Here at WoodFinn, our Christmas was a quiet one- peaceful. Nothing big going on, nothing bad happening at the moment. This holiday used to be one of my most favorites, but decades of non-'christmasy' people in my life has created a person who isn't really into decorations and crowds. When I was young, we always had a great big celebration- with tons of gifts for all, a wonderful day spent with family and friends- and then the topper of it all ? A very filling Christmas dinner. Usually a crowd of people ,good foods, and great gifts. Midnight mass at church on Christmas Eve, all led off by decorating our Christmas tree that evening. Now, I see trees up , some before Thanksgiving ! Shopping seems to have totally taken over the Real reason for our celebrating Christmas by now. It makes me feel sad to see so many commercials that are telling us to 'buy, buy, BUY !!' Me ? I prefer an old timey celebration.
Real Christmas trees, cut from one's farm or forests.... Homemade gifts - and sure, some "store-bought" ones too. Strings of real pine outside and also inside the house, making the whole house smell delightful. I can remember a Christmas back when I was a kid- and it happened to my neighbors. Sure enough, the whole lot of them hiked out to the woods to find a perfect pine tree to be Their Christmas tree. Finally deciding upon a great looking tall tree, it was cut down, ( and that place marked for a new tree to be planted in the Spring) and then ever so carefully, carried on the sled to their house. It was put into the stand, balanced 'just so' for straightness, and decorated that Christmas Eve. It truly Was a lovely sight ! There's nothing like a fresh cut tree to make one's house smell of "Christmas". The holiday came, gifts were unwrapped, and dinner eaten. Sounds perfect, right ? It would have been, but for the preying mantis's nests hatching . The kids came down to have their breakfast a couple of days later, only to find their living room literally crawling with baby preying mantis' !! Thousands of them, it seemed. We kids thought it pretty cool to help pick them all up carefully and put them in a big box to wait for Springtime to arrive. Oddly enough, all the parents saw little to no humor in it.......On the news front, we got some difficult news a couple of weeks ago. Glenn has been having trouble breathing for the past year or so. I kept telling him to make a Dr's appointment, but you know those hard headed Scotsmen.... Add some German heritage, and one has a helluva stubborn person to deal with. He didn't listen to me, and kept on going 99 miles per hour- at work, home and all other places. Slowly but surely, it got worse. He'd have nosebleeds ( he's Always had those but now it was more frequent) and it got so he couldn't walk up to our barn without stopping to catch his breath. Eventually, he got winded simply walking in the house. Then finally he couldn't breathe when bending over, and that was it at long last. I made an appointment w/ our G.P. - who sent Glenn to get a chest ex-ray and blood work done.
It turns out, after all of these plus some more, he now has a Cardiologist, and is still needing a few more tests ( heart catheterization, and a pulmonary test) and subsequently open heart surgery. A " valve job' is needed..... Glenn's aortic valve isn't working properly and due to his NOT thinking this lack of breath might be his heart, it's in very bad condition now. He will get a new aortic valve in the next few weeks, and then be into recovery. We are needing all the healing prayers folks can send, and to please keep us in your hearts this coming year......
We all hope your Christmas, Boxing Day, Yule, and Kwanzaa celebrations are wonderful !
Merry Christmas All
And may you all have
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Happy New Year
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Happy New Year
