Christmas Eve

Well, huh! It’s that time of year again. Again? Yep! Sure is.

The mind does its annual journey through the past. Remember when? Oh yes, I remember that! At each age, especially during the early ones, memories flood the mind. My early days were in California – Pasadena, Altadena, Inyokern (Mojave Desert), Glendora. Each community had its own identity to elders, but to the kids, it was where the fireplace was, the big window in the living room where Santa was sure to enter, or the huge pine tree in the front yard, the tree that Santa would use to identify our home among all the others. Or the desert landscape that discouraged sleighs, reindeer or not.

And then, we moved to New England (Pittsfield, Massachusetts) where snow was everywhere, and we had a fireplace for Santa, plus all the other New Englandy things that simply spelled Christmas. After that, it was central New York with even more snow and very different expectations as college loomed then passed.

Illinois presented the same snow but less of it. Flatlands replaced hills and forests. But it was certain reindeer could manage the low altitude landscapes. 60 years of Illinois yuletides, but each of those marked the births and growing up of our two kids. Each noel’s eve gave us the snow, fireplace and good heart for the season. It unfolded just as ours did so many years before.

And now, in retirement, it is the time of grandkids, fireplaces and snow. Only this year there is no snow. Temps in the 40’s and 50’s! Who would have thought that?

At any rate and in any how, Merry Christmas to you all. Be safe and love and be loved. That’s what this is all about.

Peace.

December 24, 2025

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intimacy

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...
Read more

Bits & Pieces

Pie: Apple pie more specifically. With Thanksgiving just passed, many of us enjoyed a good apple pie. Sure, there was pumpkin to accompany the turkey, but in our family multiple pies are offered in the holidays. Apple is surely one. Pecan, pumpkin and others, too. But I almost always choose apple. When I was in college, I was asked what kind of pie did I eat most often. In front of my mom, I answered apple, because I was always looking for a pie as good as mom’s own. Of course my mother was pleased, but it was a true statement just the same. When I was married, Ann’s pie was darned good. Her mother’s recipe. But we fiddled with the recipe until it took on its own generational name, and boy, was it good! Today I still order apple pie for dessert because I am always looking for a great pie to challenge our family recipes. I rarely do find such a prize. Do others do the same? Do you search for a great pie of choice, continually? If you do, what’s your story? Why do you do this? ...
Read more

Remembering Tom Sherlock

Tom Sherlock died on Wednesday, April 3rd. He was 65 years old and did not survive a heart surgery. That was his unexpected end and sad enough. But there is more to his story. Tom joined Dan Schuyler and George Safford to create what became the Village Chronicles, a weekly newspaper serving Warrenville, Illinois. That paper expanded to serve Winfield and then West Chicago. The paper published for eight years and built a good reputation for itself. Tom served the paper in several ways. He was our information technology guru, provided hardware and software to support the paper's operations. He was our sole bookkeeper, accountant and financial manager. He designed our distribution process and provided office space for meetings and layout and typesetting. His efforts supported the work of 32 volunteers who wrote and reported on the communities we served.  The newspaper broke even financially most of the time, but it was a struggle. Tom managed to find money to keep the newspaper afloat...
Read more