Ready,Set, Go...the Holidays are Here!

Weather a bit chilly today but the brightness of the late autumn sun, just enough to warm the bones.  It is a pleasant change from the heat of this southern peninsula.  With the holiday season in full swing, cooler weather only accentuates the holiday moods.  Although I no longer enjoy temperatures lower than fifty-five degrees, the time frame from Thanksgiving through New Years, is the ONLY time it is tolerable. As Mr. Bill and friend Ward often joked, "this is also the feeding frenzy season!" Through the lips, on to the hips, says it all!  Their theory of bulking up for cold weather, just doesn't cut it!

Today's conversation with Ward reminded me, both him and Mr. Bill have just past their one year anniversary as cancer survivors. Ward announcing, "once you find out cancer has been found....you ARE a survivor."

 Last season Mr. Bill not too energetic, did not help haul out the holiday decorations, so I modified the display.  A complete turn around this year, he even decorated the remaining palms in the yard.  As we plugged in the outdoor pre-lit tree, our hopes of a hassle free lighting were dashed.  The middle section, "darker than a pocket!"  With amazing patience, the Egg-Nazi careful checked each bulb.  Unfortunately, the keeper of the lights did not shine fondly or brightly upon us.  For that matter they did not shine at all!  After a short and surprisingly calm discussion, it was decided we would remove all the pre-lit lights.  One would think it shouldn't be too time consuming, after all it wasn't "Made in America," so it should be pretty easy to destroy! Two hours later, a humongous pile of lights and wires, all no longer than three inches in length, lay before us.  What were we thinking?  Every Boy Scout trying to earn his badge on "knot tying," should learn this trade from the Chinese at the pre-lit Christmas tree factory!  Without rhyme or reason, knots that would put the most skilled sailor to shame, held these little lights in place.  My thought was, "no biggy, find the end knot, one pull and much like a chain stitch, it would unravel."  Silly woman, that would of been way to easy!

So tomorrow, I return to work, happy the season of thanks is upon us.  Yard decorated, the interior all gussied up, holiday baking just around the corner, I made a promise to Mr. Bill,  "any cookies baked, will be packaged and sent at once."  This was his wish..........last week, as he sat totally stuffed from the Thanksgiving feast.   By the look of surprise on his face, I surmise this wish was made while feeling the effects of a "turkey stupor!"  Once gone, any memory of that statement disappeared as well.  By New Years, he will be making resolutions to lose the extra tonnage....."we will see how that works out for him!"

Kailee, our Christmas Angel

Although for many the thoughts of a holiday season without snow and cold, "just ain't normal", I say to you a big pooh-pooh!  It is the time of year where the warmth of the heart seems to gush forward whether the landscape is green ( a holiday color) or frozen and in the midst of a long winter's sleep.  Daily newspapers now carry thought provoking and heartwarming stories of people who somehow have opened their hearts and homes for those less fortunate.  Holiday bazaars, Christmas symphonies, candlelight choirs, strolling musicians and bustling holiday shoppers set the happy and heartwarming atmosphere the season provides.  As a society, we somehow forget, not everyone feels the joy we've all come to expect.

Kailee is this child.  Not quite two years of age, she fights for her life,without a miracle, a battle she may soon loose.  Perhaps too young to understand, she clings to her parents,the family and friends who have dedicated their every breathing moment to her final days. Determined to "help" little Kailee, they have rallied, setting plans in motion to give her the happiest of holiday seasons before she is too weak to enjoy.  Watching, listening, laughing and crying, I too have felt helpless.  Although I really don't know Kailee, I am honored to know one of her most avid supporters.

Having a young family of her own, Lizzie feels helpless. Hers are a healthly brood, for which she is thankful.  Riding that emotional roller coaster, Lizzie and young son Jonah have visited Kailee often, forming an emotional bond that will, all too soon, be put to the test.  It is unlikely Kailee will survive the Christmas season.  How can one feel the joy and warmth of the season, when without rhyme or reason a young child will, all too soon, leave her earthly body?  Will Lizzie be able to explain that to Jonah?  Who will explain it Lizzie and the others who dedicate their lives to making Kailee's final days happy?  Ironic as it may seem, Kailee, too young to understand, may very well be the answer.  It will be her smile, her playfulness in the shadow of darkness, her touch as she cuddles close and the mountain of memories her parents, family and friends share.

