I Love

In honor of the day of hearts (but not the Queen of Hearts, because there shall be no offing with anyone's heads): “Promote what you love rather than bashing what you hate.”

I love the soft glow of Christmas lights.

I love sparkling defense in baseball. The kind where the player makes the super difficult plays look effortless.

I love sunrises and sunsets and the glitter of frost and the silence of snowfall and the flaming riot of color on Autumn trees.

I love the kind of book that you stay up far too late reading "just one more chapter," because you can't bear to not know what happens next.

I love donuts from Dunkin and warm chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter M&Ms.

I love inside jokes and being silly, laughing til I gasp for air and impromptu dancing to television show theme songs.

I love time spent with "my people."

I love exploring in my own quiet way, taking it in, attentive, committing to memory.

I love the wonder of a newborn baby, a whole new person where there wasn't one a breath before, and the magic of baby laughter, and the way an infant's body melts into your arms as they surrender entirely to sleep.

I love a good quote that resonates in the mind, echoing back, again and again.

I love a good list.

I love Sunday afternoon naps on the couch.

I love old hymns that I've sung in church since I was barely old enough to read the words and the Proper Preface ( "Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Thy glorious name...") and the Nunc dimittis, Christmas Eve Candlelight and Good Friday Tenebrae and Easter Morning Sunrise.

I love good tv, the kind that makes me laugh and cry and think and rewind to watch a scene again.

I love soft blankets, freshly washed sheets, and Crate & Barrel kitchen towels.

I love almost anything vanilla scented.

I love dry humor, sharp wit, a touch of sarcasm.

I love a slow burn smile and eyes that twinkle.

I love song lyrics that speak to me or that transport me like a time machine.

I love orange blossoms.

I love old photos and "remember when..."

I love holiday traditions.

I love Broadway musicals.

I love my camera and the moments it freezes for me.

I love the thrill of walking into a Disney park and the satisfaction of finding a new detail after all this time.

I love a house filled with natural light.

I love long and winding back roads.

I love this man and this life I'm living and the rich blessings I have been granted.

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The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.

9 Songs I Have Three or More Versions of on My iPod
What Child Is This? (6)
I'll Be Home for Christmas (5)
The Christmas Song (5)
Joy to the World (4)
O Come All Ye Faithful (4)
O Holy Night (4)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (3)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (3)
Away in a Manger (3)

8 Favorite Christmas Classics
Caroling, Caroling (Nat King Cole)
The Christmas Waltz (Frank Sinatra)
Mistletoe and Holly (Frank Sinatra)
Here Comes Santa Claus (Gene Autry)
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Bing Crosby)
Silver Bells (Dean Martin)
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (Vaughn Monroe)
O Tannenbaum (Nat King Cole)

7 Songs That Speak to My Soul
Breath of Heaven
Mary, Did You Know
It's the Messiah
Who Comes This Night
In the Bleak Midwinter
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
O Come, O Come Emmanuel

6 Underrated Christmas Songs I Love
O Little Town of Bethlehem
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Angels From the Realms of Glory
We Three Kings

5 Best Independent Christmas Songs You Haven't Heard
A Cradle In Bethlehem (Vince Gill)
Hope Is Born Again (Jim Brickman)
One Bright Star (Vince Gill)
Take a Walk through Bethlehem (Trisha Yearwood)
Let It Be Christmas (Alan Jackson)

4 Songs on my iPod from Christmas Specials and Movies
Baby It's Cold Outside (Elf)
Christmas Time Is Here (A Charlie Brown Christmas)
A Holly Jolly Christmas (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer)
You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas)

3 Holiday-Related Songs I Love That Will Cause You to Judge Me But I Don't Care, I Still Love Them
He Came Here for Me (The Carpenters)
Same Old Lang Syne (Dan Fogelberg)
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (The Carpenters)

2 Christmas Songs Guaranteed to Make Me Cry
A Baby Changes Everything (no idea how Faith Hill makes it through this song without weeping, because I have tears running down my face every time)
Silent Night (when we sing it in church, Christmas Eve, with the church lit entirely by cande light)

1 Favorite Secular Christmas Song
White Christmas

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Blue Christmas

One of T's traditions: One blue candle, lit day and night, in one of our front windows for the entire Christmas season. In memory of all police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

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I love...

