Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 12, Putting Away Christmas (with a little help from Dr. Suess)

We are packing away the ribbons and tags; storing packages, boxes, and bags.

In other words, we are putting away Christmas.

Jonathan and Timothy take down the ornaments from the tree and place them on the kitchen table so I can put them in the storage boxes. Back and forth they carry ornaments, from tree to table. We have a lot of ornaments on the tree.

Then, Timothy accidentally breaks one, glass shards scattering across the floor. But that's okay. EVERY year someone breaks an ornament, so it's almost a tradition.

Joe pulls off the lights, and coils them carefully because we replaced ALL the lights this year and so they should be good for another year or two. Maybe. If we're lucky.

As I watch all the vestiges of Christmas disappear, it dawns on me how we are basically undoing everything we did a month ago. The tree that went up, is now coming down. The nativity sets, garland, and stockings that were on display, are not hidden away.

All that fuss, and just like that it's over.

But then I reach for a Christmas signboard propped in a corner. Painted on its surface are the Three Wise Men with the words, "REJOICE in the gifts of the season."

Rejoice. In the gifts.

The gifts of the Magi, the angels' Alleluia, the shepherds' witness, and the Christ child in a manger. The gifts of faith, peace, goodwill, forgiveness, and salvation for all mankind until the end of time.

These Christmas gifts don't go away to reappear one time a year.

So yes, we clear away the trimmings of Christmas--the things that made the season sparkly, cozy, and exciting! We store away the ribbons and tags, packages, boxes, and bows.

But we're not putting away Christmas.

Not at all.

It's here just the same.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 11, What to Give Adult Sons For Christmas

I can look at a string of Christmas pasts and see a definite pattern in gifts as our sons grew older:

toddler: matchbox cars, Thomas trains, Duplo

primary school: Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Lego

elementary school: Lego, board games, scooters

middle school: Lego, strategy board games, Wii games, sports equipment

high school: phone, high end sneakers, gift cards, video games

college: money, college game gear, electronics

But now that our two eldest are adults--one living on his own in Little Rock and one who has a job already lined up in Atlanta after he finishes grad school this spring--the gift ideas have changed. Of course, they still like Lego and electronics, strategy board games are always a hit, and they will take a gift card any day, but they also have needs--for their apartment (kitchen appliances, furniture) their car (air compressor for tires, a car emergency kit, jumper cables), or their new job (business suits, dress shoes). 

But while all those things are practical, I still like to think of one special gift to add. 

This year, it was a Fontanini nativity set (a stable and the Holy Family) for Nicholas. I also gave him, carefully packaged in a beautifully decorated box,  all his childhood tree ornaments from Nonna and Nonnno--brass ornaments engraved with his name and the year. One ornament for every year until he turned 18 years of age. (Next Christmas, when Jonathan has his own apartment, he will get the same.)

When Nicholas drove home Christmas day due to work, the first thing he did when he arrived back to his apartment in Little Rock was to set up his nativity and hang the ornaments on his tree. 

And hopefully these things will always be a little reminder of family and faith.

A little reminder of home.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 7, New Year's Eve with the Celtics!

Whoa. This year we actually have plans for New Year's Eve! With the exception of two years ago when we celebrated New Year's Eve while cruising to Cozumel, Mexico, most years we are home with pizza, a movie, and the obligatory bubbly for midnight celebrations. But THIS year we are headed to Charlotte for a Celtics-Hornets basketball game.

Jonathan is a HUGE Celtics fan, and since Joe was able to get four tickets (more on this later) we decided to attend the game and then, on the way home, spend a couple of hours at Carowinds' WinterFest celebration.

Now, about those tickets. There is something funny about the seat assignments, and SOME of us will need binoculars, but that's okay. Timothy and I are going to have a BLAST. You know ... spying on Jonathan and Joe, eating all the popcorn we want, catching t-shirts, and sending annoying texts to TWO SOMEBODIES sitting court-side.

Happy New Year and ... go green!

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 6, A Year in Review

I love this time of year, this in-between period of reflection and hope, of seeing where you've been and where you want to go, of looking back at footsteps in the sands of time and stepping forward to create new ones. And as I straddle the Old Year and the New, I begin here, in reflection ...

