Time Between Christmas and New Year's Day

( I call it "The After Story before The New Beginning")

Our holidays here in rural Missouri were again blessed and wonderful and awesome and all those other great and easy words to say.  I do wonder how many people cannot apply those to their Christmas and even this after time.  It makes me sad to think that so many rush and fuss and just end up wishing it is all over.  Well, this blogging, glamping, rural grandma enjoys it all.  Yes, I get tired, and yes, sometimes I cook something that is just not as good as I was hoping, but I just don't seem to stress over it any longer.  Of couse, I plan for the after story and the new beginning also, which always mke the next Christmas season, or any special occassion better.

As I went into my study today to do some computer work, I opened the study's large double door closet.  The shelf....empty....as it should be....as it is where I keep my gatherings of Christmas, birthday gifts and also cards.  Empty is a good feeling along with the thank you's and happy faces and greetings cards received from most that I sent them to.  That is part of the after story.  Getting phone calls from my grandson, who I sent home with lots of leftover food to share with his college roommates.  He was the hit of their little apartment dwelling and it also "saved" on grocery funds as this third year student well knows is important.  I also got thank you's from my daughter and my daughter in love, for the paintings I did for them this year, framed and a short note on the back.  They both said they were pleased to have memories of paintings, yes memories of places we had gone or things we had seen during the past year plus that I had taken the time to do a painting just for them.  Now these are ways I will refill my empty closet shelf, but not too fast.  I need some of this in between time to reflect on a theme and what I will purchase or most likely make for my special people this coming 2014. 

I need time to regroup, to reflect and to see where the year takes me....New Beginnings....a new year for all, and also a time to use to collect and reflect.  It is fun to see what I do with family during the year, and how I can entwine that into gifts which also lead to projects for me.  As I am an avid knitter, crochet, quilt, sew, cook, can, paint.....I have many an outlet to pull from.  And a big surprize for family may be that I have plans to take some pottery lessons from a friend after she gets her new studio set up.  I could keep it a secret and make some really funky stuff for them in 2014.  Or maybe, just maybe that idea may leave my closet shelf crying for "help".

So this country woman is spending her between time to reflect, to rest, to eat leftovers, and also to look ahead to walking my Daisy Dog more, working off all that holiday cooking (well, eating actually).  And my Daisy Dog does not mind going for those walks at all.  She did not like the ice which made the grass crunchy....but it did lend to great photos....another hobbie....photography...and my glamping, gardening, and dog walks give me much in topics .  I enjoy making cards from them for gifts and also for family.  If I get one of very special meaning, then it becomes a painting.

New beginnings will lead my Daisy Mae and I down a full year, with reflection and down time, while we both take naps and dream of "glamping" days ahead.  While we walk, we always go past my dear camper, and I place my hand on it's side and say a kind hello, and say something like...."new beginnings will give us many happy glamping days".  If "Tikvah", little jewel in Yiddish, could speak back, I desire to think she would not, but would just "smile" because she is to bring more joy to this glamping grandma and her Daisy Mae (foxhound).