The Spirit of the Season

I love Christmas. I love the decorations and the tree buying. Cards from family and friends in our mailbox. I love the music and Frosty the Snowman. I love mangers with sheep and the Shepard and the babe in straw. I love candy canes and gingerbread and twinkly lights everywhere. I love Dear Santa letters and watching The Miracle on 34th Street. And when people you don't know smile and wish you "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas". And I love most of all the traditions that are repeated year after year. That's what I love most of all. It's what binds us to one another, makes us feel one of a tribe. A feeling of belonging.



It's finally beginning to feel like Christmas ,it took me awhile this year, I've been wishy washy at best but with 2 small children living here, they just don't understand that kind of thinking. The questions started coming, "when are we getting our tree?" "when will the lights go up?" "when can we see Santa?" " will it snow?"

I found my Christmas mojo and we have accomplished all four of the above requests! We found our tree at the nursery a stones throw from our house and it was the last one. Have you ever been to a tree lot and walked up to find one tree? The guy there was so nice, when we pulled up and looked around and saw this one gorgeous tree, he waved to it apologetically and said "It's the last one". We almost ran to it. My husband picked it up and practically threw it in the truck. We laughed about it later, it's not like there was anybody else there to get to it first or that we'd have to flip a coin for the LAST tree. So, we congratulated ourselves on our tree find and headed home to start Christmasifing our house. I was feeling pretty wretched since my flu/cold relapsed so much worse this next round. When will I ever learn to not go back at it too much too soon? so, Hannah spent the day with me decorating the tree, (husband mysteriously disappeared) hanging the lights, putting up the stockings... all the while putting up with my Christmas music and forcing hot cocoa on her, at 17 going on 18 she is not as fond of the tradition part as I am. Maybe on her own she'll do things differently. Probably.

So, tree up, lights twinkling, Santa sighting, done, done, done! and then, the thing that happens every great once in awhile happened this week...it snowed! all across the top of the mountains right behind us. I went for a walk on the beach to get a better view ( i forgot my camera) and what a sight it was. Standing in the sand and looking at snow, it always makes me shake my head. Amazing! And thankful (again) that things work out like they do. How things come together, one way or another, they always do. I worry alot about my granbabies and their parents, things are hard for everyone. And I am trying to be the stability they need. But at least for now we have snow... and the last Christmas tree in Carpinteria.

xxx lori