Anticipation and an Advent Listen

I'm going through a great little Advent devotional this year entitled Simply Wait: Cultivating Stillness in the Season of Advent. Actually, I ordered it last year but got it too late to enjoy much of it. For this first week, the focus is on the word anticipation, a sense of expectant waiting.

So what I'm wondering is: what do you do to get into the spirit - the waiting spirit that is? Is there anything you do that helps you settle down and get past the commercial fluff and angst, and be reminded of what this season is to be about?

And another Advent question: is it just me late to the party (as usual) or are you finding an increased interest in the celebration of Advent as a major focus of the holiday season? Until about four years ago, I don't ever remember hearing of such a thing. Do you think (as I do) that it's a reaction to the emptiness many people are coming to acknowledge that has overshadowed Christmas? Or have you always celebrated Advent?

Anyways, here's my one thing: I found this CD by City on a Hill several years ago and it's the first and only Christmas music I listen to until around December 15th, which is when I get around to decorating. Actually it was the artwork that first drew me to it, and the music, a selection of songs by Christian artists Sara Groves, Caedmon's Call and others, never fails to satisfy.

If you have an MP3 player, you could easily download these tunes from Amazon or iTunes. There will be plenty of time for the traditional holiday tunes and carols; I think you'd find this a heart-stirring and delightfully uplifting change of pace.

Christmas, Surreptitiously

For years we've battled, Father Christmas and I, each trying to get a jump on the other. Some years I've beaten him to the chase, compiling Christmas lists and plans in January and February (yes, I can be a bit crazy-proactive at times!). Shopping and crafting in June, July and August. Wrapping in October and November. And feeling free to decorate, bake and hide out in December.

Other years, he's had me and he knows it. He starts with that crazy Christmas-in-July stuff. He picks up steam in October, slipping bits of red and green amidst the peaceful calming colors of fall and peeking out from behind the Halloween costumes. (In fact, I suspect that may be why those Jack-o-Lanterns grin at me so eerily). The day after Halloween, he goes full throttle with the Christmas ads, commercials, and cheesy holiday donkey songs. The Salvation Army guys, bless their hearts, don't help much, what with their tinny-sounding trumpets belting out Christmas tunes in wacky syncopation with their bell-ringing. It's enough to make me want to hide out for the duration.

This year, I confess, I'm further behind than ever, if being ready for Christmas is measured by the number of cookies baked and presents bought and wrapped. And yet, I feel surprisingly more prepared than ever. Not ready as in " gotta-get-my-house-in-perfect-order - company's-coming." Not hardly. But ready, as in willing to turn my eyes to the mystery of Immanuel. Ready, as in anticipating the season. Ready to embrace the One who came to save us from our sins. Ready to be reminded of the joys of giving - not things, but self.

Last year our church challenged us to approach the season differently, with a series entitled Advent Conspiracy, based on some suggestions presented by this organization. This year we're doing the same. I peeked at the website and have been totally taken with this year's theme: Give Presence. When it's all said and done, isn't that what matters most? That the Holy One of God came to dwell in us and among us. And really, what better gift can we offer others than the gift of our presence? Something in me loves the idea of conspiring against the status quo (take that, you sneering Jack-O-Lantern!) No, I won't do Christmas perfectly. But in my heart I can honestly say "bring it on!" Or better yet - Come Lord Jesus!

(Disclaimer: the Father Christmas image is used here merely in jest - I'm a firm believer in St. Nick actually! Oh, and I like to think I got a jump on the old geezer by posting this prior to Black Friday!)

A Christmas Memory

I just read that this blogger needs to (among other things) install a lock on her son's bedroom door, and a rush of Christmas memories came to mind.

When we were kids, my mom never bothered to wrap our presents. Which suited us just fine. I mean, let's cut to the chase, right? Instead, she arranged my sister's and my gifts in matching piles on the couch or either side of the Christmas tree, which I think she usually set up on Christmas Eve.

