Getting ready for 2014? There are a number of things that we could do to make 2014 a little bit better and more organized. You'll see that there are 14!!
1. Get one of those pill containers that has pockets for the days of the week, etc. It helps you stay on track with your medications/vitamins and tells you at a glance if you forgot to take them. The containers also save you time each day and are easy to throw into a purse or carry-on for travel.
2. When you put away your Christmas decorations, don't just throw in the ones you didn't use this year. If they need repairs, then fix them. If you aren't going to use them again, either toss them or recycle them. If they are decent, donate them.
3. Take your time putting away the Christmas stuff. You'll be awfully glad you did when you unearth everything again in December 2014. Wash the table cloths and put them away clean. Put all the wrapping supplies together so you can get to them earlier. Same with extra cards.
4. Get your car washed and then if it isn't too cold, clean out the inside while you are parked in the garage. Do the inside windows too. It will give you a little boost when you drive it the next time. Put some Kleenex in the car, a small first aid kit, and a blanket. Clean out the glove compartment.
5. Do some searches for ideas for Christmas 2014. I did, and I'm so glad!! I have all of my "handmade" gift ideas selected and know what I'll make for each of our children/family. That way I can start accumulating some of the supplies when it goes on sale and work on some of it during the blah January, February, March time.
6. Go through your recipes. Wait until you can sit in front of the TV and watch something, then go through each recipe and ask yourself a couple of questions. Are you EVER going to make this recipe? If you did make it, did you LIKE it? That should help you thin out your collection. (I need to follow my own advice. I have 3-ring binders full of recipes and they aren't organized whatsoever. So I can never find anything or USE anything I have.)
7. Replace batteries in your smoke detectors and purchase a carbon monoxide detector if you don't have one. It's worth it.
8. Make sure you have a couple of working flashlights. Ditto candles and matches.
9. Make a list of annoying little things that need fixing or tweaking in the house. Like, a squeaky door. Or loose door knobs. Or that stupid thing that covers up the bolts on the toilets. Then either fix the stuff yourself or find someone who can help you. Borrow someone's handy husband and give him a homemade meal for his family in exchange.
10. Start a nice donation pile for your favorite charity. Go through closets and start weeding out the clothes you aren't wearing this winter so far. Don't forget the dresser drawers.
11. I have a beautiful pair of earrings that I used to wear all the time. They need to be fixed, so I'm going to get them out and make a trip to the jewelry store and have them fixed this coming month.
12. Add a couple of pillows around the house to make it look cozier and also more colorful. Chase away the winter blahs this way. If you have pillows that look a bit worse for the wear, either recover them yourself or give them to someone who can recover them.
13. Look at what you've got hanging on the walls. Be honest. Does it look good? If not, start rethinking your décor and look for replacements. There will be lots of sales.
14. A friend of mine just took up quilting. I think she took a class at Joanne's. Another friend is taking a watercolor class at the Canton Art Institute. Think about spreading your wings and taking a chance on something new. It's good for the brain and the soul.
Aren't we blessed that God has given us time to explore this beautiful earth and also explore the gifts that he's given us in abundance? We shouldn't hide our talents under a basket -- develop them!! We are never too old.
Thanks, readers.
Light of Christ
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Coffinberry School
My friend, Dolly, who lives in Washington (state) and is a writer sent me at my bequest a memory of Coffinberry School where we attended elementary school, she and our friend, Debbie, one year behind me.
I'm going to make up some copies of Dolly's story and give them to the "Coffinberry kids" at my September 2014 reunion. Maybe they can add to it with their own recollections?
Here are some snippets that would be of more interest to the broader audience of this blog:
"I remember that in 3rd or 4th grade, we had a teacher named either Mrs. Riggs or Mrs. Briggs. It was said of Mrs. Riggs/Briggs that she'd once been a dancer in Las Vegas. And so, ever after, I had this picture of her, kicking up her legs and showing her garters, like a saloon girl in westerns. It was a happy picture. I liked her, she was pretty and nice and young and different. I probably gossiped about her -- the price of fame! And here she is, all these years later, remembered because she was different. Glamorous, like a movie star. I picture her with long, curly red hair, but that could just be me, wanting to paint on some color. She was radical, in her way. I'll bet there are "boys" who remember her still.
I didn't like gym class. Swimming was the only sport I got any enjoyment out of, and there was no pool at Coffinberry. There was square dancing, though; it was actually a part of the curriculum in, what? 4th, 5th, 6th grade? I liked it better than volleyball -- for a while, anyhow.
I remember having to back out of a classroom once, when I laughed so hard that I peed my pants. I wish I could say this was in kindergarten or 1st grade --- but it was in either 4th or 5th grade. (Oh, maybe 3rd, I don't know; I don't want to know.) I waited for everyone to leave before I exited the room. I don't remember if I had a coat to cover it, if anyone saw it, commented on it, or how I got home; I just remember the horror of it all.
I was exceptionally naïve and idealistic as a child. I thought every kid I knew came from a happy, normal family. I think I was jealous of that. I think that's why I could sometimes be unkind. It took being treated that way myself in later years for me to begin to understand it. What goes around, comes around.
(Dolly rented a car when visiting a friend in 1982; she returned to her former home and her former neighborhood.)
One day I rented a car and drove to my childhood home. Both my parents were dead and the house had been recently bought. I parked on the street, in front of the house that Judy Porter, and later, Essler Shank, lived in. No one answered when I knocked on our door, so I rounded the house, snapping pictures. Then I walked from there to Coffinberry Elementary. It was August, the heat like a fist. The street and the houses were very much as I remembered. Well-kept homes; tidy lawns (though not so green); curtains pulled against the sun. And it was so quiet, just my sandals tapping on the sidewalk. I didn't see a single person, not even someone driving by. I WANTED to, I wanted some sort of human connection, but it wasn't to be. Finally I reached the school. You know how they say things look smaller when you revisit them as an adult? Well, it wasn't that way for me. Everything looked the same, especially the school: long and low, unprepossessing. Probably there were changes, but if there were, they didn't register. It was closed, of course; I peered through the steel-enforced window of the front door, gazed down that shiny, gray corridor, and knew just what it smelled like though I couldn't smell a thing. I know the school is gone now. I'm glad I was there in 1982; for whatever reasons, I really needed to see it.
As a child, I had a book by A.A. Milne, called, "Now We are 6". When I was six, I thought the whole world was contained within the streets, the people and the school of my childhood. I thought I owned that neighborhood and always would. I don't know if I ever completely stopped thinking that way until that visit in 1982, when I walked that same route, on the very same sidewalks my feet had trod 4 times a day, 2 semesters a year for 7 years, and felt not a scintilla of ownership or belonging, or even love. The philosopher Heraclitus said something like, You can't put your food into the same river twice, and I guess that applies here, too. At least that's how it is for me. How it has to be."
Dolly, Debbie and I went to the same school and yet our memories are quite different. I'm not entirely sure why and perhaps I can chalk that up to the fact that life in Coffinberry wasn't very happy for me. It started out okay in first grade, but with my ADD and all, I just didn't find my legs in that school.
That's another thing to write down on your "bucket list." Visit your old elementary school if it still exists. If you walked to school, try walking the same route, like Dolly did. Let yourself remember the little you.
I thank Dolly for sharing with me. She is probably one of the most honest, caring people I've ever known. We've been friends since I was five and she was four. That kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. Thank you, God, for Dolly.
I'm going to make up some copies of Dolly's story and give them to the "Coffinberry kids" at my September 2014 reunion. Maybe they can add to it with their own recollections?
Here are some snippets that would be of more interest to the broader audience of this blog:
"I remember that in 3rd or 4th grade, we had a teacher named either Mrs. Riggs or Mrs. Briggs. It was said of Mrs. Riggs/Briggs that she'd once been a dancer in Las Vegas. And so, ever after, I had this picture of her, kicking up her legs and showing her garters, like a saloon girl in westerns. It was a happy picture. I liked her, she was pretty and nice and young and different. I probably gossiped about her -- the price of fame! And here she is, all these years later, remembered because she was different. Glamorous, like a movie star. I picture her with long, curly red hair, but that could just be me, wanting to paint on some color. She was radical, in her way. I'll bet there are "boys" who remember her still.
I didn't like gym class. Swimming was the only sport I got any enjoyment out of, and there was no pool at Coffinberry. There was square dancing, though; it was actually a part of the curriculum in, what? 4th, 5th, 6th grade? I liked it better than volleyball -- for a while, anyhow.
I remember having to back out of a classroom once, when I laughed so hard that I peed my pants. I wish I could say this was in kindergarten or 1st grade --- but it was in either 4th or 5th grade. (Oh, maybe 3rd, I don't know; I don't want to know.) I waited for everyone to leave before I exited the room. I don't remember if I had a coat to cover it, if anyone saw it, commented on it, or how I got home; I just remember the horror of it all.
I was exceptionally naïve and idealistic as a child. I thought every kid I knew came from a happy, normal family. I think I was jealous of that. I think that's why I could sometimes be unkind. It took being treated that way myself in later years for me to begin to understand it. What goes around, comes around.
(Dolly rented a car when visiting a friend in 1982; she returned to her former home and her former neighborhood.)
One day I rented a car and drove to my childhood home. Both my parents were dead and the house had been recently bought. I parked on the street, in front of the house that Judy Porter, and later, Essler Shank, lived in. No one answered when I knocked on our door, so I rounded the house, snapping pictures. Then I walked from there to Coffinberry Elementary. It was August, the heat like a fist. The street and the houses were very much as I remembered. Well-kept homes; tidy lawns (though not so green); curtains pulled against the sun. And it was so quiet, just my sandals tapping on the sidewalk. I didn't see a single person, not even someone driving by. I WANTED to, I wanted some sort of human connection, but it wasn't to be. Finally I reached the school. You know how they say things look smaller when you revisit them as an adult? Well, it wasn't that way for me. Everything looked the same, especially the school: long and low, unprepossessing. Probably there were changes, but if there were, they didn't register. It was closed, of course; I peered through the steel-enforced window of the front door, gazed down that shiny, gray corridor, and knew just what it smelled like though I couldn't smell a thing. I know the school is gone now. I'm glad I was there in 1982; for whatever reasons, I really needed to see it.
