[at-l] A Strange Christmas

[Linda Benschop]

It certainly is a strange one.  We are in the mountains of North 
Carolina where it is usually quite cold this time of year.  It has been 
in the 70's during the day since we arrived here.  Christmas Eve with no 
snow here just doesn't feel the same to me.  Everyone here is in the 
spirit.  I am grateful to be alive and to be seeing all the miracles.  
Watching my two littlest granddaughters so excited and waiting for 
Santa.  They are asking what kind of cookies Santa likes.  Would he 
prefer cocoa or milk?  Did we remember to get enough carrots for the 
reindeer....etc. etc.  I miss my parents so much this time of year.  It 
wasn't fair that they died that young.  But, when I feel sad, I look at 
the big eyes so anxious for tomorrow morning to come.  I see another 
generation beginning to take over and feel so blessed.  I have so 
much....an incredible husband, four awesome grown children, who are all 
happily married, and the most special six grandchildren in the world.  
(Yes, I am a bit prejudiced!) I may not have much in the material world 
but I have so much more important.  This Christmas, I pray for peace and 
happiness for all.

Merry Christmas Eve Day!
Hummingbird





Jim Bullard wrote:
> It's a strange Christmas. The temperature is in the high 40s and there
> isn't a flake of snow to be seen. That may not seem strange to folks
> in more Southern climes but here in Northern NY about 20 miles from
> the Quebec border green Christmases are a rarity. Plus there seems to
> be a dearth of Christmas Joy. I noticed driving around the last few
> days that only about 1 in 5 homes have holiday lights up, perhaps as
> many as 1 in 4 if you count non-lighted displays and people I meet
> don't seem to have that infectious happiness I associate with the
> season in the past.
>
> Perhaps it is the world situation. In this morning's paper there was a
> story about a Christmas tree seller in Baghdad. He is a 77 year old
> Moslem who lives in a mixed neighborhood and has been selling
> Christmas trees for the past 10 years. Normally the street where he is
> selling trees would have tree sellers all along it but this year he is
> alone because Christians are a target for insurgents and he is risking
> his life to sell trees to those who are willing to risk their lives to
> buy one.
>
> Two other stories that caught my eye were the one about the huge
> bonuses on Wall Street this year (average of $300K for Goldman Sacks
> employees) with an upsurge in sales of high end cars and other luxury
> items and the story about how thrift stores are doing a booming
> business selling used items for Christmas gifts. They were weren't in
> the same section of the paper but I was struck by the contrast between
> the two stories none the less. It is a strange Christmas.
>
> For my part I've found it a bit difficult to get into the mood but I
> did put out some Christmas lights in attempt to cheer things in my
> neighborhood. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
>
>