As Time Goes By

While some say that time is a manmade concept I take the position that time is a real thing. Every moment is something and we call it “time”.  The reality of one moment in time passes onto the next and so on; what can that be but the passage of “time”?  I don’t want to burden my brain with too much esoteric philosophy but rather move into the personal and relatable idea of time.

When a doctor tells you that your time is limited on this earth a new type of thinking comes into play; it is inevitable no matter how much one wants to be positive and optimistic. Always at the edge of your mind you have this “suggestion” that time is limited. That makes every moment precious and every event memorable. Yesterday I talked with Chester, our little chatterbox in the East, and he told about his Christmas presents and the snow and what he and Stanley were going to do. Stanley is shyer about talking on the telephone but he managed to say a few words to me before flying off somewhere to play with his nerf-gun (whatever that may be). Apparently it was HUGE.  Later in the day 2 more great-nephews came by to celebrate After-Christmas and we were all reminded that this season is so much better when there are kids around.

Family gathering around at this time is such a blessing. I had to laugh a little when politics came up and all the girls but me left the room. I guess I am made of sterner stuff than most because I can raise my voice as loud as the boys! We had an enjoyable time all “agreeing” in the typical family way – by talking over each other. J

What can I say except that we are passionate in our beliefs!

Boxing Day

For many people Boxing Day is the day to go bargain shopping but I gave up on that many years ago as I found the crowds too stressful to cope with. But once upon a time I was really into the post-Christmas shopping and would frequently find a lot of gifts for THE NEXT CHRISTMAS. The nice thing about that was that I got things at a bargain price and I could then shop throughout the year for additional gifts with a strain on the budget.

As I got more anti-crowds I found that there was still lots of good deals to be had in January and I pretty much could get what I wanted then since most people were now impoverished with December debt. I was cold hearted enough to think it was my good luck!  These days I don’t do much shopping because brother John curbs my enthusiasm! What can I say, I do like to shop for other people as well as myself but I have to be a little bit more sensible these days; after all, what do people really need?

But I ask you, if you see a gorgeous Christmas tablecloth for $5.99 are you going to leave it for someone else?  I didn’t think so!

Merry Christmas

Second juler dag (Christmas Day) in our extended family included stewed spinach, fat pork sausages and brown sugared potatoes made into little round balls. Faster Jonna was the queen of Christmas and when she was on her first memorable visit here we heard about this meal – one which we had never had. Dad was all for Mom starting this tradition and I think she tried it once or twice but she is not very good at the browned potatoes part of it and we kids were not so thrilled with the spinach part of it (what kid is, really?)

In this family the boys eat left over duck while we girls (into the next generation) breakfast on the leftover rice pudding with the hot cherry sauce. It’s been my tradition since my teenage years and I know my sisters are well into it also; I heard a rumour this morning that so is my niece!

Wishing everyone a hearty meal for second day of Christmas!

Glædelig Jul

Our family holds to the Danish tradition of celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve rather than on the 25^th. We also hold with the Viking traditions that have been inserted into the Christmas, such as dancing around the tree while singing carols, and eating a lot! I’ve attached the Wikipedia link on our traditions which have not changed much in this family – you can take the Dane out of Denmark but don’t mess with our Christmas!

It amazes me that so many Canadians do not know what marzipan is . . . the most delectable chocolate bar ever invented! This year we have not been able to find it anywhere; Co-op used to bring in some and I always bought up whatever was on the shelf but the past 2 years they have not had them.  I think my nephew brought some back last year so we did have a little but this year, nada. (a wee tear is developing in my eye as I write).

I want to wish all my family, friends and readers the most wonderful Christmas ever. Stay safe!

Merry Christmas – Glædelig Jul – Feliz Navidad – Joyeux Noel - Fröhliche Weihnachten

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yule_and_Christmas_in_Denmark

Christmases Past

Fantastic day yesterday with my first Christmas brunch of the season with family and friends. A little on the small side for the first run but that was what made it so perfect. Danish æbleskiver (ball pancakes), cantaloupe wrapped with prosciutto ham and mimosa drinks were low key and not so filling. Today we rest for the next big event Christmas Eve! Again we are doing it on the low key side with just 5 of us this year. The ducks are out thawing away and Mom and I are going to make an orange mousse for the dessert instead of our usual Danish rice pudding (we will have that Christmas Day this year).

