Holiday Spirit

Happy Monday, people! I can’t believe it is already Monday again. It seems like just yesterday was Thanksgiving and this weekend flew by because I had drill all weekend. Anyway, I’m pretty tired and not feeling like my usual analyze-everything, think-way-too-much-about-stuff, philosophizing self. There are several more involved topics I was considering writing about: something to do with the anniversary of Pearl Harbor, how shameful it is that so many people have lost the ability to simply ask another person how they are doing, or some other issue I have been thinking way too much about. However, I’m not feeling it. Honestly, what I’m feeling is that I just want to think about and enjoy simpler things right at this moment. And the simple things that are making me happy right now mostly have to do with the holidays and the proverbial holiday spirit. Here’s what I’ve done in the last 10 or so days that has put me in my personal “holiday spirit”…

10. Put together a foam gingerbread house with two of my sisters. This was supposed to be an activity for the kids but the adults ended up dominating the project because it was so difficult to figure out. My sister Jill ended up using nearly a full bottle of nail glue on the darn thing and we still could barely get it to stay together. Although it was somewhat frustrating, laughing with my sisters over a silly project made up for both the frustration and wasted bottle of nail glue.

9. Watched my niece and nephew paint Christmas ornaments. They got paint all over the place but to see my niece so proud of her nearly all black ornament was well worth it.

8. Picked out our very first live Christmas tree for the house at a tree farm! Sister Kristen had to pick it out with me since Larry was at the Bruins game but nonetheless, it will be our first live Christmas tree together.

7. Took a sleigh/carriage ride through Boston with my sister Kristen. We blew $40 on a 15 minute adventure but just like seeing my niece filled with pride because of her work on an ornament she painted all black, snuggling up to my baby sister for even 15 minutes was well worth the $40.

6. Watched “Blink” in Faneuil Hall with my sister Kristen. If you’ve never seen this and live in or near Boston, I would recommend going. It’s totally free and the huge Christmas tree and lights are so beautiful!

5. Received Daphne’s homemade Christmas stocking from my mother-in-law. It’ll be the pup’s first Christmas with us!

4. Donated gift cards for a Winter Wishes fundraiser next Saturday hosted at my girlfriend’s school for children with learning differences.

3. Went to a Christmas Cookie exchange with a bunch of girls from my gym. Never underestimate the soothing power of feminine bonding and food combined.

2. Gave Hanukkah candles to my best friend to use for this week. I’m blessed to have a best friend who shares herself, her family, and her cultural traditions with me.

1.  And the absolute numero uno thing that made me smile and beam with holiday cheer was coming home to a house lit up with Christmas lights after a draining day at drill on Saturday. I told Larry I wanted Christmas lights at Home Depot and really only instructed him to buy a tree that would light up outside. I figured he would buy the tree and we would put it up during the week or next weekend together. Much to my surprise though, he had not only put up the tree outside but also put up extra lights, 3 adorable outdoor light-up stockings, and a light-up snow man on our front door. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that seeing the lights on the house for the first time was the highlight of my week or not, but since I’m not feeling like my usual philosophizing self, I won’t think much more about it. Instead I am going to go look at our lights outside one more time, shut them off, smile, and go to bed. Cheers to the simple things in life that make us smile and cheers to the “holiday spirit” whatever that may mean to you.