Linda Stoll: In Which I Somehow Combine Christmas Cards & A Blog Post

Dear Friend ~

As I woke from a long winter's nap this afternoon, I was thinking how I had once again neglected to get Christmas cards out this year ... and while that reality was playing through my head, I was also trying to pull together the logistics of my next blog post.

Snuggling deeper under the quilt, I somehow put 2 + 2 together and decided to combine both worthy efforts into one hopefully worth-your-time offering.

I hope this isn't too tacky. To somehow make up for a lack of tradition, I'll throw in some family pictures for good measure since that's always the best part of those Christmas greetings that show up in our mailboxes.

Please feel free to share our news with your family or old {I use that term lightly} friends who might wonder where we've disappeared to.

Blogging's become a major part of my life's rhythm in recent years. Developing and nurturing this little online community has become a great big joy, so it's always a wonderful surprise to connect with long ago friends, clients, and far flung family members and hear you mention that you occasionally stop by the blog ... or that you're a regular reader.

And as you've shared something that's inspired or encouraged you on these pages, your kindness has been sweet music to my ears and I've been so grateful for what God has done despite the miles that separate us.

You've blessed me.

Tim has finally moved to part-time as he finishes up his 40 year career. He's a happy camper 'cause this has enabled him to begin working with Habitat for Humanity two days a week.

And when he's not here or there, you'll probably find him biking, pestering family members with texts as they try to work, continuing to set up his wood shop, or working on 'The Nest' above the garage which will soon be a lovely multi-windowed space for me to work, a quiet little nook to read and rest, a multi-purpose room for our family to overflow into when they occasionally arrive 'en masse.'

He loves volunteering up at Camp of the Woods in the Adirondacks whenever he can, lending a hand with renovations and little projects. He misses hanging out at the coffee machine at the Poughkeepsie plant with his old work buddies, so he's always looking for ways to connect with people since life can get pretty quiet at the Cape off season.

We've joined a Wednesday night Bible Study and I go to a Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays. We've met some really lovely people here at the Cape. Rumor has it that New Englanders tend to be cold and standoffish, but God has led us to some who've been delightfully warm and welcoming.

It's been good for us to be here in many ways.

We love being just a half hour from my Mom and doing life with her. She's always inspirational and encouraging, with never a complaint or negative word about anybody or anything ... and at 86, quite a whiz at the computer. Plus my sister's just an hour and a half away, so it's fun to have her drop in from time to time. She remembers embellished details from our childhood that I forgot long ago ... and no one weaves a more entertaining story than she does.

I've continued to work with a few clients by phone this year, and have been talking with a few people here about possible ways I can begin doing some counseling in the days ahead. I'm looking forward to what God has in store, even though I'm not quite sure what that's going to look like. I'm at peace in the waiting, content in my days, and have been in no hurry to race toward something new.

And I'm enjoying puttering around our new house ... if you haven't seen pictures, they're right here.

We've just finished celebrating Christmas with the family ... God has been good to gather us 3 or 4 times a year even though we're scattered from Annapolis to the Cape. We continue to remember my dad and little Tyler who went to be with the Lord in 2015, but God has been gracious to our family in our grief and through the challenges and the transitions we continue to navigate.

We're grateful.

Wishing you His greatest blessings in 2017 ~
Tim & Linda