As a child, I had a book by A.A. Milne, called, "Now We are 6". When I was six, I thought the whole world was contained within the streets, the people and the school of my childhood. I thought I owned that neighborhood and always would. I don't know if I ever completely stopped thinking that way until that visit in 1982, when I walked that same route, on the very same sidewalks my feet had trod 4 times a day, 2 semesters a year for 7 years, and felt not a scintilla of ownership or belonging, or even love. The philosopher Heraclitus said something like, You can't put your food into the same river twice, and I guess that applies here, too. At least that's how it is for me. How it has to be."
Dolly, Debbie and I went to the same school and yet our memories are quite different. I'm not entirely sure why and perhaps I can chalk that up to the fact that life in Coffinberry wasn't very happy for me. It started out okay in first grade, but with my ADD and all, I just didn't find my legs in that school.
That's another thing to write down on your "bucket list." Visit your old elementary school if it still exists. If you walked to school, try walking the same route, like Dolly did. Let yourself remember the little you.
I thank Dolly for sharing with me. She is probably one of the most honest, caring people I've ever known. We've been friends since I was five and she was four. That kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. Thank you, God, for Dolly.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Friday -- Not so Chipper
Felt good yesterday and I ate a pretty big supper. Today, not doing so great. I might have a touch of something because my head "feels funny."
At any rate, this is likely going to be a bit short today.
We got a Christmas card from Eric's cousin who lives in Denmark. She is 71 and has two boys, almost the exact ages of my sons. They are both married and have children. One of the boys and his wife just welcomed a little girl on September 11th. She said that they always remember that date because of USA. She'll be baptized in a couple of weeks and her name is going to be Karen. Isn't that something?
Eric's cousin came to the United States in the 60s for a visit. She speaks English well although she admits that she is rusty. Her letters though are easy to figure out and she is a savvy person. She sews and has other hobbies, used to work in a doctor's office and is retired.
She's going on holiday, as she calls it, to New Zealand in a month or two. I admire her zest for life.
Her name sounds like it should be a man's name -- Gunvar Hansen. I really like her; and in her clipped style she said in her way, we need to stay in touch more often. I couldn't agree more.
So as this new year is approaching, think about some of the folks you've lost touch with and do some reacquainting. The worst thing that could happen is that you don't have anything much in common anymore. Right?
I made a list of people who indicated that they'd like to talk on the phone or meet for coffee/tea, or people who need an email or a letter. So that way I don't go back into my rut of doing the same things all the time.
Well -- say some prayers for Luke, the little boy who has been battling cancer. His mom is worried about some test scores that he got back. Luke is probably getting close to four years old and they've really fought a good fight. He is still getting some chemotherapy. Let's shower heaven with our prayers for Luke!!
Talk to you tomorrow, dear readers.
At any rate, this is likely going to be a bit short today.
We got a Christmas card from Eric's cousin who lives in Denmark. She is 71 and has two boys, almost the exact ages of my sons. They are both married and have children. One of the boys and his wife just welcomed a little girl on September 11th. She said that they always remember that date because of USA. She'll be baptized in a couple of weeks and her name is going to be Karen. Isn't that something?
Eric's cousin came to the United States in the 60s for a visit. She speaks English well although she admits that she is rusty. Her letters though are easy to figure out and she is a savvy person. She sews and has other hobbies, used to work in a doctor's office and is retired.
She's going on holiday, as she calls it, to New Zealand in a month or two. I admire her zest for life.
Her name sounds like it should be a man's name -- Gunvar Hansen. I really like her; and in her clipped style she said in her way, we need to stay in touch more often. I couldn't agree more.
So as this new year is approaching, think about some of the folks you've lost touch with and do some reacquainting. The worst thing that could happen is that you don't have anything much in common anymore. Right?
I made a list of people who indicated that they'd like to talk on the phone or meet for coffee/tea, or people who need an email or a letter. So that way I don't go back into my rut of doing the same things all the time.
Well -- say some prayers for Luke, the little boy who has been battling cancer. His mom is worried about some test scores that he got back. Luke is probably getting close to four years old and they've really fought a good fight. He is still getting some chemotherapy. Let's shower heaven with our prayers for Luke!!
Talk to you tomorrow, dear readers.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Christmas Wrap-Up
The basement looks pretty decent, other than some assorted boxes, bags and tiny pieces of wrapping paper here and there. Just a day and a half ago, it was bedlam and we had a great time!
First of all, the mermaid tail feet my granddaughter perfectly. She wore it for quite a while, and then exchanged it for her "Ariel with feet" presence, since her Aunt Dani bought her an Ariel nightgown that twirled when she would spin around. I'll try to send the picture from the upstairs computer down to this one for you to see tomorrow. The tutu and bandeau top that I made for Ella fit her well too and she also wore her outfit for a long time, dancing about and smiling constantly.
But I wanted to share with you an idea that was hatched years ago, and finally seemed to come together on Christmas Eve. It's called "The Christmas Penny Game." So here goes -- save this idea for next year and make Christmas memories for your family.
Use 3 x 5 cards and put a sticker or something colorful on the front, in assorted sizes and shapes. Then on the back, write a question or a statement. Here are some of the ones I wrote way back then (the cards are yellowed).
1. Sing a Christmas Song -- just a little bit -- and get 5 cents.
2. Name the reindeer -- 10 cents
3. Sing Jingle Bells. For everyone else who sings with you -- 3 cents each.
4. Who is your best friend at school? - 3 cents
5. Lottery ticket
6. Laundry detergent fee -- Pay the banker 5 cents
7. Name each person in the room -- 5 cents
8. Promise Mom you'll help clean up -- 10 cents
9. What are you most thankful for this year? - 5 cents
10. Clap your hands and give everyone "five." Collect 5 cents
11. The Christmas elves feel left out -- give 2 cents to the banker.
12. Tell us your favorite candy and collect 2 cents.
13. Stinky feet? Help those with stinky feet. Donate 5 cents to the fund.
14. What do shepherds do? - 5 cents
15. The grinch has green teeth. Help him buy a toothbrush. 2 cents to the banker
The banker holds the cards and reads the questions. Gather all of the kids around or make it for grownups too (just make the questions a little more challenging), and then let it go.
Some of the funny questions/answers we got were:
Make a bow or a curtsey. Jacob, 10, asked what a bow was. Apparently, he didn't know, so he stood up and did an honest-to-gosh curtsey, holding out the sides of his pants like a dress. Oh, my gosh. That was funny.
Ella got Santa loves a big smile. Smile nicely and collect 5 cents. Ella gave us a beautiful, happy Christmas smile! Can't beat that.
Zachary got "Shake hands with everyone." So at 14 he didn't balk and got up out of his chair, going from person to person and giving a nice, grown-up handshake. Worth something?
Give everyone some pennies up front, like maybe 10. Then make sure to have LOTS of pennies because they go fast.
So I hope all of you had a great Christmas, and now we move into post-holiday mode. It's kind of sad because Christmas 2013 is over, but we can keep the joy in our hearts and mull over the memories for a long time.
Talk to you tomorrow.
PS -- sorry about typos (can't fix). The mermaid tail "fit" my granddaughter perfectly, in case I messed you up on that one.
First of all, the mermaid tail feet my granddaughter perfectly. She wore it for quite a while, and then exchanged it for her "Ariel with feet" presence, since her Aunt Dani bought her an Ariel nightgown that twirled when she would spin around. I'll try to send the picture from the upstairs computer down to this one for you to see tomorrow. The tutu and bandeau top that I made for Ella fit her well too and she also wore her outfit for a long time, dancing about and smiling constantly.
But I wanted to share with you an idea that was hatched years ago, and finally seemed to come together on Christmas Eve. It's called "The Christmas Penny Game." So here goes -- save this idea for next year and make Christmas memories for your family.
Use 3 x 5 cards and put a sticker or something colorful on the front, in assorted sizes and shapes. Then on the back, write a question or a statement. Here are some of the ones I wrote way back then (the cards are yellowed).
1. Sing a Christmas Song -- just a little bit -- and get 5 cents.
2. Name the reindeer -- 10 cents
3. Sing Jingle Bells. For everyone else who sings with you -- 3 cents each.
4. Who is your best friend at school? - 3 cents
5. Lottery ticket
6. Laundry detergent fee -- Pay the banker 5 cents
7. Name each person in the room -- 5 cents
8. Promise Mom you'll help clean up -- 10 cents
9. What are you most thankful for this year? - 5 cents
10. Clap your hands and give everyone "five." Collect 5 cents
11. The Christmas elves feel left out -- give 2 cents to the banker.
12. Tell us your favorite candy and collect 2 cents.
13. Stinky feet? Help those with stinky feet. Donate 5 cents to the fund.
14. What do shepherds do? - 5 cents
15. The grinch has green teeth. Help him buy a toothbrush. 2 cents to the banker
The banker holds the cards and reads the questions. Gather all of the kids around or make it for grownups too (just make the questions a little more challenging), and then let it go.
Some of the funny questions/answers we got were:
Make a bow or a curtsey. Jacob, 10, asked what a bow was. Apparently, he didn't know, so he stood up and did an honest-to-gosh curtsey, holding out the sides of his pants like a dress. Oh, my gosh. That was funny.
