Well, today is the end of 2011 and in a few hours the year, 2012 will emerge to remind all of us that the years come and go at rapid pace. Maybe that sounds like, what I am, an old woman talking about time moving so fast but I do hear young people making the same remarks. I believe that we feel that way because we are moving from one day to another without really thinking about time moving with us. I know that, as a young woman with young children, an ambitious husband that worked a lot, myself working also and all of the activities that accompanied these things left me no time to think of rapidly passing years. It might behoove all of us to think about that cliche "stop and smell the roses". Maybe that would be a good New Year's Resolution - slow down, breathe deep, look around, enjoy the sunrise and sunsets, savor the flavor of a good meal rather than the hurry up method of eating, take walks when you can and pass pleasantries with people that you meet and the best thing of all would be to get you a dog like Houston. Now, that is a blessing that can't be denied. To have something who looks at you with love in their eyes, walks beside you, sleeps at your feet, sits with you as you read your books or nap in your chair is just a gift that is to be treasured. He will make 2012 a good year for me but I am anticipating lots of lovely things to happen in the new year.
I have not told you anything about my Christmas Holiday Season so I will try to capsule it for you now. I was invited and attended many parties during the month of December but the week of Christmas all of the handshaking and hugging caught up with me and germs invaded my body in the form of a sinus infection that "laid me low". I really felt bad during the actual Christmas family events. On the 23rd of December we gathered at Nita's house for our Annual Cline Party. Twenty-eight people packed into the house and the garage that was converted into a really festive children's area - complete with signs, games, and little table and chairs. We circled up, held hands, counted off as Aunt Ree had taught us, prayed and then headed for the table of food. We followed all of our traditions for this party which consists of my reading The Night Before Christmas to the great-grandchildren, singing the Twelve Days of Christmas (Anni, Ava and Emma did a fine job with their part of singing Five Golden Rings) and then the children gave us a real treat by enacting the birth of Jesus - with our new baby, John Patrick, being Jesus and lying in a laundry basket wrapped in a blanket. A new treat that we had this year was Joesea saying the Twenty-Third Psalm. We all left with a warm, happy feeling that comes with being family. Billy, Aunt Ree and Mother were not there in person but I surely did feel their spirit as those adorable children that are their descendants prayed, played and performed.
Christmas Eve was a lovely time for me. I went to First Baptist Church with Nita, Ray and Paul Kemp to the Communion/Candlelight Service. It was a lovely, quiet time to reflect on just what Christmas is about. As Christopher Maddux told when we were in Jackson on our visit, "Christmas is not about Santa and presents. It's all about Jesus". After our church service we enjoyed a lovely dinner at Mimi's Cafe. Ray took me to Kim and Brad's house where I spent the night. On Christmas morning Kim and I had our traditional Mimosa Drinks and Sausage Pinwheels. When Patrick and Mikka and the children came we opened our gifts and then we were treated to Kim's breakfast casserole and other breakfast foods. After all of the paper was picked up and the house was quiet again Brad and Kim took me home. It was nice to come into my beautiful home with my Christmas tree and decorations every where that I looked. I just turned the lights on my tree, got into some comfortable clothes, got into my lounge chair, covered up with a soft blanket and zoned out of everything. What a delightful end to a delightful Christmas Season.
Now, I am going to embrace this coming year with all of the enthusiasm that I have. I am going to enjoy my family, my friends, my church services and my church friends, my activities with my East High group and just all of the wonderful things that I know lie in store for me. I am intelligent enough to know that every year will bring good things and every year will bring disappointments and sadness but I also know that whatever comes that God is in control and God is good - all the time.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY. MY LOVE FOR YOU KNOWS NO BOUNDS.
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