A wreath has no beginning or end—it is eternal.
Here’s hoping your morning is worth the anticipation.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
ps—although we have a beautiful pine cone wreath made by my sister Denise many years ago, this is the wreath I hang on the door. Since we don’t lock the storm door, I worry that the sentimental wreath will get stolen. I got this handmade one at a yard sale about three years ago, so if we were to lose it, I wouldn’t feel the loss quite so much.
The Christmas Eve service was nice. Real Nice, with just the proper amounts of old Bible verses and singing Christmas carols, and standing and sitting, and watching children mesmerized with candles and wax drippings while Silent Night came from the strings of a harp.
Lots of hugs and happiness and visiting in the Fellowship Area. But I, being merely a guest for this one service, got to leave before the last light switch had to be flipped.
I went a bit away from my usual route on the way home, to be able to look at all the pretty lights. I’ll have to look up who won the prize sponsored by the newspaper. I think all are beautiful on these long winter nights.
Most of the way up Main Street, the same headlights were in my mirror. The turn signal came on same time as mine, so we turned onto our side street. I pulled into my driveway, then the white van went on into the next door neighbor’s.
I called out “Merry Christmas!” across the yard, their family called back the same.
I came on into the house, and hadn’t even set down my purse yet, when we heard a hummm outside.
“Is that a saxophone out there?” my husband asked.
“No, it’s bagpipes!” I exclaimed.
I turned back around, flipped on the porch light, then he and I went out.
There at the bottom of the steps was the neighbor boy, I think he’s about 10 years old now, in full Scottish dress and kilt, playing “Oh, come All Ye Faithful”.
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Brought tears to my eyes.
I had to grab onto the arm of my mister for a minute.
This is the season when we remember the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. I can tell you that hearing a harp at the Worship Service, then bagpipes in my own backyard, is a fine way to help with remembering the Reason for the Season.
Merry Christmas!
~~love and Huggs, Diane
As if there aren’t enough things to do this holiday season, I decided to read a book I’ve had my eye on.
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
I was at the public library and saw it on the rental shelf. You know the one, when the book is so new and popular that there is a 50cents fee and a shortened rental period. Not to worry, I read each of his previous two fiction books in about 4 hours, so I figured this one would have a nice pace.
Sho nuff, I finished it in just over 3 hours. I liked it as a nice little distraction from the hubbub of recent days.
If you click that link to Amazon, you’ll be able to read reviews numbering into 3 digits.
I can’t say it any stronger than so many already wrote about.
I do know that I can relate to what the main guy, Chick, is going through about not fully knowing his parents because he was looking through the eyes of a child, and losing touch with his daughter.
I’ll probably own it as soon as I find a used copy for less than $5.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Please don’t make me choose, since I love both of them. I’ve been known to ask for a mocha latte in the middle of a heat wave, and to make eggnog from scratch (using pasteurized eggs) in the middle of summer.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa leaves them sit under the tree. Relatives and family wrap gifts. It was the same when I was a little girl, so why bother to change it.
3. Colored lights or white on tree/house? Colored
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No
5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually around the 21st. When I was a kid, we didn’t put up decorations until our public school was over. One time when our sons were in grade school, we all put up the tree on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. They stay up until Epiphany, January 6, which is when the Wise Men finally did their visit.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? French Toast with real maple syrup and sausage links. It has been Christmas breakfast for at least 18 years.
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? The second time I got Kristine, my baby doll. I’m pretty sure that was the same year I had the mumps over Christmas vacation.
There were 4 daughters in our family, and money was tight. Getting new dolls for each of us would cost too much. Kristine was maybe 2 years old. My mother says the doll had been a Christmas present before, but I remember her being in Dad’s suitcase when he got home from a trip.
Anyway, it wasn’t my turn to get a doll. Knowing that I loved baby dolls, my mom felt a bit bad. She sneaked Kristine out of my bed, washed and set her hair, cleaned her up real good (even getting the ink off her cheek from where my little sister had marked her).
My Aunt Sylvia had sewed all new clothes, and Grandma crocheted a new hat and booties.
When I woke up, and Kristine wasn’t in bed with me, I got so upset. My sister and I went downstairs, and there was Kristine looking beautiful on top of the pile that was mine.
I was so glad to have her again that I forgot to open my gifts until my sisters had already done all of theirs.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
What truth? Santa and Mrs. Claus and all the hard-working elves live at the North Pole and use a sleigh and reindeer to deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls of the world. I hear that Polar Express sleigh bell ring all the time.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Not usually. When I was young…NEVER!!
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? We haven’t had a big tree for at least 5 years. We had a nice artificial tree about 6’ high for several years. It was a mess of colored lights and sentimental ornaments. The cats loved it. I have a picture of Oscar’s face peeking out from the branches.
11. Snow, love it or dread it? As long as I’m not responsible for shoveling anywhere other than the home place, I’m fine with snow. The years I was custodian at the church, well that responsibility and those long sidewalks got dreadful.
