Nine Months from Today...

Nine months from today will be Christmas Day. Seems like a long time to some. After all, it's three/fourths of the year away. But if you're a craft-er like me, you may be starting to feel a twinge of anxiety over the approaching holiday season.

I made a solemn vow this year that I will NOT be caught staying up all night to finish a project intended for a Christmas gift this year. My DD and DIL are serving as my accountability partners in this vow. Since I intend to stand by it, that means I need to get started on the two stockings I need to stitch this year and the one "in progress" stocking I need to complete.

Plus, I'm searching Pinterest for some Christmas crafts I'd like to make this year.

How about you? Is Christmas already on your radar, or do you have a few months to go before you start your holiday to-do list?

Music: I Wonder as I Wander

One of my favorites, but one you don't hear very often around the holidays. I have a Linda Ronstadt version that I really like. If you're not familiar with this tune, check it out. It's a haunting melody.

I Wonder as I Wander

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor orn'ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall
With wise men and farmers, and shepherds and all
But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God's Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor orn'ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

Christmas Countdown: March

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas 2014. I'm not obsessing over it, I'm just musing about it. Since Christmas 2013 was so out of the ordinary for us I have a lot to mull over for the upcoming Christmas season.

One of the things I've been considering is my annual Christmas letter. Last year's edition was written in a hurry. OK, it was written in a panic. I ditched my traditional method and went for a new (to me) style of "by the numbers". I only had three items on it, but I got so many compliments on the letter that I decided to use that format for 2014. I've already outlined the occasions I want to highlight. As the year goes by, I plan to write up the text and add the photos for each item.

Koons Family Annual Christmas Letter 2014 - not written in a hurry or a panic!

Music, Books, Movies (When They Saw the Star)

I was reading one of my Christmas books from this past season and I had a moment of inspiration. The book was talking about Christmas carols and how we're so used to them we don't really concentrate on the beauty and meaning of the lyrics. So true. This thought led me to think about my Christmas blog and how sparse my posts are between January and May, sometimes between January and July, sometimes... well you get the point. So I decided this would be a great time to focus on Christmas music, movies, and books.

So starting today, when I read a Christmas book I'll share it with you. When I watch a Christmas movie, I'll share it with you. And I'm also going to share Christmas carol lyrics so we can appreciate their beauty and message.

I'm going to begin with the lyrics to a song that I rarely hear, but is one of my favorites:

When They Saw the Star

O'er mountains and valleys it led them each night
A star of most radiant light
Three Wise Men rejoiced as they journeyed afar
to behold such a beautiful star

When they saw the star they rejoiced with great joy
When they saw the star they rejoiced
When they saw the star they rejoiced with great joy
they rejoiced with exceeding great joy

Others saw the star but they followed it not
To them it would come and would pass
The Wise men kept trusting with all of their hearts
That the star would find the Baby at last