Celebrating unexpected surprises.

I love seeing the full moon hang in the sky behind the shadows of tree branches.  There is just something mystical about that sight that draws me in every time. 

 

Bottle tree in the foreground

I was awe-stuck by this wonderfully unusual sunset as I was leaving the grocery store parking lot.  I have never witnessed that vibrant shade of pink before.  And I wasn't the only one.  I discovered several other shoppers getting out of their cars snapping photos. 

 

The return of McDonald’s eggnog shake makes Christmas “official” for me.

I stumbled upon this tree while I was in a not-so-pleasant mood.  Normally I would look at it and wonder, "Why would ANYONE want a purple Christmas tree?"  But on this day, a day when I truly needed a laugh, the angles put this little tree in my path. And I did laugh.  The stress, the concerns of the day, they melted away as I laughed at this little purple tree.  Thank you angels!

I am celebrating the end of the week and the beginning of Christmas break.  I have so many things I want to get done over this short period of time that I became aware of getting overwhelmed.  I decided I will get done what I can and the rest will have to wait.  Unfortunately, classroom planning is one of those things.  I have the habit of always pushing it off until last, dreading having to do it.  This year I am going to set aside a day, make my list, spread my things out and work on them as I watch/listen to the Hallmark Channel. Deciding to tackle this unpleasant task in this manner takes the dread away and makes it a little less daunting.  While I really dislike having to do school work over the break, if I don’t, I begin the New Year behind.  I learned from experience that this is not a good decision!  I need to avoid that, especially this year as the state requirements are high and the school district is facing a government take-over due to mismanagement of finances.

Random 5 Friday

Here are my randoms for the week:

·         I do miss it when I don’t get to my morning reading ritual.  The day seems to flow so much better when I do it. 

·         I can plan all I want, but if the Christmas spirit is not there, it’s just not.

·         I notice Allistair always seems to sit smack in the middle of the magazine I’m reading, the art I’m working on,  the journal I’m writing in…

·         Creating journals for others makes me happy.

·         I enjoy linking up with other bloggers; sharing my stories and reading about theirs.  That feeling of community helps fill in for the lack of respect and unity I no long receive from teaching.

What are you celebrating this week?  Have the angles placed any surprises in your path that changed your day or mood?  Please take a moment and share.  

Linking up with Friday Finds & Random 5 Friday.