And now it’s December

I love to think I am an eye-conographer (crazy spelling, but I don’t want to come up in searches for the real word). I currently have 5, count ’em, 5 eye-cons that are unfinished in my house. They get to a stage where they are so beautiful, I get too afraid to touch them lest I wreck them.

I thought I would try a bit of light-hearted calligraphy for a Christmas Card, just for fun. I actually think I like this card. Obviously I designed it and painted it, then stuck it in the printer and amazingly enough it turned out half decent as a copy on card stock. Then I added gold paint for highlights, which you cannot see in the photo.

I no longer have a steady hand like I used to. My hands are not steady and my calligraphy teacher is horrified by my calligraphy. But I just tell her that you can certainly tell that my work was not done by a machine! This card looks like it was done by the hand of a shaky 70 year old Ben a dictine (again with the spelling) with the heart of a 1960s hippie, which is exactly what I am. I don’t know if I will gather the courage to make up a bunch and send them out or just use the stupid mass-market cards I bought.

I will be 70 on the 15th of this month. I cannot even believe I made it this long. I am enjoying my life in retirement, but I think it is wise to face my mortality. My mother only lived to 57, and my sister to 70. I think my lifestyle is far different than theirs were, but heredity is HUGE. I never thought I could ever in a million years have osteoporosis with all the running, etc. I have done. But here I am, with a severe case.

I’m still very active, and I am sure it is very good for me mentally if nothing else. I need to get my blood moving and I particularly need to get out in nature every day. Walks are good. Very very good.

We had plans for my daughters to take me out for my birthday, but one of them has COVID and can’t go anywhere until Dec. 17. She says it is a mild case, and I pray that is the truth. She sounds like she has a cold. And she is in good enough spirits to send me pics of her and the dog bundled up on the couch, watching TV.

So, the other daughter thought it might be nice to take me for a trip to the mountains for one night, staying at my favorite hotel in the world and going to my favorite hot springs. I am so so excited!

I went to see my son and his family in Montana for Thanksgiving. I feel full of family and love, and the sense of God’s presence in my life.

It is now a long time ago, but I will never forget, that there was a time their father got a restraining order so I could not even see them. Those were some dark times. But the darker the background, the more you can see the tiniest light in contrast. My life today is so flooded in light and love, it is not recognizable as the old life.

And I thank God every day for this gift. It is all gift, and it is all love. Thank you Lord, and thank YOU reader for being here.