I got a wonderful present yesterday, Maria put a birder stand and feeder outside of my study window. This morning, the first birds appeared, a couple of Chickadees, I think, they ate the seeds and the suet on the far side. This is a great gift for me, a harbinger, I think of a good week.

We woke up this morning and decided to have a happy week, a week of peace and satisfaction and gratitude. We have a lot to be grateful for this holiday week, much love, great friends, keeping our house, good health. Sometimes happiness is a choice, sometimes not.

We are choosing simplicity, happiness and gratitude this week. We are going to have a holiday that is pure and simple, one where we don’t go to such excess that we crash in the days after. We are going to celebrate our lives and also I have some ideas about helping the poor in a meaningful and continuing way, rather than with a food pantry contribution every now and then.

Reading about Jesus and his life has been good for me, it has inspired me and helped me understand what is important and what is not important.  He was a simple man, his holiday should be simple and good.  A gift for me, who is not a Christian, but a man who has always been drawn to the true spirit of Christianity. So I take the Chickadees as a beautiful omen, a rich beginning to a happy week.

We are off today to Blue Star Equiculture in Palmer, Mass. to see the horses and Pamela. Lulu’s leg is better, Ken Norman is coming  by to check her out to make sure. As I look look out the window, there are four birds on the feeder, I love seeing them while I write.