Thankful Thursday: The Day After Christmas

How is it possible that it's Thursday again? Christmas is behind us...at least on the calender. Some of us have yet to have our family gatherings. However, it is back to work and "normal" life for most people today and around the blog normal life means the celebrating of Thankful Thursday. I don't know yet if Rebecca Jo is posting today, but I'm going ahead and will link up if she does.

This week I am thankful...

**for the time spent with my husband over the last two days. He had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. We spent a nice day together on Tuesday wrapping gifts, shopping, and just being together. Yesterday, he did his best to help me not feel sad about working on Christmas Day. He got up with me and we opened our gifts to each other and he drove me to work and picked me up after. He spent the day at home watching movies and napping. We stopped to see our daughter's family after he picked me up from work so Colton could show us what he'd gotten for Christmas so far. They were heading to the other grandma's again so we didn't stay long. 

**that work went well yesterday and was at least a little fun. My coworker and I spent the morning passing out gifts to the folks staying short-term in the rehab wing, gifts to those long-term residents who didn't attend the Christmas party last Thursday, and taking the Coffee Cart around offering coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. It was a nice way to get to see and talk with every resident. The afternoon was rather slow as many residents were either out for the day with family or being visited by family and the rest were just tired out by all the Christmas excitement of the last few days. We had a sing-a-long, but only 6 residents attended. We did the best we could and had a fun time, anyway.

**for all the stories on the news of people blessing others. Stories of police officers giving those they stopped $100 bills rather than speeding tickets. Stories of football players paying off layaways for people in their hometowns. Stories of people giving up their Christmas Day to serve dinner to those who have nowhere to go. Stories that go on and on. It gives me hope and fills my heart. Wouldn't it be amazing if the news spent more time covering this kind of story instead of focussing on the bad things in life?

**for a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with Mom and John at Olive Garden. Maybe that will become a new tradition?

**for our oldest granddaughter, who entered our lives 11 years ago today. Happy birthday to Sora, our artsy, creative, dreamer! 

**again, for the reason for the season. May Jesus and just what his birth means always be at the forefront of Christmas.

**as always for each one of you!

O Holy Night

Feeling especially thankful tonight for a baby who gave up heaven to take on all of mankind's sin...for a baby who was born to die so we could live...for the bravery and heartbreak of a mother knowing what would be asked of her child...for a godly man who went against custom to stand by his young bride...for God who loves us so much.

May each of you be blessed and your hearts filled with love and joy on this most holy of nights.

Merry Christmas my friends!

Currently

I am...

Reading...nothing. No time at the moment. Unless you count the children's Christmas stories I've been reading the residents of the dementia unit. I read them Mary's First Christmas, which is Mary telling little boy Jesus the story of his birth. It is a really sweet story with beautiful illustrations and the residents seemed to appreciate the fresh way of telling the story. Yesterday I read them the original Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Listening to...the Holiday Favorites station on Amazon has become the season's soundtrack.

Loving...seeing all the pictures on everyone's blogs this morning of their Christmas decorating and get-togethers over the weekend. It makes me feel more festive.

Thinking...that as soon as I post this I have to start wrapping. Ever single time Tim and I planned to spend an evening wrapping this past week, something came up.

Feeling...excited. Even though our family Christmas isn't until Saturday and I have to work on Christmas Day, the season fills me with anticipation. I can't wait to see family, of course, but I also can't wait to wish Jesus a happy birthday! I just love what this season is really all about.

Celebrating...our new microwave. Ours had been acting up and doing odd things (like turning on when you opened the door) for a couple of months. Last week it finally rolled over and died completely. We use the microwave a lot so it was a tough couple of days until Tim could go shopping for one yesterday. All I told him was I wanted a stainless one. He did a great job picking one out. It is so big inside I think you could cook a 20lb. turkey in it (if you really wanted to). It has all this room because the panel is on the bottom instead of the side. Smart! Anyway, love it!

Grateful...that my boss scheduled me off on Christmas Eve even though I took a vacation day on Friday to give myself a 3-day weekend.

Weather...unbelievable for this time of year! It is sunny and while cold this morning, the temperature will be in the mid 50's this afternoon. Christmas Day could see temperatures in the 60's!

Enjoying...that Colton is so into Christmas this year. It makes it so much more fun!

A thought to share...

Saturday 9: Merry Christmas!

