Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

Here is how our Buddha statue looks by day, peeking out from behind the Christmas tree. I am quite moved by these pictures, the Buddha looks completely content (of course!) and perfectly placed there by the Christmas tree.

And the same view, but by night: And in some great Christmas decorating news, the missing box of favorite ornaments and the advent calendar the boys have used since forever turned up this Monday. It was in a very strange place in the very chaotic garage, "hidden in plain sight" shall we say? Anyhoo, Joy in Whoville when the boys caught up on hanging their little velcro ornaments on the advent calendar. What do you know, I've raised two sentimental teenaged boys. awwwww. And I was so glad to find all my PEACE ornaments and collection of stars. The tree looks much more decorated now, the pink pinecone isn't quite so lonely.

Sheesh, but where has this week gone? I messed up and forgot to get my 6 month bloodtest for my thyroid meds, and thus had been off them for almost a week now. It was amazing how quickly the crushing fatigue came back. Really, just like a day and half and I was back to how I was before I started that regimen. Finally got the meds yesterday afternoon and am feeling more myself again. Except for taking them in the late afternoon and then staying up til 2am (oops) making cookie dough. Ahem. I may need a nap before my parents show up for dinner today.

It was most definitely the wrong week to be curled up in a small ball all the time. But now I'm on a roll. But without the new holiday duds I'd been working on :(

Maybe next year, at least I'll have a head start on them.

We celebrate them all that we have a legit connection to (ie, not Eid or Kwanzaa, wouldn't feel right), Solstice, a secular Christmas and a secular Hanukkah. Respectful, and fun celebrations and a bit of contemplation are the order of the day around our home.

As you can imagine, it makes for a very festive month and lots of interesting conversations among our family members and with our friends and relatives about what these various holidays really mean to all us. Humankind's Quest for Meaning writ small in our little circle.

Hope your celebrations today, or earlier this week or later this month are fabulous and filled with joy!