A better, brighter New Year!

The New Year is Upon Us!

   Break out the New Year's resolutions, cause this year is going to be the year to beat all years! The
gardens will be greener, the house will be cleaner and the lottery numbers will all be winners.

   Not that this year was all bad...

   We enjoyed concerts and recitals. Visiting friends and family. Watching parades, riding our bikes and swimming in the hot sun. We took a vacation to Hannibal, MO and joined a frog jumping competition for the first time. We celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary and took a trip for just us adults!

 

But I have to admit, it did have some hiccups. 

   For one, the garden was not green, unless you counted the weeds. You see, we didn't actually plant anything this year. Mind you, we had strawberry plants that returned to yield one or two juicy fruits, but aside from a decorative weed that sported lantern-like blossoms,
we pretty much had four foot dandelions and sticker bushes.  On the bright side, not a lot of weeding! So maybe a resolution of a greener garden is not all that appealing after all...

This before new columns!

   The house certainly wasn't clean this year, so there is hope that the next year will be better. After all, we won't be re-doing the kitchen, putting on a new roof, adding new siding and gutters, and installing flooring in the attics to make them more usable. I have to admit, the end result of all this labor looks terrific!
Should I mention how much warmer it all is with new insulation? Or how much easier to use the attics with real floors?


   Of course all that work means that the rugs throughout the house have suffered and the paint everywhere but the kitchen now looks shabby. Perhaps a cleaner house is not in the cards for next year...

   But surely the lottery numbers have to yield better results than this year? Well, they should if we actually remember to play the lottery next year. Adding that to the calendar sounds do-able. Now if I could just keep a dollar or two in my pocket...

Oh well, ring in the new, ring out the old!

With it's promises yet unbroken, it has endless appeal. Everything can be accomplished, all our goals, hope and dreams fulfilled...

Might even get the wash done!

Tis the season.... bird's eye view.

   The writer has left her lap-top open on the table once again and gone off to collect warm clothes from the dryer. Seems like she is doing that a lot lately. With the onset of winter, the whole family has begun wearing lots and lots of clothes. Since she will be gone for a while, I thought I would help her out. After cleaning the keyboard, I took a look at what she was writing. It was awful. Knowing I had some time, I decided I could help. I started with the delete key. As I deleted whole words and sentences, I began to wish my family could do the same with all the activities they seem to be doing. After all, I haven't seen them as much as I would like lately. They are out an awful lot. Seems like there is an endless stream of concerts and recitals and events! When they are home, they always seem to be doing things that just aren't normal. Like putting up a tree.

A FAKE tree, in the house. 

    At first, I thought this might be pretty cool. But then, they put lights on it, followed by decorations hung by hooks and ribbon. As if this weren't enough, they added two types of garland and sprinkled it with tinsel. The whole thing is topped off with an angel in a white dress holding two candles. (Incidentally, the angel doesn't light up like the rest of the tree.) When I flew around it a couple of times to check it out, the kid suggested I might want to land on it. AS IF! Thank heavens they put it in the corner out of my flying zones.

    But they didn't stop there, noooo, they just had to go and add decorations to every flat surface the house has to offer! There are garlands and figurines and snow globes. Stuff that lights up and makes noise. They even had the nerve to put little snowmen up on my window sills. While I tolerated the rest of the holiday decor, the snowmen were a bit much, so I moved them...to the floor.

   No sooner did I take care of this, then a new madness started. What was left of the clear surfaces were soon covered in cards of all shapes and sizes. I read a few; they mostly said Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. I quickly discovered that these were far more entertaining than the other decorations. Not only are they fun to chew, but a couple flaps of my wings and they scatter everywhere! I can proudly report there are now at least three holiday letters behind the couch. 

    Just when I thought things were going to settle down, they began to go shopping! After these excursions, each of my family locks themselves in various rooms while playing Christmas music and emerges with wrapped packages that they deposit under the tree. Moreover, I am NOT supposed to chew on these wrappings.

Couldn't they just stick to writing cards?

