White Christmas?

I have made some progress on decorating my room at Gonzaga Eastern Point Retreat House. It is festive with a few odds and ends. I'll post a photo of my pine-decorated fireplace soon. I can sense Christmas is right around the corner.

We ended a terrific Advent retreat this Wednesday. I feel so privilged to hear the stories of incredible men and women who are yearning for intimacy with God. I feel like my entire year has been one of grace. I feel so inwardly silent and settled. It's a great feeling. It helps me be present to others on their journey to Christ.

Earlier this week, I began watching "White Christmas." It was the first time I watched the film. I had no idea it was of long duration. It is a great story line. I watched an hour and a half before I had to stop watching it. Since it was on continuously the entire week, I knew I would have a chance to watch it again but ironically the satellite receiver's hard disk failed and we waited the week for the set to be repaired. However, once it was back on, "White Christmas" was continuously playing. To my delight, I saw the last hour and a half. It is the sort of movie that you make popcorn for a snack.

I hadn't been out to see a film in a theatre since I was in Australia. I went to see Harry Potter and thoroughly enjoyed it. Though it was dark and serious, it felt like because of the solid companionship of the three stars. When the last film comes out, I want to sit through a marathon of each movie and then re-read the series. My next film is going to be Chronicles of Narnia. I'm told the latest film, The Dawn Treader, is certainly worth taking in.

The retreat house has a little bit of break in schedule this week. We begin an Advent weekend retreat tonight that ends Sunday, then we have an off-week because of the Christmas holidays. I have an entertaining weekend planned. Friends from college will visit on Saturday and I will see other friends from the Boston area on Sunday. Then I have to cook a Holiday Strada for Monday. I don't even know what that is. I'm thankful for AllRecipes.com.

Hope you are all enjoying your Advent. I hear it is humid in New Zealand and rather hot in Australia. It is at the freezing mark in Gloucester, but a friend gave me a nice quote from the Scandinavians: There's never bad weather; there's only bad clothing. (or something like that.)

It is December 17th and we've already broken a record. We have not had any measurable snowfall in the area - a first! The weatherpersons say we might get some snowfall on Sunday night or we might not.