It's close-out day. I started this project In January of this year with some apprehension. While I had managed to work a lot of things with this great technology a blog was a totally new effort and I knew I would have no trouble finding things to 'talk about" but I was not at all comfortable and confident that I could put the whole visual thing together. As often happens much of it came together in those late night sessions with "self" and it was such a thrill to know "YES, I CAN DO THIS!"
I DO LIKE A CHALLENGE AND AS I HAVE SAID SO OFTEN THIS YEAR "IT DOES IMPRESS THE GRANDS."
I have not mastered this animal yet but I will not quit & give up.
Here's looking forward to another year by the Grace of God and I pray we will not waste the additional days he gives us.
12/24/09
Christmas Notes 2009
Merry Christmas All..waking up tired but joyful; nothing quite like waking up to find the dishwasher running, kitchen sink empty/clean, and counter tops cleared /clean/only having to put away dishes from our gathering last night. No PRESENTS NEEDED-it's been Christmas at my house already.
What a husband.."every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above."
Same day, second verse: I will always remember the Christmas eve in Crossett, Arkansas when I was working in a department store, had to work on the 24th and the store manager would stay open as long as a customer wanted to come in the door..I hated working that year. We were having company, people who were just moving into town,waiting the delivery of their furniture. I couln't imagine how I would ever pull off our usual Christmas Eve Buffet. My husband and daughter had made additional food and when I got home LATE the dining room table was set with the right tablecloth, napkins, Candles, centerpiece etc..they bailed me out! It was a beautiful gift to me.
[notes added after the original post on Christmas Eve ]
This year [ 2009 ] was not like any other Christmas we have had together. We had plans for a special little two, possibly 3 day trip to north Georgia-an area we had never even driven through. Last minute decision to postpone the trip and just stay home considering unfamiliar territory and some weather issues.
Ted built a fire in the living room fireplace-maybe the first time ever. Until then I always had it filled with greenery or a display of candles.
I found an all music channel on the TV, beautiful Christmas music-closed the doors and had fantastic music in the background all day long...in my PJ's almost all day. We kept the fire going, read, stared at the tree which I so love to do and took ,shame on us, several short naps on the living room sofa. The entire day was so incredibly peaceful and joyful and did I mention how much money we did NOT spend?!!
What a husband.."every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above."
Same day, second verse: I will always remember the Christmas eve in Crossett, Arkansas when I was working in a department store, had to work on the 24th and the store manager would stay open as long as a customer wanted to come in the door..I hated working that year. We were having company, people who were just moving into town,waiting the delivery of their furniture. I couln't imagine how I would ever pull off our usual Christmas Eve Buffet. My husband and daughter had made additional food and when I got home LATE the dining room table was set with the right tablecloth, napkins, Candles, centerpiece etc..they bailed me out! It was a beautiful gift to me.
[notes added after the original post on Christmas Eve ]
This year [ 2009 ] was not like any other Christmas we have had together. We had plans for a special little two, possibly 3 day trip to north Georgia-an area we had never even driven through. Last minute decision to postpone the trip and just stay home considering unfamiliar territory and some weather issues.
Ted built a fire in the living room fireplace-maybe the first time ever. Until then I always had it filled with greenery or a display of candles.
I found an all music channel on the TV, beautiful Christmas music-closed the doors and had fantastic music in the background all day long...in my PJ's almost all day. We kept the fire going, read, stared at the tree which I so love to do and took ,shame on us, several short naps on the living room sofa. The entire day was so incredibly peaceful and joyful and did I mention how much money we did NOT spend?!!
12/19/09
Christmas Traditions
Christmas Traditions are not what you decide or plan to do during this season.
The traditions are what we [as we reflect back] always did-we generally don't decide what our traditions will be..we just do what we do then we see later what it was [the traditions].
About the time our [only] daughter was in the first grade we had our first family Christmas Eve buffet. I can't recall for sure what motivated me to do this but I do know I wanted that special Christmas atmosphere, a bit of formality perhaps.