12. Do you know how to ice skate? I used to. Haven’t been on skates since I was 4 months pregnant with firstborn.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? It is a Christmas ornament. The second Christmas after we were married, my husband went over to a little church and took a beautiful picture of the stained glass window featuring the Holy Family. He then printed the pictures as wallet size, glued them to a high quality cardboard, then punched holes around the edges. He also typed up labels for explanation for the whereabouts of the window and glued it to the back.
I crocheted through the holes in pretty colors of yarn to make a nice border. We sent them out in Christmas cards, and passed them out all over the place. My spouse took so much effort and talent and thoughtfulness, and we both worked to make the ornaments happen.
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Getting cards and letters from friends and family who don’t communicate much the rest of the year.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? I could eat pumpkin squares anytime
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Taking the day off
17. What tops your tree? Has always been an angel, even when I was young. Ours is in a box, but I still have it if we ever decide to do a big tree again. It came from my mother when she was an AVON Lady. I think she is so pretty that I bought one to send to my sister-in-law in the state of Washington and got a nice card back.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? Giving. When I give, I can forget about it. If I receive, I have to write a carefully worded note of Thanks, then think about what to do with the item.
19. Favorite Christmas Song? O Holy Night, on my Donny Osmond album
20. Favorite flavor of Candy Canes? Peppermint. Although one time I did receive a cherry flavored from a local candy shoppe and it was quite tasty. They make their stuff in small batches, with somebody right there doing prep. I’ve never tasted anything awful if it comes from The Chocolatier.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
Others who have written about Christmas
Laura’s is a bit different but is a part of the season
Susie is having a recipe exchange
Owlhaven has invited everybody to her Christmas Carnival
Platypus lives in Great Britain and is following Susie’s Cookie Exchange
How could it have been a week since the Intrepid was pulled from the mud? That’s about what I feel like—maybe I’ve been stuck in the mud? Jumping in place? Holding my own?
For the first couple days I was blaming it on the ice underfoot in the driveway (no matter how hard I chipped, it would not break up to be shoveled away) and the cold weather.
For the last couple days, temperatures have not been below freezing, the sun shines, the ice is melting without any effort on my part.
And still, I am blah.
I wanted to get out of the house. My messy house, where I keep seeing things which need doing, but I give myself a mental note and say I’ll get to it later.
Plenty of time later. Not like I have a timeclock to punch.
When I had my Edu Psyche class, I took a personality test which describes me as someone who needs motivation from external sources. In a school classroom, stickers and high marks for grades are used for persuasion.
Growing up in my mother’s house, she would invite her Sunday School class or be hostess for the Girl Scout Troop as incentive to clean. Not to mention all the tv commercials for Mr. Clean’s white tornado or Pine-Sol pleasant scent.
I don’t invite people over. Some folks say this is selfish, that I use the clutter as an excuse to be withdrawn. Maybe I need some more sessions with a therapist to figure my mind.
The Christmas boxes were against the back wall of the storeroom. In order to get to them, I had to haul out several boxes of toys which had been put away when I was done doing home daycare. It seemed crazy to return them to the dark, since the sons don’t seem to want any of them. I called my brother and asked if he would want them. Some were his, passed down to my boys, used much.
He said Yes, so Husband boxed them up.
Just what I needed to get me out and about somewhere with a purpose. The UPS store is in the same plaza as a craft store and the B & N bookstore. All I spent was 54c on a roll of ribbon, but watching the people interactions was nice.
The Red Cross website said that a Blood Drive was happening in the Bone Center. I also had to go to the Credit Union in the same building. A lovely sunny day for a walk.
Alas, my hematocrit number is still not high enough for me to donate. The nurse stresses that I am not anemic, just don’t qualify on their terms, and admonished about drinking tea and the tannic acid. I cannot give up my morning brew, so I’ll have to up the intake of foods high in iron, and maybe find a better supplement.
On campus, the stress of Finals week hangs in the air. The professors with the writing questions and the grade scale, the students using extended hours at the library, the computer tech gets apprehensive phone calls about dvd reads. Such a different place than the mill town where I grew up. There’s an article in the paper about the cost of college tuition, how students cannot possibly pay everything every semester and graduate promptly in four years. Times like this, with the eerie aura I feel just walking across a parking lot, I wonder when life as we know it will come crashing down.
I was talking to an 80 year old lady the other day. She lived 30 years before I was born. I asked her if the first 30 or this latest 30 were more difficult. She said when she was 50, right where I am now, she looked at her empty nest and thought she would never be busy or happy again. Then she said a door opened up, she stepped out on faith, and realized that the Lord has a plan for each one of us, and puts us in a place where we should do the most good. The last 30 years have been full of joy.
I’m still looking.
And I sure hope the plan does not include decorating a Christmas tree or stocking shelves at a supercenter. Neither one of those activities seems at all appealing to me right now.
What I will be doing is rummage through the freezer to find something for supper. Tiny steps for family harmony.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
The first greeting card of the season came from my baby brother. Plus he enclosed a picture of his sons and a hand-written short message.