Ella got Santa loves a big smile. Smile nicely and collect 5 cents. Ella gave us a beautiful, happy Christmas smile! Can't beat that.
Zachary got "Shake hands with everyone." So at 14 he didn't balk and got up out of his chair, going from person to person and giving a nice, grown-up handshake. Worth something?
Give everyone some pennies up front, like maybe 10. Then make sure to have LOTS of pennies because they go fast.
So I hope all of you had a great Christmas, and now we move into post-holiday mode. It's kind of sad because Christmas 2013 is over, but we can keep the joy in our hearts and mull over the memories for a long time.
Talk to you tomorrow.
PS -- sorry about typos (can't fix). The mermaid tail "fit" my granddaughter perfectly, in case I messed you up on that one.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Expectations
Can you remember what it was like when you were little and waiting for Christmas to come? It felt like time was pulling a huge ball on a chain behind it. Everything slowed down to a trickle and then finally it was time.
At our house, we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. So my grandfather and unmarried aunt would come over to celebrate but that was a little later. Before that, around 5:00 p.m., my father would suggest that we take a ride to look at the lights. We never said, "No, we'd rather wait around here and see Santa when he comes." We dutifully climbed into the old sedan and off we went in search of fabulous lighting displays. Once I think we went to Nela (not sure if I spelled that right) Park to see their display.
But we'd only be gone maybe an hour and then when we returned, surprise, surprise, surprise, Santa had come and all of the presents were under the tree. We were just going crazy!
Of all of those Christmases, I can remember only a very few presents. I remember a Tiny Tears doll, a battery operated doll clothes washing machine, a sewing machine, a baby doll cradle someone must have made, and that's about it. What I can remember is family. All of us gathered in the warm house, eating my mother's fabulous cookies, and spending time together.
In the days before Christmas, we used the tree to play "I Spy." Here's how it went. "I spy something red." And then you'd have to point to an ornament that matched the description. And maybe you were "hot" or maybe you were "cold." It was fun. Someone must have read us the old classic, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, because I can remember that well.
Now, going to bed after opening the presents wasn't easy. We didn't want to go to bed, ever. But we finally did, usually taking one toy up with us. Then we'd wake up early, scamper down the stairs and start playing again until the dreaded words, "It's time to get ready for church."
But we all went and then afterwards, returned for a day of play and eating and visiting. It was bliss!!
Each one of us can only hope that we've given our own children enough memories so that they can recreate those feelings at Christmas too.
Have a most blessed and Merry Christmas, all of you. Thanks for reading. I'll be spending time with family, cooking, cleaning, and all of that stuff so I'll be back Thursday morning.
Take care.
Say a prayer for Tim Yingling. He fell a good distance and shattered his elbow yesterday. He's got little kids and his mom is a good friend of mine.
At our house, we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. So my grandfather and unmarried aunt would come over to celebrate but that was a little later. Before that, around 5:00 p.m., my father would suggest that we take a ride to look at the lights. We never said, "No, we'd rather wait around here and see Santa when he comes." We dutifully climbed into the old sedan and off we went in search of fabulous lighting displays. Once I think we went to Nela (not sure if I spelled that right) Park to see their display.
But we'd only be gone maybe an hour and then when we returned, surprise, surprise, surprise, Santa had come and all of the presents were under the tree. We were just going crazy!
Of all of those Christmases, I can remember only a very few presents. I remember a Tiny Tears doll, a battery operated doll clothes washing machine, a sewing machine, a baby doll cradle someone must have made, and that's about it. What I can remember is family. All of us gathered in the warm house, eating my mother's fabulous cookies, and spending time together.
In the days before Christmas, we used the tree to play "I Spy." Here's how it went. "I spy something red." And then you'd have to point to an ornament that matched the description. And maybe you were "hot" or maybe you were "cold." It was fun. Someone must have read us the old classic, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, because I can remember that well.
Now, going to bed after opening the presents wasn't easy. We didn't want to go to bed, ever. But we finally did, usually taking one toy up with us. Then we'd wake up early, scamper down the stairs and start playing again until the dreaded words, "It's time to get ready for church."
But we all went and then afterwards, returned for a day of play and eating and visiting. It was bliss!!
Each one of us can only hope that we've given our own children enough memories so that they can recreate those feelings at Christmas too.
Have a most blessed and Merry Christmas, all of you. Thanks for reading. I'll be spending time with family, cooking, cleaning, and all of that stuff so I'll be back Thursday morning.
Take care.
Say a prayer for Tim Yingling. He fell a good distance and shattered his elbow yesterday. He's got little kids and his mom is a good friend of mine.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Second to Last
Due to Christmas, the blog will be updated with a new post today, and then again on Monday. No posting on Tuesday or Wednesday. Back on Thursday morning, okay?
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My dear friend, Lucy, whom I met at Kent State University lives in Wickliffe. We always say we're going to get together but we don't. We do talk on the phone on occasion and she is the same, down-to-earth, caring, compassionate person that she was more than 40 years ago.
Lucy is Italian and their family roots apparently spring from the northern areas because Lucy is fair-skinned and has auburn hair (or the last time I saw her, she did). She is short and smiles a lot, and she has soulful brown eyes.
When I met Lucy she had already met the love of her live, Ron, and then she got engaged. Ron was already launched out in the real world and he'd come to campus every Friday night to pick up Lucy. Theirs often seemed like a storybook relationship. Right after college, the two married and by this time Ron was in the service. They traveled to Germany and there had their first daughter. When they returned, they settled in Wickliffe down the street from her mother's house and had three more children.
When Ron was about 38, he started having some health problems and went to the doctor for it. The doctor's treatment did not include some tests, because in his words, "You're too young for cancer." He wasn't. It was colon cancer. Lucy prayed so hard for Ron. Through their church she organized a bus trip for people who needed healing and as the day for them to leave got closer, Ron couldn't make the trip. Lucy went instead, a very brave thing to do, especially leaving Ron behind.
When she came back, she immediately noticed a change in Ron. No more bitterness, no more anger, only a strong faith in God. That, she said, was the miracle and that, she said, is why she was supposed to go on that trip. Ron lost his fight with cancer and died at age 39, leaving Lucy (who had always been a tad timid) to raise three girls and a boy. And she did this well, with wonderful assistance from her devoted brother and her parents. Then her dad died, so that both she and her mother were widows.
On the Christmas card I received yesterday, Lucy's handwritten note said that her wonderful mom died in June. I know that because of Ron's death and because of her father's death, Lucy and her sweet mother were much closer. Her mother always made pizzelles, the anise-flavored flat cookies that Italians like to make. In fact, Lucy had told me a few years ago, her mother got a new pizzelle iron at 80+ years old.
So today I think of Lucy and the much more somber first Christmas without the family matriarch. And I think of the love and faith of this strong family who while always respecting the other's pride, offered help and aid whenever needed.
Like in the movie, Polar Express, the bell that can only be heard when you "believe," to me means to believe in Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Let us hold the bell to our ears and listen to the beautiful choirs of angels!! Let us believe.
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My dear friend, Lucy, whom I met at Kent State University lives in Wickliffe. We always say we're going to get together but we don't. We do talk on the phone on occasion and she is the same, down-to-earth, caring, compassionate person that she was more than 40 years ago.
Lucy is Italian and their family roots apparently spring from the northern areas because Lucy is fair-skinned and has auburn hair (or the last time I saw her, she did). She is short and smiles a lot, and she has soulful brown eyes.
When I met Lucy she had already met the love of her live, Ron, and then she got engaged. Ron was already launched out in the real world and he'd come to campus every Friday night to pick up Lucy. Theirs often seemed like a storybook relationship. Right after college, the two married and by this time Ron was in the service. They traveled to Germany and there had their first daughter. When they returned, they settled in Wickliffe down the street from her mother's house and had three more children.
When Ron was about 38, he started having some health problems and went to the doctor for it. The doctor's treatment did not include some tests, because in his words, "You're too young for cancer." He wasn't. It was colon cancer. Lucy prayed so hard for Ron. Through their church she organized a bus trip for people who needed healing and as the day for them to leave got closer, Ron couldn't make the trip. Lucy went instead, a very brave thing to do, especially leaving Ron behind.
When she came back, she immediately noticed a change in Ron. No more bitterness, no more anger, only a strong faith in God. That, she said, was the miracle and that, she said, is why she was supposed to go on that trip. Ron lost his fight with cancer and died at age 39, leaving Lucy (who had always been a tad timid) to raise three girls and a boy. And she did this well, with wonderful assistance from her devoted brother and her parents. Then her dad died, so that both she and her mother were widows.
On the Christmas card I received yesterday, Lucy's handwritten note said that her wonderful mom died in June. I know that because of Ron's death and because of her father's death, Lucy and her sweet mother were much closer. Her mother always made pizzelles, the anise-flavored flat cookies that Italians like to make. In fact, Lucy had told me a few years ago, her mother got a new pizzelle iron at 80+ years old.
So today I think of Lucy and the much more somber first Christmas without the family matriarch. And I think of the love and faith of this strong family who while always respecting the other's pride, offered help and aid whenever needed.
Like in the movie, Polar Express, the bell that can only be heard when you "believe," to me means to believe in Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Let us hold the bell to our ears and listen to the beautiful choirs of angels!! Let us believe.
Friday, December 20, 2013
A New Knife
Several months back my husband returned from a trip to BJs Wholesale Club with a Cuisinart porcelain knife. I'd heard about them and seen a few advertised on TV but had never used one before.
The knife is amazing! Cutting vegetables is almost fun. Salad greens? It does a wonderful job and because it's porcelain, you don't get browned edges on the head lettuce. It's incredibly sharp so watch the finger tips please.
