Hygge Holiday Challenge ~ first update

Dec. 1 ~ start a gratitude list

• Three children ~ Barbara, Sandra, and David.
• Seven grandchildren ~ Kendall, Cali, Brandy, Kenzie, Chase, Jamey, and Cady.
• Six great-grandchildren ~ Raegan, Jaxon, Shelby, Jonathan, Micah, and Shiloh.

Dec. 2 ~ add relaxing scents

I lit a vanilla-scented candle and bought a new hand soap scented with coconut water and mango to use in the kitchen.  I'm already using hand soap in the bathroom that's lavender-scented.

Dec. 3 ~ more gratitude

Since I'm retired, the challenge on the list makes no sense for me:  "sleep in 15 mins or more."  I can do that any day.  Instead, I'll add to my gratitude list.

Randi Schenberg

I'm very grateful for the Crown Center for Senior Living for being the great place for active retirees that it is.  That means being thankful for the wonderful people on the staff and the board.  Randi Schenberg, the Community Relations Director, was the first person I met at the Crown Center, when I applied to live here.  In February, Randi was given the 2017 JProStl Pillar Award, and I posted a 2-minute video about it on this blog.  Thanks, Randi, for your smiles and all you do for the Crown Center!

Dec. 4 ~ learn a new skill

I'm still trying to learn how to operate my new computer.  I've been very annoyed trying to use Windows 10.  Oops!  Being annoyed is not very "hyggeligt" ― it doesn't create a cozy environment.  I'll get someone to help me with the new laptop, but not today.  I'm going to get comfy, instead, and read a book.

Dec. 5 ~ get the Hygge book

I went to the University City Library and got a copy of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking.  Loosely translated, hygge is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  It's about an atmosphere and an experience, like being cuddled up on a sofa, wearing cozy socks, and covered by a soft throw during a storm.  And don't forget to light a candle or two.

Dec. 6 ~ "unbook" yourself

Too late!  I had already agreed to drive my friend Barbara somewhere today.  Watching her enjoy old friendships was also joyful for me, so it worked out perfectly.  On our way back home, we stopped at the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions for Barbara and for another Crown Center resident, since we were going there anyway.  She and I also had lunch together in the Circle@Crown Café and visited with several people, including Judy and Marianne.

Dec. 7 ~ send a thank you note

I looked through my cards and found this one that says "Thoughts of you..." on the front and on the inside "...are the happiest kind!"  Who and why shall remain between the recipient and me, but the card is on its way.

The challenge
Click this link to see the complete Hygge Holiday Challenge calendar.

Thursday Thirteen ~ family on my mind

1.  Shiloh Mae, due to arrive in November, is my sixth great-grandchild.  Shiloh means "one who is peaceful."

2.  Jaxon has been to the doctor twice and to the ER for fluids. No one knew exactly what was wrong with him, his mom reported today when she asked for prayers.  Late in the day, she had a call from the doctor and learned he has salmonella, apparently from a restaurant.  That's the only time he ate anything different from the rest of the family.

3.  My twins took part in the Race for the Cure over the weekend.

4.  I got to visit with David and Sharon while in Chattanooga this summer.

5.  Jamey graduating from the university.

6.  Micah is busy crawling through the tube.

7.  Jonathan is absorbed in his activity.

8.  Cady now has a driver's licence.

9.  Shelby and I like cats.

10.  Sandra at Raegan's school on Grandparents' Day, today.

11.  I visited my sister Ann on July 14th, three weeks before she died.

12.  Sandra and Barbara in the Race for the Cure ran into Chase on the UTC campus.

13.  Grandkids when there were only six.  Clockwise from top left:  Brandy, Kendall, Cali, Kenzie, Jamey, and Chase.

TBT ~ my grandchildren

Back row:  Brandy, Kendall, Cali

Front row:  Chase, Jamey, Kenzie

This was about 1994.  Cady, my 7th grandchild, was not born until 2000.

