Friday, December 25, 2015

Merry Christmas!

The last 25 days have been spent waiting for Christmas.  There have been quiet times, candle lightings,  gospel lessons, nativity building and anticipation.  Today was the culmination of all those things as we welcomed the new born babe and celebrated with gifts and food.

I usually have a problem with depression at some point during the holiday season and this year has been no different.  There was one day a couple of weeks ago and then again today.  I don't know why, a let down perhaps.  Even though we try to emphasize the real meaning of Christmas and not dwell on the material side of it there is still that moment of realization that all the planning and working is over in the blink of an eye.  I know that "Christmas" is just beginning with twelve days to follow but being raised in America it was our tradition to celebrate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then it was done and we readied ourselves for the New Year.

So, today, as I was making the final preparations for our dinner and final lighting of the Advent candles I was already thinking ahead toward the New Year and things I want to accomplish.  I don't believe in resolutions -- it is like they are made just to be broken.  I much prefer plans and goals.

I have a few of those for the new year -- some big, some not so big, so long term and some to bring closure.  One of my goals this year is to be a better blogger.  I have a few things I would like to incorporate here at Maison Brinkley -- both personally and for the household in general.  I am going to make a more concerted effort to actually document them here with photographs.

Photographs -- hmm...that reminds me, it seems that three of the four screws in the front of my camera have fallen out and my camera is in grave danger of just disintegrating so I might have to think about a new one.  In any event, I am hoping to do better with the blog.

I am also rethinking reading challenges.  This year I signed up for several and wasn't particularly successful with most so 2016 will find me participating in only one.  I have several series that I would have loved to have finished this year but didn't so I will continue with those this year.  I have learned that reading challenges are sort of double edged sword.  On one hand they sort of force you to read more but I wonder if, in doing that, we don't read as well and get as much out of the books as we could if we took more time.  I don't know but I do know that I am going to do only one.

I am also giving more thought to household things such as tidying, decluttering and meal planning and prepping.  I have recently read an interesting article that takes meal planning a step farther and concentrates on prepping and pre-cooking some things.  I found it fascinating and am going to give that a go and see if it can help me prepare an evening meal with limited time.  The Hubs and I both need to lose a little (haha!) weight and get more exercise so that is a huge goal of the new year. 

But, for tonight, I am taking my book, heading to my bed and going to lose myself in a good read. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and look forward to great weekend!

Update

 Ok, so we visited our cardiologist yesterday to get the lay of the land for the Hubs.  Seems there is an issue with one of the grafts from ...