We used the knife on something with bones which is a no-no. It is the one thing that will chip the knife and it did do that. Several small chips are visible. But it hasn't ruined the knife by any means and it still cuts better than anything else in the knife drawer.
So I recommend this knife to all the readers. A happy cook cooks more!
So here we are on December 20th with just days to go until Christmas. How can we tie knives into all of this?
We need to know ourselves well enough to realize that some things are just not good for us. Maybe it's a certain type of TV program or maybe watching too much political discussion on TV. Maybe it's a hobby that has gotten out of hand, eating too much of our time and pulling us away from our loved ones. Maybe it's our "smart" phone. Maybe it's texting. Maybe it's certain reading material. Maybe it's sitting too much OR running too much. With knife-like precision, we need to take the big step of cutting things out of our lives that we know in our guts are not good.
An innocent drive up to Cleveland to the casino? Maybe not good for us if we have certain tendencies.
As we head into Christmas and then beyond to the first day of the new year, everyone will be talking about resolutions. What shall we resolve to do in 2014?
Before we can resolve anything, we need to cut out those things in our life that would make almost any resolution less likely to stick.
So each time I get out the porcelain knife from the knife drawer, I'm going to think about what in my life needs to be cut out or cut down. It's something to think about.
Have you made your cookies yet? I'm done as of yesterday and so happy about it. Take care, readers.
The knife is amazing! Cutting vegetables is almost fun. Salad greens? It does a wonderful job and because it's porcelain, you don't get browned edges on the head lettuce. It's incredibly sharp so watch the finger tips please.
We used the knife on something with bones which is a no-no. It is the one thing that will chip the knife and it did do that. Several small chips are visible. But it hasn't ruined the knife by any means and it still cuts better than anything else in the knife drawer.
So I recommend this knife to all the readers. A happy cook cooks more!
So here we are on December 20th with just days to go until Christmas. How can we tie knives into all of this?
We need to know ourselves well enough to realize that some things are just not good for us. Maybe it's a certain type of TV program or maybe watching too much political discussion on TV. Maybe it's a hobby that has gotten out of hand, eating too much of our time and pulling us away from our loved ones. Maybe it's our "smart" phone. Maybe it's texting. Maybe it's certain reading material. Maybe it's sitting too much OR running too much. With knife-like precision, we need to take the big step of cutting things out of our lives that we know in our guts are not good.
An innocent drive up to Cleveland to the casino? Maybe not good for us if we have certain tendencies.
As we head into Christmas and then beyond to the first day of the new year, everyone will be talking about resolutions. What shall we resolve to do in 2014?
Before we can resolve anything, we need to cut out those things in our life that would make almost any resolution less likely to stick.
So each time I get out the porcelain knife from the knife drawer, I'm going to think about what in my life needs to be cut out or cut down. It's something to think about.
Have you made your cookies yet? I'm done as of yesterday and so happy about it. Take care, readers.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Cold Down Here
I'm down here in the frozen wasteland of the basement again -- I thought the upstairs computer was finally fixed yesterday so that the blog tools were once again showing up -- but nope. This morning we're back to square one.
Thinking about life in a small town, I gave some attention to what I was seeing as I went to get Lauren from school yesterday. The library has a spectacular curb appeal and is a lovely structure. In front of the city hall the ice scuptures from the December 7th events in town were still in great condition. Some of the students learning to do the sculptures at The University of Akron have been coming to town for the past couple of years to show their stuff.
The old potato chip factory, now Matt and Troy's Barber Shop, still sits like a little cottage at the edge of a parking lot. The blue church (Old Salem) with its squared off tower makes High Street look very quaint. The former Church of Christ is now a business. Behind them is the place where everyone goes for wheel alignments. Business, residential, all mixed together in a nice little harmonious way.
At the side entrance to the school (now called Holy Name Academy, SS Philip & James Campus) is always fun to watch beause right around 3:00 p.m. a few kids always emerge to clean the erasers. Like kids have been doing for literally centuries!! I love it. One day I was treated to something a little different. A blond boy came out with erasers and then with energy to spare started doing perfect cartwheels and round-offs in the parking lot. Must be a gymnast I figured.
There was a huge school at the corner of Locust and Rt. 93 back in the day with a belfry and a huge bell. It was constructed of brick but had lots of wood in it. At some point it was torn down and the bricks went to form the bottom of the lake at Clay's Park Resort. Where the school building stood is a playground with little more than a basketball court and some swings. And yet as soon as there is a small break in the weather scores of kids from all over come to play pick-up basketball games.
The Lions creche scene is at the old Exchange Bank building. The Christmas tree is right across the street in a niche by Karen's Sewing and the Thai restaurant.
The angers, resentments and hatreds seem to avoid the little town and there are no controversies about this group or that. It's refreshing.
And so as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our families and communities, let us not take for granted the wonders all around us.
Say a little prayer that I can figure out what's wrong with the upstairs computer!!
Thanks, everyone.
Thinking about life in a small town, I gave some attention to what I was seeing as I went to get Lauren from school yesterday. The library has a spectacular curb appeal and is a lovely structure. In front of the city hall the ice scuptures from the December 7th events in town were still in great condition. Some of the students learning to do the sculptures at The University of Akron have been coming to town for the past couple of years to show their stuff.
The old potato chip factory, now Matt and Troy's Barber Shop, still sits like a little cottage at the edge of a parking lot. The blue church (Old Salem) with its squared off tower makes High Street look very quaint. The former Church of Christ is now a business. Behind them is the place where everyone goes for wheel alignments. Business, residential, all mixed together in a nice little harmonious way.
At the side entrance to the school (now called Holy Name Academy, SS Philip & James Campus) is always fun to watch beause right around 3:00 p.m. a few kids always emerge to clean the erasers. Like kids have been doing for literally centuries!! I love it. One day I was treated to something a little different. A blond boy came out with erasers and then with energy to spare started doing perfect cartwheels and round-offs in the parking lot. Must be a gymnast I figured.
There was a huge school at the corner of Locust and Rt. 93 back in the day with a belfry and a huge bell. It was constructed of brick but had lots of wood in it. At some point it was torn down and the bricks went to form the bottom of the lake at Clay's Park Resort. Where the school building stood is a playground with little more than a basketball court and some swings. And yet as soon as there is a small break in the weather scores of kids from all over come to play pick-up basketball games.
The Lions creche scene is at the old Exchange Bank building. The Christmas tree is right across the street in a niche by Karen's Sewing and the Thai restaurant.
The angers, resentments and hatreds seem to avoid the little town and there are no controversies about this group or that. It's refreshing.
And so as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus with our families and communities, let us not take for granted the wonders all around us.
Say a little prayer that I can figure out what's wrong with the upstairs computer!!
Thanks, everyone.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Missing Hiker
We watched North Woods Law last night which is filmed in Maine and features the game wardens who are specially trained in all kinds of things.
This episode ended a little differently than most of them do -- the woman who they were searching for was not found. Her family was left with no answers to where their 66-year-old wife and mother is.
She had been hiking the trail with help from her husband who would meet her every so often and replenish her food and water. She had texted him on the day before she went missing, saying that she intended to spend the night in a lean-to along the trail. As far as anyone can tell, she didn't make it that far.
Lost in a huge wooded area, one that has peaks and valleys, dense forests, and hazards especially to one unfamiliar with it. How frightening! They presume she died somewhere but have been unable to locate one single thing that belonged to her -- backpack, tent, brightly colored coat. Dogs were used to search, and then cadaver dogs were brought in, but they still found nothing. The family posted a $15,000 reward.
The search launched to find Gerry Largay was probably the biggest one ever along the trail. Helicopters came in, game wardens participated, and of course, the dogs. Everyone was horribly frustrated that no trace of the former nurse was found.
The hike was on Gerry's bucket list. It was something she'd always wanted to do, and her dream was coming true.
Personally, the story touched me and so I'm going to pray that they find her, find out what happened to her.
The song, Amazing Grace, says, "I once was lost and now I'm found." The kind of lost the song talks about is one that affects many, many people. Lost because they do not know God and thus they cannot possibly find the right way to go. As I get older, increasingly, I'm struck by the difference between people who have faith and those who do not.
We should always pray for those who are spiritually lost. The Bible shows us that Jesus cares for us like the lambs that the shepherds cared for back at the time that Jesus was born. Like the shepherds who do the very same thing today. The lambs hear the voice of the shepherd and respond, but respond to none other. Think about that -- to no other voice. And when we allow God to get in a word edgewise, we learn to hear only one voice - God's.
If you think about, say a prayer for Gerry Largay's family. Christmas must seem so sad for them.
Take care, friends.
This episode ended a little differently than most of them do -- the woman who they were searching for was not found. Her family was left with no answers to where their 66-year-old wife and mother is.
She had been hiking the trail with help from her husband who would meet her every so often and replenish her food and water. She had texted him on the day before she went missing, saying that she intended to spend the night in a lean-to along the trail. As far as anyone can tell, she didn't make it that far.
Lost in a huge wooded area, one that has peaks and valleys, dense forests, and hazards especially to one unfamiliar with it. How frightening! They presume she died somewhere but have been unable to locate one single thing that belonged to her -- backpack, tent, brightly colored coat. Dogs were used to search, and then cadaver dogs were brought in, but they still found nothing. The family posted a $15,000 reward.
The search launched to find Gerry Largay was probably the biggest one ever along the trail. Helicopters came in, game wardens participated, and of course, the dogs. Everyone was horribly frustrated that no trace of the former nurse was found.
The hike was on Gerry's bucket list. It was something she'd always wanted to do, and her dream was coming true.
Personally, the story touched me and so I'm going to pray that they find her, find out what happened to her.
