Will They Like Me????

I just sent this blog address to the UUFA office for publication in the January newsletter.  I have been hesitant to send this information out, feeling that I may not be able to keep up with regular posting to this blog.  I guess now I am committed.  I feel like an adolescent wearing the latest fashion for the first time - I hope everyone likes it, I hope I don't look foolish, I hope . . . . . I hope . . . . . Here are my thoughts/reflections for today:

Post Christmas

What's all the fuss about, really?  I had a great evening on December 24 with my son and his family. (I can't imagine my January gathering with my daughter's family will be less special because it's not on a holiday.)  But really, it was like so many other great evenings I've spent with them. The gifts were out of the ordinary gatherings, and they were fun, but the most satisfaction was cooperative meal preparation early in the day, attending the service at the UUFA together (it's always nice to have family show up at your work place), and then eating the delicious meal we'd prepared.  It was fun to see the girls open their presents, but as usual, the real joy was in the hugs and conversations that took places during all of this.  I am not try to be a scrooge, I love gifting those I love with  presents as much as anyone.  And it is fun to see what they've gotten for me.  But, really, it's the being together I cherish.  I am almost tempted to do something like one small gift a month so there is not so much at Christmas time.  What do you think?

So, after the excitement of gift opening on Christmas Eve, we put the girls to bed and then had a fun time playing Scrabble (on a very old Scrabble board).  It was a high scoring game with Ian getting an eight letter word that covered two double word squares!  Heather got an extra 50 points when for the first play of the game when she used all seven of her letter tiles.  Molly and I struggled to keep up, but our mid-100's was no wimpy score!

Christmas Day found Molly and I at my house in Ames.  Santa found Molly at my address and left the blender she'd requested.  Made for yummy milkshakes later in the day.   We were going to go to the movies, but found that our choices for movies went away in the weekly shuffle.  Instead, we stayed home and watched old favorites that I had and a Cinemax presentation on my fairly new satellite TV service.

I realize how ordinary, possibly boring, my account of my holiday is.  Yet, in my busy life, it was just what I needed.  It was an exotic and health promoting gift.  No travel on iffy roads, no cleaning or food prep, no trying to be alert and interesting in my interactions.  And spending all day with Molly - priceless!  What a gift the day was.  I hope you got just what you needed as well.