Advent & Christmas

Remember, How The Grinch Stole Christmas? It's one of my favorite Christmas stories and annual T.V. shows. Thank you, Dr. Seuss. As to why the Grinch stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss offers several possibilities. But he concludes with this assessment, "But I think that the most…

Home. Feels good to be back home after enjoying Thanksgiving with my North Carolina family. The season of Advent began before the last of the turkey turned into Chris's soup. So, now what? It feels like the squeeze is on. But like my friend, Maggie…

After all the decorating, shopping, wrapping, mailing, baking, cooking and gatherings, what remains? Well, I still feel some sand from the beach on the floor. Laundry lurks. Some candles need replacing, stubs saved for emergencies. A few peppermints look tempting in a dish nearby. Oh,…

We need both. Laughter and stories connect us. We need the good, unfinished and sad stories. Real stuff. When we keep our secrets, build walls for self-preservation, we fail to live fully. For example, in a recent essay by Pope Francis he wrote, "Those who…

Well, I just returned from my annual appointment with a mammogram machine. I keep wondering at what age is one free to stop this torture?! But Mary Ann, the technician, wished me a Happy New "Yeaah" (She's from Glosta) and reminded me to book early…

The Christmas tree and seasonal decorations spread light and color over this rainy day in San Anselmo, California. No more presents under the tree. Still, gifts keep coming, ongoing reminders that the HEART of Christmas remains. Like yesterday, when Lily took me for Christmas Tea…

"Tis the season to remember when God came as Jesus to a Bethlehem barn. But also that God still comes. Emmanuel. God with us. Recently, I told my son-in-love, Matt, about an encounter with a homeless man, who spoke four words that still speak to…

Stuck in traffic made the bumper sticker easy to read. "France called. They want their statue back." What?! Oh, I get it. Sometime after our relatives came through Ellis Island, too many of us preferred signs stating, "KEEP OUT" instead of "Give me your tired,…

The older I get, the less I want or need and the more I'm aware of the needs of others. And it's not because I can't think of anything I want or need, it's because I'm more aware of everything I already have. I've come…

It cost too much so I said, "Not now, maybe another time." The man, at our local Ace hardware, smiled and said, "If I give you my discount, it's this much." I was stunned at his generosity and kindness. So, I said, " Wow! Thank…

Whenever we sing the Twelve Days of Christmas, I catch my breath on day #5. You know, " FIVE GOL-DEN R I N G S!" Well, today's been a catch your breath kinda day. Just the Grands and me on this drizzly day. Since it's…

Yesterday I drove to Lynnfield's MarketStreet with two gifts in mind. MarketStreet's a unique collection of shops and restaurants, unlike enclosed malls. While different, I didn't expect a sermon. As I approached the first rotary, a single blinking sign, BELIEVE , "preached." Granted, at noontime…

Oh, to be sure, I still have some leftover turkey to eat and words of gratitude to express. But Thanksgiving, as an official day, is over until next year. So are Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thankfully. And while I love Thanksgiving, I'm so ready…

"Christmas is over, Momo!" My youngest Grand shouted in response to my wish to watch a Christmas movie on December 30th, which is the sixth day of Christmas in the Episcopal church. But not to my Grand, Poco. To her anything Christmassy ended December 25th…

It's a simple prayer request. "Give us this day our daily bread." Still, sometimes we feel full of dread more than bread. We sense something's missing. Some One. Which may be why more than two thousand years ago, God said, "It's time." And Jesus Christ,…

It's been awhile. Almost two weeks. In between blogs, life happened. Heather and Basil flew in for a visit, an early cause for thanksgiving. When I was young, time moved sloth-like. Not anymore. Blink and yesterday's tomorrow. Sometime this month, the days shortened, temperatures dropped,…

These are ordinary times. Not Advent, Christmas, Lent or Easter but simply ordinary. This is according to the Church liturgical year, not the Boston Globe or a social commentator. Well, yesterday, Dean Robert reminded me of this period, the ordinary days between the significant seasons…

Whew! I'm not late. I feel like Scrooge who awoke and learned he hadn't missed Christmas. There's still time to send Christmas greetings! Thank God for the internet.(sometimes) As for you who sent cards through the much maligned US Postal Service, thank you. You deserve…

Recent winds shook the house, removed some shingles, rearranged a chair on my deck, separated a swag of evergreens from its red bow and toppled the lamppost in front of our condo. While nature blustered, I grabbed a flashlight, in case of a power outage.…

They celebrate Letter Writing Day and National Tree Week in England. Dean Robert's taught me much about life here and there from his pulpit amidst roses and roosters in the gardens, patches and pens around the Canterbury Cathedral. Yesterday, the first Sunday of Advent, the…

After almost five weeks in California, I returned to Christmas at my condo, which I kinda liked. Held mail included cards and a few packages to open. Enjoyed doing both beside a tree with Christmas music playing in the background. I'm still opening and unwrapping.…

The Christmas tree star's back where it came from, boxed up until it's time to shine again. No more signs of Christmas other than some wee lights wrapped around a potted cactus in the living room. Not a bad visual. Life's prickly here and there…

Jiggled the key into the designated spot, still showing dribbles from my attempt at lubricating the mailbox keyhole. Better. Lock's old and stiff, like someone I know. Last week I reported to my family about my check-up at the Dr. After looking at some data,…

Today's Black Friday. Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving. Which day matters more in our buy-buy culture? The Boston Globe landed with a thud yesterday, jammed with inserts and ads. The mailbox's filled with more of the same, plus catalogs. This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent,…