The Pink Party ~ by Maryann Macdonald

When my daughter took me upstairs to the bedroom the night I stayed at her house, there were five of Raegan's picture books on the bed.  She moved them, but I asked which was "best" so I could read it for my book blog.  She picked The Pink Party by Maryann Macdonald, illustrated by Abby Carter, 1994, so I read it first.  Oh, my!  I opened the book to discover it's "from Grandmama Bonnie"!  I didn't remember giving Raegan the book, but upon closer inspection, I saw the rest of what I printed inside:  "To Kenzie with love from Grandmama Bonnie, July 14, 1995."  That means I read that very same book 19 years ago, and gave it to my granddaughter Kenzie when she was five years old.  The same age Raegan is now.  What a coincidence that it was on the bed that night — and that my daughter chose IT as the best of the five.

It's a cute book, and it has a good story line about being friends.  But I'm confused by this summary from Amazon.com:

"Rose and Valentina both love pink.  But whenever Rose gets something pink, Valentina gets something even pinker!  Rose secretly thinks Valentina is becoming a show-off, but she’s afraid to tell her.  When Valentina gives the pinkest party ever, Rose can’t keep quiet any longer.  She says what she thinks, and both friends decide that not everything is perfect in pink.  Originally published as a chapter book by Hyperion Books for Children in 1994, the text has been reimagined as a picture book.  Check out the glitter on the cover and throughout the interior."

I'm confused because the 1994 version I had in hand was plainly a picture book and not a "chapter book" — and I'm happy to report there never was any glitter on the original.  (I would never have bought such a book.)  The newer version is illustrated by Judy Stead, but I prefer the illustrations by the original artist, Abby Carter.  For one thing, the girls in the original wear jeans sometimes, not always cute pink dresses.  In other words, they were like real girls.

My rating:  The Pink Party by Maryann Macdonald, illustrated by Abby Carter, 1994, children's, 10/10.

Sunday Salon ~ three generations

Book just finished

The Enoch Factor: The Sacred Art of Knowing God ~ by Steve McSwain, 2010, religion, 9/10

Best quote:  "Is attending your church, synagogue, mosque, or temple helping you be a better and more compassionate person, spouse, neighbor, employee, and employer?  Is it leading you to understand yourself, to know what ego has done and is doing in you, your thinking, your relationships, and so forth, to experience a transformational shift in consciousness, 'to over come the world,' as Jesus put it?  If not, then my advice is this:  Stop going!  Go somewhere else or find another religion altogether.  Better yet, give up on reeligion entirely" (p. 191).

Currently reading

Writing a Woman's Life ~ by Carolyn G. Heilbrun, 1988, women's studies

Description:  "In this modern classic, Carolyn G. Heilbrun builds an eloquent argument demonstrating that writers conform all too often to society's expectations of what women should be like at the expense of the truth of the female experience.  Drawing on the careers of celebrated authors including Virginia Woolf, George Sand, and Dorothy Sayers, Heilbrun illustrates the struggle these writers undertook in both work and life to break away from traditional 'male' scripts for women's roles."

Up next?

Revelations: Diaries of Women ~ edited by Mary Jane Moffat and Charlotte Painter, 1974, women's studies

After typing the information about Writing a Woman's Life (above), I slipped it back onto the shelf with my books on women's studies.  That's when I noticed I had shelved it beside a book about women's diaries.  Synchronicity, since I don't have a particular order within my broader categories:  theology, scriptures of the world's religions, women's studies, etc.  It would make sense to read it next, but it's over 400 pages long — so not likely one I'll want to read right away.  I may choose a novel, for lighter reading, or maybe.......

More likely up next

The Great Transformation ~ by Karen Armstrong, 2006

--- or ---

The Case for God ~ by Karen Armstrong, 2009

Since I'm studying Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong (2010) with my Book Buddies group, I'll probably read one of these two books by Karen Armstrong which are on my bookshelves.  If I can find them after the move, that is.

