Busy Weekend & Simple Abundance

Friday night was youth club (for Miss Ellie) and cricket training (for Master Jack)

My lovely husband doubles as the taxi service - so I should have had time for lots of crafting - but feeling sorry for myself with back pain I just about managed the ironing and then settled down to soapland with the biscuit tin.

Miss Ellie rushed back in with a lovely Christmas arrangement that she had made at youth club - it has taken pride of place in the centre of the dining table.


Saturday, everyone had their own plans - the boys were off fishing and Miss Ellie off shopping with her friends family - she has gone on an outward bound course today so they wanted to get their last essentials. Apparently this includes pink eyeliner, hair products and new leggings.
These outward bound courses sound more fun than when I went !

I took a quick trip into the village for more Christmas Cards and had to pop into our three charity shops - they were a little disappointing - just a couple of crafty books and a Spongebob bag for the little miss.

Isn't Saturday night TV great at the moment - I managed to feed everyone bolognaise in time to settle down for the start of Strictly - and I don't think I moved till the end of X factor results.

Sunday tends to be a quiet day as the man of the house has to go to work, so after packing Ellies case, supervising bath and hair washing, turning the bolognaise into lasagnas ( I have to do a veggie and a meat one as the little miss is vegetarian) there didn't seem to be much of the day left.

This morning there was a tearful goodbye (mine not hers) and a bit of a melancholy feel to the rest of it - I'm hoping tomorrow I will be more motivated.

Anyway, now to the reason of my post.


Over the last 6 years any time that I have felt low or down , I have turned to my survival pack of Simple Abundance.

I know that a few of you are aware of the book as I have spoken to you about it. It really is a Godsend - there is an entry for every day helping you focus on things that feed your spirit.

I have the book, CD, discovery journal, gratitude journal , other books by Sarah Ban Breathnach called Romancing The Ordinary and Something More .
Check out her website.


Here is an extract of the entry for December 8th

Tidings Of Comfort and Joy

This is the week that women's shoulders begin to droop as their list of holiday "should do's" become longer than Jacob Marley's chains.

There's card writing, card mailing, gift buying, gift wrapping, gift sending, tree buying, tree trimming, cookie baking, party giving, turkey roasting.

By next week, unless a Power greater than ourselves restores us to sanity, women will be dropping in their tracks. Not surprisingly, the Christmas holidays are the height of the Flu season.
..........................................................................................lots more thoughts and then the good bit :-

Wouldn't the real Christmas miracle be if we slowed down long enough to remember the reason for the season so that our holiday celebrations become authentic and meaningful?

So be of good cheer. Be not frazzled, frustrated, nor frantic, for I bring you tidings of comfort and joy.
If you do Christmas at your house, you can choose to do it your way. Whatever that way might be.
You CAN consciously decide to be happy, loving, fulfilled, generous, peaceful, contented, spiritual, joyous, calm, festive and emotionally connected to the important people in your life for the holidays this year.

Or you CAN unconsciously, choose to be a wreck.

Today REALISE that you can't do everything. Not all at once. Not in the next sixteen days. Not at all. Period !

Now, RECOGNISE that one of the reasons Christmas past has not lived up to expectations is because you've tried to do too much, too perfectly.

Look at the list.

Choose to let only what you love most about the holiday season remain. Cross out two more musts.

Now there's time for gazing out the window at gently falling snow or delighting in the sounds of bells and joyful music, savoring the sweet aroma of hot cider, roast turkey and gingerbread, sipping hot chocolate and homemade egg nog, reading a holiday story each night a dusk, basking in a fire crackling on the hearth and recreating cherished customs that care for your soul as well as those you love.

"I do hope your Christmas has ........that little touch of eternity in among the rush and pitter patter and all," mystic Evelyn Underhill recommends. "It always seems such a mixing of this world and the next - but that, after all, is the idea !"

Hope you like it and that it may help in some small way with the stress of the season.

See you soon

Sara
XX

Please have a look, order them from the library - I cant tell you how many dark days they have got me through.