Good morning. It's good to see you again. Thanks for stopping by. We're trying to get things kicked off here and find it all taking place on the day we have before us,
Thursday, November 6, 2014. I think there are 48 shopping days left before Christmas. That puts it out there for us all to contemplate. It seems like it was just eleven months ago in my very first blog of the new year where I had this quote to get us started: ~ For those who are really committed to resolutions, here's some input
from a rather famous character: "You know how I always dread the whole
year? Well, this time I'm only going to dread one day at a time." (This
was Charlie Brown's response to Patricia 'Peppermint Patty' Reichardt's
question, "Have you made any New Year's resolutions, Chuck?". The
dialogue was in a 1986 animated TV special based upon the popular comic
strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz.) ~ Hopefully you haven't had a Charlie Brown kind of year where you dreaded every day, one day at a time. I do know that for most of us, we did have a few of those kinds of days along our way. Life works that way. While I love this time of year I can't remember exactly when we quit being so very excited about Christmas morning itself. It may have happened when our boys were grown and gone. Now, on Christmas morning it typically is just MiMi and Poppy and she might be sipping on some hot chocolate and I will be enjoying a steaming cup of Community. Come to think about it. Not bad. Not bad at all.
As most of you know I am a sucker for nostalgia. Thanksgiving and Christmas are like the mother lode of memories for me. There's just something about the spirit of the holiday, the attitudes of all my folks throughout the years, and the times of family gatherings that tend to wrap me in their warm embrace. I'm talking all the way back to my earliest memories up until last year's celebration. I will admit my recall might be missing a lick here and there but my oh my how blessed I am to have enjoyed so many wonderful holiday celebrations. I do sympathize with folks who can tell some really sad tales about their unhappy experiences involving the holidays. Promises broken. Homes in turmoil. I get it. That would make almost anyone to have a bad taste in their mouth. I'm not here to say that everything about every detail of my experiences have been like a fairy tale. However, on balance, I can still see us all together, in good times and in bad, and I can once again feel that sense of belonging, the sense of enjoyment, the sense of anticipation, well, all I can say is it's good, very good, yes, very good indeed. And, needless to say, I'm thankful for it.
What's that? You think maybe I've polished them up some? That's entirely possible because I've been known to be pretty good at polishing. In fact, I used to have the most mirrored finish shoes around. I spent time every week working on my shoes. They were spit shined. Literally. Old school all the way. Sorry if that sounds gross but full disclosure demands that I tell the truth. Even after becoming a departmental director I still polished my own shoes. I could have had a fellow come to my office and do it for me. But it was a part of my personal routine. That was back in the day when we all wore suits. You know. Coat and tie. Every work day. I tell some of these younger folks how people used to dress up to fly on a plane and they give that look of both dismay and disconnect. Now it literally is anything goes. Anywhere. Are we better off because we are now living in a 'casual' world? I wouldn't be a good judge on that one. Sorry. I am a traditionalist, therefore, I saw firsthand the benefits of having structure, a dress code, and its accompanying approach to business. That was my experience. And, it's also my story and I'm not feeling bad in saying that I'm sticking to it. What? I'm living in the past? Maybe so, but that's how I roll friend, that's how I roll. Take care, have a wonderful day, and may God bless each one!
Amen. ....More later.
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