Amazingly, these piles were perfectly symmetrical, mirror images of each other. Personalized bath towels. Matching, sometimes homemade, pajamas. New (also sometimes homemade) dresses - same style, different color. Cowboy outfits, complete with cap guns and holsters - just what every little tomboy wants!

And the dolls. Always the dolls. Every year there was a new doll for each of us, I guess to counter any potential negative effects of the cowboy paraphernalia and Hardy Boy books. Also amazing was the fact that every year I seemed to get the brown-haired doll with the red dress while Debbie got the blond-haired doll with the blue dress. Go figure.

Anyways, these laborious preparations kept Mom up quite late on Christmas eve. Her final touch was to secure the bi-fold doors with a rubber band, to keep little early birds at bay while she recouped from her late night endeavors.

Well, one year I decided to take matters into my own hands. As was (and still is) my habit, I was wide awake at some ridiculous hour. I tiptoed out into the hallway, pushed on the bi-fold doors until there was just enough room to get my little hand through and remove the rubber band. I then proceeded to rearrange the piles of presents a little more to my liking. I knew better than to mess with the personalized towels. My main objective was the doll. I wanted, no I needed - that blond doll with the blue dress. I was tired of red. I can't remember what else I did but after a bit, and perhaps a cereal snack, I somehow managed to secure those bifold doors again and tiptoe back to bed, quite pleased with myself.

On Christmas morning, I acted oh so surprised. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or maybe it was the blinding light from my dad's 8mm movie camera, but my mom never caught on to my clever antics! Until years later when I revealed my little secret and she confessed to a bit of Christmas morning confusion.

So yes, Sarah. You are wise to install a lock on the little boy's door. Perhaps it should be on the outside though!

Of Christmas, the Story

Been reading Glimpses of Grace, by Madeleine L'Engle, off and on this year. It's a collection of bits and pieces of her writings, from both her fiction and non-fiction works. I thought this reading from the other day priceless and especially appropriate during this season (paragraph breaks mine):

"Let's recover our story because we'll die without it. It's a life-giving story - this magnificent narrative we find in Scripture - if we are willing to read openly and to read all of Scripture, not just the passages selected to help us prove our point.

The God of Scripture can sometimes seem brutal, seen through the eyes of the early biblical narrator, who is looking at the Creator through crudely primitive eyes. But the God of Scripture is also the God who refused to nuke Nineveh, even though that's what Jonah wanted; who forgave David for a really staggering list of wrongdoings; who wants only for us stiff-necked people to repent and come home; who goes out into the stormy night for the one lost black sheep; who throws a party when the Prodigal Son returns; who loves us so much that God did indeed send his only begotten Son to come live with us, as one of us, to help us understand our stories - each one unique, infinitely valuable, irreplaceable."

Blessings to you and yours as you celebrate this wondrous birth.

Surprise, Honey!

The other day my husband had off work. I took the afternoon off to visit my sister on her birthday and run some errands. I called home around 5:00 pm just to see how his day off was going.

"Did you get to sleep in? Are you hungry? Should I bring something home?" He hasn't had many days off this year - in fact, this was his first paid vacation day in almost two years.

Before I hung up, one last hint, "Try to keep the house clean, okay?" (I just had it cleaned the day before and silly me - was holding my breath it would stay that way until at least my family gathering on Sunday. How much mess can two adults make?)

I got home at 9:00 pm, only to find the kitchen in shambles. The kitchen cupboards seemed to have thrown up all over the place! Things I hadn't seen for years were piled high on counters and table. I peered around the corner and saw hubby camped out in front of the kitchen sink and my heart sank a bit.

"Oh no, not a leak!" Our house is prone to plumbing blessings at inopportune times. I would not be surprised if the sink were leaking.

"Oh no, I just thought it would be a good day to hook up the ice maker."