1- Most Popular Posts 

(things I've written which have resonated)

Smiling Eyes

(this continues to be my top post for 2019 which brings multiple visitors to my blog every day) 

The Garden of Answered Prayer

(understanding prayer)

The Story Behind a Book

(the story on why I wrote my book)

The Bumbling Christian

(resulted in some very sweet emails)

On a Wing and a Prayer

(parenthood and letting go)

A Perspective on Gratitude

(seeing things differently from above)

2- Posts which Created a Buzz 

Without a doubt, my Girls' Trip to Italy Recaps created the most buzz. Because of them I received emails, private messages, phone calls, and texts wanting to know two things: 1/ when is the next trip and 2/ can I put their name on a list.

Girls' Trip to Italy, Days 1-3

Girls' Trip to Italy, Days 4-5

Girls' Trip to Italy, Days 6-8

Girls' Trip to Italy, Days 9-10

 Girls' Trip to Italy, Days 11-12

3- Top Photos of 2019 

(no fancy equipment, just the camera on my iPhone 8 plus)

(and it's impossible to take a bad photo in Italy ... I'm just saying)

(Isola San Giulio, Italy) 

Isola San Giulio, Italy

Venezia

4- Top Trips

(this isn't a fair category since my two week trip to Italy was the highlight of the year, 

but I love to travel ANYWHERE so, technically, they are ALL my favorite) 

ITALY - New Orleans - Hilton Head - 

Arkansas - Jekyll Island - Virginia Beach 

biking the Virginia Creeper Trail   

White Water Rafting on the Chattooga River 

5- The Best Worst Poems 

(from the files of very bad poetry by bia)

words

something said

thoughts

raindrops of many

moody blues

leaving

by any other name

 6- Events that Inspired Personal Growth

(and pushed me outside my comfort zone)

 An Ocean, an Airplane, and Two Countries Full of Kisses

(writing my book)

Deep Breaths

(the learning curve on book talks and speaking engagements)

My Session with a Personal Style Coach

(identifying my style, updating my wardrobe, branching out)

My Interview with mi.o (my modern italian network)

(on being interviewed)

In Awe

(on the responsibility of getting 31 people to Italy, and back home again)

2019 Girls' Trip to Italy

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 5, Destination Ornaments

Welcome to my newly updated blog. I've rearranged, updated, changed out photos, and generally cleaned things up a bit. I've included links to published articles, my book, and my web site. Let me know what you think!

And since we're still celebrating the twelve days of Christmas, here is something I love: destination ornaments!

clockwise from top right: 

New Orleans, Va. Creeper Trail, San Juan, Rock City, Puerto Rico, 

Santa Fe, Mexico, Las Vegas, Russia, Italy, Iceland, Sedona, Mount Vernon

Twelve Days of Christmas: Day 4, A Memory of Christmas Past

One dark and cold evening just before Christmas, we were sitting around our backyard fire pit. I was wrapped in a blanket, Nicholas and Jonathan were lounging in the Adirondack chairs, Joe kept feeding the fire, and Timothy went back and forth between sitting and kicking the soccer ball against the fence.

There is something about sitting around a fire that encourages us to be in the moment; to simply watch the flames crackling and spitting; to sit in quiet contemplation or to share a story.

That evening around the fire pit, we remembered how Once Upon a Time Nicholas claimed, with wide eyes and breathless excitement on Christmas morning, that he had seen a red glow outside his bedroom window which he was certain must have been Rudolph.

It wasn't until several years later he learned that the red glow had been the car brake lights of the guy delivering our morning paper.

It was a good memory to bring forth while sitting around the fire a few days before Christmas.

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, 

and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, 

become a child again at Christmastime.

~Laura Ingalls Wilder 

Taking the inside ... outside

Like many of you, I am already thinking ahead to the holiday season. There is so much to do! Lately I've read countless articles on how to not only celebrate the holidays, but how to deal with the stress. To be sure, we all have ways to deal with holiday stress and busyness -- planning, shopping early, making lists (lots of lists!) -- but over the years I've come to realize that for my family there are two areas which make all the difference in helping us celebrate the holidays with purpose and mindfulness: keeping things simple and dining al fresco.

Simplicity is a topic all on its own, and it's one in which I am most passionate about. I am all about the simple life and striving for simplicity of mind, hearth and home. But in order to do this topic justice I will address in a future post. Stay tuned.

Today, however, I want to share how dining al fresco can offer a respite from the hectic pace set by the holiday season.

