“Christmas Vacation Part 2”
Did you see the hilarious movie “Christmas Vacation” years ago, with Chevy Chase? When the stress of the holidays begins to take its toll, rent the movie, pop some corn, grab a beer, and prepare for a lot of laughs! It’ll cure what ails you, I promise!
The Dixons are writing the sequel to that movie…look out, Hollywood! Last year we hired a tree expert to come out with his cherry-picker, and put the lights on the top of our 25-ft. blue spruce. It cost us $100, but we figured it was worth it, since it’s getting too dangerous for us to climb a ladder that high.
After the man left, my husband and I put lights around the rest of the tree and stood back to admire our efforts. It looked magical, and our neighborhood looks forward to seeing this tree light up every year. Two hours later though, the top lights all went out. The tree man came back the next day and changed the fuses on that section. He reconnected the lights, and voila! The entire tree lit up again…it was beautiful! The bad news is that the entire section went dark again after a few hours. My husband and I were quite frustrated, having spent good money for nothing. We ended up turning the tree off for the entire Christmas season.
Fast forward to this holiday season, and we again called the tree guy for help with the lights. (We made sure to buy all new lights this time!) Dave did a beautiful job, as did my husband. We ventured outside that night to bask in the beauty of the Christmas tree, and it really was glorious! There was just one tiny area where a strand of lights needed to be raised up just a little bit, to fill in a hole. My husband at first decided he’d deal with that the next day. However, a few hours later he was out in the yard with a ladder and a long pole, lifting that strand up. Well, the worst happened! Once again, just like last year, the whole upper section went out!
My husband has to be the most even-tempered person in the world. But he came stomping into the house, absolutely furious! He was mad at himself for fooling with the tree and not leaving well-enough alone. He used words I NEVER hear him use (I, unfortunately, use them a little more liberally!). I stayed out of his way, saying things like, “Yes, dear, I know how frustrated you must be!” Let me mention that I am “so over” that tree. It’s just gotten too big to decorate, and the hassle outweighs how pretty it looks when it’s all lit up. I thought that Tom might now reach that same conclusion. Either that, or a solution would come to him when he had calmed down.
The next day, Tom asked me, “Do you have an extension cord?” I burst out laughing, saying, “Chevy Chase has nothing on you!” The upshot is that we now have three electric cords going to the different sections of the monster tree, and the lights have now stayed on the entire time, even through a rainstorm, and also withstanding a grandson climbing around under the tree…gasp!
One more funny postscript to this story: The day after Tom successfully completed the lighting of our outdoor tree, we noticed a problem with the lights on our little artificial indoor tree. You guessed it! The top section went out! We’ve already added extra lights to other parts of this “pre-lit” tree over the years, and don’t want to add any more and overload the circuits. So we sit in our living room and admire our “Charlie Brown” Christmas tree, minus the lights on top!
They say there are no coincidences. So my question is this: what is the meaning of this situation, where first the lights kept going out on our outdoor tree. We finally got that fixed, only to have the lights go out on the top our indoor tree! If anyone has some thoughts on this, I’d love to hear them!
P.S.: I have fiddled with the settings on the “comment” section of this blog, in an effort to make it easier for someone to post a comment. Let me know if that’s made it simpler! Thanks, Mary
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Prayers Answered!
This past week has been a hectic one. As so often happens during the holiday season, several events fell within a short period. I don’t know about you, but during the rest of the year we can go for weeks with little on our calendar. But this week there were an over-abundance of engagements, plus things that had to be taken care of.
A Christmas dinner hosted by a colleague turned out to be a three-hour affair, when our host suggested we all try the “Tasting Menu”. There were many courses with small portions, and each course was presented with great ceremony, every dish described as to ingredients and preparation. By the fifth course, it was 10:30, and we still had several courses to go! Tom and I fell into bed at midnight, knowing the next day would be just as long.
The following evening was a joyful time, joining with two dear friends at Johnny Mathis’ glorious Christmas concert! But another midnight bedtime was difficult, with our schedule for the next several days so demanding.
The following day Tom was up at 4:30 AM, for a two-day medical seminar in San Francisco. I was concerned about the daily two-hour drive roundtrip, with insufficient sleep. My heart kept repeating, “May he be safe. May he be safe.”
In the midst of all this, we were on tap to have two of our grandkids sleep over. At the last minute, our daughter-in-law called to cancel, and we were actually grateful. There was so much on our plate that I had been praying for a break.
At the end of the seminar we were scheduled to drive two hundred miles up into the mountains, for our granddaughter’s birthday and her ballet recital. But it seems the Mystery hears the longing of our hearts and knows our needs, and answers in ways we could never imagine! A winter storm rolled in, with three to four feet of snow predicted and possible road closures.
This was to be a brief overnight trip, in order to be back in time for Tom to have his pacemaker replaced on Monday. But with the storm coming in, we couldn’t chance being stranded hundreds of miles from home. We had to cancel our visit.
