dar liomsa (in my opinion)

Christmas is, once again, packed up into neat little boxes.

The ornaments, wrapped in newspaper. The lights, neatly tangled and stored. The manger scene, the snowmen, and stockings all stacked and packed for their journey back to the shed.

The UN-decorating is always done with a lot less pomp and circumstance than the decorating.

When it is time to take down the festive displays, I always seem to have less helpers than when it was time to put it all up.

I understand. I know what a fun, exciting time Christmas can be.

I also know that I am a bit early on the de-decorating. I usually wait until New Year's Day.

As much as we all have enjoyed the Christmas season, it was time for it to go, all of it.

The live tree, that was beginning to dry up and drop leaves.

The piles of presents that longed for a home in the children's bedrooms.

The snowmen covered in dust, the dancing Santa, and every Christmas card we received, all packed away for another year.

They will be back before we know it.

In the meantime, my sanity and a  clean house are safe to return.

 

The best (or worst) part of the last week of December is the year end montage.

A chance to wrap it all up in a two minute segment, featuring the cutest and best clips, sound bytes, and one-liners making the entire year seem like a hoot.

It make me think I should  do this for my kids. Whip up a quick video reel of photos from the year's best moments. Adding in the funny things they said and did, the times we all made each other laugh.

Leaving out the moments where they told each other to 'shut up', or 'cleaned their rooms' by shoving everything under their beds. You know just focusing in on the perfectly good stuff, giving it all the appearance of perfection.

It would be so much easier task than printing and organizing the thousands of photos that beg to be set free from my camera's memory card, along with the photos captured on my smartphone that I have no idea how to retrieve.

And once it is all laid out over a great sound track, a perfect little year in review for their viewing enjoyment.

 

 

Neatly stacked piles sit beneath the Christmas tree.

Bulging bags of trash sit on the curb.

Cookies, cakes, and packaged leftovers occupy the corner of the kitchen counter.

Christmas has come and gone.

Rushing, preparing, shopping, and hiding, came and went like a flash.

All that remains are new things to admire. New things that look like tiny things once they have been removed from boxes and wrapping.

The week that stretches from Christmas to New Year's Eve is a time to relax, enjoy, and breathe.

A time to take in what has been around us for the last month, yet unable to see.

A quiet evening by the tree, a slow paced relaxed dinner of leftovers, and a much easier trip to the mall where parking is available, once again.

Merry after-Christmas to all.

 

 

Believe

The jig is almost up.

The curious questions have begun.

I am not sure how much longer I can explain away exactly how a fat man in a red suit enters our house once a year. Better yet, how he leaves.

I hate perpetuating a lie, at the same time reluctant to squash a fun filled fairy tale.

The questions are a true sign that someone in this house is less than convinced that this white bearded man truly exists.

Expalining the various helpers that are spread out among shopping malls and firetrucks is only the beginning.

Assuring a young child that it is indeed safe to let this man enter our home as we sleep is a little tricky.

Knowing some little creep, is whispering the contrary to my chidren on the playground, I do my best to provide damage control.

Just as we parents struggle to get through another day facing the demands of life, family, kids etc. Thus it is also our goal to get through another year.

Saving another year of magic for our children is all any parent can ask.

We still have believers here, in this house, and Christmas magic.

God help you if you blow it!

In a world of information overload,  we could all use a little guidance now and again.

Emerging technology , often moves faster than the  rules that ought to accompany it.

In a hyper-tech world of social networking, where each day offers new ways to communicate, we may fail  to consider the appropriateness of our words.

I'm just saying, that when you have a facebook page, that allows you to share messages with 700 friends (or more), picture in your head everyone of them reading your status update. Seriously, do it. As you type your inner most thoughts and feelings, just picture every person in your friends list reading that information .  

Updating your status on facebook is a lot like walking in to an auditorium and shouting for everyone to hear. Whatever you type into that tiny box is broadcast for all your friends to read, analyze, and judge. We all love to judge don't we? There are some things you simply would not shout in a filled auditorium.

It may be wise to read and re-read what you are about to share and think it through a bit. What you are about to share may be better as a whisper.

The biggest problem with public displays of affection (or anger) on facebook is that many people forget there are actually other ways to communicate.

I honestly feel there are three categories for information: things you should facebook, things you should text, and things you should keep in your head.

Want to wish all of your friends a Merry Christmas? post on facebook.

Got something intimate to share? Send a text.

Drank too much last night, hate your boss? Keep it in your head.

Sometimes social media is less social than we think.

It is not realsitic that you have 700 friends, I don't care how popular you think you are.

It is even less realistic that you have 700 close friends that care what you are saying.

Truth is, most of them are judging.

 

 

 

 

 

I have read quite a few self help books in my time.

Regardless of how close one is to perfection, there is always room for improvement.

I've read books that offer advice on purging in order to allow the  good things to enter.

For example, many fix-your-life gurus encourage cleaning out closets, drawers, and cabinets. Throwing away unused, unwanted, unknown things is good for the soul.

When you remove this clutter from your life, your home, your brain, it makes room for the positive.

I am a believer, and throw away things whenever I have the chance.

Sometimes too soon.

The thing they fail to divulge in all of these helpful books is, once you rid your life and your junk drawer of all things deemed unnecessary?

The very second the bag hits the inside of that metal donation bin?

Is the precise moment you will need it.

Sad, but true. I try not to let this stop me.