Our fridge died this summer and the replacement model has an ice maker, something about which we are both a bit ambivalent, nevertheless a fun option we thought we'd hook up eventually. But four days before Christmas! I stood there for a few minutes, not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Any man reading this blog will scratch his head - who wouldn't be happy with an ice maker that you didn't have to nag to have installed? Any woman reading will see my point immediately - the mess. Which I was assured would be remedied in about five minutes. Ah, we know better, don't we?

Anyways, I decided to laugh! At least when my husband tackles plumbing projects, it gets done and done way beyond right. All the fixtures in my house bow down in agreement on this one! We lay in bed that night, listening with delight to the occasional ice cube drop, which caused MacGyver to get his hackles up and bark at the unseen beast.

And I realized something. This was exactly what I needed. No - not an ice maker. I needed to have my grip loosened a bit. My control (okay, make that CONTROL) tendencies tend to get a little out of hand. It's not that I need to control others, but I really expend a lot of energy trying to make sure every thing's just perfect. When it doesn't need to be. The kitchen is put back together, the gifts are mostly wrapped, the house is passably clean and the things that really matter . . . time with those we love . . . will be welcomed over the next few days.

So thanks, Mike, for the surprise that is way cooler than ice cubes! The gift of your precious time and a lesson to boot!

Things I Don't Get

Some things just make me scratch my head in wonder, especially around this time of year:

1. Inflatable lawn decorations that mostly just look like oversized deflated balloons strewn about the lawn, except for the few hours each night they "come alive." They're kind of freaky, aren't they? But put a giant inflatable snow globe out there and suddenly it all comes together. Not!
   
2. Tissue paper. I hate the whole tissue paper thing. Why do we need to use tissue paper when wrapping gifts in perfectly good clean boxes and bags? It just gets thrown away, right? Unless you're like my husband who insists we save boxes (good idea) and tissue paper (kind of annoying). I'm going to see if I can get away without the tissue paper this year on the very few clothing articles I'm giving as gifts!
   
3. Stockings. Who ever got the crazy idea to hide stuff in giant oversized socks? I know, it has its roots in tradition but honestly . . . do we still need to hang socks around the house?
   
4. The day after Christmas. I swear, some people live for this day. Why? To stand in line to return and exchange things because everything's marked down after Christmas? I know - I worked retail in a department store one Christmas - never again. People literally told me on Christmas eve that they'd be back the day after to exchange things so they could get a better deal! Go figure.
   
5. Giving to get. By this I mean those super deals where YOU get something for yourself when you spend so much money. You know - buy $100 in gift cards and get a $20 gift card for yourself. Huh? Even Christian organizations do this . . . when you call now and pledge so much money, we'll send you a really nice calendar that you really don't need but we'll send it anyways cuz we're just nice that way and besides we have 5000 extra we need to get rid of. Really now, is it about the giving or the getting?

Now lest you think I'm a total Grinch, let me share a few things I totally "get" about Christmas.

1. Olives. It's the one time a year I can eat entire cans of black olives and not feel bad (well, a little sick, yes but no guilt!)
2. Nut roll. Nuff said!
3. Starbuck's gift cards. Sorry but you can never have too many of these.
4. Family Christmas newsletters. I know these have taken their share of bashing over the years but I truly love hearing what's going on in people's lives and hey, if Christmas is the time they feel compelled to share . . . bring it on! BTW . . . I still hear from my dear 7th grade teacher Mr. Witt every year. Well, actually it's his wife that sends a handwritten card updating me on their family doings. What a blessing to keep in touch with people, even if it only happens at Christmas.
5. Kenny G "Miracles" CD playing on Christmas eve, sitting with Mike in front of the Christmas tree (which is barely decorated this year but with the lights on, you can hardly tell!) Just sitting, savoring the moment . . . until he can't take it anymore and the TV goes back on!
   

God Bless America?

Many of us will sing this anthem tomorrow as we celebrate the birth of our nation. In light of the study I'm participating on the Beatitudes this summer, I couldn't help ask myself this question: What exactly am I thinking when I ask God to continue blessing America?

