This was a very good Christmas.

The gaffer has been off for a good week and a half already and doesn’t need to go back until next Monday. What joyful, grateful little moments I’ve been having with the extra snuggling, the giggling and being allowed to sleep in until 7:30 (did I brag yet that my gaffer will let me sleep in while he reads quietly in his room???? I’m also terribly scary in the morning).  Hubby has stopped doing tree work for a bit and is only working 6 x 24 hour shifts. Which you kind of feel when you do a whole lot of nothing. 

So. My knee. Have been going hardcore at the gym with physio. Am determined to strengthen as best as I can. Which means being extremely careful on the elliptical (have been trying it here and there) and leg extensions and leg curls. Carefully.  But I’m noticing that on the days I do not go to the gym, my knee is annoyed (ie constant cramping pain) and I keep stretching it out all day.  Anyhoo, so hubby had a very large package under the Christmas tree for me. And I opened it. And it was this:

 Isn’t it fabulous? It’s from Lee Valley and as you can see, tools are not included. It’s about 15″ off the ground with pneumatic tires (meaning the weight is distributed gorgeously so I don’t wreck any plants or soil when I drive over them) and it has steering. See that little black knob at the front? You just push yourself along and steer. Yes, the boys have been playing with it and it had to go in the basement for now as we have marvelously cheap parkay (butter?) floors which enable fun steering by all. And the huge tractor seat hugs your whole behind and it swivels. How wonderful is that? Granted, now I have to stretch a lot to get myself limber enough to keep my right knee mostly straight while I bend over, but I am happy with it. No more pain! What a man.

I did purchase a new journal for the year as I always do and this time I did not choose Moleskin (gasp!) as I found something with smaller lines. I love writing in books with very little space between the lines. I don’t know why. I like writing small? And I did write out my huge prayers for the  year and I sought out my ‘power’ verse. See, last year, my word was ‘Kind’ as in, be kind to others but really be more kind to yourself. Because I am not terribly kind to myself. This year, the words are from James 1:19-20 and they are, “Know this, my beloved: be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger because the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” So this year’s word is, Listen.  Listen to what people are saying. Listen to what God is saying. Listen to what my body is telling me. Listen to the earth as she groans and rumbles. Listen.

Which is kind of a cool word when you think about it. Especially considering my other lovely Christmas gift was a subscription to Sirius radio. Which I am loving. Two Christian music channels, music stations strictly from the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s (which I’ve missed since they shut down Oldies 1310 – I am a total oldies geek) and symphonies and a strict opera channel. Marvelous.

And to not listen to the negative. I don’t mean like, stand in front of your mirror and say, ‘I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and people like me’ a la Stuart Smalley (was that his name from SNL?) but not to listen to people. The other day an acquaintance was asking about my writing. Asked if there would be another book. This person has not bothered to read either book, so right away I stop listening to their opinion on anything (yes, I”m terribly fickle) and I explained there may  not be a third book. And that I was working on something completely different that I was enjoying. And that acquaintance said, “Well, whatever turns your crank. At least you have a hobby.”

I know, right? I almost snapped. But then it occured to me (James 1:19-20) that this person is not someone of whom I would take their opinion seriously. And I get it. There are a lot of people out there who do not get the writing game. They do not understand why it is so hard to write a book. They do not get it. And that’s fine. They are not what I would call kindred-spirits…

And now I send you to this link, because it’s marvelous and I fully live it…

Drinking: decaf soy egg nog latte (homemade)

Watching: ?

Reading: just finished ‘These Golden Years’ by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I finished it at 11:30pm and bawled like a baby. Am now back to ‘Withering Tights’