Friday, December 24, 2010

The Stranger

The Stranger


At Christmas time there was a man who looked so out of place,
as people who rushed about him at a hurried sort of pace.

He stared at all the Christmas lights, the tinsel everywhere,
The shopping center, Santa Claus, with children gathered near.

The Mall was packed with shoppers who were going to and fro,
Some with smiles and some with frowns and some too tired to go.

They rested on the benches or they hurried on their way,
to fight the crowd for purchases to carry home that day.

The music from a stereo was playing loud and clear
of Santa Claus, and snow men, and a funny-nosed reindeer.

He heard the people talk about the good times on the way,
Of parties, fun, and food galore, and gifts exchanged that day.

"I'd like to know what's going on," the man was heard to say,
"There seems to be some sort of celebration on the way."

"And would you tell me who this is, all dressed in red and white?
And why are children asking him about a special night?"

The answer came in disbelief, "I can't believe my ear!
I can't believe you do not know that Christmas time is here!"

"The time when Santa comes around with gifts for girls and boys,
When they're asleep on Christmas, he leaves them books and toys."

"The man you see in red and white is Santa Claus, so sly,
The children love his joyful laugh and twinkle in his eye."

"His gift packed sleigh is pulled along by very small reindeer,
As he flies quickly through the air, while darting here and there."

"The children learn of Santa while they are still quite small.
When Christmas comes, he is the most important one of all."

The stranger hung his head in shame, and closed a nail-pierced hand.
His body shook in disbelief; he did not understand.

A shadow crossed his stricken face, his voice was low but clear,
"After all these years, they still don't know."

And Jesus shed a tear.


- Author Unknown -

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Christmas

It's hard to believe that this year is approaching it's end.  It seems like the older I get the faster time moves.  This year has been a blur, yet I remember that there are days that I thought would never end, days that would never get here, and a lot of thought about tomorrow.  Yet here we are.  Everything after Christmas is just the final preparations for the finale. 

My Christmas festivities start tomorrow.  Or today, if you count all the cooking I have to do for tomorrow.  Yet, as I write this post (on Tuesday, just in case you were wondering, because when this post actually posts, I will be dreaming of sugar plums dancing in my head) it's hard to believe that another year is almost over.

Enjoy one of my favorite Christmas poems tomorrow, and I hope that on Saturday you find the joy in Christmas.  That you and your family (if you celebrate) remember the true meaning of the day, and find the joy in that.  I hope Santa fills your stocking with goodies and not coal.  I'm pretty sure I need a shovel to dig my way out of the coal.

Merry Christmas.  And Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Wordless Wednesday


Only in West Texas will you find a pelican in late fall and early winter taking up residence at a local lake.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Christmas Traditions

Holidays bring all sorts of traditions with them.  With Christmas comes Santa, with Easter the Easter Bunny, with St. Patrick's Day the leprechaun.  That doesn't even include the traditions that are passed through families and the ones that you make up as you go along.

Amazingly so, we don't have a lot of traditions in our family.  We all, for the most part, fly by the seat of our pants.  Christmas Eve is spent with my grandparents and parents.  Christmas Day I usually stay at home and veg, often my in-laws will join us for lunch or dinner, as Christmas isn't celebrated with them until the brother and family that lives out of town can join us.

Since my husband and I have lived near and far, we have tried to set up our own traditions, but it hasn't worked as well as we had hoped.  Life often interfered and one of us had to work.  I remember one year we had planned on staying home and watching movies.  It was 85* here, my husband, being in the ice business was slammed and ended up going to work, while I stayed home alone. 

Last year we had about 8 inches of snow and ice on the ground, and we were stuck at home.  We missed getting to spend the time with our family, but at the same time we enjoyed the time that we had together.

Some families do Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve, others wait until Christmas morning.  As a kid, we made cookies on Christmas Eve, it gave me something to do instead of waiting for Santa to come and us to be able to open presents.

What traditions does your own families have and do you like them, or would you rather introduce something different?  Chime in and let us know.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Another Chapter

Chapters, books are defined by them, and our lives can be measured by them.  Marriage, graduation, birth, death.  They all end and begin chapters in our lives. 

