'Tis A Gift to be Simple

I love old things. Nothing makes me happier than wandering around an antique or junk store and looking at all the treasures waiting to be discovered. So I am especially fond of my family's tradition, instituted three years ago (now that all us kids are grown), of only given used or handmade objects for Christmas. Not only is it less stressful and expensive than shelling out for extravagant brand-new gifts, but the presents that result are often personal, one-of-a-kind and lovely items--many times better and of higher quality than what you could get new. And at least in my family, when in doubt something interesting from a used bookstore is always welcome (and if you pick out something you might want to read after they've finished, all the better...).

This year I got some exceptionally pretty things, for both Christmas and my birthday, which falls only five days after. When I was decorating my tree this year I was sad to discover that my oldest Christmas ornament, a little brass rocking horse given to me by my grandmother the Christmas before I was born, was missing. Even though after 29 years the horse was rusted and beginning to crumble, I was devastated to think I had lost it. Just before Christmas my mother returned it, refinished and repaired along with a replica of the same ornament for our baby.



From my mother in law I got a sweet little music box of a Victorian-looking mother and baby:



I especially love the rose choker on the mother's neck, as it makes it even more personal, since I love roses on just about anything. Which brings me to the husband's present to me--

I collect vintage china dishes with rose patterns; someday I want to have a complete dinner, dessert, tea and serving set of mismatched but complimentary china rose dishes. This year R found me a whole set of ceramic cookware with--you guessed it--a rose pattern on it, to go with my china collection.



He also got me this fantastic gaudy rose ring which he actually had saved from the lost and found where it was unclaimed for months:



And although it was for my birthday, not Christmas, I had to share a picture of the lovely pillow that my dear friend A made for me, which now sits on my special knitting armchair where it looks perfect:

Project Knit-Myself-A-Scarf-Since-I-Can't-Knit-A-Sweater-Until-I-Have-This-Baby

So as my New Thing To Do This Year I decided to start knitting again. Which is not so new, since I actually knit a fair amount this past year. But I haven't been knitting since last summer, and since we moved my yarn is a hopeless disorganized mess. And i was reading one of my favorite blogs, Green Apples and she posted a collage of all the lovely things she made this year. And it inspired me, specifically to knit more beautiful things for myself, because I know I will love and appreciate them and my life has been so overwhelming and full and stressful, and I wanted to give myself a gift. So Sunday, I picked up a new knitting magazine, a new pattern to work on and some new blue yarn. It's the Pfeiffer Falls Hooded Scarf from this Winter's interweave knits and it shall be my new mama scarf in which I will take long walks on the beach with my new babe snuggled up to me in a sling. Because new motherhood is so picturesque, right? Right? Anyway...I wanted blue because it is a hood, and it's a present to myself, and it will be worn when the baby is small, and so it reminded me a little bit of paintings of the Madonna and how she always is wearing a beautiful blue head covering. So far I've gotten the pocket and three repeats of the main scarf done. Today, my birthday, I spent the whole morning knitting at my parents house while Rico was at work. My dad made me pancakes and my sister came over with my little one year old nephew, and I sat with my mom in front of the fire and the Christmas tree knitting away and drinking decaf coffee. Which was almost as good as the real thing. It was the nicest morning I've had in a long time.

29

Today...well, technically yesterday...I turned 29. This past year has not been an easy one, and I am not sad to leave it behind. But I will always remember it as the year that brought me my most precious gift: those two beautiful pink lines, the feeling of a tiny feet dancing underneath my skin, and the knowledge that my little baby was a spirit baby no longer but truly here on this earth with me. I look forward to the last year of my twenties with a clean and open heart. Sometimes when I wake up with bad anxiety, which I am unfortunately prone to, I say a mantra in my head "Good things will happen today." I say it over and over until I am ready to get up and face the day. That is my motto for this year: Good things will happen. How can they not? This is the year I will become a mother.