Christmas Birds and Butterflies

It's pouring here. POURING. I know we need rain but things are getting muddy and hillsides are beginning to give way. Driving to my friend's place in Ojai I have dodged giant boulders and pieces of hillside property that are now in the road.

I am also taking care of my friends' German Shepard Koa. She is very sweet and a good sport about my process of cleaning her paws and drying her off every time she comes back inside but she shakes and muddy water hits the white walls and my p.j.s or whatever I happen to be wearing. I realize though that there are much worse things to deal with and frankly right now I am just grateful to be living with heaters and not to be stuck in an airport somewhere trying to get home. Those poor people!

There's no good segue out of that but few years back I started collecting little bird Christmas ornaments. (Topic whiplash?) Although I am kind of bird girl anyway, the collecting didn't really start consciously. I just kept finding or being given these wonderful little birds so I just went with it! There are many more than this but here are just a few ...

(Oh, and a couple of butterflies!)

Sweet right? And here is something I want to share today from Marianne Williamson about Christmas.

Life is sweeter, as millions of people throughout the world

consider the possibility that a higher love exists.

For one day we lay aside our cynicism- if not completely, then enough.

We lay aside our faithlessness and our judgments and our blame.

We embrace the notion of a light at the center of things

that casts out darkness and cast out fear.

Millions of people think thoughts of love on Christmas.

That is why it is an important day.

That is why it gives us joy.

That is why it is such a blessing on the world.

~Marianne Williamson