i found this to be a lovely reflection on the Nativity and wanted to share it...



my thanks to the Institute of Catholic Culture for the excerpt

so how's this for holiday ridiculousness: i had to check three grocery stores before i found candied fruit! you know, the stuff you put in fruitcake...

store number one
me: do you know if you have candied fruit?
clerk: (blank look) ummm
me: you know, the stuff you put in fruitcake...
clerk: (brightening slightly) maybe check the baking department. (note: i'd already done this, but because of past experiences of asking for things that were right in front of my face, i went along with it) doesn't look like we have it here. i'll ask over in produce.
clerk 2: candied fruit? you mean something like this? (holds up container of dried fruit)
me: no, i'm looking for the stuff you put in fruitcake. it's covered in a syrupy stuff and comes in a clear plastic container.
clerk 2: oh, i know what you mean. if we have it, it would be over here. (leads way to displays of specially holiday stuffs) no, it doesn't look like we have it; if we had it, it would be out by now.
me: thanks anyway

store number two
me: do you know if you have candied fruit?
clerk: no we don't carry it.
me: thanks

store number three
me: do you know if you have candied fruit? the stuff you put in fruitcake?
clerk: oh, hmm. let me get someone from produce.
store pa: ---, please dial 521.

meanwhile i wander through produce and find a table tucked half way between produce and holiday baking with, lo and behold, candied fruit! and not just the basic mixed fruit i was looking for, but varieties of the gooey stuff. i was half tempted to pick up samples of all of them just so i could prove their existence. i contented myself with picking up one extra tub to save for next year. who knows where i'll be, or if i'll be able to find enough stores to check.

i want to make lovely things

just wanted to put that out there...

yesterday i wanted to share with you all that i'd seen a gent in shorts and sandals this morning walking his dog and point out that the temperature outside was a balmy 45*. at the time it seemed rather amusing, but has been rather preempted by today's weather: snow! great big fluffy clumps of it falling persistently out of the soft grey skies. it began around 10.30 this morning (it's now just about 3) and news of short trousered gents doesn't seem to measure up.

this morning at 10.30

this afternoon at around 2

such weather is rather condusive to indoor activities so i put together our advent wreath. we were traveling during the first Sunday of Advent and this is the first bit of free time that i've had since we got back. pictures of our Thanksgiving adventures are up here.


i think that it came out rather nicely. since i work through the supper hours we'll just have to say our Advent prayers after i get home...