'Twas the Day Before the Day Before Christmas

It's is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

          This week has flown by!  On Sunday I checked my teaching schedule and said to myself, "Ah-the last week before the Christmas holidays, and I have only one day of teaching...lots of time to get ready."

          The to-do list was immense:

• finish wrapping gifts
• cut the tree
• decorate the tree
• deliver gifts
• bake pies
• bake buns
• launder the bedding
• clean the house
• grocery shopping
• stop at the drug store
• etc...

          Occasional Teaching is occasional!  In fact, the phone rang on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings for jobs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday!  Every morning, the list was revised, jobs were delegated to my husband, and I set off on a new adventure to spend my days with students. 
         Whirlwind forward to Friday afternoon, December 23, 3:30 pm.  Cell phone call to hubby, "I am running a little late, I should be home by 4:00."  No worries.  The tree farm is open until 9:00 pm, and it is less than an hour away.  We were going on our annual expedition to cut our own Christmas tree!
          We left the house at 4:30, a cup of tea in hand, and drove in the dark toward the Christmas Tree Farm.  It was cold outside and the temperature dropping.  Wind chill forecast: -25 degrees C. Snow on the ground from last night.  The trees along the side of the road are sugary white. It is going to be a white and cold Christmas after all!
          We arrive at the farm and are shocked to see that there is only one other vehicle in the parking lot. Where is everyone?  I say to the gentleman at the gate, "We are late this year."
         He replies, "I hope everyone else is late this year because it has been slow."  So slow that a sign announces that pre-cut trees are now $10.00 off.  We look longingly out onto the dark fields.  Then our eyes drift to the rows and rows of pre-cut trees...there are hundreds of Douglas firs and balsams, leaning proudly on the fences, all waiting for a warm home.  The lights above make the snow on the trees glisten and each one beckons to us.
          I am not sure if it was the darkness, the cold, our dog pulling on her leash, or a combination of those factors, but we quickly chose our tall and slim fir tree, and carried it over to be wrapped.  We walked quickly to the cabin where we were offered a cup of hot chocolate and a seat by the fire. 
          That is when the magic happened.  It was cold and clear.  Stars sprinkled the sky.  The fire was brightly burning, warm and glowing near its base of hardwood logs. We stood drinking in the sensations of the frosty cold night, the warmth, heat and light of the fire, the sweet taste of the drink, the twinkling of the stars, and the joyous silence of the woods. For a moment, it did not matter the length of the to-do list. 
           We headed back to the truck and our tree, the dog sprinting happily ahead, while we held hands under the stars. We had already begun our merry Christmas. 

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Angels All Around Us!

An Angel Announcing the Birth of the Christ Child

         

           Each year in early December, I take time to go through our collection of Christmas decorations.  Each ornament reminds me of a special time in my life.  There are no less than four large plastic tubs of these home decorations- all carefully wrapped in newspaper, plastic bags, or tissue paper from previous years. 

          We have a tub of tree decorations, in all shapes and sizes, made from various materials, that are placed gently on the Christmas tree each year.  This year, because of various circumstances, we have not yet gone to cut our tree.  It may no happen until December 24, the way that occasional teaching has picked up this week.

          We have a collection of snowmen.  There is a snowman cookie jar, snowman stocking hangers for the mantle, snowman plates and candy dishes, snowman plush toys that sing various endearing Christmas carols, and a snowman card holder.  There is even one extra large snowman that we bought last November in Puerto Rico.  

          But, my favourite group of Christmas decorations, aside from the creche scene of the baby Jesus, are the angels.  It started with an angel given to me by a teaching colleague many years ago. There is a tiny glass angel, a larger golden angel, an angel made from pottery, as well as a teacher angel. 

          The angel that I treasure most is one that was hand painted by my sister-in-law, Louise, several years ago.  Sadly, that lovely person, a collector of angels while she battled breast cancer, has since passed on to become an angel herself.  This Christmas Angel, dressed in red and green is centrally located in our living room and serves as a reminder of God's love in our lives.

          I think that this January, when I put away the tubs of decorations, I will leave Louise's angel on the wall, as a beacon of hope for the new year.    

Until next time,

Bee Rich

            

Living with Santa Claus

My Santa Does Not Text!

