Sunday, December 23, 2012

Postcard from Paradise


The day has slipped by me. 
 Awake at 6:30 a.m. coughing so much I couldn't sleep.  
Back to bed at 8:00 and peace from the coughing found me at last.  
One small and warm little doggy tucked in beside me, his breath warm and steady against my arm.  

Coughing again, I awake.
It's 1:11 p.m. according to the clock.  No more sleep for me.  
Really.  How did I do this, I ask, as I slip into jeans, sweater, shoes.
The rain is steady, the beating on the roof like bullets.  Time to uncover the succulents and let them breathe.

Mass is ended and Merry Christmases have been given to friends.
My mood now somber as the day.  Fr. Jeff has been transferred.
A talk with Kris demands caution and  just the right words.
At home, I'm surrounded by the voices of the Luther College choir.

Luther College of Decorah, Illinois.  A bit of history for me.
A summer music camp for Quanah, '97.  Serendipity resonates
 as I see the bassoon in the orchestra. Tears glisten on a young man's glowing face, the emotions of the music stirring deeply.

9:06 p.m. - I'm letting the day slowly wind away.
Christmas Eve tomorrow celebrated with carols and a Vigil Mass.
Delaware's first Christmas.  He left the tree alone but tackled the manger lambs who had to be rescued from gnawing little jaws.

And so the day ends.  The rain takes a breaks,
My somber mood lifts.  The eve before the Eve embraces us.
And tomorrow's busy schedule knocks lightly -
yams, and cranberry sauces, and green beans await my attention.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.


7 comments:

carol l mckenna said...

Sending you distant reiki healing energy ~ be well ~ Happy Christmas to you ~ ^_^

A Creative Harbor ~ aka ArtMuseDog and Carol ^_^)

rebecca said...

dear annie,
i hope today you wake with the light, refreshed and renewed. christmas can be such a mixture of melancholy and longing for those we love now gone. today may you be filled with the light of mass, the carols we have all sung for as long as we remember.
most importantly may you be filled with light. between the yams, the bright cranberries, and snapping of green beans, may love enter you in a way that transcends all the weight of the world and gives you wings.

xoxoxoxoxo

J C said...

I hope you slept well my friend. Doggie snuggle always helps me too. I believe you have sent the rain here. It's ok. Love rain. Merry Christmas Annie.

Anonymous said...

Lovely post. Sorry about the coughing. May all the blessings of Christmas be with you and yours.xx

Meri said...

Hope you're feeling better this morning and able to go to Christmas mass. That should lift your spirits!

Annie Jeffries said...

Definitely feeling better, Meri. Thank you. Fluctuating mood swings can be so aggravating. Fortunately they go as quickly as they come and life frequently offers the opportunity to see one with a greater need. There is nothing better for redirecting a somber spirit then lifting the spirit of another. Caroling and Christmas Eve Mass in a few more hours. The rain is gone for the time being. Food prepping for today is on the agenda.

Jeanie said...

Don't you think that the somber is a bit of the last Sunday of advent? Reflection and stillness? Sometimes that can be quite the best. (Hope you cough has let up and you are feeling much better!)