(Imagine the Peanuts "Snowfall" piano piece tinkling in the background as you read this blog. Sorry I'm too tech-ignorant to put it on here.)
Wow, as I write this, it is snowing like mad outside. Generally, we don't get a lot of snow here in the DC area, but I've got more than a foot on my deck table, and it's still coming down hard. The newscasters are calling this one of the three biggest snowfalls in the history of DC!
Tha last one was a week of storms early in January, 1996. The kids and my husband were off school and work for over a week. Yep, they shut down the government when there's more than a half-inch of the white stuff.
It gets much icier here than in Utah, and because of the humidity, it feels much colder too. I simply will not ski here in the mid-Atlantic because it is so uncomfortable. I vastly prefer the ideal conditions of Alta and Solitude!
The downside is that we had to postpone the arrival of our youngest daughter. We did not want her to be stranded in a strange place, alone, as she was last year. So she comes in on Monday morning.
Maybe we can make a snowman! I am not, however, looking forward to shoveling the driveway.
Take that, Global Warming enthusiasts!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Christmas Run-Up
I love Christmas. I really do. I try to plan ahead so things are not too stressful (this is not especially effective), and I enjoy looking for presents all year 'round. All my kids (three I birthed and two I got as in-laws) will be home, and I want to make it fun and joyous and cozy for them.
I am working my way through several recipes (some multiple times!) and sharing with my co-workers and my dad, and nibbling a few myself. Well, more than a few, but I'm trying to be more mindful of my eating. We have a Continental breakfast on Christmas; I make pizzelles and my mother's cinnamon twists.
We sleep in now that our children are adults--which is just fine by me. When I was a kid I got up at the crack of dawn and sneaked downstairs for a look at the haul. Then I got my sister and we looked together, then tried to go back to bed until a more civilized hour, but we couldn't sleep. Eventually my parents got up and my dad filmed us "waking up" and "discovering" our gifts under the tree. He always panned around the room to get the whole display.
The run-up to Christmas is more fun than the actual day for me. I don't particularly care about getting any gifts myself (which frustrates my husband, who loves having lots of presents under the tree). I like to prepare the meals and the pies and the cookies and candies, and watch Christmas movies. And every other year or so, we have a huge party, the highlight of which is a White Elephant gift exchange. I had planned to have one this year, but my mother's passing has taken a bit of the stuffing out of me, and I got very far behind because I was away for three weeks. And my kids lament that they cannot be here for the party--they loved it when we had them when they were young. Next year, I hope!
I am grateful for my Savior and the miracle that was His birth. I am so glad that our Heavenly Father provided for a way we can repent of our sins, and the example of His Son, who came into this world in the humblest of circumstances. When I compare the ease and comfort and conveniences of my life compared to his, I feel very blessed. I am grateful that I could live in this day and age, despite the wars and problems. I try to let the peace begin with me, and as I get older and learn more, I am becoming more successful.
Merry Christmas, every one!
I am working my way through several recipes (some multiple times!) and sharing with my co-workers and my dad, and nibbling a few myself. Well, more than a few, but I'm trying to be more mindful of my eating. We have a Continental breakfast on Christmas; I make pizzelles and my mother's cinnamon twists.
We sleep in now that our children are adults--which is just fine by me. When I was a kid I got up at the crack of dawn and sneaked downstairs for a look at the haul. Then I got my sister and we looked together, then tried to go back to bed until a more civilized hour, but we couldn't sleep. Eventually my parents got up and my dad filmed us "waking up" and "discovering" our gifts under the tree. He always panned around the room to get the whole display.
The run-up to Christmas is more fun than the actual day for me. I don't particularly care about getting any gifts myself (which frustrates my husband, who loves having lots of presents under the tree). I like to prepare the meals and the pies and the cookies and candies, and watch Christmas movies. And every other year or so, we have a huge party, the highlight of which is a White Elephant gift exchange. I had planned to have one this year, but my mother's passing has taken a bit of the stuffing out of me, and I got very far behind because I was away for three weeks. And my kids lament that they cannot be here for the party--they loved it when we had them when they were young. Next year, I hope!
I am grateful for my Savior and the miracle that was His birth. I am so glad that our Heavenly Father provided for a way we can repent of our sins, and the example of His Son, who came into this world in the humblest of circumstances. When I compare the ease and comfort and conveniences of my life compared to his, I feel very blessed. I am grateful that I could live in this day and age, despite the wars and problems. I try to let the peace begin with me, and as I get older and learn more, I am becoming more successful.
Merry Christmas, every one!
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