Saturday, December 19, 2009

Paper Tidbits

I love little pieces of paper. I have them all over the place. This morning dearest one had a garbage bag in hand and started cleaning off the side board. I started squawking at him to please not do that...there might be something on one of those scraps of paper that was important. He refrained from rolling his eyes but did tell me the side board was in such rough shape that everything on it was fair game. To prove his point he picked up the first piece of paper he saw. It was folded up like a note you'd pass in math class. He unfolded it, read it and as he passed it to me, said, "you might want to keep this." On it was scribbled an idea youngest son had given me for a gift for dearest one for Christmas. Luckily it was something I decided not to buy. The side board remains a disaster area as I type.

All three kadiddlehoppers and their significant others are coming home for Christmas. For the first time in three years we will wake up together on December 25th. I am looking forward to that immensely. We went grocery shopping several times this week to stock up the pantry. It's been interesting to see how oodles of food is synonymous with Christmas in my mind. That bothers me. Maybe one day I'll write about that. Or not.

A few days ago we were leaving work, too tired to feel like buy groceries, when an air ambulance helicopter flew overhead. I looked at dearest one and said, "Someone's day has just gone to shit." Instant perspective. We found the energy to go grocery shopping and saw it as a privilege.

Dearest one has been giving me a hard time because I told youngest son last night that the one thing I couldn't handle when all of them come home is to have the TV on all the time. We live in a very small place and there is no where, except the bathroom, to get away from the noise of the TV. In the next breath I told youngest son that I had a movie I was really looking forward to watching with him. Today I bought another. I may have to eat my words yet. Or hide the remote.

Due to the cold weather and furnaces being on the blink, there hasn't been a church service for most of Advent in my little neck of the woods. Tomorrow it looks like we will get to gather together for the first time in weeks. Our little church will be full of people Christmas Eve, too. Without being together for most of Advent it feels like we are jumping in near the end.

We are down to a scarce seven and a half hours of daylight here. This week the postal service should be bringing us a SAD light box. We're hoping it will make a difference in the next little while. While I am grateful for perspective, gratitude and the ability to choose my attitude, motivation has been a little tough to come by lately.

6 comments:

Anonymous :) said...

Catching up on this post and previous ones. Love the song in the previous blog...very much. I hope the sad light box works. We lived in Chicago for many years. My husband needed one of those. He thought living in darkness in a deep freeze was exhausting. I love a harsh winter - less chance that kids will open a window and sneak out.

Jess Mistress of Mischief said...

God be with you and bring you his light to fill you from the inside and keep you from the SAD places in your journey!

Pru said...

My significant other will benefit from the SAD light.

And as for oodles of food being Christmas...it makes me curious that it bothers you because it makes me happy. A time of plenty and joy regardless of what the rest of your life is like, a time for counting and remembering blessings, and oodles of food is a blessing. Just like oodles of family.

And I am bringing Love Actually with me. Perhaps we can watch it again?

Enchanted Oak said...

I have paper scraps, too, Hope. So does dearest one. We live a whole other life on post-it notes. They grow legs and run around the tables sometimes, losing themselves just when you want to find one. I have receipts, coupons, next year's mammography appointment, AA meeting 7th traditions sent home with me because the treasurer is sick, Christmas cards, the flyer about the conference in Texas next year, Dearest's dental appointment card, just in one small area of the sideboard. Sometimes I get disgusted and throw them away but they come right back.

Lou said...

I think it's wonderful your kids and significant others will all be there for Christmas..although I'm in total agreement about the TV. That drives me NUTS!

Tall Kay said...

I guess we never really realize what a gift having our families home for the holidays is, until we spend one without them. You are so blessed to have everyone together this year. I hope you enjoy every minute no matter what you're doing.