• Allow me to continue living in my comfort zone, oblivious to those around me who are unaware of your blessings?
• Keep me from getting embroiled in any uncomfortable political controversies?
• Allow me to continue worshipping as I please, regardless of whether or not my worship pleases you?
• Keep our nation free from and unaffected by the poverty that plagues much of the world today?

When I read the word "blessing" in the Beatitudes, it's usually accompanied by a not so comfortable idea:

• being dependent upon God
• learning to truly mourn and how to comfort those who have lost something or someone dear
• learning to be content with who we are
• caring about others
• being a peacemaker . . . introducing others to the peace that only Christ can offer

So maybe my prayer as I sing God Bless America over the next few days should be a little different. (okay, I'll probably just hum!) How does God really want to bless America? How does God's idea of blessing differ from mine? And perhaps most importantly, how can I be part of the way God truly wants to bless America?

My Father's Gift

As a kid, I always looked forward to payday, for often my dad would come home from work with a surprise for my sister and me. A Hershey bar, a ruler or new pencils - these little gifts were ways my dad said "I love you." What kid doesn't delight in getting a gift from her dad?

Now that I'm older, one of the gifts I recognize that my father has bestowed upon me is the gift of patience. I'm generally an impatient person, not so much with others but with myself and the things I do. I want everything now. I want a blooming display of flowers but not the work associated with them. I want my house to be clean and organized and nicely decorated - now. I want to accomplish all my dreams today!

Visions come to mind of my dad and his meticulous patience in everything he does. There's a right way to do things, no matter how long it takes. He puts things away when he's finished with them, wrapping up cords, disposing of the last little bit of trash. And he always allows himself plenty of time to accomplish these tasks. I can hardly ever remember my dad rushing or fretting about things. This beauty of taking his good old time is part of this idea of patience - the idea of making room and time for patience to work.

I'm not doing such a great job here of expressing what I feel and that's possibly because it's something I've only come to realize as of late. But there's a sense of calm that comes over me when I'm doing something and I remember to slow down and take my time. And I think I have my dad to thank for instilling in me this sense of patience. It's just one of the many things I appreciate about him, and I hope I can thank him by living it out.

Thanks Dad - I love you!

Me and 39,999 Others

So Sunday was a first for me - my first 5K walk. I joined a friend in the Race for the Cure and we walked approximately 3 miles through some of the nicest parts of my city. I'll confess. Other than one friend at work, my life has been relatively untouched by this disease. I did not raise one single penny for the cause; they'll have to be happy with my registration fee this year. My motives were entirely selfish; things didn't work out to get together with my mom and siser on Sunday, my husband was out of town and as a "non-mom" I was hoping to avoid the sometimes depressing thoughts that can be overwhelming on a day set aside to honor moms. I wasn't prepared for the blessings that would be mine.

First of all, it was so sweet to see all the survivors sporting their pink ball caps and t-shirts, and walking hand-in-hand with grateful husbands and daughters. It was equally moving to see husbands, sisters and daughters walking in memory of loved ones who lost their fight.

But more than that, it was amazing to watch forty thousand people moving as one through the city. Once I managed to quell my fear of becoming lost in that massive throng, it hit me - these people are walking for a cure that is at best temporary. I couldn't help thinking how much more I have in Christ and am I willing to share that? It would be thrilling to see forty thousand Christians mobilized in the streets of Pittsburgh - yes, but then I am reminded that the "Walk/Race" is really just the celebration. The victories, the healings, the bearing through months of illness - those happened just one person at a time. And so it is with Christ - it is he who changes lives, one life at a time. But am I celebrating that in a way that others will want to join me on the walk?

She's A Grand One!

When I was a kid, we were fortunate - oh so fortunate - to live next door to my Gram. She lived across the field from us. My sis and I were always over there. It was not unlike us to run across the field several times a day to borrow a tomato or egg, check out what she was having for dinner or just read the paper, shoot the breeze and visit. (Whatever Gram was having for dinner always seemed better than what we were having!) Over the years she gave us art lessons, serenaded us with her attempts at playing the piano and organ (!) and kept us laughing with her crazy schemes. Chores were a hassle at home but cleaning Gram's house was our pleasure (go figure!)

