eve of eves

..elf on the shelf..

as i sit here, i am working so hard not to
melt down until after the 27th. yes - that
is how long it will take us to get through
the intitial "holidays". actually it will be
jan. 2. but the first push begins today.

today...i have to clean, put things away
and hopefully get the pooches in the tub
for a bath before my miss c flys in from
her journey to spain.

i sit here gazing at all my twinkle lights
and my new vintage finds that make me
smile. i can't help but think about my
childhood and what christmas meant then.

it meant one big family gathering on
christmas. it meant my grandmas
traveling down from lafayette to stay
with us so we didn't have to leave
home and could enjoy our day with
our gifts. it meant my parents, always
on a tight tight budget....making every
christmas eve and christmas morning
magical. it meant my dad saying...."this
year i wonder if santa would like us to
leave him a beer and pretzels rather than
milk and cookies. apparently santa loved
a cold beer and snacks.

most years at least one nite we would sleep
under our tree with all the twinkle lites, my
brother shawn would lay in bed with erin
and i, and tell us to hush - he thought he
heard sleigh bells. and then around 3am,
he would come get us out of bed and we
would run downstairs to find what santa
had left under the tree. santa never wrapped
his gifts at our house and to see everything
sitting is a big group for each of us was
drool worthy.

in those days....the word global warming
had not been spoken and there were
many snowed in days, igloos and snow
forts were built, hot chocolate warming
on the stove and mom's cinnamon rolls.

as i reflect, it makes me a bit sad that my
kids have not been given these simple gifts.
they have had to be shuffled back and forth
between my house and their dads. they have
had to give up many fun vacation options
only to head to the pool for two a day practices,
holiday invitationals and numerous family
gatherings because in todays world, we are
all flying from here to there trying to make
everyone happy rather than just saying -
this year christmas will be spent together
in an unhurried manner...with hot chocolate
warming, toboggans lined up on the porch
and bing crooning softly in the background.

i can say this - this year i have worked to
enjoy the preparation. i have tried to put
a doable schedule together, so that we aren't
so burnt out before christmas even arrives.

i do count my blessings of my three gorgeous,
usually heathly children. cheri' will be returning
from her little journey to spain. and i so look forward
to sitting in little mexico on christmas eve afternoon
again this year so she can tell us abput the trip
and we can laugh. i say a little prayer so that gabe
and clancy will have safe travels to their dads and
then back again after christmas so we can watch
them open more gifts here. and i look forward
to spending some time with aunt lynnies family
for christmas eve dinner, then on to mom and
dad's for our traditional eve gathering with our
beloved labbes'.

to each of you who stop here occassionally, who
have been a brite lite in my life....i say peace
be with each of you. enjoy and celebrate with
those who mean the most to you.

....and to all my chickadees who are on the
artist journey with me - holy crap! new hampshire
and oregon just what the dr. ordered.

regardless of the holiday you celebrate - blessings.

peace. kelly