Christmas, Hanukkah, and Looking Forward . . .
It's Christmas Day, and it's the middle of Hanukkah. J is culturally Jewish but has always celebrated both holidays, so I have embraced double holidays and I have to say it's kinda fun :-)
This was me on Christmas Eve as I was getting ready to leave for work (yes, I had to work part of the day on Christmas Eve). I love my White Sox, and it's hard to be a sports fan in Chicagoland, so those of us who believe in the designated hitter (i.e., American League fans) hold on to our victories - this is the Christmas hat I got in 2005 :-) I also love it because it actually fits my melonhead :-D :-D
I received some awesome gifts from J - it's sometimes a bit challenging as we are far apart, but I asked him if it would help if I made a Christmas list. He said yes, and I'm so excited to have some things now that will help me learn how to make paper - it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time.
He gave me the book for Hanukkah (and some super cute dreidel socks that I forgot to put in the photo), and the two Papermill kits (different size deckles!) were for Christmas. I'm so excited!!!!
I got some other wonderful gifts from friends and family, and my friend, T and I did our annual Advent exchange where we create an Advent calendar for each other with small gifts to be opened one each day until Christmas. It's a lot of fun and I love everything T got me - but I felt like I fell down on the job this year in my choices. I will do better next year!
Christmas isn't all about the presents, though - it's about family and friends, and love, and the Christ Child who came to join us here on earth. I wasn't able to attend any of the Wednesday Advent services at my church again this year because, as usual, they all started before I even got off the train from the city, and last night when the service started at 7:30, I was out with my cousins for a very good Christmas Eve dinner at Tin Fish. I'm not sure my cousins liked it, but I really did and I plan to go there again for sure. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm sure I will not be waiting for someone to go there with me - I have no problem going out on my own and this is a place where I can get a good piece of fish and they can accommodate my dietary challenges. Yay!
This afternoon I will head over to another cousin's home for Christmas dinner. I'm looking forward to time with family members I don't see all that often. I'm taking a PB&J sandwich with me because I understand that dinner will be a Honeybaked Ham, which I love, but which is super salty.
And even as I celebrate, I have started to think about 2020 and how I might like it to look. What I mean by that is that I'm looking forward to things I might like to accomplish in 2020. I am reasonably sure 2020 is going to be the best year of my life. More on this later - for now, enjoy this day of celebration . . .
Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Christmas!
This was me on Christmas Eve as I was getting ready to leave for work (yes, I had to work part of the day on Christmas Eve). I love my White Sox, and it's hard to be a sports fan in Chicagoland, so those of us who believe in the designated hitter (i.e., American League fans) hold on to our victories - this is the Christmas hat I got in 2005 :-) I also love it because it actually fits my melonhead :-D :-D
I received some awesome gifts from J - it's sometimes a bit challenging as we are far apart, but I asked him if it would help if I made a Christmas list. He said yes, and I'm so excited to have some things now that will help me learn how to make paper - it's something I've been wanting to do for a long time.
He gave me the book for Hanukkah (and some super cute dreidel socks that I forgot to put in the photo), and the two Papermill kits (different size deckles!) were for Christmas. I'm so excited!!!!
I got some other wonderful gifts from friends and family, and my friend, T and I did our annual Advent exchange where we create an Advent calendar for each other with small gifts to be opened one each day until Christmas. It's a lot of fun and I love everything T got me - but I felt like I fell down on the job this year in my choices. I will do better next year!
Christmas isn't all about the presents, though - it's about family and friends, and love, and the Christ Child who came to join us here on earth. I wasn't able to attend any of the Wednesday Advent services at my church again this year because, as usual, they all started before I even got off the train from the city, and last night when the service started at 7:30, I was out with my cousins for a very good Christmas Eve dinner at Tin Fish. I'm not sure my cousins liked it, but I really did and I plan to go there again for sure. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm sure I will not be waiting for someone to go there with me - I have no problem going out on my own and this is a place where I can get a good piece of fish and they can accommodate my dietary challenges. Yay!
This afternoon I will head over to another cousin's home for Christmas dinner. I'm looking forward to time with family members I don't see all that often. I'm taking a PB&J sandwich with me because I understand that dinner will be a Honeybaked Ham, which I love, but which is super salty.
And even as I celebrate, I have started to think about 2020 and how I might like it to look. What I mean by that is that I'm looking forward to things I might like to accomplish in 2020. I am reasonably sure 2020 is going to be the best year of my life. More on this later - for now, enjoy this day of celebration . . .
Happy Hanukkah!
Merry Christmas!
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