So things are moving along nicely this season and I am hoping that my illness stays at bay. Last year was so nerve-wracking for everyone that nothing seemed to go very well.

As mentioned earlier I saw a psychologist on the Marilyn Denis show who advised that if there was a concern (death, marriage, illness, divorce, etc) happening in the family it is okay to acknowledge it but then one should continue to celebrate the holiday because “ ’tis the season” after all. Don’t ruin it for everyone is the motto, essentially.

If children are involved remember that this is the high point of their year and family should ensure that they always have the best memories at this time of year.

I remember one memorable Christmas where Dad took a fit because the darn tree kept falling over and he threw the tree out the door like a javelin. We kids started bawling our heads off because now we were “going to have a sad Christmas”. That naturally got Dad upset so out he trotted to bring the tree back in and somehow he managed to get the tree to stay up. I do recall that we had an awful lot of drama with trees over the years because the early tree stands were so poorly made and of course we always had a giant, live Christmas tree. When my Faster Jonna was here we talked about the trees and she laughing recalled that the drama was continuing from back home in Denmark. Apparently one Christmas the tree sat in the coal bucket! I can picture it well.

While there can be drama make sure it is funny in the end!

'Tis the Season

There’s snow in the hills and the mountains are starting to stay white. The stores are loaded up with candy, evergreen and toys, toys, toys. People get into the spirit OF SPENDING.

Put on the brakes!

Let’s take a little time to enjoy the meaning of the holidays. When did the holidays shift from being holy and family oriented to being commercial and drunken? Ah, it’s multilayered in answers but who cares! I just want to nudge folks to think more about the companionship of the season than anything else. It’s lovely to decorate, to enjoy food, to exchange gifts and so on, but truly the important thing is to make time for your family and friends and enjoy each other.

Ambience is important but if there’s a dust ball here and a cobweb there, no matter, let’s make a joke about it, toast it and start the conversational ball rolling!

Reflections During the Holiday Season

As the year draws to an end and while we gear up to making merry it is also a time to start collecting our thoughts and begin making plans for the new year.  As we mature we may begin to notice how each year seems to fly by even faster than the year before.  I cannot believe that 2016 is coming to a close before I have “wrapped my head around” the idea that we were even in 2016. 

These past few of years since we entered the “teens” of the year 2000 I have frequently considered the world as it was 100 years ago.  There have been many films and stories focusing on the first World War so it was not easy to overlook the condition of the world then.  In so many respects we have had a very rewarding century of improvements to life with advances in science and medicine as well as social reforms.  Despite the rather disturbing trend in the past few of years attempting to push social change into a new Dark Age we are still in a better place than most of our grandparents were.

We frequently make resolutions not only for the new year but also at Christmas to be kind to others but our resolve seldom takes us to the finish line; indeed there really shouldn’t be a finish line.  I am hoping that I can do better in 2017 and I know that there are many reasons why I feel that it is more achievable than usual.  It is easy to feel overwhelmed when things don’t seem to be going your way but I reflect on those within my own immediate circle and the struggles they have endured this past year and I think “I’m grateful for what I have”.  If I can help make their lives easier, that is a gift.

Folks, take care of yourselves this holiday season and if you are able to help someone count yourself blessed.  Even a smile helps someone on their way.

 

Christmas Questions

Tis the season to start thinking about . . . things other than parties, gifts, and over indulgences.  This is also the season when it behooves one to think about others.  I think the message of Christmas frequently, almost always, is lost in the Merchandizing that inundates us.  Push all that aside and have a quiet moment.  When we pause and give our minds a chance to just rest and gently explore areas that aren’t top most in our mind (that would be all the white noise of the holiday season) do we even think about the religious aspect of the season? 

I thought I would look at the statistics in Canada and the USA on church going now and in the 1950’s.  I was very much surprised by the significant contrast between Canada and the USA.  Today only about 20% in Canada are regular church goers where almost 37% of Americans still attend church regularly.  At the same time 70% of Americans identify with a religion which is almost unchanged from 1937 statistics.  I find it curious that given the religious nature of Americans the holidays are commercialized to such an extent that it has affected the rest of the world.  When we hear the statistics on how much a person will spend over the holidays it just seems out of all proportion to the spirit of the holiday.

