Christmas Letters

Vintage Christmas Card

It is that time of year and I am writing my Christmas letter. I send a lot of cards, but haven't enclosed a letter in the past few years. I enjoy reading the newsletters I get from friends and family and catching up on the latest news. One of my former neighbors, who now lives in Virginia, is very creative and includes photos of her family with cute little captions in her Christmas newsletter. I did this one year, with my daughter's help, as I am not that tech-savvy. So this year I'm writing a simple Christmas letter on pretty stationary.

I have lots of news to share and many blessings to be thankful for. It has been a year of travel, to the Florida beaches and the Smoky Mountains. It has been a year of reunions and celebrations. I reunited with an old childhood friend in October and we celebrated my mother-in-law's 90th birthday in November. For my grandchildren, it has been a year of beginnings. My youngest grandchild turned one and is quickly catching up with her older siblings; my grandson started pre-school and my second granddaughter started Kindergarten. Small things, but big events to the little ones.

Still, amidst my blessings, I want to remember those friends and family members struggling with grief and loss, health problems and other serious issues. I just hope that Christmas brings a sense of peace and hope and shines a light on them.

Thankful

I am thankful for so many things that I am sure I will leave something off of this list.

I am thankful for my family...
for a son-in-law who works hard to provide for his family and serves our community as a law enforcement officer.....
 I am thankful for my two daughters that I am very proud of and that I consider my best friends....
 I am thankful for the beautiful grandchildren they have blessed me with and the joy they bring to my life....
I am thankful for a job, with a retirement plan and good health insurance, when I know there are so many people unemployed and less fortunate than I am....
I am thankful to have a good relationship with my sisters and though we have our differences, always make up...
I am thankful for many friends who keep in touch with me to let me know they care...
.I am thankful for my cat, who keeps me company, curled up on my lap at night.....
I am thankful that the mail still runs every day (except Sunday)....
.I am thankful that I have a good boss and great co-workers that makes it so easy to go to work each day....
.I am thankful that I can worship God openly and for his daily blessings......
I am thankful for Thanksgiving and Christmas, my two favorite holidays of the year....
I am thankful for the mild temperatures that have kept my utility bills down....
I am thankful for libraries....for the written word.....newspapers and the Internet, and Amazon.com....
.I am thankful for afternoon naps, flannel robes and slipper socks, and hot cocoa, for cold nights....
I am thankful for Hallmark movies, all Charlie Brown re-runs and Christmas songs on the radio, even before Thanksgiving...
I am thankful that I have one pair of boots that I can wear....
I am thankful for the spirit of Christmas, wishing it would last a little bit longer...
I am thankful that the elections are over....
I am thankful that my mother-in-law celebrated her 90th birthday...
I am thankful that a friend finished her radiation treatments...
I am thankful for this blog, where I have met some incredibly nice people.

Ordinary Days

I love three-day weekends, even if I don't "do" anything. I live a simple life, an ordinary life. I'm one of the lucky ones, because if you've ever received bad news, your life turns upside down and there is no such thing as an "ordinary day".  So I am thankful for all the ordinary days.

Puttering

On Saturday I putter around the house. It rains most of the day, a repeat of January's weather. The weather is cool, but mild. I go about my housework, washing the sheets, taking out the trash. I empty the dishwasher. I make a second pot of coffee. Finally, I grab my umbrella and drive to the nearest Barnes and Noble, 25 miles away. For over an hour I browse to my heart's content, spending my gift card from Christmas, with enough left over to buy a White Chocolate Mocha.

A Quiet Evening

On Saturday evening my daughter, her husband and the two older children go to a hockey game. I baby-sit Mae-Mae (her nickname). Bath time...bottle...baby is soon asleep in my lap. When they return from the game, the older girls go home with me. One goes right to sleep. The younger one thinks that she is a grown-up ( she is going on five) and stays up until midnight. I give them my bed and the cat and I share the couch.

