A Christmas Ball, The Sacred Everyday...Gifts from God

Our two youngest daughters, Zuzu and Grace attended a sweet Christmas Ball last week.  The ball consists of English folk dance, much like you would see in Pride & Prejudice.  It's nice.  It's a sweet ball where everyone mixes and everyone is encouraged to dance with everyone at least once.   

 Zuzu is here in her ballgown, this was a find from the resale shop.  Zuzu and my mom made the straps from the matching shawl.  Zuzu bought a couple of yards of wide black ribbon to tie around her waist and the black gloves are my mother's from the 40s (so neat).  Voila!  For under $5.00 a beautiful Ball ensemble.


Grace is here in her lovely ballgown too. : )  She ordered the pretty blue dress from ebay and added the white scarf-like sleeve and sash that flowed down the back along with rhinestone sprinkles and a head piece. It was sweet, when she was at the fabric store, an older lady was so pleased that Grace knew how to sew, the lady shared it was such a shame young ladies don't sew much.  I so agree!  Grace's ensemble was a little more expensive because the dress was bought new.  Her complete ball outfit ran right around $35.  

Our retro tree...See my little elf peeking out?  He was my Italian grandma's little elf.  See the reflectors?  Those are very old, those are from my German grandparents...See the striped ornament?  That is from our home when I was a very small little girl. : )  I love old fashioned icicles too...Sooooo retro. So period.  

Prayer time with our Charlie.  He is one of our rescued dogs as you may already know. Rebecca rescued him when she was around twelve for her birthday...He is so dramatic.. a dreamie little dog.  He looks up at us as to say... Do you still love me?  Do you?

Last night our family watched this Christmas movie with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray along with a beautiful Beaulah Bondi.  "Remember the Night"  (1940).  It's a sweet romantic movie.

 

Another Christmas movie, another very sweet romance with a very important life lesson.  Sooooo darling:

 Perhaps you are wondering about our little Guisseppe?  I had shared in my last entry that last Sunday night his eye came out of socket, Monday he was in surgery; our sweet vet is trying to correct the situation, his eyelids are actually stitched shut, bless his heart.  Guisseppe is another one of our rescue doggies... He's an angel.  The vet and his staff are angels too, a farm vet in old town. We love Guisseppe's half smile...he such a good natured little man.

I'll close with this shot of Grace running to the car for her first day of work one morning...Grace is our baby at 20 years of age! we've been married for 33 years!  Where has the time gone? : )

Listening to:

Listening to: James Taylor At Christmas.  This is so mellow and Christ centered.  I love his voice and always have.  Plus...his face reminds me so very much of my precious step-dad Al, who is with the Lord now.  Al was from the Bronx and he had the sweetest heart ever.  He was such a good grandpa to our little girls...and he left us suddenly of a heart attack, my mom was sent home from the hospital with his clothes across her arms in a taxi.  Yeah...so much my heart holds.  This brokeness makes us whole in the Lord though...Much like a Tiffany lamp?  It makes us broken yet whole to share with others, to comfort others in a sincere way...The Light shines beautifully through the broken pieces...Warm, gentle, Light to comfort and to bless...to understand...and hopefully to be understood...

It's the time of year we remember our loved ones.  We'll see Al again, he is with God.

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.

Today is a cozy balmy day...

This is the real gift: we have been given the breath of life, designed with a unique, one-of-a-kind soul that exists forever-whether we live it as a burden or a joy or with indifference doesn't change the fact that we've been given the gift of being now and forever.  Priceless in value, we are handcrafted by God, who has a personal design and plan for each of us.

Christmas love to All,   *a thoughtful smile to you*    ~Amelia