For these and other reasons, we used to tell our mom she was our "mother" but Gram was our "grand" mother. Of course, most kids everywhere do the same. Grandmas tell you stories while moms tell you to clean your room. Grandmas give you homemade bread with butter and jelly, or fudgsicles before you've had your dinner. Moms give you dinner and make you eat it all, whether you like it or not. Grandmas delight in everything you do; moms - well, they're the mom. They discipline you. Make sure you get to bed on time. Make sure your clothes match. Ensure you get your homework done.

Grandmas are quite grand and ours was a treasure. But after all these years, I've come to realize my mom was quite grand herself. I'm sure I didn't appreciate it then, because she was just doing her job most of the time. But while she was making sure our clothes matched, our manners appropriate and our homework complete, she also made sure we made plenty of memories along the way. The summer before my sophomore year, she had something special planned almost every week, and at the end of that summer, she presented us with a photo album so we'd be able to remember all the fun things we did. She worked for many years at a Christian school so my sister and I could attend there. When I was in college 400 miles from home, many were the times she'd surprise me by visiting for the weekend and taking me and all my roommates out for dinner, or fly me home for a weekend.

Now that I'm older of course, I realize she didn't always have it easy. She stood her ground many times when it meant she wouldn't be popular. Years before my dad came to know Christ, she was committed to raising my sister and I to know and walk with the Lord. Okay, so she did have a strange way of waking us up. She'd come in our rooms, flip on the light and quote a verse from Proverbs about not being lazy! But I'm sure that was only because she'd been up long before, spending time in her Bible and on her knees in prayer - and she longed for us to start our day the same way.

So this is for you, Mom! Happy Mother's Day! Having grandchildren doesn't make you grand - you were that all along! Thanks for just doing your job . . . your girls are rising up and calling you blessed (make that "grand") today!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Yes, people really do celebrate such an event, on which the great Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day was based. Check it out. My dream is to actually get to Punxatawney, PA some year for the big event!

But for me, it all started when I was a little kid. My dad faithfully indoctrinated me in the Groundhog Day philosophy, and each year, we anticipated the day when hopefully the little beast wouldn't see his shadow. Not seeing his shadow meant spring was just around the corner. If he sees his shadow, you're in for six more weeks of winter. For my dad, that meant six more weeks of working out in the cold.

I guess I made a big enough deal about it that my sweet hubby proposed to me on Groundhog Day. The clever guy. On Saturday night (February 1st), he suggested we go out to breakfast the next morning before church. I should have seen through it. He's not a morning person. But I fell, hook, line and sinker. The next morning he appeared at my apartment, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, much like we hope to see Punxatawney Phil. Like true young lovers, we celebrated our anniversary of dating each month - for us, this fell on the 2nd. I was excited because I had a t-shirt for him, one I'd gotten free with the cologne I'd given him for Christmas. Then it was his turn. He gave me an adorable white teddy bear. With a piece of green yarn around it's neck. With a ring on it. He dropped to one knee, and totally blew me away with the "will you marry me" thing!

So Groundhog Day is both a day to celebrate our engagement as well as a predictor (hopefully) of an early spring! And like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, I'd do it over and over and over again! (Marry my sweet, that is!)

Okay - show of hands! How many of you have seen the movie? Love it or hate it? And how many of you get into Groundhog Day?

This Christmas . . .

Lord as I seek to keep in mind "God With Us" throughout this holy season, help me remember:

When I'm jostled by the crowds who seem so unaware of what we're really celebrating . . . that the crowds which must have rubbed shoulders with Mary and Joseph as they travelled to Bethlehem were no less aware that their King was about to come.

As I partake of gift giving with my family and friends . . . how Mary must have felt when presented with myrrh, a foreshadowing of your death.

As I sing the oh-so familiar songs heralding your birth . . . bring to mind the angels who announced your arrival from the heavens.