   I could do a holiday newsletter for them. We could put feathers in with the letter. (I have a lot of extras as I replace my fall feathers with much warmer winter ones.) Maybe have a little hot cocoa and watch a movie together.

   I suppose they might slow down after the holidays and take a breather, but I kinda doubt that...

   There are paint chips stuck to the living room wall. Oh well, I hear the writer coming back, time to clear those silly snowmen off my windowsill.

   I wonder if I should mention to my family that the poor shepherd in the nativity scene has no head?

- Chirp

Dashing thru the stores...and out of them as fast as possible!

   I went to go Christmas shopping a few days after Thanksgiving. 

• No packed parking lots
• No crowded stores
• No empty shelves
• No long lines

   I bought only a few items and got out of the store as quickly as possible. I didn't even purchase everything that I had on my list. It had to be about the worst experience I have had this holiday season.

Wait...what? 

   I know, it sounded like I had ideal shopping conditions. So why did I pull an Ebenezer Scrooge and hightail it out of there like I was being chased by Christmas Yet-To-Come? What made me run for the Grinch Cave in the lonely snow covered hills without first collecting the items on my well prepared list? Did the store not have the goods I was looking for? Was my wallet empty?  Or did I simply lack the holiday spirit?

Nope. It was the store.

   But they were decorated for the season, they had all the items on my list and a shopping cart ready and waiting for me. Well, it became evident the moment I pushed open the door that they didn't want me there. Even though my husband and I were the only ones in the store. The message became clearly evident as we tried to shop, but after about ten minutes, gave up and checked out with only a few items that were on our list.

It was just too ((loud))!!

    I wish I could say this was the only store where I had this experience. Unfortunately, loud music seems to be en vogue. I have been treated to ear-splitting renditions of Do they Know it's Christmas? and I am Santa Claus in numerous retail establishments that see these selections as fitting background music to showcase their products. Thinking perhaps my store selection was at fault, I tried up-scaling my purchase points only to discover that these emporiums felt compelled to play Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells so loud that I had to shout in order to converse with my shopping partners.

Talking to check out clerks, store employees and managers did no good, they simply shrugged.

Perhaps they couldn't hear me.

   Maybe they didn't want to hear me. It is an accepted fact that loud music is typically played in restaurants to encourage diners to eat quickly and leave to make room for more customers; alternately, retail stores choose quieter selections to encourage shoppers to linger and purchase more goods. 

My take-away: over the holidays, retail stores just don't want me there...they must want me to shop online instead.

I do pity the employees trapped in the store...good thing I don't work in retail...I would insist, per OSHA standards, they provide me with ear plugs.

   But now, a few days away from Christmas I am faced with a dilemma, if I shop on the internet, my goods will not arrive in time for the holiday celebration. And underneath the tree is looking barren.

   A quick Google search looking for quiet stores to shop in turns up lots of articles geared toward retailers to help them select appropriate music (and volume) for their stores. Go figure. But unfortunately no one seems to read anymore. Gritting my teeth, I venture out once more...

   And find three stores that do not play any music at all! Shout out to Aldi, Home Depot and Target. Okay, so I guess some folks do read. As a result, they receive a portion of our hard earned income and I can return home with my purchases for a nice quiet cup of hot chocolate...

 ummm...maybe?

Lessons during Advent

   Advent is a season of preparing. It is a time of reflection; where we are spiritually and where we strive to be. It is a time to realign our lives to be better versions of ourselves, to redirect our energies to the world around us, sharing our time, our talents, and our funds, to serve. It is a time of getting ready.

At first glance, this looks pretty serious, and not all that much fun.

   Although this dignified season doesn't seem that it would elicit much joy, don't be deceived. Heartfelt and sincere acts of kindness and service often break out into bursts of joy. Joy that we wish to share with others around us. This joy often manifests in two ways; having parties and giving gifts.

   Interestingly enough, within our parish's religious education program, we are discouraged from both activities. You would think that as Christians we would be all about celebrating the season. Now don't get me wrong, I am pretty much in agreement with our religious ed director. The reasons given seem pretty valid. We share classroom space with the church school, so the classrooms are not our own. Various food allergies make snacks downright dangerous. To be honest, I would prefer to avoid having an emergency situation in my classroom or creating one for other students who need to use the desks and space. Shared space also makes it difficult to set up and arrange these celebrations. Finally, giving of gifts could make siblings not in the class upset.