Let me set the stage: as I'm typing this, I'm sitting on our back deck under a rain of falling leaves. Colors of red, orange, yellow, and brown spiral downward to land ever so softly on the grass, the brick patio, my head. I hear them land, I hear them crunch as the squirrels scamper about. I have a steaming mug of tea and a yogurt next to me, and every few sentences I pause, take a sip of tea, and look at the raining leaves.

Of course, I could write this post and sip my tea while sitting at my kitchen table, but then I would get up to throw another load in the washing machine, look at my calendar, and put the breakfast dishes away. I wouldn't be as wholly present as I am now, out here on the deck.

I've said it before, and I've even given a talk on this, but there is something magical about taking a meal outside. Whether you're sitting on the back deck, at an outdoor café or under a park gazebo, dining al fresco is a gift of allowing ourselves to be removed from time; it allows us to savor our food instead of gulping it down, it encourages us to converse instead of talk, and most importantly, it reminds us to linger instead of rushing off to the next activity.

And for me, nothing is better for relieving stress during a busy holiday season than dining al fresco where, somehow, you discover time you didn't think you had.

I've seen the magic time and again, how something ordinary like a bowl of chili, a dish of lasagna, or a simple glass of wine is elevated into something extraordinary just by taking it outside. It's magical, this gentle reminder to sit.

To bide a while.

So now, my tea is finished, this post is published, and I will go rake because while falling leaves are pretty in the back yard, they are quite messy in the front. I'll be back tomorrow for tips and tricks on how to take your Thanksgiving table outside. In the meantime, take that cup of coffee and go sit on the front porch. ;-)

Preparing to dine al fresco for our Girls' Trip to Italy one year reunion.

We lingered over the table for more than three hours.

Dining al fresco with the Bunco gals.

Enjoying a glass of wine outside. Breckenridge, Co.

Why eat inside when there is all that magic outside?
Rome, Girls' Trip to Italy, June 2015

When the mice are away the Christmas penguins come out to play

Most of you know that I am not a fan of Christmas yard inflatables.

Sure they look festive at night, but during the day it's like a crime scene: there are poor snowman/Santa/reindeer carcasses sprawled everywhere.

But then there is my brother-in-law who is the OPPOSITE of me in that he thinks inflatables are the BEST. In fact, he believes you can't have too many and they can't be too big. A couple of Christmases ago, while I was preparing Christmas lunch, he gathered all the kids to help him set up an inflatable IN OUR FRONT YARD. I was tricked into coming to the front door and there they were ... two Christmas penguins on a sled.

After the laughter died down I had to admit they were cute. For several years they were dutifully displayed on our back deck (better viewing from our family room), but for the past two holiday seasons they've remained in their box in the attic because I've been rotating our Christmas decorations and their rotation just hasn't come up yet (really Patrick, I promise!).

Then, this past Saturday night Joe and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. We left Jonathan and Timothy home alone which, under normal circumstances, wouldn't be a problem. But evidently they had PLANS because the minute we left the house they went scrounging through the attic. Later, when Joe and I returned home, what to our wondering eyes should appear but ... 

TWO CHRISTMAS PENGUINS ON OUR FRONT PORCH. The yard spotlight was centered on them and they looked ready to sled down the porch steps. 

Again, though, those darn penguins are pretty cute.

And I guess I'm stuck with them.

Bought it, I did

In Publix I was, when a Yoda I spied. 

Called my name, he did, so I resisted not. How could I, hmm?  (Also a Darth Vader, there was. But him I wanted not.)

It was the two feet tall Christmas Yoda I needed, so bought him I did. 

Brown paper packages tied up with strings (and gift tags, of course!)

Here's to re-purposing old Christmas cards
into beautiful gift tags.

Looking for Christmas when it hasn't gone anywhere

*this is a post from two years ago, but it prompted so much conversation that I'm sharing it again ...


Apparently, Christmas is on its way out.

Apparently, everyone is celebrating it wrong. People are celebrating too early, or not at all, or not long enough. People aren’t giving enough, or if they’re giving it’s not for the right reasons. Society has replaced O Come All Ye Faithful with Jingle Bells, Merry Christmas has now become Happy Holidays, and the holiday cup from Starbucks isn't Christmassy enough.

Do you hear what I hear?

The bah-humbugs and grumblings remind me of the Grinch who stands on a mountaintop overlooking Whoville and laments, “All the noise, noise, NOISE!”

