The Life of Mrs. Miles

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I hope this is the beginning to a good week for everyone! I know I'm talking to a bunch of 'turkey tummies' for those of you who live in the USA, with Thanksgiving just behind you. I can smell the mouth-watering scent of homemade turkey soup and casseroles drifting over the border. Hopefully the long weekend gave you a good rest (other than frantic Black Friday shopping) and that you are refreshed and ready for the upcoming busy month leading up to Christmas.

We had our first few flakes of snow fall on Saturday. Nothing that hit the ground, or changed my world to white magic. But enough to get me thinking about making my Christmas Cards, making a List – and checking it twice and to haul out the decorations. I'm planning to decorate using as much natural materias as I can. The first day of 'real snow', when it happens, I've made Miles promise to rent Polar Express. That is one of the most beautiful movies to me. I won't allow myself to watch it but once a year so that it's a fresh treat for my eyes!

a face... I SEE A FACE! do YOU see the face?


will this become another tourist attraction to our town?
Miles picked it out one day, down by our fountain in town.

Speaking of decorating, you may want to check out the new Christmas themed desktop wallpapers available at Vladstudio! There are several themes to help you welcome in winter. Just click here to be taken to the studio.

the fountain in town...
much prettier frozen than flowing LOL!

Now is also a good time to pick out various bulbs to 'force' for over the holidays. Paperwhites, are Amaryllis and Narcissus are good choices. If you've never done this before, you may want to visit Martha Stewart's site to read (and print) an article, or watch the informational video provided.

You can get to the article there by clicking here.

You can get to the video there by clicking here.

Actually – the entire Martha site is a great resource for all your Christmas craft ideas!

grasses all frosty from an 'inversion' we saw this weekend!

Another thing we see arriving in the stores are pomegranates. I've been intrigued by these beautiful fruits since I was a child. I came across an article in a magazine the other day which explained how to properly get inside of one – and since, upon searching the internet, I've located the same information, along with some pictures. Oh how much easier and neater this looks than the way I've dealt with them in the past. To find out more about these fascinating fruit (which were brought over by the Spanish to California waaayy long ago) just click here. There are some delicious sounding recipes available on the site too! Click here to visit.

frosty rosehips

Miles and I are still making our way through the second Chapter of The Beautiful Fight, by Dr. Gary Chapman (link to the right) In this chapter, Dr. Thomas is asking us to try to visualize Christ living in us using the parallel of how we sometimes can be the recipients of organ donors. Did you ever think of it in this way? I think its a very powerful way to call it to my attention. I'm a 'visual' learner and I can completely relate to the way he demonstrates his idea. Breifly, he tells us how a famous sports hero became the recipient of an organ from the body of a 44 year old housewife. The sports hero met the family of the deceased woman (a loved wife and mother) and through the sports hero sharing his story, the donor became 'famous' too, through his – her memory lives on. Dr. Thomas is asking us to visualize Christ living in us as no less of a 'physical thing' for us. We should be conscious of Him inside us as we live and go through each day. Try to think of His Spirit within as a physical thing.

I hope I'm doing the book justice to this point – I'm afraid that though I understand what I'm reading, its not always easy for me to re-share it out in a clear manner. Perhaps the following may help, after all, its always good to follow up with supporting scripture!

“For the Scriptures declare

that rivers of living water shall flow

from the inmost being of anyone who believes in me.”

John 7:38

Don't you know

that you yourselves

are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?

1 Corinthians 3:16

It is strange we go on living our everyday lives -

So carelessly, stumbling, dully we plod

Our commonplace paths, and forget that we walk

Every day, every hour, in the presence of God.

Martha Snell Nicholson

(in other words - live joyously,

knowing that God LIVES IN US

its not merely a thought

its as real as the hand on the end of your arm!)