As I greet friends and relatives during the holidays . . . remind me of the shepherds who came to welcome you with joy on that holy night.

As I think about travelling on Christmas day just 50 miles round trip in a warm car to cozy homes . . . remind me of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem, a long and difficult one but filled with promise.

As I make my last minute preparations, focus my mind on those preparations you made from the foundation of the world to redeem mankind and make possible my relationship with you.

Mostly help me remember, as I look for the meaning that the world tries to obscure, that Christmas is more than just another day off work or appointed time for family gathering - it's a holy day, set apart to celebrate your coming to be with us. God With Us - the greatest gift.

And Mary pondered all these things . . .

That's what we do, right? We women. We ponder things. I've come up with no less than 5 posts of a Christmas nature that I'm just not through pondering yet. So in the meantime, some thoughts about Mary and Joseph.

Do you ever wonder what Mary might have been pondering? I don't just mean when the wise men presented her with those foretelling gifts. I wonder what went through her mind when the angel told her she would bear a son, not conceived by man. And when she had to face her family with the truth? And when she raced, maybe in fear, to her cousin Elizabeth's house. I wonder if she missed her maidenhood friendships when she was thrust into the throes of womanhood so unexpectedly? Did she worry about what kind of mother she would be? What did she think about travelling to Bethlehem so close to the birth of her child, so far from her family and all she knew?

Maybe you've wondered about some of these things. If so, you should think about going to see The Nativity Story. I went with my parents and husband to see it this past Sunday. This well-written screenplay took us into the minds of Mary and Joseph during those months prior to Christ's birth. Believable characters combined with breathtaking scenery and a timeless storyline to bring the story to life.

And if you enjoy a behind the scenes peek at things, you'll probably enjoy Angel Hunt's blog entries relating to her novelization of the screenplay. Scroll down to to the entries beginning around December 9th.

Whatever you do, I hope you take some time to ponder the Christmas story anew this year, and that it's fresh with meaning for you. In the meantime, I'll go back to my ponderings and hopefully come up with some things to share between now and Christmas.

What Ever Could It Be?

Is it a reindeer?


Or a deformed turkey?


Or an angel?


Nope, it's just my puppy-boy MacGyver looking awfully cute in his too-big antlers someone gave him as a gift. He was mighty disappointed this was not a squeaky furry thing for him to terrorize and kill. But he posed for me so well while I snapped about a dozen pictures so he got a treat!!

We Have A Tree!

A tree, prelit and complete with ornaments. And snowmen. Lots of snowmen. After years of my husband making fun of our Charlie Brown tree, I splurged last year and bought a prelit one from Walmart and I love it. I also opted to ditch the handmade garland and bows that I'd used in the past and go with ribbon and more glass ornaments that he prefers instead.

Did I mention I like snowmen? My mom got me this first little guy, and the Snowbuddy one was a vacation souvenir one year. They make a Snowbuddy Nativity set now but something just doesn't seem right about that!





A few years ago I started collecting the Mitford snowmen stuff that Hallmark was making, in conjunction with Jan Karon's beloved Mitford series. If you look carefully, you can see the ornaments are skiing on shovels and garden spades.







Topping our tree is the first ornament we ever bought together - at a craft show five weeks before we were married. You can't see the detail but it's an angel made out of cornhusks and it's something I'll always treasure.



And lastly - someone obviously can't wait until Christmas! The funny thing is - MacGyver never gets into anything but somehow he "knows" when a bag or something (like this stocking) contains a toy or treats for him. It's uncanny, but he has to wait for the Fat Guy like the rest of us!!

A Blaahgy Tour of My Yet to be Christmas House

While everyone else in the blogosphere is touring Boo Mama's Bloggy Tour of Chrismas homes today, I'm just waking up to the fact that Christmas is indeed almost here. Ten days to be more or less exact, depending on when you happen to read this post. Ten days. And no tree up here yet. A few Christmas decorations out. And a few - just a few - cookies baked.