Oh boy, here we are...the Saturday 9 before Christmas! I hope all of you are ready for the holidays and feeling the goodness of the season. It's a working weekend for me. I'm not quite ready for the main event, but I have the luxury of a few extra days since we are not celebrating until next Saturday. That's why I have time to link up with Sam and the gang today.

Saturday 9: Happy Holidays! (from the archives)

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you by pass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?  I had no problems with sitting on Santa's lap. My mom has a whole collection of photos from every Christmas that she puts out on display every Christmas. 

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?  I would like to think I'm on the Nice list because I try to be not only nice, but kind, to everyone all the time. I try to be happy and pleasant and pass that on to those around me. If I can be helpful I try to be.

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest?  I didn't ship any gifts.

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?  I took advantage of the sales to pick up a few clothing items I can use for work. Oh, and I ordered this pillow after seeing it featured on a blog. Love it!
 

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year?  My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story. Yes, I have seen it. Twice.

6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day?  We went to see a movie the second year we didn't have the family together on Christmas Day...it went a long way toward helping me get over my disappointment. I couldn't tell you what we saw, though.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party?  No.

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather?  The same as it is in hot weather...Diet Coke. I am more likely to enjoy a cup of tea or hot chocolate when it's cold, though.

9. Share a memory from last Christmas.  Last year was the year in which I learned that Christmas celebrated on a day other than Christmas works better for our family. I had to work on Christmas Day last year for the first time. We tried to celebrate with some of the family after I got home, but everyone else was tired and Christmassed out and the kids were tired and cranky. We rushed through dinner and opening gifts. Everyone just wanted to be done and to go home and I felt really cheated. 

Our son and his family came home that Saturday and we did the Christmas thing again and it was a lot better. No one was tired and our daughter's family wasn't being pulled in two directions by her mother-in-law who is a bit controlling and doesn't like to share the holidays (she thinks she should get the kids at her house on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). So, even if I ever find a job that doesn't require working on Christmas we just might keep celebrating before or after the holiday.

Christmas Hearts

In the midst of all that is Christmas...in the middle of the shopping, the parties, the feasting, the wrapping, the worshipping, the singing...something else happens. We get nostalgic, maybe even melancholy, especially if we are on the far side of 50.

This is certainly a truth for Tim and I this year. I knew I was missing loved ones and traditions long past in a deeper way this year. I've felt a deep inner need to reach out and try to make "nice" with some long estranged relatives. Jesus's command to love everyone, even my enemies, has been weighing heavily on my heart. A meme glimpsed on Facebook questioned "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" added to the conviction I needed to act. So, I have been making a very intentional effort to love everyone, mend bridges, reach out, bring those I have "lost" over the years back into the fold, so to speak.

What I didn't know until just this week, in the days leading up to Tim's birthday yesterday, is that he is feeling the same thing. He was born the middle child of seven. He has been sort of the black sheep his whole adult life...a brother they all claim to love, but never fully included, either. He (and me and the kids by extention) has been shunned, criticized, blamed, used when they need something, often over-looked or forgotten. Our kids have not received the same treatment as his siblings' children. If something went wrong when all the kids were together, our kids were always the ones blamed.

I mention all of that to give you some background as to why over the years Tim has pulled further and further away from his family. The last few years he has barely spoken to them. They have called here and he has refused to come to the phone, having me make excuses for why he can't. We have been very isolated from the family other than my contact with them on Facebook. We are only included in invitations to family events that require a gift. 

But this week, I learned that pull of nostalgia is working on Tim. It is probably a combination of Christmas and his birthday. Yesterday he turned 59. Time is most likely weighing on him. There is his own health. He hasn't felt all that great for several years now and doctors can't find the answer. Then there is the fact that both of his parents passed in their 60's and that two of his siblings have passed, neither one even making it to 60. I think the ticking away of time is growing louder.

Whatever it is, I was stunned on Tuesday when I saw that the man who rarely clicks "Like" on a comment on Facebook and never, ever posts anything of his own, posted "I love you" on the pages of all his sisters! Then on Wednesday I found that he'd posted "I love you. Have a good day." on the kids and my pages. He is doing that same mending of fences that I am.

I do love the way Christmas works on hearts, don't you? Have you experienced this in yourself or witnessed it in others this Christmas season? Do share, please!

One Week to Go!

