A journey from here to there ... and how I'm getting there

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought,  doesn't come from a store." ~Dr. Seuss Over the past 20 days, I have been on a quest to bring the magic of Christmas back to my heart and life.  I somehow lost the spirit of my favorite time of year sometime between 2006 and 2011 and I am very happy to say that I have re-ignited that flame and this has been a most wonderful Christmas for me.  This final edition is dedicated to family.  Not just any family, but my family. I honestly don't know where I'd be without my family.  My girls, husband, and parents, especially. My girls are my world. My everything.  Christmas probably wouldn't even be worth the craziness if I didn't have them.  My husband has been on a journey of his own to bring back the joy of Christmas in life and being on a journey with someone who you love and only want to see happy brings much joy!  And my parents have been two of the few people who have been by my side, supported m...

"At Christmas, play and make good cheer,  for Christmas comes but once a year." ~Thomas Tusser Part 19 is dedicated to singing and dancing. I LOVE dancing, almost as much as I love singing! Neither of which I do very well. LOL BUT, it doesn't stop me from enjoying myself.  In 2012, while picking up all of the food for Christmas dinner, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree came on in the grocery store and Laurana was singing it, so I started singing it with her, and then I started dancing.  She was laughing so hard, then she kept trying to spin me.  So there we were, dancing in the dairy section of the grocery store.  It was a good time.  I didn't even care if people thought I was going absolutely insane.  It's a memory that we will have for many years, and who knows, maybe it even put a smile on someone's face.  One of my bucket list items is to take ballroom dancing lessons, one day, I'll do it.  I took singing lessons, ...

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,  and  behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." ~Norman Vincent Peale Part 18 is dedicated to Christmas Lights. So pretty and colorful, they twinkle and give off a soft glow of fun light. I love driving around seeing houses lit up with all the pretty lights!! They are just so beautiful, even more so in the snow. Growing up my parents use to take us to the Festival of Lights up in Niagara Falls, NY.  I can remember being so mesmerized by all the lights, it all seemed to be so huge to me at the time! I loved walking around and seeing all the light displays and being surrounded by trees and plants, it was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen!!! Festival of Lights has since changed and the last time I went (probably about 20 years ago), it didn't seem as  grandiose as it did when I was a kid, but I still enjoyed it just the same.  I am hoping to make it out to one of the ...

"Look, Doris, someday you're going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work. And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile." ~ Fred Gailey (Miracle on 34th Street) Part 17 is dedicated to Believing. There is a very large part of me that believes in things like Santa Claus, fairy tales lives, happily ever afters and love at first sight. I've been told that my beliefs are unrealistic and silly, even. As silly as it may seem, believing in these fantasies allows me to keep my inner child, well, young.  Think about how a child's face lights up when he or she sees Santa at Christmas time, the innocence of believing that one man is so powerful and magical, that never ceases to amaze me.  I love that innocence.  I love feeling that innocence.  It's not something that too many adults stop to experience.  I think that this is one thing that I...

Warning ~Jenny Joseph When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me. And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter. I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells And run my stick along the public railings And make up for the sobriety of my youth. I shall go out in my slippers in the rain And pick flowers in other people's gardens And learn to spit. You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat And eat three pounds of sausages at a go Or only bread and pickle for a week And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes. But now we must have clothes that keep us dry And pay our rent and not swear in the street And set a good example for the children. We must have friends to dinner and read the papers. But maybe I ought to practice a little now? So p...

"Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won’t find it under a tree." ~ Charlotte Carpenter Part 15 is dedicated to random acts of kindness. In December 2012, I saw a post on Facebook where someone was participating in completing 26 random acts of kindness in honor of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, so I thought, well, what if, instead of committing to 26, why not go for an entire year. I really think that this is something that people do regardless, and just don't realize it. A random act of kindness can be something as little as holding a door open for someone, or even a smile at a stranger to brighten their day. It doesn't have to be anything major, just something small that you are doing for someone else that is completely selfless. I know, I, personally, feel absolutely wonderful when helping to make someone else's day just a bit better, and I'm sure you do as well. That year, I created a Facebook group (which has...

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the  mess created in the living room on Christmas day.   Don’t clean it up too quickly." ~Andy Rooney Part 14 is dedicated to Last Christmas. No, not the Wham! song, well, not entirely.  Ya see, at the time of the original post, in 2012, that last Christmas (2011) was a tough one for me.  I had mixed feelings about a lot of different things ... well, really, about everything. I mentioned in an earlier post that I hit my rock bottom in 2012, but the bottom started to become clearer and clearer sometime around October of 2011.  At that time, an end was coming to my almost 5-year relationship and it was not even remotely close to getting any better, despite efforts to try harder, on my end.  The thing about trying harder is if it's not a two-way attempt, it doesn't work. And this didn't work.  Not for me.  There was no trust, no affection, nothing that any good relationship should have i...

