Comfort is relative…
This past Saturday, the temperature in the mountains was 43° with a wind chill considerably lower. While at a craft fair for my granddaughters’ scout troops, I saw one of the older girls who was there to help with the crafts... a teenaged girl with her hands crammed either into the pockets of a zipped-up sweatshirt or her jeans. Bare feet and flip-flops. Fashion dictates.
My ears! My ears!....
When I attended grade school, the artwork decorating the rooms and halls was related to the holidays or seasons of the month, i.e. cherry trees and little axes for George Washington’s birthday; decorated eggs, chicks and bunnies for Easter; colorful leaves for Fall in September; witches, ghosts, and jack-o-lanterns for October. November was for Pilgrims, black hats with large buckles, and varied representations of the Plymouth rock. Then, up went the paper Christmas trees and garlands, etc. for Christmas.
When my children were growing up, the day after Thanksgiving Day was the day we put up the Christmas tree and other decorations. I managed to con my youngest daughter into stringing the lights on the tree each year. Until she finally rebelled.
Irritated by the apparent disregard for Thanksgiving this year, I made up my mind to avoid anything related to Christmas until after Thanksgiving Day, especially any and all of the ’holiday’ movies that started playing on TV at least two weeks ago. I had been successful in my determination until I discovered that my granddaughter was ready for the gift-giving holiday. She insisted on listening to a radio station that was already airing their Christmas play list. Oh, well. It helped that one of the first songs I heard was "Santa, Baby" sung by Eartha Kitt.
I am thankful for so much this year….
Each year my list continues to grow. I am so grateful for:
..Two daughters and a son who have grown into wonderful adults
..Two sons-in-law and a daughter-in-law who have added so much to my life
..Ten grandchildren who must be the smartest, most creative, and best looking ‘grands’ ever to exist
..A brother who is very special (a good man… honest, sensible, trustworthy and true); my sister-in-law, his wife (a woman with a good heart and a wicked sense of humor) and her sister, (a woman whose world-view surpasses even mine in cynicism)
..Authors, with their talent to use and put together words into books that engross and enchant me
..Fathers who are willing to help with girl scout activities
..Friends, who enrich my life in so many ways
This past Thursday evening, a day that had been cold and blustery, my son-in-law introduced me to the pleasure and comfort of hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps. Yum. Consider me schnapped.
