ten days...

Oh how I love Christmas. Next to Easter it is perhaps my favorite holiday. If not for the hype to buy, buy, buy, which my husband put the skids on a long time ago, Christmas would rank right up there. But, Easter. Oh glorious Easter!

I remember one in particular when we went downstate to my Uncle Earl and Aunt Judy's house. We all got a yo-yo in our Easter basket that year with lots and lots of candy. We had the greatest childhood visiting relatives for all the holidays and most weekends! My mom and dad enjoyed visiting their brothers and sisters, in-laws and their moms and dads. (We had moved up north to Charlevoix.) My brother, sister and I loved being with our cousins playing outdoors and running through the house. Of course we got yelled at to take it outside while the adults were busy playing cards, drinking beer and listening to Johnny Cash on the stereo! If we were good and quiet we could sit on a stool by the table and watch them play cards. I should have paid more attention--I'm not a very good poker player! But I do play a mean game of Euchre.

Easter brings the promise of spring. Easter brings many promises. That beautiful baby that was in the manger at Christmas time is now a 33 year old God/Man gone to the cross at Golgotha. He did that for me. He went to hell and back so I didn't have to. The promise of eternal life in heaven with Him and those loved ones who have died and left this earth. I'm not going to miss this one. I've got alot of catching up to do with my Uncle Earl, my brother Dave and my sister Cheri. Oh, yes, there are many other folks there I can't wait to see.

But for now, it's only ten days till Christmas. Sweet, quiet, calm, bright... NOT!!! Sweet for all the candy I can't stop eating. Far from quiet with all the folks around to go out and eat with, and visit, and love on. Not even calm with all the preparations for the big eve and day. And bright! Yes, the outlook is very bright with all three girls coming home. I will miss being with my mom and dad and my brother and his family. However, we do have good memories of Thanksgiving and me turning fifty! I'm fifty! I'm fifty! I'm fifty!! I feel so smart and good looking!! Just saying...