It’s no wonder that the holidays can create all kinds of anxiety for a person from satisfying expectations to dreading the January bills.  I’m thinking of encouraging my family to move away from the material side of Christmas and focus more on the true spirit of Christmas, spreading love and joy (without gifts).

I wonder how that will go over?

Sunshine in December

It’s hard to believe that we are midway through December, 10 days to Christmas and 16 days to 2016.  How do you approach December?  What I mean by this question is what type of emotions do you have when December 1^st hits?  Do you become filled with anticipation, joy, love for neighbours and friends?  Do you start getting anxious about Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas obligations and too many expenses?  Do you think that the year has gone too fast and do you start to feel regrets for things left unfinished?  A combination of two or more such feelings or something completely different?

This year I found myself anticipating the holiday season but when it continued brown and bare I did not get that Christmas feelings.  Now with the first real snowfall of the season everything is covered with hoar frost and snow so it looks especially charming.  My evergreens are getting taller and so now I can actually see them Christmas-like with snow weighing down the branches and small birds flit in and out as they gather seeds they are collecting from around the chicken coop.  They are busy little birds and it’s wonderful to think how they can exist on so little and in such harsh conditions.

As the month progresses closer to the big event Mom and I start pulling ourselves together, then we pull out the cookbooks and eventually we get started baking our “usual suspects”.  The challenges of going beyond vanilla krans and chocolate chip cookies is daunting since all the batches apparently produce mega cookies and we know that they will only be nibbled at and then set aside.  So what’s the point?  This year we miss our baking Santa who whips all kinds of cookies up in a weekend of marathon baking. 

Then there is the wrapping and all I can say is bless the inventor of Christmas bags – so much simpler than paper, tape and ribbons especially with awkward parcels.  Then of course there is the tagging, covering up last year’s tag because we cannot get away from that frugality of saving every possible scrap of Christmas wrapping.  Or can we?  In past years I have tried to do themed wrapping, going with a colour scheme and making nice little bows of ribbon but other years it’s a case of “let’s get this over with”.  Not exactly the kind of emotion one should have when wrapping up a gift, lovingly chosen and hoping to please a loved one.  That’s when you know you have hit stress level with too much buying, not enough time.  That’s when you start to question what the fuss is all about and pretty soon you can start blaming the Merchandizing Machine for all your troubles and woes.  Oh you’re a mean one Mr. Grinch.

In truth, I love this time of year even though some of the self-imposed obligations may seem tiresome once in a while.  Once I get in the swing of things I am loving every minute of it, especially when I have the Christmas carols blasting away.

Merry Christmas.

It's Christmas Time

One of my most memorable Christmases happened when I was 7 years old.  We were living in “the doctor’s house” (a cottage on Lake Ontario) at the time.  The house was perfect for a Shirley Temple style Christmas, with a fireplace, an upstairs so we could sit on the stairs and look through the banisters to await Santa’s arrival.  We had hung stockings on the fireplace, our simple little skinny socks.  There was a piano in the dining room where we could pretend to play Jingle Bells.  All three of us, Jeanette, John and I sat on the stairs for quite a while until finally my parents forced us to go to bed. 

Next morning we hurried downstairs and were aghast to discover the socks had been thrown on the Christmas tree and there were no presents under the tree.  Needless to say Jeanette began bawling almost immediately and only got worse when Dad came down the stairs and told us that Santa must have got angry that we had forgotten to leave cookies and milk for him.  Oh my but he had to hurry back upstairs to bring out the packages.  In all the excitement of getting presents I have forgotten what the excuse for Santa leaving them in my parents’ bedroom would have been. 

I look back and smile at that skinny little girl looking through the banisters.

Twinkle!

Mingle, Mingle, Mingle

Company parties are not my thing.  I find company parties forced, phony and basically a drinking bash.  However, I must confess that this year I again took the plunge and attended a party that turned out to be quite a lot of fun.  What was the difference for me from previous years?  I pushed myself to mingle.  This is well beyond my comfort zone but I did it.  I moved around the room, stopped to chat for a few minutes with someone I knew, then excused myself and moved on to the next victim.  In other words, I did what everyone else has always done to me.

       It seemed ruthless but I felt that I was in control.  Now isn’t that a peculiar way of enjoying oneself at a party?  Being rude, almost.  However this seems to be the established mode of cocktail parties, mingle, chat, and excuse oneself before you get bored with the person you are chatting to so move on before they do.  I stopped and had a little snack here and there, refused wine and stuck with bottled water, and finally gave out and sat down when my knee started talking back to me.

