Post-Thanksgiving Thoughts

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we put on a spread of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc... followed up with a choice of pies. It was a wonderful meal (if I may say so myself), shared with wonderful people. We had our parents over, along with Erick & Liz and Liz' grandma, and my brother Tom & Miho. A full table filled with food! Now, the sun is shining and there is a definite nip in the air. The frost will soon be upon us and with it, the holiday rush. I was chatting with a friend this morning who agrees that Christmas should not be a time focused on "me, me, me" and what I will GET this month. It should be a time of peace. A time of His Peace - the Peace that passes all understanding.
On Facebook, I joined a group called "Keep Christ in CHRISTmas." Of course, that is where my beliefs lie. We certainly celebrate Christmas because of Christ and His gift of salvation to this troubled world. However, I am not one of those naive Christians who think that everything about Christmas is because of Christ. It is true that this is the time we celebrate the birth of the Christchild, but the reason we celebrate it on December 25th is because, at the time of converting the pagans during the Dark Ages, there was already a Holy Day after the winter solstice (Dec 21) when the people celebrated the lengthening days and paid tribute to the sun gods. Or something like that. The Christians came along and used that celebration time as a stepping stone to conversion - in modern parlance, we might say the they co-opted the holiday and made it their own. Hence, the use of lights - whether that be the German tradition of lighted evergreen trees, or the sparkling icicle-like lights on our eaves, and even the lighting of the Lucia Bride's crown. Several saints are celebrated this time of year, including Saint Nicholas, who was said to have given gifts to the poorer families in his region, and Saint Lucia, who gave away her dowry and ran away from an unwanted marriage. The modern giving of gifts can be traced back to these people and their generosity, or all the way back to God's gift of salvation, made manifest in the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Any way you slice it, this is a time of year when we are preparing for celebration - by purchasing gifts for our loved ones, baking goodies to share, putting out lights to cheer the neighborhood and enjoying time spent with friends and family. Why do we get into such a tizzy? Why?

Saturday Reflections

As I am staring out my kitchen window at the gray skies, wet lawn and rain-dappled creek, my mind is traveling back to Cancun, sunshine and blue skies. Our recent trip was a wonderful break from the normal, and it was really hard to come home again. One of these years, we will just stay down there!

In the meantime, here I am in my little corner of paradise - I love this home we're made here. It's perfect for us... I only wish we could have been here when the kids were growing up. We will be able to give the grandkids what we were never able to give our children: stability. We dragged our kids across the country and back, and though it gave them a good exposure to lifestyles in other places and taught them flexibility, I always believed they would have been better served if we had lived in the same house during their growing-up years. Maybe it's just my own history I am projecting on them, but I think a solid home location is critical for a child.

I listen when people we meet ask my kids where they are from, and they can't really answer - we lived in Washington state when they were grade-schoolers, Georgia for a couple years, Florida for a couple more, then back to Washington. And the oldest was born in Florida, though we moved back to WA when he was a toddler. Still, I sense in them a feeling of disconnectedness - a drift factor, if you will. They are citizens of the world - with no real roots.

But now, we are going to stay right here until we retire, then we are moving all the way next door! It's comforting to know where "home" is for us now and into the future. It gives me a sense of security and peace and settledness (there I go making up another word :), and I hope it will give our kids, and especially the grandkids, the same feeling. when they are "going to Grandma's house," it will always be in the same place, with the same yard, the same creek, the same trees, etc, etc, etc. No matter where their parents take them, this place can be their solid ground.

Still, Cancun is nice to visit!

Another Monday

So, here it is, Monday again. This marks my 15th since being laid off.
I think I am finally "over it."
I think it's about time...
Not that it doesn't still hurt, and doesn't still occupy much of my mind, but I really think now that the timing was good. (By now, I should have learned to trust God's timing more anyway!) I had a long chat with my old (retired) boss recently, and so many of the things we loved about CED have disappeared - not just due to the economy either. The character of the corporation has been gradually changing over the past few years, as the "old guard" folks have retired and the replacements have brought their ideas about corporate management from other companies. Nothing kills a corporate character like diluting it with other corporations' ideals and strategies. It saddens me to see it go, but I suppose a company that large can't survive in this market with a family-run business mentality.
So, onward and upward!
I had an actualy interview last week. I was not offered the position, or even a second interview. Not sure what I did or said wrong - maybe it just wasn't a good fit. At any rate, now that I've gotten the rejection out of the way, I will continue to plug along, waiting for the right position to pop up on my radar. In the meantime, I will continue to fulfill the requirements of the unemployment insurance.
Regardless of whether I find new employment, I have decided to quit wasting my days in "non-accomplishment." I have lots of projects that need catching up on, and the house and yard could really use some TLC. This morning, I went to get the paper, and it seemed warm - and windy. I was thinking it would be a good day for yardwork, but then the rain started before I even got inside with the paper! So, it's back to housework. I have a list of things to accomplish today - time to get to it!

Top 10 Ways You Know You're Addicted to Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook

10. Each time a new tournament starts, you spend hours on end trying to get the top score.

9. Everyone notices that the housework is not getting done any more.

8. You tell your family you'll start dinner in "One Minute" in a disembodied voice.

6. You plan to name your first daughter Jewel (if you ever have one).

7. You take a sip from your coffee every minute (between games).

5. Your child brings home straight A's, and you tell him "Excellent" in a disembodied voice.

4. You try not to line up your three emerald rings because you're afraid they'll disappear.

3. For your employee reviews, you rate them as "Excellent," "Incredible" and "Unbelievable!"

2. You consider naming PopCap Games as a defendant in your Carpal Tunnel Syndrome lawsuit.

And the number one way you know you're addicted to Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook:

1. When you can't reach something on the top shelf in the grocery store, you line up items on a lower shelf and stand there waiting for the item you wanted to fall down to you.