Christmas miracles and countdown continues!

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It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! Indeed it is, and I am seriously seeking a small useful Elf type person to get me ready! I love this time of year, for the last decade or so, the term Merry was hard to fathom. I mean, I love being with my family, and sharing a good meal and presents, but I was grieving and trying to heal from the devastation of losing both my parents. I’ve said this before….my Mother, was “Christmas” in every sense of the word. She prepared for weeks, her décor was over the top Italian, but we loved it. Our Christmas Eve Fish feast was quite the production too. I now know, what I miss the most, is her. Her in her slippers scuffling up the stairs with platters and trays and over stuffed bowls of her delicious cuisine. She baked for months, all Daddy’s favorites, and her Grandmother’s desserts. All from scratch. She didn’t have a “kitchen aide” for 50 years, she hand mixed her dough. I  remember her making 25 lbs of sweet butter cookies. I swear my siblings & I lived on Butter Cookies for a month! She would start early in the morning and create and prepare till late in the evening. She did it for US, she did it for tradition, purely out of love.  Her happiness was to only see us smile, and love each other and most of all that we ALL be together. That is what I miss, and continue to deal with each year.  The miracle in all of it is, my children remember every moment of our Christmas Eve’s and desperately want to keep the traditions and family together. They miss their Grandparents, and we all feel the loss each holiday season. For many years, the light was dim. It was dark and painful without them next to us.  The last 5 years, I wept to my Mom, how could I manage without her? How can I find the light, her Christmas again? One year, my mother gave  me a Thomas Kinkade porcelain lighted Christmas tree. It was exquisite and detailed. It revolves and is lit within, with cut out stars that reflect all over the room. The painter of Light he was noted for…my Mother was my light and I hers, especially in our darkest moments. It is so beautiful and I love his work, I was truly touched. It symbolized so much for us, her deep love of family & Christmas trees! I cherish it, and think of her every time I look at it.  I feel her spirit and love around me lately. Guiding me again, comforting me in her gentle ways. I need her kindness and support now, and wish my parents could be here, next to me. The other day,  I was browsing at a consignment shop. Over the past year I have donated a thousand items of larger sized clothing, it feels liberating, but I also need lots of new clothing (boo hoo nawt really!) so I decided to try and consign some of it. I haven’t had much success in re selling them..it is what it is. A few months ago I found a little piece of heaven at this shop.  I had just scored a beautiful Victorian bench/Setee  for our bedroom. It is something I dreamed of having since I was a child. It’s romantic and royal and vintage…He also has a small art gallery there now and I was browsing thru and I saw a small Kinkade painting I admired. The owner and I were chatting and he was willing to sell me the painting for a very good price. I loved the painting a lot, yet it was a small 5X7 not exactly what I had envisioned, but he piqued my interest for sure! I didn’t buy it, I wanted to think more on it.  I’m glad I waited…a miracle was coming but at the time, I didn’t know it.

I believe in the ability to channel energies and love from the other side. I have had some incredible experiences with connecting with my parents energy and love. I was out running errands and collecting Snowmen as usual! Ok!!! So,  I adopted a few yesterday and the week before, they were cold and homeless and they “spoke” to me! It’s my favorite hobby over the last 10 years or so..it does my soul some good #snowmanobsessed!

Back to the miracle! LOL!

I was heading back to the consignment shop, they called and asked me to pick up merchandise I had consigned there, they were revamping the store…I was abit sad. I had a ton of new clothing I was hoping to sell, so I can in turn, buy more clothes! I was feeling defeated, and had not sold anything to date there, I was ready to cash in and donate it to someone who could really use it.  I walk in and see the owner Charles is there, the consignment/thrift  shop is new to the Smithtown area, & he relocated there a couple of months ago. He is a gentle soul, with a good eye for art and collecting and has some interesting vintage/ antique furniture going on.  I told him, I was feeling sad, that his employee called me to come collect my merchandise and I had just dropped off a large amount of new clothing last week too! I was feeling “meh”…bummed. He said, you don’t have to take it back! Just take some older items from 2 months ago, you could leave the rest. I was bummed! I had spent hours getting it all there and nothing sold! I told him, I would rather donate it, I just can’t bring it back home! He said…I feel bad, how can I make this right for you? I glance down at the floor and there sits a Thomas Kinkade  a fabulous piece, a  winter wonderland scene, large 16×20 painting, framed in gold. (Adrenaline Rises People)!  I smile and we laugh abit, I said, hmmm well this  one is Lovely! and he said…I saw you pull in, I thought you might like it!  Here’s the happy ending. He pulls a shopping cart with all my merchandise piled high.  It would fill  up my entire car if I schlep that stuff back home! & My hubby will Kill Me! I’m thinking…brain is processing…oh boy… So I coyly suggest….How about we trade! You keep ALL my merchandise (Over $500 +easy in new retail clothing) plus all kinds of other goodies, and I keep a few pieces of clothes and the painting.  He haggles for a few bucks on some other clothing I found and he smiles and agrees, noting, you really DO love to negotiate. Umm hell to the YES…Charles, I certainly do. The next few hours is a blur frankly, I was in la la land, at Lowes, (God, I loathe LOWES on a Saturday!) and I arrive home safely and anxiously await the moment when I hang her…my Kinkade, my miracle & dream.  I know my Mom is watching and smiling. #christmasmiracles. <3.  Here is a peek at my prize, and the beautiful Kinkade Christmas Tree my mother gave  me                      Enjoy & blessings to you & yours ~ leelee.