12/24/2007

Happy Christmas Eve


Wishing you every happiness.

We started the day with an early morning delight when our four year old neighbor Lillie ran the bell with her cookie delivery. She proudly held up a polka dotted gift bag filled with the treats. YUMMY.

We had a lovely day with our local family, son Jim and his wife Monica and their daughters, Juliana and Alison and our daughter Karen. Because we have a very early airport call tomorrow morning we decided to have a mid-afternoon gathering and meal. We would attend 4 PM Mass and then come back here to exchange gifts after church. It was a good plan. And fun!!!!

Jim received the "hit" gift from our son Jim - a remote control in-house helicopter.
The little bird buzzes around like a dragon fly and the flight plan varies dramatically depending on who has the controls. I was delighted with Juliana's gift - a DVD of "The Cutting Edge" - one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies.

But it wasn't the wrapped presents that mattered. It was the quality time laughing and being together that was the real gift - - A special caring sweetness that is indeed the real meaning of Christmas.

Outside the huge moon is still bright and shining. Marilyn Kinsella, MO storyteller wrote to the Storytell Listserve to explain that this big moon with reddish Mars visible near-by is called "the long night moon." We stopped to star gaze, to enjoy it and feel the blessing.

When I called Mama the other night she told me that she remembered the year the song, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" came out. It was the Fall before Daddy returned from over-seas. He was home by Christmas - as were so many 100s of others in 1945.
That bit of history gave me a new understanding of the meaning of that song.

Just as today I understood what it means to be truly at home when you are with those you love, no matter where you are.

That's why I am looking forward to also being at home in California tomorrow.

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