Where?

When it comes to comfort, there are so many ways to look at it. My thought today was "Where do I find comfort?" I love my home. There are things about it that make it warm and inviting. I am currently working on making curtains for the front room to make it warmer and inviting. I want to have a comfortable home. Somewhere I can raise my kids and not have them worry about what could break and walking on egg shells, that they can make a mess and it will be okay. I want them and their friends to be comfortable here now, and when they get older. As well as I want my friends to be comfortable here. I have lived here for a year, I have wall space that needs to be filled, a lack of furniture, etc, but I really don't care because I know some day it will all fill up. My kids have lots of room to run and play. Comfort is not just what I have materially, it is how I try to live my life. I want to be a warm person. Sometimes I can be cold, but it is life. We all have our bad days, trust me. I just hope my children can find comfort in my home and feel safe here, whether it be a good or a bad day.

Where do you find comfort?

Cali

Comfort and Joy

Happy 1st of December! Today at our house we're starting up a few advent calendars to count down to Christmas. One of those traditions is a binder of stories called "A Story A Day Until Christmas." I may have skipped ahead to tomorrow in sharing this short story with you, but I thought it fit in so well with our weekly theme of comfort. Enjoy.

The Faded Blue Blanket

Fred Bauer

The most frightened shepherd that night was little Ladius, just ten years old. He cowered behind his three older brothers when the blinding star lit the hillside. When the angel appeared, he hid behind a huge rock. Yet after Ladius heard the glad news, fear left him, and he limped back to his brothers, who were planning to set out for Bethlehem.

"Who will tend the sheep?" asked Samuel, the oldest at sixteen. Ladius, leaning against his shepherd's crook to support a crippled foot, volunteered, "I'd only slow you down. Let me stay with the sheep." He wet his lip as he talked. The brothers weakly protested at first, then made plans to go.

"We must each take a gift," said Samuel. One brother chose his flint to start a fire for the Christ child. Another picked meadow lilies to make a garland for the king. Samuel decided on his most precious possession - his gold ring.

"Here - take my blanket to him," said Ladius. It was badly worn, a faded blue with patches. "No, Ladius," said Samuel, tenderly. "The blanket is too tattered to give even a beggar, let along a king. Besides, you will need it tonight."

The brothers departed, leaving Ladius alone by the fire. He laid his head upon the blanket and buried his face in his hands. Tears forced their way between his fingers, but soon the hush of night soothed the boy's heartbreak. The world in silent stillness lay.

"Are you coming, Ladius?" called a voice. Standing nearby was the same angel who had brought the news. "You wanted to see the child, didn't you?"

"Yes," nodded Ladius," but I must stay here."

"My name is Gabriel," said the angel. "Your sheep will be watched. Take my hand, and bring your blanket. The child many need it." Suddenly, Ladius was outside a stable. Kneeling by a manger were his brothers. Ladius started to call out, but the angel lifted a finger to his lips.

"Give me the blanket," Gabriel whispered. The angel took it and quietly covered the baby. But the blanket was no longer faded. Now it glistened like dew in the brilliance of a new day. Returning, Gabriel squeezed Ladius's hand. "Your gift was best, because you gave all that you had.

"Wake up, Ladius, wake up!" The boy rubbed his eyes and tried to shield them from the glaring sun. Hovering over him was Samuel.

"Did you find him?" asked Ladius.

"Yes," replied Samuel, "but first tell me why you were sleeping without your blanket."

Ladius looked about with wonder. The faded blue blanket was nowhere to be found.

May you all find yourselves giving and receiving an abundance of comfort and joy.

.

I Whistle a Happy Tune*

When I saw the topic for this week, a line from this song immediately came to mind, so here it is for your listening enjoyment!

I think of all things, music is one of my biggest comforts. Driving home from Thanksgiving with my husband's family, we were listening to Weezer's first album (my husband's sister found a bunch of his old tapes in his room while she was cleaning recently, and oh it's been fun listening to them!) and my memories shot me right back to my high school bedroom and all the hours I spent there just listening to music. And then there was college insomnia, the only sure-fire cure was to sing myself to sleep. I don't even know how many times the hymns have helped me pull through some stressful situations. And when my babies were, well, babies, I learned that calming the baby is only half of the reason to sing lullabies - the music was calming to me, as well.

Oh, I have other things on my list: big fuzzy socks, my favorite pajamas, a cat in my lap, lots and lots of pillows, definitely hot cocoa - and they each have their time and place. But music is the anytime, anywhere, never fails, tried and true when I need some comfort.

How about you?

*Like Grover!

Sweatpants and Slippers

Tonight I was too comfortable to get up.  I was in a serious comfort zone and there was no way I was going to get up and write a post about this subject without fulling enjoying it's possibilities.  I had on Mark's jammie pants, a giant hoodie that could fit two of me in it, a bowl of warm popcorn on my lap, a cozy quilt, a warm husband by my side and the best cushy-can't-get-out-of-it-couch ever.  It only took me a few minutes of enjoying this before I had fallen blissfully asleep. 

source

That doesn't happen to me much.  I take it back...the falling asleep part on the comfy couch -yes, but normally I am passed out in my work out clothes (shoes included) with a pile of wrinkly laundry by my side that is half way folded and the TV blaring something obnoxious.    Not exactly what I was describing before. 

Definitions of Comfort

A state of being relaxed and feeling no pain - Yup...that was me!


A feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment - Finally had about an hour of this.

Consolation: the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction - Does it count if Mark was doing this just by sitting by me instead of off doing business in another state?

Ease: a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state - It's cold outside but our home is warm and safe. I feel blessed to be where I am.
 Satisfaction or physical well-being provided by a person or thing - That couch and popcorn was sure helping out a lot.
Give moral or emotional strength to - Somebody did that for me today by easing a burden.  Thank you!

Quilt: bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together - I mentioned the quilt. Who else loves that this is in the definition? 

Lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate; "ease the pain in your legs"- Well I wasn't on my feet which seem to hurt always and I wasn't having to use my hands which hurt too these days.

So you see...I was experiencing it all minus a good comfy pair of slippers. I should have put on my favorite slippers.

source and how to for jingle bell slippers

We had a big week here.  Lots of food, guests, places to be, shopping, church programs to write, laundry, painting and a house to take care of.  I think it all stopped tonight around 7 pm and I took advantage of that...sorry for the late entry.  Our week was fun and crazy and enjoyable but not super comfortable.  I seem to ache for comfort some days and tonight I was happy to have lived like this.

What's your go to comfort?  Do you have days when you reach for your husbands clothes, hoping for a break from a waistband or a shirt that hugs you too close?  Is it a food?  A person?  Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!  Who doesn't want new ways to find comfort.