Good morning! I did something last night that I NEVER do. I slept 8 hours!!! Unheard of for me. So glad I straightened my hair last night since my morning (I don't work until noon today) is about 3 hours shorter than usual. 

I have to clean up the kitchen, wrap some gifts, and I want to spend some time journaling before I have to go to work, but for now I thought I'd do a post while I'm enjoying breakfast. I'm having bacon (don't you love the convenience of the pre-cooked stuff?) and wheat toast with some of the yummy peach jam I bought yesterday at the craft show at work. It's made by the sister of one of the dementia residents. I also got a jar of strawberry jam to slip into the toe of Tim's Christmas stocking. Oh, and potato soup. I bought a cup of the amazing potato soup my boss was selling. It was so creamy and tasty and then she sprinkled it with real crumbled bacon and cheddar cheese. Mmmm...just the thing on a cold, snowy day. I'd have brought some home for our dinner, but it sold out quickly. The craft show was a fundraiser for the activities department and was a huge success!

Today's questions come from a long defunct blog.

1. First, an easy one. In 25 words or less, what's your philosophy on life?  Love God, love your neighbor, be obedient to God's teachings...and everything else will fall into place.

2. Which country is your spiritual home? The United States. Why? Because I was born here. Most of my ancestors were here before it was the United States. What the country is makes up part of me and who I am is part of what makes up the country. I love the United States! We have faults, but we have an awful lot of good things going for us, too.

3. Tell us something about the oldest living member of your family. We mean as opposed to the oldest dead one.  These days I guess that honor would go to my biological father, who is 81. I don't know a whole lot to tell, having only recently found out about him, but I have discovered he can be quite generous.

4. Tell us something about the youngest member of your family.  That would be our sweet little granddaughter, Leah. She is such a happy baby. She loves playing with her Pappy.

5. Now we’ll do random. Have you ever had a negative experience at a gym (with other patrons, equipment, trainer) or with the gym themselves?  No, I can't say that I have.

6. If you could go back and change one friendship in your past, who would it have been, and why?  Ugh. I would do more to maintain one of my high school friendships. The girl tried to keep it up, but I was off in college and kind of just let it go, content to let it become part of my past. She died of a brain tumor 3 years after we graduated. 

7. If you could wish a wish and it be guaranteed to come true (and not to get more wishes), what would it be, and why?  I'd wish for my husband to be pain-free and well rested all the time instead of being the exact opposite of that, which he is all the time now. Because I want him to feel better and because our lives would be a lot different if he felt good.

8. What were you doing 1 year ago?  Working and trying to get ready for Christmas. What else would I be doing a week before Christmas?

9. Time to belly up to the bar. What drink can I getcha?  Usually a glass of wine will do, but I wouldn't say no to a watermelon margarita.

10. What's the furthest you've traveled to visit (or vacation with, etc.) a friend? To specifically visit a friend? I guess that would be a couple of hours drive from home, but if we count a visit coupled with something else....We drove from PA to Alabama several years ago to have Thanksgiving with Tim's sister and her family and while we were there we drove across the border to Tennessee so I could meet a friend from Myspace (yeah, it was a long time ago!). 

That's all there is so I am off of here to get this day started. We are down to 7 days people. Seven days! 

Happy Wednesday!

More Christmas

What is your favorite Christmas scent?  There are many, but if I have to choose just one...pine! When I was little, we never had a Christmas tree until Santa brought it after I was asleep on Christmas Eve. I would know instantly whether or not Santa had come by the smell of pine. These days the tree is artificial so I burn a pine scented candle to get the smell. My favorite is Yankee Candle's Mistletoe.

What is your favorite holiday season tradition?  None of the traditions I grew up with are still in play today because of the demands on our kids to be here, there, and everywhere and the passing of most of those who participated in them.

How was Christmas celebrated at your house when you were 10 (if at all)?  We would wake up and I'd open my stocking and then we'd open our gifts. After that we would get ready for the family. At that time I was still the youngest family member so everyone came to our house for dinner. That was one of my dad's hard and fast rules...kids should be at home on Christmas. It wasn't until I was a couple of years older that we began traveling to other homes for Christmas Day. Anyway, the whole family would arrive for dinner and afterward we'd open gifts. They'd stay all day.

What percentage of your Christmas shopping is done the seven days before Christmas Day?  I hate to admit it, but it used to be nearly all of it. These days I've improved and I'd say it's only 10-20% and I'm counting shopping for Christmas dinner.

