Dear Reader:

Today is “Double-Digit” Day- 10…Christmas is gathering speed on this special day… until it rushes by on double day 25! Christmas is almost two weeks away….deep breath! We got this! 🙂

The main thing to remember is leave enough time to see just how amazing life can be if we learn to define “amazing” in the daily observations of life. Here are  a couple of my own personal examples from yesterday…incidents that made me pause, take a photo, and then smile at the world!

As I was wrapping presents yesterday morning I walked by my new Sammy the Cardinal suet cage and the sweetest little bird had stopped by for a bite to eat. It was as if it sensed my presence on the other side of the window inside…but instead of flying off…comically it turned and gave me the cutest profile shot ….as if saying “This is my best side.” (Of course I am eagerly waiting for the moment the real Sammy the Cardinal stops by…what a photo that will be! )

Sunday when Eva Cate was helping me decorate “The Happy Room” she must have found “Little Rabbit” in one of the front table drawers. *(You have seen this rabbit “model” occasionally on the first day of different months in the blog post)

It wasn’t until Sunday night when I went to retrieve the remote to change channels…that I saw it. Eva Cate had placed “Little Rabbit” on “Donkey“…my one-eared, one leg shorter, Christmas gift from my own childhood. It has more than a  little wear and tear on it…but each year I find myself unable not to put it out again…turning the one good-ear profile outward and balancing the legs so the donkey can stand without falling.

I broke out laughing when I saw “Little Rabbit” sitting on Donkey’s back…as if it was getting a free lift to the manger to see Baby Jesus…and there is no doubt in my mind…that the Baby would love “Little Rabbit” too!

Finally…late yesterday afternoon I finally lugged the bag of clothes/shoes I was leaving at Goodwill to the trunk of the car and dropped the bag off there. That was literally a “load” off my check-off list to do yesterday.

As I was coming back into the neighborhood…the moon was starting to emerge…and suddenly I braked…for a second it looked like the famous Star in the East  was shining over  one neighborhood a couple of blocks away. As I drove closer…it was a star high in the air…but it was a huge decoration…hung by wires. Amazing! It just made me smile!

So until tomorrow…There has not been a day since I retired that I haven’t pinched myself in happiness at having the freedom finally to discover natural hidden treasures in life that I missed for far too long.

“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh

*And speaking of getting closer….Anne’s Open House Art Exhibit is this weekend…Check out times and make time to attend- lots of fun!