GREETINGS TO ALL

Merry Christmas to All!

I am now saying my greetings

and goodbyes. I will be taking a three week

break from blogging for a trip to summer.

Now you may wonder

where summer is and I will tell you – its not where I am

right now.

I also wanted to say

thank you

to

my significant other/soul mate/BFF/spouse/husband Kent

 for a wonderful Christmas gift.

You see he started a scholarship in my name at the St. Charles Community College.

What a wonderful legacy to leave our family.

So this evening our family will have our annual Christmas Eve dinner.

Each person will bring their favorite food.

Once again we will read a

Christmas Story written by Thomas S. Monson,
a tradition started some 10 years ago by our oldest son.

English Christmas Crackers will be popped.

Christmas morning we will sleep late

and then have our traditional Christmas breakfast.

I will make a roast dinner that afternoon followed by a

trip to the airport

to help our children get to their destination.

We will end our holiday by going to a movie.

 I hope your Christmas is as pleasant as ours.

NOT SO CHRISTMASSY

I have enjoyed blogging but like all bloggers there comes a time when there isn’t a lot to blog about. We’ve had ice storms and bone chilling temperatures for the past week but you could read about that in the news. My month continues with more get togethers with friends, a grandchild’s first dance recital, art projects, baking traditional breads, friends visiting, visiting friends, etc. Sunday, many members of our congregation performed a program that took enormous amounts of time to perfect. Pure delight! So far I have been experiencing all the usual activities that mean a lot to me but not so much to you the reader.

I guess what is on my mind today is in the torrential rain in Central America. So often I read about things occurring in distant parts of our globe and don’t feel anything. I’m sure it’s because we experience so much war and suffering daily via the media that it becomes necessary to block our feelings to keep from having sensory overload. Once I have visited a country and spent time with the people that all changes. I can see the faces of the people and know how their lives have changed because of the alteration inflicted upon them.  In January we will be going to visit Panama and go through the canal. This is something Kent has wanted to do and I love locks so it is a win win vacation. The only problem is the rain. There have been mudslides that have and continue to annihilate villages and wipe out homes. One of the two major bridges that connect North and South America has been destroyed because of the rain. The people of Central America are suffering.

Last evening our family checked the weather to see what the long range forecast would be for Panama. They are still having rain and more predicted. I don’t worry about rain ruining my vacation. I am concerned about my visiting a country that is suffering. I can’t be an Ugly American that is arrogant and uncaring. How do I help the people while I visit their beautiful country? This is a thought for me to contemplate during this holiday season.

TRADITIONS

Presents are all wrapped and under the tree or taken to the Post Office. Christmas cards have been written and mailed. All the decorations are up and parties have been planed and executed. There are still a couple of dinners to be held then the holiday will be over. Most of what is left comes under the banner of family traditions. I am looking forward to all the activities of the next 7 days. I think of all the holidays Christmas is my favorite. Every year we try to incorporate a new tradition. Some of the traditions seem new but really are old ones that we haven’t done for years and others are totally new to our family. This year we have added the Advent to our holiday. This was introduced this year to us by a good friend. Susan loves this part of Christmas and anytime you love something you want to share it. I’m glad she decided to share her tradition with us. This Sunday we will have the St. Lucinda Bread during the third day of Advent. I didn’t realize that this was part of the Catholic celebration of Advent. We have celebrated the Scandinavian part of the holiday by having our youngest (and only) daughter dressed in white with a green wreath on her head waking each family member on Christmas morning and bringing them to breakfast where the St. Lucinda Bread was eaten. (My 34 year old daughter refuses to wear a white dress and have a crown or wreath on her head anymore.) Maybe if we are having a Danish celebration we will have to make Aebleskivers for our family brunch. What fun it is to share traditions and incorporate new ones.

IT'S STILL MEMORIABLE

I started blogging about all the wonderful amazing things I was doing to make this Christmas memorable. It looks like I gave up but I didn’t. I just stopped blogging about everything because it sounded like I was bragging about how wonderful my life was. I do have a wonderful life. I also have an amazing list of problems but none of them are hard as yours so we won’t compare. I just want everyone to know that my season is good and I love all of you who respond to the spontaneous dinners, parties and activities I have put together. Also, thank you to friends who have planned activites. This week I will spend 5 out of the 7 days with dear friends and families. So far I have been invited to learn about the celebration of Advent from a friend who has celebrated this tradition since she was young child attending Catholic schools. I have visited with a friend from Kent and my early years of marriage. We have attended church, listened to inspiring messages and music. We convinced a group of friends to drop everything and go with us to our favorite restaurant about an hours drive from here. Our group mushroomed to about 25 friends that evening. We have survived the blizzard that hit the Midwest. We have thought of ways we could help others less fortunate than us. I’m so glad that I still have 12 more days until Christmas. After that I am leaving town for a warmer location for 3 weeks. Until then I hope everyone finds ways to make their season memoriable.

IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME

Christmas is the time for friends getting together. Last night we had a spontaneous get together. Kent and I went to a special Saturday night church meeting. We were concerned that the meeting wouldn’t take place because of the snow. After the meeting we decided we were going to Pueblo for dinner. Pueblo is a little Mexican restaurant that we have been going to since the 1970’s when it opened. We know the owner and everyone who works there and it is our favorite place to eat. Word spread of our destination and 30 minutes later our friends started arriving at the restaurant. The final count was 25 people. What fun we had, eating good food and visiting with friends.

When we got to Pueblo the restaurant was empty. The owner said they had a large group call ahead for reservations but because of the snow didn’t show up. So much food had been prepped so they were thrilled with our arrival. It was a win win night for everyone. And best of all the snow didn’t come until we were safely home.