What is your favorite holiday movie?  First place is a tie between A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. Second place is White Christmas.

 

What was the most unusual gift you ever received?  I can't think of anything particularly unusual.

 

Do you have any traditions around New Year's Eve or New Year's Day?  Just eating pork and sauerkraut and taking down the Christmas decorations.

When did you have the best New Year's Eve?  The one I most remember is the one we went and stayed the night with a bunch of my dad's family at the cabin on a Christmas tree farm one of his cousins owned. The adults did their thing around the big table in the kitchen and we kids were camped out in the living room playing games and eating all night. It was a lot of fun.

 

What food do you eat more of this time of year more than any other time?  Cookies. 

Who do you miss the most during the Christmas Holiday season?

My grandmother and, as much as it surprises me, my dad because he was the one who really created and kept all our traditions. If he was still with us, the traditions would be, too, because he was not flexible at all about things. He always got things his way. That wasn't a great character trait, but the family would still be getting together and doing all the old things. Of that, I have no doubt. He was a force to be reckoned with. 

Christmas Choices

It's 10:00 on Tuesday evening as I'm writing this as my Wednesday post. The tree is glowing to the right of my feet, which happen to be propped up on the footrest of the recliner I'm in. White Christmas is on the television. (I harbor a slight crush on old Bing. That voice... And I adore the costumes and dancing.) Tim is asleep on the sofa and the Poodle is curled up beside me. It's a good end to the day.

For those who wanted to know...my colonoscopy went just fine and I am fine. I don't have to get another one for 10 years. Now there's some news that makes me HAPPY! To be honest, the dreaded prep wasn't that bad. The goo they gave me to drink was cranberry flavored and was...okay. It didn't taste bad at first, but it did have a pretty nasty after-taste. I chose to drink Gatorade for my liquid afterward. I don't think I will ever be able to drink blue Gatorade again. I had to drink about 3/4 of a gallon of the stuff. I couldn't have taken one more sip if my life depended on it.

I woke up about 1:30 with a POUNDING headache, something I very rarely get. Since at that point I wasn't allowed to drink anything or take anything...it was a long, long night and I wasn't exactly in great shape this morning when it was time to go. I explained my pounding head to them and they said I was probably dehydrated and that it was common for people to get a little bit of a headache. I don't think they believed me that it was more than a "little" headache until they decided to give me IV fluids and got a whole bag in me, which is a good bit more than most people take.

The procedure itself was nothing once I fell asleep. The anethstesia didn't just sting a little as it went in my arm...it freakin' BURNED LIKE ACID!!! I remember them holding me down (because I was going to rip the thing out) until I went under. The wake up side of it was good. I woke up feeling great and only the tiniest bit wobbly. They said it was a new kind of anethstesia. I guess the wake up is worth the burn.

The rest of the day has been one of rest. Doctor's orders. I wolfed down a Domino's carry-out pizza as soon as I got home and spent the afternoon watching Hallmark movies and napping.

This evening I watched Colton and Leah for a while so Megan could go grocery shopping and did some more Christmas shopping online. Little Leah is getting so big...four months old already!

Anyway, I'm answering some questions I stole from Rebecca Jo's post of last Wednesday.

Christmas Choices

1. Candy canes. Yes or no?  Of course! I'm not a purest, though. I like a lot of the new fun flavored ones and I've used the different colors to match differently themed trees over the years. It's only been the last couple of years since I've had the rustic/alpine/woodland tree that I've not put candy canes on it.

2. Christmas morning early riser or sleep in?  You know, I have no idea what time I woke up as a kid. I'm guessing not that early since I think it was usually light out. When our kids were growing up I was up before dawn because they ALWAYS got up early and I wanted to get everything set up and ready before they woke up...and check on the ham (which I always slow roast overnight) and whatever else needed doing before they got up. For a few blessed years when they were older they slept in and so did I. Then the aches and pains of getting older snuck in and I wake up early pretty much every day. Sigh.

3. Do you shop on Black Friday? Yes or no?  Nope. My mom was never one to go so I didn't grow up doing it and I've only gone a couple of times as an adult and I absolutely hated it. There is nothing in the world I want or need that bad!

4. Christmas trees up in November? Yes or no?  Absolutely! I used to always put the tree up on Black Friday, but lately I've been working or something else has been going on with the family so I do it when I can. This year I started before Thanksgiving and finished on Black Friday.