"To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good  will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born  in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its  gleam of hope to the world." ~ Calvin Coolidge Parts 12 & 13 are dedicated to Giving and Receiving. They go hand in hand and when executed properly, they fill you with all the warm and fuzzy feelings of the holiday season!   It is my personal preference to be the one giving gifts, rather than receiving during the holidays.  If you are asking why the answer is simple, I enjoy seeing people smile and the anticipation of opening the gifts is wonderful as well.   The gift-giving part of Christmas, to me, is all about the kids though.  I don't buy many gifts for adults, I would much rather spend the money on the kids just to see their HUGE smiles...

"Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart.   To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect." ~Oren Arnold Part 11 is dedicated to best friends. I have a few besties, but one very best friend who I lost for a while but am lucky enough to have her back in my life.  Quite obvious, but best friends are those in your life who know EVERYTHING and are still there for you.  They are the ones we call first when we have exciting news, are sad, heartbroken, scared, happy, and when we just need someone to listen.  A true best friend will be the one to give it to you straight and won't sugar coat it.   My bestie, Lynn, has been in my life since we were kids, I want to say maybe 7 or 8, maybe younger, it's been soo long that I don't even remember.  She's literally 6 days older than me, and yes, I make sure I taunt her for that! LOL ...

"Before I draw nearer to that stone, tell me! Are these the shadows of things that must be, or are they  the shadows of things that MIGHT be?" ~ Ebeneezer Scrooge Part 10 is dedicated to "Father Time." Something that happens to me, frequently, is thinking that it is a different day then what it really is. Then I realize what day it actually is, then I sit there trying to figure out how I lost a day.  It seems that time just passes us by sometimes, leaving us wondering "where has the time gone?"  It also seems to happen more frequently as we get older.  Maybe it's because life gets busier as we get older, we have more to worry about and feel like there just isn't enough hours in the day.  In my opinion, this is why it is so important to appreciate the life around you and those in your life who you love and care for.  All too often people get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we forget to stop and appreciate.  Re...

"You see, Mrs. Walker, this is quite an opportunity  for me. For the past 50 years or so I've been getting  more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're  all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster and look shinier and cost less that Christmas  and I are sort of getting lost in the shuffle." ~Kris Kringle (Miracle on 34th Street) Part 9 is dedicated to making new traditions.  When I was a kid, I use to think Christmas would remain the same, see  Part 2  of this series to read about what Christmas was like when I was young.  Then, all of a sudden, it wasn't. Something changed.  I don't think I can really pinpoint the year it changed, but there came a point in time when Gram stopped making dinner, the family stopped coming over and spending the day and it was just ... different.  Everything changed ... but didn't.  Then we grew up, grew apart, and now, if we see each other on the holiday...

"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine. Ovaltine? A crummy commercial? Son of a bitch!" ~Ralphie Part 8 is dedicated to love. Love comes in so many different forms, it may be hard to come up with a short quip for this post, so forgive me if this goes astray and gets a bit long-winded.  And yes, I realize the quote may not be directly relative to love, but Ralphie soooo looked forward to getting his Little Orphan Annie Secret Society Decoder Pin in the mail for weeks and his excitement when it first arrived (prior to cracking the secret code) was what drew me to use this quote. Love is such a powerful feeling, an emotion that fills you with joy and excitement!  When you find yourself in love you never want it to end. You want to keep it, forever.  Many say nothing lasts forever, promises are meant to be broken, blah, blah, blah ... yea, I know, sad, right? I am that dreamer who believes in love at first sight, fairy tales lives, and fate.  I will never give up o...

"Only one thing in the world could've dragged me away from the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window." ~Ralphie Part 7 is dedicated to the Christmas Tree, another tie to my German roots.  The Christmas Tree originated in Germany and  was traditionally decorated with edibles such as apples, nuts or dates. I LOVE a real, fresh Christmas Tree in the house this time of year!  This may surprise some of my readers who personally know me, considering my hippie, tree-hugger ways, but the artificial tree just doesn't do it for me!!   The smell of Christmas as you walk into a house just fills my heart with so much joy and excitement!!!  One of my dreams was to go see the Christmas Tree all lit up at Rockefeller Center in NYC, and in 2012 that dream came true for me!!  It was the most magnificent, magical, and beautiful sight I have ever seen!!!  It was even more majestic then I could have ever imagined!!! I felt like a little kid in a can...

"That son of a bitch would freeze up in the middle  of summer on the equator!" ~Mr. Parker Part 6 is dedicated to the first snowfall of the season!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE snow!!!!!! I can remember growing up waiting for the very first snowfall of the year!!! We use to pray for a White Christmas and I honestly cannot remember ever having a green Christmas when I was young!  I love going to bed at night and then waking up to freshly fallen snow covering the trees and houses.  It looks so beautiful!!!  New and glistening snow is my absolute favorite to photograph!!!!   Snow reminds me of when I was young.  I loved making snow angels and both of my girls enjoy it as well!  I think this year when it snows again, I will make snow angels with them!  When Laurana was 3, she decided she likes to eat the snow, and I have to constantly remind her to not eat the yellow snow!!! And the brown snow!!!  She also likes to make snowballs and thr...