The song, Amazing Grace, says, "I once was lost and now I'm found." The kind of lost the song talks about is one that affects many, many people. Lost because they do not know God and thus they cannot possibly find the right way to go. As I get older, increasingly, I'm struck by the difference between people who have faith and those who do not.
We should always pray for those who are spiritually lost. The Bible shows us that Jesus cares for us like the lambs that the shepherds cared for back at the time that Jesus was born. Like the shepherds who do the very same thing today. The lambs hear the voice of the shepherd and respond, but respond to none other. Think about that -- to no other voice. And when we allow God to get in a word edgewise, we learn to hear only one voice - God's.
If you think about, say a prayer for Gerry Largay's family. Christmas must seem so sad for them.
Take care, friends.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Beat Up
According to a recent article in The Liguorian, we tend to beat ourselves up over how we pray. Since our tendency is to do that which we do well most often, prayer can get pushed into the back seat of our lives all too easily.
So the message here today is to pray anyhow. No matter how many times you are distracted, or how many times you went through the words of a prayer only to realize that your mind wasn't in it, or how many times you had to start and stop. Persevere in prayer. Those half prayers or partial prayers still reach God in his heaven and they still assist those who need them. For our infinite God knows our ways and he understands our weaknesses. But He does ask us to try.
If you have a quiet place to go, that is at least a start. But sometimes quiet when you haven't had much of it is just as disarming. I can just imagine our brains unloading all kinds of junk and stimuli that we've been trying to ignore the very second that we stop and become still.
If all you can do is maybe three prayers and then take a rest, that's fine. It's kind of like starting to exercise. If you haven't done any exercising in a while, the first time or two is really rough. And the next day it might even be worse!! So we have to condition our lives in prayer.
Maybe we will never achieve the amazing concentration of a cloistered religious but our prayers will change our lives and help those who need the prayers.
Some people keep a prayer note where they jot down those in need of prayer. That way they have a clear idea of what they are trying to do. Some people just breathe in the quiet and let God bring the names of people to their mind. Maybe a combination of the two is a good way to pray.
Start out your prayers with a passage from the Bible. Something that makes your mind move from the physical realm to the spiritual. Let the words of the passage flow through the mind like a stream washing away sediment and fallen leaves. And then, begin.
How blessed are we who can pray to God without feeling the pangs of hunger or being bitterly cold or who must hide from those who would punish us for it. And so let us pray.
I hope your Christmas preparations are going well, readers. Bless all of you.
So the message here today is to pray anyhow. No matter how many times you are distracted, or how many times you went through the words of a prayer only to realize that your mind wasn't in it, or how many times you had to start and stop. Persevere in prayer. Those half prayers or partial prayers still reach God in his heaven and they still assist those who need them. For our infinite God knows our ways and he understands our weaknesses. But He does ask us to try.
If you have a quiet place to go, that is at least a start. But sometimes quiet when you haven't had much of it is just as disarming. I can just imagine our brains unloading all kinds of junk and stimuli that we've been trying to ignore the very second that we stop and become still.
If all you can do is maybe three prayers and then take a rest, that's fine. It's kind of like starting to exercise. If you haven't done any exercising in a while, the first time or two is really rough. And the next day it might even be worse!! So we have to condition our lives in prayer.
Maybe we will never achieve the amazing concentration of a cloistered religious but our prayers will change our lives and help those who need the prayers.
Some people keep a prayer note where they jot down those in need of prayer. That way they have a clear idea of what they are trying to do. Some people just breathe in the quiet and let God bring the names of people to their mind. Maybe a combination of the two is a good way to pray.
Start out your prayers with a passage from the Bible. Something that makes your mind move from the physical realm to the spiritual. Let the words of the passage flow through the mind like a stream washing away sediment and fallen leaves. And then, begin.
How blessed are we who can pray to God without feeling the pangs of hunger or being bitterly cold or who must hide from those who would punish us for it. And so let us pray.
I hope your Christmas preparations are going well, readers. Bless all of you.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Let It Snow
A soft snow is falling right now, and it's a GREAT day to stay in the house, bake some cookies, and finish up some craft projects, don't you think?
First order of business -- if you want to receive the blog messages when they are posted, go all the way to the bottom of the page and check out the "subscribe" information. I don't know if it works yet, but I'm going to try it out myself.
Second, a continuation of the story about the six-year-old who kissed the girl's hand and got in trouble. I figured I'd ask my granddaughter when she came over after school yesterday just what she would do. The exchange went as follows:
Me: So what if a boy from your class really liked you and he leaned over and kissed your hand. Would that bother you?
Lauren: (she shrugged) No, not really. That's what (I'm changing names here) Billy did to Susie. And Susie is going crazy!
Me: Why, because she's excited that Billy kissed her hand?
Lauren: Yes. But they said they weren't going to kiss on the mouth!!
Meanwhile, apparently there was some kind of disruption during lunch and two kids got in trouble for messing around with the mistletoe. They weren't messing around UNDER the mistletoe, just being curious.
So that takes care of that. I can see that Lauren can easily take care of herself and she rolls with things.
Third, we saw a really corny movie last night on Lifetime but the best part was that a jealous, greedy woman who was supposed to increase sales at an iconic department store got fired. She brought in guys that looked somewhat like Chippendales and awful music, and pink Christmas trees. And as they turned off her dancing male models, one of the stars of the show started singing "Noel" I think it was! My husband who'd sat through the whole thing without much grumbling said that the last song was worth it. I agree.
(I read the sentence above and see that I neglected to say, she turned off the monitors showing the dancing male models.) Told you, I can't fix anything on the postings.
Enjoy a cozy day at home if you can!!
First order of business -- if you want to receive the blog messages when they are posted, go all the way to the bottom of the page and check out the "subscribe" information. I don't know if it works yet, but I'm going to try it out myself.
Second, a continuation of the story about the six-year-old who kissed the girl's hand and got in trouble. I figured I'd ask my granddaughter when she came over after school yesterday just what she would do. The exchange went as follows:
Me: So what if a boy from your class really liked you and he leaned over and kissed your hand. Would that bother you?
Lauren: (she shrugged) No, not really. That's what (I'm changing names here) Billy did to Susie. And Susie is going crazy!
Me: Why, because she's excited that Billy kissed her hand?
Lauren: Yes. But they said they weren't going to kiss on the mouth!!
Meanwhile, apparently there was some kind of disruption during lunch and two kids got in trouble for messing around with the mistletoe. They weren't messing around UNDER the mistletoe, just being curious.
So that takes care of that. I can see that Lauren can easily take care of herself and she rolls with things.
Third, we saw a really corny movie last night on Lifetime but the best part was that a jealous, greedy woman who was supposed to increase sales at an iconic department store got fired. She brought in guys that looked somewhat like Chippendales and awful music, and pink Christmas trees. And as they turned off her dancing male models, one of the stars of the show started singing "Noel" I think it was! My husband who'd sat through the whole thing without much grumbling said that the last song was worth it. I agree.
(I read the sentence above and see that I neglected to say, she turned off the monitors showing the dancing male models.) Told you, I can't fix anything on the postings.
Enjoy a cozy day at home if you can!!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Good Trip
The trip yesterday was really nice. My sister and I went to Bob Evans and had a delicious lunch, sitting away from the windows to keep even warmer. Then we did a little cleaning so she'd be ready for Christmas Day company.
Starting in Clinton where I saw two police cruisers (one sort of hidden in the parking lot by the towpath), my trip to and from was dotted by the appearance of police, Ohio Highway Patrol, and so on. There were cars pulled over and police waiting in the turnarounds to catch some more speeders. Not that I had to worry. I was not speeding and so glad that I wasn't.
The skies might have been a drab gray color but it was really nice seeing my sister and spending some time with her. Good thing I left right around 3:00 because later on there were a lot of traffic problems and backups.
So my day went more or less as planned. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Whereas, a man we are praying for started a day a few days back by having a colonoscopy and then learning shortly thereafter that he only has 10 days to live. In other words, while he and his family were making their plans for Christmas and doing the usual things that people do, his life turned on a dime and now he might not even make it to Christmas. So we really need to pray for him and his family. For them everything is virtually turned upside down and Christmas has taken a back seat to cancer.
That's why time is precious and God-given. That's why we should start each day thanking God for another opportunity to serve.
I'm down the basement again and one thing about the basement, it's quiet. Just a little humming from the computer and monitor. It gives me a chance to take measure of everything and wonder anew at the amazing mercy of our God.
As you are driving around, going about your business, let God show you some people he wants you to say a prayer for. Some weeks back a black SUV passed by and for some reason I just knew that I had to pray for that driver. I haven't forgotten the black SUV since, even though time has passed and it was a second or two in time. That's God at work!!
We all need prayer, right? Take it easy, my blog friends.
Starting in Clinton where I saw two police cruisers (one sort of hidden in the parking lot by the towpath), my trip to and from was dotted by the appearance of police, Ohio Highway Patrol, and so on. There were cars pulled over and police waiting in the turnarounds to catch some more speeders. Not that I had to worry. I was not speeding and so glad that I wasn't.
The skies might have been a drab gray color but it was really nice seeing my sister and spending some time with her. Good thing I left right around 3:00 because later on there were a lot of traffic problems and backups.
So my day went more or less as planned. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Whereas, a man we are praying for started a day a few days back by having a colonoscopy and then learning shortly thereafter that he only has 10 days to live. In other words, while he and his family were making their plans for Christmas and doing the usual things that people do, his life turned on a dime and now he might not even make it to Christmas. So we really need to pray for him and his family. For them everything is virtually turned upside down and Christmas has taken a back seat to cancer.
That's why time is precious and God-given. That's why we should start each day thanking God for another opportunity to serve.
