He's Not Much to Look at But We Love Him

Socks has won our hearts. He loves to snuggle.

He plays.

Socks keeps his toys by the sliding door in the kitchen. Maybe we should get him a little toybox.

Socks on his post.

From Grade school to Grey Head

Recently we attended a retirement dinner for Marty's old boss, the executive director of the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools. I looked around the room and remembered many of the greyheads in the room as young and ambitious. The change was a little too startling.

To knock this point home, one of Marty's second cousins, my cousin's husband, and a friend from Toronto days all passed away in the last few months, coincidentally each at the age of 57 which happens to be my age. This sojourn is a little too short.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

“We have to eat early tomorrow night because I have to leave at six.” This is what I heard my husband say.

At five, I set the table in the kitchen. There would only be the two of us eating. Elizabeth who was babysitting wouldn’t get home until after Marty left. Allison was away. I had the casserole ready by 5:15 but didn’t ring the dinner bell until 5:30.

My wonderful husband wondered why we were eating so early. “Christina isn’t even home yet.”

“I thought you had to leave at 6.”

“I said I had to leave at 6:30.”

“Why did you say we had to eat early then?” That’s when I started my rant and Marty calmly picked up the nearest Christmas letter and tuned out.

“Marty, eating at 6 is not early. Eating at 6 is late. Eating early is 5, or 5:30 at the latest.” I wanted him to take note of the language he had used. To my mind it was important we both understood phrases the same way. That is how couples grow quietly old together, totally in tune with each other. “Marty, you’re not listening to my rant.”

He smiled, “It was too much of a rant.”

I knew that.

We ate at 6 when Elizabeth walked in the door. The casserole was actually better than usual. We discussed ipod music.

Twelve things I like about "The Defilers"

Deborah Gyapong
told me she spent 10 years writing
The Defilers
and that writing this book was a lot of work.

It shows.
............................................................................

Twelve things I like about "The Defilers"

1) The characters are real and multi-dimensional

2) The issues are real

3) The main character grows and changes

4) The supernatural is naturally included

5) This is a novel by a Christian about Christian stuff

6) There is suspense

7) There is romance

8) The Defilers is well-written

9) The story flows

10) It’s even better than the Frank Peretti books

11) I read The Defilers instead of doing the 101 other things calling for my attention

12) I feel good about recommending The Defilers to my friends

Here's a link to find out more about this great book.

This Year’s First Attempt at a Christmas Letter

Dear Friends and Relatives,

I can’t believe this…I am writing this Christmas letter in November, November 28th to be exact. This is too good to be true. It’s not because I have a lot to say…I don’t. I just have a half hour to spare this afternoon and thought I might as well be writing you a letter.

(This is a chatty opening…but doesn’t really say anything, so I will delete it)

Now, it’s several days down the road and I have 10 minutes before I have to pick up my daughter, Elizabeth, from school. Last year, as you may recall my youngest daughter Elizabeth walked home from school pretty well every day. She also walked to school. She was in grade seven and green as they come. She thought saving gas was a high priority and she was ready to do her part. Blah, Blah, Blah….blah blah, blah, 100 blahs……

(The blahs represent a whole paragraph I had to remove because my daughter doesn’t approve.)

Now it’s December, and I am not in the mood.

(My Christmas letter is not evolving the way it should. I think I need eggnog to create a mood. I’ll buy some today. Then I’ll make a list of things to write about and let the subject matter percolate. There's still plenty of time before Christmas.)

My 9 Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Christmas Letter

1) Get in the mood

2) Don’t brag unbearably

3) Let my readers in on the not-so-bright spots

4) Don’t write from the no-go territory (somebody else’s story)

5) Possibly let my children write about themselves

6) Be myself

7) Maintain a sense of humour

8) Remember the Christmas in Christmas letter

9) Don’t send it to my mother

Balancing the Christmas Letter

(continued)
In my Christmas letter I try to remember the not-so-bright spots in the year, the few embarrassing moments, so I can share these things with the Christmas letter readers. It warms their hearts and cheers their souls to find out I slept in the spare room for three hours one night not so long ago because my mostly understanding husband found my tossing and turning irritating. I only lasted three hours because I missed him. I suppose after consistently sleeping beside one’s husband for 33 years that can’t be helped.

Christmas letter readers find it endearing to know I’m wearing baggy sweaters this year to conceal my bulging midriff. No I am not pregnant.

They revel in the information that we could practically drink one of my lemon meringue pies this past year—that after I spent years perfecting my lemon pie to the point where it surpassed my mother-in-law’s. My daughter tells me I should spend less baking-time on the phone. Cordless phones do have disadvantages.

But, in a Christmas letter to maintain good family relations, the junk involving my loved ones is no-go territory. The report-card F. The cult connection. The gossip fiasco. These are not entirely mine to tell.

The Art of Writing a Christmas Letter

(continued)
Over the years I have tried not to brag in my Christmas letters. This is becoming increasingly difficult as I grow older and as the shadow of my great dead uncle is fading. Even my mother’s disdain for Christmas letters is fading as she too has left this earth and gone on to the next.

I find myself bragging more and more.

I mention my daughter who is at McGill in neuroscience (no less). I talk about the two most darling grandchildren ever to walk a piece of the earth which happens to be my daughter and son-in-law’s large prairie turkey farm, a most valuable piece of earth, I should say. I mention my son who works for the Saudi Embassy and his university-attending wife who has worked ‘on the hill’ (Ottawa language meaning ‘at the parliament buildings’). I throw in comments about my daughter who works for a prestigious legal firm, my daughter, soon to be nurse, and my darling baby, grade-8 genius and soccer star, all ripe brag material. Does this sound like vicarious living?

I reason that these comments occur naturally for the Lord has blessed me with six talented children and a successful and highly talented accountant husband. And, did I tell you I had a book published this past year? Yes, I am a published author and I shouldn’t get started with the wonderful things people are saying about it. That would be a very big brag.

Of course these tidbits need to be balanced with some nitty gritty reality. How do I do that without stepping on the toes of loved ones? That's my dilemma.

(Balancing the Christmas Letter - tomorrow)