Seasons Greetings

I hope everyone is having a wonderful winter holiday of whatever flavor they prefer.

I only got about half of the decorations up this year that I wanted to (only the second year in a house with a stair banister and I didn't get the greenery attached to it), but all in all it worked out well. We went with a blue/silver theme this year--something I've never tried. I think next year I'll go back to the warmer tones, but it was good to try something new. We had a nice holiday, and for the last two days the girls have been running around the house taking pictures and movies with their "new" used digital cameras. Last night, the Huz and I nearly fell over laughing at some of the "movies" filmed by the munchkins--so sweet and so hilarious. Have you ever filmed/recorded a cat's purr or your own fingers on piano keys? If not, you've got to try it....

I think that's what strikes me most about this season--the sense of wonder that still permeates everything. Kids almost too excited to sleep, a house full of secret surprises for loved ones, the smell of cookies or wassail. All the things that sort of call in the magic of the season. There have been a few years where I either didn't feel like celebrating or was almost caught unawares when I waited too late to make preparations, but this year was just...different. Maybe it's because over the past few months I've sort of gotten over myself a little bit, acknowledged a few more limitations, tried a little harder to look past the hype and prep and just get down to the basics of what this season is really for. In order to celebrate the returning light, I've found it's important to first acknowledge the darkness. Could that be the gift we give ourselves? A little honesty and a little surrender of all the things that usually make us too uptight to enjoy the things that matter the most?

And for those who just found that last bit too saccharine for words, I have a movie recommendation. Just before Christmas, I found a copy of "A Christmas Carol" in the store. Well, there were lots of different versions actually, but this one featured Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. I grabbed it immediately; I mean, what's not to like? Patrick Stewart in pretty much any film is not to be missed, but as Scrooge? His version of "A Christmas Carol" is well-spent money, whether you feel as miserly as Scrooge himself or not.

I've had a pretty good holiday, all in all. The one thing I haven't gotten to do yet that I really, really wanted to do is write. I'm hoping for some of that in the next few days to come. It'll certainly be much more productive than me hitting all the after-Christmas sales, and I've that Yule ball scene yet to do. I've been looking forward to that for such a long time that it's like a little present all on its own.

I'll make one New Year's resolution early. I'll try to blog more often, even when I don't have a long entry. I'll be like...a self-discipline exercise. Or something.

Merry Winter, everyone!