GENERATIONS

When asked where he was going to put his new baseball trophy, my 3-year-old great-grandson Jaxon said, "Next to my soccer trophy."  He loves playing sports.

This one speaks for itself, except to add that she's my granddaughter.

One of my daughters and her husband have been married 34 years, as of yesterday.

Bloggers gather in the Sunday Salon — at separate computers in different time zones — to talk about our lives and our reading.

Sunday Salon ~ funny faces and a happy face

My great-granddaughter Raegan is paired up with her mom (my granddaughter), making funny faces.

And here's one where Raegan is in disguise as a man with a handlebar mustache.  Yeah, right!  So convincing, that dark mustache with the long blonde hair.  Do you think she's having fun?

Jaxon's got a happy face, as his mother reads to him on Thanksgiving Day.  My great-grandson, who will be three in a few days, loves books.

Here he is, nearly two years ago, surrounded by books and reading one I gave him.  Can you tell we're a bookish family?

NEW BOOK

Tao Teh Ching ~ by Lao Tzu, translated by John C. H. Wu, 1961

Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Teh Ching — or "The Classic of the Way and Its Virtue" — has probably had a greater influence on Asian thought that any other single book.  It is also one of the true classics of world literature.  Traditionally attributed to the near-legendary Old Master, Lao Tzu, the Tao Teh Ching teaches that the qualities of the enlightened sage or ideal ruler are identical with those of the perfected individual.  Lao Tzu's words are useful in developing a sense of balance and harmony in everyday life.  To follow the Tao or Way of all things and realize their true nature is to embody humility, spontaneity, and generosity.

I took various translations of this book to class when my Religions of the World class studied Taoism.  There are only 81 "verses" or sayings, and number 11 is probably my favorite.  I gave you Ursula K. Le Guin's version of verse 11 back in March.  Here's the translation by John C. H. Wu, from this newest version.

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub;
It is on the hole in the center that the use of the cart hinges.
We make a vessel from a lump of clay;
It is the empty space within the vessel that makes it useful.
We make doors and windows for a room;
But it is  these empty spaces that make the room livable.
Thus, while the tangible has advantages,
It is the intangible that makes it useful.

So which of these two translations most appeals to you? I think I prefer Ursula K. Le Guin's version. As you can tell from the title of her version's post, I like the phrase "where the pot's not."

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Sunday Salon ~ I've been busy

Perfectly fried okra is my favorite comfort food.  Slice fresh okra, bread it with yellow corn meal, salt it lightly, and fry it in vegetable oil until crispy.  Would you like to know why I wanted comfort food this week?

For starters, there's my car, named Maxine because she's a Maxima.  This shows her on Saturday, September 1st, when I was ready to trade her in for a newer car.  Maxine is a 1983 Datsun Maxima, because Nissan Maximas didn't come out until the following year.  Yes, Maxine is 30 years old, since dealers around town already have 2013 models on their lots.  I decided to keep Maxine when I got really annoyed by the used car salesman's refusal to pin down actual numbers.  Using his figures, my overall cost for the 2006 used car, counting principle and interest, was about double the original asking price I was quoted.  Nope, sorry, I'm not willing to pay that much — or continue to play those used-car-salesman games.  Maxine and I came home together.

On Sunday the 2nd, I led our Sunday school discussion on Matthew, using three chapters from this book:  Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World ~ by John Shelby Spong, 2011.

Raegan with her new puppy toy

After Sunday school, I took Raegan and her parents to lunch at Red Lobster.  Her mother, Kenzie, is my granddaughter; her father, Michael, took offense at something I posted on Facebook back in May and spent the summer trying to convince me (on Facebook) that I was wrong.  When I finally un-friended him, it caused a ruckus in my family, so I tried to improve the situation by inviting Michael and family to lunch.  I also invited my friend Donna, who — in defending my stance — also offended them.  So here we are, smiling.

