Finding Direction: The Wind Vane Chronicles

I seem to be finally over the shingles.  Haven’t taken a pain pill since Friday.

I’m very happy about that because it lasted a little over three weeks.  But, I plowed through and have come out on the other side.  For now, anyway.

I’m certainly in much better mental spirits than I have been in a very long time, despite never feeling just real great physically (like today).  Noticeably so, according to everyone who’s been around me lately, including Tom.  I’ve been doing a lot around the house to "finish" it up since we moved in.  We still have a few boxes I’ve not had time to go through, yet, but I’ve emptied a good many, too, lately.

Among the things I had Tom get out of the attic last weekend were our three little clear lighted Christmas trees (4′, 3′ & 2′) and what’s left of our Christmas "stuff" (that’s what the boxes said).  This was a big deal for us because we haven’t had any Christmas decorations, tree, anything now in four years.

Due to my physical health, Katrina, moving into a small apartment, moving again into our house, deep depression, we really couldn’t do much for a long time and had given a lot of our Christmas lights and decorations away to family.  I’ve long been a Grinch about Christmas, as well, up until late in the season when a sudden inspirational moment will strike me with the Spirit of Christmas and I’m filled with the wonder and joy of it all.

Usually that happens when I least expect it.  Last year, I clearly remember Tom & I being in Slidell in a huge Home Depot the weekend before Christmas practically alone looking for something or other for the house.  I had to go to the ladies’ room, half a store away.  As I walked all alone along the entire front aisle of the store, Silent Night came over the speaker system.  It struck me.  

I felt a peace and harmony that I had not felt for a long time (despite a terrible depression at the time).

This year, we’ve got our three trees up, decorated beautifully a few days ago (Tom did most of it, bless his heart), all of the presents bought we’re going to buy (not many, as usual), wrapped and around the trees.  (They are too little to put anything under them.)  I have two Yankee Candles burning most of the time called "Christmas Wreath," that have that lovely Christmas tree smell to them to fill the house and I’m listening to Christmas music non-stop.  

Some of you even contributed to my collection a couple of Christmases ago when we were in the apartment with all of our Christmas music in storage by sending me CDs of terrific Christmas music!  I cherish it still.

I’ll take some pictures in a couple of days to post here so you can see how pretty our little home looks these days.  Too bad you can’t smell it, too.  I may even make some favorite Christmas cookies this year.  I was thinking about that this morning – the cookies my mom always made every Christmas that we loved and that I always made for my kids as they grew up.

We’ll have a quiet Christmas this year, as we did Thanksgiving.  Tom will have to go into work in the afternoon and we’ll be out late the night before for our annual Christmas Eve party with our friends, so we plan to have a simple, quiet meal together.  We’ll get together with Mark, Lynn and the girls, of course, but don’t know just when, yet.

I hope y’all are getting in the Spirit of Christmas as much as I am this year.  Like I say, I never feel just real great physically any more (like today, but at least the shingles pain is gone), but am in a good mood and happy.

Cheers & Blessings to you all today!  Dee