ARE YOU READY, YET???

Well, Thanksgiving is over-put to bed for another year. The once-a-year china is washed and put in the hutch, the silverware in its case under the bed, and the crystal wrapped in newspaper pajamas and tucked away in the cabinet. The lights have been turned off and "Thanksgiving Day" is hibernating for another year. Sweet dreams, Thanksgiving Day. Now to rest. WRONG!!!

Now comes the "fun"part" of Autumn--the mad, crazy all-consuming time of year known affectionately as "Christmas Time". The shopping has begun-unless you are my friend Tracy who was finished on January 30th of this year. And she has it wrapped already!!! I hate her. Not really, I'm just very envious of her ability to get all her shopping done so early--and she does this every year!!!! I love you, tracy.

Besides the shopping, there are cookies to be baked, parties to attend, six hour school concerts to sit through, house decorating (inside and out) to be done, cards to write and send ( I already received Tracy's card-urgh!!), gifts to be wrapped, visits to Santa Claus, a tree to be bought/chopped down and decorated, night drives to "see the lights" and visits to exchange gifts with friends. Even if this wasn't enough, someone in my family threw in a baby shower in December!! HELP!!! I need a clone-one with six extra hands and four legs-'cause this body is already getting tired just thinking about the next month!

Where have the 'good old days' gone?? Do you remember them?? We only bought a few gifts for very close freinds and family. Some gifts were handmade during the year. Jams and jellies were canned in the late summer and just tied with a ribbon as a present. Kids made and wrapped their parents' presents in school. There were no malls to charge our way through. One concert at school and it lasted one hour. Spening a Sunday trampling through the woods to cut a tree down and drag it home to be decorated. A tree that held its needles for more than five days. Spending the whole evening of Christmas Eve at one house-not rushing to three houses for an hour each. Do you remeber going door-to-door caraoling?? Getting hot chocolate and cookies from the friendly people that you sang to?? Nowadays you would probably get shot on a doorstep!!

And through this all, we have forgotten the true meaning of the holiday. Yes, Christmas is for kids. Yes, Christmas is a time of giving and receiving (though I actually like the giving part more). Yes, Christams is a time for spending quality time with your loved ones. But Christmas is also a time to remember a baby was born on this day. A baby who is important to me and many other people on this globe we call Earth. If I could have one wish this holiday season, it would be that there was a little less commercialism and a little more reflection on the TRUE meaning of Christmas.

So, during the next month, think of me and the craziness I will be muddling through, as I think of you and the rush you will be going through. But every once in a while, take a rest. Stop and look to the sky and think what this is all about. And maybe you will have a moment of peace-for it is the "season of peace on earth, good will toward man".

Have a great day, and stay safe.
Me

THE RIGHT, THE HONOR, THE PRIVLEGE TO VOTE

I am a staunch supporter of the right to vote. I believe it is my duty to vote. Susan B Anthony fought her butt off to get me this right, and I won't squander it. But it's not just a right, it's an honor and a privlege to vote. How many countries in the world do not allow their citizens this opportunity?? Too many to count.

I didn't vote for many years. This was during my "young and stupid" years as I like to call them. I was in my teens and early 20's and didn't know much about the world and the workings of politics. I was also self-absorbed with my own life. Then guess what happened?? I grew up!!! I got married, had children, and low and behold--my eyes were opened. It started gradually. I joined the PTO, got elected president of a softball league, started associating with adults who conversed about life and the world around me. My eyes were opened!!!

It is not just presidential elections that are important. tThere are 'every day' votes that matter. A few years ago, our town was having a tough time passing the school budget. The board discussed cutting the music and sports programs to pass this budget. Well, you want to see an irate parent!! For those of you that don't know my family, both my children are immersed in music. Kerri has played violin for 12 years as well as sings. Her violin lessons were free from the school system every day of her school years. She is at University now, in the elite singing group and possibly traveling to Spain for a week in the spring to sing . What an opportunity that was started at the elementary school level. Kaitlin has played flute/piccolo for 9 years courtesy of her school. She has also been in all the school musicals and plays throughout the years. She is going to college next fall to be a music education teacher and hopes to be on Braodway someday!! All because of Griswold High School's music department. When they started talking of cutting this program out of the budget, I took it upon myself to call all my family and friends in our town and told them to "get out and vote"!!! I don't know if what I did helped, but the budget was passed!! It was just a small thing that I could do from home, but I felt as if I was helping, that I was involved: involved in my children's future education, involved in the govermental process, involved in life!!!

I have tried to pass this wisdom on to my children. I have always taken them in the voting booth with me, so they could see the machine and see how it worked. One of the reasons why I never voted was I had never seen a voting machine and didn't know how to work it. I didn't want to be embarrased in front of strangers the first time. But a wonderful thing happens when you grow up. You don't care!!! Or at least, the threat of being embarrased went way down to the bottom of the pile when I decided to vote the first time. I guess I was so excited about "doing it" that first time, I wasn't scared of looking silly. And you know what--it was easy!! Now my daughter, who lives and goes to school in PA, actually votes by absentee ballot!! That is so cool. That was a process I had to learn right along with her. And she did it at 18-not 28 like me!!

Sometimes the big, political elections become so bogged down with name-calling tht a person can get dejected with the process and decide not to vote. Don't let that happen. One vote can make a difference. Even if the win is a landslide in the other favor, it doesn't matter. VOTE. You have been givien a privlege that so many other people on this planet wish they had. Use the gift that our forfathers and Susan B. Anthony gave you---VOTE!!

Have a great day, and stay safe.
Me