Something significant happened over this past weekend.  While some might not see it that way, it was the end of a chapter and a chance to chase a dream.  See, I'm officially a college graduate.  I completed the requirements for my associates degree several days ago.

Granted an associates degree, probably won't get me as far as I want to go, but I'm halfway to where I want to be. 

It's weird writing this post, almost like I'm trying to predict the future, instead of experiencing the present.  This was something that I have wanted for so long now, that it's hard to believe that I'm actually done.  Yet, while this chapter is ending, another is preparing to begin.

In 3 short weeks, I will begin the next part of my journey at a different university.  One that will have me at least finishing my bachelor's degree.  I have other plans in mind, but sometimes life gets in the way.  But it's still another chapter. 

It could be another chance to get it right, it will be a learning experience, and not just book knowledge.  The chapter hasn't yet been written, and each day as I get home to more mail from TTU, it continues to be play out, and the plot thickens. 

I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm terrified.  I'm ready to get started, and I hope that time passes slowly so I don't have to start yet.  I know it's what I want to do, but I'm a little overwhelmed with the fact that I will be at least 10+ years older than most of the people in my classes.  I will relate better to my instructors, than I will with the other students.  I'm not a "people" person.  Yet, I can be anything I want to be. 

So many kids graduate high school and head off to college to find themselves and their place in this world.  Instead I found my place in this world and am now heading off to college.  It's a little backwards, but I've never done anything the way that you are supposed too.

I'm simply living, breathing proof, that it's never too late to finish what you started, or still believe in the power and beauty of dreams.

~One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. ~Sidney Howard



~It is a most mortifying reflection for a man to consider what he has done, compared to what he might have done.  ~Samuel Johnson
 
~The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.  ~Thomas Henry Huxley
 
~The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.  ~Ayn Rand

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Happy Anniversary

To My Husband,

In a few minutes you are going to be cussing me, and telling me how unfair I am being, by writing you this letter. You will tell me what a fabulous writer I am, and that I should just have to give Hallmark cards out like “normal” people. Honey, you of all people should know by now that there is very little about me that is “normal”.

I just wanted to tell you today, how glad I am that I am married to you.

11 years ago today, we walked into something that neither one of us really had a clue about. I couldn’t imagine spending my life without you in it. I couldn’t imagine things not working out. How we survived the first couple of years, I will never understand. But those first few years, I believe are what helped us to understand what we both needed, as individuals and as a couple out of this relationship. We were so young, still kids, yet, we managed to find ourselves, and each other in the process.

I’ll never forget the day I called you and asked you how you would feel about Gangie living with us. You didn’t even take a breath, didn’t even hesitate. You simply said OK. I hope you know that you gave me those few months with him, which I wouldn’t have otherwise had. I know that there were times that it was tedious and horrible, with the hallucinations and the accidents, but those few months helped seal him into my life and into my heart, that made his death so much easier to bear. You gave me the gift of time, time to reminisce, and time to mourn. I’m so glad that you got those months with him too. I’m also glad that I had a long conversation about you with him one day. You were the grandson that he never had, and I hope you know how much he loved you, and how much I valued that conversation with him. I’m thankful that you were there when I lost him, and the love and support that you gave. I’m not sure I could have managed that without you.

I often tell you that I love you, but I don’t often tell you how much I appreciate you and everything that you do for me. I appreciate it when you load the dishwasher and do things around the house during your lunch break. I can come home and spend a few more minutes with you before “duty” calls. I appreciate you helping to cook dinner, and not complaining when we try new recipes that are an epic fail. I appreciate you for finding the humor in messes and cooking disasters. I’m thankful that you don’t lose your patience and yell at me and tell me to cook “normal” food.

I appreciate you helping with the laundry, and cleaning. I hope you know that I don’t expect you to do it, but I appreciate the efforts that you put forth into keeping our house picked up and clean. I appreciate you jumping into projects like cleaning out closets and moving furniture whether you really wanted to do it or not. I appreciate you taking my truck and getting the oil changed so I don’t have to.

