That's what my husband just said to me and I pass it on. I was awake so I got out of bed. Went to the hiding place which must remain unnamed and got the two gifts from Santa. Son is dead asleep. A bomb could drop on the trailie and he'd sleep through it. He's been so excited today that he tired himself out. He did the dinner dishes for me tonight. He did the morning dishes too, and vacuumed. Crazy kid.
As I walked to the truck I looked up and what did I see - a constellation I'm always looking for and can never find - the Big Dipper. It is glorious. So clear out tonight. Saw Mars earlier too.
Jesus is the light of the world.
Dad called me. Everyone is over there. The mothers liked the blankies I made for their babies. My sister said they looked perfect. She exaggerates though. One baby is sick at home though so he wasn't there. He was home with his daddy. The hat fit the new baby girl. I feel happy that I did handmade gifts for them.
At this time of year and at Easter, these are the two times I feel a deep and abiding affection and connection with all the world. It's like a glow within and without.
Fifteen years ago the holiday was quite a big 'to do.' I don't want to say how much money we spent. Oh how I could have spent it better! How much of that stuff is at the dump now, returned to Mother Earth? The boxes, the bows, the tape, the tissue, the gift wrap, the shoes, the special outfits, the many mall purchased objects. I don't know. As a child, for me the celebration was strictly secular. Much is lost if you celebrate in a secular way. It's like an awesome shuffle of material goods with the most shuffling among the wealthy, a middle amount in the middle class, and a wee bit or none among the poor. These are things which do not satisfy. Makes the heart ache when people are alone after the celebrating. It's too much, too big, all wrong.
So now we do it small. I will miss Advent. It was fun this year. We tried to sing "Hark the Herald Angels" tonight but we can't hold the melody after the first stanza. I quit singing, but my husband went with it the whole way through. It was pretty bad. Haha!
Two thousand and seven years ago, well, thereabouts anyways, a baby boy was born... Even the people who have no faith agree He was here. It's been established and was written about by the historian, Josephus.
Next comes the New Year.
(P.S. - My sister emailed that the blankets were a SMASH, so now I'm even happier!)
