The Craftiest Workshop

I was really struggling what to write about the last couple weeks. There hasn’t been too much out of the ordinary going on for this time of the year. Just the usual of over commitment to music related things, Christmas baking and shoveling snow. The message this morning at church was to find JOY (be content) and let God take care of the rest.

You may have heard about the atmospheric river that is inundating southern BC with rain and causing flooding. Some of this rain seems to go over the mountains, turn to snow and drop a fair bit of snow on western Alberta. It has been snowing every day for the last ten days. It reminds me of the snow squalls we would get in Barrie ON where one minute there are whiteout conditions and the next nothing. I just came in from checking the bird feeder and the snow is about knee deep now. The flakes are coming straight down, big fluffy flakes. I find JOY in the peaceful stillness of freshly falling snow.

It has been a week of seeing the winter birds back in action. It was almost as if they were waiting for the first good snowfall to show themselves. In addition to our year round chickadees, Blue Jays and Nuthatches, the Hairy and Downy woodpeckers are back visiting the feeder. The Redpolls are back with their cat like mewling. I have seen a Short Earred Owl out hunting in the afternoons. A flock of about twenty partridges hangs out in the field each morning searching for grain. One of them flew up into a tall tree and just sat there weaving on a precarious branch…a partridge in a Poplar tree. There was also a flock of over 100 snow buntings scouring the fields for food. So fun to watch them move together in a wave. I find immense JOY in watching these birds and feeding those brave enough to come to the bird feeder.

I have been baking something at least every other day building up an assortment of goodies to have over the holidays. I make certain recipes every year or alternating years and sometimes try new things. Baking is relaxing for me and I find JOY in baking things for others to enjoy.

Even in music at Christmas, I find JOY. I have been practising violin and playing carols from my Reader’s Digest Christmas book. Our bell choir will have played for three of the four advent Sundays this year. Every year the pieces chosen are a little bit more challenging but I welcome the chance to exercise my brain muscles. There is much JOY sharing the gift of music with others.

JOY doesn’t have to be laughing at everything or wearing a smile on your face all the time. It is about finding JOY in the little things, the things you do every day. It is about being content with what you have and sharing what you have with others. Some people really find it difficult to find JOY in winter but for me, things slow down and everything outside gets quiet. There is so much beauty and JOY to be found in winter.