Winter

Ah winter! The first snow is always the most welcome and the prettiest, don't you think? After Christmas with our children and family, we came back to five inches, accumulated while we were gone. Lovely! It made me think of two poems; one written by a friend of mine, Sara Bush, now deceased and one by me which speaks to going forward into the new year, always with hope, but also with some amount of uncertainty. My poem is called Footprints in the Snow

How peaceful to walk in the crusty snow
Deep in the woods at night
'White on white
My footprints go, making a path
To show where I have been

Suddenly
The moon peeks out
Between still, sleeping trees
And finds a spot
To shine its muted light
And to illuminate my uncertain steps

Everything is silent and quiet
No noise
Except for the lone owl
Hooting and hooting above me
To break the silence
And to let me know that I am not alone

My steps are fresh and tentative
In this woods so new to me
So much before me is unknown
My only measure
The footprints behind
To show where I have been.


The poem by my friend, Sara Bush is called Winter Garden

"Yes, we can have roses in December,"
someone has said (I can't remember who),
"Because God gave us memories,"
And it is true.
Kaleidoscopic pictures turn:
Behind closed eyelids, sunsets burn
of many summers gone
And tawny woods of autumns sped
still swirl the leaves inside my head,
Still make my eyes and nostrils sting
with perfume of burnt offerings.
The vernal fires of greening trees
ingnite the songs of chickadees,
And, lo! The robins and the cardinals come!
No longer, nature stricken dumb
in crystal caves of ice and snow
Indeed, the winter roses grow
In hearts like mine that are contrary
the monarchs fly in January!
And all bright loves and friendships shine
That once were ever yours and mine.

Wishing all my readers peace, illumination, quiet, companionship, adventure, footprints, and good memories to sustain you in 2010.

Read my first entry below "My love of reading etc." which goes with this picture. I seem not to be able at times to get it all connected. Darn!

My love of reading has always included young people's stories and for years I have been building a collection of children's literature and picture books. I have always loved how beautifully some of these books are illustrated, and this enters into the decision to purchase a book or not. Along with these treasures, I have a separate Christmas collection of children's books which I love, and enjoy reading over and over at the holiday season. I have three favorites. One is The Gift of the Magi by O'Henry which is one of the nicest love stories of all time, where a poor, newly married couple sell what is most precious to them to buy a Christmas present for the other. Another favorite I read each year is: Is There A Santa Claus; the answer to eight year old Virginia who writes a letter to the New York Sun newspaper asking them to tell her if there really is a Santa Claus after her Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Part of the answer The Sun gives is:
"Did you ever see Fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world." (Some people call this faith.)
My favorite Christmas book, however, is the one that my youngest daughter cherished the most growing up, and continues to read every Christmas. It is simply called The Christmas Story by Jay Frankston and is the story of a Jewish family who goes to the Post Office each Christmas; picks out the most "needy" wishes from letters to Santa; buys presents for these families, and then, on Christmas day; Dad dressed as Santa, delivers gifts to them with a joyful Ho-Ho-Ho. This was their answer to being part of the very Christian celebration all around them. I have always been glad that this particular story struck such a profound cord with my daughter. Early on, she appreciated that Christmas is about the joy of giving as much as receiving. Tis the season of giving and sharing with family, friends and yes, even strangers. God bless us all.