       It was a true learning experience for me in how to have fun at a Christmas Party.  I just hope I didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings.  And hey, I got a memorabilia picture out of it!

2012 Christmas Holidays

The countryside is quiet over the holidays and once the mad rush to get “home” occurs even the highway is desolate.  Yesterday Mom and I sat having our morning coffee and looked out at the quietness of a true Christmas scene, with heavy snow on the ground, the trees and bushes also laden thickly with white.  Cutting kitty corner across the yard were rabbit prints but otherwise nature was hidden away.  Today I will expect to see the madness begin again, with travellers going back to Calgary after spending time with their families.  But there, for a little while, it is almost as though we are in another world, completely cutoff from “civilization”.  Even television seemed surreal with the channels filled with B Christmas movies and skimpy with news.

Tree at Banff Springs Hotel

       Even having a few days free from work and stress can help a person or a family recharge their batteries and be ready for the next few months, until the next big break. But through all the holidays I wonder how often anyone thought about the “true meaning of Christmas”?  Perhaps in fleeting moments many people did have a quiet thought for Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men.  I hope so.

       Reflecting back on the weeks prior to Christmas day I wonder at the frenzy many fall into with their shopping, their parties, their stressing to please only to have it fizzle away in less than 12 hours.  As Mom and I sat there sipping our coffee I looked around the room and felt relief that it was not overdone with decorations.  It was just enough to put a shine on the house but not so much that it would be too much work to take it all down.  Does this mean that I will never have another Christmas tree?  No, I don’t think so, but for now, it was just right.

Christmas Time

Mom and I have a busy day ahead of us since we have junk piled up everywhere, boxes of gift bags, wrapping paper and ribbon, gifts stashed in the office, and heaven only knows what the other junk consists of, but it all means a day of wearing several sweatbands, running up and down the basement stairs and of course getting distracted rather than focusing on one task at a time.  In all of this hustle and bustle we also have to do the tasks that the Games Master (also known as my nephew Christopher) requires of us.  This causes Mom particular stress as it involves writing and she declares that she cannot write, both literally and figuratively speaking.  So this means that I will have to write for both of us, sometime today.

       But there’s no doubting it, I love it.  There’s a lot of talk about stress during the Holiday Season but I don’t feel it unless I am forced into a mall.  Since I am extremely organized about my gift buying that isn’t likely to happen so for me, all’s good.  As I sit here drinking my coffee and typing away Thumper is sniffing at a gift and pulling at the corded ribbons on a gift for my niece.  These are special little moments that I will capture with Mother’s hair – I mean camera.

       Ah, to explain, as we were driving to my sister’s house yesterday we both exclaimed “I forgot my camera” and Mom wondered why it was we always seemed to forget them.  I said it was because she was too busy worrying about her hair and that from now on, instead of thinking about her hair she should automatically say camera.  Mom laughed.  When we got to the house everyone was exclaiming at what a fashionista she was as she had put on the glitz for the party.  Then Charlotte commented on house nice the perm had turned out and Mom looked guiltily at me and then began to talk about Her Camera.  We couldn’t stop laughing.

       Being busy with this type of stuff, cleaning house, getting down to the details, makes me happy.  I don’t stress about things like this, and I don’t stress about buying the perfect gift (ask my brother-in-law).  Our family are not the kind to go overboard with spending, we do our best to find something we will like and if not we can just laugh about it and ask ‘what were you thinking’?  I was speaking with a colleague and I was stunned at the amount of money she typically spends on her family (in the range of $3,000 – just for gifts).  Holy Dinah, I might spend $300 if I am going all out – and that was in the day when I bought for 9 nieces & nephews and 5 siblings, plus parents.  Holy cow, no wonder some people stress out. 

       Thinking about that this morning I reflect that the whole point of this day is to embrace our fellow man and feel the love and joy, with the hope of keeping it throughout the year.  Lest I sound sanctimonious believe me when I say “the hope” as I lecture myself every morning while driving to work with these words “Now, going home, just stay calm, don’t get annoyed by all the idiot drivers out there, just stay calm, stay in the right hand lane and just keep the pace, no speeding or losing patience.”  I am perfectly committed to that cause until some maniac makes it impossible for me to keep my resolve.  Let me not digress, instead, let me wish my friends, family and readers a very Merry Christmas.