Mae-Mae

Sharing Popsicles

Sunday morning and the younger one is up early and already dressed. She hits the floor running. I am rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Can I play with Play-do?" "After breakfast," I reply. Today the weather is gorgeous, bright and sunny. We go outside after lunch and the children (including my grandson, who came over) help me pick up broken branches in the yard. I rake up dead leaves while they play hop-scotch, kick the soccer ball, and climb trees in the backyard. They make friends with the two little boys who live across the street. The kids want popsicles, so my granddaughter asks me how many to get of the freezer, while she counts on her fingers. "Five?" "Yes, five", I tell her. While she goes inside for the popsicles the little boy across the street comes out with a handful to share with everyone. At five o'clock the kids go home. I am exhausted, but it's a good tired.

An Ordinary Day

It is Monday and I treat myself to a movie from my collection, "The Painted Veil." It is based on a book by W. Somerset Maugham and is about a doctor and his unfaithful wife. The story takes place in China, where the doctor is fighting a Cholera outbreak. It is a fascinating story. Later, I run errands, mail some cards, pay bills, balance my checkbook, put a pot roast in the oven, bake cupcakes, call my sister and a close friend; ordinary things on an ordinary day. I am blessed.

Blackberry Cobbler in a cute casserole dish

On Thanksgiving

We are having Thanksgiving at my house tomorrow, with approximately 15 or more people. Besides turkey and ham there will be the usual Thanksgiving side dishes: Sweet Potato Casserole, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, Cornbread Dressing, Cranberry Gelatin Salad, Sister Shubert rolls, etc. Then there will be Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Pecan Pie and  Peach Cobbler for dessert.

I love Thanksgiving Day because it is the time set aside for families to gather together and count our blessings.

I'm thankful for my two daughters and four grandchildren, who are the light in my world.

I'm thankful for my health.

I am thankful for the people I meet each day and the stories they tell me. I recently talked with an elderly man who was taking care of his sick wife. They had been married for 62 years. People don't share stories any longer.

I am thankful for my home, in light of the many tornado victims who lost their homes this year.

I am thankful for a job when I have seen so many lose their jobs in this poor economy.

Most of all, I am thankful for God, who has made me stronger during my trials and hasn't given up on me yet.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Daughters

My daughters when they were little

My daughters are my friends and confidantes. They are my "go-to persons" when my friends are busy. They are strong, independent young women, a little opinionated, but that's okay. They get it honestly. We actually agree more than we disagree. They have blessed me with grandchildren and are doing a great job raising their families. They both also love to cook. I am proud to be their mother.

No, I don't want to make this a "brag fest" because they are not perfect. There are times that I still want to tell them what to do, or at least advise them. At times, they are my advisors, my mentors. They are good listeners and have a sense of humor. They get that from their father, who was a funny guy.

I thank God for my daughters.

Light

I am so tired that I should really be asleep, but since I go in an hour later tomorrow I can justify staying up a little later. My house is a mess and I have piles of laundry, but I've barely been home long enough to tackle my chores.

I work for a financial institution and we finally re-opened for business on Monday morning. I left early, hoping to find a cup of coffee along the way, but the fast food restaurants were still closed. Thankfully, I had a cup when I got to work and immediately started cleaning out the refrigerator in our break room. I was happy to return to a sense of normalcy. We were busy, as our customers lined up to get cash. We had been closed for four days and many people didn't have access to cash and with no power, even debit cards were useless. People were extraordinarily patient and grateful. We heard their storm stories and are still hearing them. I think I have teared up more than once or twice a day since the beginning of the week. As of right now there have been 39 counties in Alabama designated as disaster areas. Alabama only has 67 counties, so more than half of the state was affected. It will take years to recover.

I drove home on Monday evening. Still in the dark. Since I needed a shower, I grabbed a few things and spent the night at my older daughter's house. My pregnant daughter got her power back...for one hour. The transformer blew and once more they were in the dark. They went to her in-laws. Luckily the power came back on by Tuesday of this week. Just in time. My newest granddaughter made her entrance into this world on Tuesday evening, all 7 lbs. 10 oz.  Her middle name is "Dawn", a perfect fit. After the darkness, comes the dawn.

I came home at midnight, happy to see my front porch light on, and happy to have another bright light in my life.

