the light in the windows of all the other houses on our hill and hear the music rising from them up the long, steadily falling night. I turned the gas down, I got into bed. I said some words to the close and holy darkness, and then I slept.”
-Dylan Thomas

ps — i’m eating half an acorn squash with butter, salt and pepper and mango chutney. The girls put their hair into matching pigtails and are baking chocolate crinkles (this recipe calls for oil, not butter, so it’s a good one for those times you don’t feel like walking to Plaid). Pittsburgh Pens and Buffalo Sabres game is tied up 2-2. Have achieved zen. No chaos, except on the ice. It’s a wonderful life.

“You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you.”

— Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

It’s snowing here in Portland, Oregon, folks. Snow day tomorrow? Fingers crossed.

Here is the Spicy Hot Potato Soup recipe from Planet Nomad. We would be eating this one up today, had we not left the potatoes in the ground, where they are now frozen. It is what it is. (Which seems to be the theme of the week.)

Have a happy Sunday.

love,

wm

“Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe.”
— John Milton, poet (1608-1674)

“One should count each day a separate life.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca, philosopher (BCE 3-65 CE)

“Let your capital be simplicity and contentment.”

— Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

“You can’t be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet.” — Hal Borland, journalist (1900-1978)

I do not really have any idea at all what that quote means, but I like it. And now, in the spirit of the Chicken Dance…

“I don’t want to be a chicken/
I don’t want to be a duck/
So I shake my butt/
quack quack quack quack”

(my kids’ favorite song. Repeat 10 or 20 times in a row.)

have a super-wonderful day.

wm

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have
let go.” — William Feather