How are you all coping with this season and all the shopping, gatherings and to-dos? I love Christmas, but to be honest each day feels like I’m running a mad race to get everything checked off my list so I can finally enjoy. I do this every year and I realize I often don’t savor the little things of the season rushing about like that.
The other night I had a few hours with the men gone at the Star Wars movie. My mind was telling me all the things I should use the evening to catch up on -wrapping or writing Christmas Cards. That is my usual mode, trying to hack away at things here and there, not so successfully. Then I thought no way, I’m going to put on my pjs and watch a Christmas movie. Somehow I ended up watching Valley Girl, which I caught on some odd channel and is not a holiday film at all. That film held up! It was pretty enjoyable, especially with the young Nicholas Cage and the great music from 1983. I digress, but it was one of those moments this season I have really appreciated by the fire, a great old movie that had me reminiscing. It was pure enjoyment even though I ‘should’ have been doing otherwise. In a season of so many shoulds what we really should do is take more time such little joys.
Other things that I have been meaningful-
- Playing all our old holiday CDs from Frank Sinatra to Peanuts and The Carpenters, while writing out cards with a cup of Christmas tea.
- Making little bags of cookies with homemade tags for the neighbors.
- Creating a tree on the wall with all the Christmas cards we are getting and washi tape.
- Driving with my kids to look at the holiday lights in town.
- Coffee with friends.
- Looking through my mom’s Betty Crocker Cooky Book from 1963 with all her precious handwritten notes.
- Chatting with my grandma about Christmas’s past and all her tree ornaments I still remember from childhood!
- Reading a very long handwritten Christmas letter from my 93 year old great Aunt Pat from Iowa and sending a reply.
- Festooning a $6 Noble Fir wreath from Trader Joes with succulents and found yard bits to make it a little different and funky.
I know I’m still behind on cards, shopping and wrapping, but as my mom used to tell me -it will all get done. Anyhow, this mad rush to get things done earlier and earlier is crazy. People used to decorate their trees and shop on Christmas Eve, not so long ago! Now it’s become an all-encompassing months long lead-up.
I hope you are finding a few moments of joy and peace too. I’d love to hear what small things have made this season special for you too.
Next up I’m going to share some California Christmas ideas and a new cookie recipe I tweaked that I am loving this season.
Enjoy all the little bits of the season.
Kim
I never finish everything until the last minute – which feels right to me usually because it’s not really Christmas until my family gathers, and they don’t gather on, say, December 16th;). I love your wreath – the cowbell reminds me of your travels.
Lisa that makes me feel better to hear you finish then too! Yes what is the rush? I guess we should enjoy the journey to the 25th. Thanks I brought that cowbell back from Murren in Switzerland! Hope you have a lovely holiday!
With so much confusion and upheaval around me…I am determined to have a pj, fire and peace inside celebration…If the externals are left undone, I feel allegiance to making the turmoil stop for me……
Hope you have an equally peaceful celebration…Thank you for a lovely blog and many happy times sharing your writing…Deede
Deede, Good for you and glad you are finding some peace and a cozy space! Thank you Deede for your notes and comments. I cannot tell you how much they mean. It has been great hearing what you are doing too. Wishing you a lovely holiday!! Kim
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Wheeler Family! The season is always so hectic, even for those of us that don’t have children, and I thank you for the reminder about the enjoyment of the little things. There is a lot going on around me and not all of it positive unfortunately and I am ready for 2017 to be done and am looking forward to a better 2018. We have to take pleasure and laughter out of what we can sometimes. This year for me was when I purchased my tree, which was wrapped in netting, and put it into a bucket of water for a couple of weeks because I was too busy to decorate. When I took it out of the netting, I realized that the workers loaded up the wrong tree lol. I usually get a very small tree so that I can put it on a table as I have a small place, and I ended up with a 7″ tree. Someone else got my small, very fat tree with a load of personality. It was a big surprise! I can’t believe I didn’t realize it when I took it out of the truck. I also like to write Christmas cards but it seems that most people don’t do it anymore which is sad to me. I love sending them and receiving them and I love seeing the photos, reading their letters and all of the sparkle and colors on the cards. I hope that you enjoy the rest of the Season Kim!