Christmas Blues
Christmas is only two weeks away. I don’t get that all-encompasing feeling like I used to when I was growing up. I spend every Christmas now trying to figure out why that is. Is it because everyone has so many places to go to? Is it because I have to find the gifts (I’m a terrible gift giver. I never know what to get.)? Or is it simply because I’m not a child anymore?
These days I work all around the holidays and Jerry has the store open, just like any other day. No matter how early I start, it always seems like I’m trying to find that one last gift. It’s very rarely that I don’t know what I’m getting (which is a mixed blessing. I do get stuff I want that way.)
When my brother and I were younger, Christmas Eve meant fighting, laughing, running, arguing, etc, etc at my mom’s parents’ house with my many, many cousins. There was tons of wonderful food and the older cousins figured out that if we did the dishes we’d get to open our presents faster.
Christmas morning happened the same way every year. My brother would get up at a crazy hour to see what Santa had left under the tree, then he’d run to me (whether I was on the couch because I was sick, yet again, or in my bed) and ask if I wanted to know what Santa had brought me. I believe I always said no, but that could just be the way I want to remember it. Eventually he would make enough noise that my parents would give up and get out of bed. We’d open our gifts from them and then my mom would start cooking for my dad’s side of the family, which we would have at our house, my uncle’s or my grandparents’.
When we were a little older, we gained two more Christmas’ to go to. They weren’t the rambunctious gatherings we were used to, but still highly amusing. I will never forget one certain trip to my step-dad’s family gathering when my sister was just starting to talk (you’d never believe my brother and I would urge her to say things she shouldn’t, would you?).
The week between Christmas and New Year’s was the best of the year. We didn’t have to go to school and we could play with our toys. We usually had an extended bedtime and our only responsibility was to feed the sheep.
Maybe this year I’ll try to loosen up, not worry about every little thing. Who knows what might happen?
Christmas Songs
Well, it’s after Thanksgiving, which means Christmas songs everywhere. I usually try to avoid them as long as I can before Christmas so that I don’t get burned out. My favorite is “Silent Night, Holy Night”. The best version I have heard (and it may be because I’m partial) is by Reba on her Merry Christmas to You album. Other favorites are “O Holy Night”, “White Christmas” (especially sung by Bing Crosby), and what Christmas would be complete without Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” from Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. “This is My Prayer for You” and “The Secret of Giving” are a couple of songs from Reba’s album Secret of Giving that don’t mention Christmas, but are good songs to listen to during the season.
What are some of your favorite Christmas tunes?
October Gone
I can’t believe that October is already gone. The time flies by so fast. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas won’t be far behind. I’m not looking forward to shopping. It wouldn’t be so bad if I knew what to get everyone…but I really don’t have any clue.
The first week of phase II of the diet didn’t show much change. I lost a bit of body fat, so at least I didn’t go backwards. I’m finding it really hard to eat. I just haven’t been hungry lately.
We’re down to 20 ewes with a few more people to come look at them. Although I’m sad to see them go, I’ll be glad when it’s done.
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