A Scrooge in the House

My mother is the sweetest person in the world until Christmas starts to come in the air.  Surprising though it may seem, Mother does not like Christmas.  While we had noticed Mom would sometimes seem a bit crankier than usual we only thought it was because we were underfoot due to our Christmas break from school.  We were adults before we were told that our sister Jill was born on Christmas Eve and therefore it was a bad time of year for her.

       All these years later Christmas is still not my mother’s favorite time of year and so it can be a real challenge to get into the spirit when she kyboshes everything.  Walking down the aisles in a store I am told that I don’t need any more ornaments, that I don’t’ need to look at tablecloths, candles, tinsel or what have you.  Christmas cards, perish the thought.  I found myself encouraging her to go look for prunes to stuff the ducks.   Don’t laugh, this really happened.  I felt like the mother with the cranky child.

       Today I put on the Christmas carols while we washed all our crystal and china and suffered through the criticism of Michael Buble’s singing (not up to Bing Crosby standard).  I found myself lurking in the family room, secretly setting out Danish elves and red table cloths while Mom had her nap.  If only there really was fairy dust that I could sprinkle in her eyes to cheer her up.

       Challenges await us at every corner but the good part is that as the day draws near and she has to start thinking about baking and cooking things start to smooth themselves out.  And then we can think about spring.

Jumping for Joy

It’s Saturday and the day looks promising both with the weather and the plans ahead of us.  Mother and I are taking a jaunt into the big city to start our Christmas shopping and then hook up with our book club friends.

       I’ve always loved the month of November which begins that happy momentum into the holiday season.  In recent years November is the beginning of Christmas parties and already the stores are stocked up on Christmas finery.  Surveys have already started coming out on how much people are going to spend over the holidays, drink and eat themselves into a January diet program and so forth.  I like the hustle and bustle of November.  I enjoy the socializing aspect as well as the anticipation of festivities and gift exchanging.  Few things give me more pleasure than seeking out a perfect gift for a loved one, hiding it away until that special day when I start wrapping all the treasures up.  In the past the wrapping has been random and uncoordinated but Martha Stewart has waved her wand of influence over we happy few who still follow her artistic lead.  I have the added influence of my native country that goes whole hog into the Christmas season.  Regardless of the season the Danes have an amazing ability to make things hyggelige and one of my pleasures is to pull out my mother’s immense stack of Danish magazines and pore over the holiday editions.  What a Dane can do with a candle and pinecone is priceless!

       Then we have all the baking, recipe hunting, pre-cooking, card and letter writing to begin.  My family and friends are scattered around the world and Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the traditional card.  I’m sorry but an email just doesn’t do it for me.  Let’s not forget that I am an addict for stationery of all kinds. 

       Lastly there is the socializing and oh what fun can be had with that.  Now that’s for tomorrow.

Boxing Day 2011

My first memorable Boxing Day sale happened when I was about 24 when my parents took us to the Woolco in Marlborough Mall back in the day when the mall was basically an indoor strip mall.  I remember standing at a bin of something or other, holding one item in my hand and realizing that it had been ripped out of my hand by an ethnic person.  I looked up in shock but said “that was in my hand” and she very grudgingly handed it back to me.  Today I understand that would never have happened.  The grabber would pull out pepper spray and attack me full force to get the tea towel for 29 cents!  Such is the price of a bargain.

            As I’ve written it’s long past that I would venture out on Boxing Day.  The day I got squeezed in a doorway was “The End” for me.  I didn’t even go in the store, I turned around and went somewhere else.  No lineups for me.  With every advancing year I grow more like my father who used to say “I would faint if I was in a lineup even as a boy”.  I don’t know how true that was for him but when I am in a lineup and I am merely the second or third in line I can have an internal conniption fit when the first person takes 200 years to get his debit card approved. 

            Now here is a true, UNEXAGGERATED story about my experiences at Michael’s in Okotoks.  No word of a lie.  I have been there twice when it wasn’t Christmas time and this is what has happened.