I'm down the basement again and one thing about the basement, it's quiet. Just a little humming from the computer and monitor. It gives me a chance to take measure of everything and wonder anew at the amazing mercy of our God.
As you are driving around, going about your business, let God show you some people he wants you to say a prayer for. Some weeks back a black SUV passed by and for some reason I just knew that I had to pray for that driver. I haven't forgotten the black SUV since, even though time has passed and it was a second or two in time. That's God at work!!
We all need prayer, right? Take it easy, my blog friends.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Common Sense
Only in the glaring light of day can some nonsensical things be seen as they really are. In the past couple of days, we've seen a little boy on TV who made the grave mistake of kissing a little girl's hand. Apparently, he likes her.
I can remember lots of examples like that from school. One that sticks in my mind is Jack who liked my sister a lot too. He didn't kiss her hand. He was roughhousing and ripped her coat sleeve. He was never cited for anything and my mother simply got her sewing kit out and fixed the coat. Good as new. And my mother, having the wisdom that she did, told my sister that the reason Jack had behaved as he did was because he did like her.
This little boy seems like a nice fellow. He is six and full of exuberance. The little girl was uncomfortable that he kissed her hand. I'm just not sure that making such a big deal of this whole thing does her any favors either, only that anytime she's uncomfortable all heck breaks loose. There was a day when girls knew full well how to defend themselves against a hand kiss!! And a much better defense than sexual harassment.
It's nearly Christmas time again. Maybe the school administrators were a little tired that day and out of patience. Whatever, the whole mess just reeks of silliness.
Another boy got into trouble because he made a gesture as though he had a sword or something. I can't remember the details, but it was again one of those silly things that just did not merit the attention it got.
In schools that because of a very few individuals don't have prayer, we still have to find ways to teach children to love and care for one another, to be tolerant of one another, to put up with one another because after all this is the greatest lesson that any of us could possibly hope to learn in life.
So I'm off to Westlake today and going out into the frozen tundra. Do you know what the frozen tundra is? I didn't really understand until a couple of years ago when we were watching a TV program. It's the grassy land that covers much of the upper north and in the summer it is wet and spongy, but in the winter when the winds and temperatures go to work, the grassy areas become hard and frozen solid. Let's be careful out there today!!!
I can remember lots of examples like that from school. One that sticks in my mind is Jack who liked my sister a lot too. He didn't kiss her hand. He was roughhousing and ripped her coat sleeve. He was never cited for anything and my mother simply got her sewing kit out and fixed the coat. Good as new. And my mother, having the wisdom that she did, told my sister that the reason Jack had behaved as he did was because he did like her.
This little boy seems like a nice fellow. He is six and full of exuberance. The little girl was uncomfortable that he kissed her hand. I'm just not sure that making such a big deal of this whole thing does her any favors either, only that anytime she's uncomfortable all heck breaks loose. There was a day when girls knew full well how to defend themselves against a hand kiss!! And a much better defense than sexual harassment.
It's nearly Christmas time again. Maybe the school administrators were a little tired that day and out of patience. Whatever, the whole mess just reeks of silliness.
Another boy got into trouble because he made a gesture as though he had a sword or something. I can't remember the details, but it was again one of those silly things that just did not merit the attention it got.
In schools that because of a very few individuals don't have prayer, we still have to find ways to teach children to love and care for one another, to be tolerant of one another, to put up with one another because after all this is the greatest lesson that any of us could possibly hope to learn in life.
So I'm off to Westlake today and going out into the frozen tundra. Do you know what the frozen tundra is? I didn't really understand until a couple of years ago when we were watching a TV program. It's the grassy land that covers much of the upper north and in the summer it is wet and spongy, but in the winter when the winds and temperatures go to work, the grassy areas become hard and frozen solid. Let's be careful out there today!!!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The Wise Still Seek Him
A Christmas card that we just received today has the message, "The Wise Still Seek Him," and it shows a depiction of the three wise men on camels heading to Bethlehem.
The magi as we refer to the three wise men left their homes and traveled a long way from the east to follow a star. These were men who studied the heavens and knew the movements of the solar system and yet were so amazed by the appearance of a star that they went in search of where it was leading.
And they brought with them precious, expensive gifts. They were received by a king and did not gift the king with their gifts, so far as we know. After they found Jesus, they presented the gifts to him, this future king, and then because of a dream did not do as they said they would (return to Herod) but instead went home by another route. These men were godly in that they were receptive to and obeyed the message.
Today intelligence oftens pulls people away from God because it would seem that discoveries have answers for everything. And yet, some of the most intelligent people have been pulled towards God because of their discoveries. Because at the end of the day they realized that through science the amazing complexity of a human being was impossible to explain by mere cells and atoms.
We too then must leave the comforts that we enjoy so much and seek out a relationship with God, give God a place in our souls, relinquish our need to control everything, trust.
I was looking at a coloring book that my grandchildren received during a recent visit to Canal Fulton when they saw Santa Claus. It was stamped, "Toys Time Forgot." And so I mentioned this to my son, "Oh, you went to Canal Fulton?" And my grandson misunderstood my words. He said, "I want to see God." He must have thought I said, "Toys Time for God." How sweet! How real his curiosity! And how do we get a true glimpse of God? Look at the face of a small child.
And I close with John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever shall believe in Him shall have life everlasting." Amen.
The magi as we refer to the three wise men left their homes and traveled a long way from the east to follow a star. These were men who studied the heavens and knew the movements of the solar system and yet were so amazed by the appearance of a star that they went in search of where it was leading.
And they brought with them precious, expensive gifts. They were received by a king and did not gift the king with their gifts, so far as we know. After they found Jesus, they presented the gifts to him, this future king, and then because of a dream did not do as they said they would (return to Herod) but instead went home by another route. These men were godly in that they were receptive to and obeyed the message.
Today intelligence oftens pulls people away from God because it would seem that discoveries have answers for everything. And yet, some of the most intelligent people have been pulled towards God because of their discoveries. Because at the end of the day they realized that through science the amazing complexity of a human being was impossible to explain by mere cells and atoms.
We too then must leave the comforts that we enjoy so much and seek out a relationship with God, give God a place in our souls, relinquish our need to control everything, trust.
I was looking at a coloring book that my grandchildren received during a recent visit to Canal Fulton when they saw Santa Claus. It was stamped, "Toys Time Forgot." And so I mentioned this to my son, "Oh, you went to Canal Fulton?" And my grandson misunderstood my words. He said, "I want to see God." He must have thought I said, "Toys Time for God." How sweet! How real his curiosity! And how do we get a true glimpse of God? Look at the face of a small child.
And I close with John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever shall believe in Him shall have life everlasting." Amen.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Mermaid's Tail
My granddaughter has been asking for a mermaid's tail for about two years now. I figured she'd forget about, outgrow it, or move on -- but she perseveres. So this year after the sticker shock of seeing that mermaid tails are going for around $40-50 at the cheapest, I figured the old sewing machine from Christmas 1960 could spit out something decent.
Isn't it funny that in the story of The Little Mermaid, Ariel wants feet and my granddaughter who has two nice feet wants a tail? Kind of screwed up, isn't it? It's a little like the Gift of the Magi, the famous O'Henry story where the man sells his watch to get money to buy his wife hair combs, while his wife sold her hair to buy a watch fob for her husband. This is a story that used to be told a lot at Christmas. But it's still relevant.
So I went to the fabric store and found something really nice, a blue-green color. Since it was see-through I used some interfacing already in my sewing supplies. But I kind of messed up the "pattern" and had to get some more fabric for the body part of it. Which turned out for the best because it has stretch, although the old sewing machine didn't know how to handle the material and had fits and starts.
Still, it turned out pretty well and there was enough fabric left for a top too. Now her mom and dad can watch her immobilized on the couch wearing her new tail and actually being happy about it. That should last for a little while at least.
All of this talk of Christmas reminds me of how my own wishes and wants have changed. These days I'm just overjoyed for a healthy family, for a change to get together and share some humor, for good warm food on the table, for the opportunity to worship our God. Sure, I like "things" and have things in far more plenty than I need, but the desire to accumulate more and more material goods has diminished a lot. And it could diminish more!!
(If you see any typos, know that I see them too, but once typed the only working computer in order to post something new does not let me go back and make corrections. It's very humbling!)
And that last sentence is AWKWARD!
Remember those who are alone for Christmas, and pray for those who are sick or in pain. Let us prepare ourselves as we approach the lighting of the third Advent candle this coming Sunday.
Isn't it funny that in the story of The Little Mermaid, Ariel wants feet and my granddaughter who has two nice feet wants a tail? Kind of screwed up, isn't it? It's a little like the Gift of the Magi, the famous O'Henry story where the man sells his watch to get money to buy his wife hair combs, while his wife sold her hair to buy a watch fob for her husband. This is a story that used to be told a lot at Christmas. But it's still relevant.
So I went to the fabric store and found something really nice, a blue-green color. Since it was see-through I used some interfacing already in my sewing supplies. But I kind of messed up the "pattern" and had to get some more fabric for the body part of it. Which turned out for the best because it has stretch, although the old sewing machine didn't know how to handle the material and had fits and starts.
Still, it turned out pretty well and there was enough fabric left for a top too. Now her mom and dad can watch her immobilized on the couch wearing her new tail and actually being happy about it. That should last for a little while at least.
All of this talk of Christmas reminds me of how my own wishes and wants have changed. These days I'm just overjoyed for a healthy family, for a change to get together and share some humor, for good warm food on the table, for the opportunity to worship our God. Sure, I like "things" and have things in far more plenty than I need, but the desire to accumulate more and more material goods has diminished a lot. And it could diminish more!!
(If you see any typos, know that I see them too, but once typed the only working computer in order to post something new does not let me go back and make corrections. It's very humbling!)
