December - friends, tree, etc.

Although December isn't my favorite month of the year, it seems to be my brightest. I just love the music, smells (especially, wassail and Christmas trees,) and the colors everywhere (red, green, white!) I try to remember those who are feeling a little lonely as well, as when I'm not doing anything, I often reminisce about my late parents and how much I miss them!

This past week, I enjoyed lunch and visiting with my friend Betty (who introduced me to a couple groups that I attend regularly now as well as the arts as I also go to community plays as well.) Her husband passed away almost five years ago and she has recently met a man with whom she has been spending a lot of time lately. I think she was just trying to be active and involved so that she wouldn't be feeling down...and after inviting me a few times, I started accepting. This is us at a luncheon this past week. She is usually a kind of extraverted socialite (opposite of me.) Yes, I'm the youngest of the group, lol! Betty's on the left and I'm in the middle. An acquaintance Bessie is on the right.


I also contacted an older former collegue (who used to be a boss where I worked seven years ago.) We weren't particularly close but I know that her mom died last April and she is now in the same boat I'm in regarding taking care of a loved one with Alzheimers (and those kinds of circumstances.) We had lunch yesterday and even though her dad is younger than my mother-in-law, we had many similar stories. Luckily, we could use laughter when discussing those trying times when we were forced to take on a situation with our loved one. Like she mentioned, otherwise, we'd be crying. I found it interesting that we actually had a lot in common. I'm learning how to reach out, or rather, practicing, so expand my small circle of friends.

My 'lil one had a Christmas pageant this past week. He was precious and did his cute hand gestures at just the right times. He (and his classmates) were doves (which explains the white feathers on his shirt!)


We put up our Christmas tree this week. Well, actually, we put up my daughter's boyfriend's Christmas tree this week. He let us borrow it again this year (we borrowed it last year when my allergies went through the roof the first day we brought our live one in the house.) The kids loved putting on the decorations. I hadn't bought any new one is years. My mom always used to say not to buy any you didn't love because you'd be looking at them for twenty years. I now know what she means... So, even though we don't have a whole lot of ornaments, we have ones we really love! On the front of this one, I noticed a few in the picture that are noteworthy: a green stocking I made when was about 11, a Santa made out of red pipe cleaners and cotton that my brother made, and those lovely ones brought home from my kiddos from school that they made in class! I had some beautiful breakable ornaments that were destroyed by a little kid who was unsupervised in my house many years ago and, even though I was angry at the time, I still don't really remember what those particular ones looked like. It's the more ordinary ones that seem to be the ones I love...those made with love!