sweet success 

it took forever for me to get a normal shot...this is only one reason 

m 

she is cute. admit it. 

Christmas pictures taken on living room couch

out a'caroling

actually, my friend john (you know, the one i married a few years ago ) is not out a'caroling. he's out a'consumering for my christmas gift, the identity of which is veiled in hush-hush secrecy and the finding of which somehow requires our friend b. eckley's assistance. hmmm. i'm thinking the most thoughtful thoughts i can think.

a musical note.
some music i've soaked in lately is that of alasdair roberts (of appendix out). john brought his c.d. 'farewell sorrow' home, and i've enjoyed it from the first listen up to this present one, many listenings later. simply, it is beautiful. i was especially glad to see that the lyrics, for the most part, were written by roberts. he spins songs in a traditional vein, and it's exciting to me that he's a young artist writing 'new' old music, in addition to singing the traditional songs. when i (who am relatively ignorant of the hipster music scene) told john that something about his music reminded me of the esteemed bonnie prince billy, he told me that they'd collaborated in the past. he's also collaborated with another favorite, jason molina (songs: ohia). (follow the link, and you can listen to the first song by songs: ohia that i ever heard....'lioness'...hip, hip)
so many threads running to and through.
good music brings gladness.

an audio post of two songs from 'farewell sorrow' will follow shortly.
so, take a listen and enjoy.

For My Very Own Brother Pete

here is a treat for you (and any others)...

hands wrapped around a steaming mug of sippy sip sip
as cherries fall to the ground all around

follow me first: www.reverendfun.com,
and then, as you're wondering why in the world i thought the site was worth mentioning,
follow me second:
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A%253D150047%2526M%253D50012,00.html
DEENNIIISSSS!!! STOP THROWING CHERRIES!
[my name's not dennis. i'm pete...]

pre-illness smile 

she is so dainty when she chews on things...look at the Queen Mother pinkie. 

millie loves to give out invisible things from her pockets--balloons, candy, money, milkshakes, and, in this case, "tea for you, mom" 

for those of you who know of my lifelong search for adult-sized "fuzzies," let it be known that they are alive and kicking! LOOK! 

tired of millie, yet? 

when i don't use the flash, i can slyly capture millie doing all sorts of things, like singing the Gloria Patri, and she doesn't even notice. 

millie calls anything she can wear as bracelets, "fairy wings," and she thinks they'll help her fly, even if, in reality, they're John Deere mini-ornaments. (all due to one picture she saw of Corynn Newman wearing wings. i haven't even read her any stories with faeries in them...)

it's when millie decks herself out like this and delightedly announces, "me, faerie, mom!" that i know she's woefully underschooled by her mother. the best part is that annika knows exactly what the fay are and is giggling at millie in the background. (side note: john gave me two neat books for our honeymoon* this year by the eminent folklorist Katharine Briggs--The Fairies in Tradition and Literature and British FolkLore and Legends. I haven't finished either one yet, only dipping into them every so often, but they are a wonderful mixture of scholarly study and untouched story and are what I should be reading to Millie along with her A.A. Milne, Beatrix Potter, and Mr. Frumble.

*code word for our wedding anniversary

annika, ribbon dispenser 

.slipperrrryyy. 

we spent thanksgiving in nanticoke. i don't have pictures of the chaos of all the rowdy kids with their kids crammed into a delicious-smelling small house, but here are a few of the day after. (pete, haven james, luke, and annika arden, millie, and wonderful debbie who saddles ponies for small girls to sit upon.) 

inspection of our mini tree that lights the nightly advent readings before the candles are lit. (when millie saw snow on the ground that morning, she said, "me get ready for winter!" and dressed thusly.) 

sick millie comforted by pooh and her town twilt 

Promise fulfilled

A defense for the delaying of blog updates:
1. The semester's end is upon us--paper flurries expected.
2. Abigail is editor-in-chief and citation manager of John's papers.
3.She is mother-in-chief and custodian manager for a Depew apartment.
4.She has been making Christmas money for John's presents by selling her soul (among other things) on ebay.
5.She is caretaker for one sick Mildred. Poor sick Mildred.
6. She is a general, all-around, lazy-bones.

But now that papers are edited, Annika is asleep, the apartment is somewhat tidy, ebay items are shipped, and poor, sick Millie is droopily lying on the couch, I will conquer my general, all-around lazy bones and post some new snapshots. And, who knows, maybe post-Christmas will also bring some links and other treats to flesh out this barely there blog...