Day 24 and Day 25 - Embracing Life As Best I Can

Day 24 - Thursday, November 23

I spent my morning carrying Christmas tote boxes from the basement to the living room. I was hoping to begin the process of putting up my Christmas tree in the living room and also start displaying my Christmas decorations and figurines. I overestimated my ability to do these things. Just carrying the boxes upstairs tired me out for the morning. I held onto a faint hope of being able to decorate in the evening.

In the afternoon, I went for a lovely walk with my cousin-in-law who now lives in Kingston. We enjoyed our visit while I got some much needed exercise. I was very pleased with myself in that I was able to walk somewhat briskly. I was very tired by the time I got back home but we walked several blocks. We continued our visit. We seem to have a connection at various intellectual levels. We have some similar interests and this feeds our conversation. I am enjoying this newfound friendship. It is the first time ever that I have had family in the same city as me.

Due to my walk, I was too tired in the evening to decorate. I had a great day and I can always start the decorating tomorrow. However, I was able to do a load of laundry and get it dried.

Day 25 - Friday, November 24

When I awoke this morning, I was feeling a little weak and dizzy. Oh, oh! This means that I didn't drink enough yesterday. I'll have to do better with that today. I fed my cat, Frodo, and then I went downstairs to get the laundry that I had done last night. I took it out of the dryer, folded it and brought it upstairs. Now I had to sit. Who would have thought that I would take satisfaction in just folding and carrying laundry up the stairs. After resting, I made some coffee as it can count as part of my hydration and I really like my cup or two of coffee in the mornings. I realized I needed to rest for a bit, so I picked up my knitting (another sock) and worked quietly away while I rested. Hubby was very tired and sore as he had volunteered with Habitat for Humanity yesterday. Finally, my coffee was ready and I got my first cup. I sipped on it while I continued to knit. Hubby awoke and slowly made his way to the couch with his coffee. I feel so bad for him. I worry about him too because he is out of shape and he worked hard physically yesterday. Anyway, we enjoyed our coffees and then it was time for me to get my breakfast. My body was feeling better already.

After having my breakfast, I continued to knit until I finished the one sock. Now I was motivated to get decorating. But....it was now lunch time. So I made myself an omelet and a salad. After lunch, I managed to get the tree up but only partially decorated before I ran out of energy. While I was working on the tree, I was listening to Christmas music and then I found a lovely Christmas movie on television which I enjoyed.

In the afternoon, a parcel was delivered with my Hubby's name on it. I called and let him know it had arrived. He specifically told me not to open it. OK...Christmas is coming up and who knows what he has been buying and for whom. Also in the afternoon, a friend of mine delivered 3 jars of my favourite relish that she makes. What a gift! I love to use her relish on my sandwiches and hamburgers. Most likely, the jars won't last long.

Also, in the afternoon, Hubby called to say that he would pick up my pizza on his way home. He is off to a concert with another friend this evening and I was going to treat myself to a Hawaiian pizza from our favourite pizzeria in town. They make a great crust and their pizzas are never overdone. For those who don't know, a Hawaiian pizza has ham and pineapple along with the mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce. When Hubby arrived home, we enjoyed some pizza together. Then it was time for him to leave. I met his friend at the front door as I am also good friends with him. It was great to see him. He came to visit me while I was in the hospital and I really enjoyed my visit with him then. We're also friends with his wife who I last saw in September.  Tonight, she sent with her hubby some gifts for me. She sent me a magazine and 2 soap pumps with Christmas scents.  I have read the magazine tonight and then I watched some hockey and also the Christmas shows "Frosty the Snowman" and "Frosty Returns". These have been cartoons that I have watched since I was a child. It is part of the Christmas tradition.

I love Christmas and the season of Advent. I think my favourite part is Advent where I find my soul is prepared in a peaceful manner for the anticipation of Christmas. I am much more attuned to the sacred part of Christmas rather than the consumerism and materialism of Christmas. My favourite decorations in my home are the ones with a sacred meaning. I light my Advent wreath with its candles every day during Advent and reflect on the meaning of each week in Advent. I also love my nativity scene that includes a wooden stable that a very good friend made for me about 26 years ago. I also treasure my nativity decoration that hangs in the window. It used to have lights that would light it up at night but they stopped working a number of years ago and there is no way to fix it. I love this decoration in my window because during the day, the daylight brightness shines through it and makes it glow. I have even found some Christmas tree ornaments that show the 3 Kings following the star.

Christmas has always meant a lot to me. I remember being pregnant during Advent when my daughter was born on Christmas day. It is a very special time. On top of all this, I truly love the family time that we share over the holidays. I find this year I am feeling even more sentimental about Advent and Christmas due to my major illness and treatment. I have so much to be thankful for. I'm not just thankful for my health, but also for all my friends and family that have been so very supportive throughout the last number of months. No wonder I'm embracing life as best I can.