"When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love."


~Thich Nhat Hanh

Being mindful and living in the present has been one of my goals for this year.  I have been focusing on staying in the moment and being conscious of paying attention to those people around me.  I'll probably keep it as a goal for the upcoming year.  I'm not quite there yet.

So, how are preparations for the holiday going for you?  We are in the middle of spackling and sheet rocking the living/dining/kitchen area.  Pk got most of the living room done and we agreed to stop all work on Sunday and begin decorating for Christmas.  It made for a busy weekend. 

We brought our tree into the house and stood it up in the living room.  It's not as big as in past years but it's shaped beautifully.  We bought it in the midst of the snow storm so we weren't sure what it would look like and were pleasantly surprised.

I made fruit cakes yesterday.  The recipe makes 6 of them this size.  After they cool, I take them out of the pans and then wrap them in rum soaked cheesecloth and wrap them in foil.  Some of them will go into the freezer and some of them will be given away as gifts.  I know a few people who like this fruitcake.   What I like best is giving away pieces of it and having someone tell me how good it is and then saying how they hate fruitcake.  "But that is fruitcake".  "No, Really?"  Yes, really.  It's full of various dried fruits and nuts and molasses and lots of spices.   I have only this week at work and then one day next week and then I'm off until Jan. 6.  I CAN'T WAIT.  We are testing our new program and life in our clinics goes on.  It's busy busy busy trying to fit in all the holiday stuff around our regular stuff.    I'll finish my shopping this week and then wrap the presents and next weekend, I'll be baking and baking and baking.    I love Christmas.