Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays!

Whatever your greeting of choice, whichever your religion, have a very merry Christmas.

I'm cooking cabbage rolls and making buns from scratch this morning. All to be taken over to my sister's house for Christmas dinner this afternoon. I've still go presents to wrap and I never did put my Christmas tree up. I don't think I will now. Mainly, I'm just too tired.

Christmas came in like a lion and is going out like a lamb, for me. In a couple of days I'm going to wonder how I missed it and I will miss it. I've been working so many hours I haven't done many of my traditional Christmas things. I didn't get a mall coffee and wander around like a tourist, looking at all the decorations. I didn't take a weekend trip away for my birthday weekend. I didn't put up my tree and fling lights around the house/ apartment. I also didn't get my Christmas cards sent out, well, only one of them which I hand delivered.

I did buy myself a new ornament for the tree. I did buy Christmas presents for all the family I will be seeing. This morning I'll wrap them all up. I did have at least one gingerbread coffee at Chapters bookstore. I did play in the snow. Lastly, I did my little happy winter ritual, which was also important to me.

So, I'm not totally missing Christmas and, if I'm not too worn out after working on Boxing Day, I can still pack into the mall and look at the decorations. Maybe Santa will still be there taking pictures with the kids. That's another tradition I've missed this year.

Merry Christmas, now dash away, dash away all!

Here it is, Christmas Eve, there's almost a magic you can feel.

The Christmas tree glows with its electric lights and the ornaments add sparkle, romance and mystery. Outside the house there are lights up and down the street and on our own home too. The odd car goes by, people out at parties, doing last minute shopping or just out driving around admiring the lights and decorations.

Is Christmas Eve better than Christmas Day? Sure you open all those presents under the tree but then the mystery, the hopes and dreams are gone. Once you open them the magic slips away.

On Christmas Eve the snow glows in the moonlight, if there is any snow. The day looks kind of stark without snow. On Christmas Eve the snow or the darkness hide the stark winter landscape. I think having snow is better. Snow makes so many great things: snow balls, snow forts and snow flakes. Can you catch a snowflake on your tongue? They say each snowflake is different, there are no two exactly the same. With so many snowflakes it seems impossible for them to all be different. Each one just a frozen drop of water.

Merrry Christmas to you all!

Do you put out milk and cookies for Santa? How about a little change from tradition this year. Maybe Santa would like a ginger ale and cyrstalized ginger. Or something like ice cubes and water and peach pie, a little summery treat at the start of winter. What ideas can you think of?

Did you send Christmas cards this year? Its nice to get them too. Here is a little bit about Christmas card history:

"The sending of commercially printed Christmas cards originated in London in 1843. By 1822, Christmas greetings were so popular in the U.S., the postal service had to hire sixteen extra mail carriers. "

This came from the WonderKorner site.

Its kind of late to start sending cards now. The mail carriers need at least a week for delivering Christmas cards. There are so many being sent they have trouble keeping up.

Christmas carols, poinsettias, the Christmas tree with all its flashing lights and ornaments, decorated shopping malls and sparkling drifts of snow those are my favourite things at Christmastime.

I still have a golden angel from when I was a very little girl. She used to play Silent Night but her music box wore out. Its still my favourite Christmas carol.

Silent night, holy night, All is calm, all is bright Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night, Shepherds quake at the sight, Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavely hosts sing alleluia; Christ the Saviour, is born! Christ the Saviour, is born!

Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Seasons Greetings