Twelfth Night

Here we are, the Twelfth Night.  No kids at home.  Our last night of Christmas Tree, of Advent lights in the windows, time to put away the Christmas china and linens.

I am listening to Christmas music tonight:
http://open.spotify.com/track/74vbhCvIbL2XoUhBXvLsYL

I don't know if you can link to that unless you use Spotify, but if so, please enjoy.

The College Boy has headed to parts west, his bedroom is clean (without my help...!) and his linens and bath towels already in the mudroom for the laundry.  They do acquire a nice, mature responsibility after a few years away from home, don't they?  But this house, this evening, is too quiet without him.  Him and his guitar, his music, his computer things.  Too quiet.

We have a duck in our mudroom tonight.  I suppose she shall spend Twelfth Night with us.  The cats are pacing in consternation.  "A duck by our food bowls?!"  I am not sure what is wrong with the duck, but she is not walking, and was lying shivering on the cold ice when I retrieved her at dusk tonight.  I can tell she hates being in the mudroom as much as the cats hate her being there, and I hope she is alive and walking in the morning.  Twelfth Night hope springs eternal.  (I have to note that these ducks are not pets at all, merely "Ducks-on-a-Junebug" instruments in the summer {i.e., bug-eaters}, and egg-layers whenever they feel like doing that.  I just don't want to have to deal with a sick or suffering duck.)

I told myself I would make a positive list..of something.  And here it is:

• Once a week that Spouse o' Mine and I will do some sort of home improvement on This Old House, ca. 1887.
• I am going to read my Bible more often.  (My Mom has read it through several times; I hope to aspire to that sometime.  The best part?  My Mom knows her Bible verses and chapters.)
• I am going to travel more.  Not to Tahiti or Togo, but to see family.  
•  I have a new cookbook, (Thank you, daughter Gillian!) and I am going to go through each recipe, if possible, this year. 
• Cello, year three.  I need to improve. 

There are probably more things I can list, and these are not New Year's resolutions, just a "positive list" that will keep me fresh.

And so, there I have it: Twelfth Night.  And one more fun song:
http://open.spotify.com/track/0lrLQSH0aqjKFOxwERbSS2 

And finally, what our house looks like tonight, Twelfth Night, 2013:

 Yes, yes, it's the same photo as my blog photo, but after tomorrow, that will change to something new.  I just love that this is what our home looks like:

Welcome, friend.  Come inside.