          If you have ever met my husband, you would think that he does look quite a bit like the man of the month, Mr. S. Claus.  I have a secret to share with you.  I believe that he really is Santa Claus.  And that makes me, Mrs. S. Claus.  How can that be?  Read on...
          Every year my husband spends hours in his workshop building special Christmas gifts for his family.  This year was no exception.  Last week, after making his list and checking it twice, he headed out to the "shop" to make sure his wood supplies were adequate and his tools sharpened.
        On the weekend, we heard him sawing and planing and sanding and nailing.  He emerged only for tea and cookies,  his white beard covered in sawdust. 
         And what did I do all this time?  What every Mrs. S. Claus does when her husband is busy, I was in the kitchen baking old-fashioned date cookies, from a recipe passed down from my husband's mother.  I measured and mixed, rolled and cut, dolloped and closed, and baked and tested.  Yum!
         So as I sit comfortably on my new office chair (an early gift from Mr. S Claus himself), I am reflecting on the rest of the story. 
         This morning, the cookies were stored, all snug in their containers, waiting for Christmas to arrive.  However, the gifts from the "shop" still needed "a little work."  Sure, the cutting and planing and sanding and  nailing were finished, but there were several more jobs to complete, and they were elf jobs, not Santa jobs. 
         After searching high and low for the elves in our home and finding none,  I came to the conclusion that Mr. S. Claus expected Mrs. S. Claus to complete these elf jobs.  Ho ho ho, so I spent a pleasant morning, afternoon and evening drawing and painting, printing and painting and cleaning up after both myself and S. Claus.  That's right, I not only washed the brushes and cleaned up the paint gobs, I got to sweep out the workshop!
         Alas, I shall not complain.  My Santa Hubby cooked a lovely dinner and as we were just getting ready to serve, there was a call from a neighbour who needed a ride home from a flat tire incident.  Thinking I would hop in the sleigh while he and his brother sat down to a delicious meal, I went for the keys.  That was not to be.  In fact, Santa Hubby hopped in the sleigh (a.k.a. red Jeep) and flew to the rescue.
         Such is the joy of living with Mr. S. Claus.  I wouldn't trade him for all the money, gifts or cookies in the world. 

Until next time,


Bee Rich

Hooked on Christmas

Just for FUN!

 

          I love the Christmas season!  As the years pass I am very thankful for the old and new Christmas traditions that keep our family ties tied tightly.  The cartoon above reminded me of my favourite Christmas tradition, the chopping of the Christmas tree.
          Since before our first child was born, we have tromped through the fields of the local Christmas tree farm, looking for the perfect (for us) Christmas tree.  Our son's first trip to the field, in 1980, was as a passenger in a warm and cuddly Snugli.  By 1981, he was sitting happily in his little red wooden sleigh.  In 1982, our son walked and our six month old daughter rode in the sleigh.
          In those days, my husband and I would usually argue about the size and type of tree to cut.  He liked short needles while I liked long ones.  I wanted a small tree and he wanted a large one.  It was almost a game, I would say this and he would argue that. 
          As the years passed and we matured (a little), we would step back and let the children decide.  It was the same old, however, while our son and daughter joined the family decision making team.  Somewhere along the way we learned to agree to disagree and came to the decision that it was "Dad's tree" this year or "Mom's tree" that year or "whomever's tree whose turn it was for the current year.
          Although our children have been away for many years, we have managed to have at least one of them home when setting out on our tree selecting trek.  This year will be different.  Our son and his wife and child won't be arriving until December 28.  Our daughter is overseas working during the holidays. This year it will be me and my hubby, just like it was for our first Christmas in 1979. 
          I pondered the situation today and suggested that we not get a tree this year.  My husband did not even hesitate to state, "We have to get a tree...for Mac."
          So, tomorrow, or the next day, or maybe even the following day, we will once again head down the road to find that perfect (for us) little (or big) long needled (or short needled) fresh Christmas tree to decorate our home.  We can't wait to see Mac's face when he sees the lights!

My your traditions continue and, until next time,


Bee Rich
         

'Tis the Season!

Christmas Letters Ready to Mail- Check!

