Monday October 31 2016  THE CHALLENGE

Remember that I am constantly challenging myself in most areas of life.  Do I always accomplish my challenge?  No, probably not, but it is fun trying.  And my world won’t collapse if I don’t achieve what I set out to do.  So my challenge is to again write a blog in one hour.  I also hope to include the publishing time during that same one hour time frame.  It takes about 30 minutes (at the minimum) to do what I must do to even get it on line after it is written.  So here goes.

Let’s talk about Christmas decorations.   If you recall, my plan was to get the Christmas decorations out by October 1st and have everything finished by October 31^st.   It didn’t happen.  Actually, when I left on October 21^st for my four days away, nothing was out.  When I arrived home four days later, the closet had been raided, the boxes opened, the tree was put together, the lights were on, and about half the ornaments hung.  Ten days later the boxes are still out, less than half of the bulbs are presently on the tree, and the branches have yet to all be separated.  The tree was standing but Dave didn’t realize that the smashed branches he had pulled apart still had more branches behind them that also needed to be pulled apart.  It has not been an easy task to accomplish with many of the branches circled with light cords and ornament hooks.  Since I have separated the rest of the branches the tree no longer looks skeletal.  I have had to remove many of the ornaments to make it possible. 

But hey, my husband’s heart was in the right place and he went to a lot of effort to surprise me.  Yes, not everything is done and the dining room chairs are still lined up between the kitchen and formal eating areas.  On their seats are boxes of Christmas paraphernalia still waiting to be unpacked.  But, we are closer than we were before I left on my trip.  Now my goal is to have the decorations accomplished BEFORE THANKSGIVING!  Don’t you just love a good challenge?  It’s so great to be retired!  I’ll give you an update to let you know when (or if) I finish.

DECORATING FOR CHRISTMAS

Kathleen Martens

October 31, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

The boxes are opened with tender care

Knowing the ornaments are tucked in there.

The tree comes out it bits and pieces,

And the branches are full of creases.

One by one the sections assembled,

And when it stands, a tree it resembles.

Lights added next, neatly wound

Up and down and all around.

Ornaments of cloth, metal, and glass

All over the tree congregate in mass.

And then comes mama and says “oh my”,

“Through the branches I see the sky.”

Limbs pried a part and fluffed a bit,

But papa says “it doesn’t matter one wit”.

Lucky for him mama is his right hand man

And the tree is now fat where it stands.

Now the ornaments can be replaced

Exactly how they should be spaced.

And papa is happy to let mama pursue

Everything she wants to do.

And so it is still undone,

And papa is very happy to shun

All the fal-der-al for the mission accomplished,

Because ever too soon it will be demolished.

But that tree will get decorated

And before Thanksgiving it is fated,

And just for the record, it will be the last time

Because then this tree will no longer be mine.

AND I’M THE MAMA!

So I thought I would bring you up to date on our Christmas decorating saga!  In bits and pieces of time I get bits and pieces of the decorating accomplished.  And I’m happy, Dave’s happy, and I feel very happy that we don’t plan to do it again.  We’ll just celebrate at our children’s homes instead!  Maybe that sounds like a Scrooge but my heart carries the spirit of Christmas and I want more time to enjoy family and celebrating the birth of my Lord and Savior.  I shall keep my beautiful nativity set and bring it our each year to commemorate the month we rejoice.

Don’t know how much more time I have because I didn’t look at the clock before I started the blog.  But I did turn on the portable heater to stop after 60 minutes.  It is still going so I’m going to see if I can beat the heater!

I failed to buy Halloween candy for tonight so Dave volunteered to go buy some.  I gave him only one instruction and that was to come back with something I CAN’T EAT (like chocolate) or DON’T LIKE.  I don’t want any temptation.

Thank You God for the celebration of Christmas and all it means to those who truly believe in your Son.

Thank You for family and for loved ones.

Thank You for this hour of my life.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU

P.S.  Though I don’t usually write a blog on Saturday or Sunday please take a look at the last two days.  I guess I just had too many words left in me and had to get them out.

P.S.S.  The heater is still blasting!  I ACCOMPLISHED MY CHALLENGE

Sunday Sabbath October 30 2016  IT IS NOT THAT THE WORLD LACKS WONDERS

IT IS NOT THAT THE WORLD LACKS WONDERS

Kathleen Martens

October 30, 2016

www.visionsofpoetry.com

It’s not that we lack WONDERS

In this great big world of ours.

It is that we lack WONDER

As we look through self made bars.

The WONDERS of a dandelion

Intrinsic in its design,

Though it is a nuisance

Its beauty is quite refined.

And even in a simple cloud

Though many you may have seen,

Today’s will be different

With new lights of delicate sheen.

And the buzzing of a bee

Should heighten your sense of pleasure,

Because the WONDERS of such a creature

Offers such a delectable treasure.

We fail to marvel at a simple leaf

As it floats gently to the ground.

It plays with wind ever unseen

And its frolic seems unbound.

We fail to experience marvel

In the twinkling of a star

That takes millions of light years

To travel to earth so far.

It’s not that the world lacks WONDERS

It is we who refuse to see.

For WONDERS are all about us;

Seeing through God’s eyes, the simple key.

Such amazing and astounding creation,

Surrounds us, though rejected,

All because we are not infused

With WONDER to be reflected.

A day should not pass

Except which we are in awe,

For there are spectacular sights

On each path, put there by God.

So remove the shackles of hurry,

And those of doubt and scorn,

Allow your sense of WONDER

Each dawn to be reborn.

A paraphrased quote from a sermon this morning by Pastor Joel Alberti:

“It is not that the world lacks wonders,

It is we that lack wonder…”

The above quote inspired my Sunday Sabbath poem’s topic.  Today, take time to dwell on the amazing wonders that God places before us each day.  Never lose your child-like wonder!  It is a “WONDERFUL” place to live. 

P.S.  I scrolled through some pictures I’ve taken this past year on my iPhone and here are a few that I was able to upload in order to share with you some of the wonders I have experienced. BE CERTAIN TO CLICK “OLDER POSTS” WHEN YOU COME TO THE END OF THE PHOTOS.  THERE ARE MORE.