            The first time there was a lineup at the till (which by the way is set up really stupidly).  There was only one teller and I was the fourth person in line.  The first couple were paying their items separately (???) and then BOTH of them decided they were going to use a different card.  I thought I was going to faint, this exchange took at least 8 minutes (by my watch).  Then the second person in the lineup got her turn.  Geez Louise, she needed to ring her items in as two separate bills.  God give me strength.  So this transaction took another 7 minutes.  The math means that already I have been waiting in line for 15 minutes to buy something which I don’t even remember what it was – oh yes, I had found some personalized stickers for my envelopes and as they were rare I thought I better just stick it out.

            At last the third person gets up there and her F’ing card did not work.  I do not believe this is happening to me.  Where is the second teller?  What the H is going on here?  Out comes the wallet with her other card, mercifully she gets finished.  That took 5 minutes.

            I get up to the till and I pull out cash.  No problems with me, I am out in 30 seconds.  People, I ask you?

            So last Wednesday I mosey on over to Michael’s for my second experience.  Granted this time it is Christmas but it is about 2:00 on a workday and there is only one person in the lineup.  You will never guess what happened.  She finishes the transaction almost as soon as I get in the lineup and then she says

            “I want to use my other card.”

            Only in Okotoks.

Christmas Day 2011

This Christmas Day was unusual.  For one thing we had one of our rare brown Christmases when the temperature was in the double digits – on the plus side.  Today I spent the day at my brother’s house and we had a seafood lunch, again unusual.  Not the usual leftover duck from Christmas Eve.

            And this morning my mother was at my house having breakfast with me!  That was such a nice treat for me.  I could give her breakfast in bed, only she wanted it in the dining room so that’s what we did.  We had a leisurely breakfast and a wonderful talk about the evening before and then about this and that.  We was nice and cozy.  Then she watched me open all the gifts that I save for my Christmas morning.  These are all the gifts that I saved from all my Canadian friends.  This is a little tradition that I made for myself since I celebrated Christmas Day in my own home.

            Later Erik and I drove Mom home to John’s and on the drive she told some funny stories about herself.  First she told us how she was teasing John about how slowly she ate her box of Gajol licorice until she only had one left.  Then as she readied for bed she ate her various pills one by one, with a little sip of water.  Then she picked up the Gajol and took a sip of water and whip, down the throat it slid until she realized “my last licorice”!  And she let out a little yelp and John called from the living room “what happened?” and she came out looking foolish.

            “I just swallowed my licorice like a pill.”

            She laughed and said she wanted to regurgitate it!

            Then she said when she was down visiting Jeanette she had written all her Christmas cards and on the drive to get the stamps Jeanette pointed out where the mailbox was situated close to her house.  Mom said “that is a strange colour for a mailbox” but Jeanette didn’t  pay attention and just kept chatting away.  They got home, Mom affixed the stamps and decided to go for a breath of fresh air and headed down to the mailbox.  She walked around it, and around it, stood up on the cement block and tried to find the mail shute.  She thought “what a strange mail box”.  Then she stepped back and looked at this grey green box and suddenly she looked into the distance and saw the familiar red mailbox.  Good grief, she thought, I’ve been looking at the wrong thing.  So she posted the mail and got back to the house and told Jeanette what had happened.

            So what was she looking at?  An electrical terminal server.  It was a miracle she didn’t electrocute herself!

            Mom says “at least I can laugh at myself when I am such a fool!”  Oh Mom!

Blessings on Christmas Eve

Do you ever get tired of people telling you to count your blessings?  It can be a bit trite, especially at this time of year when you are probably worrying about bills, family squabbles, getting off work in time to do the last bit of shopping and who knows what besides!  But if you can find your way out of the forest and start looking at the trees you can perhaps realize that you are indeed blessed.

            For one thing, you are most likely living in Canada which is possibly the safest country in the world to live in.  Too often we take for granted the fact that we can walk down the street in safety, drive where we want, shop where we want and pretty much say what we want.  Most of us, thankfully, have a job.  Food is readily available to us and there is lots of it in the stores.  In fact our country is pretty lavish in consumable goods.

            You probably have a friend you can turn to if only to listen to your woes.  As Jimmy Stewart said in “Winchester ‘73”, if you have one friend, you are rich.  I’m rich.

            Sometimes when I sit alone, staring at the computer screen and wondering what to write about, I will get a sinking feeling and wonder “who cares”?  We can all have moments of despair or loneliness but for most of us the feeling passes, luckily very quickly.  There are people that care, and I have a sense of humour to carry me through most things.  I hope you do too.