Looking back, each trip to the goodwill box has always resulted in something good coming into my life. (Sometimes the exact thing I got rid, but not always)

Lately, I have been yearning, longing, for anything but a rejection letter in my mailbox in response to my thousands of queries. I feel another purge is in order.

The kids may want to bolt down their things, momma wants a book deal.

A wise man once said, "Purge and you shall receive."

Okay maybe no one said it, but they should have.

I have pontificated in the past about certain apparel names requesting their clothing not be worn by certain celebrities.

I am referring, of course, to Abercrombie & Fitch and their demands on Mike "The Situation" from Jersey Shore to cease and desist from wearing their clothing.

I thought it was all a little silly.

I now believe it is a trend worth following.

A particular University that has unfortunately found itself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons could benefit from the idea.

Penn State really needs to enact their own 'brand ban' on the ex-coach and alleged child molester, Jerry Sandusky.

This man is accused of new and indecent charges daily, and  is always seen trotting proudly in his best blues; Penn State warm up suit, hoodies, and windbreakers.

Penn State must surely continue to cringe as his image is splashed on front pages and breaking news spots, clad in full Penn State garb.

They could really take a page out of the Abercrombie handbook and hand down their own decree, refusing him the right to  showcase their apparel.

His alleged actions against innocent children, along with his creation of a charity based on fulfilling his pedophile needs, have done enough damage to the university name.

While we're at it, maybe the game of football could ban him from his jaded  analogies every time he describes his battle in court. He and his lawyers refer to the case and announce. 'we're in it for 4 quarters", and " this is tougher than the Penn State vs. Miami game of 1986".

Sandusky, you are out of time-outs and the clock can't be re-set. Might I suggest throwing a Hail Mary, because I think your big bowl hopes have died.

 

Last night I stood in line.

For.

Twenty.

Minutes.

I stood and waited with the other disgruntled Wal Mart shoppers.

I made small talk with the woman behind me, because that's what you do when you are waiting in a line that doesn't move. It's also what you do when you have run out of places to look.

She complained about the lack of prompt service and I agreed.

I felt it was my punishment for waiting so late in December to pick up my Christmas cards.

"I should have just had them shipped to my home", I complained.

"I think there is a line because it's the last night to pick them up", she shared.

Last night to pick up Christmas cards? Okay, I thought , as I slowly turned my head in the other direction, realizing I was once again talking to a crazy person in WalMart.

Facing a new direction, I noticed the people in line ahead of me were holding large reciepts. I began to dig through my purse to find mine, realizing I didn't have one.

"How long does it take to find someones pictures?",I complained.

"This isn't the line for pictures", my new friend offered. "This is the line for layaway.

"THAT is the line for pictures," she pointed to an even longer line.

I smiled and slowly walked away.

Happy Holidays

Today's Blog Post is out! (Thanks Alec Baldwin)

I'm not sure #AlecBaldwin is entirely at fault. If you've ever been propositioned to a game of 'Words with Friend's, you know the challenge is difficult to ignore. An online friend, or acquaintance, builds their word and then sends you a message challenging you to ' your turn.' If you have even an inkling of competitiveness in you, you can't move, speak, or do anything else until you respond. And it's not just a quick response, it requires thought and skill as you create the best word with the highest yielding points.

So, this poor guy (poor famous guy) issued an apology to his fellow American Airlines passengers after his refusal to turn off his cellular device led to his ejection from the plane.(On the tarmac) Oh wow, I should clarify the plane never left the ground. Imagine if it had and they actually ejected him from a moving plane?! That would be harsh or appropriate depending on your stance. Instead, he was told to leave a plane that had yet to depart.

So here he is, famous guy on an iPad playing' words with friends'( a high tech, interactive electronic game of Scrabble). If you read his public apology, it is a little back handed. In it, he  takes as much time to insult the flight attendant, comparing her to a Catholic school gym teacher, as he does to apologize. It reminds me of when my kids apologize to one another after a spat. "Sorry for you hitting you, you dummy."

Instead of taking the opportunity to truly repent, he used his blog to show his true feelings about the situation, and how he wasn't entirely to blame.

So, what I'm saying is I can relate to having a hard time turning off game where one has been challenged, and I can also relate to blogging about an experience where you feel you've been wronged.

It's the part in the middle that I think leaves him looking like an ass. Turning around and looking at all of the other passengers still playing on their phones. Feeling like he was singled out because of who he is. Assuming that that gym teacher of a flight attendant even knew or cared who he was. I believe the correct word here is, pompous.

Also, winning is probably appropriate. I am quite sure the marketing execs at Zynga are burning the midnight oil creating Baldwin's next TV ad for 'Words with friends.'

Only in America can losers prosper.

 

 

Daily Blog is out!

I've been spending the past week trying to build memories.

Warm, wintry, Christmas memories my kids can tuck in the back of their minds and save.

On chilly nights, weeks before Christmas, I love to pile the kids into my bed, sharing my comforter, as we snuggle and watch old Christmas movies.

And by old, I mean the cheesy animated specials, featuring carols sung by Burl Ives.

The movies that, children outgrow too soon.

The movies that bring back a flood of memories from my own childhood.

You're never too old to let a movie take you back. Back to a time when you could hardly sleep from the excitement that surrounds you.

I feel the same excitement from my children.

I feel their happiness, joy and anticipation.

I am excited for them.

It makes me feel like I can't wait for Christmas morning myself.

Then I realize, I have a lot more to do.

Shopping and wrapping looms.

It can all wait, for me to snuggle through one more movie.