Janet's Blog

When we stepped out of church on Christmas Eve, it was snowing.  I don't remember the last time we had snow for Christmas.  This time, there was just enough snow to be beautiful, but not so much that driving was impeded for Christmas travelers--a perfect white Christmas! I wonder why a white Christmas seems so special, and almost expected, to make Christmas everything it should be here in America.  It's kind of like the icing on a cake--it's the final touch to make an already special occasion seem nearly perfect. Just the thought of a white Christmas makes many of us feel nostalgic about Christmases in the past.  When I think of a white Christmas, my mind travels back to that snowy Christmas Eve in Norfolk when I was about six years old.  When we came home after the children's Christmas service, the crisp air had that unique smell of snow as the gently falling flakes tickled my cheeks. Or, I think back even further, when we still lived on the farm near Bloomfield. 

Too busy to write in my blog.  No time to think, let alone write.  Too many programs and parties.  Shopping, wrapping, a little baking, eating, sharing good times with friends and family.  Practicing with the worship team for Christmas Eve--that's never a chore.  More shopping, more food and fun.  Are the preparations done yet?  When can I stop to breathe?  The excitement continues to build.  We might have a rare white Christmas!  Look at all those presents under the tree!  No, Levi, you can't open one yet! Why must the Christmas season be so cram-packed?  Why don't we spread it out a little bit?  Sometimes, I wish we could celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6, as they do in some European countries, and get our gift-giving out of the way then, so we could concentrate more on Christmas itself as a special time to celebrate Jesus' birth.  On second thought, I suppose the day after Halloween would become the new "Black Friday," merely prolonging the frenzy.

I've been writing Christmas letters for years.  Okay, sometimes, I skip a year and, often, my letters arrive after Christmas.  A couple of years ago, I sent an Easter letter instead.  No one seemed to mind.  In fact, some people commented about how refreshing it was to receive a letter at a time when few other people send them. Christmas, 2012 Sometimes, I wonder if Christmas cards and letters will soon become faint memories of a simpler time when  people communicated via pen and paper rather than electronically.  And then, I wonder if it really matters, as long as people make some effort to keep in touch.  I certainly appreciate my Facebook connections, because I can keep up with people's everyday lives much better than I would without Facebook.  And, I love the photos people post there. This year, I am going to try something new.  I'm going to compose this letter here on my blog, then send it via "snail mail" to friends and relatives who are not able to r