Blessings in the Snow

Dear Readers,

Thank you for stopping by our home to visit today. We went to the funeral of a dear lady from church on Saturday,who died suddenly last Sunday while visiting her parents. She was one of those women who are everyone's "mother", in addition to having eight children of her own. I found out she died because another lady from church called to see if the quilt that was found in her car was mine. It was, and she was going to finish it for me, as she had another quilt of ours.

Although we are all grieved by her going so quickly, I think it a beautiful tribute to her life, that it was spent in service of her fellow man. She lived all my "farmgirl fantasies", milking goats, raising a beautiful garden (Which she shared with us this summer), and hand-crafting her children's clothing and quilts. I want my life to be like that; just doing the work that is close by, filling the days with loving deeds and kind words. So like the Savior. And as we never know when our time here will be over, may we live each day in readiness for whatever may come.

Goodbye, dear Marylou!

On a lighter note, we woke up to a soft, beautiful snowfall this morning, and felt enveloped, if for a short while, in the peace of its silence. After morning chores, everyone went out to play in the snow, reveling in one of life's most simple pleasures, snow man-building!

One of the snow festival's less enthusiastic participants

Now that it feels more like Christmas, we shall perhaps be more industrious about working on those Christmas projects today (Too bad we put off getting greenery from the woods for decorating!)~and maybe we'll get going on our "extreme hat makeovers" we are in the middle of, too!

"Find an old hat, cut it up,

You'll soon have a bonnet, with any luck!"

Dear St. Nicholas left gifts for the children on Saturday
The Little Drummer Boy

We'll leave you with this little story from 1895's "Pansy Magazine":

"A Happy Christmas"

Christmas is coming! Christmas is coming! That is what little Lucy sang as she went through the hall with ahope, skip and jump, clapping her hands for joy.
"And what is little daughter going to do to make somebody happy on Christmas day?"
Papa asked this as he came out into the hall. Then he kissed Lucy goodbye, took down his hat from the rack, and went out of the front door before she had time to tell him.
Lucy stopped running, and looked out of the window and thought about it.
Then she went upstairs to momma and said:
"Mamma, what am I going to do to make somebody happy tomorrow? What can little girls do?"
"You can be just as sweet as a rose all day, and obey mamma as soon as she speaks. That will make me very happy," said mamma.
"But I want to give something to somebody to to s'prise 'em and make 'em glad," Lucy said.
"Who is there that you would like to surprise?" her mamma asked.
Lucy thought a minute, then she said:
"Mrs. Bly."
Mrs. Bly lived in the "Home for Aged Women." She was a nice old lady, and Lucy often wen t with her mother to call upon her.
"Very well, dear," said mamma; "there is your gold dollar; if you want to give it you may."
"May I buy 'zactly what I please, Mamma?"
"Yes, dear."
"O, how nice!" said Lucy.
"Can't we go right now, right off, to buy it?"
Mamma said, "Yes" again, and Lucy ran off to get her hood and cloak and mittens. In a few minutes she was out on the street with mamma, gazing into all the shop windows. "What shall I buy? What shall I buy?" she kept asking.
Mamma said a little shawl for Mrs. Bly's shoulders would be nice, or a pair of warm stockings or a handkerchief. But Lucy shook her head.
"Wouldn't she like a bu'ful dollie or a sweet little kitty better?" she asked.
Mamma had to laugh at that.
Just then Lucy cried out,"There it is! I see it! That is what I want!" Guess what it was?
It was a beautiful, large rose bush in a pretty pot. There were two roses on it, and plenty of buds. So they went in and bought it.
The man said he would send it up right away. Old Mrs. Bly was sitting in her rocking chair knitting. There came a knock at the door. She opened it, and who should there be but Lucy and her mamma, and a boy with a rose bush! How surprised Mrs. Bly was, and how pleased, when she knew that little Lucy bought the plant with her own money.
"You dear little lamb," she said; "it will make me happy. It is like the roses in my old home."
When Christmas morning came, Mrs. Bly cut off one of those lovely roses and put it in a vase. She carried it to a poor old lady across the hall who was ill in bed, and it made her glad.
So you see little Lucy made three people happy that Christmas day--the sick old lady, Mrs. Bly, and herself.

````Mrs. C. M. Livingston