New Year Magical Moment...

Every once in a while in ones life...something really extraordinary happens...and if we really pay attention and 'See' it can set you on a path that is magical and enlightening to follow...

the above was mine!

Putting away the Christmas tree and taking down all the lights can be a depressing act...basically the joy and illumination of the season are finished...time to move on....always a sad time for me. This year we have been doing it in steps to make it appear not so radical and final. The last bits of lights were yesterday ...around the front windows and the tree into the box. I removed the lights from the big front window and thought to myself...I really need to clean this window...spotted and dusty from our last rain and wind.... I went to get the cleaner and paper towels and as I approached the window again...there it was...this image ...it actually took my breath for a second. Why did I not see it before, I swear it was not there ...or was it but I only saw it from this angle. I quickly got my camera. I must add that these photos are untouched... nothing more than a slight bump in the contrast . Now I KNOW what this is.... it is the imprint of a Dove that obviously flew into our window and then flew off...this has happened before several times (the curse of keeping your windows clean)...poor little guys just see it as a straight flight path... and 'thump' into the glass when taking off from eating seed on the ground. Knocking Wood...we have yet to lose one, it just knocks them loopy for a few seconds and off they go. Just to be safe Richard and I scoured the front to see if there was a helpless little Dove sitting outside somewhere...nope! For those that may not know...most all birds have dust in and on their wings from 'dust baths' etc..also Birdie 'dander' ...so when they hit...this can be distributed on the surface they hit...we have seen this before... but what we have not seen before is the 'full' imprint.... and when I changed from color to B&W ...there it was... a face...an almost angelic face...WOW, breath taken away again...I so hope you can see it. Now I am NOT one of those Faces of Jesus in a Grilled Cheese Sandwich kinda gals, nor a follower of Heavenly Faces of Mary on the side of a Barn... but faces that I see and cannot explain that's another story all together...

As a child growing up, part of my Christmas Tradition (started by my parents) was to 'Find the Christmas Angel' ...we would set up the tree with lights and the color wheel spinning it's bright colors onto the tree (dating myself here) and look on the walls ,floor and ceiling for the Angel....sometimes it would take as much as a week or more to finally see her... but there she always was... our own Christmas Angel! Her silhouette appearing faintly on the wall or ceiling and then disappearing again , back and forth back and forth I would be absolutely mesmerized by her appearance...she was always there....Magical!! I loved this Holiday Tradition best...it gathered the family each night and we joined together in the search.... it made us use our imaginations. And when we finally found her... we each described what we saw , how she looked to us ...they were lovely moments...and ones that I will never forget.

The Angel has been absent for many years now...but I will admit, I still look for her each time the tree is set up.... this year, I believe my Angel came in a different form .... and she is the brightest and most detailed yet.... for whatever reason and however long it took for her to appear once again, I am so grateful that she did...her comfort is welcomed and the memories she brought are the perfect touch to this Ending Season of Joy.

Wishing you Magical Moments in the New Year

Jodi