A week From Wednesday is Christmas Eve! OH! MY! GOODNESS!

Advent is almost at an end.  There just isn't enough time!  I really want to catch my breath!  The good thing is I thought today was tomorrow, and it's not, so I have one extra day!
Whew!

Time to make lists, I guess. 

Does it matter?  I probably won't get everything finished. 

Prioritize. 

1)  Breathe

2) Pray

3) Laugh

4) Do Not Cry

5) Stop

Things will happen as they will.  There are so many things I cannot control like the passage of time.  The passage of time has caught me unprepared.  Will there be less fun?  I don't know.  For me the important things of Christmas will be::

1) Midnight Mass

2) Family

3) Weather permitting, lighting luminarios in the driveway to lead the Christ child to our home

4) Eating our traditional dinner

5) Gathering around the tree to open our presents

6) Making memories

7) Taking pictures

These are my priorities.  Let the rest fall where they may.  I look forward to the holidays, not the holidaze. 

I am part Grinch, but the time for Grinchiness is almost over.  I think I should have been more Grinchy this year.  Focus on the New Born Babe, and it's okay to be a Grinch.

How's that for a segue?

This is a link to my latest article for Catholic365.com  It's called::

It's okay to be a Grinch When it Comes to Christmas!

At least I think so! 

Listing Saturday:: November:: The month of Remembering and Thanksgiving

 

November

We remember.

We thank.

We gather.

We eat turkey.

We prepare for Christmas.

We celebrate.

We speak our memories.

We miss our loved ones who are gone.

We get cold.

We stay inside.

We shovel snow.

We wear long underwear.

We call our loved ones.

We attend church.

We look at old photos.

We cry a little.

We laugh a lot.

We play games.

We remember other holidays.

We gather with our extended family.

We give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

In Thanks for all the Blessings

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Customs vary from family to family, but, on this day, during our get together, there is generally a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole. pies with real whipped cream. To that I add some traditional food that I grew up with. This year it will be Carne Adovada (Chile Pork) and Red Chile and Cheese Enchiladas.

Our gathering is one of friends that have become "family" through the years. Our children have grown up. Now some of them are married. There are grandchildren. (Here's where I need to remind MY ADULT CHILDREN that my biological clock is ticking, and I don't want to be drooling and in diapers when my grandchildren are doing the same.) Enough said about that.

We do have a separate table for all the children, including the adult children, because they don't like the topics we, parents, discuss. Not only that, we can't all fit at one table any more. I'm really not sure, but I don't think we ever could.

So, we gather. We toast the one who left us way too early. We celebrate those who are still with us. We enjoy the company, then we hear Bob say, "Boy, Terri, that couch is calling my name."

That is the beginning of the end of our gathering.

We put the leftovers in plastic containers to send home. (Mark always gets an extra helping of the Chile Pork.) We sort through the food. We throw away the disposable plates. We lend a helping hand to the young parents as they gather their children to go home.

The football game is turned off for a bit. We hug. We say good bye. We think about next year when we gather again.

If anyone ever asked me what I was most thankful for this year, I know I'd have to say, our gathering. We are both friends and familiy. We are growing up and older together.
God brought us together for this celebration. What a wonderful blessing this is!