Christmas Morning
Dec. 25th, 2004 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrdreamjeansIt’s definitely a Texas Christmas morning. It’s about 35 degrees and sunny out, the light so bright you have to squint into the distance. Mom, Dad and I were just watching out the kitchen window as one of our neighbors, bundled up against the humid cold, chased one of her wandering cows across the pasture, trying to lure it back through the hole in the fence from wence it made its escape.
The woman was pretty funny, as you could tell she was using a mixture of lovin’ and cussin’, tryin’ to persuade the cow to return home. The cow would start to head in the right direction, then graze a bit, then wait for the woman to catch up, then turn around and head back to where it wasn’t supposed to be. Seems like a familiar story:)
The past few days have been about visits with family and friends. On Wednesday, I hooked up with Fernando (bearchitect) at the Katy Mills Mall where we took in “The Incredibles”. What a wonderful, unique film! It was great to see Fernando again! After the film, a stroll around the mall and a final hug for the handsome bearchitect, I headed to Houston for a holiday dinner with my friends Ann and Casey and their daughters Carrie and Phyllis. Annie made Shepard’s Pie and baked chocolate chip cookies for me. (She knows me well:) We exchanged presents, and to my astonishment, they gifted me with the money to buy an iPOD!! I don’t know what I did to deserve such generous friends, but I am blessed.
Yesterday was about traditions. I decorated the sugar cookies my mother made, using colored frosting, chocolate chips, life savers and cashews, though mom’s version of red frosting is really pink. Oh well, what’s a little pink to liven things up a bit! LOL! Mom, Dad and I attended Christmas Eve church services with my brother’s family after the three of us sat down to a candlelit pot roast dinner. Yum!
The church service was at 7:30pm in a lovely old sanctuary filled with candles, but the music was less than stellar and as often happens, everyone pretends to sing and I stick out like a sore thumb. I had a twin nephew on either side of me (we were sitting behind the rest of the family) and I’m afraid we were the object of several over the shoulder stares from my brother and sister-in-law because I had the boys giggling at my antics.
I’m really bad with sarcastic remarks when things seem to be entirely too serious and/or incompetent. It’s the first time I’ve ever been to a church where communion is brought to you in the pews. I guess it’s sort of a drive-thru approach:) It seems a bit boring without all of the kneeling and such. My brother informed me that I had to sing loud to be heard over my tie, (I like bright colors:) but I told him that I dressed up because people always stare at me in these backwoods country churches:) Real-life Poinsettia dedications at last night's service: "In honor of Memaw and Papaw Culver"; "In memory of Lovett Abercrombie and Elsie Mae Keppler". After the lighting of hand-held candles during “Silent Night, Holy Night” and a few hugs, we headed home.
It’s one of our longest standing traditions that my parents and I open gifts on Christmas Eve, just the three of us. I really enjoy it. I also opened gifts from my friends Linda, Vic and Steve which arrived via mail. Their presents were in addition to the holiday Cds gifted to me by lowfatmuffin and wonderboymi. Here’s to old friends and new friends...dear friends.....
Since my sister’s family is on a cruise this week, there were several extra presents for me from them under the tree...an embarrassment of riches. My sister got the last laugh. A couple of weeks ago, she asked me if I wanted one big gift OR several small ones for Christmas. I was a smart-ass and said I wanted one big one AND several small ones. She got me good! As I opened the several scattered boxes from her family, a couple contained presents, but most contained money... money for an iPOD!!! Yes - I now have the money for two iPODs, or as I’m thinking, I’m half way to a new laptop. OY! (I should be responsible and pay off debt, but we’ll see:)
Mom and Dad were also very generous to me and I now have an HP photo printer, as well as new slippers, a new blanket for my bed and a pedometer:) Steve sent a wonderful miniature oil called “The Ladder of Success” which I shall cherish and a book mark from the opening of the Clinton Library. Linda sent me the DVDs of “Moonstruck” and “Shrek II”. ( An addendum to the original post - My brother, wife and three sons came over here for Christmas dinner at 4:00pm. They gifted me with a 128MB Smart Media Card which are about to become obsolete and a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby for framing. One nephew gave me a decorative cannister filled with Hersheys goodies. Of course, I’ve still got the 10lb chocolate bar from Secret Santa:)
I realize that I’m gushing a bit about the gifts I’ve received this year, but please forgive me. After a difficult five years, many things changed around for me in 2004, the new job at the head of the list. I speak often of my friends and their importance to me. I am fortunate to still have both parents, a loving brother and sister and their families, but I never forget that my inner circle of friends completes my family.
In closing, I’d like to share a piece of poetry that my Aunt Charlotte included in her Christmas greeting. There is indeed a link between Christmas and friends:
I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look.
And this is when I realize that these names are a part,
Not of the book they’re written in, but in my very heart.
And while you may not be aware of any “special link,”
Just meeting you has shaped my life more than you ever think.
For once I’ve met somebody, the years cannot erase
the memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.
For I am but a total of the many folks I’ve met,
You happen to be one of those I choose not to forget.
And, whether I have known you for many years or few,
In some way you have had a part of shaping things I do.
So every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew
The best gift life can give to me is meeting folks like you.
I pray the Christmas Spirit that evermore endures
May leave its richest blessing in the hearts of you and yours.
I’m off to Upstate New York tomorrow to continue the tour of “Evita”. I hope that the friendships which began in 2004 through this wonderful forum of Live Journal continue to deepen and grow. Here’s to the written word which connects us and has brought us together. May it continue to enrich all of our lives in 2005! Happy Christmas! Safe journeys till we meet..or meet again:)!
