Deck the Halls

Yesterday, we set up the majority of our Christmas stuff: all except the tree itself. We did try finding a tree on Sunday but to no avail. Christmas tree hunting is truly a hunt. My dear husband has a touch of Monk in him and we can never just find "a" tree: We have to find "the" tree. somewhere out there is a tree that we need to find - no matter how long it takes.

I must admit my first "hunting" trip with my husband was like a Christmas fantasy, I had never cut a real Christmas tree. The farthest I had ever gone for a tree was my attic. I actually laugh when I think back to our first Christmas tree because not only was it perfectly shaped, but it looked like Martha Steward herself had been over to decorate. Neither DH nor I had ornaments of our own so we had to buy everything new. Everything on our Christmas tree coordinated. frankly, there is something sad about that. I love our miss-mosh trees today. There are stories on every branch: our first home, being pregnant, DD's 1st and 2nd grade teacher, running for office, places we have traveled. It is an eclectic gathering of our lives.

The other big change when I met my DH was the application of tinsel. When I grew up tinsel application was a very serious job: three strands per branch and at the end of the season, each strand was carefully removed and stored for the following year, after year, after year . . . I must tell you that when I bough those first ornaments for that very first Christmas tree and found out that a box of tinsel cost less than a dollar I was shocked. I was in awe as DH sprinkled it on liberally and then I learned that we could throw it out.

Hopefully, this weekend we can can get this year's Christmas tree up and have the full Christmas atmosphere.

I'm so darn angry at my husband: The Secret to a long marriage

Actually, today’s entry originally may have contained a long rant about my darn husband and then as I got in my car (we were switch cars on my way to work because he left his work late), I saw a diet coke, a 3 Musketeers bar, and a tiny note of apology. So instead this is an entry about 17 years of marriage and the secret to a long marriage – forgiveness and the willingness to forgiveness.

Many of my blog friends have been writing about the days they met their partners and how they got engaged. After being married for 17 years and together for over 20, I have come to realize that while our courtship was exciting and that it makes a good story, it is such a small part of the magic of our relationship. The magic comes in forgiveness, commitment, supportiveness, and working toward common goals.

Love is such a difficult word to define. Many of us want to be in love and be loved, but what does that mean to you . . . specifically. Many love affairs begin in the physical passion, but passion can only feed a relationship to such a point. There are times of anger, hurt, frustration, and strain. What then? Be committed enough to want to work on it, be supportive of the other person so that they feel comfortable to express their feelings, be willing to apologize if you’ve hurt the other person, be willing to accept an apology. If you want a long marriage, be ready to have good days and bad, to go through hard times and prosperous, to endure hardships and to flourish. Although no one enjoys the hard times this may be the time of the greatest growth in your relationship. That is why a marriage is a partnership. It is fun to sun bathe and swim with a lover, but there is truly nothing more reassuring than knowing that your partner has your back when you are under pressure.

So to my husband, if he ever finds this blog, I love you and thank you for thinking of my feelings.

Carolers - A Christmas Tradition

My mother absolutely loved her Carolers. Carolers are a series of dolls made by Byer's Choice. Each Christmas (and now Easter and Halloween) doll looks as if it is singing our i.e. its name the Caroler. My mother collected them through out her life and created elaborate scenes. I think it kind of became an adult Barbie doll obsession. She would spend most of the year getting ready to pose her collection (She was only surpassed by her brother, Bob, who elaborately creates a Christmas village). When she passed, I thought that it would be a good idea to give each of her loved ones 3 or 4 of the dolls, but my father adamantly did not want to break up the set. For several years, the set remained in boxes until my daughter told Poppie (her name for grandpa) to that she would help him set them up. The entire collection did not go up that year, but a large segment of it did. It was heartwarming to see her beloved Carolers singing again.

The Elf on the Shelf

I remember this guy hanging on my grandmother's tree back on Vance St. in New Britian. After my grandparents passed away, the elf moved to my mother's house. For whatever reason, I was always entranced. I'm not sure if it is the way his knees buckled under his arms or his elfish smile, but the arrival of this little imp truly meant that Christmas was on its way.

What Christmas ornaments mean the coming of Christmas in your home?

Wicked - A Book to Read, A Musical to Watch

Books, books, books, I have started another book. I think a library may be as close to heaven as we have on earth. I love books. I have always loved books. Although I joke with my girl friend, Meg, about being her bag handler as she travels the world, I know that the one way I can truly travel the world and beyond is in books.

I have actually just picked up Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.





The homeschoool group that we are a part of began an adult book club which I have unable to attend until now. My regular book club doesn’t meet again until the middle of January, I no longer have meeting on the 2nd Monday , and this book sounded interesting. I have only just started it, but clearly this will not be one I will passing on to my teenage daughter. Although the title gives it a fairy tale quality, I can already confirm that it has some R rated scenes. Of course, I am routing for this to be a good read so that I can go on and see the theater production of it.




I will let you know how the book and the book club go.

The Advent Conspiracy

I found this on Owlhaven's page and think that it is worth to pass along.



Some of my favorite places to give are:

Heifer International
Samaritians Purse

Count Down to Christmas - 25 activities that will help you enjoy the season

One of the great way to enjoy the holiday season is to make it a season and not a day or two. By this I mean, plan your 25 days until Christmas. Each day do some small action to celebrate or get ready for the holiday. Here are twenty-five ideas to get you going:
1. Put out a Nativity. Read the traditional Christmas Story from the book of Luke.
2. Pick a gift request off your town tree of a needs tree at a local store . . .buy and deliver.
3. Decorate the outside of your house
4. Decorate the inside the house
5. Address and send Christmas Cards
6. Hunt for Christmas Tree – (In our house, it truly is a “hunt”. It can take hours. One of our closest friends’ daughter refuses to ever go again with us.)
7. Decorate your tree
8. Review your Christmas shopping list – plan last minute trips. Don’t forget to get wrapping paper, tags, & tape.
9. Decorate Gingerbread men
10. Watch your favorite Christmas movie: I love the Muppets Christmas Carol
11. Make Christmas Cookies
12. Invite friends over for a cookie swap
13. Decorate a Gingerbread house
14. Find and attend a local Christmas concert of show
15. Find and make a Christmas Craft with the family
16. Relax and enjoy the holiday. Enjoy an evening of hot cocoa & carols.
17. Drive around to see Christmas lights
18. Plan a wrapping fest!
19. Go Christmas caroling
20. Attend or host a Christmas Party
21. Participate or attend your church’s Christmas pageant
22. Read a traditional Christmas story or poem
23. Bake Christmas Pies
24. Attend midnight services at your church (conveniently held at 10pm at our church)
25. Enjoy the day with your family – We traditionally hold a brunch & a dinner to accommodate both sides of the family. What we will do with the move, I don’t know.

As I said, I truly hope that you enjoy this season and focus on the blessings.