5. Do you get holiday ideas from Pinterest? Yes or no?  Sometimes. I pin a lot of stuff, but the real question is do I ever get around to doing the things I pin? The answer to that is mostly "no" except for recipes. I use a lot of recipes I find on there.

6. Christmas glam or ugly sweater?  I'm not opposed to either, but generally speaking I don't go anywhere that requires "glam" so you're unlikely to see me dressed that way. On the other hand, I don't go to any ugly sweater parties, either. I would wear one anyway if I liked it enough. Especially to work.

7. Stocking stuffers: wrapped or unwrapped?  Wrapped? Ain't nobody got time for that! Stocking stuffers are unwrapped all the way, baby!

8. Traditional or modern Christmas songs?  I love them all! My favorite Christmas album is the Vince Guaraldi Trio's soundtrack for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

9. Fruitcake? Yes or no?  Absolutely not.

10. Is your Christmas shopping finished? Yes or no?  It's getting there. There are a few people I am absolutely stumped on this year and I'm getting no help from their spouses, who seem to be as stumped as I am. 

11. Is there snow in December where you live?  Usually, though the real question is will there be snow on Christmas? That's always iffy.

12. Classic show: A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph?  Both. One is the same age as me and the other only a year younger so these are the staples of my childhood. No Christmas is complete without at least one viewing of each. I guess A Charlie Brown Christmas gets a couple of extra bonus points for actually sharing the gospel. Try that today! I have to admit I'm kind of surprised none of the world's terminally offended have tried to cancel it.

The Big Kahuna

This is it. The big kahuna of Thankful Thursdays. Thanksgiving Day. I had to work today so we are not celebrating with a big meal until Saturday. Still, I have much to be thankful for and made a long list sitting here this evening. I'm thinking God decided I should keep it short and simple because He allowed the laptop to do its thing and *poof* no more post. I'd grump, but I'm just too darned content to waste time being unhappy.

So, just let me say I have been blessed abundantly this past week (and always) and I hope it has been the same for you.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

Saturday 9: God Bless America

I don't know how the heck it can be time for the Saturday 9 again...(didn't we just play, like, yesterday?)...but here we are, killin' it!

Saturday 9: God Bless America

Unfamiliar with Deanna Durbin's rendition of week's tune? Hear it here.

Memorial Day is the federal holiday designated to honor American service people who died in battle. 

1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. Originally called Decoration Day, this is when memorials, as well as the graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers on this day to show our appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood?  Not in my actual neighborhood, but there are three that I know of within a mile of our house. The number goes up dramatically if you widen it to a 5 mile radius.

2) Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was in office the first time Memorial/Decoration Day  was celebrated. Have you ever met one of our 45 Presidents?  I shook hands with Bill Clinton once when he made a stop in our town. My son was with me, but he was pretty small. He and my daughter went with my stepdad several years later to meet George Bush.

3) According to the AAA, more than 30 million Americans will hit the road this weekend and drive more than 50 miles. Will you be traveling far from home this weekend?  Nope. I won't be traveling anywhere...except to work. I work all weekend and Memorial Day.

4) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? Deviled eggs. I love those things!

5) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on?  There is. The temperature made it to about 80 today (Friday). Nice outside, but it was pretty warm in the house when I got home from work.

6) Though she's belting out one of America's best loved patriotic songs, Deanna Durbin was born in Canada. Is there anyone in your family or circle of friends who wasn't born in the USA?  I have several friends who were not born in the U.S.

7) No longer a household name, Ms. Durbin was once one of the biggest stars in the country. One of her most popular films was 1937's One Hundred Men and a Girl, which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. Recommend a movie that you really like, but don't think many Saturday 9ers have seen.  Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks. It is about cold war Berlin and it was a real eye opener for me. I never realized how tough it was to live on the wrong side of the wall during those times and how high tensions ran. It gave me a better understanding of the atmosphere my dad served in.

8) Back in 1938, Deanna Durbin had her handprints cemented in front of the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd. Have you ever visited that Los Angeles tourist attraction?  No, I haven't and since Hollywood stuff isn't very high on our list of things we'd like to see, I doubt I will ever visit it.

9) Random question: What food did you hate as a child, but enjoy now?  Zucchini. Oddly, I still absolutely loathe eggplant.

Enjoy your Memorial Day celebrations,

but please, be safe...and remember

what it's really all about.