Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

We've had another beautiful Thanksgiving and hope that you have too.  Lili celebrated the day with a festive neck scarf which she insisted upon wearing at the dinner table.  Friends shared the cooking duties (and feasting joys) with us, and we dined on all of the traditional favorites including a large turkey who previously lived less than a hour away and was gobbling his little heart out a week ago.  He was very fresh indeed, and everyone agreed that he tasted like he had led a very happy life. We are continuing the celebrations all through this weekend with leftovers, board games, special blessings, and public reflections on gratitude.  Emma and Sophie have enjoyed the Thanksgiving Alphabet Game wherein we go through the alphabet naming things for which we are grateful.  Lili contributed that she was thankful for "Elmo's World" even though the rest of us were on letter "P." None of us engage in the frenzy of Black Friday typically.   Today was...

Yes, my last post was a bit dismal.  I think we can attribute that largely to the fact that George has been out of town all week.  (But he will return tonight!)  George is often the foil to my inner worrier.  When I grumble and fret, he reminds me about all of the good things about any given situation.  He reminds me about scientific and social progress.  He argues that something good can come out of everything, and he is an excellent arguer. Without George here this week to lift me out of my fretful funk, I have figuratively leaned on the little munchkin who is literally leaning on my chest right at this moment.  For my gorgeous little Lili, life really is a bowlful of cherries... or perhaps a bowlful of Cheerios in her case.  The worst thing that happens in her life is that Mama occasionally leaves the room for a few seconds while she throws herself down on the floor and has a right proper strop about that.  (Yes, my clingy infant has now...

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful, where the streams of abundance flow, blessed be Your name. And blessed be Your name when I'm found in the desert place, though I walk through the wilderness, blessed be Your name. Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise. When the darkness closes in, Lord, still I will say... Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your name. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your glorious name... I have often sung along with these lyrics in church but wondered if I really meant it. Would I really still be able to "praise" God in the really bad times? As a young woman, I spent a good bit of time feeling quite angry with God about my situation. Looking back on it now, I realize that my situation then was all to do with my own attitude. These days I appreciate how truly fortunate I am when so many others in the world are struggling and suffering, but it is easy to be grateful when the fish are jumpin' and...

Neither sheep nor blessings are hard to come by here...nor was sleep last night after our feast of turkey and love. Last night we shared Thanksgiving with the Collins family, whom we have just about decided to adopt as our very own. We had a lovely night with lots of good food; then we rounded out the evening with some good old fashioned Christmas Karaoke...just like mom used to make! Today we are digging ourselves out of a pile of dirty dishes and pots and pans, and we now remember why we only do a Thanksgiving-style meal once a year... but boy, was it good... and worth all of the post meal clean-up. Thank you, God for pumpkin pies, For excited kids with twinkling eyes, For husbands who can cook and clean. Thank you, God, for everything! Amen.