It’s a noise accompanied with a lot of finger pointing on how Christmas is or isn’t being celebrated.

During this time of year we are especially mindful of Christ’s entrance into the world. Rather than sending an army and forcing change, God sent an infant who was innocent and non-threatening, welcoming and not judging. People came to see the infant who simply was. Later, when Christ began his ministry, again people came; they didn’t come to be accused, but to be enlightened. The rod of discipline of the Old Testament became the Good Shepherd’s staff of the New Testament, a staff which is not used as a means of discipline, but as a way to corral and guide.

And as Disciples of Christ, we are also called to go out into the world to witness – not to accuse or judge – but to be the shining star that casts light into shadows.

So instead of fretting on how Christmas is or isn’t being celebrated, consider the following:

1. Jesus said he was the light of the world, but he also said we are the light of the world. Be the Christmas light that points people to Christ. Amazingly, a lot of the time you won’t even have to say anything.
2. Instead of getting annoyed with those “season’s greetings” or “happy holidays”, remember that the season refers to that broad expanse of time in which there are multiple holidays (holy days) which are being celebrated,  including Christmas, Hanukah, and even Kwanza. Don’t think of those “season’s greetings” as an insult; rather, see it as an acknowledgement that some of our neighbors (even our brothers and sisters) may be living and practicing a faith which is different from our own.
3. Don’t be offended by that X in Christmas. The “X” is actually indicating the Greek letter “Chi”, which is short for the Greek word meaning “Christ”. So “Xmas” and “Christmas” are equivalent in every way except their lettering. Most people who use Xmas don’t have evil intentions; even so, for that person who maliciously tries to “take Christ out of Christmas” the joke is on him because in the very act of replacing Christ with an X, he’s actually putting Him in!
4. Embrace all that holiday music – it’s refreshing to shop at the mall when, for this one time of year, Jingle Bell Rock is playing instead of Beyoncé or Miley Cyrus. 
5. The best way to “keep Christ in Christmas” is to model Christ-like behavior. A mean word or a judgmental look does harm to the very faith we are trying to share. As Francis de Sales clearly stated: “You can save more souls with a teaspoon of honey than a barrel of vinegar.”
6. It may seem as if the secularization of Christmas has deprived it of all meaning; however, Christmas is the one time of year when many – even non-believers! – feel a stirring of the spirit. If we are truly Disciples of Christ, we should celebrate any aspect of the season that nudges them toward the holy. For some it might start with a trip to the mall or watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel, but who knows? One day it might lead them to the doors of a church.

So, instead of fretting how Christmas is or isn’t being celebrated, Be the Shining Star! And maybe we’ll discover how we are all more alike than we are different; maybe we'll begin to realize that all that noise – the complaints about Santa, the Christmas wrappings, tags, and bows, and even the Starbucks holiday cups – despite all those things, Christmas isn’t going anywhere. It’s here to stay.

After all, in the end how did the Grinch steal Christmas?

He didn’t. He couldn’t.

It came just the same.

How Popeye-with-the-Harley-tattoo helped deliver an early Christmas present

Once upon a time (a few days before Thanksgiving) Joe and Maria had the brilliant idea to get Timothy his very own workbench for Christmas. So they took advantage of a Black Friday deal at Lowe's and snuck out to purchase it; in fact, the deal was so fantastic that they decided to use part of the savings and have it assembled simply for the wow factor on Christmas morning.


That was the last time anything went according to plan.


On Monday Maria went to the service department to pick it up and a few minutes later a Lowe's employee wheeled out a HUGE, fully assembled workbench on a trolley. Now before you ask if Maria had looked at the measurements before ordering, please know that, yes, she had looked at the measurements beforehand. But you know Maria and math; numbers don't translate into the real world for her which is precisely why she married an engineer. She leaves all the math stuff up to Joe.


"Gosh, will that even fit in my van?" Maria asked the Lowe's employee.


He was willing to try so they walked outside, opened the back of the van, and contemplated the space. It was obvious that ALL the seats would have to be folded down. No problem! Maria knew how to do this! She folded one, two, three seats, but couldn't get the last one down even after she crawled in the back of the van to get better leverage. After a few minutes of huffing and puffing she crawled back out to let the Lowe's employee give it a try. He huffed and puffed and couldn't do it either.


