Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas...

may your holiday be filled with peace, love and joy!


Marilyn
xoxo

Dia de Bloglandia

I have been fascinated by Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, since our first trip to New Mexico about 9 years ago. So when I read about Stephanie's and Susanna's Dia de Bloglandia, I knew I wanted to be a part of the celebration!


Dia de los Muertos...a day to pay tribute to our deceased relatives and ancestors by playing their favorite music...


and feasting on favorite foods and drink.


Sugar Skulls...


and altars surrounded by photographs, flowers, lighted candles, bread, bowls of water and other symbolic offerings dedicated to departed loved ones.
This altar is in honor and remembrance of my mom, Pat.





(The Sugar Skull pictured above is from the cover of Mexican Folk Art coloring book; and the two embroidered pieces in this post were stitched using patterns from Sublime Stitching.)


Thank you very much for coming by and celebrating Day of the Dead with me! To visit other Dia de Bloglandia posts, you can find them listed here.
I'm excited! I want to see all of them!

Marilyn

Does this fall under the heading of shameless self-promotion?

Another year older and enjoying every minute!

Marilyn

Need to warm up your January? Attend a wedding!

We went to my nephew's wedding Saturday night. He married a really sweet woman--no surprise, he's my nephew. The wedding was in St. Louis and the temperatures were what one would expect in January, and that is freezing!

However, there's nothing like a wedding to warm a soul. Love is everywhere! The young couple, of course, is just bursting with love for each other. Everyone is celebrating the couple's love and new union. Maybe, too, some are remembering and celebrating their own gifts of love. New families are created and friendships made. It really does warm the cockles of a heart. And so, (yes, before Saturday night I'm not sure I would have said this) a cold January day is a wonderful time for a wedding! Who'd a-thought?!

Marilyn

Looking at the bright (or candlelight) side

We lost power at our house for a couple hours the night before last. This happens often. No apparent reason. Just happens.

I refuse to take it personally when it happens, even though the houses to our right continue to shine brightly (in a mocking sort of way). Who thinks up those grids or sectors or whatever you call power dividing lines? Why does it start/stop right in the middle of a block?

I refuse to take it personally because look what I would have missed if we had been part of the radiantly-favored? You just can't beat the romantic glow of candlelight!

However, I was home alone at the time, so I decided to read, Abe Lincoln style. I had new issues of two favorite magazines, a furry little cat and a blanket to cuddle up with--not a bad way to spend an evening.

I even spent time just looking at the candles and the way the light danced on the hearth of our fireplace.

I noticed, too, how many different candle scents I buy. At first, I would catch a whiff of one scent or another but eventually all of the scents became one. Or maybe my already less than discerning smeller clocked out.

But enough is enough.

It was an OK evening. But two hours was long enough. The lights came back on, hubby arrived home (just MINUTES later--surely a coincidence) and Tuesday night as we know it, continued on.

Marilyn