GOOD-BYE FLORIDA - HELLO COLD TENNESSEE!

We arrived home last night after spending 8 lovely days in Florida.  We had such a great time, but eventually, all good things must come to an end.  We are back home in reality and getting geared towards Christmas.  We draw names among the adults, so that helps cut down on the expense, but we do still have four grandchildren to buy for, and their "wants" get more elaborate every year.  Our youngest (age 7) wants a Sony projector so he can watch his Dad's IPad videos projected on a large screen.  Can IPads really do that???

On the subject of Christmas..... this time of year really stresses me out.  I love the Holiday and the Christmas story, but it all seems to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the commerciality of the season.  What happened to the time when family members made special gifts for one another, we got an apple or an orange in the toe of our Christmas stockings, and unwrapping presents didn't go on for hours because there were just not that many?  We truly appreciated every gift and sometimes we didn't get that one thing we really wanted, but what we did get, we loved because it was given with love.  Our church Christmas pageant was filled with little kids playing shepherds, wisemen, donkeys, sheep and Joseph and Mary - with one little fake baby Jesus in the manger.  Of course there were sweet little angels with gold pipe-cleaner halos too.  Now, I worry about getting all my Christmas cards made and mailed, attending all the Holiday get-togethers, and not getting sick from exhaustion before Christmas.  And, all of a sudden, the day is over, and you're stuck taking down the tree and the decorations all by yourself.  Never fails!  I hope I don't sound like the Grinch, because I really do think Christmas is beautiful - it's just that sometimes it's hard to see the forest for the trees.  Blessings to all of you this Season!