‘Tis sermon-writing time again… Still waiting for inspiration to strike (as of Tuesday afternoon when I took the photo). We’re trialling a more modern-worded service on Sunday (I so struggle to get my mouth around the thee’s and thou’s of the Book of Common Prayer, no matter how beautifully written it is!) I’ll let you know how it goes… Sharing over here.
BELATED HAPPY NEW YEAR, dear deskers! It’s taken me a while to get going this year, after all the village festivities (which started with Christmas craft fair on 1 December and never seemed to stop!), so I missed the 500th ‘what’s on your workdesk?’ – WHAT a landmark! All hail, Ms Julia!!! Here’s my tidy desk (taken yesterday afternoon, although I’ve just noticed the calendar’s still showing Monday’s number, sheesh!) – displaying three new treasures
left to right: every day I’m writing the gifts/joys of the day on a piece of paper. Then, on 31 December, I’ll look through all the good bits of 2019 🙂 It’s another way to express my Word for the year, REFLECT. Next to the jar is my wee angel – a Christmas gift from a dear friend who went to South Africa a few weeks ago. Here’s a brighter shot
I don’t know what wood she’s made of (she’s very light), but she’s beautifully carved with THE sweetest face! And the third new treasure is the wee grecian urn – Daughter went to Greece on a college trip in November. She bought this Demeter urn from a local artist who was painting them in the marketplace. And here’s our famiy lunch to celebrate her 21st (how did THAT happen!!) a few days after Christmas (l to r: Dad, Son, Hubby, Daughter, me)
Sharing at The Fantastic Ms Julia’s here.
I love birch trees – the Ladies of the Wood. Here’s our own Lady, on an all-too-rare sunny day, in the backgarden
Tall, elegant and always reaching for the sky… I’d LOVE to be a birch for a day – a bright, almost-Spring day with the sun shining warmer than it has for weeks, the sky bluer than it’s been all Winter, with wee birds hopping from twig to twig… Wouldn’t that be grand?
Tonight (in the very small hours of tomorrow) is the first New Moon of the New Year and my moonboard is alive with the magical possibilities…
Lovely images – a mix of magazine adverts and old diary pages… left page: A big glass of fizz with ‘Oh Happy Day!’ affixed on to the advert; a beautiful woman looks over to the other page (or to the future?); a busy, but organised, home-office; a pretty set of wooden stools; and the words: ‘The day are gods, only no-one suspects it’ ~ Emerson; right page: A cute clock image with the quote, ‘All times are beautiful for those who maintain joy within them’ ~ Rosalie Castro; a PapayaArt image with the words: ‘Follow Your Heart and Chase the Sun’; and a favourite quote: ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.’ And I’ve written next to the spine of the spread, REFLECT JOY AND PEACE – Reflect is my Word for 2019.
I am hoping to make a moonboard every new moon this year, if not every full moon. This is my intention, at least… 2019 here we come!!
To the New Year
With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning
so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is
and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible
~ W.S. Merwin ~
Once again, it’s taken a wee while to reveal itself… Every year I use this and this to put myself in the space where my Word can come. I’ve learned it cannot be forced, and that it will come when it’s ready 🙂
I sat with several ‘good’ words throughout December… but none seemed to stick. So I pondered and I journalled – and I waited… Then last night, I picked up my new planner (which I shared here) to enter the coming week’s activities, and there it was, large as life – atop every other page…
Sometimes our Words are hiding in plain sight! So my Word for 2019 is:
I want 2019 to be the year I make time to Be, not just Do. The year, when each and every week, I REFLECT on how I feel about the past seven days – what I enjoyed, what challenged me, what I learned, for what I am thankful – and this planner does just that. Clearly, I ‘knew’ what I needed for 2019, and while it took a few weeks to come to my conscious mind, the Word (and the new planner!) were there, just waiting…
Truly I can’t show my desk – buried under the piles of cards, letters, notes, including ones to send here – so look, I’m tackling another jigsaw, bought by a friend from a charity shop (we’ll see if all the pieces are there – eventually!). It’s very festive ‘Toyshop at Christmas’, and is a sort of break from all the writing cards and addressing envelopes… Sifting out the straight edges – now I know to turn the pieces over as the plain back is a clearer contrast to the table. It’s a different type of challenge and works other parts of my brain.
Overseen by my beautiful hellebore – a favourite flower to which I treated myself last week while visiting a favourite local(ish) town. THE Christmas flower, I think 🙂 Not a great photo, as it’s a grey day so the very bright overhead light is on.
Sharing the love with other deskers here.
PS I am now taking a blogging break until the New Year, but I will visit as many desks as possible this week. Wishing you all a wonderful festive season with friends and family, and I will see you in 2019 ❤ ❤ ❤
A pale December sun rises… Wishing you a blessed Advent! Sharing here ❤
