Christmas Comes But Once a Year

We've lost our sunshine today, but at least we don't have snow. Doesn't do much to put one in the Christmas spirit. I had a long list of things to do today, but the lack of sunshine rather sapped my initiative. I'm in the stage of going through the gifts I have purchased to make sure I have "enough". My car may very well dictate that. When it was idling as I was unloading things at Goodwill today, it started making a high-pitched squealing noise. The noise stopped, but my experience is that high-pitched squealing noises are never a good sign. I am financially ill-prepared for car repairs right now!

I will be in Grayslake, IL, with my daughter and her family this Christmas, and I THINK we will all be here at my place for New Year's. It's a two-pronged celebration. Christmas is America's big deal; New Year's is Russia's. If things go as they did last year, we will be on Skype with my son-in-law's parents in Russia on New Year's Eve twice--once for their midnight traditions, and again later for ours. (I believe there is an 11-hour difference.) There will be champagne, Olivier salad, and other goodies that are traditional in Russia. Last year, we would have had fireworks, but a thunderstorm hit just before midnight that kept us in the house!

I'm sorry I will be missing Christmas Eve services at my church. There will be an orchestra with the choir, and the music will be wonderful. Our Director of Music is a very talented young man who oozes talent and showmanship from every pore. He is also our organist/pianist...with a sense of humor. On Sunday, the postlude after the benediction was supposed to be "Christmas Fanfare", but because the pastor had sent us with the message that we should pray for a couple of committees that are looking at building projects for the church, the postlude that came out of the organ was the theme song from "Mission Impossible". I loved it! The best part was that I am quite sure he didn't know what the pastor was going to say by way of benediction, and I'm ever surer that he didn't have the sheet music for Mission Impossible in front of him. He never plays a song the same way twice and can get all kinds of fantastic sounds out of the pipe organ. I just love hearing his work!

I'm not sure what the portent is for all of the mild temps we've been having. Understand that I'm not complaining....just suspicious! I figure things can go any one of several ways: A) We will have a mild winter (which is not what has been predicted), B) Winter is just being delayed and we will get socked later, only to drag out the beginning of warmer temps in the springtime, or C) It will be a regular winter, just not starting as soon as it did last year and the year before. I'm voting for A! On that note, my daughter IMed me yesterday morning all excited because they had hoar frost. (I had just posted about hoar frost on Christmas Eve a couple of posts ago.) It usually doesn't last long, but it sure is pretty when it's there!

Oh...on a sort of funny note... I sleep with my TV on. It used to be like a nightlight, but when my sleep started being disturbed by life, it became a distraction for my troubles. (Too bad that late night programming is almost always infomercials!) Anyway, this morning, I was dreaming that Dr. Phil was visiting at my home, helping with repairs after I'd moved. He started to make horrible accusations about my granddaughter--that she was drunk all the time...calling people bad names...out of control...and I was aghast to think that my beautiful grandchild could be doing those things. Then I "came to" and realized that a rerun of his show was playing on OWN, and he was confronting a 14-year-old troubled female. I was so relieved to be awake!!!! I don't want to live long enough to see my baby Robin descend into rebellious teendom. I already paid my dues at that altar when my own daughter was a teen, then taught teens for many years. I would rather be oblivious!

Christmas comes but once a year...then the rest of the winter is blah. Enjoy the meaning of the season before the ugly stuff hits!