'Tis the season to be jolly

Fa la la la la la, la

        
          It has been a busy week, with lots of teaching and lots of Christmas preparations.  A week ago I sent out Christmas cards.  During the week I picked up a few gifts for my favourite man, wrapped them and hid them away.  I am hoping to remember where they are come Christmas Eve.
          Then yesterday, while a taught a full day at a local school, my husband drive south to deliver a job application to a rural school.  While he was there he decided to do his Christmas shopping for the two of us.  What?  Why hadn't he consulted with me?  He loves to surprise, that is why. 
          So, this morning he brought in the gifts for me to wrap.  There was a small one...no problem, I wrapped it up without reading the box.  There was a medium one...the box was big enough to see the picture, but it was something we both liked, so I wrapped it up, too. 
          Finally, my main man carried in the large one.  The box was very large and would have taken several rolls of wrapping paper.  What you need to know is that since the beginning of our marriage, some 32 years ago, we have always opened an "early" Christmas gift. I looked at him and asked, "Can this be our early present?"  With only one week until Christmas Eve, he replied, "Sure!"
          Needless to say, I am thrilled, because after about an hour of construction and reading directions, we were able to put the gift together in time for this post.
           So, here I sit, on our newest piece of furniture, tapping away, and singing to myself,  "Fa la la la la la la la la la!" I am so blessed. 

Until next time,

Bee Rich

Early Christmas Gift from S. Claus

Missing a Day

My Amazing Man!

          The last time I wrote, I declared it was Wednesday when it was actually Tuesday.  How could I miss a whole day?  Nevertheless, it was a busy Tuesday, and since then, it has been a busy week.  I taught a half day on Tuesday, a full day on Wednesday, two-thirds of a day today... and who knows what will happen tomorrow.
          It has also been an extremely busy week for my husband and his brother.  With appointments in Ottawa on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and possibly Friday, both of these men in my life have persevered through the days with positive attitudes.  They are my inspiration.
          On Facebook today I read a post from a friend and I had to cut and paste it as my status.  It said...

          If you have an amazing man in your life, who brings balance to your world, who isn't perfect but perfect for you, who would do anything for you, who makes you laugh and drives you crazy...who is your best friend and soul mate, who you want to grow old with, who you are thankful for everyday and is the one and only true love of your life. Brag about him a little and put this as your status. ♥ 

.... and so I did. And it got me thinking, how truly rich I really am. 

         
Until next time,

Bee Rich

PS  Next time I will have to write about the most recent incident in my husband's wood shop and how my brother-in-law earned the title of "nurse."

My Amazing Man's Amazing Brother

Life Work Balance

Notice the look of contentment!

          Today was a Wednesday, the middle of busy week. It proved to be a day to appreciate the balance of life and work.  I was called to teach for a half day at a school about 45 minutes away from home. The class was a group of older students, which seems to be my calling lately.  The morning flew by, despite some intermediately-sized annoyances.  Upon reflection, I was the best I could be. 
          On the way home I followed-up on some business- filling the car with gas, shopping for a gifts for a special someone, stopping for a haircut at First Choice, renewing my drivers licence and health card, and mailing the final few Christmas cards.
          Upon my return home I checked emails, registered for a math workshop, and received two phone calls from my husband, requesting me to run two errands. The two dogs needed some attention, so I loaded them in the car and we drove off to the nearby town to shop.
          While in the grocery store I recognised two students from two different occasional teaching jobs.  This was the first such experience in my new role.  As I drove back home from the grocery store I thought to myself, This has been a successful day- I am feeling balanced- I am content.
          The day did not stop there. There was a text from our daughter-in-law wanting to Skype at 7:00 pm, two phone calls from our daughter in Scotland, a call from a neighbour, and two important telephone messages.  In the meantime the two dogs went for a romp in the front yard and only one returned, so I took a flashlight outside in search of her whereabouts. 
         At 7:45 pm, I called the neighbours, to let them know that I could look after their daughter on Thursday (their daycare had to close due to illness).  However, in the middle of that conversation, I received a call to teach for the whole day on Thursday. 
         So now, I am awake at 2:00 am, reflecting on yesterday and hoping to be able to get back to sleep in preparation for tomorrow's skating field trip with a primary class! Life is good!

Until tomorrow,

Bee Rich

Some days are busier than others!