Friday November 4 2016  MISSION ACCOMPLISHED (ALMOST)

It is finished!

What we hoped to begin and end in October has now been accomplished.  Our tree is trimmed (each branch stuck into a pole) and covered in gold ornaments (made of paper, cloth and tin), and our glittering skirt (a piece of untrimmed yardage) creates a stunning exclamation as it covers the base of our tree (consisting of a board, tree stand, and a towel), but I will tell no one!

The boxes are stashed and I am happy!  And, it is only November 4^th.  A few more gifts to buy and wrap, and that is it.  NOW MY CHALLENGE IS THAT ALL SHOPPING AND WRAPPING MUST BE FINISHED BEFORE THANKSGIVING!  When the month of December comes around I want to be totally footloose and fancy free.  I intend to watch at least one Christmas movie per day, go to any and all events I so choose, spend time with family and friends, and do some entertaining.  On Christmas day Dave and I usually attend the local theater and spend the day watching a movie, or several movies if there are any exceptional releases at that time.  But who knows, we may just stay at home and play cards all day.  I may even consider taking a week off from writing my blog.  Now that would really be a vacation.  Hmmm…maybe I should take off the entire month!

This year Christmas is on a Sunday and that makes it even more special.  Perhaps we can find someone who has no family and invite them over for a Christmas dinner.  We celebrate Christmas with our family on Christmas Eve so that our son and his wife have the entire day to spend with their boys on Christmas.  We always had the same arrangements when our children were little.  We both worked and it was seldom that we ever had days off (weekends were not days off for parents) to absolutely devote to our children.  We would dedicate our entire day for their pleasure of being with mom and dad, playing games and discovering how to use their new toys.  We snacked and played all day long.  It was so awesome to be able to focus our entire day on them.  Unfortunately some of those days don’t always happen on Christmas for Courtland and Amy.  Courtland often works on Sunday and holidays and must take his shift in rotation, regardless the holiday.

When we first moved to Wisconsin we had no family in driving distance (our closest family was about 800 miles south) so we celebrated with our foursome; mom, dad, daughter and son.  On the ride home from our son’s wedding I turned to Dave and said, “Hey, we now have family in the area and someplace else to go for Thanksgiving and Christmas”.  That was a happy thought.  And over the past several years we have had many joyous occasions of having our “family” over as well as being invited as guests to their home for celebrations.  Though not a large extended family, we now have someone with whom we share special events.  Now if we just coerce our daughter and son-in-law to move to Wisconsin we’d have two places to go.  Florida verses Wisconsin?  I don’t think such a move will ever take place!

Perhaps we could make this year’s special Christmas Sunday special for someone else.  Over the years we were occasionally invited to join others at their home to celebrate with them.  Other times we invited families to share in ours.  So perhaps it is time for us to once again pick up the baton and extend an invitation.  Life is now opening up to Dave and me in new ways due to being retired.  We had to bypass so many events when I was working due to the stress of my work load.  I am only now beginning to feel the freedom from being so tethered to a job.

And now I look ahead and dream of the time we may be downsized and rid of years of accumulation.  I know we will have more freedom and I am beginning to feel the need for that to happen.  I learned a lot while I was “trimming that tree”!

DO FOR OTHERS

Kathleen Martens

November 4, 2016

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

The tree is trimmed

Ornaments in place,

Holiday time

Begins its race.

Sprinting ahead

To finish shopping,

To buy the gifts

Without stopping.

So all will be done

Before the masses

Crowd the malls

Fervently dashing.

That opportunities

Can be enjoyed,

Especially now

We are no longer employed.

And then take time

To do for others,

Not only family

Sisters or brothers.

But to search

And find those weary

Who need a family

And someone cheery.

So many alone

Forsaken and lost,

To give joy to another

Is not a great cost.

To extend a hand

Or offer assistance

May brighten the day

If we are persistent.

Perhaps our time

Could be our gift,

That would help

Another life to lift.

Or a gift card

For what they need,

Perhaps for food

On which to feed.

Or a few hours

To the kids attend

So parents have time

Crowds to fend.

So many things

We can do

To help others

Their day get through.

So give thought

To helping someone

Not just on Christmas

But everyday that comes.

Thank You Father for being such a good, good Father.

Thank You Father for allowing Your Son to become flesh.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU.