Christmas Thought

T'is the week before Christmas and the calendar's full
Of programs and parties and other stuff "yule."
I've wrapped all the presents,
I've mailed all the cards,
I've scoured the house and shoveled the yard.
Still, I wonder if I've done all that I should
To prepare for The Day of Giving and Good.
Have I also remembered the lonely and sad?
Have I helped out the homeless and made them feel glad?
Did I offer a smile to the harried and stressed?
Or share someone's burden? Or cheer the depressed?
I hope that my Christmas will also fill
With grateful expressions of kindly good will,
And each song that I sing will be echoed abroad
Because I remembered to celebrate God.
May this glorious week be merry and bright
With a heart and a home filled with Heavenly light!

Ornamentation

This has been such a remarkable season for ornament sales, I had to say something. Early this fall I decided to start painting so that I could get some ornaments into the galleries that carry my stuff. While waiting for Twiggs and Moore to open (I'd gotten there a bit early), I heard a lady talking about always buying an angel ornament for her daughter each year. I introduced myself and showed her the angel ornament in my bag and she bought it on the spot. Meanwhile, I entered a few temple ornaments into the State Fair (won a red ribbon) and thus was discovered by a lady who ordered $100 worth to resell in her boutique. A nieghbor guy asked me to paint and sell him some for his craft fair booths for the season. He took $100 worth with more to come. I had to keep painting. Donna W. in Rock Springs got her standard number for over $100. Then I felt compelled to participate in the Barn Exhibit in Mapleton. It was an odd thing. Anyhow, contacts there led to other ornament sales of $145 and the sale of a painting! Other assorted sales have put me over the $550 mark, just this season! And I don't yet know how the 3 galleries will do. And I remind you of the sale of the Rock Canyon painting and ensuing commission for a portrait. I believe this success has come because I have been a better visiting teacher these last few months. I've been told more than once that this particular calling is connected to my level of blessings. If ever I needed evidence of that promise, this season has produced it. "Prove me now, herewith" He says. Worth thinking about.

Decorating Dementia

I've been thinking about the insanity of decorating. For some reason, we feel compelled to wear ourselves out acknowledging the holidays this way. It's as though we are in danger of Scroogitus and being haunted by various ghosts etc. if we don't dig out our dusty deco and spread it about. Particularly at Christmas. Isn't it funny that we pay homage to the baby born in no house at all by putting symbols of his birthplace all over ours? And the outdoor phenomenon is just nuts. One of our neighbors has music playing that controls a light-show, choreographed with great panache. When I was walking the dog yesterday, I saw the wreckage of another neighbor whose fake trees, deer, snowmen, snowglobe, sleigh and reindeer, gingerbread people etc. had all blown down in the windstorm of the day before. Only the little lightbulb-shaped lanterns still lined the sidewalk. Now don't get me wrong; I really like the stuff, myself. I love to put up our tree with each ornament in perfect harmony with the rest. I sing carols while putting together each creche (we have 17 if you count the nativity stocking holders). And I hang 5-6 nativity prints on the walls, besides. I hug each stuffed snowman and reindeer, greeting each by name as I put them in place. And I've simplified from previous years. Still, I think I'm nuts. We're nuts. But isn't it fun!