It's Here!

Hi, folks,

I'm sure you know what I'm referring to in my title:  The weekend!   I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in South Central Pennsylvania, it's cold and windy.  With the wind chills, we are to drop down below freezing over night.  I guess that means that our heat will be on for quite a while now. 

I remember when we actually had a spring and fall, when during the spring we could turn off the central air and open the windows.  Then in the fall, we could turn off the heat and just be comfortable.  We don't have that happening much anymore.  I truly miss that!  How about you?

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, and you all know, that once we pass Thanksgiving, Christmas is almost upon us.  I have to say that I truly enjoy both of these seasons, especially the Christmas Season. 

Christmas is a very special time of year for me.  When I was a youngster, we lived on a small farm, and my parents didn't have much money, but they always made the Christmas season very special for me and my siblings.  Dad always put up a platform, which was painted white on the top, and Mom hooked rolls of paper, that were made to look like red bricks, around the two exposed sides of the platform. 

Nest, Dad would set the Christmas tree on the one end of the platform.  Then, we'd decorate the tree with some beautiful ornaments, which were very special to my folks.  We had plastic ice sickles which had a little hook on the top of them, for hanging them on the tree.  Of course, Mom always put tinsel on the tree, also.  She'd also put Angel Hair on our tree.  (If you've never heard of that, it's spun glass that feels like silk.  Mom would spread it all over our tree and when the lights were on, they cast shadows all through the angel hair.  It was a bit messy, but it was beautiful when the lights were turned on.)  FYI:  My husband and I still hang many of those same ornaments on our tree, as well as, some of the ice sickles.)

After the tree was all decorated, Dad would set up the train, which ran around the entire perimeter of the platform.  Then, Mom would set up the village and lastly, she'd spread green flakes that looked like grass and brown flakes for roads.  On top of that, she'd spread the artificial snow everywhere.  They even had small lights inserted into the houses making it look very realistic.  Us kids loved everything about Christmas at our home. 

You see, it wasn't so much about the gifts we got, it was about the birth of Jesus and the peace the season brought to us.  Mom always played Christmas music right after Thanksgiving, which we loved.  I suppose it's no surprise that I have always loved the Christmas Season, seeing how special my parents made the season for me and my siblings.  Of course, on Christmas morning, the three of us couldn't wait to go downstairs to see what Santa had left for us.  Compared to what a lot of kids get today, what we got was sparse, but we didn't truly care. 

I brought my three daughters up with those same Christmas traditions.  We, also, couldn't afford to spend much money on Christmas gifts, but that never seemed to spoil anything. 

As I am getting older, I am realizing, more and more, how much thanks I owe to my beloved Mom and Dad, for raising us the way they did.  Tradition has, and always will be, very important to me.  I was just thinking yesterday, how much I owe my Mom for sharing all her many, many creative abilities with me.  I am truly so thankful to her because with my life being what it is today, because of my chronic Congestive Heart Fairlure, if I couldn't create things for other people and especially children, I would surely be in a deep depression.  But, I stay busy, even if it is while I'm on the sofa with my feet up.  I truly have to give back for all the many, many blessings I've been given by God.

I hope your weekend is a good one.  Be safe and have some fun.  May God bless each of you and keep you safe, always.
Susan