So, it's November 1st and we set the clocks back in the wee hours Sunday morning, or if you're like us, whenever we go to bed Saturday night. I'm not liking this change at all. Getting dark an hour earlier...ugh! But on the positive side, December 21st is the shortest day of the year and then the days start getting longer, or at least the sun sets a little later each day. Yay!
I have a confession to make. I have not been looking forward to Christmas one little bit. I mean, come on, we still had snow in May, and somehow jumped past Spring straight into the sweltering heat and humidity of Summer. I lived for air-conditioning. I don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods, but here, we still had summer temps. of eighty degrees in October, that was really nice. One week eighty degrees, and then as if someone flipped a switch the temperature plummeted into the forties...completely bypassing the sixties and fifties. Gotta love western NY weather.
So, back to my hum-bug attitude toward Christmas. As I'd scroll through Face-book, I'd stumble across some ultra cheery posts counting down the days till Christmas. While people were commenting their joy and excitement I declared: "Bah-hum-bug. Don't remind me of Christmas." Why my less than cheery attitude, you ask. One word. WORK! Okay, two words. WORK and SNOW! Bah!
I imagined all the running around in messy weather trying to find the perfect gifts and spending way too much money. I imagined hauling our numerous bins of Christmas decorations down from the storeroom, and all the work involved in not just setting them up - that's fun - but taking them down a few weeks later - not fun. I imagined all the stress and hub-bub related to all that has become Christmas.
Not me this year, thank you very much. Just let me sleep through it.
I have a confession to make. I have not been looking forward to Christmas one little bit. I mean, come on, we still had snow in May, and somehow jumped past Spring straight into the sweltering heat and humidity of Summer. I lived for air-conditioning. I don't know what the weather has been like in your neck of the woods, but here, we still had summer temps. of eighty degrees in October, that was really nice. One week eighty degrees, and then as if someone flipped a switch the temperature plummeted into the forties...completely bypassing the sixties and fifties. Gotta love western NY weather.
So, back to my hum-bug attitude toward Christmas. As I'd scroll through Face-book, I'd stumble across some ultra cheery posts counting down the days till Christmas. While people were commenting their joy and excitement I declared: "Bah-hum-bug. Don't remind me of Christmas." Why my less than cheery attitude, you ask. One word. WORK! Okay, two words. WORK and SNOW! Bah!
I imagined all the running around in messy weather trying to find the perfect gifts and spending way too much money. I imagined hauling our numerous bins of Christmas decorations down from the storeroom, and all the work involved in not just setting them up - that's fun - but taking them down a few weeks later - not fun. I imagined all the stress and hub-bub related to all that has become Christmas.
Not me this year, thank you very much. Just let me sleep through it.
But, then something changed. What? you ask. Our monthly praise night at church changed. We normally have the praise night on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. So, November would be music of thanks giving. But, my niece, and partner in all that is fun, had an idea. Let's do the praise night every two weeks, and let's do all Christmas! She named the event: Straight Outta Bethlehem. Cool!
Amy sent me a list of Christmas songs, a list which continues to grow, and I began listening to the songs to plan the music. And something happened as I listened to song after song. My doldrums began to melt away. I found myself smiling as I sang (poorly) along with the videos. Sweet memories began to warm my heart. I began thinking about the first Noel when angels sang. I began journeying with Mary and Joseph to a little town in Bethlehem where Baby Jesus was born away in a manger on a not so silent night.
Thanks to my niece's simple idea to extend Christmas Praise Night into Nights, and the need to listen to music that I normally wait till after Thanksgiving to enjoy, I am rediscovering the joy of Christmas. Let me rephrase that. I am rediscovering the wonder of Christmas.
So, what about the snow and work? Well, I can't do much about the snow, actually I can't do a single thing about the snow. That's still a bah! But, the work? I've decided to make one tiny change. Keep the decorating simple. Just because we have numerous bins of decorations in the storeroom, doesn't mean I have to put out every single piece. Maybe if I don't look in the bins I can do this. Phew! I already feel a weight lifting from my shoulders.
I still don't want to be reminded how many days till Christmas. Time slips by all too quickly without reminders. But, I'm no longer dreading it. Thank you Amy.
Amy sent me a list of Christmas songs, a list which continues to grow, and I began listening to the songs to plan the music. And something happened as I listened to song after song. My doldrums began to melt away. I found myself smiling as I sang (poorly) along with the videos. Sweet memories began to warm my heart. I began thinking about the first Noel when angels sang. I began journeying with Mary and Joseph to a little town in Bethlehem where Baby Jesus was born away in a manger on a not so silent night.
Thanks to my niece's simple idea to extend Christmas Praise Night into Nights, and the need to listen to music that I normally wait till after Thanksgiving to enjoy, I am rediscovering the joy of Christmas. Let me rephrase that. I am rediscovering the wonder of Christmas.
So, what about the snow and work? Well, I can't do much about the snow, actually I can't do a single thing about the snow. That's still a bah! But, the work? I've decided to make one tiny change. Keep the decorating simple. Just because we have numerous bins of decorations in the storeroom, doesn't mean I have to put out every single piece. Maybe if I don't look in the bins I can do this. Phew! I already feel a weight lifting from my shoulders.
I still don't want to be reminded how many days till Christmas. Time slips by all too quickly without reminders. But, I'm no longer dreading it. Thank you Amy.
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