comfort and joy.

 Falalalala. La la laaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. For reals.
It's almost Christmas. I'm doing that thing I do, playing the movie reel of my life in my head, complete with soundtrack. and I'm feeling nostalgic.  You would think it gets to be annoying after a while, but I totally dig it. 

You all know what kind of girl I am. I am the kind who will push herself all blessed day, then  change into my sweats, pour myself a tiny Manzanilla La Gitana, pick out the prettiest clementine and pile it in a bowl along with one lone sugar cookie, gather my i pad, latest book, journal and my puppies and arrange them all around me like a menagerie. Then do nothing for the next two hours but stare at the Christmas tree. Those strands of twinkly lights plum do me in. I'm here in a house entirely void of noise, and I don't want to move for the next two hours, give or take. And sure as sugar, that makes me happy. Every. single. time.

 I hear nothing but the soft hum of the furnace and and imagine snow falling outside my window.

I hope to high heaven that there are more nights like this to come.


But, last night. last night was the best, because, friends. Because getting together is such a mix of wonders that you can create at home.

The music was flying everywhere and my friends looked so pretty all gussied up.

In a stroke of serendipity, it was the perfect night. it  pinched my heart just a little.

So as you can see, I am all over the place today. I can hardly contain myself. To be honest, I'm about one Christmas carol away from donning green tights and elf ears, taking my high kick to the road and starring in my very own one woman Christmas variety show. I was going to simmer my enthusiasm down a bit for this post, but would that not be like, holiday blasphemy? So here I am, ice skating a fully choreographed performance of Joy to the World, in the tiny Christmas village that dwells in my head. I have been dancing to Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree for weeks now. living room twirls, jazz hands and final high kicks. It makes me swoony.

 
 These days are so short. and so cold, but I'm toasted up with the truth of the season, and the knowledge that it has no end, after all. Right now, I hum to the songs in my head, they, along with my peeps, are some of the brightest parts of me. They inspire me to try harder and try less. They inspire me to love my life like no body's business.

They are my comfort and joy.

So, happy eve-of-the-eve, my friends. Your being there, your encouragement and humor and presence in my little life has amped up my world. I am ever honored that you come back here and read my scribblings. It is humbling. and illuminating, and I just want you to know for sure that I appreciate you to the gauzy December moon and back and I hope we all just let our hearts be light. I hope we reflect peace, our gift back for all the ways we have been blessed.

Happy Christmas.

 

just sayin'.