Holidays

I know that he holidays are difficult for many people.  They remember all the bad stuff that happened to them during that time...but for me it was a time of wonder and magic and sparkling lights all over the countryside!  I still love to go riding around in the car to see the lighting displays...and it seems like no matter what your beliefs you can appreciate the sparkle and glitz singing out into the night...especially when the sky is clear and the temperatures are cold.




For as long as I can remember, Christmas was my favorite time of the year.  I think it was because for the most part people seemed to become a little more caring and giving during this time of the year.  When you come to think on it, I think it's a wonderful tradition for Americans to check in with themselves right before Christmas to remember all the blessings they have and the things they are thankful for.  Then Christmas is ushered in as the season of giving all because God was willing to Give his son for us to live...forever.

I have begun to see Christmas in a different light lately.  I know there is all the push to spend money so our economy is boosted and we can feel good about giving gifts that we really haven't thought very much about, but there is that whole idea of giving to others even if we ourselves are in need.
I have always loved to decorate for Christmas.  I loved the colored lights and the sparkling ornaments...and for a while I went through a stage where we could only use white lights.  I also went through a stage where everything had to be primitive and look old.  I guess it's all in what going on with the times and the places you live in.  I have also gone through some years where I dreaded the Christmas season because I worked in retail and we started decorating in October and then had to take it all down before February.  At times I was decorating 12 trees at a time, each with a different theme and the rooms they were in had to have that theme as well.  The end result was beautiful and festive and wowed the customers enough that they would literally buy the ornaments and decorations off the trees or even buy the entire tree...garland, lights, ornaments and all...cost didn't matter.  By the time I got around to decorating at my house my excitement waned and my decorations seemed blase.

Well, I'm starting to come back, and enjoy the season in a whole different way.  It's funny what stripping yourself of everything that was familiar to you, changing your scenery and moving to a different place can do to you.
I don't feel like I have to decorate for everyone else.  I do it for me, when I feel like it.  If it takes me 4 weeks and it's 2 days before Christmas...that's just OK.  If I don't feel like doing something or don't like the way something looks I can change it... not do it ...or think about it until it goes away.

This week in school we were talking about holiday traditions that we do at our house.  We were encouraged to make a glogster..(.it's sort of a blog with pictures and effects.)  So, I have been working on one for us.  I realized that we do have some traditions that I really didn't realize we're traditions.  We always have steamed shrimp for Christmas dinner...even if we aren't all together and we by chance get to see each other a bit at a time we still have steamed shrimp sometime during the holidays.  I love to put on the Christmas music while I'm decorating and if I'm baking cookies and goodies.  I decorate the house, the tree, and anything that has to do with Christmas, and my husband watches.  He fixes things, does the wash and occasionally will put out red and green dish towels or sprinkle red and green sugar sprinkles on my cookies.  It seems like we always have some kind of remodeling project going on during the holidays or some kind of life changing event getting ready to happen or just coming about.  We like to travel during this time, but if we don't some or all of our family makes it a point to get together. I get in the mood to create.  Jewelry, wall hangings and little things that I can give. And usually crank out some unusual things during that time.We like to see our dear friends from different places we've lived.

Even if it is not exactly around Christmas we try to get together and break bread...the fun and fellowship is always rich.  I love to get Christmas cards and I love to hear from everyone, but we don't always get to writing a Christmas letter, take a picture of ourselves or even buy cards now.  E-mail and FB has helped us stay in touch with many of our friends that we would have otherwise lost track of.  Any way, the holidays are fun and festive for me...even without a lot of shopping or gift giving.  It stirs up fun times with family and friends and it makes memories that keep me going for the rest of the year.