The woman was pretty funny, as you could tell she was using a mixture of lovin’ and cussin’, tryin’ to persuade the cow to return home. The cow would start to head in the right direction, then graze a bit, then wait for the woman to catch up, then turn around and head back to where it wasn’t supposed to be. Seems like a familiar story:)
The past few days have been about visits with family and friends. On Wednesday, I hooked up with Fernando (bearchitect) at the Katy Mills Mall where we took in “The Incredibles”. What a wonderful, unique film! It was great to see Fernando again! After the film, a stroll around the mall and a final hug for the handsome bearchitect, I headed to Houston for a holiday dinner with my friends Ann and Casey and their daughters Carrie and Phyllis. Annie made Shepard’s Pie and baked chocolate chip cookies for me. (She knows me well:) We exchanged presents, and to my astonishment, they gifted me with the money to buy an iPOD!! I don’t know what I did to deserve such generous friends, but I am blessed.
Yesterday was about traditions. I decorated the sugar cookies my mother made, using colored frosting, chocolate chips, life savers and cashews, though mom’s version of red frosting is really pink. Oh well, what’s a little pink to liven things up a bit! LOL! Mom, Dad and I attended Christmas Eve church services with my brother’s family after the three of us sat down to a candlelit pot roast dinner. Yum!
The church service was at 7:30pm in a lovely old sanctuary filled with candles, but the music was less than stellar and as often happens, everyone pretends to sing and I stick out like a sore thumb. I had a twin nephew on either side of me (we were sitting behind the rest of the family) and I’m afraid we were the object of several over the shoulder stares from my brother and sister-in-law because I had the boys giggling at my antics.
I’m really bad with sarcastic remarks when things seem to be entirely too serious and/or incompetent. It’s the first time I’ve ever been to a church where communion is brought to you in the pews. I guess it’s sort of a drive-thru approach:) It seems a bit boring without all of the kneeling and such. My brother informed me that I had to sing loud to be heard over my tie, (I like bright colors:) but I told him that I dressed up because people always stare at me in these backwoods country churches:) Real-life Poinsettia dedications at last night's service: "In honor of Memaw and Papaw Culver"; "In memory of Lovett Abercrombie and Elsie Mae Keppler". After the lighting of hand-held candles during “Silent Night, Holy Night” and a few hugs, we headed home.
It’s one of our longest standing traditions that my parents and I open gifts on Christmas Eve, just the three of us. I really enjoy it. I also opened gifts from my friends Linda, Vic and Steve which arrived via mail. Their presents were in addition to the holiday Cds gifted to me by lowfatmuffin and wonderboymi. Here’s to old friends and new friends...dear friends.....
Since my sister’s family is on a cruise this week, there were several extra presents for me from them under the tree...an embarrassment of riches. My sister got the last laugh. A couple of weeks ago, she asked me if I wanted one big gift OR several small ones for Christmas. I was a smart-ass and said I wanted one big one AND several small ones. She got me good! As I opened the several scattered boxes from her family, a couple contained presents, but most contained money... money for an iPOD!!! Yes - I now have the money for two iPODs, or as I’m thinking, I’m half way to a new laptop. OY! (I should be responsible and pay off debt, but we’ll see:)
Mom and Dad were also very generous to me and I now have an HP photo printer, as well as new slippers, a new blanket for my bed and a pedometer:) Steve sent a wonderful miniature oil called “The Ladder of Success” which I shall cherish and a book mark from the opening of the Clinton Library. Linda sent me the DVDs of “Moonstruck” and “Shrek II”. ( An addendum to the original post - My brother, wife and three sons came over here for Christmas dinner at 4:00pm. They gifted me with a 128MB Smart Media Card which are about to become obsolete and a gift certificate to Hobby Lobby for framing. One nephew gave me a decorative cannister filled with Hersheys goodies. Of course, I’ve still got the 10lb chocolate bar from Secret Santa:)
I realize that I’m gushing a bit about the gifts I’ve received this year, but please forgive me. After a difficult five years, many things changed around for me in 2004, the new job at the head of the list. I speak often of my friends and their importance to me. I am fortunate to still have both parents, a loving brother and sister and their families, but I never forget that my inner circle of friends completes my family.
In closing, I’d like to share a piece of poetry that my Aunt Charlotte included in her Christmas greeting. There is indeed a link between Christmas and friends:
I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book
And every year at Christmas time I go and take a look.
And this is when I realize that these names are a part,
Not of the book they’re written in, but in my very heart.
And while you may not be aware of any “special link,”
Just meeting you has shaped my life more than you ever think.
For once I’ve met somebody, the years cannot erase
the memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.
For I am but a total of the many folks I’ve met,
You happen to be one of those I choose not to forget.
And, whether I have known you for many years or few,
In some way you have had a part of shaping things I do.
So every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew
The best gift life can give to me is meeting folks like you.
I pray the Christmas Spirit that evermore endures
May leave its richest blessing in the hearts of you and yours.
I’m off to Upstate New York tomorrow to continue the tour of “Evita”. I hope that the friendships which began in 2004 through this wonderful forum of Live Journal continue to deepen and grow. Here’s to the written word which connects us and has brought us together. May it continue to enrich all of our lives in 2005! Happy Christmas! Safe journeys till we meet..or meet again:)!
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Date: 2004-12-25 07:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-27 07:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-28 02:42 am (UTC)But the mooosic is always nice too!