All our different family gatherings for Christmas are complete and this old lady is tired. They hype. The anticipation. The excitement. We took it all in and enjoyed every second of it. The scurry and bustle of preparation and the enthusiasm and excitement of the little folks for the treasures hidden behind bright wrapping paper and tissue has all been absorbed.
This morning I wandered round the house gathering up stray boxes and bits of tissue that had escaped the first sweep a day or so ago. I wore my sweat pants and Tshirt and a smile on my face as the memories of the grandchildren and children flitted through my mind. Ah! The joys of young exuberance! That is truly what makes Christmas memories.
I think of the pauses as we lifted up thanksgiving for the multitude of blessings we enjoy. Everyone in the household stops and gives pause. Then, we are back to living the life and enjoying those blessings to which we just paused and gave thanks. The dollops and spoonfuls on the plates of the littles before doing the same for ourselves. Next, we sit in fellowship and enjoy the bounty prepared for sharing. The chatter and laughter ring out and warm our hearts.
When the last morsel is swallowed, we set aside our plates and move to perch in front of the twinkling lights on the tree. Soon, paper is ripping and tissue is flying as treasures are uncovered and joy is exclaimed. Oohs and Ahhs can be heard round the room along with statements like, "I've been wanting one of these for a year!" The excitement can hardly be contained and toys must come out of the packaging as soon as humanly possible Trucks and tractors are pushed and scooted along on the hearth and the floor. Books are thumbed through in anticipation of the places the words will take us. Clothes are draped across bellies and chests in anticipation of wearing. Shoot-guns are aimed and scooters and toy trucks are rolled as knees scoot across the floor imagining bigger worlds of the future.
Then, the bounty is gathered up and loaded up. "Take a little of this ham home with you for tomorrow." "Can I leave a few of these cookies for you for later?" The kitchen is cleaned and the food stored away while the bags and boxes are toted to the truck for transport. Hugs and kisses are shared all around and then out the door they all go to their respective homes and beds leaving our house empty, quiet, and hollow.
We flop onto the couch and comfy recliner and prop our feet up to catch our breath. After a bit the dust settles, the furniture stops rocking, and the quiet normalness of home returns. We rest a bit and share some remembrances from our visitors. Then, I wander round the house gathering up stray boxes and bits of tissue that had escaped the first sweep a day or so ago to store them away until I use them again next year.
When I was catching my breath, I noticed a few things worth sharing...
I loved this series and thought what a wonderful idea this was. Maybe sometime I can wander through our little town to capture a similar series. Or wouldn't it be fun to put together a series from years gone by?
I got quite a chuckle when reading this article. Hallmarks which can be found in my own home. Yep. Every. Single. One.
As all the posts from blogs start populating my inbox, I noticed this one and wholeheartedly agree - I'm OK with a mess sometimes! However, I have been contemplating ways to tidy up my pantry which has grown into quite a mess and needs some straightening and organizing. I'm thankful that one of our children gave me a little jump-start with some large glass jars for storing staples and items in the pantry that will make it easy to see what we have and what might need to go on the shopping list. I've saved some inspirational photos like the one here and made a note to myself that I need to get some of those baskets. Or, maybe I should get some of those inexpensive wire shelves and flip them upside-down for my canned goods. I also like the idea of the lazy susans used in this one. So, now you know what one of my upcoming projects might be.
I noticed once again that I need to do something to make my cabinets more organized and have the out-of-the-way items that we only use occasionally easier to access. To be honest, I'm getting too old and am far too out-of-shape to be crawling on the floor to get things out of the bottom cabinets. I thought number 23 in this post would be an inexpensive fix for just that. (I also like 3 and 20.) I'd like to have one of these made instead of having a drawer where all our knives are stored and knocked around on one another to dull.
Just when I was chastising myself for just rambling and not getting more accomplished, I stumbled upon this post and was affirmed that rambling can be a good thing sometimes. Happy randomness and rambling to you today!
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