...orange blossoms

...fresh raspberries

...soft blankets

...red

...old photos

...autumn in New England

...song lyrics

...his wedding ring

...baseball

...Friday nights

...brisk mornings

...still warm-from-the-oven cookies

...laughing til I cry

...random "thinking of you" texts

...peppermint-scented lotion

...fuzzy socks

..."It's a Wonderful Life"

...donuts

...wandering down memory lane

...the colors of the sky at sunrise and sunset

...pristine freshly fallen snow

...the hymn "Abide With Me"

...Disney parks at night

...big hugs from friends

...tongue-in-cheek humor

...people who are genuine

...a good book

...him

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Flashback Friday: December 28, 2012

Wee me, December 1977.

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First Christmases

It's our first Christmas as husband and wife, *and* our first Christmas in our new house.  It's been a full, busy year, and I feel incredibly blessed and oh-so-lucky. I've been spoiled silly, my tummy is full of a delicious dinner, and it's been a very good day. As merry and bright as any I can remember.

Also? When the opportunity to use a good pun presents itself, I am powerless to pass it up. I'll just apologize now to everyone who had to groan when they opened our Christmas card this year.

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The world in solemn stillness lay...

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Let it snow.

While a large portion of the United States is digging out from a good-sized snowstorm, this is the closest I will get to the white stuff falling here in Florida.

I'll be busy dreaming of a white Christmas...

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Peace

Late last night, I was washing up some dishes and reloading the dishwasher. T had long since gone to bed. The television was off. The house was softly lit and quiet. As I went easily about my tidying, I kept catching views of the tree, standing in the dining room, at various angles. Its beauty actually stopped me several times, as I would catch myself paused in suspended animation, staring at its glow. A half dried pot in my hand, dish towel extended but still. I was mesmerized by the reflections in all directions. Instead of making yet another mental note to "photograph the Christmas tree at night," when I turned out the kitchen light, I picked up my camera.





And in these photos, I have captured the peace I feel in the wonderment of simple things.

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Glad tidings of great joy I bring!

To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild
This little child of lowly birth
Shall be the joy of all the earth

These are the signs that you shall mark:
The swaddling clothes and manger dark
There you will find the infant laid
By whom the heav'ns and earth were made

Come here, my friends, lift up your eyes
And see what in the manger lies
Who is this child, so young and fair?
It is the Christ Child lying there

Ah, Lord, though you created all
How weak You are, so poor and small
That You should choose to lay Your head
Where lowly cattle lately fed!

Were earth a thousand times as fair
And set with gold and jewels rare
It would be far too poor and small
A cradle for the Lord of all

My heart for very joy must leap
My lips no more can silence keep
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradlesong:

Glory to God in highest heav'n
Who unto us His Son has giv'n!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth

("From Heaven Above to Earth I Come," v. 2, 5, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15)

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How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n...

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep the angels keep
Their watch of wond'ring love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the king
And peace to men on earth

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My heart is so full...

When you are small, at Christmastime, a tree surrounded by mountains of gifts is just that: so. many. presents!!

But when you grow up, and you see your tree packed full, all you can think of is how very loved you are.

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Twas the Night Before Christmas...

I have loved books for as far back as I can remember. One of my favorite Christmas traditions, growing up, was the reappearance of two beloved books on the table in the sitting room. I still take a few moments each Christmas Eve to read them, lighting the eyes of my proverbial inner child (who is always quite alive and well!). Of course, I always reread the story of the Nativity--that is what Christmas means to me, above all else--but then there are the fanciful, magical books... The first was "Jolly Old Santa Claus" (Maryjane H Tonn, illustrations by George Hinke).

The story itself was captivating, told like the reader is being given a special "insider's" tour of the North Pole--what child doesn't like a peek into Santa's workshop?!--but the illustrations were the true treasure. This book is set up in a way that was a bit unique: the story is told on pale blue pages, with words and a few simple sketches, but then you turn the page to find full-color pages, so packed with detail, each demands you stop to really observe, almost as if you are actually inside them. Somehow, they always seemed to be exactly how I imagined it all really looked. To this day, I still stop to stare at each, before I continue with the story.




The other book is "Santa's Christmas Journey" (Roger Brooke, illustrations by Elizabeth J Miles) and it is told in rhyme.

Something about the cadence of this story has always appealed to me:

This is the story of how once a year
I fly round the world with eight trusty reindeer.
And bring to each child in each house in each land
A wrapped Christmas present, delivered by hand.

The story is wonderfully woven, each page decorated with the most wonderful pictures.




