May you have love to give and love to receive this time of year

I've been feeling really homesick the last few days. They say home is where your heart is... Right now my heart is with my children and grandchildren. I have never experienced a Christmas without family before this - it is not my preference, but it is the way things are this holiday. I keep having this wish in my heart that my family will surprise me and show up at my doorstep tonight for Christmas Eve. Rationally, I know this isn't going to happen, the weather isn't making travel likely or safe. But I can dream. Truthfully, I will be glad when the holidays are over because I don't like feeling especially lonely during this time of year that is filled with memories and unmet expectations. I am however, very grateful for the love and blessings that surround me. I have a beautiful and amazing family and even though we can't be physically together this season we are together in love. May you be blessed with love and light this season as well.

These are a few photos from the local Nativity performance a couple of weeks ago.

Gift from the Sea

The weatherman said yesterday we could expect good weather along the coast and in southern Oregon so I planned a day trip excursion. When I first moved here I was doing these discovery day trips regularly on weekends but I haven't ventured anywhere new in the last couple of months. My day yesterday was a pure treasure- you never know what you will find when you go exploring someplace new. The coastline and beach area in Bandon, OR proved to be a winner. There were miles of trails that led to the beaches and a quaint little Main Street a block from fresh fish eateries on the Bay. So much to see, taste and experience that I could've stayed much longer. I will definitely be back. But in the meantime here are some photos of my wonderful adventure. As you look at these photos just imagine the cool gentle ocean breeze in your hair, the salty smell of fresh ocean spray and the freedom of open endless ocean vistas and the sound of pounding waves.
I have thought many times of Anne Morrow-Lindbergh's book 'Gift from the Sea' since I moved to Oregon. I highly recommend it.

Holidays

Realizing it has been a couple of months since I posted anything, I thought I'd share some thoughts about the current holiday season. It has been fun for me to experience the changing of seasons here since I haven't lived here in fall or winter before. This town sure knows how to bring on the holidays with charm and nostalgia. Because Jacksonville is a historic town there is always an undertone of the 'old' or the history with the new decorations, parties and celebration. Last Friday night I attended the main-street Victorian Christmas parade here in town which included local marching bands and the fire truck but also many old cars, a choir dressed in Victorian dress and a town crier walking up and down the streets wearing a black suit and top hat and ringing a small bell. We've been receiving  a lot of rain the last couple of weeks but luckily the rain stopped during the parade and held off just until the large Christmas trees lights lit up for the first time. It was an event that caused me to stop and think about the fact that I've never liked going to parades and that I was actually enjoying this one at night with the town all lit up in Christmas lights and trimmed with greenery.
On Sunday there was a fundraising event I was thrilled to attend because it was a Christmas home tour. There were 5 beautiful homes to walk through which were all decorated for the holidays. Each home was a different architecture, one was a historic home, another a brand new multi million dollar home, another one was a very large log home on riverfront property and I enjoyed seeing each one and how they were decked out for the holidays. I wasn't sure if I was going to put up a tree and decorate at my house this year but felt inspired by all of the holiday cheer around me and purchased a fresh cut little tree and now enjoy having a the sights and smell of the season in my home as well.

We had a break in the rain today and Montana and I went for a long walk. I was reminded of how green everything is here even without leaves on the trees. I really enjoy the green that comes from the rain and also the fresh air and smell of pine trees (because they are everywhere here). This place is a beautiful spot to call home and I feel very blessed to have found it! Fortunately I have also met some wonderful people here. The majority of people I talk to have moved here from another state and are not originally from this area. A lot of people are from California and some from New York and everywhere in between. Everyone is so friendly and they don't seem too busy to stop and say hello- which has been very important to me as a new person here.

I recently invited a group of women over to my house for a book club planning session. By the way, most of the women don't know each other, rather I have met them in my different experiences one by one. We will be starting the actual book club in January but needed to meet and decide how to structure the book club and also plan the books to read for the first few months. I must say that I am in awe of the quality of women who came to my home who will participate in the group each month. Women whom I am grateful to call my friends and from whom I can learn from and laugh with. The group ranges in age from 36 to 67 and even though not everyone knew each other prior, there was a definite feeling of camaraderie and 'a meeting of souls' when we all got together. Good stuff in the making - I am starting to see the many synchronicities  in my meeting new people. I have been invited to a holiday party this next weekend and will meet many new people there so it will be fun to see what comes from those 'meetings' as well.