And that last sentence is AWKWARD!
Remember those who are alone for Christmas, and pray for those who are sick or in pain. Let us prepare ourselves as we approach the lighting of the third Advent candle this coming Sunday.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
The Last Christmas
The last Christmas with my mother was in 1960. She was 52 and not doing very well. I was 14 and worried.
Instead of the usual live tree that we put up in the big living room window, she got one of those new-fangled aluminum trees lit up by the colored disk that turned around and around. We went outside to see how it looked at dark. I took a picture of it so it was immortalized. It was hideous.
My mother just couldn't do the things she had always done, but she tried. I'm sure she made some cookies, she ordered presents for us, and she put out some of the decorations like the white reindeer on the mantle. No matter what, there was a sadness about that Christmas because anyone with eyes could see that my mother was fading.
We all have have this kind of story to tell -- the "lasts." The last time for this, the last time for that, and we tend to remember because deep inside of ourselves, no matter how much denial we are working on, we knew that all was not well.
Christmas was by far my mother's favorite holiday, and she usually went overboard. There was Fannie Farmer candy hidden away somewhere so it wouldn't be eaten before Christmas Eve at least. There were her marvelous cookies stored in a huge porcelain roaster. There were the presents that she tried so hard to get just right. There was a box of candy for the teacher at school and for the nun from CCD. My mother loved to give!
Yesterday they were talking about the lessons that we can learn from Nelson Mandela of South Africa. He was asked during an interview in prison many years ago how it was that he could continue and he said they could not take away his mind. A gentleman from South Africa said that Mandela's life was shaped by an African way of life that says more or less, "I am among others." I'm paraphrasing here, but rather than the isolated view of, "I think therefore I am," this philosphy emphasizes how well we relate to those around us.
My mother must have embraced that kind of thinking because no matter where she went, she never forgot the people around her by being self-absorbed. It might be African or Christian, but we do spend our lives around others. How do we relate?
When I see the aluminum trees these days, it doesn't bring the same reaction that it did in the years following her death in March 1961. Because I know where my mother is, and she is full of joy for her favorite holiday, Christmas, is coming.
Instead of the usual live tree that we put up in the big living room window, she got one of those new-fangled aluminum trees lit up by the colored disk that turned around and around. We went outside to see how it looked at dark. I took a picture of it so it was immortalized. It was hideous.
My mother just couldn't do the things she had always done, but she tried. I'm sure she made some cookies, she ordered presents for us, and she put out some of the decorations like the white reindeer on the mantle. No matter what, there was a sadness about that Christmas because anyone with eyes could see that my mother was fading.
We all have have this kind of story to tell -- the "lasts." The last time for this, the last time for that, and we tend to remember because deep inside of ourselves, no matter how much denial we are working on, we knew that all was not well.
Christmas was by far my mother's favorite holiday, and she usually went overboard. There was Fannie Farmer candy hidden away somewhere so it wouldn't be eaten before Christmas Eve at least. There were her marvelous cookies stored in a huge porcelain roaster. There were the presents that she tried so hard to get just right. There was a box of candy for the teacher at school and for the nun from CCD. My mother loved to give!
Yesterday they were talking about the lessons that we can learn from Nelson Mandela of South Africa. He was asked during an interview in prison many years ago how it was that he could continue and he said they could not take away his mind. A gentleman from South Africa said that Mandela's life was shaped by an African way of life that says more or less, "I am among others." I'm paraphrasing here, but rather than the isolated view of, "I think therefore I am," this philosphy emphasizes how well we relate to those around us.
My mother must have embraced that kind of thinking because no matter where she went, she never forgot the people around her by being self-absorbed. It might be African or Christian, but we do spend our lives around others. How do we relate?
When I see the aluminum trees these days, it doesn't bring the same reaction that it did in the years following her death in March 1961. Because I know where my mother is, and she is full of joy for her favorite holiday, Christmas, is coming.
Friday, December 6, 2013
A Little Bit of Stink
In the past couple of months, we've noticed some bugs in the house. To be precise, we've noticed "stink bugs." Did my husband perhaps carry one in the house on his clothes and it multiplied? Or did they somehow find a little nest somewhere?
We don't know, but I don't like them one bit. For one thing, they really are supposed to stink bad. One article warned not to suck them up in the vacuum cleaner unless you were planning on emptying the bag afterwards. Why? When they are stressed, apparently they give off even more of their peculiar scent. So when we catch them, they go right out a door or window.
They seem drawn to the light, and then once they touch the bulb, they fall like a rock to the floor. The cats seem to like all of this, but they don't really mess with them. They locate them and "point" to them kind of like those famous hunting dogs. After all of the food we've given to them and all of the extras, they are finally doing a little work around here.
I'll keep you posted on our progress to rid the house of these annoying bugs about the size of a dime.
Now -- onto another subject for a bit. Last night we watched "live" theater on television as The Sound of Music was presented starring country singing star, Carrie Underwood. It was excellent! Ms. Underwood has a great voice, and the entire cast just sparkled. The convent's Mother Superior was particularly good. The sets were unbelievable. The stained glass windows in the convent were spectacular. I could hardly take my eyes off them. We DVR'd it but the presentation is on sale in stores now; I believe Walmart carries them. This was family entertainment at its very, very best. I hope it was hugely successful and spurs on many more of these kinds of things.
It made me proud of the efforts put forth by everyone involved in the project.
I hope Julie Andrews watched and was pleased. I forgot to mention the costumes!!
So I'm down the basement again, and have not located the source of my error message that is messing around with the blog in the upstairs computer!! Thing is, I have to be somewhat careful, because I know just enough to really get myself in trouble. At least I can continue on with the blog thanks to old trusty down here.
If you did not have a chance to see The Sound of Music, it would make a great Christmas gift for someone in your family. Talk to you tomorrow.
We don't know, but I don't like them one bit. For one thing, they really are supposed to stink bad. One article warned not to suck them up in the vacuum cleaner unless you were planning on emptying the bag afterwards. Why? When they are stressed, apparently they give off even more of their peculiar scent. So when we catch them, they go right out a door or window.
They seem drawn to the light, and then once they touch the bulb, they fall like a rock to the floor. The cats seem to like all of this, but they don't really mess with them. They locate them and "point" to them kind of like those famous hunting dogs. After all of the food we've given to them and all of the extras, they are finally doing a little work around here.
I'll keep you posted on our progress to rid the house of these annoying bugs about the size of a dime.
Now -- onto another subject for a bit. Last night we watched "live" theater on television as The Sound of Music was presented starring country singing star, Carrie Underwood. It was excellent! Ms. Underwood has a great voice, and the entire cast just sparkled. The convent's Mother Superior was particularly good. The sets were unbelievable. The stained glass windows in the convent were spectacular. I could hardly take my eyes off them. We DVR'd it but the presentation is on sale in stores now; I believe Walmart carries them. This was family entertainment at its very, very best. I hope it was hugely successful and spurs on many more of these kinds of things.
It made me proud of the efforts put forth by everyone involved in the project.
I hope Julie Andrews watched and was pleased. I forgot to mention the costumes!!
So I'm down the basement again, and have not located the source of my error message that is messing around with the blog in the upstairs computer!! Thing is, I have to be somewhat careful, because I know just enough to really get myself in trouble. At least I can continue on with the blog thanks to old trusty down here.
If you did not have a chance to see The Sound of Music, it would make a great Christmas gift for someone in your family. Talk to you tomorrow.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Disconnected
Yet another spokesperson on television was talking last night about the "disconnect" between people, despite all of the high-tech so-called communication devices. Duh. I don't suppose we needed someone to tell us that. The proof is all over the place.
And honestly, I don't see where any of it seems to make people happier! An article the other day said that people on Facebook were actually more unhappy. Nothing beats spending time with real people in real time at a real place.
I guess that's when I have a bit of hankering for the "old days." My sister had dinner with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren a couple of weeks ago. The grandchildren were either working on a tablet or checking the phone throughout. While their mother was always a stickler for manners and good behavior, she didn't seem bothered by it whatsoever.
Today's posting is part of what's been on my mind, but there was this great idea that flitted into my head the other night and it was SO GOOD that I wanted to beat a path to the basement and write it on the spot. But I didn't, thinking that it would be so easy to remember. And now I can't. I've tried.
The gist of it was that there was this project that was done, but it just wasn't perfect in any sense. Yet, it was a worthwhile little thing, whatever it was. Some would want it to be perfect and if it couldn't be improved, scrapped. But for some reason, I liked it imperfect as it was. It made me think of us humans, with all of our oddities, and yes, even with our so-called communication devices going through life without a compass. It made me think about how God sees us raw and unrefined and somehow He still loves us.
It made me think that God loved us enough that He would allow his son to come and be among us, be one with us.
Our world at times seems so complex and unexplainable, but on a very deep level, at the very core where the molten lava burns unceasingly, there is something that every human being needs -- love. It's the universal song of our souls.
On my mantle are three special things that are ALWAYS there when I decorate. One is a project that one of the boys made in school. The other two are cards made with seed pods and inside written in small boy printing are those wonderful words that no parent can ever hear often enough -- "I love you."
Bless you as you start your preparations for Christmas. Keep the love alive.
And honestly, I don't see where any of it seems to make people happier! An article the other day said that people on Facebook were actually more unhappy. Nothing beats spending time with real people in real time at a real place.
I guess that's when I have a bit of hankering for the "old days." My sister had dinner with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren a couple of weeks ago. The grandchildren were either working on a tablet or checking the phone throughout. While their mother was always a stickler for manners and good behavior, she didn't seem bothered by it whatsoever.
