Life is often filled with challenges and sometimes they seem overwhelming. This has been a rough year for many reasons, so the other day, I just started singing a song from Auntie Mame. I definitely "need a little Christmas!" so we set up the tree. Larry dragged up the canvas bag and out came the pre-lit evergreen. We gave up on real trees about ten years ago when we just got too old and tired to deal with getting down on the floor to water it every day and cleaning up all the pine needles. I've never regretted it.
When our kids were young, we never put up the tree until Christmas eve or a few days before. The last week of Advent we would go out to cut our own live tree or buy one from the Christmas tree lot at the parish school. Whatever we chose it was always the "most beautiful tree ever." As for our fake tree, even in recent years it usually stayed in the basement until later in December.
I had the tree up the day before Thanksgiving and started putting Jesse Tree ornaments on it to justify the early start. I ran off the symbols from a coloring page, attached them to ball jar lid inserts, and invited the kids to color them on Thanksgiving and hang them on the tree. I added one of my favorite stuffed animal, a hedgehog, and a little chicken crocheted by a granddaughter. I need the glitter, the lights, the color, the music, although I'll focus on Advent hymns for now. People Look East is one of my favorites. Every time I look at the rising sun in the East I will rejoice at the coming of our Savior King.
I will probably drag up the boxes of ornaments today to find my birds and the little apples to add to the Jesse Tree, the symbols of creation. And I have a lily for the Blessed Mother that needs to be near the top. Thank you, Mother Mary, for your "Fiat!"
We plan to put up the outside Nativity tomorrow since the temperature promises to cooperate. It will be a daily reminder to passers-by of the "reason for the season" and will stay up through January since we celebrate Candlemas as the end of the Christmas season. Two months of the Holy Family watching us go off and welcoming us home whenever we return from a grocery trip or an adventure.
I may not make fruitcake this year unless I get a burst of energy, but I haven't been sleeping well so that seems unlikely. Besides, I've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and I am very tempted by fruitcake. Christmas cookies are enough of a temptation for this fatty.
Last week, we mailed off the first Christmas package -- to Texas. I need to finish my wrapping and mail off a few more before I can settle in to my spiritual preparation without too many distractions. I will pray for all the loved ones throughout the country who come to mind. The first Christmas card arrived yesterday from good friends who were part of a dinner group for years until medical issues sent them to live with their daughter in the Midwest. How delightful to think of them and pray for them during the season as well as all the others who keep us on their ho-ho-ho list.
How are you preparing for the season? Are you in as much need of a "little Christmas now" as I am. You're in my prayers. Please keep us in yours.
Haopy Advent and soon to be Merry Christmas! It needs to come early, yes indeed, we are all worried about the state of things. im sorry about the diabetes, i hope you can manage it with diet. Youre a good lady, i pray your Christmas is glorious or at least peaceful.
ReplyDeleteYes to Mame! Rosalind Russell was fabulous and i have come to appreciate Lucille Balls version as well. Happy story and we need to watch old films to remember the world as it was.
Yes to old movies! We started our Advent season with Miracle on 34th Street, the original in black and white. I think it's my favorite Christmas movie. It was released the same year I was born which makes it almost 79! I'm not taking any meds right now. Hope to lose about 25 pounds which will probably resolve it, but I'm a terrible dieter.
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