Melancholy Holiday

Well, I have not been inspired to write in quite some time as I am sure you can tell since there are no entries. It has been a busy time with the holidays upon us. This would normally have been our year to go to Midland Tx for Thanksgiving but circumstances happened that prevented that so we had Thanksgiving here at the house. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though there was a lot of cooking and cleaning up time in the kitchen. It seems so easy when you start planning and doesn't seem like an awful lot to do but it is a neverending process with not much time to sit down and rest and always one more thing you need to get done. My cousins came, my sons and their families came, my aunt was here, not too big a crowd just 10 adults and 2 children, my precious grandchildren, Ian and Mac. They were such a blessing that day and we really enjoyed having all of them in our home.

I got sick the next day with a sore throat and haven't been able to get completely well yet, so it has taken me a little time to get the Christmas decor going. I just about finished up the inside today except for the trees, I plan on that tomorrow then all that is left is the outside. I was outside just today removing the Fall decor thinking this would be great weather to put out the outside decorations but decided I was out of time and postponed it till tomorrow and I just heard a major cold front is headed our way so maybe no outside Christmas decorations till next week or a warmer day anyway.

I think it is so strange that the one year I get motivated to actually buy presents and wrap them early that everyone else is thinking of cutting back this year. Our church is urging everyone to buy one less gift this year, especially for children, but we have never been extravagant to start with. The reason for Christmas is not the gift giving, but that is fun, (it is more blessed to give than receive). It is not about the decorating, although that is really fun, (we are created in God's image and he was the greatest creator of all time so I think that is why we enjoy decorating so much, new creations). We all know it is about our Saviour's birth, why he came and that He will come again for us someday, but this is a holiday that brings us together like no other holiday. It is a time for family to be together and it is a very melancholy time for those of us that have lost parents, siblings or other loved ones we used to share the holidays with. So even though I have thoroughly enjoyed the holidays so far in 2010 it also brings a touch of melancholy because I remember so well the safe, blessed, happy, cozy feeling that Christmastime always brought to our home when I was a child. My children remember the many Christmas Eves we spent with Granny, playing games (she was super competitive) and eating Christmas food, reading "The Night Before Christmas" and the story out of the Bible about Christ's birth. They are wonderful memories, hard to forget, and very hard not to miss those days even though there are new traditions to be made, new families to find their own fun times and to make their own memories. I know life goes on and we can't always look back but maybe in the holidays we tend to just a little more than other times. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to pick up the phone and ask my mom, now how much sage do you put in the dressing? even though I have been cooking Thanksgiving dinner many years now all on my own, but I still want her to know that especially this time of year how very much I miss her.