Donna and Kenzie

Michael and Bonnie

I'm not sure it made any difference, since we didn't discuss the "problem" in front of Raegan, but I did try to ease tensions by having us get to know each other a bit better.  On to the next event, which got complicated.

Bea and Sharon, with Jaxon in his great-grandmother's lap at his first birthday party in December.

On Monday the 3rd, which was Labor Day in the United States, my daughter-in-law Sharon learned that her mother (Bea) had died in her sleep.  Sharon asked me to do her mother's funeral, and I offered to go with the family to make arrangements, since that's what pastors do.  On Wednesday the 5th, Maxine wouldn't start when I needed to go to the funeral home, so I borrowed Donna's Saturn.

After we spent hours making funeral arrangements, my son followed me home and jump-started my car.  Maxine ran okay and even started after being turned off — but not the next time I tried.  On Friday the 7th, Donna drove me to the service in her car, since Maxine obviously needs a new battery.  After two hours of visitation, I officiated at the graveside service, inviting those who were present to share their memories.  Friday was a sunny day, with temperatures in the mid-90s, very hot to be outside, even for those of us under a canopy.  I came home hot and tired.

Saturday cooled off considerably, but can you see why I wanted comfort food this week?

P.S.  Jaxon and Raegan are my great-grandchildren.  And here's the book I've been trying (off and on) to read this week:

With or Without God: Why the Way We Live Is More Important than What We Believe ~ by Gretta Vosper, 2008

Envisioning a future in which the Christian church plays a viable and transformative role in shaping society, Gretta Vosper argues that if the church is to survive at all, the heart of faith must undergo a radical change.  Vosper, a minister in Toronto, believes that what will save the church is an emphasis on just and compassionate living — a new and wholly humanistic approach to religion.  Without this reform, the church as we know it faces extinction.

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Happy 22nd birthday

... to my granddaughter, even though she complained that she hadn't even put on makeup this morning when I took this photo.  She's the only natural blonde I've ever known to deliberately choose brown hair, and still she's beautiful.

Celebrating at my house ~ with books, of course

Jaxon, my 1-year-old great-grandson, with his grandpa (my son) holding him and First 100 Animals, a board book.  Jaxon kissed that big tiger picture.

Raegan, my 2-year-old great-granddaughter, reading Blackboard Bear by Martha Alexander.

My daughter Barbara, on the right, with her three children:  Chase, Cady, and Cali.  Barbara is holding her copy of the family stories book I gave my children.

My daughter Sandra, trying to figure out why I gave her an old pink doll blanket.  Ask me, and I'll tell you the reason.  Her husband, Pat, managed to stay out of all my photos.  Behind her are her granddaughter Raegan, her son-in-law Michael (whose head seems to be missing), and her twin sister Barbara.

My grandson Jamey with his other grandmother (Patti) and his girlfriend, Amanda.

My granddaughter Kenzie, mother of Raegan.  Kenzie's husband, Michael, didn't get in any of my photos that turned out.

Jaxon, with his parents Whitney and Kendall, David, and my brother Jim behind them.  Jim's wife, Carol, avoided being in any of my photos.

My granddaughters Cady and Brandy, with Sharon, my favorite (and only) daughter-in-law.  I am blessed.

My son-in-law Greg, who is Cady's daddy.

Raegan, playing the piano for us, one note at a time.

David, wearing Jaxon's Cookie Monster backpack on one shoulder.

Our salon discussion today takes place here, in my living room.  Although temps have dropped below freezing a few times, it hasn't really been cool enough to light a fire, which is why I could line gifts up on the hearth in front of the fireplace before the family arrived.  Hey, Bookfool, that carefully assembled pile of books in the corner is the book tree that never reached the heights I imagined for it.  At the rate it was NOT tapering in, it would have had to reach the ceiling before it looked like a pointed fir, so I simply topped it with a steepled church (which has a light inside to show stained glass windows) and put the lights around it.  The red thing?  That's a wide ribbon hanging from the mistletoe on the ceiling fan.

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