LOVING THE SEASON

The Holiday Season is upon us.  Am I glad?  You betcha.  I am one of those people who love everything about Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My Thanksgiving this year will be unusual.  Heretofore we have always had a big gathering of members of the family.  We would have the traditional food.  In years past, Corinne and Nita would write a poem summarizing the family events of the past year.  When Aunt Ree was with us we played Bingo and she provided small hand-made gifts for the winners and Ray provided a monetary gift for the last big cover the board game.  What a fun and memorable time.  This year will be different.  Nita and Ray will be in Jackson, MS with Chris and Ashley and the new baby.  Corinne, Mark, Leslie and her family are all vacationing in luxury on the Florida beach.  Tracey and her family will feast with Danny's parents, along with Courtney and Carter.  Tara and Drew will be at Tara's parent's house.  Emily and her family elected to spend the day at home.  So....I will be at Kim and Brad's house with Patrick, Mikka, Joesea, John Patrick and Paul Kemp.  We will have the traditional food and, even though the gathering is small, we will have a time to thank God for our blessings, eat the prepared food and enjoy each other. 

After this event, my parties begin.  I start with my Bible Class party and go from there to enjoy 7 parties, a family cookie swap, a Breakfast with Santa Claus here at the apartment complex and, of course, making my candy, spiced tea for my family gifts, shopping and other things.  I do love the Christmas season.  I guess I would say that I love the music and the decorations more than anything.  I have many CD's that are old and probably not even on the market anymore but they are my favorites, such as Nat King Cole, Amy Grant, Vince Gill and Il Divo.  I play them all the time and never tire of hearing them.  I even have a CD that I bought at Radio City Music Hall in New York when I went to see the Rockettes and it may be my very favorite. 

Nita and Corinne came to my apartment this past Sunday and they went to work getting out all of my decorations, putting up my tree and decorating it and then putting my Wise Men on display and lots of other decorations.  They even put greenery and lights on my porch, along with a cute Welcome sign.  I know that it is early and normally I don't want any Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving but since both of them were leaving town and the time frame between Thanksgiving and Christmas is so short this year, I am happy to have my place looking so pretty and so cheerful as I sit in my chair and watch one Hallmark Christmas movie after another.  Life for me has become very simple and it seems that the simple things in life are what makes me the happiest.  I sound as though I don't do anything any more and that is not true.  I am busy all the time with my East High work (scholarship and board work), my church group, my friends that I spend time having lunch, talking on the phone or writing notes of encouragement or, as it seems lately, sympathy. 

I just returned from the happiest, most enjoyable trip that I have made in a long time.  Jacque and  Wayne took me to Pigeon Forge, TN.  We stayed at the Christmas Inn and that place is fabulous.  The entire hotel is lavishly decorated for Christmas - huge wreaths over a fireplace in the lobby, every table has a beautiful decoration adorning it.  A lower lobby has Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus in a toy filled setting for the children.  Cookies and coffee are served in the lobby and also brought to your room, along with a box of chocolates each night.  We went to the Smokey Mountain Opry Christmas Show and it was great.  The dancing, singing, costumes and drama was wonderful.  It ended with a live nativity scene complete with live camels, sheep and beautiful robes on the wise men and shepherds.  We went to see The Blackwoods Christmas Show.  Brad Smith, Mark's son - my grandson, sings with them and that show was "over the top".  We had lunch with Brad and he, being a master story teller, kept us entertained for an hour.  We shopped at the Christmas Shop and purchased some ornaments and a few other things but mostly just enjoyed looking and browsing the unusual Christmas merchandise.  The trip ended with breakfast at The Apple Barn and then the ride home.  The weather was perfect - sun shining and 50+ degrees.  I can't put into words just how much I enjoyed this wonderful trip and how much I appreciate Jacque and Wayne's hospitality. 

Yesterday I was here at my desk working on something and I happened to look up and saw a few snowflakes.  Within a few minutes it was snowing like crazy - reminded me of the snows that used to come when I was a child that would delight me so.  This delighted me also.  I went into my living room and looking at my Christmas Tree and past it to my decorated porch with the snow in the back ground it was just like looking at a Christmas card - a beautiful scene.  Soon the ground was sightly white and after a while the snow had stopped falling and the ground turned back to brown grass but I was not unhappy because for a while God gave me a beautiful picture - an unexpected gift.  He knew that I would get so much happiness from this touch of Christmas snow and I did thank Him for it.  I will thank Him again when we gather Thursday at Kim and Brad's house.  I will thank Him that I have my wonderful family, my friends, my health, though not good has not worsened, and most of all I will thank Him for his mercy and His grace because God is good - all the time.