That's what I read in the paper, "We're half-way to Spring." That's a dose of perspective to warm the heart, if not the 11 degrees below zero windchill. Some of you must've wondered what happened to me. Well, I ran into a snag with this…

Christmas decorations tend to hang around New England a good bit past their prime. Me,too. Last week I passed by a yard full of inflatable snowmen, wobbling away, while Santa lay flattened, all the air sucked out of him. Been there. Like this morning when…

Today's newspaper arrived without a thud. Pull the ads and there's not much news. Some editor made a decision to cut the comics in half, which is ok since they weren't all that funny. Started putting away Christmas yesterday, not much, just ribbons and wrappings…

My schedule reminded me "routine colonoscopy in two weeks" until the mail arrived with an invitation to an Advent luncheon and program. What to do? Lets just say, I really enjoyed the Advent gathering, drinking Christmas cheer instead of some solution determined to keep me…

If I thought it was hard putting up the Christmas tree, taking it down proved harder, since, for the better part of two months it delivered " tidings of great joy." Why now? Maybe because February's coming with heart-shaped everything plus Lent. Feels awkward ushering…

A bee buzzes nearby reminding me it probably wasn't a good idea to spritz orange blossom perfume on my neck this morning. Maybe I should move inside, be safe. Not this beautiful morning. Not on the Big Island of Hawaii where I write this twenty-second…

"O Little town of Bethlehem..." And it was. Small. Then. Today, it bustles with tourists, gawkers and hawkers of trinkets, challenging one to picture Bethlehem as the humble birthplace of Jesus. And yet , God, picked Bethlehem, saw it then and now, as He does…

Still remnants of Christmas on a few porches. Evergreen wreaths, yellowed by time, look uneasy as Spring hides hopeful around the bend. Meanwhile, a Nor'easter huffs and puffs outside the window. Winter busy bullying Spring. Maybe that's how it was for those shepherds, life stuck…

Christmas Morning. Grabbed the Sunday Globe off the porch, surprised and pleased at how thin. Few inserts, hawking wares on this quiet day. Even the ocean stilled. Few cars on the road as I drove to church. Parking lots empty of all but a few…

Love giving and receiving Christmas cards, letters, and packages. Hand-written letters/notes, still the best. I know. I'm old. No card or hand-written letter from me, however, since I'm hoping for a family photo at Christmas. Think Valentine's Day........or Easter. Last Sunday, Patrick ended the series…

The 4th Sunday of Advent's history. How'd it come and go so fast? Some of it's because I flew to North Carolina for Thanksgiving, surprised to learn, upon returning, the first Sunday of Advent'd already come and gone. Then, yesterday snuck up, announcing the 4th…

Words. Some come, like weapons, hurled with intent to wound, divide, confuse; others, pacify, instruct, encourage. Whatever the intent, words matter. Nothing matters more than what we choose to do with The Word that " became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood." (…

The closet's lined with cedar. Crack open the door, breathe, step back in time, if only to retrieve winter woolens. I'd gone downstairs to haul up boxes of ornaments, forcing myself to make Christmas happen, to replicate, as much as possible, what Jud and I…

Could've been June when light lingers longest, but Christmas comes at the darkest time of the year. Perfect timing. This weekend sparkled with Gordon's magnificent Christmas Gala, annual tree lighting at Old Nugent Farm and last night's Procession with Carols for Advent at our church.…

Growing up Baptist, we didn't do Advent. While December meant rehearsing for the annual Christmas pageant, several Sundays in December, the other days resembled normal Christmas : baking, shopping, decorating,wrapping, Daddy preparing sermons and Mama making sure there'd be enough bathrobes for the shepherds. Don't…

May's a month of graduations, weddings and Mother's Day. Sent a Mother's Day card to my Aunt Joyce, Mama's next to youngest sister. Her Norwegian name's Solveig. Uncle Howie sometimes called her, "Joy bells." To me she was Auntie Joyce, super cook, best baker, quickest…

"Momo, could you make pancakes and Christmas Tea for breakfast tomorrow?" Heather and Basil'd come for a long weekend, a month after his 6th birthday. I'd promised a party. Not surprised that he'd asked for Norwegian pancakes, but Christmas Tea in late April? Besides, he…

One day last week Lily and I headed into Nordstrom for lunch and a look at some of the after-Christmas sales. A weighed-down man waddled ahead of us, assorted packages plastered like bulky barnacles to his chest and arms. Stuff to be returned here and…

That was her name. Epiphany. She wore no name tag. I asked her name a few days before when I'd handed her my parking ticket and credit card at the MGH parking garage where she cashiered. This time friendship interrupted function with,"How's your husband doing?"…

Almost nothing at Christmas in our culture falls under the spell of "all is calm ." We do better on " all is bright ", as in blinking bright lights, sparkling bright decorations and packages but especially, bright red eyes from sleep deprivation. For sure…

Maggie's singing, "Rise Up Shepherds and Follow" in the pageant on Christmas Eve. She's the eight year old Grand who challenges me to plan my funeral by nudging me to choose what I'd like sung. The more we talk about the service, the more it…

Heather, Matt, Lily and I squeezed into the pew last Sunday evening, full of pride and high hopes. Luke and Basil were singing in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at their church. I'd booked my flight weeks ago to be sure I'd be…

Basil hurried to the advent calendar to see what surprise lay hidden in the slip of paper curled 'round the ring for today. Heather did the planning and writing, as I'd done for her and Chad when they were children. December 11th read, "Momo picks…

Kate took it off her head and handed it to me last Friday evening. It was the day after Thanksgiving and a night of interrupted sleep. Not a good Friday, when you spend a chunk of it at the doctor's office, getting help for strep…