The procedure Tom will have is fairly simple and commonplace, but as with any surgery, there is always the possibility of complications. It is important to be prepared with plenty of rest, and the way our week was jammed with days in the office, late nights, the seminar, the sleepover, and the 400 mile round-trip drive, it didn’t look as though Tom would be getting much rest. But with the canceling of the sleepover and the trip up the mountain, we now have a blessed Sunday that has turned into a real day of rest!
We are settling into the quiet and peace of our little home, with nothing to do from now until Monday morning! All our plans were sifted and shaken, and only a minimum remained, leaving us time to prepare for the surgery. Isn’t it amazing how everything fell into place? How could I forget that we are not really in control? There is a Presence, a Mystery which somehow holds tenderly both the smallest detail and the entire universe. It is so human to fret and to worry, yet that accomplishes not a whit. All that is needed is some planning, a little faith, and a lot of letting go!
This past week has been a hectic one. As so often happens during the holiday season, several events fell within a short period. I don’t know about you, but during the rest of the year we can go for weeks with little on our calendar. But this week there were an over-abundance of engagements, plus things that had to be taken care of.
A Christmas dinner hosted by a colleague turned out to be a three-hour affair, when our host suggested we all try the “Tasting Menu”. There were many courses with small portions, and each course was presented with great ceremony, every dish described as to ingredients and preparation. By the fifth course, it was 10:30, and we still had several courses to go! Tom and I fell into bed at midnight, knowing the next day would be just as long.
The following evening was a joyful time, joining with two dear friends at Johnny Mathis’ glorious Christmas concert! But another midnight bedtime was difficult, with our schedule for the next several days so demanding.
The following day Tom was up at 4:30 AM, for a two-day medical seminar in San Francisco. I was concerned about the daily two-hour drive roundtrip, with insufficient sleep. My heart kept repeating, “May he be safe. May he be safe.”
In the midst of all this, we were on tap to have two of our grandkids sleep over. At the last minute, our daughter-in-law called to cancel, and we were actually grateful. There was so much on our plate that I had been praying for a break.
At the end of the seminar we were scheduled to drive two hundred miles up into the mountains, for our granddaughter’s birthday and her ballet recital. But it seems the Mystery hears the longing of our hearts and knows our needs, and answers in ways we could never imagine! A winter storm rolled in, with three to four feet of snow predicted and possible road closures.
This was to be a brief overnight trip, in order to be back in time for Tom to have his pacemaker replaced on Monday. But with the storm coming in, we couldn’t chance being stranded hundreds of miles from home. We had to cancel our visit.
The procedure Tom will have is fairly simple and commonplace, but as with any surgery, there is always the possibility of complications. It is important to be prepared with plenty of rest, and the way our week was jammed with days in the office, late nights, the seminar, the sleepover, and the 400 mile round-trip drive, it didn’t look as though Tom would be getting much rest. But with the canceling of the sleepover and the trip up the mountain, we now have a blessed Sunday that has turned into a real day of rest!
We are settling into the quiet and peace of our little home, with nothing to do from now until Monday morning! All our plans were sifted and shaken, and only a minimum remained, leaving us time to prepare for the surgery. Isn’t it amazing how everything fell into place? How could I forget that we are not really in control? There is a Presence, a Mystery which somehow holds tenderly both the smallest detail and the entire universe. It is so human to fret and to worry, yet that accomplishes not a whit. All that is needed is some planning, a little faith, and a lot of letting go!
Monday, December 7, 2009
A Glass Half-Full
Do you enjoy reading stories about how someone came to a new understanding about Life, and how that new perspective changed the person in a positive way? I do.
Here is such a story. Winter has been a season I have resisted almost all my life. I have to admit I resented the cold. Because I re-located to “sunny California” for the much-touted warmth and sunshine, it came as a shock to discover the cold winters we experience up here in the northern part of the state. Living the myth of year-round summer-like days, I would dress in clothes too lightweight for the season. I recall one particularly frigid New Years’ Eve, when icy patches and bone-chilling fog made the roads hazardous. I shivered through the evening in a thin little party dress with spaghetti straps, my bare legs shaking in high-heeled sandals, and the rest of me protected from the freezing temperatures by only a light wrap. What exactly was I thinking??
Maybe I’m a slow learner, because it’s only been in recent years that I have given in and admitted it’s darn cold in these parts! Now I dress in layers, adding a sweater or fleece jacket even inside the house, when the temperature falls below my comfort zone. No more do I run around in thin little flat shoes. Instead I put on warm socks and lace-up boots, and forego the fashionable for the comfortable.
The amazing part of this is that I no longer resent the winters here! Facing the truth about our climate and dressing accordingly has kept me warm and enabled me to relax and enjoy the wintry days.
