It’s been a busy week and a full weekend. I shifted the journey I had planned for today to tomorrow. Instead, I spent the morning and early afternoon with my younger sister, Debbie, enjoying a time of chatting and shopping. Debbie and her daughter Ashley are master shoppers, uncovering discounts and taking advantage of sales and special programs such as Target’s Cartwheel app.
Their experiences are so amazing that I’m convinced my sister and niece are accompanied by Shopping Angels. These two ladies walk into a store and prices drop on items and unexpected sales commence! I witnessed Debbie in action today, observing as she received better than a 50% discount on her total purchases.
While we shopped at Target, I found these fun Christmas themed shortbread cookies from the Scottish company, Walkers. And later in the afternoon, after Debbie left for her home in Oklahoma, I discovered her Angels must have stayed behind to show off for me a bit. As I entered a store a clerk hurried by, setting up a display near the door. “Look!” he exclaimed to me, “I found these in the back room after we thought we had sold out. I’m marking them 60% off.” It was the very item I was walking into the store to buy!
With my shortbread cookies and my weary state, an evening tea sounded perfect, in place of dinner. I used a vintage footed teacup and saucer, made in England by Rosina Fine Bone China. The design is called, appropriately, Yuletide. The set belonged to Greg’s mother and I used it for the first time this evening.
While a pot of Scottish thistle tea brewed, I lit candles throughout the house. This is a practice that I love during the Christmas season. What peace and joy surrounds me as I sit looking at the flickering lights of dozens of candles. Warmth surrounds me too! I turn the thermostat down a few degrees, as I light so many candles that it brings the indoor temperature up.
I made the decision this week to pause on working through The Artist’s Way until after Christmas. I was engaged every evening during the week and spent time with family over the weekend. I have not had time to properly do the assignments for Week Seven. Rather than rush through, I made the choice to stay in this chapter until my schedule slows down after the holiday. I’ll return to this wonderful course then. My artist date this afternoon consisted of leisurely shopping to complete my Christmas gift buying, apparently with Deb’s Angels in tow!
Actually, surrounded by beauty, sipping tea, fully content, I am in the perfect space for writing and thinking. I’ll pull out my notebook and The Artist’s Way and start on those assignments after all.