We may always ask, WHY? For that there is no answer.  Enjoy what we have, what we can share and what others share with us. Be thankful for everything.  Throughout my day I always remind myself of how "lucky" I have been and most definitely, I never as WHY.  For me the answer is always WHY NOT!

As Kailee clings to life, we hope, we pray and we continue to make memories.  For her parents and the multitude of others she has touched, let the holiday season be joyful, filled with thanks and millions of Kailee stories.

Life is a Holiday

Something about the beginning of Thanksgiving week, that awakens, revs up and builds our sense of smell, taste and well being into a state of frenzy.  Although holiday decorations have long graced the department store shelves, this week begins the official holiday season.  But how do you have a season filled with crackling fireplaces, hot mulled cider, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, icicles. and dazzling displays of holiday lights, when the temperature is hovering close to eighty degrees?  Since presidential campaign season is also in full swing, answering a question with a question should make everyone feel right at home!  Have you ever seen  the trunk of a palm tree completely wrapped in miniature white lights, while it's majestic fronds sway in the soft evening breeze, outlined only by the stars and moonshine thats grace this heavenly tropical sky?  Many a nativity scene outlined by these same small lights are tucked beneath these stands of palms, a true reminder of the season.

Yet if it is colder temperatures and snowy landscapes you long for, one can visit the ice palace, a dazzling inside display of sub freezing temperatures that will accompany you on your stroll through this winter wonderland.  Here ice carvings, larger than life ice toys and playgrounds, all in the spirit of the holiday season come to life. One never has to worry the cold temperature will be too much, winter weather geer is provided!  A visit to this make-believe land of ice and snow will make you feel as though you are on top of the world at Santa's North Pole.

Back to Thanksgiving, a holiday that somehow has lost its true meaning.  As a child, the dazzling displays of the Christmas season began the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was a stand alone holiday, being thankful was the true meaning.  I'd like to believe for many it still is.  Yet I ask myself what am I thankful for?  Not wanting to be greedy but admitting to myself I am thankful for everything.  My faith, family, friends and health top my list, but the truth is, I am thankful for so much more.  We live in a world where everything is taken for granted and others not as fortunate as some.  I am thankful that I can see, hear and hopefully make a difference for those that cannot.  Everyday we are bombarded with the negativity of the world, the horrors of war and the greed that so quickly consumes.   I am thankful, my family intact, has not had to witness these horrors, but am confident myself and my children have the power to help those that cannot help themselves. Knowing that "help" does not always have to be in such grand proportions, it starts with small and meager steps.

In the faced paced world we now live in, Thanksgiving is the holiday tucked between the frightfully scary Halloween season and the shopping frenzy season of Christmas. For me the season of Thanksgiving isn't just one day.  As each day begins and I go about all that needs to be done, I am so thankfully aware I can be a participant in life, I can make a difference.  I do not need another holiday to make a resolution, being thankful is a mindset, life is a priviledge that I am thankfully aware of.    



    

Lost and Then, Found!

Crowds have waned, the usual hustle and bustle that fills the walkway is now eerily quiet, while shadows playfully dance on the massive stone and log walls.  As I walk towards the doorway, I am cheerfully greeted by two holiday wreaths standing guard on either side of the entry way.  Welcoming all into the fishing camp, the wreaths seem to breathe and ooze holiday spirit from every fresh bough and glistening ornament.  The enormous antlers nestled between the bristling greenery, rapidly release visions of a pleasingly plump jolly elf with his team of reindeer beginning their long journey through the clear cold and star guided Christmas Eve sky!    Perhaps we will hear the bells of the sleigh as they make a quick stop for the steaming mug of hot chocolate and the plate full of cookies that beckon.  Hopefully the reindeer remember those crisp juicey cold apple snacks, so rosey red and sweet, we put out just for them!