Christmas decorations are slowly getting put up this year after my husband and I have finally gotten over our nasty colds, or whatever seems to be going around the country these days. This is our little tree that sits in the corner of our dining room and cheers us up with its lovely white lights. The other picture (go to last entry, 2009 (64) to view) is an azalea plant I have been "nurturing" for several months, and I cannot believe how tall it has gotten. It is beginning to bloom, just in time for the Christmas season. I have been pouring over my Christmas cards, many that I made this year, and some that I have recycled. I cannot believe how much it is to send a card these days; 44 cents, but I cannot give up the tradition of connecting with the people who mean so much to me all year round, many who do not live near me, so yes, I will spend the 44 cents to let them know how much I love them, and how much they mean to my husband and myself. Cards, notes, and letter-writing is such a lost art, but it continues to be very meaningful to me, so I will resist as long as I can, just sending a one-liner via the Internet for special occasions. These have no meaning to me, as my guess is that they were giving about 30 seconds thought, and then on to the next busy activity. No wonder we live in a society of isolation. And, on this note, last Christmas I received in one of our Christmas cards, this lovely sentiment which I added to my card this year, and I think it demonstrates what I am trying to say here. As I wrote each card this year, I spent time thinking about that person, and what they mean to me. Here is the poem that is going into my cards this year.

We have a list of friends we know, all written in a file
We take it out at Christmas time and study it awhile
And this is when we realize those name are all a part
Not of the list they're written on, but names within our heart.

For each name stands for a place that we have been
And the joy of friendship is one we want to touch again
And it may appear fantastic for us to make this claim
But we really feel we are composed of each remembered name

You may not even be aware of any special link
But knowing you has shaped our lives much more than you can think
For once we came to love you, the years could not erase
The memory of our friendship that still is in its place

So never think our Christmas cards are just a mere routine
Of names upon a Christmas list....forgotten in between
For when we send a Christmas card that is addressed to you
It means you are upon the list of friends we're indebted to...

In part we are a total of the many friends we've met
And you are truly one of those we never will forget
If we've been friends forever, or just a day or two
In some way wonderful, you've been a part of shaping what we do.

Every year when Christmas comes, we realize anew
The biggest gift that life can give is having friends like you
We wish the Christmas spirit to be your forevermore
And the bells of Christmas morning bless you with a mighty roar.

GO TO 2009 (64) MOST RECENT ENTRY TO VIEW AZALEA PLANT

Well another Thanksgiving is behind us, and I for one, am thankful for that even though we had a wonderful time with our family. But now, I hope not to have to eat turkey (never a favorite) again for another year. And now, on to the Christmas season, if not yet begun in your house, certainly has begun in all the stores around the country. And this year is especially compelling; to get out there and get those bargains! This year, if you are paying full price for ANYTHING, it is too much. Sad for the economy, but equally sad for the true meaning of Christmas which I guess has been lost for some time now to the Almighty dollar. There are "pockets" of "holdouts" but this seems to be rare in this ever consumer driven culture we live in. Ah, bah humbug, I say as I sit wondering if I can muster the energy one more year to get out there and be a shopper. Last year, I made a list for myself to help me keep sane as I went from place to place looking for that perfect gift. It helped me to keep some of these things in mind.

1. Stay calm; don't run anyone over either on the road or in the stores.
2. Stay out of malls; they are hazardous to your health, and your wallet.
3. If you hear the same Christmas song on the radio or in a store that you have already heard, change the station or leave the store. On the other hand, if you find yourself singing along, knowing all the words, enjoy the moment.
4. Remember to have some fun, and good cheer every day, perhaps in the form of a good glass of wine.
5. Light candles somewhere in the house every day to remind yourself of the true meaning of Christmas...(the light of the world and all that.)
6. Don't feel guilty without a fresh cut tree to decorate. In our house, this caused the greatest amount of anxt with, which tree to choose; getting it into the stand (strait); putting lights on after hours of unraveling them; getting under the tree every few days to water, and finally dragging it out after Christmas leaving a trail of pine needles to clean up. Go for the store bought one that comes with lights already on it.
7. Don't give too much to the "grands," and spoil them; their parents are already doing that.
8. Smile at people as you go about your errands; remember this is a time of "good cheer," and you just might help someone make it one more day.
9. Give away far more than you get by way of helping those who have less than you do. This is the greatest gift to yourself you will ever give.
10. Take time to remember family Christmases gone by, remembering the people who make them so wonderful and who may now be gone.