The Season

It is a short Christmas season this year. I feel like things are flying by. Maybe it's because I hosted Thanksgiving and had a birthday party in between that I feel this way? Not that I am ever Miss Together at this time of year.

Our Christmas festivities thus far (and the only functioning camera in the house is Molly's old ipod, so unfortunately there are not pictures):

-We went to cut our tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. It was sunny and 50 degrees. The girls thought maybe we were breaking some sort of Christmas rule. In their minds, it is supposed to be snowing, or at the VERY least, cloudy and freezing cold, when a Christmas tree is fetched.  But we told them that snow is not a sure thing here in South Jersey, so if we were going to spend the money on a tree, we needed to get it now if we were going to make it worth our while. I personally enjoyed not having to thaw the tree for 24 hours and dealing with that mess, especially since we are without a garage again. Jeff informed the girls that another thing he would like to do without this year while getting a tree would be the fighting between sisters. For 7 of the past 8 years, they have not agreed on a tree. (And that one year it was only because Anna couldn't talk. We probably thought she was hungry or something but she was probably fussing that she didn't like the tree Molly picked). I do not like the price tag on these New Jersey trees - but then again, compare the number of trees in Michigan and Upstate New York to the amount of trees in South Jersey...supply and demand. But I did like that Molly graciously allowed her sister to pick the tree, even though it had a big bare spot in the back. 
-We saw the lights of Franklin Square (see previous post).
- We attended Jeff's work Christmas party, which was held at his boss's lovely Moorestown home with quite an amazing spread of foods and drinks. And I attended a Catholic Charities Trenton Diocese employee luncheon and prayer service. Not all non-profits are created equal. Guess which non-profit job could single-handedly provide for the family and which barely covers the student load payments? All joking aside, I am proud to work for my organization. And it was a nice luncheon.
-We joined an advent study at church, though I have to miss most of them due to my weird work schedule.  Jeff and I are trying to get more connected there (Molly has already anchored us there), which is a good thing for us.
-Jeff and Molly and Anna attended our town Christmas tree lighting. (My weird work schedule...) I heard that it was well attended, but there was a lack of coordination in the arrival of Santa on a firetruck (which confused Molly because she thought the guy with the beard reading the Christmas poem was supposed to be Santa), as well as a lack of coordination in lighting the tree, all of which ticked off the bossy news anchorwoman. The 3 of them had a not-sure-what-to-think demeanor.
-Jeff and Anna and I joined a friend of his from work and her husband at their town festival.  (Molly was attending a sweet 16 party for twins who are some of her best friends. These Moorestown sweet 16 parties...I hope Molly has low expectations for us. This family hired a limo that took the girls to eat at El Vez in downtown Philly, then they saw a Christmas show at the convention center....) The town looked cute all decorated and there were lots of street vendors so naturally Jeff bought lots of street food for us. Good, but not good.  Our favorite thing was a street performance by some very funny acrobats dressed to match the Dickens theme of the town. It was a truly entertaining show that made it worth standing out in the cold for a really long time. (Has my blood thinned already?!) We were all belly laughing, Anna too. I am not a circus/clown lover - but these guys were great.  They are from a company in Philly and I would hire them if I was putting on an event that needed entertainment.
-Jeff and Anna and I also went on a "lighted hayride." The wagon was strung with Christmas lights that blinked constantly to music. There was a real possibility that Jeff might have a seizure. We had given in and purchased 3-d type glasses for Anna for $1.99 that turn all lights into snowflakes. That fun has extended beyond the hayride and made the purchase more than worthwhile. The glasses also served to help Jeff not seize, as they muted the effect of thousands of erratically flashing colored lights.  
-Our town is decorated adorably as well. It's fun to walk the dog down Main Street with the street and all the shops lit up.  Many of the beautiful old homes are decorated, and everyone in Moorestown seems to be following a tasteful decorating ordinance. That's not a complaint.  Lots of natural pine boughs and ribbons and elaborate wreaths and the Williamsburg-style fruit decorations.  And then it snowed and looked that much more like a Christmas card. In case you are getting jealous, imagine driving on state highways loaded with crabby New Jersey holiday shoppers. Or even trying to grocery shop in Wegman's. New Jersey Christmas Spirit does not extend beyond the borders of the small towns, I think.
-In my job, I work with police departments and volunteers, and a few of the departments, despite the drastic budget cuts they are facing, have put on some nice little holiday appreciations for the volunteers. Plus, being around nice officers who are going to be spending their Christmas season on duty dealing with lousy things has a way of framing things.  Our center has seen a huge amount of donations that will help women and their children trying to get on their feet after leaving violent situations have a Christmas. Also has a way of changing the lens through which one views the world.
-The girls have a few Christmas concerts. Molly had a choir concert and has a violin concert coming up. Anna has a choir concert coming up (that I have to miss - booo!) and a choir performance at church. Molly keeps warning me that her school orchestra isn't so good.  Molly is trying out for a highly competitive South Jersey Youth orchestra this weekend and the song is crazy hard and at the top of her range of ability. Last night she was just playing some simple Christmas carols after she rehearsed her performance piece for us, which was so nice because it showed off how good she really is. Those simple songs are nothing for her to play any more, and she effortlessly produces a gorgeous tone. It's amazing to think how different those same songs sounded just a few years ago, and how much different of a sound that same girl can produce on the same instrument. It's astounding.
-The girls want to somehow fit in Christmas cookie making. They want to try all new cookie recipes this year! Out with kolache, sugar cookies (maybe? they might not give this one up), buckeyes, M&M cookies, etc. and in with chocolate pretzel cookies, maple glazed oatmeal cookies, and black and white peppermint bark cookies  - we'll see. Molly's audition and Anna's rehearsal are tomorrow and Mom is on call tonight and Sunday night... They have visions of bringing comfort and joy to some of our elderly, living-alone neighbors. A worthwhile thing to try to make come to pass. 
-We decided that each year we will purchase a family pass to one Philadelphia attraction. This year it was the zoo. We are planning to go Sunday to "Zoo Noel." I think the girl's primary interest is the new baby snow leopard cubs.


And then there's the shopping and such - Jeff and I always give the family first dibs on the girls' lists then usually brainstorm at the last minute when they're all done. This can be expensive, but often fun. So the girls gifts are the one undone thing looming large, but that's not really unusual at this point. I can't say I feel "Christmasy" this year, though I am not always exactly sure how to pinpoint what that is.  I do feel thankful for what I have, and a desire to make the most of the few years left where both kids live in my house all of the time.  I am sincerely looking forward to connecting with people from different stages of my life. I also have a weird urge to give people books lately. I don't know what that means. Maybe I'm getting old. Do you want to give people books when you're old? It's entirely possible that I'm just becoming an eccentric.  I am not feeling a whole lot like running, despite my great T-giving day effort and good running shape I had been in previous to that. I instead feel a lot like indulging in all of the holiday eating and drinking. New wardrobes are not affordable after Christmas spending so I should get that one under control?

There's always the strange balance of enjoying Christmas, not getting sucked into the harmful consequences of materialism, and keeping priorities sorted. This year, due in part to the advent study, staying out of the clutch of expectations, both self-imposed and others-imposed, is what I am using as a focal point when I need one. It's applicable to all of life and something I have found useful with moving, balancing work and home, etc. I don't know what it's done to my world as viewed by others, but it has given a softer glow to my world as viewed by me.

The likelihood of me posting again before Christmas and the New Year is probably slim so, Peace and Joy to you this Holiday Season!!! (I'm probably not sending Christmas cards).