Mad Dash

I have never been at work this late in the year......ok maybe never is an overstatement but I am at that point of tiredness and busy-ness that it's just easier to make massive, sweeping over-generalizations than be specific and to the point.

As teachers and students across the land (or maybe just in my house) curse how late school is going, how close to Christmas we are all still at "it", I suspect that those selfsame grumblers will be pleased to have a long 10 day stretch after Christmas to sink into vacay mode.

And we are SO looking forward to that.

No alarm clocks, PJ's all day, lots of tea, cookies.....for breakfast, strolls with the puppy when the weather is nice, reading on the couch, a few days at the cabin in the woods, snow, cracking fire, a good red wine, time for friends and time for family, getting some projects done......

Ahhhhhh I feel myself unwinding already!

BUT WAIT!

There is still today and the next 3 to get through - work to finish today and leave prepped for January, gifts still to get and a pile to wrap, friends to visit, meals to organise, groceries to buy, cooking, baking, dashing about with others dashing about, traffic, parking, searching for tape at midnight and finding none, waking at 2am with lists running through my head, finding that gift I put in "a safe place".........

Trying to find the peace and joy sometime before Dec 25th......

Trying to remember that its NOT about the gifts
Trying to remember it's enough to have one another
Trying to remember those who have less, who grieve
Trying to focus on preparing my heart
Trying to have moment of quiet to enjoy the lights, the sounds
Trying not to be grumpy or rushed.
Trying to connect with people, with friends, with family

If you have 4 minutes - join me in listening to one of my favourite carols.....and Merry Christmas friends - Peace and Joy to you all.



1. Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.

2. He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Savior holy.

3. And through all His wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden,
In whose gentle arms He lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as He.

4. For he is our childhood's pattern;
Day by day, like us He grew;
He was little, weak and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feeleth for our sadness,
And He shareth in our gladness.

5. And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heaven above,
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.

6. Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see Him; but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
Where like stars His children crowned
All in white shall wait around.