Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Tradition! Tradition!

FYI, this is a musical accompaniment to the theme of the post, if you should so choose, it is not something I am suggesting you watch.



I am discovering, in my first year in a new home, how many traditions we had that I wasn't even aware of having. But the LACK of them has left a void.

For example: the all Christmas music, all the time radio stations from October 31-January1. Is there one here? Maybe. But I haven't found it. When I found myself lacking in Christmas spirit I put on some CDs, but boy, it's like they've been though a grinder. When did my CDs get all scratched? That, and I'm missing a few of my favorites. I have since discovered that KLOVE has an all Christmas music all the time player on the web. If I can get over the tinny sound of music coming through my computer, I might adjust. Not that it is available in my car. And it competes with all the music on various sites I visit. But it does work when I'm painting my kitchen (another post, another day).

Another example: I'm not insanely busy going to obligatory parties. Are there parties going on? Likely. But I don't know about them. And I find that I simply do not care. Which leads to:

Party food. No parties. No need to find interesting party food to bring. And another thing:

White elephant gifts. Do you have any idea how hard it is to come up with unique ideas for multiple parties every. single, year? I have not a one. NOT ONE. Oh, the freedom. Oh the available mind space.

I have one child in one Christmas program. I drop her off on Tuesdays after school, pick her up an hour later. The program will be on a Sunday.

Beautiful.

I do not have six programs to attend. I do not have to come up with donations for silent auctions. I do not have to work in the kitchen. I do not have to make soups and chilis and dips. I don't have to make frantic trips to the grocery store. I don't have to work functions. I don't have to feel guilty about not taking my kids to see the Plaza Lights and I don't have to answer that we choose not to spend our money on cold carriage rides. I don't have to make conversation with strangers that are masked as friends. Oh, the liberty.

So I have developed some new traditions:

I wake up early. Every day. An interesting aside, this is WIDE awake long before the alarm is set to go off. I often startle awake with a to-do list a mile long, but I attempt to ignore it when I shuffle downstairs and flip on the Christmas tree lights and the fire and the coffee pot. And I spend time with God in the glow of the lights or the fire. I reset my priorities.

I check my email for news about my girlie. A hundred times a day. I respond to emails that need my attention. Most do not. *sigh of relief*

I made my alternate gift giving party and annual event. That occurs before Thanksgiving. (Why didn't I think of THAT before?) It is long over before the stress of December rolls in.

Wait....what stress?

I sing with my kids. Just for fun. I sing to my kids. Just for fun. I annoy the heck out of my kids. Sometimes they laugh.

Wait! I almost forgot! Family! We're spending LOTS of time with family!

And we are hopefully....HOPEFULLY....making Christmas less about the stuff of the season and more about Jesus.

That's a tradition I can get behind.

5 comments:

MotherT said...

It sounds like the start of a new set of traditions for you! BTW check out http://www.myhoperadio.com/ They have a great Christmas Music folder.

Mrs. D said...

Got 3 parties this week, I'm insanely jealous of you :). Maybe it's time for me to move!

Anonymous said...

B98 FM

Chaos-Jamie said...

Don't you dare, Mrs. D. I'd have to subtract LOTS from my family and that would be so sad.

Senior Citizen said...

Hint for not so bright stars, Go to this www.myhoperadio.com and go to random at the bottom of the choice list. Got lost on all the other choices but this one works for me.... Thanks Mother T Now, if I can just find that darn coffee cup. Sr.