Lesson 341: Three Gifts

Find a cozy quilt and a cup of something warm, Readers.

It's a cold one across the whole country.

Snug up and enjoy your weekend read.

Here in Erie, we are experiencing our typical January weather.

It's cold and snowy, 

but it can't touch the Polar Vortex winter of last season.

Ice crystals sure are pretty though.

This winter has been long strange trip.
Sunday it was 52 degrees when I ventured out for a muddy trot.



Where the beach ball came from in the Community Park creek, beats me!

It dropped 30 degrees in six hours.

By Thursday the temps were holding at ten degrees 

with a wind chill factor of -5

 and several inches of snow.

My hotties and I exercised in it

and made some snow angels in the process!

(Great for the inner thighs)

A friend of mine gave these to me to use during my outdoor fitness adventure this winter.

Boy, do they make a difference!

Eloise highly recommends them.

This dove sought refuge in my garage this week.
He hung out there most of the day.

I didn't notice until I reviewed the photos,

the interesting perspective of the bike reflection on my van.

See Ellen's bike hanging from the ceiling?



It looks like he's decided flying is for the birds,
and is going to go for a ride.

I really enjoy this time, post Christmas.

I especially love the time during the Epiphany,

the long ride of the wise men on the camels.

Epiphany commemorates the coming of the Magi to see the Christ child.

For my readers who like to see a visual,

watch this five minute segment of the Nativity Story

Scene for Nativity Story

Pastor Keith over at South Harborcreek United Methodist always gives us a good talk on Sundays.  His sermons are one part inspiration and one part history lesson.  They are always interesting.

Pastor Keith shared with his congregation some background on the Magi, or the wise men.  From the bulletin insert:

On Magi:  Their number is unknown.  We call them the three wise men, but you notice the Bible never says there were three wise men.  The Bible says they brought three GIFTS.  Because they brought three gifts, we call them the three wise men.  But in all likelihood, this was a large caravan.

Readers, let me tell you this:  If there was a time period in history that I was able to return to, I'd pick to be outside of Bethlehem during this exact time period.  Eloise bringing in a caravan of camels.  

More from the church bulletin:  Ever how many wise men there were, there was probably a caravan of servants with them, because these were very important men.  they were men of note.  The Bible says that they were Magi, and the Magi were astronomers.  They were the scientists of their day, the philosophers of their day, men of education, men of letters.  They most likely lived in the land we now know as Iraq, 300 miles from Bethlehem.

I think I enjoy the story so much year after year is because it has such a mysterious quality to it.

How did they know that star was going to be there?
How did they see it without modern day equipment?
Who is smart enough to find pattern and order to the sky?

Yes, church bulletins can be interesting.  Keep reading:  There are over 330 passages of scripture that dealt with the coming of Christ.  Hundreds of years before Christ was born the prophets said 330 times, "This is where He'll be born; this is the family in which He'll be born; this is why He'll be born."  Somebody had calculated the odds of every one of those 330 prophecies coming true about Christmas.  They say the odds would be 1 in septillion.  

I like the wise men most of all because they didn't listen to King Herod.  He wanted them to return to him and report the whereabouts of the child.  Instead they went home a different way.  

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2: 12

I loved these words so much that I thought of using them

 for some Christmas gifts for next season.

I searched pinterest for some inspiration and found this one.

Cool.  

A glass block thing.

Some white lights.

A ribbon.

Silhouette outlines.

I could do that.

I had a Clark Griswold-like daydream about me entering the 2015 Christmas party, 

bearing these inspirational, homemade gifts.

Awesome.

Music in the background.

Some laughter.

A hug.

Choruses of thanks.

I could do that.

Record scratch

Kenyan walks in with these nails.

How cool!

Where did you get THOSE?

You are SO stylish!
Eloise's gift shoved to the side.

My dream is shot to hell with nail art.

The wise men brought three gifts:
gold--a valuable
frankincense--a perfume
and
myrrh--an anointing oil.

Eloise received some great gifts this season,
and I have chosen my favorite three to share with you.

Alpaca Socks!
They are the warmest, softest socks in the world.
Burch Farms in North East sells them.
Hair of the local alpacas are used to make them.

A new journal from my parents:

A place to hold all of my brilliant ideas.

A thermos!
I forgot how warm it keeps tea.

Record scratch

Tea?

Oh, Lord, she's detoxing again.

No wonder her blog topics are

weather

and

church bulletins.

Hang with me, Readers.

Doc's Detox only lasts until February 12th.

I'm going without alcohol and caffeine until then.

Oh, yeah,

and also,

sugar and dairy.

Record scratch...

this blog is starting to sound like an 80's dance club.

What are you eating Eloise?

Answer:  Everything else.

There are tons of whole foods and clean drinks to choose from.

It isn't hard at all and I feel really great.

I'll report in again in February to let you know my findings.

Just as the wise men did,

a detox participant comes to his own epiphany in the process.

What is the key to surviving the long winter?

Add some cozy warmth,

(My new $12 Big Lots tree)

and a little bit of laughter.

I put this photo frame on the piano again this year.

A year or two ago, Ellen inquired as to what color her snowsuit was

 in the snowman photo within the frame.

I guess I never told her the child in the photo wasn't her,

it was just the shot the frame came with.

I could never find one to fit, so I kept it.

For Ellen's entire life, she thought this photo was taken of her

in front of the 6 Mile Cellars fence.

Ellen is still harboring a grudge.

Her face kind of looks like this cat.

I discovered Grumpy Cat this week.

Google him for a good laugh. 

TIME reminded me it's time for bed.

No caffeine and no beer 

equals

one 

tired

ELOISE!

I didn't get out much to take many photos, therefore no video this week.
But, I do have something I want you to watch for your weekend homework.
I know, weekend homework is a drag,
but you won't be disappointed.

Don't miss the link below.
Thank you, Kristen for sending this to me.

Your Life Illustrated in Jelly Beans

Stay warm!
Eloise