notes for the new year

Hallelujah! December is over! Christmas is over! It's 2009! A normal routine returns! I openly admit to being a total scrooge, but can anyone really blame me? Every year the season starts earlier and earlier -- this year it was way before Halloween -- and by the time the actual day arrives, I am sick of it. Add to that the fact that M's work schedule gets totally turned upside down, and the stress of it all simply grows. Oh, and don't forget having kids with their schedules out of whack, all the shopping that needs to be done, the decorating to do and then take down, all the food that you can't resist and end up having to work off, and the damn holiday music that seems to play non-stop. (I got through this season without hearing "Hey, Santa" or "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." One small blessing to be thankful for.)

So, yeah, I'm a scrooge. I long for it all to be different. For it to be simpler. Less commercialism, less money, less time. More family, more quiet time, more reflection, more happiness.

And while I'm being pissy, let me throw out one more thing: If you are going to decorate the outside of your house, do it tastefully and use some sense. For example, the cross is a Christian symbol, but it is not really a Christmas symbol. Remember, Christmas is about the BIRTH of Christ -- not his death. And if you are going to use religious decorations (like a nativity scene) can you do it without reindeer? I'm guessing they were not at the blessed birth. Finally, can you please take it all down before we observe the Resurrection? Yeah, I know you think that just because you don't turn on the lights that no one can tell you still have them up, but we can see them. And, yes, we make fun of you for it.

So now 2008 is finally over. It was a year that felt like a lot of work, but I think some good things came of it all. What will come with this new year? I have no idea. But I hope that starting it off with a trip to Guatemala with J will set the tone for great things. Leaving in a week and a half -- stayed tuned and I'll let you know how it goes!

Happy New Year!