Monday, December 19, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!


I'm going to take a little break from the blogosphere this week to spend time with family and friends and reflect on what this season is really supposed to be about. We should be celebrating the life of a man that was kind and compassionate to everyone he met. Instead people are getting attacked with pepper spray at Walmart and we are all rushing around in a mad frenzy trying to buy things for people we rarely see and spending money we really need for ourselves. I'm going to give some serious thought to how we approach the holidays in this family next year. We are losing touch with the true meaning of Christmas. I woke up this morning thinking about when Wesley was the angel in the Christmas play at our church, and the evenings we went to hear the Christmas music played by candlelight, and the treat bags that were handed out at my grandmother's church the Sunday before Christmas. Did anyone get these? Everyone got a brown paper bag with apples and oranges and some candy and nuts. I can still smell those bags on Sunday morning as I sat with my grandparents in their pew. I was also thinking about how magical Christmas is for children, waiting with so much anticipation for Santa, how exciting it is for parents, when their kids are small, watching their excitement. I had a little Christmas tree in my room when I was a kid, and I would lay there for hours looking at the lights in the darkness of my room, trying to figure out how Santa really got down our chimney! I finally decided he turned himself into fairy dust to get into the house.
I don't really go to church anymore, and I went into a christian bookstore and was sort of creeped out by the cult feeling I got, but I do want to remember that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, a man that was crucified for trying to make the world a better place for all of us. Christmas should be a time for family and friends and doing nice things for people. Last night we put up a tree, got out all of our ornaments that all have special memories. We made hot chocolate and popcorn and watched a Charlie Brown Christmas with just the tree and candles lit. Life slowed to a nicer pace and I finally felt calm and peaceful. Life is good!
I spent the last few months selling my work like crazy, spent time with some very special friends this week and now it's time for my family.
Have a wonderful holiday everyone, I'll check in a bit but there are cookies to bake and a nice dinner for Christmas Eve, family to visit, presents to wrap, so I'll be busy with some fun stuff for awhile!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
ps: photo by Laura Farrow from her ipad!

19 comments:

Dennis Allen said...

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Ron said...

Cool photo Tracey. Enjoy your time with the family. Merry Christmas.

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks you two! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!!

Lori Buff said...

I know a couple who don't buy each other holiday gifts but instead buy themselves something that has meaning to them yet with the thought of the other in mind.
Enjoy your holiday and your family.

Hollis Engley said...

Merry Christmas, Tracey, to you, Gerry and Wesley from Dee and me. All the best in the new year. Hope you get to come north again and visit.

Linda Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Melissa Rohrer said...

Merry Christmas to you too!

Tracey Broome said...

Merry Christmas Lori, Hollis, Linda and Melissa, hope you have a wonderful holiday!!

Paul Jessop said...

Merry Christmas Guys, we put our decoration up on sunday and spent the evening in front of the fire watching a film, felt like Christmas Day.
I'm taking 2 weeks off I'm cream crackered.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey there Paul, Merry Christmas! I know what you mean, I kept thinking last night was Christmas eve and I needed to put out some gifts! A few weeks off for me as well!

ang design said...

nice hat!!! merry christmas trace have a lovely fam time xx

Tracey Broome said...

thanks Ang, you toooooo!!!!!

Linda Fahey said...

Tracey - great picture! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It's NUTS it's almost 2012!! What a year!
Best to you and yours - enjoy the break - see you on the flip side...

cheers!

Susan Wells said...

As this image shows you do a great job balancing barns and life! Merry Christmas to you too!

Tracey Broome said...

HAHA! I'm not sure about the balance thing, it's a fine line when you're a Libra! Merry Christmas

smartcat said...

Happy Solstice, Christmas......That top shot of you is terrific.....

cookingwithgas said...

It was great to see you and Wes- what a wonderful daughter you have there.
And even better to see you two together just enjoying some time.
Love to you all and Merry Christmas!

Tracey Broome said...

Thanks ya'll, have a great holiday, and Meredith she is a good kid, just quiet like a mouse and not like her mom!
xoxox
Wesley and I were just saying in the car today that we love the word Solace, at first I read solstice as solace and wondered about that, Have a great solace? haha!

Peter said...

Happy Christmas and New Year, Tracey, to you and your family. The photo taken on the ipad (what ever that is!!) reminded me of a painting by Renoir... so this low resolution high tech stuff is getting artistic after all!
Really thoughtful and lovely post, thanks for sharing your thoughts about Christmas. P & L xx