This year, my mom insisted I open one of my gifts a few days early. Inside was the newest book to add to my collection, the classic, "The Night Before Christmas," by Clement C Moore.

Further back than my memory can draw up, this book was my favorite bedtime story--so much so that I asked for it year round, and could recite along with it, knowing exactly when to turn the page. The best part, though, is that she chose one of the recordable books that Hallmark puts out (you know you've seen the commercials more than once), and so tied with this book and its personal memories, I have my mother reading the story, just as she did when I was very small, something that will become even more of a treasure should I ever have my own small child with whom to share these traditions.

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Settling in for a long winter's nap.

I'll be dreaming of a white Christmas...

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You're the Charlie Brown-iest.

Between Christmas preparations and keeping up with regular television shows on the DVR, we just haven't gotten to any of my favorite Christmas shows or movies yet. Tonight, we began remedying that.





A few favorite quotes:

"I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all really. Maybe it just needs a little love." (Linus, "A Charlie Brown Christmas")

"Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you what Christmas is all about. Lights, please! And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." (Linus, "A Charlie Brown Christmas")

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! He puzzled and puzzed til his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!" ("Dr Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas")

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Christmas Angels - Silver

The final angel, Silver - Beauty, is Arianne. She my my very favorite. I love the delicate snowflakes on her gown. I love her soft beauty and the fact that she reminds me to take in the beauty of Christmas in the middle of the crazy rush and the commercialism.



Arianne comes on wings of brightest silver, reminding us to rejoice in all the beauty we see and hear in this breathtaking season - in the chime of a silver bell ringing clear and pure on the crisp air, in the silvery winter light that bathes the landscape, in the snowflake that spins and glitters as it falls. Arianne brings with her a soft and delicate message of wintertime beauty.
(description found on ornament box)

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Christmas Angels - Blue

Azura (Blue - Peace) is one of my favorite of the five angels. I love both what she represents about the Christmas season and the details of her gown. I think she captures the feeling of peace perfectly.



Azura gently reminds us of the hush of a starry December sky and the still, unhurried moments at the heart of the season. From the hint of pale blue in a frozen pond to the deep blue of a winter midnight, her gown of calming blues brings feelings of peace. She reminds us, too, of the close friends and family who bless us by sharing those quiet moments with us.
(description found on ornament box)

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Christmas Angels - Gold

This is one of my favorite representations. I love what my third angel, Gilda, stands for: Gold - Tradition. Traditions are very important to me. I love the celebration of a ritual that has been passed down from my grandparents to my parents to me...and maybe one day my own children and grandchildren. There is a warm comfort in thinking about all the times a tradition has been honored by people I love. When I look at Gilda, in her golden gown, I think about what she is intended to mean, about the people I love, about the generations-old traditions...and the new ones I've created with T.



Gilda represents time, memory and every precious thing that endures. Her gown of gold brings to mind the star that tops the tree or the golden glow of a flame passed from candle to candle. She brings her message of gratitude for those who have shared in our traditions through the years - passing them on, receiving them, creating new ones. She is a shining celebration of tradition and the many ways it enriches the season.
(description found on ornament box)

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Christmas Angels - Green

The second angel is Green - Generosity, and her name is Esmerelda.



Esmerelda calls to mind the spirit of giving that marks the season - the wreath of pine inviting us into a friend's house, the holly bough on the mantel above a welcoming fire or the glowing tree where we place the gifts our hearts have chosen with care. In her evergreen gown, Esmerelda brings with her the joyful message of generosity.

(description found on ornament box)

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Christmas Angels - Red

Back in 2005, Hallmark had a collection of ornaments called "Joyful Tidings." There were five angels in the collection, each wearing a different color representing part of the Christmas season. I fell in love with them immediately, but at nearly $20 each, there was no way I would be adding them to my collection of Christmas angels. The following year, though, thanks to some skillful Ebay maneuvers, I managed ot get all five in my possession for a grand total of $24--two of them for only $2 each! I look forward to taking them out each Christmas. The details are amazing and they truly do convey the spirit of Christmas. I have been meaning to photograph and share them for several years now.

The first of the angels is Red - Love. Her name is Cordelia.



Cordelia wears warm red to help her do what angels do - bear messages from heart to heart. She brings to mind the rosy cheeks a mother kisses when her child comes in from the cold, the crimson ribbon on a package for a special someone, or the red-mittened hands that reach out to embrace a friend. Cordelia serves as a tender reminder of love in all its forms.
(description found on ornament box)

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