Officially Retired...For the Whole Rest of the Year haha

How Christmas got here so quickly, I sure don't know, but here it is, the eve of Christmas Eve. It's been a really busy season for me, I've haven't counted lately how many loaves of Finnish cardamom bread I've baked this Christmas season, but I know it's at least a few hundred. My hands show it, too! Between the cold spell we had here in the northwest a couple weeks ago, and the bread, my hands are in dire need of a manicure, and it doesn't look like I'm getting one tomorrow. I do have a great mixer, so I didn't actually knead the bread, but the braiding is enough. I'm very thankful for all my wonderful bread customers, too. It's so odd to think of how many places people tell me my bread goes. Yesterday, I had my last orders to fill, got them delivered, and breathed a sigh of relief, I got it done, and now, I'm officially retired, at least to the end of the year lol. Seriously, I really don't do this for a "real" job, and now things should definitely slow down.
Well, now I get to relax and enjoy the holiday with my family. I've actually been doing that all along, celebrating Christmas in all kind sof ways. Even though the time has flown, there have been some sweet times I've cherished this season. The other day, I was at the store, it was busy, people everywhere, and you know the thing, bumping into carts, etc. An elderly lady and I kinda collided going around a corner from different directions; we looked at each other and started laughing. It was as if we both were thinking the same thing, life is hectic all around us, people rushing, in a hurry, but we had time to laugh and appreciate a moment. We said a few words to each other, then started to part, and she said, "Honey, you have a real nice day!" I thrive on times like that, just the moment, you know? We have a little tiny church that we have a Bible study in on Wednesdays. Most of us have other churches we go to, but this little fellowship is special to our family. We have a lady there who is, I don't know how you'd describe her exactly, kinda needy. She is about my age, but had a sickness as a child that makes it hard for her to make some decisions, at least that's what she told me. How do we measure where we are in our lives, how competent we are?? Anyway, this lady has kind of adopted our family, she's really a sweet heart. She gave us a Christmas card that was so eloquent, so enduring really. It was just another one of the many ways that people have touched me this season with just a thankfulness, an appreciation for something so simple as a good word fitly spoken. My boys have been excitely making plans for the shopping they have in mind for me. I know that the potholders I told them I needed probably won't be the ones I would have picked, but, how long does a potholder last? I'll have them for probably many years, they won't match my kitchen, but what's a mother to do? I'm going to love them lol! No, I haven't snooped, I just gave them some inexpensive ideas of things they could get me when they've asked. So their dad's taking them shopping tomorrow, and I'll be surprised.
I really hope that you have a wonderful Christmas, wherever you will be. I'm amazed every time I celebrate Christmas, of what God has done for us, sending His own Son as a child-King, destined to suffer for His love of mankind, in order to give us a place in His Kingdom! What a gift!