SimplyLife

I love a new year.  A mental list of projects begins to bubble, just like yeast and warm water happily work together. I get excited about tossing out the accumulation of "stuff" in closets, in the garage--everywhere. The seed catalogs begin to arrive and gardening plans bloom exponentially. Everything seems possible in the new year moment. My husband gets that "deer in the headlights" look as I attempt to include him in all of the reorganization and project lists. Then there are those fresh blank calendars to write in birthdays and anniversaries, holidays, and meetings for work. (The fresh inky paper even smells good.) I'll bet there are quite a few of you that enjoy the calendar thing. Those nice little squares begin to fill with activities that are planned, orderly, and mostly happy. In my very Type "A" way, I  write them onto the paper, enter them into my electronic calendar, and set reminders to pop up at the right time on the computer screen. Th

Tonight we celebrated Christmas Eve on the border. Just a block away from the church, the lights of the U.S./Mexican border glared into the starry darkness. The ancient story was told in Spanish and English. The pageant had all the components --angels, shepherds, wisemen, Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. No doll was in this production. A baby boy with a cute faux-hawk and proper swaddling sat placidly on Mary's lap while angels sang and shepherds visited. The wisemen came later with their gifts -- each held his gift aloft for us to see. Gold, frankincense, and myrrh.The myrrh slipped to the floor, but no damage was done. The angels remained angelic throughout, their tinsel halos stayed in place. Everyone joined together at the end to sing Feliz Navidad. It was a great way to celebrate the holy night. A Christmas pageant like so many others, but with its own unique flavor that added to the meaning of the night. Hearing the Scripture in both languages, the familiar verses sparkled wit

The small parking lot was a nightmare. Vehicles were jammed into each space, some a little crooked and others taking up more than their share. Sigh...the line at the counter would probably be long. It was one little package. It was even a flat rate, properly addressed and taped box, but it had to go today. Sure enough, at least ten people were huddled in a makeshift line that wound towards the imposing counter where two postal clerks stood. The end of the line was more like a clot of humanity, some uncertain where they fit into the progression. There was some milling, dithering, and then positions were locked in. Sigh...order was required for the postal line. Eyes went directly to what was in each person's hands. Instant judgments were made about the time that would be taken at the counter. Two large men, one older and one younger stood side by side, each with a pile of packages up to their noses. There was a certain atmosphere of male competition in the air. After standing in

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell of the miraculous circumstances and birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I never tire of reading about the angel visiting Mary, Joseph, and Zacharias. Or of the verses about the shepherds being scared out of their wits by an angel invasion, and taking off for Bethlehem to verify the angel's proclamation. And of course the passage about the wisemen heeding the angel's warning in a dream, sneaking out of Judea by an alternate route. Read the first couple of chapters in Luke and Matthew to see for yourself. Miracles do happen during the Christmas season, although technically Jesus was most likely born sometime in September. This year marks four years since our own December miracle, which was actually a double miracle. Our grandsons turn four this week. And yes, the birth of a baby is always a miraculous thing, but quite frankly these boys are exceptional miracles.  Because of Twin-to-Twin Tranfusion Syndrome they were born eight weeks early, Au

Okay. I admit it. I'm a Christmas music junkie. I sneak in Christmas tunes before Thanksgiving. Now that the season is in full swing, I'm listening unabashedly to Andy, Bing, Perry, Mel, Tony, and a host of others. The classic songs are still the best in my humble opinion. Christmas music demands an orchestra and mellow, mature vocals. And I can't forget the Charlie Brown Christmas music byVince Guaraldi. It always puts me in the Way Back Machine to my childhood. You're smiling already. I'll be listening to the playlist below while decorating today.                                                       *                                                Messiah                        Sleigh Ride                       O Holy Night                      Gesu Bambino                     This Christmas                   Joy to the World                    What Child is This?               Christmas Time is Here