Christmas Blues

Christmas Blues

I know there must be a message in here somewhere, but I am NOT getting it. This makes TWO YEARS in a row that my oven on my stove has chosen to go out right at Christmas time. 2013 and now 2014. Last year, I just took the show on the road and moved into a Marriott Resident Inn, and celebrated Christmas there for a week with my out of town family members. Many of the in town family members also showed up to celebrate with us.

I love baking. Christmas is the time to bake. No oven. No baking. Okay, I am on a mission to lose some of the weight I have carried around for years, but do I have to stay focused during the Christmas holidays? I guess.

My Granddaughter Tatiy was very disappointed that the oven went out during the Thanksgiving holidays and I did not bake my usually pies and breads. She was so looking forward to me making up for all of that during Christmas.

Thank God I do not bake my turkey any more, and I have learned new ways to handle the roast, and ham, and some of the other dishes, but WHAT am I to do about the Mac and Cheese? Discover a new way to make it too. I guess.

Trust me, Christmas will be on and popping up in here, even without the oven. I HAVE A BACKUP PLAN! LOL No, I am not going to move out this year. My money is a little funny, and plan to hit the airways in January, March, (maybe April), but May for sure, right after the municipal elections. Got places to go, people to visit, and thing to see.

The holidays can be frustrating, IF YOU take them too seriously. Go with the flow. Enjoy the moment. LAUGH OUT LOUD FOR REAL when the stress starts building up, and you will find that it is a release valve. As much as I like baking, I know there are some alternatives. I also know that the stove will get fixed, maybe not in time for Christmas, but then I still have 360+ left to bake, if it is God's will. Maybe, just maybe baking is not that important in the bigger scheme of things. Neither are some of the other problems that you will encounter during this holiday season.

For example, making sure that you have lots of presents under the tree was a very old and expensive habit that you formed when money was not a problem. This year, money may not be flowing. Don't worry too much about it. A lesson I learned a long time ago. Children always enjoy the cheapest toy under the tree, and often find more fun in playing with the boxes the toys came out of than the toy. People in general enjoy Christmas a whole lot better when they feel appreciated, togetherness, and love. Most are not wedded to what you got for them as they are with you being there for them.

If your Christmas is smaller than you would like, at least, under the tree, look around you at those who truly love you, and ask yourself "How big would the box have to be to package all of that love?"

This Christmas, most of my children, grandchildren and great grands will be home and around. My box would need to be extremely big to wrap such a big present. It will have a sizable hole in it because one of my babies will be unable to make it home, but I will have her picture right there in the midst of all of the rest to feel her presence in my heart, and to drink her image with my eyes!

In a million years, none of us would have dreamed that life would be the way it is at this very moment. We were going to always be happy or rich or healthy or able to go and come as we pleased, but we were not in charge. None of us planned to be where we are. (Okay, some of us might have, and if we didn't, we thought we did, but I bet if you looked really closely, you would find that just maybe or that life is not quite like you envisioned it would be today.) I have!
Yet, I find it (my life) to be just as it should be! Thanking God for all things, and praying to live long enough to see some of those great-great-grands with a reasonable portion of health, a good portion of my mind intact, a decent place to live and call home, and the growing love of family and friends!

Ladies and gentlemen, do NOT get caught up in the hype of the glamour, the money, the fast cars or the stories about the sex. Most of that stuff is truly made for television. Real life is a whole lot different, and a lot more likely to be your reality. So, take your reality, and make it the best you can, and have a secret laugh to yourself as you watch others stumble upon their reality. It could be an eye opener.

One of my favorite Christmas songs says that you should make every day be like a holiday. I could not agree with anything more.

So, my wish for you and yours is that "YOU WILL MAKE EVERY DAY BE LIKE A HOLIDAY!"
Peace and blessings always.

Remember when your Christmas wishes were oh so simple? Like your two front teeth? I WANT MY OVEN! Okay. Okay. I have really resolved this issue. Off to Costco for cakes, cookies, pies and bread!