Cheerful Christmas Greetings

It is Wednesday, and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun!

1. Do you struggle with the commercialization of the holiday season? What helps you keep your focus when the season’s busyness and commercialism start to take over? 

No, this is not something I struggle with.  I do, however, resent having Christmas decorations out before November, but as I am not in the commercial world a lot, I can avoid the frustrations.  Our focus and activities are built around our church and Christian friends.  We control our outside influences.

2. What's one small thing you want to savor before the year ends? 

It's not small, but we will definitely spend time with family and friends.

3. December 9th is National Christmas Card Day. Do you still send Christmas cards? If so, does yours include a photo, or is it a more traditional card, or maybe homemade? How do you feel about the tradition of exchanging cards at the holidays? If Hanukkah is the holiday you celebrate in December, do you send cards to mark the occasion?

 

I haven't sent Christmas cards in several years, and we are actually receiving fewer every year.  Yes, there could be a correlation there, but I also think fewer people are sending cards these days.

4. What's your least favorite holiday-related task? What's your favorite?

 That would be cooking!  Thankfully, we eat out a lot during the season, and as we will be traveling and spending the holidays with family, I won't have to do much.

5. Let's do a little holiday this or that? 

• shopping or wrapping - Neither?  But let's say wrapping in gift bags
• baking or decorating - It's definitely not baking (see previous answer), and as we aren't home during the majority of December, I don't do any decorating.
• eggnog or wassail
• real tree or artificial
• turkey or ham
• white lights or colored lights 
• ugly sweaters or matching pjs
• peppermint or cinnamon 
• presents Christmas Eve or presents Christmas Day - Both for different reasons.  We share personal gifts on Christmas Eve and enjoy the Santa gifts on Christmas morning.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We will be hitting the road early Thursday morning for varying environments along the way to our eventual destination in Northern Indiana, which is currently buried under layers of snow.  Being southerners, packing for all the possibilities and activities in such conditions can be daunting.  That being said, I think I will just take everything that weighs more than an ounce and has sleeves.  Merry Christmas to all!

Welcome to December

As I sit here at my computer on this Tuesday morning, listening to Christmas music, thinking about the things I need to do before our upcoming trip, and answering questions Joyce has given us, my heart is filled with gratitude for all the blessings God has so generously bestowed upon our family in 2025.  Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness.

It is Wednesday, and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge. 

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

 Click here to join the fun!

1. What does it mean to have the 'holiday spirit'? On a scale of 1-10, how is yours this year? (10=off the charts, 1=still looking for it)

Norman Vincent Peale expressed it well:  "Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift-giving, and of families united."

To me, it means a magical time of joy in the air, a sense of togetherness, time with our family and friends, worship, and music celebrations.  But especially it is a time of rejoicing because God loved us so much that He sent his only Son to be born that we might know God the Father in a personal way.  So let our hearts be filled with gratitude during this season of joy.

"The spirit of Christmas is in every shared joy and in every act of kindness during this wondrous time of year."

 

2. What's your favorite character from a (December) holiday-themed movie, book, or TV special? Tell us why.

I don't have a favorite character and couldn't tell you the name of a single actor/actress in any Christmas movie or show.  We always watched Polar Express and Elf during the holidays with our son and his family. This year, I'm sure those traditions will carry on to the next generation. Once is enough for me, but I love being part of this family tradition.

We do, however, enjoy traditional and classic musical performances.  

Our church does the "Gift of Christmas," which is the most amazing live performance you could want to see.  People come from all over to see it.  Our granddaughter has performed in it since middle school. Above is the Nativity portion from last year's performance.  It involves over a thousand volunteers for fourteen performances.

3. Do you like gingerbread? Are gingerbread houses part of your holiday tradition?

I do like gingerbread, but gingerbread houses are not part of our tradition. 

4. Much of our vocabulary is determined by where we live or where we grew up. What say you-

sprinkles or jimmies? 

lightning bugs or fireflies?

soda or pop?  Coke

sneakers, trainers, or tennis shoes?

sub, hoagie, grinder, or hero?

freeway, highway, or motorway?

frosting or icing?

sauce or gravy?

5. Share a favorite holiday memory from your childhood.

Our baby sister, Sarah, was 7 years younger than me and 5 years younger than Gin.  She was our baby doll.  Her first Christmas Eve in 1951, our dad climbed on the roof of our house and pretended to be Santa with all the required sounds of reindeer, and "Ho, ho, hos."  Gin and I were convinced that Santa had actually visited us that night, and we told this story to Sarah every year.  This memory is especially poignant since Sarah's sudden death was two years ago this week.  Memories will always hold special places in our hearts.

 6.  Insert your own random thought here. 

Being that I am in a reflective state of mind, let me share with you some pictures of time past and special memories.

Sisters

Until our dad died in 1994, our family always met at their house for Christmas.  It was looked forward to all year long by all our families. These are some of the most precious memories we share, and I love that we have the privilege of making memories with our grandchildren that will bring them joy for years to come.

Our last picture together.  Little did we know.