Back in our limbo days, our kitchen table became a woodworking bench. For days, in fact, we left twigs, branches, and various nature finds, tools and crafting bits and pieces there (merely shifting them to one side at meal times!) - everything readily at hand for those moments when inspiration struck one of us. Little by little our small woodworking shop produced many things, including my whittled crochet hooks and something else you can sneak peek here today (more next week).
It also produced an Advent calendar.
Our Advent calendar is very simple, made with four recycle jars decorated with paper snowflakes in lieu of candle holders, and four pinecones painted white, all hanging from a driftwood branch. It's a symbolic reminder of the underlying values of this time of waiting and preparation, when (inner) light and warmth grow during the four weeks that lead up to Christmas day.
Rebecca was more than a little disappointed that we wouldn't carry the new Advent calendar we'd just made to the US. But then, our family has taken a path where traditions and celebrations are very important moments in our year because they serve us to underscore meaningful events, rather than enslaving us with rituals and paraphernalia that some years weigh on us.
(for more Advent calendars, check Valerie's post here - she shared her lovely Advent calendar, and invited readers to leave a link to their own)