            Life is a roller coaster of a ride and sometimes we can hit some low spots; but even then, I do hope that you can take a look around you and find that there are blessings in your life.  My mother will quote a Danish saying “It’s never so bad that it isn’t good for something” and you know, she’s usually right.  Using an English truism,  “this too shall pass”, so if you are having a rough spot, a gloomy day or just feeling out of sorts, breathe deeply, go for a walk in the fresh air and think about what is good in your life.  Chances are you will find at least three good things to say thank you for.  Living in this country, having a job, and having family and friends to count on.

            I hope you have a good day!  For some this is Christmas, for others, one more sleep! 

While menfolks and children enjoy all the anticipation of Christmas Eve the women folk are busy making the home a place where everyone (but them) can put their feet up and enjoy the holiday spirit.  Meanwhile we are baking, writing cards, baking, making stewed cabbage, shopping for gifts, baking, shopping for groceries, oops forgot the whipped cream, back to the store, prepare the rice pudding, forgot the prunes back to the store, baking, clean, clean, clean, set the table, find the candles, where are the napkins I got on Boxing Day last year, dig, dig, dig.  Finally we sit down to dinner and the meal is over in 7 minutes (I’ve timed it, thankfully the last few years we are slower, it’s about 12 minutes now).  Then we womenfolk have to clear the table, do the dishes, pack up the leftovers and the men folk gripe about their one little chore, moving the Christmas Tree out to the middle of the room so we can dance and carol around the tree.

            Ah, yes, anticipation.  I anticipate Christmas Day when I can sleep late, have my leftover rice pudding for breakfast in the comfort of my own bed, read my newest book and wait for my phone call from my sister!  Later I will go around my table and look at my gifts and feel glad that my family and friends have remembered me so thoughtfully.  Later still I will make some phone calls to the friends that are home.  Then I will have some more leftovers, watch my favorite Christmas movies like “Last Holiday” with Queen Latifah or “It’s a Wonderful Life” and enjoy Jimmy Stewart calling “Clarence, Clarence”.

            Many years ago I was up to the challenge of Boxing Day Sales but with age comes wisdom; there are still plenty of bargains to be had in January so I wait for the quieter stores.  Instead I like to go out for walks in nature on Boxing Day, have my brother Erik over for lunch and perhaps coax him into training me a little on my weights.  He thinks I am a sad loss as I don’t seem to be able to stick to his regime, or worse argue with his approach.

            Today is a cleaning day for me, all the baking is done and I am in hopes of having someone come over to help yank out the table so I can add more leaves to it.  Tomorrow it’s time to wash the floors and vacuum one final time.  Happily my mother told me she already made the red stewed cabbage so that is a task I can “check”.  I got my ducks yesterday, four of them, and I am anxious watching them thaw in the fridge – it’s a hard chore but someone’s got to do it!

Countdown to Christmas 1, 2, 3 . . .

The last week before Christmas can be stressful as we start to count the things that still need to be done.  And isn’t that a pity, that word “need”.  There is so much to be joyful about this time of year as we start the Spirit of Christmas, enjoying our family, friends and colleagues.  But over this last century Christmas has become so commercial that we lose sight of the real meaning of the season.

            There is the religious aspect of Christmas, the holy celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ our savior.  For most people today the story of Jesus’ birth and of religion as our basis for the holiday is really lost.  The second part of this season is that hand in glove with the first, we want to celebrate with gladness and goodness to those around us.  This part seems to still exist to a very generous degree, but at the same time it seems to take over our life in a very material way. 

            The truth is that we shouldn’t overwhelm our family and friends with outrageously expensive things.  It is nice to give a little something that shows we have thought of them.  If it doesn’t happen then we shouldn’t feel bad.  We are adults, leave the gifts for the little ones, and even then, let’s be sensible about it and not go in debt to give a 6 year old an iPad. 

            I love giving; I really enjoy it when I can find something meaningful or thoughtful to give to a friend.  I get excited when I find a bargain which I can put to good use.  This year I had a lot on my mind and wasn’t able to prowl the stores like I usually do so I didn’t find the surprises of past years.  But I won’t beat myself up about it; this was the year of less in my world.  And that’s okay.  My heart is in the right place, my family and friends know that (I hope) and I plan to enjoy the holidays as a restful time.  I hope you can do the same.