They stood in the parking lot wondering what to do when suddenly a behemoth of a man walked out of the store. He was Popeye with a beard, Harley tattoo, and leather boots. His biceps were the size of Sequoia trees (and he didn't get that way from eating spinach). Maria and the Lowe's employee looked at each other and then he timidly bravely asked Popeye-with-the-Harley-tattoo for help.


Popeye-with-the-Harley-tattoo (who seemed even bigger up close) looked at the seat, looked at the strap, and with one finger ... JUST ONE! ... pulled up on the strap and the seat folded down. Just. Like. That.


Later that night when Timothy was in the shower, Joe and Maria went into the garage with the intention of taking the workbench out of the van and carrying it upstairs to the attic until Christmas morning.


Except, when they pulled it out of the van they realized (again) how big and cumbersome it was. And then they thought about having to carry it up the front porch steps, through the front door, up the steep steps to the second floor, and then up another flight of steps to the third floor attic. Joe couldn't do it alone and Maria ... well, by then she was kind of tired of that workbench.


Where was her Popeye-with-the-Harley-tattoo when she needed him?


In the end, here's what they did: Timothy finished his shower, came downstairs, and on a Tuesday night the last week in November and exactly five weeks ahead of schedule, Joe and Maria took him to the garage and yelled, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"


The End.

Christmas Quick Takes: The un-Gift, My Favorite Gift, The Best-Priced Boots, and What I Didn't Do

The Gift I Didn't Give

I ordered a Dean Martin Italian Love Songs cd from Amazon with the intention of giving it as a gift. But when it arrived, all the songs -- That's Amore, Volare, On an Evening in Roma, (Ma Come Bali) Bella Bimba, Mambo Italiano -- made me smile! So, yeah, Merry Christmas to me.

The gift I kept

The Boots with the Surprise Price

Spotted, one pair of cognac boots. They were originally priced well over $100, but they were on sale and I just couldn't walk away. Except ... oh, except when the Macy's salesperson rang them up, he told me the price was $22. After Christmas Sale + Macy's One Day Sale + Door Buster Sale = Ridiculously Happy Me. (The truly amazing thing ... I was at the mall by accident and I didn't even know there was a sale. So you see,  it was destiny.)

These boots are made for walking

Game Night

Over the holidays, the two older boys played a lot of board games. A lot. Most were strategy games, but their favorite was this vintage football game from Joe's childhood.

Even the dice are vintage 70's

Game Night with Mom

Occasionally (okay, once) they let me play with them. Settlers of Catan. Evidently I am a bad settler and would have never survived the first winter. But I can't help it that someone had a monopoly on wheat and the other someone wouldn't give me any bricks to build a furnace. And who needs roads, anyway?

The older boys, playing a game. 
I loved hearing them laugh, talk, and tease each other.

What I Didn't Do

I didn't go to the TaxSlayer Bowl to watch Penn State vs. UGA. Shocking, I know. But we only had four tickets, and Timothy has never been to a bowl game, and so I let all the boys go to Florida for a boys' football weekend. Besides, I needed a break. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having everyone home. I LOVE cooking and making things homey. But let's face it, while everyone has a Christmas vacation (the boys were off school, Joe took off work) I still did the same stuff I always do ... except more of it. Let me just say I had a glorious 36 hours at home. By myself. And I got some new boots.

My Favorite After Christmas Gift

This year I hosted Christmas Bunco, and one of my Bunco friends made these 12 Days of Christmas Calendars for all of us (12 boxes each -- there are 12 of us -- so you can see how this was a labor of love). Similar to the concept of an Advent Calendar, there was a box for each of the twelve days of Christmas beginning December 25. Inside each box was a laminated verse from the song "Twelve Days of Christmas", the Catholic meaning behind the verse, some chocolates, and a daily activity/kind deed.


It was such a lovely, thoughtful gift, and every morning I looked forward to opening a box.

I placed the 12 Days of Christmas boxes under my alpine trees

A Catholic explanation of the song, "Twelve Days of Christmas"

A verse, a good deed, and some chocolate

After opening a box, I moved it from under the alpine tree and placed it
near our manger scene in the kitchen.

What We Celebrated

EVERYTHING: Christmas Bunco (I hosted), Our 25th wedding anniversary, Christmas with my family (we hosted), Joe's birthday, Christmas Eve, Christmas (lunch here with my parents), New Year's Eve, and Nicholas' birthday (his 21st).

