This Christmas part three

We have a good start on our journey to become Agents of Christmas. By now the menu should be set in our minds for the big day. We should try to get as much done ahead of time to allow us to enjoy the magic also!

Ah yes! For how can we project that wonderful warmth of heart if we are all loaded down with stress? Let's check our “Bah Humbug” meters: how many times have we said the word “No” today? Could we have expressed our point in other ways? “No” is the paradigm of negativity. Lets keep an eye out for that little irritant in our lotion of happiness.

Back to the Menu:

Roast Turkey breast

Gravy

Cornbread stuffing (going to test run a new recipe on Monday)

Home made Cranberry sauce

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Mashed potatoes

Desert Roasted Butternut Squash tartlet

Remember to leave yourself some “wiggle” room in this just in case a certain someone expresses a wish for something else. 

 

Slave was out late one night with best friend Charlie having coffee as we chatted into the wee small hours. When asked about his “Magic” of Christmas.

“I think about all of the great people I got to be with. Family members – friends, all telling stories and laughs. “I don't feel sad because they are gone. “Instead I feel happiness because I got to know and be with them.”

That was magical.

My mind pictured the many scenes of them together: laughing and talking. Just being together! Isn't this at least one of the greatest parts of Christmas? Lets think about that and what makes it so good?

How easy to fall into the trap of self pity of being left behind. That will not be our role this Christmas! We are Agents of the magic, the happiness, the love!

Lets brace ourselves for another blast of cold as we fly off to another space and time.

 

My friend June, relates how when she graduated with her degree, her first job was to be with the NSA. Now this was back in the fifties! We can only imagine how secretive it was back then.

Here was this young woman, fresh out of school, all by herself almost locked-up in a closed camp outside of Washington DC. Socializing was not allowed. She didn't even have her horn yet and could not yet be part of the military bands.

She faced Christmas in this drab barracks: away from her friends, her large sized family, even her twin sister!

"I came down to the mess hall and there on the tables were small bowls of different kinds of nuts! “There were special bows on the place settings, oh you can't imagine how pretty they were! "How bright and shiny! “Doesn’t sound like much now but it was so special at the time. “After dinner, I went to the break room and curled up with a book next to the Christmas tree with all of its lights and decorations. “It was just so wonderful”.

Have our thoughts of Christmas and our images changed so very much in the 60 years since then? Could we be overlooking something?

We still have more than a week but we MUST focus our minds so that we may bring the joy of the season. Can't wait until the big day for that!

I travel back in my mind to my early Christmases. Using tools like what Charlie has given me to look past the losses. Look past the “didn't haves”. Look past the hurts and tears, to that time of wonder.

The first thing that pops up was climbing onto the couch at night with the room lights out. The tree was lit bright with many different colors. Points of light gleamed from all kinds of different angles. Bright patterns were played on the walls. I used to squint my eyes so that it all was bright sparkly wonderful colors! I would hop back and forth to see it in different angles. What joy to behold!

It all comes back! The piney smell of sap from the tree. The soft caress of the flannel pajamas and robe.

Ah now it was time for the most important part of the season. My brother and I would climb up in Mom's lap and she would pull out the book! Every year she would read this same magic book out loud every night. It just wasn't Christmas until her animated voice would intone the first words: “Marley was dead to begin with..”

Thus our very own Christmas Carol would begin. Our minds would fill with the scenes. We had no idea that she was teaching or that we were learning at all. It was just there. Is it any wonder I know most of the words to this day?

I can still picture Scrooge’s house set back from the street “like as a child it had run there to hide and gotten lost”. Or learning that “locomotive” was at the time what we would call a horse drawn hearse, rather than a rail road train!

The sights, the sounds, the smells the feels!
 
Ah so much has filled our Christmas jelly mould and it is yet to firm up. All of these stories point to the same fundamental elements of what makes up Christmas joy!

 

Have you seen it? Have you put it together yet? Lets allow things to come together tonight and we shall see in the morning. Together we shall have that “Ah Ha” moment! For right now let us enjoy the lights and music as we sail across the night time sky!

Serving my Master Indy

socialslave

To satisfy and restore.

To nourish, support and maintain.

To gratify, spoil, comfort and please,

to nurture, assist, and sustain

…..I cook!