This picture with the older couple reminds me of such happy past times when my grandmother was alive and later when she was not but my mother was and my father, and we had at our house a very large Christmas Eve dinner and lunch on the Christmas day.
They would come, also my sister with her husband and son and my brother with his wife. I had children then and it was a very happy time.
But we are where God puts us so we must accept each season in life and be happy with what we have.
I haven't with me my grandmother, mother and father but I have my own children and we have happy times as we are. And we give thanks to God.
So, let's be happy.
Now I will post here some work of Trevor Mitchell which picture so well the cosiness of Christmas in family, that wonderful comfort of after lunch when people was alredy well fed and just seat relaxing and enjoying the happiness of having a family.
Happy times.
Time goes by and new generations replace old ones, now it's me who is becoming older and my children are adult. These are new times but can be happy too, so it's such a joy to see Christmas approaching and doing all the preparations.
I though of posting this on the 28 of October, the day after the last birthday of the year. Only in October we have four! So, even if I think all the time about Christmas and Rudolph lingers in my head day and night and I buy lots of presents and even wrapping papers all month and even in September, after the birthdays are over I declare open season and I sing aloud all the Christmas songs I want.
I went already looking for Advent Calendars to buy and took pictures of them so at my home they choose the ones they prefer.
I know that before Christmas we have Advent but each thing has its own purpose. I don't forget Advent and what it means but I must live the joy promised to us in each Christmas with the celebration of the
New Born King.
But for now let's be happy with the small things of life and live all the details of the Season.
Stroling the streets, watching the decorations and doing window shopping, seeing the Christmas trees and the happy families.
Such joy.
May Our Lord give us a very peaceful and happy time while we wait for Christmas.
I know. I know that I said that Christmas would only begin after all of October's several birthdays.
I thought on posting only then, on the right upper side of the blog, the usual Christmas counter. But why would I wait till then to start counting the days?
I'm not saying shopping for presents, which I began already in September (why not ?), preparing the wrapping papers and bows and all things Christamas. I mean, I am not yet Chrystmassying in full swing, it's just that why not post already a counter on my blog? What's wrong with that?
I know that a lot of people prefer to spend first the dreaded halloween and then the blessed Thanksgiving, which I think it's a nice thing, and then to turn their attention to Christmas. But I know also that there are more people like me who is already fidgiting about Christmas.
So... As I said before, I will not get in full swing about Christmas yet, that is for sure, but I will not feel bad for doing already some little things.
And those aforementioned little things are: having some presents bought already, strolling by the internet looking for some more things I will buy as more presents (big family, you know, and an immense pleasure of buying things for my girls), dreaming about wrapping papers and daring to sing Rudolph, even if, for now, only inside my mind. I don't dare to begin singing on top of my lungs yet.
And...posting the Christmas counter on the right side of my blog !!
I can't resist it. How can I know how many days till then if I don't post it now?
So, let's begin. Not yet Christmassying all day long, just counting the days.
Are we there yet?
I realized that last year my first post about Christmas was on the 7 of November, so this year I began earlier. It was called: Too early?
That because Thanksgiving was not over then, but this year I did it in October before all the other feasts.
Every year I long for that blessed time when the heat goes away, people get covered instead of showing their bodies and the leaves begin to fall. The rain comes back and also the fog.
I feel like reading and watching films and series even more than on another seasons - well, I do it as in other seasons but the difference is that now everything is even more pleaseant because of the warm and confortable covers and drinking hot chocolate and eating mint chocolates, which makes the moment even better.
Such a delightfull time.
I roam all the blogs I can to find posts about the season and that gives me such peace and the will to live and do things.
What I don't like is the creepy decorations that some people like and post in their blogs, but in the whole I like to see the housess, the filds, everything.
And this time is not only the liberation from Summer and the beginning of a good season, it's also the promise of Christmas time looming on the horizon.
So, first I have the birthdays: my nephew, then the one of my girl B, then mine and after that my uncle's.
After that it's open season for Christmas.
In that time I begin making lists: presents to buy, on top of the ones I began already buying, ( I have already two bags full) and mainly what I will buy food wise. Also non eating things.
We only decorate for Christmas on the first of December, never before, but my head is singing Rudolph immediately after the birthdays.
