THURSDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2023 1159HRS GMT

 

Last day of Christmas, tomorrow morning the Nativity scene will be dusted and wrapped in acid-free tissue, boxed with the LED lit Star of Bethlehem until the First Sunday of Advent 2023 (3 Dec). 

 

My plan worked - no more 'annual anguish' 7th January taking down the Christmas tree and all the trimmings. Leaving the Nativity scene on the mantel through 2 Feb (Presentation of the Infant Christ in the Temple) has worked to ease the abrupt un-decking I once endured. Yeah, I do love decking the halls for Christmas and enjoying the sight from First Sunday of Advent through Epiphany. And yeah, taking everything down the day after Epiphany used to be painful. Use to be, once I worked out leaving the Nativity scene on display (ok, and the lighting on the front garden potted evergreens) made it not only less painful, but more meaningful.

With the Nativity scene on the mantel through the 2nd of Feb, I found myself contemplating the Christmas message in a way I hadn't in previous years. The Nativity scene has become less 'a Christmas decoration' and completely definitive spiritually meaningful display. I won't deny finding a nearly complete Fontanini Nativity scene (missing the camels, angels, and stable but the main figures are present and in good condition) on eBay makes for a more important display. Paul stopped to look at it several times over the period and asked questions - why are there two shepherds, why are the kings (Magi) three different races, who is the guy kneeling across the manger from Mary (at least he knew it is Mary, lol, and 'the guy' is Joseph her husband). This morning he said he's going to miss the scene because it made him think and be more interested in Christmas story without the distractions of the more secular Christmas decorations. WINNING!

 

I've kept to the NY Resolutions. I won't disclose the entire list here but one is weaning myself off my Internet 'doom scrolling' addiction and so far I'm finding I turn the laptop off earlier every day. The news is so

But I've exchanged my Internet addiction for...jigsaw puzzles. Father Christmas was rather good to me this year bringing me new jigsaw puzzles and vouchers for accessories. Sorting trays, working board, and a really long 'watch list' on eBay, lol! 

The watch list pays off - yesterday I 'scored' a brand new still in sealed plastic 4-in-1 250pcs per puzzle set Vivaldi's Four Seasons including a CD of the Four Seasons. 

 

I sincerely hope the Vivaldi set comes 'pre-sorted. Two weeks ago I won a brand new Cheatwell 'Classic Brands' 4-in1 vintage advert posters (Oxo, Bisto, Golden Shred featuring the now 'cancelled' Golliwog doll, and HP Sauce) which of course meant I had to go find the other two sets in the 1996 Classic Brands collection. I love vintage advert posters but the Cheatwell sets come with all 1000pcs jumbled together in one bag and the claim is 'the fun is in sorting 1000pcs into four individual puzzles. Oh. Dear.

 

Successful search for the other two puzzles sets came up with two 'pre-owned' sets listed as complete. One, the sporting images, came with the four puzzles already separated and neatly labelled in zip-grip bags - indeed complete 'all present and correct'. The other (Pears Soaps) is partially sorted and I have no idea (yet) if all four are complete. Oh. Dear. 

I have a system, however I did need to buy another 6-tray sorting set to finally begin to get the Pears Soaps set sorted and I'm sure the extra trays will be helpful when I start sorting the brand new set. The Pears Soaps set is a mess and I suspect it was a gift someone started to try sorting and gave up on when the frustration outweighed 'the fun'. 

I welcome (mostly) the challenge - it keeps my doom scrolling to a dull roar and good thing, that, considering how absolutely dismal the news is. 'Things are not looking good out there' (understatement of the century line from the Paul Newman cops-under-siege movie Ft Apache) and after scanning the headlines (with very occasional actual article reading) I have to find something much less distressing to focus on. The puzzles help, as does crochet, sewing, and embroidery. Bonus, the handcrafting yields useful items. The puzzles supposedly 'keep the mind sharp' (I hate Suduko and other 'brain teaser' challenges) so I'm counting that as useful as well.

Fox is happily ensconced in raising his infant son with his wife (my second dil, and wow is she fab!), living the boring life and says 'boring is best'. I know just what he means but it is interesting my oldest grandson (Fox's first born) says the same thing. Maybe the drama his mum brings (serious drama, so serious the drama that girl generates and thrives on) has made a 'boring is best' believer of my now 18yo grandson. 

Praying for peace whilst preparing for the very real possibility of war. Putin is endangering the entire world, the sooner all this madness from Moscow ends, the better!