And once all of the presents have been opened, you hear the words...

I just can’t believe it when I hear somebody speak these words! 

The crazy thing is, this is one my goals.

Yes, you read that correctly. It’s a goal. I’ve heard about bored housewives, how does one become that?

I have never in my life been bored. I suppose I probably said that when I was a kid, as a lot of kids do. But certainly not since high school have I ever been bored, there’s just too much to experience and accomplish.

First off, just staying ahead of housework keeps one busy. And, all of the errands that must be completed, and if you have young children there are all kinds of school activities to put on top of “just keeping up.”

But all of that aside, I have always found things that I wanted to do or wanted to learn to keep me busy. I love to read and to spend time writing. I enjoy many shows that provide education. As a child I loved it when Jacque Cousteau or Marlin Perkins would be on television. I enjoy watching Jack Hanna (I was fortunate enough to meet this gentleman), Albert Yu-Min Lin, and many programs on the History Channel, National Geographic, or PBS.

I was thrilled when the internet came into being. I’m a self-described internet gypsy. I’m always looking up something and wandering from page to page to page learning about new things – or old things that I find of interest. I’ve met some really great people this way.

 Every job that I’ve ever had, I had to learn something. My current “day job” is challenging and ever changing, so learning happens every single day. And, I can’t even imagine what career path I might have taken had the internet been available to me in my youth. The possibilities are endless so how could I ever be bored!

(And just in case you are bored, do your own gypsy hop to this site.)

Then there is my DIY side. I enjoy experimenting with many types of crafts. I’ve tried a lot of things; crocheting, embroidery, quilting, paper quilling, painting, kitchen crafts, fudge-making, the list goes on and on. The flip side of “crafting” is doing things in my home, like wallpapering, painting, plaster repair, installing tile, and this list also goes on.

Now, that my circumstances allow, I’m also enjoying some travels. It’s fun to go to new places and learn about those communities. I’ve trained my grandchildren well in these adventures and they’ve learned we are going to do something we can’t do at home, and eat in a “real” restaurant, not a fast-food place. We are going to read a book we’ve not read before, or watch a movie we’ve not seen before. They are beginning to appreciate these experiences over material things.

Back to my goal of being bored … There is always something to do, something to learn, or some place to go so it will take me a very, very long time to reach the point when “I’m bored.” I don’t know if I can even achieve this goal!

 

Contributed by Melody Lowe

Merry Christmas

 

HEY YOU! Yes, you! Stop for just a minute.

Enjoy this pause in the hustle and bustle of preparation and merry-making. Give yourself a moment to take a deep breath, look at the friends and family surrounding you, and enjoy a minute of gratitude and peace.

…

Breath and enjoy the moment…

…

I now return you to the chaos of Christmas with all of its many frustrations and blessings.

I wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!

  

Contributed by Melody Lowe

Tis the Season...

...for many types of celebrations - Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and others, but today I'm focusing on Yuletide.

Since prehistory, the Winter Solstice has been a significant time of year in many cultures and marked by a wide variety of festivals and rituals.

Yuletide was the pagan celebration of the season for many Germanic-based cultures and can last anywhere from weeks to months. All of us have borrowed traditions from Yuletide without even realizing it. Consider the Twelve Days of Christmas! This is the period from Christmas until January 6^th, and I personally refuse to take down my decorations at home until this date. After all, there’s some German in my ancestry.

Perhaps you have a fireplace. Do you burn the Yule Log? This seems to be more of an English custom. Again, this goes through a period of about 2 weeks (or the 12 Days of Christmas) to signal the onset of Winter and provide light on the longest night of the year, as we begin to look forward to the return of the sun.  You may also partake of some wassail around the fire – or maybe you just prefer your favorite wine.

Do you have a Christmas tree, or wreath or other evergreen in your home? Join together with friends and family for a Christmas feast? Join others to loudly sing songs of revelry? All traditions related to Yuletide.

As you ponder what fun activities you may partake of this Christmas season, here’s a link to one in our community you may like to participate in. Hospice of Davis & Wapello Counties “Longest Night of the Year” service.

May you enjoy all the blessings of this holiday season no matter how you celebrate it!

Merry Christmas!

contributed by Melody Lowe

 

I had forgotten how magical it is to watch someone’s face when inspiration hits them! You can see their feelings of joy and accomplishment bloom. I was reminded of this recently as I watched my youngest grandchild solve a problem.

She’s a very petite and tenacious five-year-old. She was helping set out the Christmas decorations and had become engrossed in the study of a 3-D Christmas card hanging in the hallway. It was a fun scene of Santa taking a vacation on the beach. Being about a foot too short to see it well, she kept stretching and twisting trying to take it all in. She asked a lot of questions about the scene. I was not close to her as I was sitting on the floor putting together some decorations I had added to my collection, and apparently, I was not answering her questions as well as she would have liked.

Suddenly, she got quiet (Parents – you know this warning sign…) so I watched her to see what she was up to and the wheels were definitely turning. And then I saw it. The moment of inspiration as it spread across her little face. Her eyes brightened; her smile huge. She started humming as she literally skipped to the kitchen and moments later, came back with a stepstool. She promptly sat it on the floor right in front of the Christmas card, stepped up on it, and she was beaming with pride that she had solved her problem without help from anyone. She then proceeded to confidently describe to me all the details of the card that she could now see and touch and which made her feel a part of the decorating activities.

It's a kind of magic when you have this feeling of inspiration, big or small. Inspiration instills energy and confidence. You walk a little taller. You believe in yourself and your plan. Inspiration motivates you to see it through to success, and you end your day with a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. Everything just feels better… and isn’t that magical.

Contributed by Melody Lowe

Are you Ready?

“If I didn’t like you so well, I’d wish bad things on you!”

That was one response I recently received when someone asked me if I was ready for the holidays, and I responded with a resounding “yes.”  (I’m almost always ready for the holidays.)

No, I don’t get in a hurry to put up the Christmas decorations. I wait until Thanksgiving weekend to generally put them up. However, I do take my sweet time in removing them. I like the “merry and bright” feelings they bring to my home. Having spent many years being Mrs. Claus to my husband’s Santa, it wouldn’t bother me personally to have them up all year. (And a few things are!)

I received the aforesaid comment because my Christmas shopping was done by Halloween. I would say on average I generally have at least 80% of shopping done by that time each year. This year I ran into some super sweet sales, so I got more done than usual. I just need to pick up stocking stuffers once the stockings are hung!

I start shopping for next year’s presents right away. I snag wrapping paper at deep discounts, I watch for “big” items to be marked down. I check out clearance sales. I gather in things all year long. Sometimes it’s a challenge to keep it all hidden, and you might not get a present until the next year if I forgot where it was, but it keeps my own Christmas spirit alive and well all year round.

I am not the Queen of Organization. I am not OCD about it. I am not “scheduling” it. I just simply like to think ahead. That way my budget doesn’t take a big hit in November and December and I’m not worrying about paying off credit cards in January. Christmas expense has been sprinkled throughout the entire year so I don’t feel “a Christmas bite” in my gift-giving. I can sing along to the Christmas music while I’m wrapping, instead of grinch grumbling about how much money I spent as I open yet another roll of tape. (I love tape – my children hate it!)

And yes, you should always be thinking ahead! It’s not just Christmas I plan ahead for. It’s birthdays. TAXES. Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses. Vacations…  You have to plan for the fun things, and the not-so-fun things as well.

I hope your holidays are merry and bright, and that you also take part in some pre-planning to make your next year easier.

contributed by Melody Lowe