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Christmas… where to begin….
It is six weeks of build up to my very favorite part…
Thanksgiving is over, the turkey deboned, the puzzle pieced, and the Hungarian Coffee Cake is gone. Everyone is satisfied after an unusually varied meal. Someone puts on a Christmas CD. Bing Crosby sings White Christmas.
Silver Bells
Adeste Fideles
Silent Night
Christmas in Killarney
Oh Holy Night
Someone pulls out the ads and we plan Black Friday…
After lunch and a freezing morning shopping, we brave the crowds again for a tree… The scent of a fresh Douglas Fir. Heavenly.
Popcorn… hot cocoa… Peppermint and cranberries.
The voices of excited children singing Away in a Manger as they string popcorn and cranberries.
Shopping in stores playing music to honor the Savior when usually I blush to hear the words sung. The Salvation Army a presence at every stop. People smiling… just a little more patient with lines and excitable children than four months ago when shopping for back to school clothes.
Pretty wrapping paper, colorful ribbons, perky bows. Packages piled all over our tiny living room giving it the appearance of a treasure trove.
Baking smells. Hungarian Coffee Cake. Peppermint bark. Sugar cookies.
Bundling in warm jackets to sing at the convelescent home. Oh holy night… the stars are brightly shining… The sweet older lady rocking her baby doll to the tune of the music. She is never without her baby doll. The sight of tears in my son’s eyes when he realizes she thinks it is her real baby. Fall… on your knees… The toothless man’s grin as he tries to sing along. We three kings… Their thankful lonely faces as we turn to leave. My kids voices, thick with emotion as they realize we’re the only guests they’ve seen that day… We wish you a Merry Christmas…
Mrs. Brown’s delight at our stopping. Her son’s devoted attention to her. Pastor Neipp’s grin as we sing under their window. The love they show each other the greatest gift they could give us.
Candlelight service. Gifts for our friends. Our children are so excited. The rush home and change into pajamas so we can go look at Christmas lights. The north west development with luminerias. The house on Vicki Lane. Our friend’s parents who dress as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. They can’t this year. Mrs. Claus went home to be with Jesus. It’s been one of those years.
Home again, unwrapping presents from friends and neighbors. Hot chocolate. singing. Sleepy babies. The tree lights on, and the house lights off.
It’s quiet now. Luke Chapter two… “And it came to pass… and He grew in wisdom, and in stature, and in favor with God and man…” Read by a gentle masculine voice always with a trace of awe that God would come for such as he.
Oh how I love this season.
| Have you ever felt like you’re about to ‘arrive’? Not in the utopic sense but in the…”We’re almost there kids” relief to be to your destination sense. Picture driving down the wrong road, in the wrong direction because you have to. It’s the only way to get to the right road and head in the correct direction. Now, imagine yourself at the intersection that you’ve been waiting for. Once you make the turn onto the correct road, you are almost there. It’s just a bit farther once you turn onto that road.I’m on that road. I’ve just turned at the intersection. It won’t be long and my destination will be in sight. I can’t believe it. It was a long road. Sometimes it was hard to believe that I really was going to reach that intersection. I often wondered if perhaps I wasn’t being naive. The anticipation of seeing the destination is building. I am so thankful. Not since my thunder puppy days have I felt like I’ve finally achieved what the Lord wants for me.
It’s a beautiful feeling. I have a feeling, the destination won’t look exactly like I’ve imagined or remembered but I am eagerly waiting to see it anyway. This is so exciting for me. Let me share some of the areas of my ‘arrival’. Perfectionism. I think I’ve finally conquered it. There are remnants that squirm to the surface and fight to free themselves from my grasp but other than that, there is peace in the ranks. (One could say that admitting this is, in and of itself, proof of those remnants!) I can leave a job, barely started, half-finished, and even walk away from it all together without panic. I can start in the middle of something when everything around me is falling apart. I can clean one corner of a room without ripping the entire room to shreds. Six months ago, this was not possible. I feel strangely peaceful. Strangely because it is seven days until Christmas, not all of the presents are wrapped, we haven’t baked cookies, and that’s just the beginning. I’m ok with it. I see all the work ahead of me and I’m not overwhelmed. I see the changes I need to make and look forward to them! When did that happen? Unfortunately, I don’t know when this happened or how. I just know that it did. I’m thankful for it. I know that I will have my moments of exhaustion, overwhelmment, and the great need to escape again. I am not optimistic enough to think that the frustrations of life are gone permanently. However, now that I see the destination looming ahead of me, I realize that I’m really going to make it. I may run out of gas and have to get refilled. I may have car trouble or maybe it’ll overheat. However, even with bumps and jerks, I realize I’m on the right road, there may be small detours but I’m almost there! I’m so excited. I’m calm, but I’m excited. I look at my desk, which is a complete mess, and rather than sigh and beat myself up for it, I think, “Stack the mail, toss that trash, reorganize the papers, and I know that in five minutes I will have a perfectly clear desk. I think I’ll do it as soon as I’m done here. I am in awe. Grateful awe. The Lord’s graciousness and mercy truly is new every morning. For the first time since I finally squashed the final remnants of my thunder puppiness (now it’s simple self-righteous arrogance when it reappears) I know what is coming. I know I can do it. I have every confidence that the Lord will bless the fruit of my hands. I’m doing the right thing. I love it. What a way to end what has been undeniably the most wonderful and awful year of my life! |
Well last year (in this blog http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/sewingfanatic/54924/Hypothetical+House+Manager.html ) I promised to tell how the year has gone.
The house manager learned much over the year. As usual, she didn’t accomplish everything she’d hoped and dreamed that she would but there were many excting developments and changes.
In the remodelling department, she is pleased to announce that the living room is done. There are new windows…
This
Became this
Which became…
And finally…
The housekeeper is quite pleased. Once the recovering of the couch is complete the room will be perfect. Moldings such as are shown around the windows accent the doorways and the result is a room with character. She does plan to sand down the large pew that sits under the other window and refinish it and the floor. Possibly by April.
The children’s education has definitely been overhauled. Not everything is running how she’d like it but the improvement is remarkable. Choosing a new math curriculum was definitely a wise decision. (http://www.teachingtextbooks.com) One of the non readers is reading but needs a bit more of a push. All in all it is a 100% improvement over the previous year and in January she has realistic plans to double the scholastic adventures of the children.
The clothing issue is definitely improved. The housekeeper herself has changed much of her own wardrobe and while she hasn’t fixed the problem entirely, she is much more aware of situations and how to solve them. She is excited to think that perhaps by next year, keeping the family well dressed will just be a routine fact of life. However she did create sweet Thanksgiving outfits for her girls that will also double as Christmas Outfits
The meal situation is improved but not to her satisfaction. The good news is that she has learned how to plan better for snacks and has started new more exciting menus. Now to implement them.
The business situation is another story all together. She took this year as a year to reflect, rejuvenate, and plan. Not much has happened business wise but she did enjoy working on costumes over the summer. Designing costumes that double as nice clothing was a delight that she hadn’t anticipated.
The training of the ’servants’ has not improved to her satisfaction. It is an improvement but because she hasn’t put enough effort into the plan, the result was disappointing. She’ll do better next yea with a better plan already forming in her brain. (The plan is brilliant. Genius even. Show them how. Show them again. Watch them do it, make them repeat… until it’s done right. I’m astounded at her brilliance)
So, same time next year, same place. She had several very tough problems this year. Considering that fact, I think she did a decent job. And, had she improved more than she did, she might find next year a bit of a disappointment in the improvement department!