At some point I informed the entire family that Christmas Eve dinner/meal [ it became a buffet ] would be a dress up time. Everyone was required to 'dress' for the evening. I don't know what they thought about it; I didn't ask. This is what we were going to do. I wanted Christmas to be more than watching for Santa and getting up to see gifts under the tree. I wish I had made notes about those first Christmas Eve parties because I cannot remember a lot of details.
I set about to arrange our table with tablecloth and napkins and whatever I thought festive at that time/candles,etc. The meal was an assortment of all the goodies I had bought or cooked for Christmas. The table [buffet style] was set with the prettiest dishes I had. I think we had a hot percolator punch.
From that year on we did this every Christmas Eve. It did grow to be a more elaborate spread as time passed and my taste and creativity changed.
That's one of the things I miss most about Christmas as things change, the children are grown up, have their own families and either are not at our house or even if we are at their home they do things differently. I don't really know if this tradition was that special to them.
Change is normal, but it is not always easy to accept. We understand we are 'counting down' and there won't be many more of these wonderful seasons to celebrate together with our children and grands. They don't really know that. With health issues not being a major thing for either of us we aren't at a place where we are ready to be taken care of. We still love doing all the Christmas stuff, putting up a big tree, making the house festive and fun, stringing outdoor lights and filling the bags with sand for luminaries outside. It's still fun to watch for "almost dark" and time to turn on all the lights then the routine of turning them off somewhere around 9 or 10 p.m...I still want to "Do Christmas".
In our seventh and eighth decade of life It appears we need to consider some new ways of doing Christmas..easier said than done. This is not negative it's just dealing with our realities. Lord help me not to be totally self involved. ...to be continued.
The traditions are what we [as we reflect back] always did-we generally don't decide what our traditions will be..we just do what we do then we see later what it was [the traditions].
About the time our [only] daughter was in the first grade we had our first family Christmas Eve buffet. I can't recall for sure what motivated me to do this but I do know I wanted that special Christmas atmosphere, a bit of formality perhaps.
At some point I informed the entire family that Christmas Eve dinner/meal [ it became a buffet ] would be a dress up time. Everyone was required to 'dress' for the evening. I don't know what they thought about it; I didn't ask. This is what we were going to do. I wanted Christmas to be more than watching for Santa and getting up to see gifts under the tree. I wish I had made notes about those first Christmas Eve parties because I cannot remember a lot of details.
I set about to arrange our table with tablecloth and napkins and whatever I thought festive at that time/candles,etc. The meal was an assortment of all the goodies I had bought or cooked for Christmas. The table [buffet style] was set with the prettiest dishes I had. I think we had a hot percolator punch.
From that year on we did this every Christmas Eve. It did grow to be a more elaborate spread as time passed and my taste and creativity changed.
That's one of the things I miss most about Christmas as things change, the children are grown up, have their own families and either are not at our house or even if we are at their home they do things differently. I don't really know if this tradition was that special to them.
Change is normal, but it is not always easy to accept. We understand we are 'counting down' and there won't be many more of these wonderful seasons to celebrate together with our children and grands. They don't really know that. With health issues not being a major thing for either of us we aren't at a place where we are ready to be taken care of. We still love doing all the Christmas stuff, putting up a big tree, making the house festive and fun, stringing outdoor lights and filling the bags with sand for luminaries outside. It's still fun to watch for "almost dark" and time to turn on all the lights then the routine of turning them off somewhere around 9 or 10 p.m...I still want to "Do Christmas".
In our seventh and eighth decade of life It appears we need to consider some new ways of doing Christmas..easier said than done. This is not negative it's just dealing with our realities. Lord help me not to be totally self involved. ...to be continued.
December 2009
Add some wind to the 50 degree temperature outside and even in south Alabama, it becomes COLD AND WINTRY.
Add Christ and it feels like CHRISTMAS in south Alabama, or Georgia, or Texas or Mississippi, even Florida!
Add Christ and it feels like CHRISTMAS in south Alabama, or Georgia, or Texas or Mississippi, even Florida!
12/1/09
The Best Gifts
Time,
Listening and actually hearing,
Remembering,
Caring and willing to express that caring.
Listening and actually hearing,
Remembering,
Caring and willing to express that caring.
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Cousins
There comes a time in LIFE when our COUSINS AGAIN become very important. I think that time has arrived. jwh