Maybe that's why I love the movie 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' with Chevy Chase so much. I can really identify with his attempts at creating a perfect Christmas for his family.
Here's hoping that you find whatever makes sense to you as the Christmas spirit in the days ahead, no matter what is happening in your life or the world around you. ♥
One solution is definitely to try and do less. I suppose scaled-down preparations, fewer presents and a less grumpy mother at Christmas could be a gift. :) Also to concentrate on what's truly important.
We do have our tree up now and it is exquisitely beautiful--I think our nicest yet. We go and cut our tree down each year, a tradition started a long time ago by my Mom and Dad.
We do have our tree up now and it is exquisitely beautiful--I think our nicest yet. We go and cut our tree down each year, a tradition started a long time ago by my Mom and Dad.
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| Somehow we managed to find the time amid school projects, commitments and my husband's insane work schedule to cut our tree down on Sunday. |
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| The decorations aren't quite finished so the boxes are still out. My elves go to high school during the day. |
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| Did I mention that my elves are pretty? |
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| Actually pretty goofy. :) |
I own over 1200 Christmas songs. (So you see that I do love Christmas.) I listen to all sorts of genres. Here's a song that I keep playing lately. It's by a Canadian country singer named Jessie Farrell. The song is called 'Christmas in My House'. The message is a good one for people like me.
Another song that I really love is by American singer/songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter. It's called 'Christmas Carol' and it's from her album 'Come Darkness, Come Light'. There's a sad undertone to it but it's really quite beautiful. It's a song about trying to reconcile her sense of Christmas as an adult with fuzzy childhood memories, commercialism, environmental change and world events. I couldn't find a video of it but here are the lyrics and I encourage you to buy her song and listen to the lovely lyrics along with her soothing voice.
The week before Thanksgiving Day
This town puts up its old display
Streetlights hung with candy canes and bows
The earlier it gets each year
The scarcer is my Christmas cheer
I guess I just like taking these things slow
I really don't remember much
Of Christmases growing up
Except the year the Beatles came to play
On my record player that came from Sears
That White Album filled my ears
In 1968 on Christmas Day.
I haven't been to church since God knows when
I'm not someone who usually attends
Truth be told there's just two wishes
On my list every Christmas
Peace on earth and a snow storm now and then
Now I pray that peace comes in our time
It's hard enough to keep from crying
When every bit of news just breaks your heart
The same old stories, same old songs
We dust them off when Christmas comes
And for one day we just try to do our part
And around here winter seems to come
With rain and mud and bits of sun
It's not exactly Currier and Ives
I don't mind cold if it brings snow
Alberta Clippers come and go
But a dusting would make everything all right
Perhaps a Christmas eve from long ago
Delivered Christmas day with knee-high snow
It's something lost but not forgotten
Like candy hidden in a stocking
That makes me every year wish it were so
Because Christmas is for children's joy
For every single girl and boy
That's the truth we come to understand
But the memories that don't let go
Like Beatles songs and falling snow
Can make us feel innocent again
And maybe next year we won't go insane
When they rush to hang the bows and candy canes
Because peace will shine in me and you
From Bethlehem to Timbuktu
Even if the forecast is for rain
Because peace will shine in me and you
From Bethlehem to Timbuktu
Even if the forecast is for rain
I think most women have that relationship. So much work, such high expectations. The commercials on TV don't help. And for those of us with extended family far, far away...
ReplyDeleteI try to keep it simple too and always welcome January.
froggy--Wise words.
ReplyDeleteWe try to keep it simple, my parents & my inlaws always made too much for that day.
ReplyDeletethe one thing I'll try to keep as long as possible is our advent activity calendar ... I know my boys won't want to do it for long when they'll be teens. :(
Your girls are so pretty indeed. :)
xoxo
Sonia--Keeping things simple is a good thing but sometimes hard to do (for me). We try though.
ReplyDeleteI think your advent tradition with the daily crafts is wonderful and I can imagine your boys carrying that on with their families someday.
most beautiful elves i have seen
ReplyDeleteand your tree
is
spectacular
i have to wait for my elves to come home from university before we go cut our tree down
Margie--Thanks! I don't look forward to my elves going away to university but the reunions must be wonderful. :)
ReplyDelete