As I round the corner, gorgeous holiday decorations hanging from the Lodge's massive log beams, a perfectly decorated tree standing guard in the center of the Lodge, the fireplace flickering, rocking chairs now quietly still, resting from the earlier evening activities of holiday Guests enjoying the dancing flames while warming away the night time chill, a feeling of serenity and holiday happiness fill my spirit.  My day almost complete, just a few more pieces, the intricate ins and outs of my daily puzzle will all be in place. Funny how I look forward to these moments of solitude and quiet, yet thoroughly enjoy my full speed ahead approach of each new day.

Walking back to the fish camp, the soft glow of the lanterns wrapped in their holiday greens, help lead the way, but the shadows and the images they create on the walls and moisture laden windows, only add to the mystique and magic of this fairy tale place. Rounding the corner, at first look nothing seems unusual or out of place but at closer observation, I notice my quiet late night must of been visited by...........all that's left is one tiny shoe, sitting alone beneath my wreaths. Imagination, much like the flickering flames in the stone fireplace, has just had another log added!  As my mind roars to life, there are many things to ponder here!!!!  Why would one so tiny be out in the wee hours of the waning night time?  Was it a visitor from Mickey's Very Merry or is that one tiny shoe, a little blue and green Croc adorned with Mickey heads, all that is left?  Have thoughts of the North Pole, Santa and his reindeer, a bustling workshop of tiny elves scurrying to finish each special toy, transported my tiny friend to a new place and time, after all this is a magical place!  As I pick up the tiny shoe, it is obvious, it has just been left.  Placing it where it can be easily found, I am sure its owner will dearly miss it.  Perhaps much like the crumbs left in the fairy tale, it is a direction finder for its wee owner  upon his return to reality.

As the next day begins and I return to my fishing camp, I notice the tiny piece of apparel has disappeared, hmmmmm, did its owner retrieve it?  Questioning other inhabitants of the area, no one recalls seeing the tiny shoe, odd but perhaps true, it was lost and then found. As each small child visits this place, I find myself looking downward.  Time, approaching the magical hour, Guests returning to the Lodge, I notice a tired little boy snuggled asleep in his Dad's arms, his small feet adorned with the blue and green, Mickey head Crocs. As he stood beneath my massive wreaths, Dad must of realized I was watching, a broad smile lightened his face, a thumbs up and goodnight wave laid to rest my weary imagination, yet who knows......this is a Magical Place! 

Dare to Dream!

As a child my dreams always fascinated me. Having had a few of nightmares invade the usual fun and exciting world of imagination, I now wish I'd kept a journal of these events.  There were times I'd hurry to my room, turn off the lights and snuggle deeply into the soft, fresh scented sheets and blankets.  Nothing better than a pillow case that conjures up visions of the warm afternoon sun and fragrant springtime breeze.  Everything so fresh and new, tickling the senses, honeysuckle blooming, the many shades of greenery stretching skyward as they are being beckoned by the warmth of the late spring and early summer sun.  No wonder nightmares were few and far between!

My favorite dreams were usually about the vast expanses of our universe.  As a child space exploration, then just in its infancy, beckoned me. Somehow the thought of being able to travel to other planets overwhelmed my imagination.  Whether awake or asleep, I craved everything outer space.  Could I be an astronaut? Why not, I'd be the first female in outer space or so I thought. A sadly disappointing and abrupt awakening ended my adolescent space voyage dream, when in 1963, a Russian female cosmonaut by the name of Valentina Tereshkova was launched into space. My imaginary world of space travel driven from the heavens at the tender age of eleven!

It was a space program's debut in 1965 that once again lifted my spirits, enhancing my dream process nightly.  "Lost in Space", an all-time favorite of mine.  Even now when it appears on cable, I am driven to watch.  God love the robot with his "danger Will Robinson, danger!'  methodically  mechanical cry of doom, arms flailing in every direction. As years passed other thoughts of grandeur occupied my dreams, space exploration taking a back seat.  Although still fascinated and always reading anything concerning the universe, it was the voice of Carl Sagan on public television that "forced me" to sit for an hour and watch!  

