and here we go together ….

You guys.

What sweet and lovely and painful and true and empathetic responses I received to yesterday’s post.

They were all such kind reminders of why I even started this blog in the first place.  Of why I read good literature.  Of why stories are ever even written.

That is part of the beauty of all literature.

You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not alone and isolated from anyone.

You belong.

– F. Scott Fitzgerald

We are all fellow pilgrims and we really do need one another.

Kevin’s favorite band (The Decemberists — in case you’ve forgotten the concert or the novel) has a new album being released in January.  The art is gorgeous but it’s the album’s title that draws me right in.

What a terrible world.

What a beautiful world.

I love that.  I love that because we all know it’s true.

And so, when we dare, we choose joy.

And today I am going to share some joy.  Because it is all so intermingled, isn’t it friends?

Last weekend we had the incredible pleasure of receiving a visit from the family outside of my family with whom I have been the longest acquainted.  Our framily.

Sally and Dale – with Molly the dog – celebrated an early Christmas with us.

I think they love us – but they did purchase salt and vinegar flavored crickets for us – perhaps intended as a joke but of course consumed by most of our children and my husband.

We were able to bring them along to one of my personal favorite holiday traditions – the annual Christmas open house at a North Carolina pottery shop.  (And by them I mean Sally and Dale – not the flavored crickets.)

I always like to peruse the outside shelves first at the pottery shop – where the prices are lower.  It’s called The Tired and Flawed area.  Yep.  That suits me just fine.  I likes my pottery like I likes myself – Tired and Flawed.

And there’s no point in crossing that curvy sick-to-your-stomach mountain pass if you don’t pull over at Caesar’s Head and gaze upon the surreal majesty of the Blue Ridge escarpment.

This week we’ve driven through Christmas lights while listening to children singing Christmas carols.  We’ve celebrated making it to the halfway point of Meadowlark Co-op with a special celebration day.  We’ve visited the Grove Park Inn for their annual Gingerbread House Competition and once again marveled at the fact that there are no gingerbread houses in the running.  We are joyously wrapping up this term of school for Wildwood.

Mosely turns ELEVEN next week and Kevin turns FORTY in January and Riley is getting MARRIED next month and so far I haven’t been able to slow this train down to save my very life.

So there you have it.

The terrible.  The beautiful.  The decision to choose joy.

The whole mixed bag that is Life As We Know It.

Such as it is, I’m glad to be journeying with you.