MY GIFT TO ME

It’s time again for my annual physical and mammogram. I really like my doctor and I especially like that she is younger than me so she will be around for a long time. I have had my share of doctors who are suffering from burnout and the last thing they want to do is listen to you and your problems. Dr. Scale is different. She is cheerful, compassionate and treats you like you are the most important patient she has. Best of all she listens to what you say.

I am surprised at how childlike I am around Dr. Scale. Because I feel she cares I am from willing to take all those tests I dislike, such as bone density tests, mammograms, etc. Even though I know they are important I can put them off but don’t because I know Dr. Scale will be checking her records to see the results.

I guess you could say I am giving myself a Christmas Present by having a good doctor who makes me take better care of myself. What could be better?

TIME FOR FRIENDS

Today I had a friend phone to say hello. I answered an email, not the computer generated kind, but a real email from a real person. While out walking in this wintry weather I visited with one of my neighbors. Now I am waiting for a friend to drop by for lunch. I have found that when I am busy I eliminate time with friends first. During this stressful holiday season it is stopping to enjoy people that actually diminishes stress. Stress clouds our brains and makes us forgetful, making us more stressed and robbing us of the little time we have. Probably the most memorable thing I did this month was finish everything on my list. It was only for one day but I don't think I have ever finished a list. This day I got a good night sleep, exercised, and then took one thing as a time until my list was complete. How sweet!

LAST YEAR

Last year we had an life interruption. A call from my sister required a trip to a small town at the end of the world (Southern Utah) for the funeral of my brother-in-law Glen. Glen was a Vietnam Vet who loved old cars and motorcycles. He drove his old cars in just about every parade in the west from the Days of 47, Fourth of July, or a small town celebration. Glen's cars were the ones transporting the Grand marshal.

Glen's funeral was on a cold snowy day. The road that led from the church to the cemetery wasn't paved and people worried about getting stuck in the mud, but this didn't stop the Patriot Guard Riders from coming. They are at funerals throughout the country giving honor to those who served. They also give comfort to their families. Every time I see a group of riders giving of their time to honor a service man I feel respect and a renewed feeling that there is a lot of good people who are out there.

WHO DO I REMIND YOU OF?

This is the time for Kindness and Good will towards men but I need to share what really bothers me so –

• I just hate it when there is a driver in front of me who is going the speed limit.
• I hate all the emails that are sent to me about one day only sales that are too good to pass up. Now Grandpa has more toys to pass out than Santa.
• Parties with fatting food that I feel obligated to eat. Why can’t people serve healthy food?
• Promise of snow flurries and none appear. I can only imagine what school children are feeling. 

Well that is my list. I feel better now. In the spirit of the season I hope your list isn’t longer than mine.

Kent tells me that people might think I'm serious which makes this not so funny. Disclaimer: In no way has Kent encouraged my writing of a list of complaints and I want to assure you that I assume full responsibility for the content of this blog.

HONOR

We always hear that we should Honor our Parents but what does it means to honor parents. It began centuries ago with the Ten Commandments. When people talk about honoring parents I am amazed at all the opinions. Most of the thoughts are fine but some of them can actually be damaging. One day while trying to reconcile myself with honoring parents I came across a quote by David O. McKay. To paraphrase this great man: honoring our parents means we take the best of what they are and reject everything else.

I have thought about this quote and laughed. How many times do we parents say we don’t want our children to have any of our bad habits? When they do imitate our failings it’s so irritating. Those very habits that we have spent years trying to overcome they embrace. No, that is not how they should honor me. I want them to love the things that I love and want to do that I value.

I value:

Kindness

Civility

Creativity
Family
Children
Friends
Education
Service
Laughter
Trust
Forgiveness
Fun
Good books
Not Judging
but mostly I value my relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ

You will notice I have not listed my faults. I know there are those out there who will be happy to remind me of them should I ever forget.

DAYS 23 AND 24

This month is passing quickly. In the holiday spirit or making everything memorable this month I took a holiday cooking class yesterday. I love spending time with friends and this class got me wanting to do something special with them this month. I’m sure having a February holiday party would be so much more practical since everyone is so busy but it wouldn’t be the same.

Today is a little slower with spending quality time with granddaughters, the youngest one in the afternoon and the oldest one in the evening. I have thought about being a grandmother. My desire is to be a wonderful memory in my grandchildren’s lives. When my oldest granddaughter was born I thought how wonderful it would be to bake cookies and what ever grandmothers are suppose to do. I quickly found that she didn’t like to cook. So our time is spent doing what ever she wants. She loves that I don’t ask a lot of questions and I just listen to what ever she talks about. She loves to play store, office, teacher, and other pretend activities. The best time together is when we do art. She is becoming a budding artist. How wonderful to know that I have instilled my love of art in my granddaughter.

My two grandchildren in Pasadena are very much like the first. They don’t care what you are doing as long as they are the center of your world and you smile a lot. It is fun to hear their voices on the phone or see their faces on Skype. They get so excited when they talk, as do I. They remember me and always have something to say. I am looking forward to seeing them at the end of the month. I love the time we have together and always feel that it isn’t often enough. I am getting so that this grandma has her special activities with each child.

                                                                                                        
The baby is getting so she recognizes me. At 2 months she is a little young to value time with grandma. It is usually when mom needs to go somewhere and I am there when she would prefer mom. She will have to be a little older to think that coming to grandmas is a treat.

So for today the memorable time will be with grandchildren creating lasing memories of a holiday in 2010.