Blue Bird of Happiness- Needle felted
Chickadees Hat and Mittens- Needle felted"Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring except.. for the parents"
We are trying to finalize the great mans arrival and as par for the course, we are once again on a frantic search for "the" gift that was purchased with glee and hidden with hopes that it would not be found by the multiple little fingers that are linked to a curious mind.
I had hoped that we could avoid a repeat of past Christmas' that had a habit of continuous giving. You know what I am talking about, where you find gifts squirreled away only to be located during the summer months. Doesn't bode well for food stuffs or sledding equipment and trust me when I say there is no disappointment quite like that of a child who receives the ammo for his "special" Nerf gun but doesn't actually get the gun until August of the following year!
This year I made a pact with myself not to lose a single gift. I hid everything in plain sight with the knowledge that they would be easily accessible for prying minds but also easily found for aging ones as well! I also cut down on the amount of gifts and put a Nix on anything that required "assembly" or "batteries not included" gifts.
The plan was to remove those confused looks that pass between parents during the mornings festivities where each of you tries in vain to send mental images and discussion topics while looking like you planned the Barbie clothes to arrive without the Barbie! Searching through cluttered garages and crawling over rabbit hutches in a futile attempt to find the module that goes with that new xBox gets mighty embarrassing when you have an anxious audience.
I love Christmas!
A good story now. A true story.
I was at the bus station yesterday to mail of one last painting and as I stood in line awaiting my turn I watched the exchange between the clerk and the bus driver who was trying to explain why she was on the phone and not behind the wheel of her bus and travelling down the highway. I was listening half heartedly as my focus was drawn to the parked bus as a timid elderly woman slowly exited the vehicle. She looked confused and uncertain and lost.
"You'll wait? Great, I'm leaving right now."
The driver explained to her coworkers and the rest of us that an elderly passenger did not get off the bus in Antigonish (about 90 minutes away from us and the opposite direction she needed to be going in!) and was now in danger of missing any buses to get her to her final destination of Sydney. This woman bus driver was taking her over to New Glasgow to be able to catch a bus that would be waiting, courtesy of another kind person, so that she could make home before nightfall.
One last look at the frail older woman had me sending a silent prayer to God thanking him for the bus driver and her kindness. The cynical part of me that I do try to remove from my character wondered what would have become of this poor woman if the driver had of been callus and cold. Would she have been able to find lodging for the evening in a strange town as everyone bustled past her without regard for her plight?
This kind act had me becoming more aware of those around me. I smiled a bit brighter and wished the clerks through out the day a Merry Christmas not just because it was polite conversation but because I actually wished them good tidings. The response was wonderful.
And so I extend my warmest regards and hopes that you enjoy the Holiday season and all it has to offer. Perhaps the feeling of good will toward all men will stay with us all a Little bit longer than these few days in December. Maybe it won't get lost like my Christmas gifts.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year one and all!
We are trying to finalize the great mans arrival and as par for the course, we are once again on a frantic search for "the" gift that was purchased with glee and hidden with hopes that it would not be found by the multiple little fingers that are linked to a curious mind.
I had hoped that we could avoid a repeat of past Christmas' that had a habit of continuous giving. You know what I am talking about, where you find gifts squirreled away only to be located during the summer months. Doesn't bode well for food stuffs or sledding equipment and trust me when I say there is no disappointment quite like that of a child who receives the ammo for his "special" Nerf gun but doesn't actually get the gun until August of the following year!
This year I made a pact with myself not to lose a single gift. I hid everything in plain sight with the knowledge that they would be easily accessible for prying minds but also easily found for aging ones as well! I also cut down on the amount of gifts and put a Nix on anything that required "assembly" or "batteries not included" gifts.
The plan was to remove those confused looks that pass between parents during the mornings festivities where each of you tries in vain to send mental images and discussion topics while looking like you planned the Barbie clothes to arrive without the Barbie! Searching through cluttered garages and crawling over rabbit hutches in a futile attempt to find the module that goes with that new xBox gets mighty embarrassing when you have an anxious audience.
I love Christmas!
A good story now. A true story.
I was at the bus station yesterday to mail of one last painting and as I stood in line awaiting my turn I watched the exchange between the clerk and the bus driver who was trying to explain why she was on the phone and not behind the wheel of her bus and travelling down the highway. I was listening half heartedly as my focus was drawn to the parked bus as a timid elderly woman slowly exited the vehicle. She looked confused and uncertain and lost.
"You'll wait? Great, I'm leaving right now."
The driver explained to her coworkers and the rest of us that an elderly passenger did not get off the bus in Antigonish (about 90 minutes away from us and the opposite direction she needed to be going in!) and was now in danger of missing any buses to get her to her final destination of Sydney. This woman bus driver was taking her over to New Glasgow to be able to catch a bus that would be waiting, courtesy of another kind person, so that she could make home before nightfall.
One last look at the frail older woman had me sending a silent prayer to God thanking him for the bus driver and her kindness. The cynical part of me that I do try to remove from my character wondered what would have become of this poor woman if the driver had of been callus and cold. Would she have been able to find lodging for the evening in a strange town as everyone bustled past her without regard for her plight?
This kind act had me becoming more aware of those around me. I smiled a bit brighter and wished the clerks through out the day a Merry Christmas not just because it was polite conversation but because I actually wished them good tidings. The response was wonderful.
And so I extend my warmest regards and hopes that you enjoy the Holiday season and all it has to offer. Perhaps the feeling of good will toward all men will stay with us all a Little bit longer than these few days in December. Maybe it won't get lost like my Christmas gifts.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year one and all!
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