In Darkness and Light

The news has been plastered with horrific stories from the storms. But there have also been amazing stories of people helping each other, stories of  amazing grace. Strangers helping strangers. Neighbors helping neighbors. "I need to get your phone number," said one of my co-workers as we went back to work today. "I had no way to reach you." "Me, too," I said. I now have several more phone numbers saved in my cell phone. I also answered every call, even from phone numbers that I didn't recognize, because people were borrowing phones from strangers to make phone calls.

With no power, neighbors are cooking food and sharing their meals cooked on a charcoal or gas grill. My daughter made gourmet burgers and roasted potatoes wrapped in foil on the first night without lights. It was delicious. One co-worker heated water on the grill to wash the baby bottles. The son of a friend used a rain barrel and solar power and improvised an outdoor shower with warm water. My cousin brought a generator, gas grill, supplies and enough gas for several weeks, from her home in Tennessee to my sister's house. The fire department helped my friend, who is handicapped, and opened her garage door. One middle-aged man that I met told me that his neighbor used his chain saw and cut down the tree that landed on his roof, single-handedly, all out of neighborliness. My sister, who is in animal rescue, and my niece, took cat and dog food to the devastated regions. My daughter donated children's clothing and several packs of diapers, diapers that she had been saving for her baby. "I can always buy more," she said.

People, with few exceptions, have been unbelievably polite. With no traffic lights, we have had to follow the 4-way stop rule. Neighbors who have never talked to one another now know each other's first name. One lady realized that her neighbors weren't actually "vampires" and are actually nice people. Everyone has a heart of gratitude and feels truly blessed.

Daylight is no longer taken for granted. You have to make the most of it. Isn't this what our ancestors did?
And if you work hard and play hard, you'll be ready for bed not long after dark.

Being in the dark has taught us all to never take anything for granted, especially our loved ones. I can live without my hot water for a few days. I can live without computer access or my cell phone. I can even live without my favorite television shows. The roof can be repaired, a new tree can be planted, a house rebuilt, food and clothing replaced, but the ones we love are what matters most.

A Lucky Day

My granddaughter's Kindergarten class had Kite Day this past Friday. However, there was barely a breeze, so the kites didn't make it off the ground. My granddaughter tried again the next day, excitedly dragging her kite along the ground, hoping for a lift-off.

My daughter and her husband finally tilled their garden this weekend and shopped for plants. Erika was so excited about the garden and couldn't wait to put the seedlings in the ground. She gave up a shopping trip with Mawmaw to stay home and help Daddy. "Today is my lucky day," she said, referring to the garden. She is five years old. Things that we take for granted are a big deal to a five-year old. Simple things. Flying kites. Vegetables. Sunshine.

Unexpected Gifts

It's hard to believe that Christmas, once again, has come and gone.
I loved watching the children open their presents. My granddaughter said it best. "I didn't ask for all these presents, but I sure do like them."
I no longer look for the big present under the tree, because I know that the things that matter the most can't be wrapped. Here are a few of the gifts I received this year:

The unexpected phone call from an old friend in Pennsylvania. We have not seen each other since we were girls, but have kept in touch through the decades. We share stories about our families and traditions. Another thing we have in common: her mother was born in England and married an American GI and my mother was German and also married an American.


The unexpected present she sent me. She knows I love history, so she sent me a book and relaxation CD with snow scenes (since we are snow-challenged here in the South).


The beautiful church on Christmas Eve, a sanctuary of holiness to quietly celebrate the birth of Christ. 


The almost empty streets on Christmas Eve, when the stores have closed and families are together.


Christmas dinner at my sister's house. She and her husband have a large, extended family and it was a joy to see the huge pile of presents under the tree and every room in the house decorated for Christmas. And I have to say that I love her dressing!


Phone calls on Christmas Day and catching up with loved ones.


Visiting a longtime friend who always gives me too much at Christmas. I tell her this every year. And she never listens.


An evening at home during the holidays, when the house is quiet and I am snuggled under a blanket on the sofa, knowing that I don't have to go anywhere the next morning.


Browsing through my new cookbook and listening to my new CD that my daughters gave me. I can't wait to try some of the recipes from "The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook."


Watching a Hallmark movie, "The Christmas Choir". This was the only holiday movie I watched this year. What is the Christmas season without a warm and touching holiday story?