Living in relatively close proximity to Cape Canaveral, I have been fortunate enough to visit, peering inside a space ship, allowing my imagination a "free ride".  Watching a number of launches, each one more breathless than the first, admitting to myself..... I should have pursued the dream!  On nights I leave work, long after the evening rush and the road is wide open, it seems to dissect the night sky as I head southwest towards home, I gaze upwards into the beauty of this Florida sky, so vast and unending.  I pick out familiar constellations,perhaps making a wish upon a falling star.  They seem so numerous yet each one, much like a snowflake, is strikingly different.  Where do they land, who else is making that special wish?  This world we live in, with solid surfaces beneath our feet. is where I am grounded, but my imagination is free to explore in it's outer most expanses, no boundaries, just questions waiting to be answered and explored!   

Have we learned?

So much media coverage about today's woman:  exactly who is she? Very much a unique person, she craves individuality. What is important to her? Her world, her accomplishments, her family, their happiness and her legacy.  Peace of heart and mind allowing important issues to be prioritized and acted upon. It is a feeling of self worth, so hard to define yet so simple.  All one needs to do is ask, "am I able to make a difference, have I made a difference?" In the vast expanses of our ever changing world, where there is violence, natural disasters, human suffering, negativity and self doubt, differences do not always have to be grand.  A simple smile, a caring gesture may lift the spirits of someone who has or is experiencing such "pain".  Regardless of age, today's woman craves knowledge, conversation and enlightenment.  She has learned from her mistakes and those of her predecessor.  She knows one must and she promises with such fervor, "I will not repeat what has caused me great pain, perhaps it has taken away from the precious few hours of life that we are given.

It was recently reported that today's woman will make approximately $750,000.00 less than her male counterpart over the course of her working years.  Staggering statistics, a stark reminder there is much work to be done.  Taking charge of our future, women continue to make a difference.  Perseverance will surely result in rewards, but the nagging question remains, "Is it all about money?" Women don't always travel the super highways, we stop to experience life, observe, share, and nurture others with a much bleaker future than just equal pay. Having the mindset, if you want something, only you can make it happen, we are the keepers of life, passing on the knowledge, hoping our children will be better off, their "world will be worth living in."  Martyrs, not a chance, it is the "nature of our beauty, as well as our beast." We get it!  In the face of change, we are the champions of change with a "can do" attitude.

 Moving past the money issue, the world population's carbon footprint continues to grow. Recently passing the seven billion milestone, what will it be in just another generation?  Our objective, nothing less than ensuring that our children will have that "world worth living in."

Diversity is key, with just over fifty percent of the world's population being female, our counterparts sometime approach with caution.  Can you blame them?  A group of outspoken women firing questions in rapid succession at one unprepared male, it is a recipe for disaster.  There is truth in John Gray's "Woman are from Venus, Men are from Mars." Moods of the female species are complex, numerous and double meaning.  Admittedly the male species has moods, hungry, horny and sleepy.  Comedian, writer, celebrity and animal activist, Elayne Boosler one said: When women are depressed they either eat or go shopping, men invade another country."   As I laughed at the thought, I was also consumed by sadness, ones perception of the opposite species should be individualistic at best. Personally, I hate to shop, while the over consumption of food makes me sleepy and my thought process slows to a crawl.  On the flip side men do invade other countries and should never tell their female counterparts to mid their own business. 

Having been the matriarch in a household dominated by males, the dog included in the count, has made my life so much sweeter.  Only now do I understands my Father's comment "I am outnumbered!" referring to his female dominated flock.  The men of my life are more caring, more open minded, more patient.  They get it!

As a whisper in the wind I am not one to rely on cliches.  Words of wisdom from my Grandmother, "wish in one hand, poop in the other", may have worked from the female generations before me but I prefer " you can't win if you don't play the game."  What I want may not be totally achieved in my lifetime yet woman have made great strides. There are more young men today who embrace life, listen, observe and much like their mothers, they are not afraid to voice their opinions yet accept those of others.  Slowly, the archaic "take my toys and go home" attitude is slipping into obscurity and the emotional roller coasters of their lives, much like mine are embraced, not something to be feared. It is these traits and the tenacious personalities of both women and men, that will truly lead to equality.