Recap

Several blogs I read have done this as a recap of the year. It seemed like a good way to remember 2007. So, here are a few lines from each month of my blog entries for the year.

January

In order to follow through with my resolutions, today I joined the local health club.

February

We have snow, ice, and no electricity. The house is too cold and too dark for habitation, so we have come to camp out with other friends and relatives at daughter #2's house. She is one of the few in town with power.

March

Today I officially became a disabled person. My knee has become increasingly painful and walking any distance is difficult. The doctor says it is arthritis and there really isn’t much that can be done

April

We have just returned from three days in Ocean City, MD, with our fourteen-year-old grandson, DQ.

May

Today is my 66^th birthday. I enjoyed a lovely day spending time with people I love.

June

I do not own an IPod. I do not have a play list. When I listen to my kids and grandkids talk about music I frequently feel old and completely out of touch. I think I’m a 331/3 in an IPod world.

July

For me the best part of our trip to California was time we were able to spend with my brothers and their families.

August

We have had a lovely four days in Cape May, New Jersey. Cape May is the oldest seashore resort in the nation, and it is just adorable.

September

“Mom.” My daughter’s voice on the phone tells me something is wrong before she says anything else. “What’s wrong?” I ask. “ I’m in the hospital. I broke my leg. It hurts a lot,” is her answer.

October

When I arrived at AM’s house this morning she was dressed and eager for the day. She was bouncing and said it felt like Christmas was almost here. This was finally the day. After forty-five days the cast was coming off.

November

Today I was part of a program at the senior citizen’s center to honor our veterans. It was a very moving and touching event. The people being honored are mostly in their seventies and eighties. They fought in World War II and in the Korean War.

December

I love Christmas music. Fortunately I have many opportunities to enjoy it.

A Christmas to Remember

It is the day after Christmas. We enjoyed our Christmas Eve service and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, but for me the main focus of Christmas has always been the joy of a wonderful family. Yesterday all my children and grandchildren were here. The house rang with laughter and good conversations..

Today my house is full of the detritus of yesterday’s celebration. This morning I woke to sound of my son the bachelor snoring in the next room. It was good to have him home. The floor is covered with scraps of wrapping paper, a testimony left to remind me of the pile of presents we exchanged. The table is covered with crumbs left from a feast of far too much food. There are pieces of toys and games left behind after the gifts were packed up to go home. I look at it all and smile. Cleaning up after such a happy day is an easy chore. This has been a Christmas to remember.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
God bless us, everyone.

Five Christmas Concerts

Here is a sample of five Christmas concerts. The elementary school, starring my beautiful ten year old granddaughter, sang about about a partridge in a pear tree. The middle school and my handsome young tenor sang a mix of carols and gospel songs. The beautiful alto in the high school choir was impressive. My favorite daughter-in-law on the French horn and my granddaughter on the violin played beautifully in the orchestra of a church concert. I had fun singing in the senior chorale. It is beginning to sound a lot like Christmas.

Tis the Season

Forgive me readers, for I have not posted Real life has interfered with my time in blogland. Since my last post I have:

1. Attended three Christmas concerts starring some of my grandchildren.

2. Addressed and mailed all my Christmas cards.

3. Drove an older friend to the doctor and listened to her fears.

4. Baked a gumdrop cake. It would not be Christmas at our house without a gumdrop cake.

5. Baked Christmas cookies with one grandson.

6. Took same grandson shopping to pick out gifts for his mom and dad.

7. Sorted food for delivery to needy families.

8. Wrapped toys to be given to children of the needy families receiving food.

9. Gone to the pool for my water aerobics class twice.

10. Went out to lunch with my daughter and granddaughter who is home from college for the holidays.

11. Prepared and hosted a holiday lunch for fourteen of my older friends. Most of my guests are in their eighties. I like hanging out with them because they make me feel so young.

12. Went to the movies with my beloved and my grandson. We saw I Am Legend. Good but very scary. I spent much of the show jumping into the lap of whoever was sitting next to me.

13. Paid the bills. Did the laundry. Vacuumed the house. Cooked. Washed dishes.

14. Listened to all of my Christmas music while doing all of the above.

I am so glad I am retired and can enjoy these days of rest and relaxation.

Yellow Roses

Yesterday I returned home to find that the florist had delivered a bouquet containing two perfect yellow roses. When I saw it I knew immediately that my first-born had sent them. I smiled at her sweetness and began crying because of all the memories they represented. Seventeen years ago this week my father died. Eighteen years ago this week my father-in-law died. This is the anniversary of the week my children lost both of their grandfathers. My kids were lucky to have two such wonderful men to be their Grampas. My dad loved yellow roses and yellow roses will always be the flower that reminds us these good men.

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music. Fortunately I have many opportunities to enjoy it. Tonight I am attending the high school holiday concert. Tomorrow I will attend the middle school holiday concert. Next week I plan to enjoy the elementary school holiday concert. All this music is one of the blessings of having grandchildren living near by. In addition to the children’s programs I am singing in two performances with the senior chorale and playing in the hand bell choir for two performances at church. My holidays will be filled with music.

My new Christmas favorite song is this one performed by the Celtic Woman.

What are you’re your favorite Christmas songs?

Nostalgia

Yesterday we put up all our Christmas decorations. There is my new Advent wreath, our nativity set that is about ten years old, and our tree topped by our angel, Harold, who has watched over us for the past forty-six Christmases. I was filled with nostalgia and a little melancholy as I hung the ornaments. Our children and friends made them long ago. I remembered the years when our children were young and filled the house with noise and excitement. Putting up the tree with children is a very different event than putting up a tree with two sentimental old folks. I am blessed. My memories are sweet. I love the people my children have become, but I do miss the days when they were little.

The picture was made for our Christmas card in 1975.

Peace

Yesterday I went to my water aerobics class and then sat in the hot tub for a while afterwards. The water was warm, steamy and relaxing. Outside I could see big, puffy snowflakes falling. The trees in the woods were all wearing soft, snowy blankets. The world looked clean and beautiful. It was such a lovely, relaxing moment.

When was the last time you just soaked up a moment of pure loveliness and felt totally at peace with the world?

Christmas 1954

All of my memories of Christmas as a child are happy memories. One of the major tasks of the season was the choosing of a Christmas tree. Dad took this job very seriously. All of us would join him in his search for the perfect tree. We usually drove to at least six different lots to inspect all of the trees. It was fortunate that I grew up in southern California so cold weather did not cause a problem in our quest. Our tree had to be perfect. Dad would pick one out and we would all walk around it to check for bare spots or dry needles. It was so hard to find one that we would all agree was the perfect tree for us. Frequently we would go back to the first lot after we had checked them all and buy one of first trees we had seen. It was always an exciting day. In this picture we are gathered around our perfect tree in 1954. My brothers were in high school. I was in junior high. The dress is one I made in home ec class. I was quite proud of it.

This year we will climb into the attic and bring down our genuine artificial pine tree. There are no bare spots and needles don’t fall off. Putting it’s artificial branches together just doesn’t seem as exciting as my childhood quest for the perfect tree.

How about you? Real tree or artificial tree?

Wicked

My granddaughter was wicked this weekend. She was very, very wicked. She frightened small children and caused much terror. She finally paid for her wickedness when Dorothy threw a bucket of water on her and she melted. She played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in a children’s theater production of The Wizard of Oz. Wickedness is such a fun role.

My younger granddaughter was a dancing munchkin. Her role was adorable and sweet.

It was a fun play for all the young actors and for all their adoring fans.