Friends...

Friends. Just sitting here browsing the net and looking at a Texas lady''s blog; someone who is so creative, using op-shop finds and things that are old and new together. Someone whom I don't know, lives across the other side of the world but I can enjoy what she's about, because she took the time to post a blog with beautiful pictures.
Friends I realise can be anywhere in the world. A friend can be someone I've known for years, or just met yesterday. A friend can be a person who writes down their thoughts and ideas and you feel a connection with them.
This  morning a whole bunch of new and old friends met up to celebrate a lovely friend's birthday. Everyone was invited to say something about what she means to them. An hour later the words were still coming - words like: enthusiastic, loving, kind, joyful, encouraging, amazing, wisdom, strength. Many words were said to describe what she meant to her friends.
This is who she is. Full of love and joy and encouragement, yet she carries a great sorrow in that her husband died only last year of cancer. She has such faith in God...but not a soppy, religious faith. She has faith in a down to earth way. As she said after everyone of her lovely friends has spoken " I don't understand God, I don't know why He does what He does, but I trust Him and I know he has more things for me to do. Even when I'm lonely I tell Him about it."
Faith like this puts me to shame. Faith like this makes me realise I have so much to be thankful for. A great healthy (most of the time) hubby, four great daughters, 3 wonderful grandchildren and 3 sons-in-law. A house to live, cars to drive, food to eat and clothes to wear.
How much to be grateful for.
Friends are the honey of life; they sweeten my day. Whether I go out to have a coffee or cuppa tea with them, whether they make a comment on Facebook, ring me up, send a text or even when I read a blog of some lovely soul across the globe, a friend I haven't met, I love them all.
They are special, generous and make life worth living.  God bless you my friends where ever you may be. Mwah!

Christmas is coming soon

Yesterday I shopped for baubles for our tree. It was time to change the colour scheme, after having silver and mauve to purple for about 6 years!

After church I drove around to the nearest Crazy Clarks ($3.00 shop) and with basket in hand set about to choose from a vast array of colours. I decided to go with deep reds and gold. An angel to top of the tree, some gilded candles: tall, round and short, and some pillar shaped ones, completed the shopping.

So today, I dragged the boxed, folded up tree out of the shed, and proceeded to set it up. Artificial pine needles soon spread over the floor (must vacuum tomorrow), boxes and baubles everywhere - but now it's done. A bit early I think, with still a month to go, but it's done and so now there's one less thing to worry about.

This year our family is coming over to celebrate Christmas on the Christmas Eve. In-laws need to be visited on the day, so this works out reasonably for us. We will start early with a reasonably simple meal, then head off to church for a 7 o'clock service. Afterwards the fun will begin with Santa giving out the gifts. Hopefully the grandies will have had a sleep on the way from the Coast.

I'm looking forward to it...especially now that we are planning on having aircon installed by then.

Yay! It's been so hot and humid, it will make it so much more pleasant.

Well, must be off to bed now.

I need to catch up on some sleep. Tomorrow I hope to try to catch up with what our year was about in 2009. I've been slack.