Deep Roots

I'M BACK!

I know...

It's been a while.

Before I say anything else, I want to thank you for being so patient with me. As you might remember from my last post in July, there was a death in our family that hit several of us very hard. Since then, one of my grandmothers also passed away, and in the midst of all this I found myself entrenched in some... complicated circumstances that I never expected. Our home has seen some severe emotional upheaval, which in turn has made it difficult to do any substantial writing - and, as you can probably tell, almost impossible for me to be present here. I apologize for being so silent for so long.

Things haven't necessarily gotten 'better', but life has gone on. My aim to live it well has spent weeks - months - clashing with bouts of depression, and I believe the will to survive is finding an upper hand.

With that out of the way, here's what I'm actually up to:

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Writing

There's not much to say here; I'm still revising a manuscript, whittling away a little at a time every few days. The relational aspects of the story are the bane of my author-self's existence, but there's little left to do except push through until a solution materializes.

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Theatre Business

I got to be part of a choir in a Christmas concert at our church, which was new for me! (The choir part, lol.) I hugely enjoyed it, even more so because the theme was focused more on the parallel between Advent (waiting expectantly for God to show up) and the process of Biblical Lament (also waiting expectantly for God to show up). If you're curious, one of the resources we referred to while planning this concert was the book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop. If you are grieving over anything, or just not sure how lament is different from sadness, I highly recommend you look it up.

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Farm Life

We fixed a water pump that's been giving me anxiety for most of the summer, and of course the wood-burning stove is cooking away most nights now. With my Christmas knitting complete, I have made myself an appropriately itchy sweater and am now ankle-deep in a pair of less itchy socks.

The chickens quit laying several weeks ago, and now they're all molting - which means they look like someone tried to pluck them alive, but really they're just replacing their old feathers with fresh ones before it gets bitter cold.

The dog is fine. She takes naps under my desk now. :D

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What I'm Listening To

Since I shared an autumn playlist on Spotify last fall, I think it's only appropriate to share what I'm listening to this Christmas season - but this time, you have two playlists to choose from.

I find there are basically two sides to Christmas: Rich, broad, sweeping, fireworks-level epic (think The Magic Treehouse: Christmas In Camelot), and cozy, thoughtful, candlelit nostalgia with a touch of cowboy wistfulness. Both are worshipful in their own way, and I hop from one to the other on any number of whims. If you're in the mood for Christmas music, I hope you enjoy!

Epic Christmas

Christmas 'Fluff'

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If you liked this post, make sure you share it with a friend - and comment below with your favorite holiday tradition! I'll be back in January with ideas for surviving the rest of winter.

Merry Christmas!

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All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not touched by the frost.

~ J.R.R. Tolkein