christmas

Making a list, checking it twice

December 17, 2017 by Jo Leave a Comment

When our daughter was born, one thing I most looked forward to was building lasting holiday traditions. I had visions of passing on the myths of Santa filling stockings, the Easter Bunny leaving a basket of treats, sewing Halloween costumes. In my own childhood, our family patterns shifted as older brothers left the house.

Looking back now, I think my mom was just tired; tired of feeding a large family, tired of load after load of laundry, tired of getting out the paper bags holding the gold tinsel garland, all while working full time. I don’t think she realized my childhood was lacking in continued traditions as she mentally checked out and physically stopped participating in the joy holiday customs can bring. She had to have been tired.

There is something to envy about a dog’s life, Benny 2014

How about you? Are you tired of a long list and maybe feeling under appreciated? You know, if you have not ordered those Christmas cards yet, don’t; don’t feel obligated. I have always enjoyed making and sending cards but a few years back I lost the energy for it. We had been traveling in early December and though I had a plan, the thought of cutting and taping and gluing 75 handmade cards, well…I.just.could.not.do.it.

But guess what? When I announced to my family it wasn’t happening, they rallied. They made what had felt like an inconvenient task fun again. My Honey worked the paper cutter like an expert, my girl tied ribbon bows and my then future son-in-law helped with the assembly. Why didn’t I take that Christmas photo? It is a favorite December memory.

Side note: Over the years we have captured pictures and videos on a variety of cameras and camcorders. I won our first camcorder, which was roughly the size of a loaf of bread, in a raffle. Turns out that’s kind of a super power of mine. I also won our first phone answering machine.

Anyway, I learned a valuable lesson that year: let your people know how you are feeling. Together we looked at the list and decided what was important. Sending a holiday card? Check. Building a gingerbread house and decking it out with 3 pounds of bulk candy? Nope, we drew a line through that item. Turned out the only thing my daughter really liked about that holiday chore was… the candy. #sweettooth

Take a moment and review your list. Is there something you can cross out instead of check off?

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Dreaming of a white Christmas

December 12, 2016 by Jo Leave a Comment

I want to say I am a little distraught. And then, no, just no. I AM DISTRAUGHT. I am distraught after a public election, where everyone with a vote hopefully voted, there is SO MUCH DISCOURSE. Still. So much discourse. Yes, I have an opinion. Yes, I want to shout from the roof top my opinion. With Christmas Eve approaching, this seems appropriate given I used to wait to hear the sleigh bells and hoof clops on my childhood house and dream of Santa coming down the chimney.

Yet, I put my blog on hold these last few weeks as I struggle: to be myself, to have respect for differing opinions, to silence my voice as I yearn to climb the ladder to the top and share with my world. I hesitate to be part of the loud noise of someone upset, happy or otherwise over the national election of Donald Trump. For many reasons I hesitate.

Mostly I want people to like me. I did not realize how strong this want was until a few years back. I am so not a people pleaser. I am often the outspoken one in the group. I readily give my opinion. Yet, I spend many nights with little sleep replaying over and over again an interaction, checking myself. Was I fair, did I listen, did I do it ‘right’ or do I need to somehow clean it up?

Maybe it was more than a few years ago, when I got wired head to toe at a sleep clinic, that I figured out why I wasn’t sleeping. Getting to sleep? No problem. Waking up in the middle of the night and falling back to sleep, big problem. Still is. I am grateful for my Kindle that is backlit so I can read to quiet my brain. So is Honey, who used to be woken up by my bedside lamp. Anyway, my brain spins me wide awake as I replay a scene over and over.

And that brings me back to our 2017 President Elect. Donald Trump is our United States President Elect. I am distraught that so Americans are name calling and labeling those that do not think like them.

So at the risk of being unliked, unfriended or blocked, I’ll let someone else share a few paraphrased thoughts that I took from a Facebook post:

‘Good God people, some of you act as if the world has come to an end. Really? The forefathers are smiling down on us as the political system has done what it was INTENDED to do; let the people speak. It has let one vote rise above another, in a civilized way, without a revolution, a hostile take-over, or an exiled regime with new puppeteer leaders appointed by a foreign country. And, despite the media trying to create a doomsday effect, it is apparent America has chosen a new color to adorn the country. Everyone woke up today, put their boots on, walked out the door, and went about their day to better their community, their family, their life!
By the way; there were no riots or revolutions….and the stock market did not crash.
God Bless America!’

And those childhood Christmas memories? Many winter days my dad would build a fire in the fireplace. I would be distraught on Christmas Eve, thinking Santa might bypass our house only to wake up to an empty stocking.

Oh, the good ‘ol days when I used to sleep all night and instead of world peace I was just looking for some snow.

Stockings hung by the fire

December 24, 2015 by Jo Leave a Comment

The stockings are hung and all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse. Well that’s not true. We have been busy shopping, wrapping, menu planning and filling the fridge with food. Come Christmas morning we will wake up to a house full of kids, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and participate in stocking gifts, prizes and treats. Some years a paper grocery bag has serves the purpose if we have guest in need of a stocking. (That reminds me: I better ask for paper my next grocery trip instead of bringing my own bags or we will end up with no back up plan!) It is always a fun, goofy time with many little traditions. There is always a can a Pringles in my stocking. Not sure how that started, but I do love those salty, pressed snacks. By mid-morning the can has been passed around and comes back empty. Apparently others love ’em as much as me.

One stocking stuffer that has had years of staying power, was a give away from a doctors convention. Gary, my dad-in-law, used to attend an annual conference to keep his pathology skills up to date. It was always in early December and he would come away with a bag of stuff that we would end up seeing Christmas morning. There were always pens and notepads and various other items. Some were useful, others totally silly. However, a drug company gave all the docs one year what was my original sticky note pop up holder. This might have been the beginning of my sticky note addiction.

As we move toward December 25, 2015 I want to take this time to wish each and everyone of you a merry Christmas. I am grateful for this opportunity to share a piece of my life with you. Thank you.

What can you cross off your to-do list?

December 21, 2015 by Jo Leave a Comment

I recently took a trip to beautiful, sunny Florida. When I made plans in September it sounded like such a good idea; warm, bright weather and leaving the dark rainy days of December behind for a week. Reality is it can be pretty stressful to come home to a long list and 10 days of houseguests soon coming and going through the door.

I like to plan ahead and am most happy when I feel I know what I need to do, what the schedule is going to be and have a clear plan. Life doesn’t work that way though, does it? By the time the sunglasses were packed and on the way to the airport I had crossed many Christmas to-do’s off my list. But not because I had completed them. I crossed them off because they just weren’t as important as enjoying relaxing days at the beach. I crossed them off because time with people are more important than fancy food, lights strung to the rooftop and giving handmade gifts.

As the emails came in and Honey let me know we were having more family arrive than planned and a day earlier than planned, I shrugged my shoulders and said, “ok, we can make that work.” I used to have to re-center my attitude by whispering to myself, ‘I am flexible, I am flexible, I am flexible.’ It has become a personal mantra over the years. People are more important than fancy food, lights strung to the rooftop and giving handmade gifts. I can let the plans change and enjoy life or I can stress that things are not going my way.

So there might be a gift or two given in February when I get the project done and if you are expecting a Christmas card from our family this year, it isn’t coming. By being flexible & open to plans changing, my dining room table was filled last night with family and laughs and conversation as we passed the salad and soup. And isn’t that more important than anything else on the list?

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