My youngest son, coming inside from the cold weather proclaiming “I am not going to shave the rest of the winter!” as he peeled off gloves, hat, wool coat.
Apparently, he inherited my sensitive, itchy, dry skin.
He will probably shave often, though.
He is a guitar teacher, and sets a good example.
Both my cats sleeping at the same time on our queen-size bed. Not close together, but they seem to be getting along lately.
While at husband’s job/College of Business Christmas party Holiday Social, someone I haven’t seen since last year’s gathering and whose name I can’t remember, came over and asked how is my eye.
Someone else asked if I have used the wheelbarrow lately.
Apparently, word gets around that I write a weblog.
Having a work-related social occasion where I don’t have to go out and buy a new outfit to make a good impression. Now, don’t get me wrong, if I were to work off a bunch of pounds and get some cosmetic fix for the spider veins in my legs, I’d gladly strut my stuff.
As it is, wearing plain black pants, a sweatshirt with appliqued angels, and silver bell earrings is more my fashion.
Being at a party and saying “Hello, Mr. President”.
that would be of the university
Hearing my name called at the party, but realizing it’s not for me. Later when I asked, I heard the story from her mother of how she got it. Same reason as mine—our dads liked the same movie star of the 1950s.
Small world….who woulda thunk it?
Having breakfast at McDs and the volume of the in-store sound system was lowered to a level where we could have nice conversation.
Getting the ironing done during daylight. Standing by a sunny window is much more pleasant than trying to see the wrinkles by the light of an overhead bulb.
Finding a new yarn shop downtown near the post office.
Which sells bamboo crochet hooks. I now own 3.
Two nice e-mails from friends first thing this morning.
Simple pleasures. Here’s hoping some come your way.
Update: My Mister has a question at his place. It pertains to an item we saw at Ewing Manor during the party.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
If you are wondering why I’m absent, the crocheted items for Christmas have been keeping me busy. Although I did do some bookmarks for Baptism gifts and got them sent away.
Yesterday, Matthew McConnaughey was a guest on OPRAH because he is the star of a new movie We_Are…Marshall, which is about the football team of the university in Huntington, WV.
I’m sitting there (enduring all the audience participation which happens on her show) hook and yarn going full tilt.
I changed colors for the next stripe. Go all the way to the end of the row, turn it around, get about 18 stitches and notice a mistake in the previous row. Have to pull it out to that point. Work it some more, get all the way back to the color change place. There was a miscount on its very first chain 5 and turn. Two full rows to pull out and wind the yarn.
All the while, I’ve got my eye on the tv, because let me tell you, the guy is absolutely gorgeous, and speaks with just a touch of Texas accent.
After all that, I just didn’t feel like writing anything.
Meanwhile, I have to go clear the walks. Only 1/2” of snow last night, and the way the sun is shining, if I brush it away, I should find some bare concrete.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
What does it say about my social habits if I call Latte Time to tell the owner that I won’t be at Open Mike tonight?
I also turned down an offer of free tickets to a play.
This weather is not to my liking.
I’m going to cocoon with a movie then the tv show NUMB3Rs.
Thank You people from the electric company!
~~love and Huggs, Diane
SELL LINE
One family. One journey. One child, who could change the world. Forever.
The other evening during NCIS, I saw the trailer on tv.
Now I read a review at the SunTimes.
Maybe I’ll rent it on dvd someday.
To quote a favorite children’s book, “It’s a blustery day”.
Husband begins a “new” job today, so he wanted to be prompt. We got out of bed to the sound of ice and branches clobbering the roof.
He went out first, dug out the driver’s door of the car, managed to get it open, started the engine, made sure the tailpipe wasn’t full of ice, then came back inside.
I went out and shoveled the walk—a futile effort considering how the wind is blowing the snow.
We waited awhile for the car to get warm enough to melt snow off the windows. Clearing and shoveling, many cars passed on the street. Many people have to get to work early.
We got to McDs and saw an electric company truck idling in the parking lot. The workers had to stop for breakfast.
We left the car idling also, with doors locked.
The two guys with the electric company logo on their coats looked stalwart and brave. Neither one yet 30 years old, but holding the comfort of thousands of citizens in their abilities to keep the lines up. I’ll bet the coffee tasted great to them.
Husband called his boss, only to learn that ISU is closed.
Workers for McDs went about their duties like it was any other day. The young man who cleared the walks went out twice while we ate our breakfast. The morning shift arrived. I heard the manager say that no one had called off.
This was good because across the street, coming down out of the apartment house, was a whole troop of guys. I went out and called that the University was closed, but one guy jogged across the street and said “Yeah, but McDs is Oh-Pen” as he held the door for the next 15 people.
I went back to Husband and remarked about the contrast of the two men who work for the electric company, and a bunch of cheerful college students, now free for the day.
All of us having breakfast.
The world needs all kinds of people.
~~love and Huggs, Diane
ps I’m going to play hooky for the Memorial Service at church.
I loved the dearly departed lady, but I don’t relish the idea of digging out the car again so soon.
