.... : Holidays

"Joyful" by Jill Ankrom

Life is awesome! I have today (Saturday), tomorrow (Sunday), and the day after (Monday) off .... life is good.

I had a little sleep in, which I had planned to be oh, about noon, because I can. Instead, my dog Buddy decided it was way past my up-time. Which made me realize, I had Christmas to do.

Click the links as you read along to this blog so that you can enjoy along with me:

The one, the only, Nat King Cole, 1950

Not surprising, I put my collection of iTunes music on, with Canadian Johnny Reid, the first to burst forth, singing: "Angels we have Heard on High". Gloria, indeed. Then the masterful Michael Blube, another Canadian, melodic genius singing about good cheer.

Okay, I'm all set. My to do list floating in my head. What about that part about writing it all down lest we forget? Well, I've been anxiously anticipating this weekend off all week. The whiners, the complainers, the demanders, fading with each strum of a guitar.

The main thing I have to do this weekend is a Gingerbread House to represent my team at work, to be unveiled at our team celebration on Thursday. There goes Bob Dylan with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (I've never thought he had much of a voice, but I guess the raspy wordsmith is a bit of a legend.)

I picked up the "some assembly required" Gingerbread House along with adornments on Wednesday. Last year, my house, was chosen as the winner for our floor, to go on to challenge the building, then off to our downtown tower. Unfortunately, the spirit of Christmas can sometimes flutter in competative spirit. It got disqualified by the rules, 100% edible products only .... when the soldier wrapped with tinfoil became the culprit in what I dubbed "Tinselgate". Even three team fellows offered to eat them to demonstrate they were, in fact, edible. Well, not this year. Everything is 100% edible as the label states. Even though as most of it is 85% sugar, makes that debatable.

Gingerbread House to represent my team at work, to be unveiled at our team celebration on Thursday. There goes Bob Dylan with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" (I've never thought he had much of a voice, but I guess the raspy wordsmith is a bit of a legend.)

I picked up the "some assembly required" Gingerbread House along with adornments on Wednesday. Last year, my house, was chosen as the winner for our floor, to go on to challenge the building, then off to our downtown tower. Unfortunately, the spirit of Christmas can sometimes flutter in competitive spirit. It got disqualified by the rules, 100% edible products only .... when the soldier wrapped with tinfoil became the culprit in what I dubbed "Tinselgate". Even three team fellows offered to eat them to demonstrate they were, in fact, edible. Well, not this year. Everything is 100% edible as the label states. Even though most of it is 85% sugar making that debatable.

My husband just walked into the kitchen where my armor of Christmas music is playing, when the Chipmunks holiday song just happened to play. Reinforcing in his mind that I'm a corny Christmas sucker, who loves to get in the mood of giving. I may not have the money to dole out randomly, but more enough spirit and giving than most.

Why am I so caught up in the holiday spirit? Well, definitely because of my "Honey Do" list, which happens to be minus the Christmas shopping -- I finished that a couple of weeks ago. I'm intent to put a dent in the wrapping this weekend, to avoid the glasses of wine to keep me awake and pushing on to wrapping the heap of Christmas bootie for others to happily unwrap.

The funner side of Christmas with this Kelly Clarkson melody: "4 carats"

I've had to adapt my expectations. I no longer have wide-eyed children at home, giddy with excitement decorating the Christmas tree's meaning: Santa is on track. Yet traditions evolve, instead of making lopsided Gingerbread houses, one each, for their own creativity to unfold, I am making one for my work team.

The Christmas music is playing .... a tradition that I will keep on for all the years I'm allowed to be around to enjoy it, even if the songs change with the times. The classics like "White Christmas" by Bing Cosby, will never dim or cease to lift the harmony of spirits in good cheer.

My husband will continue to lift his eyebrows at the choice of music, when he'd choose "Thunder" by ACDC instead. He never complains. Content in the air of preparation one associates with happy memories, from childhood to parenthood to husbandhood to blending familydom to empty nest dom.

Our adult children, aged 24 to 27, will be coming over tomorrow to join in the festivities to celebrate his birthday. I don't know if he expects anything except his daughter's visit. My youngest is off in Vancouver creating her future, yet a bit despondent I'd guess because I had always created the Christmas atmosphere. Not about the gifts, about the spirit, the anticipation, the decorating, and whatever inspiration popped out. My elder daughter is off to Los Angelos this weekend, the city of Angels. Yes, the holidays' spirit reaches everyone in a unique way.

Masterful talented duo Mary J. Blige with Andrea Bocelli

The kids and their fiance will be charged with putting up the tree, decorating it, while I will reward them with dinner. The hubby may even get into the act, who knows. The peaceful contentment of our lives does not force him to do anything he doesn't want to. However, he is the man of the house and hides his enjoyment of being in the thick of things. Doling out jokes at my son, who flourishes in the attention that is not harsh or sarcastic like his father tends to do. The epitamy of stepparrentdom can be enjoyable. Our daughter is the first one in line to absorb our traditions of decorating and embracing Christmas.

I'm excited for Christmas this year. Hell, (I mean heck) I am every year. Yet, as your children age and grow with character you are so proud of, instilled in family values that they instinctively know they own. They move on to relationships (one engaged), journeys (one in LA), adventures (one in Vancouver) and peaceful safety of what home means (one who stays close to home).

Yes, I would like more money, who wouldn't? But one knows that being content with what you have is the most wise definition we can exude. Regardless of religion, this is a time of reflection. Our values. Rejoicing in peace, family and loved ones is what it should be about.

So, it's time to lift my fingers from the magnetic keyboard that exhausts my brain from stress and levels into enjoyment of what my weekend has in store. I just may get one or two presents wrapped without the aid of wine, and a good night sleep instead.

Peace, harmony, love and the spirit of the Holidays are yours to be inspired by.

Shaken' Stevens "Echoes of Merry Christmas"

Music source: The UK's Telegraph asking what are the all time favorite Christmas songs of all time with my top favorites: