'Tis the Season!

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‘Tis

The season to

be grateful, generous,

and connected to those

who make our lives special.

Wishing you a very Merry

Christmas and joyous New Year!

Celebrate, reflect, love, laugh, express

thanks, surprise, visit, entertain, be entertained,

create, remember, plan, rest, energize and enjoy

!!!!!

Gifts of Christmas

Two dear friends and I walked and talked early this morning.  One friend recently lost her husband to cancer and she is now recovering from an accident that has impaired her mobility.  She confided that she wasn't in the Christmas spirit.  As much for myself, as for her, I shared that she had the true gift of Christmas in her faith, love and positive outlook.  Most importantly, she has the true gifts of Christmas, despite the reality that she is not enthusiastic about the external trappings of the Christmas season. And sharing those would be gift enough for those who matter!

Decorate the Dust

It's easy to let windows of opportunity pass when we don't have the perfect solution.  As a dear friend and I were visiting about the status of our Christmas decorations, she shared a priceless tidbit.  One of her friends had realistically assessed that she was not going to complete the deep cleaning that would ideally precede decorating for the holidays.  She declared that she was going to "decorate her dust".  I applaud her spirit and action!

Executing a plan imperfectly is usually far better than planning perfectly without action.

Life Tips from Christmas Carols

I love Christmas music!  One of Houston's radio stations plays non-stop Christmas music during December, allowing easy access to a variety of tunes.  The lyrics convey a range of messages from the true meaning of Christmas to merely upbeat seasonal cheer.  Regardless of the messages contained in the songs, some of the titles provide reminders of things we can do throughout the year to improve our relationships, effectiveness and impact.

• Joy to the World - With an attitude of gratitude and willingness to help, we can each bring more joy to the world.
• Silent Night - We all need time to think, plan and reflect without human and technological interruptions.
• Deck the Halls - Celebrate everything! 
• Do You Hear What I Hear? - Listening is one of the most critical communications skills.  Both the message sender and receiver have a responsibility to determine that what was said was actually heard in the way intended.
• Go Tell It On a Mountain - Sharing our tips, knowledge, experiences and contacts expands opportunities and enhances relationships.
• Jingle Bells - Celebrate successes!  Ring the bell frequently for small and large accomplishments.

Grateful!

With all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I am ever so grateful that family, friends and neighbors choose to let us know that we are important.

Christmas Babies

With no disrespect intended for Jesus, I now have 3 Christmas babies.  Of course, Jesus is the reason for the season.  My beloved nephew, Michael, is now 25.  He was born on Christmas Eve and we just celebrated his 25th birthday.  We've had the distinct privilege to celebrate his birthday each year.  Each year the family gathers for Michael's birthday.  Our celebratory feast marks his special occasion.  After dinner, birthday cake and birthday wrapped presents are opened, we move to our Christmas celebration.

My third Christmas baby is Jax.  Though his birthday is not in the Christmas season, this was his first Christmas and he enchanted 12 adults aged 18 to 79.

Merry Christmas!

The gifts of Christmas are abundant!  They include love, family, time, kindness, anticipation, joy, laughter, tradition, food and surprise.  May we remember that these gifts should infuse the coming year.

Santa Collection

I never dreamed when I received my first Santas many years ago that my collection would grow and grow.  It has become a treasured part of our Christmas decorations and a fun conversation element. No two Santas are alike. They represent the friendships and memories I cherish with the givers. 

Christmas Week

As impossible as it seems, it's already Christmas week.  In the midst of the scurrying to finish shopping, baking and decorating, we owe it to ourselves to pause each day to remember the reason for the season. 

Christmas Tree

Our beautiful Christmas tree completed our holiday decorations.  Each ornament has a story.  It's filled with priceless ornaments that Julia and Gar have made through the years.   There are scores of splendid and sentimental ornaments we've received as gifts.  And there are homely ornaments that make us laugh.  It's a fabulous collection that is uniquely ours.  Though a designer wouldn't readily detect a theme for our tree, close examination would reveal that the theme is love.

Incredible Gift!

A dear friend created a fabulous gift that I'll treasure forever.  She saved all the Christmas card photos we'd sent through the years and created a beautiful album.  It brings great joy on many levels.  Friends, family, memories, creativity and thoughtfulness are captured in this unique gift.

Twelve Days of Christmas

This is my most ambitious needlework project ever undertaken.  It began with a blank piece of fabric and evolved one tiny cross-stitch at a time.

May your 12 Days of Christmas be Merry and Bright!

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas season is filled with excitement, anticipation and traditions.  So many marvelous sights, sounds and tastes are associated with Christmas.  It's always wonderful to experience the heightened friendliness that is prevalent in most communications.  It's a celebration of the birth of Christ.  And it's a season to spend time with family and friends.

May the love and joy of the Christmas season fill your New Year!