There is another aspect about winter that has always been very difficult for me, and that is the shorter days and long dark nights. Like many people, my emotions are affected by the weather and the seasons. The shorter days mean there is less time to accomplish the tasks I set for myself. Rushing through my work, I have not been very pleasant company, I’m sure. Resentment festered in me, not just about the cold temperatures, but also at the darkness, and the fewer hours to take care of all my chores.
For some reason however, this year is different for me, and it all has to do with “Light”. Many people in our society are preparing for Christmas, a time that celebrates the birth of the Christ, known also as “the Light of the World”. Others light candles in honor of Hanukkah, the “Festival of Lights”. All around, houses are festooned with lights and wreaths, while inside our homes, Christmas trees are laden with yet more lights, sparkling ornaments and tinsel.
Since time immemorial humans have anticipated the winter solstice, marking the return of the sun. I have found myself for the first time fully embracing the knowledge that around the 21st of December, the sun will reach its lowest point. From that moment on, we will gain precious moments of sunlight each day. This is what I mean by my “glass half-full”. Rather than focusing on how dark it is, my heart is joyful, because I know we are fast approaching the return of the sun! Knowing the Light will start returning in just two short weeks, I have come to terms with the shorter days and the long dark nights.
In accepting the fact that the days are shorter and there’s not much I can do to change it, I have also cut myself a little slack, as they say. I want to be kind to myself. I want to enjoy each moment, whatever it brings. I now make shorter “to-do” lists, and if I don’t finish my tasks, I’m okay adding my unfinished chores to tomorrow’s list.
Don’t you find Life just so interesting? What causes these sea-changes in our perspective? I suspect there are probably little baby-steps leading up to these more noticeable shifts, changes that are too small to notice. But the Grace of the Unknowable breaks into our lives when we least expect It, and suddenly we see the tangible results in how differently we are living our daily lives. Ah! That causes me to smile inwardly, and to be ever so grateful!
Here is such a story. Winter has been a season I have resisted almost all my life. I have to admit I resented the cold. Because I re-located to “sunny California” for the much-touted warmth and sunshine, it came as a shock to discover the cold winters we experience up here in the northern part of the state. Living the myth of year-round summer-like days, I would dress in clothes too lightweight for the season. I recall one particularly frigid New Years’ Eve, when icy patches and bone-chilling fog made the roads hazardous. I shivered through the evening in a thin little party dress with spaghetti straps, my bare legs shaking in high-heeled sandals, and the rest of me protected from the freezing temperatures by only a light wrap. What exactly was I thinking??
Maybe I’m a slow learner, because it’s only been in recent years that I have given in and admitted it’s darn cold in these parts! Now I dress in layers, adding a sweater or fleece jacket even inside the house, when the temperature falls below my comfort zone. No more do I run around in thin little flat shoes. Instead I put on warm socks and lace-up boots, and forego the fashionable for the comfortable.
The amazing part of this is that I no longer resent the winters here! Facing the truth about our climate and dressing accordingly has kept me warm and enabled me to relax and enjoy the wintry days.
There is another aspect about winter that has always been very difficult for me, and that is the shorter days and long dark nights. Like many people, my emotions are affected by the weather and the seasons. The shorter days mean there is less time to accomplish the tasks I set for myself. Rushing through my work, I have not been very pleasant company, I’m sure. Resentment festered in me, not just about the cold temperatures, but also at the darkness, and the fewer hours to take care of all my chores.
For some reason however, this year is different for me, and it all has to do with “Light”. Many people in our society are preparing for Christmas, a time that celebrates the birth of the Christ, known also as “the Light of the World”. Others light candles in honor of Hanukkah, the “Festival of Lights”. All around, houses are festooned with lights and wreaths, while inside our homes, Christmas trees are laden with yet more lights, sparkling ornaments and tinsel.
Since time immemorial humans have anticipated the winter solstice, marking the return of the sun. I have found myself for the first time fully embracing the knowledge that around the 21st of December, the sun will reach its lowest point. From that moment on, we will gain precious moments of sunlight each day. This is what I mean by my “glass half-full”. Rather than focusing on how dark it is, my heart is joyful, because I know we are fast approaching the return of the sun! Knowing the Light will start returning in just two short weeks, I have come to terms with the shorter days and the long dark nights.
In accepting the fact that the days are shorter and there’s not much I can do to change it, I have also cut myself a little slack, as they say. I want to be kind to myself. I want to enjoy each moment, whatever it brings. I now make shorter “to-do” lists, and if I don’t finish my tasks, I’m okay adding my unfinished chores to tomorrow’s list.
Don’t you find Life just so interesting? What causes these sea-changes in our perspective? I suspect there are probably little baby-steps leading up to these more noticeable shifts, changes that are too small to notice. But the Grace of the Unknowable breaks into our lives when we least expect It, and suddenly we see the tangible results in how differently we are living our daily lives. Ah! That causes me to smile inwardly, and to be ever so grateful!
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