Resolutions

It's that time of year when we start resolving to change things in the New Year, to lose weight or finish that novel or spend more time with those we love. Same resolutions every year...same sense of defeat that the year has passed without even one being checked off the list.  The problem is - we are too linear in our resolutions. Now, if I'd written last year that I resolved to find ways to be happier, ways to enjoy the time I DID have with my family and ways to allow the Lord's Grace to shine through me onto those around me, then I'd be looking back over this year as a full success. 


As rushed as the year was, we had so many opportunities to visit with family and friends here and across the country. I wrote, and read, a novel's worth of delightful emails and texts. Taking early retirement dropped an incredible amount of weight from my shoulders and helped me appreciate what is truly important. Every wish going into 2011 fully realized and accomplished. And that is how it should be! 


So consider what you really want in the coming year and set your goals broad enough to encompass all that promises. You may be surprised how your perspective will shift along the way. Remember, every breath you breathe is one more success story in the making!

The Holiest of Christian Holidays

Merry Christmas Morning!

It is Christmas morning. It is also a Sunday morning. The holiest of Christian holidays with the holiest day of the Christian's week. A double-header, so to speak. For me, this Christmas season was very different from so many before, for a number of reasons. Less work stress and more time made it enjoyable to plan and prepare for the more secular spin on the holiday. Time to trim the tree, bake goodies, shop and wrap. Time to spend with friends and family. Even time to reflect on this, and past, Christmases. This was the second year we did Christmas morning stockings with the boys (and Sarah) on Christmas Eve morning. So waking up today, I haven’t figured out whether I am relieved to have the flurry behind me or sad that the season is waning. How can I express letdown that the anticipation is behind me when it all played out to a magnificent crescendo? It couldn't have been better! The icing on it all will be our annual trip to Estes Park with our dear friends for New Year's. That  and our Progressive dinner with them before Christmas is always the highlight of the season!

We've not taken part in church services the past few years, but that doesn't mean that "The Reason for the Season" is not planted firmly in our hearts. Fellowship with our friends and family is very important to us, and I would hope that our actions reflect the love of Christ in our lives every day of the year. It's hard to equate dozens of presents stacked to the ceiling with the humble beginnings of our Savior in a stable 2000 years ago. I learned to separate the distinction years ago. We can enjoy different books, movies and music in the same span of time. We love our children separately, yet equally. So, too, it is possible to enjoy celebrations of winter, Santa and Christ's birth in a single breath. Santa Claus isn't a replacement for Jesus, no more than snow is a replacement for those who winter in Palm Springs. 


Expectations run pretty high this time of year. How can you afford all the lights and the presents you want to put out? How can you bake like Emeril and decorate like Martha Stewart? How can you live up to the ideal of a Christ-like life?  There's pressure to "make" the holidays work, at all cost. If you can't pull off "perfect", then you're a failure. That is where we, as a society, short-change ourselves. The holidays are a time to express ourselves however we want, to celebrate, to reflect, to enjoy.  Break the candy mold, be who you are and love it.

I hope I never forget again how incredible it is to ENJOY the Season. 

May you enjoy yours, as well.

This Year's Ornament

To add to my last post, look at the lovely ornament our dear Sarah made for us. She made one for each of the families who celebrated Christmas together on Christmas Eve. These ceramic ornaments, in the shapes of stars, candy canes and trees, have the names of each family member and a sweet sentiment and date on the back. 


Not only is this a great reminder of family, but also how these families are ever-growing and sharing. From Doug's sister and her husband - the current Matriarch and Patriarch - to the youngest member, little Matthew who's two, each and every person felt very special and very loved.  And even though the presents were piled high and the wrapping paper flew every direction, the closeness of family and the warmth of spirit surrounded us all. May the Lord bless every name written on these family ornaments. We are already blessed to have Sarah a part of our family.

Oh Christmas Tree...

Each night and every early morning during the Christmas season, one of my favorite things to do is gaze at the Christmas tree lights and look at the many bulbs and decorations on the tree. Come take a virtual view of my tree (and many trees past and future) showing some of my ornaments and why they mean so much to me. 

The past couple of years, we've put the noble fir on a table, out of reach of our basset buddies. Under the tree are musical little furry friends. 

My very first ornament, made of cardboard and  glitter. Mom got it for me when I was very young, along with an angel and an elf for my sisters.

In 6th grade (before schools became politically correct) each classmate brought in or made an ornament for the class tree. My friend Sandy Honaker made this delicate egg and gave it to me after Christmas. It has held up well in all my travels these past 43 years.

Momma sent this little Raggety Anne, and the Santa boot, to me at my first military base so that I would have ornaments for the tree my roommate, Jeri, and I set up. The dolly has always reminded me of my niece Bonnie, who was about 4 at the time.

 Jeri's mom made this delightful beaded egg to complement the one I had, and Jeri and I bought the little ornaments below - Precious Moments as Tiny Tim, the Little Drummer Boy, the Lion and Lamb and a Nativity. Our little tree, and that time, in a dorm room in Kokomo, Indiana, was special indeed.

In 1975 I was stationed in Taiwan for two Christmases, and this was the ornament for that time. It is quite delicate, made of silk and thin metal.

My sister, June sent me this Home ornament after Doug and I were married. It is pretty heavy and requires a sturdy branch. Speaking of which, most of my ornaments are tied with little bows. With dogs and small children, this was the best way of keeping the decorations on the tree. The little red, white and green bows add something too.

The little skunk below, peeking out of a stocking, was sent to Doug by my sister Rosa. He is made of coal and is a reminder that my sisters think Doug is crazy because he likes the smell of skunk. (In moderation.)

This lovely parakeet was on Doug's mom's tree. It now is one of many birds that nest in our branches at Christmas.

Lobster Claus here is just one of many ornaments that document something we did each year. We went to Boston in 1989. There is a Disney ornament from 1984, Seattle in 1997, to name a few.

In 1994 Miss Winsome Winifred Grace came to bring us much joy, and in 1996 our Schultzie dog crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

  In 1990, for a very brief moment, the world was at peace. This ornament is a reminder that peace, though fleeting, is possible.

 Some ornaments are remembrances of people. The beaded star was my oldest sister Mari's and will forever remind me that we lost her too soon, at age 42.  The 

Angel on the left says "Noel" and although meaning Christmastide, for me it reminds me of my brother-in-law Noel (Mari's first husband) who died in September last year. The Angel on the right is one of several made by Gail Stifel at our church and given to the Deacons each year. Joyful decorations for the tree, but also a reminder of our dear Mary Kellogg who was the boys' caregiver (and angel) when they were young. Our paths don't often cross, but she is always in our minds and spirits.

"Christmas for Cowboys" is a John Denver song. This ornament was made by a JD friend from Monterey and given out one Aspen in October.  A reminder of good friends, good times, good music.

There are a number of ornaments on the tree given by friends over the years. My friend LaVon gave this to me at one of our Progressive Dinner gatherings. She found it in Taos and it commemorates the fun we have at the Progressives, the friendship we have and our mutual love of Taos. 

Sometimes it is all about the placement. The Believe ornament I got last year found itself tied with Doug's Broncos ornament this year, as the team struggled to find its place in the NFL. So far, they're hanging steady!


Someone recently mentioned to me that she didn't know what meaning lights on trees and houses had in celebrating Christmas. For me, the lights and ornaments on a Christmas tree are constant reminders - whether celebrating Festivals of Lights, lighting a Menorrah, lighting up a child's eyes with presents or honoring the Light of the World!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!