I'd been finding it kind of difficult to get into the holiday spirit. Usually I love this time of year - I'll put up a tree the day after Thanksgiving, purchase gifts all month long. Why haven't I been able to get in the mood. Is it because my job was taking me away from home three nights a week? Is it because there were still so many loose ends from the wedding (thank you cards, gifts to find a spot to store, etc.) until last weekend? It could be any number of things - but I think it's one thing in particular.
This is the first year I'm spending as an "official" agnostic. I was having a hard time justifying the celebration of a holiday that is supposed to be based around religion. I really do love this time of year...the pretty decorations, getting together with family and friends, exchanging gifts to express your care for people, eating lots of delicious food...all of these things are awesome - but don't really seem to have a lot to do with religion. But how does one celebrate a holiday without subscribing to the religious nature of it & being a hypocrite?
My brain really started churning during a toastmasters meeting this week. One of the speakers brought a story about teaching children the meaning of Christmas. In the story, all of our current traditions were linked to the Christian faith in some way.
Well, I've been dong some research and it turns out that lots of different religions and cultures celebrate during this time of year. Many of the traditions that we now associate with Christmas have been adapted from other winter celebrations. So, it turns out I can celebrate right alongside with my religious friends and neighbors - just for different reasons.
I'm so happy that I can bake cookies, purchase gifts for loved ones, and decorate a tree to celebrate winter, family & friends, and life without feeling like a fraud!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Finally, after almost two months, Parry and I finished the Thank You notes from our wedding! And found spots for all of our gifts! Now we can start on the holiday gift shopping. Seriously, we haven't even started yet.
Parry and I are thoroughly enjoying married life...we'll have been married for two months this week. We survived Thanksgiving, juggling families and all. And we seem to have a pretty good plan in place for christmas.
A couple weeks ago, we received great news! We had been planning a New Years trip to Ohio to see the Matsons for a few days. (Chris and Aaron were matron of honor and best man at our wedding) Instead, the Matsons will be coming here to share a week and half with us! They were headed out here anyways so they decided to come a bit early. So, it will be like old times for a few days.
That's about all I have on my mind for now...think I'll get some online holiday shopping done.
Parry and I are thoroughly enjoying married life...we'll have been married for two months this week. We survived Thanksgiving, juggling families and all. And we seem to have a pretty good plan in place for christmas.
A couple weeks ago, we received great news! We had been planning a New Years trip to Ohio to see the Matsons for a few days. (Chris and Aaron were matron of honor and best man at our wedding) Instead, the Matsons will be coming here to share a week and half with us! They were headed out here anyways so they decided to come a bit early. So, it will be like old times for a few days.
That's about all I have on my mind for now...think I'll get some online holiday shopping done.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving, November 22nd. This year, Thanksgiving has an even deeper meaning than usual. Today is the second anniversary of the day my dear grandpa passed away.
Grandpa was my hero. He taught me so many things that have made me who I am today. He was my source of unconditional love.
After he was disagnosed with cancer, it was about a year before he was gone. He fought hard, he wasn't ready to go. He took every treatment the doctor's recommended, he still had a lot of life he wanted to live.
It was in September I think when Mom took my Grandpa and Grandma out fishing for the last time. Grandpa wasn't feeling too well and asked Mom to take him into the VA. He was admitted for some treatments.
At that time, I was working planning programs for kids. One program involved making teddy bears. The kids were given a star and I told them to make a wish and put the star inside the bear and someday it might come true. I took one of those wishing stars and made a wish that Grandpa would be home for Thanksgiving.
He spent about a month or so in the VA hospital before deciding to go to my mom's and receive hospice care. My cousin April and I were conviced he was getting better...we had no idea the cancer was waging war against his entire body. Grandpa didn't want anyone else to know...he only told my mom.