What we made yesterday ...

Tortellini.


Over 600 of them.


And it was a family affair.


When the older boys arrived home from college on Friday, we made the announcement.


Us: "Tomorrow we're having lunch at Nonna and Nonno's house. Nonna is making homemade minestrone and bread."


The boys: "Yeah!"  "Sounds great!"


(They really, really like Nonna's minestrone.)


Us: "Then, as soon as we're done eating we're going to make tortellini!"


The boys: Silence.


(I'm positive they would have preferred to do ... anything else.)


But they were good sports because on Saturday, after enjoying Nonna's delicious homemade minestrone and bread, we got to work.


And three and a half hours later, we had a little over 600 tortellini lined up on the counter.

Nonno: official tortellini dough roller

How old is this pasta machine?
Next April my parents will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.
This pasta machine was a wedding gift.

Home from college and put to work.
(But they were good sports.)

Joe, Nicholas, Jonathan: official rollers of tortellini filling

Bia & Nonna: official folders of tortellini
(the two of us folded all 600+ tortellini)



Giving Nonno a break at the pasta machine.

Timothy: official tortellini transporter (from kitchen table to counter),
and official tortellini counter

Tortellini lined up on the kitchen counter.

A family Christmas tradition.

Welcome Home

This time of year, perhaps more than any other, I strive to create a home that reflects peace, well-being, and comfort. After the bounty of Thanksgiving and with the arrival of Advent – both of which herald shorter days and longer nights – I just want to hole up, batten down the hatches, and retreat into a space that is warm, cozy, loving, and yes, spiritual. I want our home to offer a respite from the hectic pace that the world tries to set during this time of year.

When my boys come home from college or when my husband comes home from work at the end of the day, I want them to walk in the door and experience that sense of "coming home".  So, I fluff pillows and turn on lamps. I pick up clutter, put away the laundry basket, and turn on some music. I set the table and have dinner ready. I don’t do any of these things because they are expected; rather, I do them because it’s something I can give.


In the grand scheme of things it may seem insignificant – a flickering candle, a fuzzy blanket, a basket of books – but sometimes little things have the greatest impact when it comes to nourishing us physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Of course, I realize that I am able to do all this because, as a writer, I work from home. But I used to work outside the home, and even now there are times when I am gone all day, but since this is something I really, really want to be able to do, I find a way despite the fact that it's not always easy.

One of the nicest compliments I ever received was when someone told me that coming into our home was like getting a giant hug. And that’s all I want. To lovingly welcome my husband, my sons, friends and family; to give them what I can to help make this brief stop in their otherwise hectic day be a moment of peace.  

To be able to say, “Welcome home.”

 

Sharing Ideas: How to Create a Welcoming Home during Advent and Christmas

Physically: things that appeal to the senses

Smell:  There is nothing like walking into a home with the aroma of cookies baking in the oven, bread rising on the counter, or soup bubbling on the stove. Burn an apple/cinnamon candle in the family room, place sweet smelling soaps in the bathrooms, light a fire in the fireplace.
Taste:  Nourishment for the body means a home-cooked meal after a long commute, muffins on a rainy afternoon, or hot chocolate by a roaring fire; it means eating out less, and eating in more; it means having those Christmas cookies, but also serving a hearty stew.
Touch: Bring out the pillows, throws, and afghans … nothing fancy, because you want them to be used; make the beds with freshly laundered sheets for the college student (after sleeping in sheets that haven't been changed since forever, they REALLY appreciate this) and hang fluffy towels in the bathroom.
sight: As soon as the sun goes down, be the lamplighter. But don’t turn on overhead lights; rather, turn on a corner lamp in every room. Have dinner by candlelight (this time of year candlelight isn’t an occasion in our home, but a nightly event); make sure the porch light is on and the porch/walkway is swept and welcoming.
sound: Replace the background noise of the television with soothing music (hymns, classical music, spiritual Christmas carols).

Mentally: things that quiet us

-Encourage those pockets of quiet time to read, play a board game, or watch a movie together.
-Be organized in an effort to counterbalance life's hectic pace.
-Regularly pick up clutter (a restful environment goes a long way in resting the mind).

-Take it outside. Set up the telescope in the back yard and look at the moon. Sit around the fire pit and tell ghost stories. Go for a midnight walk.

