Friday, December 20, 2013

Every good thing

 

Good morning Friends ~ Here it is our last Friday before Christmas.  I hope you are all mostly prepared for your holiday whatever you do wherever you are.

Today I am doing more baking. Sunday will be a little Christmas dinner and gift exchanged with 5-6 ladies and I am looking forward to that.  I am making a pumpkin/mincemeat pie to take. It is yummy.

Christmas I plan on having by myself.  I really don’t mind it.  Mark and I always enjoyed ‘quiet’ holidays and I am looking forward to resting and having Christmas dinner with Jesus, as He will be right here with me. I bought a small turkey breast and look forward to fixing that and whatever else I make. I did have two invites, but chose to stay here in my little home sweet home.  I will be working the three days after, so it will be a good day to rest and reflect.

Today would have been Mark’s 66th birthday. I will miss fixing him a special dinner. I’ve been doing pretty good emotionally this holiday season.  Yesterday morning I did go out in my long cotton nightgown and walked around my main garden, then sat in the Victorian wire bench that is at the back. It was peaceful, even with traffic out front, and then the tears came.  I thanked God for the life Mark and I had together, and let the tears flow until they ceased.  Tears are healing.

Monday was our widow’s group, Friends Needing Friends, Christmas meeting/luncheon.  It was great! There were 30 of us. There are more ladies but they all couldn’t make it for one reason or another. This group will be two years old in February and it started with just a handful of ladies. We all look forward to our monthly meetings.  See the lady 4th from the right, seated, she just turned 97.  She is spry and always willing to help do whatever when we set up each month.  The founder of the group is Dotti, standing back right side in gray. She started the first FNF group in NJ over 25 years ago, and it is still going and they have over 100 members now.  Dotti works very hard for this group and is a gift to us all. I am so thankful to have come across this group.  It has been a blessing in my life.

12-16-group

The past week or so on the way to or from work I heard a song on the radio and will post it here.  It makes me feel happy and the words are true.

May you feel the love, peace,

joy and strength of God

flowing through and surrounding you

this Christmas season. 

In spite of all the negatives in our lives,

we have much to be thankful for.

***

Every Good Thing by The Afters

 

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful 2014.

Love and hugs to all

FlowerLady

24 comments:

Rebecca said...

Ours will be a relatively quiet Christmas also. Our choice.

You're right. Tears ARE healing - and how appropriate on Mark's birthday that they be shed.

It's a lovely group you meet with. I love that 97 year old lady! Don't you just admire that kind of spunk?!

Merry Christmas, Lorraine. I look forward to sharing 2014 with you :)

Tracy said...

How wonderful for you to find a group of ladies to meet with! Wishing you a peaceful Christmas day. {{hugs}}

Ruth Hiebert said...

May you feel an extra touch from God during this holiday season. I will be having 12 people plus one dog over tomorrow for our family Christmas get together.I have only one son and one granddaughter but I have invited Jake's brothers to join us.

Sallysmom said...

Love and hugs to you Lorraine. You are such a blessing.

It's Just Dottie said...

I also will be having a quiet Christmas.
Hugs ,Dottie

Rose ~ from Oz said...

My dear Lorraine,
Your post touched me very deeply and know you are in my prayers and thoughts.
Hugs
Rose
Happy 66th DH.....

lil red hen said...

Thinking of you and your blessed Christmas guest! Merry Christmas!!

happyone said...

We will go to church Christmas Eve and have a quiet Christmas day..
Have a blessed Christmas and happy new year.

Kit said...

What a great photo of all of you. So glad you found these lovely ladies. :) Merry Christmas! Love, Kit

Julie said...

what a lovely post! happy a happy, quiet , restful Christmas Day!
God Bless You!
Julie

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

Lorraine, your heartfelt post made me tear up. I can't imagine your loss. How wonderful to have friends who understand where you are and what you're going through. A quiet Christmas sounds like something I would certainly do, were I in your shoes. Sometimes you need solitude and time with the Lord, alone.

Merry Christmas and may you be warmed by sweet memories.

RockWhisperer said...

Rainey, may you have a lovely, peaceful Christmas. We will have a quiet one, as well. We'll go out for dinner on Christmas day and that is a nice gift for me in that I won't have to cook!

I agree, tears are therapeutic. You have gotten through your first year and made some wonderful connections. I'm so proud of you. Hugs XOXOXOXO

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Lorraine, Yes--tears are healing.. I'm sure you miss Mark ALL of the time --but on his birthday, it must really be hard.. God Bless You.

Great group of ladies. Glad you all have each other!!!

Merry Christmas.
Hugs,
Betsy

Here I Am Carrie said...

I am all for quiet Christmas. We may have a coupld for a night. But we haven't had anyone here for 6 years now so guess it is time again. Everything is still snowcoverd and will remain that way till spring. So wonderful you have that group of ladies to help with support and more. Yes today must be very hard for you, but you will get through it. Maybe plant something in his memory on his birthday. I will be heading south to California for the rest of the winter in a couple weeks and my surrounding will be completely different from here. My social life will begin again filled with lots of activities and time with friends there. I did enjoy my little hibernation I got this past month, but have to poke my head back out into the real world for a few months again. Won't have interent so I will be very scarce around the internet. Anyway my dear wishing the a very blessed Christmas and a New Year that will be filled with a brighter tomorrow. Hugs Carrie

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Dear FL, you are a blessing to us all! What strength and peace you have! You are an inspiration! I think you know that dear Mark is with the Lord and that makes it peaceful for him and you. Merry Christmas FL and make you have a very healthy and happier 2014! xo from LVL and The Herbal Husband

Sandy said...

This looks like such a sweet group of ladies, especially you, precious friend. I am glad you are a part of them.
We also plan for a quiet Christmas here. It's the very best kind, I think.
I pray you will feel the sweet presence and love of Jesus as He wraps His arms around you and helps you through this holy time without your Mark.
Love,
Sandy

Darcie said...

You picture made me smile. What a lovely group of ladies you have met...so happy for you, and them. Hope you have a truly lovely Christmas.

Deb J. in Utah said...

May you have a peaceful and blessed Christmas. When we are with our Saviour, we are never alone. God bless you with peace and happiness in the coming year.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Dear Lorraine, I hope 2014 will be nice to you and to all of us. Have a lovely Christmas! Hugs, Tatyana

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Thinking of you and sending a warm hug and love.

Blessings of Christmas,

Sharon

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Merry Christmas Lorraine; I don't blame you for staying home, there's a lot to be said for being surrounded by wonderful memories. I am envious of your widow's group; we have no such thing here and I'm not interested in starting one. I want to put my energy into packing so I can move closer to family.
Emotionally, I'm doing okay; flat and empty but managing. Hope springs eternal.
God bless you.

Gardener on Sherlock Street said...

That is quite the group!
Hope your baking went well.

Merry Christmas!

sweetbay said...

I am so happy for you that you have the widow's group to meet with. Sending love and hugs. Merry Christmas.

M.K. said...

Merry Christmas! Your banner photo is so pretty. Glad you are having a quiet, precious day with Jesus, remembering happy years with the ones you love. We have eternity ahead of us! Blessings!