Epiphany

8th Jan 2019

Well, Christmas is over and the decorations - tree , cards, wall hangings have been taken down. All gone except for the crib. The crib will stay until 2nd Feb.

Epiphany 

The Feast of the Epiphany 6th January- we were at our daughter's - was a wonderful  celebration .
Mass first thing, coffee and biscuits in the hall after, where Peter and I had a strange conversation with an interesting  chap we hadn't met before who is a musician, who converted to Catholicism eight years ago. He told us his conversion story which started way back in an evangelical upbringing. He spent many years searching for the more authenticity,  moving from one domination to the next, until he ended up in the Catholic church, which he now says is his home.
"What can I do to help, " I take my coat off and follow  my daughter into the kitchen, where she is already surrounded by bowls, mixers, weighing scales and everything needed to make cheesecake.
" Could you take that bowl there. There's red onions and tomatoes in the fridge . You can slice them all up and put them in there." And so I did, adding some balsamic viniger to taste.
After that we spent about three hours getting the food ready for the party later. For most of that time I kept my head down and washed up , and washed up , keeping the area clean so Em and some of the girls could just get on.
In between times different children came in and helped themselves to something to eat, after all it would be a long time till the party.
The long table is decorated with a Christmas table cloth and candles with a place even for the baby Jesus. It looks just perfect.
We take a moment to have a coffee, but not for long as the first visitor arrives and now the table in the kitchen is strewn with everything needed to make beautiful kings crowns, with glittery jewels to stick on .
They are dressed in kings robes to play their role . Happy children.
Finally everyone is here and I am swaddled in the comfortable chatter and buzz that is my lovely family - children, grandchildren, niece, great niece and nephew, and sister-in-law. We drink what looks like pink champagne and catch up on stories. A blessed time, which passes all too quickly.
The food ?- amazing , of course. But the company is the main thing.
When people start to leave I get sad.
Later hubby and I take ourselves out to our camper, which is parked up on the drive and go to bed. We are both emotional and teary eyed at what a great family we have.

Luxury

The poetry prompt for today was luxury. I couldn't think of much so just wrote something:

Luxury.

What is luxury?

Is it fine clothes, 

And upmarket cars,

Carpets with deep pile,

Soft underfoot? 

Is it eating out at a posh restaurant,

With jewels falling over a sumptuous table

While ordering the most expensive champagne,

(Which tastes no better than lemonade,  

By the way)?

Is it a sensational cruise around the world

On five star liner,

With people milling about 

Seeing to your every whim?

What a luxurious life that would be .

But no,

Luxury isn't any of that.

It is awakening to a brand new day,

And seeing the sun come up,

Getting out of bed on two good feet,

Walking to adventures you're ready to meet.

It is having family,

Friends, and other folk

Who make your life what it is

A luxury of parts.  

My husband is doing portraits to raise money for our little friend Ollie, who thinks it would be a luxury to be able to walk by himself  :

50 Portraits for Ollie.
This is a contemporary portrait 8x8 inches in acrylic of a little friend of mine Ollie . This is the first portrait in a series of fifty portraits that I aim to complete to help raise funds for Ollie to have an operation in America . This painting is from a picture that Ollies parent's sent me .The aim is that you send a photo of any portrait you wish to be painted - person, pets etc and I will paint an acrylic 8 x 8 painting on canvas board You donate £ 40.00 to Ollies fund for which you will receive your painting . This is a preview of the idea. We have to finalise the details I just want to get this out there. So please share.