Well, Grandpa held out until two days before Thanksgiving. He died on a Tuesday. I was wrapping some stuff up at work preparing to spend the next couple of weeks helping Mom take care of Grandpa. I called Mom to let her know I was going to be a few minutes later than I had planned. She was upset, sobbing into the phone - I told her to hang in there. When I arrived at my parent's house, Grandpa was already gone. Mom met me at the door to tell me...she said I was a little too late.
I remember Grandpa's face looking so peaceful. His pain was finally gone.
The whole family on my mom's side came for the funeral. My uncles from Arizona and Washington came - we were all together. We all stayed in my parents' tiny little house, I don't know how we all crammed in there, but we did it. It felt like it did when I was little.
We spent Thanksgiving together, cooked the traditional dinner. It was just like old times.
Today, two years later, I will spend time with my sweet husband and my family at my brother's new home. I will think of my Grandpa while I peel potatoes with a vegetable peeler instead of a paring knife(something he used to tease me for) and when we sit down to eat because Grandpa loved to cook and to eat good food.
I'm wishing you all a Thanksgiving filled with good food, family and friends.
Grandpa was my hero. He taught me so many things that have made me who I am today. He was my source of unconditional love.
After he was disagnosed with cancer, it was about a year before he was gone. He fought hard, he wasn't ready to go. He took every treatment the doctor's recommended, he still had a lot of life he wanted to live.
It was in September I think when Mom took my Grandpa and Grandma out fishing for the last time. Grandpa wasn't feeling too well and asked Mom to take him into the VA. He was admitted for some treatments.
At that time, I was working planning programs for kids. One program involved making teddy bears. The kids were given a star and I told them to make a wish and put the star inside the bear and someday it might come true. I took one of those wishing stars and made a wish that Grandpa would be home for Thanksgiving.
He spent about a month or so in the VA hospital before deciding to go to my mom's and receive hospice care. My cousin April and I were conviced he was getting better...we had no idea the cancer was waging war against his entire body. Grandpa didn't want anyone else to know...he only told my mom.
Well, Grandpa held out until two days before Thanksgiving. He died on a Tuesday. I was wrapping some stuff up at work preparing to spend the next couple of weeks helping Mom take care of Grandpa. I called Mom to let her know I was going to be a few minutes later than I had planned. She was upset, sobbing into the phone - I told her to hang in there. When I arrived at my parent's house, Grandpa was already gone. Mom met me at the door to tell me...she said I was a little too late.
I remember Grandpa's face looking so peaceful. His pain was finally gone.
The whole family on my mom's side came for the funeral. My uncles from Arizona and Washington came - we were all together. We all stayed in my parents' tiny little house, I don't know how we all crammed in there, but we did it. It felt like it did when I was little.
We spent Thanksgiving together, cooked the traditional dinner. It was just like old times.
Today, two years later, I will spend time with my sweet husband and my family at my brother's new home. I will think of my Grandpa while I peel potatoes with a vegetable peeler instead of a paring knife(something he used to tease me for) and when we sit down to eat because Grandpa loved to cook and to eat good food.
I'm wishing you all a Thanksgiving filled with good food, family and friends.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
We Did It!
Well, we did it! We're married! Parry and I have been enjoying wedded bliss for almost a month now.
Thanks to the help of our friends and family, our wedding went off really well. We have never felt so special!
After the wedding, Parry and I took a honeymoon. We spent three days in St. Louis, some time in Springfield, Illinois (the land of Lincoln), and then headed back home to spend an evening with the Matsons in a little town just outside of the city. We even managed to squeeze in some time at the SPAM museum in Austin, MN! (We had been talking about going to the Spam museum for at least three years! what a fun visit)
I decided to start a new blog. I'll use this space to gush (and I'm sure vent) about newly married life. Right now all I can say is I never knew that marriage would be so wonderful! I figured we'd be pretty much the same as before (which was great). But I was wrong...there is something so enjoyable about knowing what my life is going to be like. There is no more wondering will I meet the right guy, will I get married, what will happen..because now I know that no matter what happens, everything will be okay because Parry and I will face life together as a team. Mushy, I know, but great!
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