I’m so very thankful that you like to spend time with me and go on mundane errands, like to the grocery store. I like it when you go shopping with me, and don’t get impatient, although I do wish you wouldn’t worry so much about hurting my feelings and give me your honest opinion.

I’m thankful that you have often gotten up, and went to a job that you hated in order for us to continue on with the plans we have for the future and the life that we want to have together. I appreciate how you always think of my feelings and my plans before you schedule your own.

I’m thankful that you had the patience to allow me the chance to chase my own dreams, even though those dreams have often gotten in the way of your own. You don’t know how much I appreciate all you have sacrificed so that I could go back to college and have a degree that means something, if only to me. Even though the stress of having me in college, and the pressure that has fallen onto you to take care of laundry and other tasks that we have always shared, you haven’t complained. You have allowed me to “find” myself, to chase a degree that I wouldn’t have ever experienced without going back to school; and in finding out more about myself along this path, I have found that I still belong with you.

I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together. You keep my life full of adventures and exciting. Thank you for agreeing that this was a permanent arrangement, one that we couldn’t get out of if things weren’t working. Thank you for asking me to marry you. Thank you for showing up everyday and working to make our marriage everything that it is today.

My heart belongs to you, always.

Friday, December 17, 2010

5 Question Friday

Good Morning!  It's Friday!!  I'm a little excited this morning. Tonight is my graduation party (I'm official tomorrow).  I finished my last class with a 4.0.  Can't beat that.  Tomorrow is my anniversary, my husband and I have been married 11 years.  Tune in tomorrow for a special post to my husband.  This week has been a big week around here.  I've had my first giveaway (that I can't giveaway).  I'm going to spend the weekend with my husband, we are going to pick up a few last minute gifts, and just spend some quality time together.  I'm getting 2 full days off work for the next two weeks, and I'm excited about the rest that I will be getting before I start back to school in 3 weeks. I'm also hoping to finish designing a button (like the one below) for my facebook page and twitter.  I'm going all out in 2011, I'll be everywhere.  It's all part of my plan to take over the world.


1. Do you regift...and if so, do you have a regifting horror story?


I always try to return first, and regift as a last possible option.  However, if I do regift, I make sure that it goes to someone who will actually use it.  And that the original gifter and the new receiver will never meet.  I hate these people who do "bulk" gifts.  You know what I mean, they buy the same item for 20 people, and only one out of the 20 is actually thrilled about it.  I shop for the person not the group.
2. Do you know what you are getting for Christmas this year?

Um, yeah.  Possibly because I got it the day after Thanksgiving.  My husband and I wanted a Wii for Christmas, so we went Black Friday shopping and got a Wii.  I also got some plastic containers, and a stand mixer.  But part of that is my graduation/Christmas.  It was easier than wrapping it and holding out until Christmas.  As far as my grandparents and parents gifts to me - not a clue.  I would rather spend the time with them, then get the gifts anyway.


3. Who brings the most gifts in your family, you or Santa?

There are no small children to "play" Santa with around here.  So it's a toss up.  My grandparents, and parents usually put the most thought into our gifts.  They try to get things that we want or need.  My inlaws often do together gifts, which is fine, but it isn't always something that we both can use.
4. What store do you love to by jeans from?

Where ever I can find them.  I'm not picky.  When you are 5'4" tall you can't afford to be, or you would walk around naked most of the time.  The last few years I have gotten most of mine from Cato's.  But like I said, when I find ones that fit, and that aren't 2 miles too long or hi-waters, I buy them.  I don't care if they are from Walmart, Target, Cato's or Dillards.  I usually only buy 2 pair a year.  And dress pants - I'm not so picky.  I buy them, then take them to my mom and she hems them up for me.  Jeans, not so much. 


5. Christmas meal: Big, All Out Meal or Snacks and Apps?

We usually do dinner with my parents and then have snacks and hot chocolate or wassail at my grandparents.  This year, we are having lunch (meal) at my Great Aunt Nita's, then we are going to my grandparents.  Then my grandparents, my parents and John and I are all having enchiladas, beans, guacamole, and salad for dinner Christmas Eve. 

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