While the reasons are valid, the logic seems to be flawed. 

 
    For starters, it is still Advent. My students are already confused when we sing The 12 Days of Christmas; they don't know when these 12 days take place. A party of games and fun snacks isn't going to help them learn what the season means to us as Catholics. Suggested giving projects for the class are much more effective and just as much fun. Yes, my class will play a game near the end of the session (we often do) to encourage merriment and bring joy to others. Guess what the theme will be this time...yep, about giving. Giving gifts of service as well as material goods. Giving our forgiveness to others and giving ourselves over to our God.

   While I am on the topic of gift giving, I think we struggle to much to make everything equal and fair. This is really a disservice to our children. Not all children will get gifts just because their siblings do. Just like some of them won't be invited to the same parties as their siblings. Disappointment is a natural part of learning. Without it, we lack the mechanisms that help us cope with the world in which we live. Believe me, I know first hand how hard it is for a little one to cope with disappointment, but I suggest that we not let that deter us from our inclination to give a child a gift to make them feel special and an important part of our community. Instead I suggest not giving a child a gift unless it encourages a sense of community, enabling the recipient to share and lets them know that they are a special part of the world.

   In the past my students have received (electric) candles to light the family dinner table, mini-games to play with family and friends, and small art projects that they can make into gifts for others. This year will be no different. My students are too special to me to pass an opportunity to remind them that they are cherished. Further, it will give them an important opportunity to reach out to their community in turn. Some of that community will include their siblings.

   So have a Wonderful Advent. But watch out, come January, we are going to have a party to celebrate that Christmas has finally arrived and what it truly means to us as Christians. (Sans food, of course!)

 

What is it about a cup of coffee?

 There is something magical about a cup of coffee.

   Perhaps it is the caffeine. That extra boost of energy that gets a person going. The wake up zing that puts a pep in one's step. The much needed jolt after a sleepless night. The mid afternoon pick-me-up that lets a body keep going.

 

 Or maybe it is the fact that this cup marks a much needed respite from a busy day. A relief from the grind and chance to momentarily put on the brakes and rewind. A chance to step away from the tedium of chores and errands for a bit of respite.

   It might be the reset button in a hectic day that is part of a hectic week which is the norm of a hectic life. A legitimate and justifiable break, marked by a journey that requires leaving the desk/tasks/errands and making a trip to a location of java rejuvenation. Just the act of getting a cup of coffee can be a physical break from whatever activity a person is doing to retrieve the delightful cup.


   Possibly it is magical because it becomes a chance for friends to meet up and talk. To gather and

exchange news and life stories. An excuse to sit down and share some time together, even if only for a moment. Perhaps a reminder that it is not just at holidays, weddings and funerals that we should get together and share our lives with one another.

   It could be because most coffee is warm and helps warm the insides when things are cold outside. With this warmth comes a cosmic sense of well being. Holding a warm mug and breathing in the warm aroma can force the eyes to squeeze shut and conjure up images of comfort and contentment resulting in brief daydreams. (Do not practice this in the car while driving!)

 
   For all we know, it could be the liquid that helps launch you into an adventure that occurs in another time and place; a beverage that tells your body it is time to shift gears and reside elsewhere for a time.

   Conceivably it is none of these things in the physical reality, but what the coffee represents, that is magical. Perhaps you don't actually need it to wake up (lucky you) or to keep going during a busy day (must be nice). Maybe there is no actual break with the coffee that is associated with the cup, but just the idea of a break that is so wonderful.  Perchance today's cup only brings a reminder of the last time you sat down with a friend and chatted. And it is possible (albeit unlikely) that you prefer it cold and there is no magical warmth that fills your insides.

   Whatever the reason, it is always depressing to find that you have come to that last sip of delightful goodness, no matter how warm or cold it might be.





   Nothing is sadder than an empty cup!