Sharing Two Months of Moments…

It’s been nearly two months since I have posted anything new on my blog site.

No, I haven’t had writer’s block, genealogical brick walls that I couldn’t break down, or been outside experiencing the snow and extreme winter temps. To the contrary, I believe I just became overwhelmed by the volume of my every day and special or unexpected moments in my life.

For example (for all of you list makers):

Many of us prepared for and celebrated at least several of the following 16 holidays and observances that involved us making special foods, putting extra spit shines on our homes, doing more shopping, unpacking and setting up our favorite decorations, creating/giving and wrapping thought-filled gifts,  traveling to or hosting get togethers with family and friends for those special meals and traditions,  memorializing and honoring military, religious, and community ceremonies; and ringing out the old and bringing in the New Years, and, finally dismantling and removing all those special decorations—all of these activities on top of our daily schedules and procedures of providing and caring for ourselves and others in our lives bring us joy, peace, and yes, even exhaustion when we have time to reflect on them.

1)    Nov 11    Veterans Day
2)    Nov 28    Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day)
3)    Nov 28    Thanksgiving Day
4)     Dec 1    First Sunday of Advent
5)     Dec 2    Cyber Monday
6)     Dec 5    Last Day of Chanukah
7)     Dec 7    Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
8)     Dec 8    Feast of the Immaculate Conception
9)    Dec 24    Christmas Eve
10)   Dec 25    Christmas Day
11)   Dec 31    New Year's Eve
12)    Jan 1    New Year’s Day
13)    Jan 6    Epiphany
14)   Jan 16    Tu Bishvat/Tu B'Shevat
15)   Jan 20    Martin Luther King Day
16)   Jan 31    Chinese New Year

But wait, several other life-affecting events took place, at least in our family:

1)    Oct 26    Passing of a very close colleague and friend after a 2 year battle with cancer—I know this one falls a little out of  the 2-month scope I've been discussing, but its occurrence and our times together cannot go unnoticed or unmentioned.
2)    Nov 29    Miracle twins (a healthy boy and girl)—5 years long awaited for one of our church family couples. Life does go on…
3)    Dec 22    My brother, 11 years my junior, found out that he  is not the picture of health.  Rather, he has blockages in and     around his aorta and peripheral arteries, in addition to his COPD  and Emphysema.  He remains in the midst of several tests and       procedures that are expected to stretch into February/March.
4)    Dec 25    My paternal great grandfather’s son Googled his father’s name and his search hit upon an article in my blog post.  Turns out, my great grandfather started a second family late in life and his son and two sisters are my grand uncle and aunts.  Since then,  together,  we have been tumbling down the walls on this branch of our family and soon we will be meeting in person.
5)    Dec 28  A day trip to Lynchburg, VA, to see our 3rd eldest grandson on leave from the Air Force and stationed in Korea, and a birthday dinner with son and family. 
6)     Jan 2    In this season of peace, love, and joy, our 2nd eldest grandson and his fiancé married in Annapolis, MD.
7)     Jan 5    We learned a new meteorological term:  
“Polar Vortex,"as API published:  A whirlpool of frigid, dense air known as a "polar vortex" suppressed the temperatures in more than half of the continental U.S.…with wind chill warnings stretching   from Montana to Alabama. 
8)    Jan 10    A loving and lovely young woman of 95—a friend of  my mom’s and grandmother to our daughter’s best friend in high     school went home to be with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
9)    Jan 20   Our newly discovered grand aunt had surgery on her  ear to recover her hearing loss of 23 years.
10)    Jan 20   Into month 4 of my twice a week physical therapy to strengthen my back and legs, relieve pain, and to lose excess      weight.  All's going well and slowly but surely I am feeling       revitalized and re energized.

Final Reflection

Christmas Drama Scene at Chesapeake Church

One of my favorite inspirational/non-biblical quotes that I think best reflects my total awe and exhaustion during this season of my life: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away–(author unknown).“