Oh what a beautiful time of the year this is. I truly can't stad the heat and all things summery - except the holidays, the journey to another town and the hotel and museums, gardens, etc. But the weather, the people...No, that I don't like.
But now I don't need to think about it till next year, because now it's Autumn time !!
So it was the time to wrap presents and then, suddenly, Christmas Eve and the Day were gone. Also Boxing Day.
How could it be that it went so fast ?
But yes, we are now in January but Christmas Time didn't finish yet.
We will only take the Tree and the Decorations out AFTER Epiphany. And the Nativity will stay till the 2 of February: the Presentation of The Lord Day, Candlemas.
So, don't pretend Christmas ended because it's still Christmas Time.
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!
"Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829, when Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England, were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. It was a crime to BE a Catholic.
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the tenets of their faith - a memory aid, when to be caught with anything in *writing* indicating adherence to the Catholic faith could not only get you imprisoned, it could get you hanged, or shortened by a head - or hanged, drawn and quartered, a rather peculiar and ghastly punishment I'm not aware was ever practiced anywhere else."
No, I don't mean this one, I wish here we would have snow with a beautiful Christmas Tree on top of it. Not that it never snowed but it doesn't happens for some years now.
Well, never mind. What I want to say is that our tree is up. As we do every year on the first of December, we went to the garage and brought the tree and ornaments and the Nativity.
We still have some more things to do but we will a little bit each day, mainly on the Immaculate Conception day as we have bank holiday and we have more time to do it.
Just look to that image. Don't we feel like that, in the end of the day, so many times?
We make dinner, everybody eats and then rests and we look at all the mess and feel so tired to take care of the kitchen.
Never mind. You would expect me to say now:
- just engage everybody to help because you are not a slave;
- you did already all that work making the dinner, now it's time to rest and let them do the cleaning;
- you can't let the kitchen like that, if they don't help, do it yourself
- don't go to bed with a messy kitchen
- God forbid to have a house like that
- and so on.
But now let's think: it's just to put things in the washer, so why to have a war because nobody helps? It's better to do it ourseves and in a minute it's done and everybody will be happy. Then you will have a tidy and clean kitchen, a happy faced family and you too will have some rest.
We must give thanks for having a house with a kitchen and food and family and a living room where to go and talk with your family and watch some television or a film or series.
- But I haven't a washer (for several reasons) and it's so much work.
Ok, then you begin, wash everything and let it to dry. Then you have two choices: either you put it way in the morning after being drying all night, which is ok, or someone will help you.
And clean the countertops, for some the sink it's everything, for me it's the countertops.
We don't need to be perfect, what we need is to live in peace. Do what you feel it's better and remember that you haven't to prove anything to anybody, just do what is needed for you to feel well.
- Oh, well, I have no energy at all in the evening, I just can drag myself to the sofa and rest.
Well, now I will give you an advice that will raise a lot of eyebrows: do it in the morning if you know that you will have lots of energy then. Never mind what other people think and say.
Wake up earlier, go to the kitchen, shut the door so nobody will hear the noises. Put things in the dish washer or wash it by hand. Dry it and put it in the cup board. Clean the countertops. Sweep the floor.
Now look: isn't your kitchen so nice? Don't you feel well and victorious? And powerful? And full of energy !
And the day is beginning, the morning is such a wonderful time. And you have a nice, clean kitchen.
Now you begin to hear you children and husband waking up to a nice and tidy house. And all that begins with a tidy kitchen.
It's so good to have a home and a family. Thanks be to God.
Do you know that english rhyme that says Mary, Mary quite contrary?
It could be about myself, it's just that I'm not Mary.
I never go with the flow not for liking going in the opposite way, it's just that I don't mind to disagree.
And what am I disagreeing to this time? About being too early to "look like Christmas".
Every year I read in blogs about the doubt of being or not too early to talk about Christmas. Ah but Thanksgiving ! First comes Thanksgiving. Oh well, I don't care, before the end of October I am Christmassying in full swing and nobody can stop me.
This year even before that date people could see me buying Christmas presents already. And wrapping them !!
I have two bags full of presents already wrapped. I feel victorious for begining slowly (or not so much) and having started already, that early, to prepare for Christmas.
Isn't that a wonderful time of the year? Pity I haven't snow here but never mind, I have it in my mind and that is good enough.
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