The Three Oddest Words by Wislawa Szymborska

I miss the dragonflies.  One of my blue summer pals on my foot.

The Three Oddest Words
By Wislawa Szymborska

When I pronounce the word Future,
the first syllable already belongs to the past.

When I pronounce the word Silence,
I destroy it.

When I pronounce the word Nothing,
I make something no non-being can hold.

~Translated by S. Baranczak & C. Cavanagh

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We had a wonderful Christmas.  It was cold and damp, but our daughter, April, had a big fire going in her fireplace.  It got so warm inside we had to open the windows to cool off.  She cooked an amazing meal of beef brisket, chicken & dressing, giblet gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dirt cake and pecan pie.  I made my sweet potato souffle.  (The dirt cake is topped with crushed Oreos....hence the name).  Everything was delicious and delightful.  Both of my girls are fabulous cooks.  April painted me a magnificent, huge oil painting of a woman with a dragonfly hovering in front of her face.  I'll post pics of it later this week.  My other daughter, Sarah, called from Chattanooga wild with excitement early on Christmas morning.  "Mama, it's SNOWING!"  Having been raised here in Louisiana where we seldom get snow, she still gets excited at every snowfall.  But the fact that they got their first snowfall on Christmas was especially sweet and special. 

The grand-ones, Mary Mace and Warner, grabbed the phone and told me what Santa brought them and I could feel their joy through the phone.  Warner, who's 4 years old, got his first 'big boy' bicycle.  Mary Mace turned 7 on Christmas Eve and I sent her 4 books about fairies, one a magnificent pop-up with flowers and fairies hidden in the blooms.  When we visited at Thanksgiving, I told her about a fairy circle of mushrooms I found in my backyard years ago.  She was enthralled and said, "Grammy, do you really, really believe in fairies?"  I assured her that I did and she gave me a sparkling grin and said, "I didn't even know grownups believed stuff like that!"  Oh, the joys of childhood!!  I must've been a really good girl this year because Santa brought me my dream gift, a Canon Rebel camera which I've wanted for years.  It's my version of a diamond ring.  Tee-Hee.  I'd rather have photos than diamonds any old day.

I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful holiday, filled with love and family.

Wishing you all love, joy and peace,

~Marion

"Every man [and woman] should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past." ~Henry Ward Beecher