Today's posting is part of what's been on my mind, but there was this great idea that flitted into my head the other night and it was SO GOOD that I wanted to beat a path to the basement and write it on the spot. But I didn't, thinking that it would be so easy to remember. And now I can't. I've tried.
The gist of it was that there was this project that was done, but it just wasn't perfect in any sense. Yet, it was a worthwhile little thing, whatever it was. Some would want it to be perfect and if it couldn't be improved, scrapped. But for some reason, I liked it imperfect as it was. It made me think of us humans, with all of our oddities, and yes, even with our so-called communication devices going through life without a compass. It made me think about how God sees us raw and unrefined and somehow He still loves us.
It made me think that God loved us enough that He would allow his son to come and be among us, be one with us.
Our world at times seems so complex and unexplainable, but on a very deep level, at the very core where the molten lava burns unceasingly, there is something that every human being needs -- love. It's the universal song of our souls.
On my mantle are three special things that are ALWAYS there when I decorate. One is a project that one of the boys made in school. The other two are cards made with seed pods and inside written in small boy printing are those wonderful words that no parent can ever hear often enough -- "I love you."
Bless you as you start your preparations for Christmas. Keep the love alive.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
A Little French Vanilla
Two of my grandchildren think that French Vanilla creamer is the best thing ever. Yesterday, they were both off of school and I was watching them. The conversation started right off with French Vanilla and it kept on going.
Ella and Drew like a small amount of coffee each morning. And what do they like in their coffee? Of course, French Vanilla. Oh, sometimes it's cinnamon and once in a while caramel or some sort of combination, but the old, tried and true French Vanilla always returns.
Ella had some corn for lunch yesterday and she loves corn! However, for some reason it just didn't meet the taste bud specifications and she told me she wanted French Vanilla in it. Oh, you've got to be kidding, I thought, but went along with the request. True to her word she ate every single kernel of corn with gusto. Who am I to be the taste police?
We watched a movie -- Beauty and the Beast. I hadn't seen it in years and it is really very good, especially the music. Can't you just hear "Be Our Guest," right now? Very catchy little tune. Drew watched it too, although he also spent some time watching another movie or two. Their mom said that they were actually very bored from having six days off of school, and I could see some of that.
So while I'm no gourmet, it would seem that French Vanilla adds to the palate and the taste of many fine foods.
I'm switching subjects here, but it will all come together at the end. We watched a show the other night about people who venture to a desserted area of the Bahamas where there are few hotels and no golf courses. They go there to deep sea dive -- the kind of diving where they go on one breath as far as they can and come back up. They swallow air before the dive and somehow the body is able to use that swallowed air. At the very end, the diver has to go through a series of actions that shows they are still coherent. If they can't, the dive isn't credited. One lady was there to dive. She said she does it to "find out what I'm made of." Wow.
That's a little sad. One of the LAST places I would go to find out what I'm made of is the Bahamas to deep sea dive on one breath. I can find out about myself with a couple of kids and some French Vanilla, doing the things that grandmas have done for generations. I don't need the adrenalin highs that come from almost killing myself!!
Our God who made us is the one who helps us know about ourselves, and we have only to ask and he will give us insights. Insights about our patience or lack of it, insights about our attitudes, insights about our shortcomings, and insights about His glory and the heaven that awaits us. The answers we seek about this life and its meaning are close by. So let us pray. "Prepare Ye the way of the Lord."
Ella and Drew like a small amount of coffee each morning. And what do they like in their coffee? Of course, French Vanilla. Oh, sometimes it's cinnamon and once in a while caramel or some sort of combination, but the old, tried and true French Vanilla always returns.
Ella had some corn for lunch yesterday and she loves corn! However, for some reason it just didn't meet the taste bud specifications and she told me she wanted French Vanilla in it. Oh, you've got to be kidding, I thought, but went along with the request. True to her word she ate every single kernel of corn with gusto. Who am I to be the taste police?
We watched a movie -- Beauty and the Beast. I hadn't seen it in years and it is really very good, especially the music. Can't you just hear "Be Our Guest," right now? Very catchy little tune. Drew watched it too, although he also spent some time watching another movie or two. Their mom said that they were actually very bored from having six days off of school, and I could see some of that.
So while I'm no gourmet, it would seem that French Vanilla adds to the palate and the taste of many fine foods.
I'm switching subjects here, but it will all come together at the end. We watched a show the other night about people who venture to a desserted area of the Bahamas where there are few hotels and no golf courses. They go there to deep sea dive -- the kind of diving where they go on one breath as far as they can and come back up. They swallow air before the dive and somehow the body is able to use that swallowed air. At the very end, the diver has to go through a series of actions that shows they are still coherent. If they can't, the dive isn't credited. One lady was there to dive. She said she does it to "find out what I'm made of." Wow.
That's a little sad. One of the LAST places I would go to find out what I'm made of is the Bahamas to deep sea dive on one breath. I can find out about myself with a couple of kids and some French Vanilla, doing the things that grandmas have done for generations. I don't need the adrenalin highs that come from almost killing myself!!
Our God who made us is the one who helps us know about ourselves, and we have only to ask and he will give us insights. Insights about our patience or lack of it, insights about our attitudes, insights about our shortcomings, and insights about His glory and the heaven that awaits us. The answers we seek about this life and its meaning are close by. So let us pray. "Prepare Ye the way of the Lord."
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Advent Thoughts
When I was a little kid, my aunt always used to buy us one of those neat Advent calendars that has the windows that open. For each day of Advent, we'd get to flip the window and see what the surprise was inside. It might be a candy cane, or it might be something with more religious significance.
The biggest window was for Christmas Day and that window held a picture of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The reason for the season. The most important birth in the history of mankind. The long awaited Messiah that the Jewish people had heard about through the prophets.
Keeping Christ in Christmas is getting more difficult. The title of this blog is, "Life in a Small Town." In Canal Fulton at the heart of the downtown is an old bank building that was built at the turn of the century. Right in front the Lions Club puts the manger scene for all to see and enjoy. It's there now, although Joseph wasn't lighting up at first and he needed some repair. Thank God for the freedom to have the manger scene.
In my grandson's school, they recently had a "Harvest Meal" for all of the kindergarteners. His contribution was some corn chips. They couldn't call it Thanksgiving. No kidding. There isn't any mention of Halloween either. It's all gone, so that no one can complain. Presumably, that means that there is no mention of Christmas either. It's the new PC (politically correct) and it's not a good thing. Thanksgiving was started by one of the very presidents that the children learn about and celebrate on Presidents' Day -- Abraham Lincoln. At least he was the one who made it formal. And now, we're afraid to offend someone if we mention Thanksgiving. Even if I wasn't a Christian, I'd be thankful for SOMETHING, wouldn't I? It almost makes my head spin.
The giving tree is now displayed in SS Philip & James, holding more tags than I've ever seen before. Parishioners take a tag, sign the log, and then return the present and tag by December 11th. In this way we can help many local families who are struggling this year. After the tree is put away, the creche scene is displayed in that same area of the church.
Since I started this blog last January, I'm pretty sure we've never talked about the magi and how we used to work them into our Christmas when the boys were little. There was the long hall going to the bedrooms. The magi started their journey to Bethlehem at the end of that hall and each day the boys would move them a bit closer to their destination. They would get to the hutch right around Christmas Eve, and then I'd bring out the baby Jesus that was hidden until then. And the baby was in his rightful place in his lowly manger.
It's a great way for children to stay in the spirit of the holiday, and not to get all caught up in the trappings of Christmas to the exclusion of our Lord, Jesus.
I'm down the basement writing this posting again, and thank God that it works down here!! For this I am grateful, and for so many, many other wonders including my precious grandchildren. Take care, my friends.
The biggest window was for Christmas Day and that window held a picture of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. The reason for the season. The most important birth in the history of mankind. The long awaited Messiah that the Jewish people had heard about through the prophets.
Keeping Christ in Christmas is getting more difficult. The title of this blog is, "Life in a Small Town." In Canal Fulton at the heart of the downtown is an old bank building that was built at the turn of the century. Right in front the Lions Club puts the manger scene for all to see and enjoy. It's there now, although Joseph wasn't lighting up at first and he needed some repair. Thank God for the freedom to have the manger scene.
In my grandson's school, they recently had a "Harvest Meal" for all of the kindergarteners. His contribution was some corn chips. They couldn't call it Thanksgiving. No kidding. There isn't any mention of Halloween either. It's all gone, so that no one can complain. Presumably, that means that there is no mention of Christmas either. It's the new PC (politically correct) and it's not a good thing. Thanksgiving was started by one of the very presidents that the children learn about and celebrate on Presidents' Day -- Abraham Lincoln. At least he was the one who made it formal. And now, we're afraid to offend someone if we mention Thanksgiving. Even if I wasn't a Christian, I'd be thankful for SOMETHING, wouldn't I? It almost makes my head spin.
The giving tree is now displayed in SS Philip & James, holding more tags than I've ever seen before. Parishioners take a tag, sign the log, and then return the present and tag by December 11th. In this way we can help many local families who are struggling this year. After the tree is put away, the creche scene is displayed in that same area of the church.
Since I started this blog last January, I'm pretty sure we've never talked about the magi and how we used to work them into our Christmas when the boys were little. There was the long hall going to the bedrooms. The magi started their journey to Bethlehem at the end of that hall and each day the boys would move them a bit closer to their destination. They would get to the hutch right around Christmas Eve, and then I'd bring out the baby Jesus that was hidden until then. And the baby was in his rightful place in his lowly manger.
It's a great way for children to stay in the spirit of the holiday, and not to get all caught up in the trappings of Christmas to the exclusion of our Lord, Jesus.
I'm down the basement writing this posting again, and thank God that it works down here!! For this I am grateful, and for so many, many other wonders including my precious grandchildren. Take care, my friends.
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