I started off with my favs this year. Giant Ginger Cookies and Shortbread. I've found two recipes that are in my opinion equal to or better than the same offerings by Starbucks, and much cheaper, ha! Here's the link to the Shortbread cookie recipe. I roll the dough into 2 logs, roll in raw sugar, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge. Then I slice and bake - make sure you let them get a little brown around the bottom edge. Mmmm!

And here's the recipe for the Ginger Cookies.

4-1/2 cups flour
4 t. ginger
2 t. baking soda
1-1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1-1/2 c. shortening (I use butter-flavored Crisco)
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
3/4 c. coarse or granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, stir together first 6 ingredients. In another large bowl, beat shortening for 30 seconds. Add 2 cups granulated sugar and beat until combined. Beat in eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture gradually. Using a med. scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll in coarse sugar and place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 minutes, until cookies are light brown and puffed and starting to crack. Do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. The original recipe calls for using 1/2 cup scoop, which makes 4" cookies. I prefer smaller one; mine are about 2-1/2 inches.

And while not much Christmasy has been going on inside the house, my husband has been busy stringing lights outside. Unfortunately someone (me) failed to get the lights OUT of storage while we had 60F days around Thanksgiving and so he spent several hours outside in 30F weather one night last week. No pictures of those efforts yet but to give him credit, he's also been busy ensuring we have that fire for which to roast chestnuts by throughout the holiday season and then some! Here are pictures of his growing woodpile(s). And remember, "you can never have enough wood!" (This is for Bev - yes, we're into the wood thing!)

Christmas on the Funny Farm

I know someone did a Christmas memory post and invited everyone to link there, and I obviously missed that one. Nevertheless I wanted to share a few memories of Christmases gone by here.

Although my parents made Christmas wonderful for us as kids, my memories are interspersed with times spent at my Gram's house in the country, that big multi-acre homestead we affectionately called the Funny Farm due to its lack of animals beyond the occasional mouse.

Christmas eve was always spent at my aunt's house, and my parents would get home and get their two anxious little girls to bed and begin assembling toys and arranging our presents in the livingroom. Christmas mornings were spent in front of that ever-so-bright light on my dad's 8mm camera, as he taped his little girls expressing glee at the site before him (or faking it, if I was up several hours prior, rearranging the presents to my benefit - see my previous post here if you want to wise up to what your kids might think of!)

Sometime around noon I guess, we'd don our new turtlenecks and holiday best and head for the country for Christmas with Gram. I swear she must have spent hours making those celebrations almost magical for me and my cousins. There must have been at least twenty-five people crowded into her diningroom and she usually had tables extending into the livingroom as well. After dinner, it was time for presents. But not just presents. One year she had a grab bag and we cousins all pulled numbers out of a bag and got a different gift. I think that was the year I ended up with a $5 bill hidden in an empty wrapping paper tube. Another year she made a pinata and we all took turns swinging at it in the basement, waiting for the candy to spew all over the floor.

When I think about it, the gifts really weren't much. There was the year she gave me and my sister really nice perfume sets. One year it was a Nothing Book - much like a blank journal nowadays. The adults exchanged practical presents such as dishtowels, pot holders and Maxwell House coffee. The men would usually end up sitting around, solving the problems of the world in raised voices, while the women played cards and we kids played with our gifts. It was the togetherness, not to mention the wonderful food, that made the holiday special.

As we grew into our teens, the big get-togethers dwindled as some of our cousins and aunts moved away. My one favorite aunt, my gram's sister, continued to come. Presents continued to be silly and practical. My sister was becoming an accomplished pianist and we'd look forward to her performing for us after dinner. Then everyone would get in on the act, my Gram and her sisters singing goofy songs or playing Charades.

In 1977, our family spent the entire Christmas week and then some at Gram's, because our house next door burned down and we had no where else to go. My memories that year are mostly of generous church families making sure our family had the basics as we started our lives from scratch. I still have my Bert & Ernie pillowcase I was given back then.

