Nutmeg's Birthday

For Nutmeg's birthday this year I think I'll just share a poem that Pixie wrote about her sister last month. Here it is:








My Sister

My sister [Nutmeg] is as
cute as a small
kitten. When she
cracks a smile
it is like water
bursting out of

a rock on a hot
day. She is as
stubborn as the
ocean, whose
waves bever
stop coming in
and falling
back. She is one 
of a kind. Her hair
and eyes, the color
of bison fur. Those
eyes are full of 
fire, yet they sparkle
like ice, too. She
wants her own
way, to do what
she wants. Like
a star in the universe,
She is beautiful.

The Pickle Tree--or, What's Next?

On a dark rainy night in Santa Barbara (it must be winter!) the Pickle Tree on campus was lit.

I finished teaching Spanish for the fall term.

We hosted our community group for dinner, and it was chili instead of our usual pasta variation because

J took the kids to the pickle tree lighting.

There is singing. Cookies. Cider. and SANTA!

 (Featuring Nutmeg's favorite lovey, and here's a hint--it's NOT Santa).

I wasn't there, as I was home with our community group, so I'm extra grateful for the photo. Nutmeg's suspicious attitude toward Santa is captured just as J's words painted it ten days ago.

I should be washing dishes right now

or working on those last two homemade Christmas presents that got decided-but-not-done before Advent

or sleeping

(Ok, probably not that, the kids are up and watching a movie in the next room)

because I am home on a date night with two kids with the stomach flu while J fulfills our rsvp commitment elsewhere.

Our hot water heater gave up the fight today, and my hair was already dirty. At some point I'll have to brave the icy water. 

Today I delivered 30 individual-sized portions of flan to a room full of second graders, made from my great-grandmother's recipe. I cannot explain how rewarding it was to sit next to Bud's desk during the Heritage Feast with my greasy hair and his huge smile. I had been concerned that I wouldn't make it back from Wombles' doctor appointment in time.

Acceptance letters to students were sent today, welcoming the community of people with whom we plan to traipse around Europe next fall. So that part of that planning is done, and there should be very few late nights left poring over application files.

One of our favorite TV series of all time is "The West Wing." In many episodes, at the end when the crisis has passed, the President always asked: "What's Next?", and the crew got bustling again, which always put the former crisis into perspective. There was only looking ahead. That hullabaloo had been an important hullabaloo, but it was over and there was the next one to tackle.

We are now into Advent, and this one is sliding along too quickly and I feel like I am "What's Next?"-ing before I am done with the task at hand. And so in spite of the fact the we can't find the skirt Pixie needs for her "uniform" tomorrow morning I am sitting for a minute to try, I guess, to step out of the noise. To try to remember:

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
    in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

But it goes on:

"But you were unwilling."

 ^{(Isaiah 30:15-16)}

^{Unlike the West Wing crew, we do not only look forward. We also have the gift of looking back: to promises made and kept, feeding the hope in those promises-made-and-not-yet seen. And so as I walk steadily and falteringly forward in our remembrance of Christ's first coming and our hope of his return, I long to lean on verse 15. And to lean into salvation not by to-do lists checked off, or hours of missed sleep or showers of hot water but in the faithful love of a Savior.}

^{Alleluia! Come, Lord Jesus.}

 

 

Happy Advent!

My time preparing for Advent this year has been very rich; and I am glad that today we are finally here. I look forward to sharing a bit more about that soon. For tonight, though, I'll share this quick video of Nutmeg.

Any time Nutmeg sees candles or cake she calls out, "Happy Birthday!" in Margaretese. So today when she saw the advent wreath with all of the candles, she was at it again. She's somewhere between singing and chanting in the video, and the birthday is for Jesus.

 

Along with Nutmeg I am also looking forward to celebrating the Incarnation. As we said together in church this morning,

"God remembered his promise
to reconcile the world to himself;
He has come among us in Jesus Christ,
the eternal word made flesh.
He is the long-awaited Savior,
fully human and fully divine,
conceived by the spirit of God
and born of the virgin Mary."

The whiteboard on the side of our refrigerator has changed from counting down to Advent to counting down to CHRISTMAS! I let it rest today but it's all set for tomorrow. Twenty-two days!

May you know the joy of waiting in hope and with patience,
H