Christmas Break 2018: Day 1

By Elizabeth Prata

School let out at noon yesterday, after a sweet program of awards, a few Christmas songs, and lots of hugs from and to the little ones. It's fun to see how excited the kids are for Christmas to come. They love all the trappings: the trees, bows, gifts, Santa, the Elf on the Shelf, decorations, and even crazy Christmas Sweater or Christmas hat day.

I was glad to be home after stopping for some errands, namely, gas and food. The grocery store at 2:00 on a Wednesday was strangely quiet. That didn't stop me from getting in the world's shortest checkout line that earned the world's record for taking the longest time. The lady two customers ahead was doing a complicated checkout split into three piles. Oh well, I was on break, no need to worry about how long it was taking.

Today the day dawned rainy and cool, which was just fine. A quiet day at home suited me after all the hubbub and noise leading up to the school break. I woke up at my normal time, 5 am, and I got up then and didn't snooze. I've always been a wake up-get up kind of person. I never had a snooze alarm. I've always enjoyed (and made use) of the fact that if I got tired later I could just go back to bed. Isn't that what vacations are for...my own schedule? Yes indeed.

I've spent the day writing, reading social media, answering emails, and reading my books.

My goal this vacation is to finish:

How to Read a Book by Mortimer Adler
Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes
Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair Ferguson
Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage by Hugh Brewster

I really like the Disciplines book. I'm learning a lot from it and taking many notes. And Gilded Lives I just started today but I got right into it. The account of the first class passengers on the Titanic, their lives in the context of the gilded age, is fascinating.

Two other books just delivered today include The Life of Moses by James Montgomery Boice and Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, part of my book reading plan this year.

I did nap, it was needed I enjoy the growth that Murray has evidenced in affection. He has grown to enjoy being near me and doesn't skittishly run off every time I reach for him. He purrs and stays near, even when I reach out to pet him. He sleeps near my head or under the covers curled at my side. This is relaxing, and adds to the comfort and refreshment of my nap.

I don't usually watch tv or have videos or music on during the day, though I did listen to a couple of sermons this morning. As the morning progresses into afternoon, I love just being quiet and listening to the cats snore, or the hiss and pop of the gas heat. The rain on the metal awnings gives a steady unsteady beat, and even the occasional bird outside and the vigorous chicken next door add to the atmosphere. Natural sounds, quiet sounds. The neighbors next door decorate their yard with beautiful lights and I like seeing them through the window when the sun goes down. They make a pretty glow.

My dinner tonight was simple but good: a few pieces of roasted chicken smothered by sauteed mushrooms, and a green salad with orange tomatoes, spring greens, and goat cheese. The Calendar Tea of the Day is, 'Mother's Little Helper', containing hibiscus, rosehips, chamomile, valerian root. I received a lot of goodies from the kids or other teachers at school that I brought home with me yesterday, so I'm trying to pace myself. No dessert tonight.

I don't anticipate tomorrow being much different, though one of these days soon I'll throw crafting into the mix. I'll have a crafting day and make some collages, stencils, bookmarks, and maybe a book or two.

For now I'm going to watch an episode of Blue Bloods and then return to the gilded era of the first class passengers on the Titanic. I hope your lead-in to the Christmas holiday is filled with what you want it to be, and if it isn't, then at least prayer and praise to the Lord for the good that is in the week, namely, Jesus. Have a good one, everyone.

This is what my week is going to look like :)