-Keep things simple. Host one party instead of two; bake two batches of cookies instead of three; serve soup and sandwiches instead of ordering takeout.

Spiritually: things that give meaning

-Extend grace with additional prayers.

-Practice faith traditions with the Advent wreath, the Joshua Tree, or a Christmas Nativity.
-Each night, pass around any Christmas card that arrived that day and pray for that person.
-Pray the rosary by the light of the Christmas tree.

-Attend an Advent penance service. Go out for ice-cream afterwards.

Christmas Secrets

This afternoon I dropped off our little guy at a friend's house for a sleepover, and as I was talking to the mom she asked me if I had lost weight. When I hesitated, she wanted to know how much and how I did it.

I quickly made a mental list:

1. I was one of 18 people who accomplished the monumental feat of eating 500+ tortellini in two days.
2. I ate tiramisu ... three times.
3. Santa brought the boys Kinder chocolate. I love Kinder chocolate, and all three boys were feeling the Christmas spirit and shared their loot with me.
4. And just this morning ... I had a cappuccino with 1% milk instead of skim.

So, how to answer her question? In the end, I simply smiled.

After all, who am I to ruin a good thing?

Christmas 2013*

‘Tis one day before Christmas, and all through our house,

We’re ready for Christmas, of that there is no doubt.

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care,

All that’s left are the homemade tortellini to prepare.

At Clemson University Nicholas is filling his head,

But likes to come home and be properly fed.

Classes with numbers, equations and math …

He’s following Joe’s footsteps down the engineering path.

A junior in high school Jonathan’s not shirking

And this past summer, he also started working.

Great student, hard worker, a high basketball scorer,

“Welcome to Arby’s can I take your order?”

Timothy is Timothy, and to our dismay …

The baby of the family, the things he does say!

 “I’ll go to confession exactly on Christmas Eve,

Which should cover me with Santa, I do believe.”

Joe has been traveling … 18 trips this year!

Airports and Marriotts welcome him with cheer.

But lest you think that it’s all about work,

On a golf course his energy he still exerts.

 

As usual Maria has been busy writing,

Published articles, stories – it’s been so exciting!

But sometimes she comes up with a questionable idea …

This poem, filed as “Very Bad Poetry by Bia”.

 

All kidding aside, we’re ever mindful of the reason,

We gather and celebrate during this Christmas season.

Remember to keep your many blessings in sight,

Merry Christmas to you, and to all a goodnight!

 

And yes, Virginia, it does occasionally snow in Georgia.
December 2008

*from the files of very bad poetry by Bia

Kaopectate for Santa?

I'm in the middle of an article, and Timothy wants to discuss what snack we should leave for Santa. Every year he is worried that Santa is tired of cookies, so he likes to come up with something different.

"What should I leave Santa this year?" he asks. "I know, how about a bowl of cereal!"

"Well," I say. "The only problem is that we don't know exactly when Santa will come, and the cereal might get soggy."

Timothy nods in agreement.

"I know!" Timothy says. "How about a grapefruit? He might like that!"

"That's a good idea," I agree. "A nice, healthy option. Mrs. Claus would approve."

"Actually, maybe that wouldn't work," Timothy says. "It might give him diarrhea, and that wouldn't be good at all."

The first fire of the season

The first fire of the season is always detrimental to our health because the first fire of the season means opening the chimney flue and having a wasp nest fall KERPLOP! right into our roaring fire.

Some of the wasps kindly expire on the spot, but some heartier ones survive to fly around in a smoky stupor.

After several years of this we all know the routine: the first fire of the season means that when the fire starter (Joe) reaches for the chimney flue handle, the rest of us vacate until it's safe to return.

So, as I am typing this I hear the fire roaring in the family room. I also hear a lot of THWAKS! as Joe does battle with yet another flying intruder. This year the battle seems particularly fierce.

And as long as those THWAKS! continue, you know where NOT to find me.

 

Contingency Plans

Timothy: If I go to confession on Christmas Eve, will that clear me with Santa, too?

And I'm not sure what to think of this question. Is he ...

a. Planning to misbehave?
b. Clever?
c. Confused?

And then there's this ... why wait until Christmas Eve to confess? Is he worried about confessing too early and then having to account for his behavior during the period up until Christmas Eve? And why is he thinking about this now, in November?

Questions, questions ...