I know, I know. Home for nearly two weeks, yet the blog is still stuck back in Rome. Haven't even touched Greece which may have been my favorite part of the whole adventure, and certainly a utterly perfect way to end it.
My blog-slacking is not entirely pure jet lag and laziness. For one thing, do you have any idea now many leaves can fill up a quarter-acre shade garden? I do. Intimately. Also, due to circumstances beyond my control I found myself as Head Decorator for my house when it came time to Christmas it up. I've been cooking a ton, both for fun and by necessity, everything from homemade mac and cheese (my first attempt and stunning success!) to white chocolate almond cranberry cookies.
And then this past Friday I came up to New Jersey. My Grandma's health is failing, and my Mom has been up here taking care of her. It meant that Friday was the first time I got to see my Mommy since I've been back! And after I did see her, and assess the situation and all, I decided that I needed to make myself useful up here for longer than just a weekend. So here I am, at least for another week or so. If I need to stay longer I certainly will, but everyone is just kind of taking it a day at a time right now.
I'd kind of thought I'd have scads of time while up here to blog and read and what not, but that has turned out to be not the case. And tonight I'm just too darn tired to tackle Rome. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow.
(I knew there was a reason I made myself keep both a hardcopy personal journal and a blog, even though that got damn tedious at times. With my journal entries and photos I should be able to recreate my last days in Europe even if it does end up being three weeks late.)
Instead, you get another Christmas Post!
Remember how I said that some of my Christmas Memories would have a lot to do with the actual holiday, and some would not have anything to do with the holiday? This is one of the latter.
I read it to my family one Christmas Eve several years ago, because I just love the way this poem sounds when read aloud. It's Neil Gaiman's "Instructions". I think I actually linked to this once before, when I blogged about using it for an ESL lesson. Well, whatevs. It's on the Christmas List so you get it again. Hopefully you love it even a tiny bit as much as I do, and won't mind reading and/or hearing it a second time! Enjoy.
Reading this poem now, after just having come back from the most marvelous adventure, and finding myself having to once again face the cold shower of life's harsh uncertainties, on several fronts, I find that my favorite passage takes on new relevance. The fact is that, at this moment, I have no idea what is going to come next. If ever I needed a reminder of these things, it is right now.
Remember your name.
Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found.
Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped
to help you in their turn
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart, and trust your story.
My blog-slacking is not entirely pure jet lag and laziness. For one thing, do you have any idea now many leaves can fill up a quarter-acre shade garden? I do. Intimately. Also, due to circumstances beyond my control I found myself as Head Decorator for my house when it came time to Christmas it up. I've been cooking a ton, both for fun and by necessity, everything from homemade mac and cheese (my first attempt and stunning success!) to white chocolate almond cranberry cookies.
And then this past Friday I came up to New Jersey. My Grandma's health is failing, and my Mom has been up here taking care of her. It meant that Friday was the first time I got to see my Mommy since I've been back! And after I did see her, and assess the situation and all, I decided that I needed to make myself useful up here for longer than just a weekend. So here I am, at least for another week or so. If I need to stay longer I certainly will, but everyone is just kind of taking it a day at a time right now.
I'd kind of thought I'd have scads of time while up here to blog and read and what not, but that has turned out to be not the case. And tonight I'm just too darn tired to tackle Rome. Sorry. Maybe tomorrow.
(I knew there was a reason I made myself keep both a hardcopy personal journal and a blog, even though that got damn tedious at times. With my journal entries and photos I should be able to recreate my last days in Europe even if it does end up being three weeks late.)
Instead, you get another Christmas Post!
Remember how I said that some of my Christmas Memories would have a lot to do with the actual holiday, and some would not have anything to do with the holiday? This is one of the latter.
I read it to my family one Christmas Eve several years ago, because I just love the way this poem sounds when read aloud. It's Neil Gaiman's "Instructions". I think I actually linked to this once before, when I blogged about using it for an ESL lesson. Well, whatevs. It's on the Christmas List so you get it again. Hopefully you love it even a tiny bit as much as I do, and won't mind reading and/or hearing it a second time! Enjoy.
Reading this poem now, after just having come back from the most marvelous adventure, and finding myself having to once again face the cold shower of life's harsh uncertainties, on several fronts, I find that my favorite passage takes on new relevance. The fact is that, at this moment, I have no idea what is going to come next. If ever I needed a reminder of these things, it is right now.
Remember your name.
Do not lose hope — what you seek will be found.
Trust ghosts. Trust those that you have helped
to help you in their turn
Trust dreams.
Trust your heart, and trust your story.
Please take care of our mommy. She will take care of grandma, you take care of her please. It breaks my heart that I cannot be there with you all through the heart ache and sad time of grandmas decline. I love Instructions and I love you!!
ReplyDelete