During my college years and my twenties, we continued to spend much of Christmas day at Gram's, but sometime in my thirties, we started gathering at my mom's instead (which was just across the field from Gram's place). When my Gram broke her hip one year, and started feeling the effects of osteoporosis, my husband and brother-in-law would carry her across the field in a chair. I guess it was easier than getting her in and out of a car. The gift-giving seemed to center around Gram too - she was our little queen (she was less than 5' and weighed less than 100 lbs). I usually bought her clothes in the children's department!

Our last Christmas with Gram was back at her house. We gathered in the livingroom that was rarely used anymore, and she gave each of us something from her house. I can't remember what she gave my mom or sister, but she gave me a set of Norman Rockwell teacups, which I'll always cherish.

When the presents have outlived their usefulness, when the bubble bath and Maxwell house coffee are gone, when the chocolate's all been eaten and we've outgrown the toys, we realize what lasts from year to year are the memories we make together. I hope you and your family make some wonderful memories for keeps this year!

Post-Thanksgiving Gratitudes

1. For sixty degree days as November winds down.
2. A long quiet Sunday afternoon walk on my favorite trail.
3. Getting about a third of my Christmas shopping done on a relatively peaceful Sunday afternoon.
4. Six days in a row off work.
5. A Colts game on Sunday night after a disappointing Steeler game (gimme Peyton & Tony any day!)

So that's why Gram did that (and other holiday observations)!

When I was a kid, I liked running next store to Gram's in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. I just loved being a part of the preparations. In fact, much of what I do now I do just as I learned from her. She would always set the table several days in advance. And in each serving bowl there would be a little slip of paper noting what scrumptious delight would soon fill that dish. Tonight as I set my table for dinner tomorrow, I began to panic. I don't have enough serving dishes! Finally, I grabbed a slip of paper and jotted down a list of items . . . stuffing (1), stuffing (2), sweet potatoes . . . etc. Then I cut them up and placed them in each bowl on the table and it occurred to me - perhaps Gram didn't think she had enough serving dishes either?? Well the other good thing about this is it keeps you from forgetting to put everything you've made on the table. Which is a real bummer after you go to all the time and trouble and then come across it as the guests are leaving!

This year, I'm taking it easy. Bought a pumpkin cheesecake at Costco. I did opt to make homemade rolls. I'd rather bake bread than make dessert. Bought Watkin's Roasted Turkey Gravy mix online and it just came yesterday. No making turkey stock from scratch ahead of time and thawing it the night before and laboring over the pan drippings tomorrow! Just add water, mix and stir! Mostly everything else is made and hiding in the fridge, waiting to go into the oven or microwave tomorrow.

Last night I thought there was no way I was going to pull this one off. I got home from work late as usual and, as usual, was too tired to do much. I usually tell myself to get my cleaning done first, and as a reward for doing so, then I get to cook! Well that just didn't happen this year. And you know what, I still didn't get all the cleaning done. Tomorrow I (we) still need to vacuum, dust and ugh, clean the bathroom! But you know what else? It will get done because that's all I really need to do tomorrow.

So from here on out, I free myself from silly restrictions such as "clean first." It will get done, even at the last minute. And what if a cleaning fairy showed up to surprise me (no, Mom, I'm not hinting here!) and there was nothing for her to do? See, it makes total sense to me - from here on out, leave the cleaning till last. Plus if the food is really good, it won't matter if my ceilings are decorated with cobwebs or if guests can write their names in the dust, right?

And now, really, I am signing off and pausing to reflect on my many blessings - before the mayhem starts tomorrow!

If this doesn't scare you . . .

Didn't know how my dog would take to me dressing him up so I decided to dress up like my dog! He still looks less than thrilled - go figure.

Check out Kailani's Halloween contest at Pink Diary, and there are prizes! You can cast your votes for this entry via comments, or head on over to Kailani's site and check out this post for lots more entries for your viewing and voting pleasure.