December 2011 Archives

for the holidays this year, i travelled to a suburb city of nashville, brentwood, about 25 minutes south of the music city  my daughter and her family recently moved there to be closer to her husband's office and for the girls to be enrolled in a popular school system.  my flight was on what seemed like a dragonfly it was so small.  luckily, it went without incident and i arrived on time and was greeted by my son-in-law and 2 year old grandson.  after dinner of shrimp and grits, we were off to a christmas eve service at the largest church i have ever visited.  wow.  the sanctuary was round with balconies and a 150 plus choir and an orchestra.  there were 8 ministers and many acolytes as well as soloists and a trio of high school singers.  we sang christmas songs while my grandchildren licked lollipops to stay contented.  the highlight of the evening was the lighting of the individual candles each of us was handed as we entered.  after the candles were lit, we all stood, held the candles high and sang silent night.  imagine the sight...2,000 glowing candles and the people singing  that beautiful song.

for about 2 months a very special event has happened in bolton landing.  every friday evening a group of women have come together to have dinner and watch a movie. the first gathering saw 8 women, most not necessarily knowing each other and since then, the group has grown to 14 or 15.  dinner is either pot luck or provided for five dollars by the tre cool woman whose brilliant idea this was.  the creator is a transplant from alaska by way of california and hawaii and about the neatest person i have ever met.  she has long naturally extremely curly hair and is definitely of hippie-nature.  she started a farmers' market in bolton last summer that was so successful that she is extending the season and welcoming more vendors.  the comraderie at the gatherings on movie night is so special, warm,  and nurturing that i look forward to them and have cancelled other plans before so as not to miss this special time.

still retired, but so busy doing what i want that i can't believe how busy i am.  the latest activity that i have going is a writing group that i began on a whim and it's unbelievable how it has evolved.  we get together the second and fourth mondays and discuss different writing techniques and entries as well as experiences that we draw writing from.

walking has become an intregal part of my life.  when i had the cafe, i walked around and around and most nights, i felt that i must have walked miles.  this new walking is faster and always with a great group of women, chatting and laughing, stopping often to catch our breath.  the sagamore resort is the preferred destination because it is so beautiful there.

our little tourist town is very quiet this time of year.  no ice on the lake yet so no ice fishing and no snowmobiles.  on winter sundays a group of dog owners take the pets to a park where they run around and get much needed exercise while the people visit and enjoy the day.

my housemate and i actually ate lunch on our porch today, basking in the warm december sun and appreciating the beauty all around.  we have finished shopping and are relishing in the season.  happy holidays.