twinkle and shine

i love this picture of my grandfather.  something about his body language makes his thoughts so clear. it's a moment of peace, of rest, appreciation for a job well done.  i imagine my grandmother taking the photo, seeing her husband proud, knowing they'd done well, yet again, for their little girls.  sort of channeling that feeling tonight.

my grandfather put the same train around his tree every year.  he and my grandmother accumulated a mesmerizing village over the years and somehow managed to prevent children and grandchildren from demolishing it.  

our tree is up and we got a shiny new train for underneath.  b is a train fanatic so he's fairly excited about it.  everything is warm and sparkly.  well, almost everything.  need to finish the dining room and the family room.  but for now i'm going to sit here and enjoy what i have accomplished.