O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...how bare are now your branches!!

The pure delight I experieced five short weeks ago, has sobered to reality today! The memories of each treasured ornament I placed upon our tree have been packed away in Rubbermaid plastic storage containers along with those lovely little keepsakes for yet another year's hibernation. The glitter, the sparkle, the twinkle lights, the candles, the ribbons, the flickering flames from the tapers on the dining room table and the logs in the fireplace...have been replaced with the predictable ambience of our middle-class decor. I love the holidays, but as I grow a year older at each turn of the calendar year, I mourn the conclusion of this most special time of year...especially when I realize that my most precious gifts...Mike and Rachel, Sarah, Karen and Dave...may not be present at my tree in 2006. Each new turn in the journey of their adult lives will reveal new priorities, different commitments, and the beginning of their own Vendsel and Norvell traditions.

I loved Christmas 2005! My thoughtful husband, John, recognized that this might be the last year all the Vendsel Children and their significant others would grace our home for the holidays. Therefore, my gift was airline fare for those far away to be home in Texas for the holidays. We splurged on holiday festivities....food, flowers, restaurants, shopping, gifts, and little surprises along the way. My mother, "Grandma Nan", was an added "gift" to our home as well. We flew her to Texas from California, so she could enjoy her grandchildren's presence for a few days. Three generations present...how joyful! What a special blessing!

It was emotionally painful to see Mike and Rachel off at the airport! They left on the 26th for home in Philadelphia, where they were looking forward to a second holiday week of fun with Rachel's mother and father, Carol and John Allen. Karen and Dave left the same day to drive to Arkansas to visit the Norvell family. And Grandma Nan also left on the 26th...flying home to California to pick up her highly anticipated Christmas gift...Tillie and Trixie (two miniature poodles)!

Daughter Sarah is still home; not planning to drive back to Chattanooga until the 4th of January. She will have a student riding back with her; a blessing for this mom to know she won't endure the 12-hour drive alone! I'm enjoying her kindred spirit, our serious yet hilarious chats, our loving teasing, our walks around the neighborhood and to Parr Park. I'll miss her when she leaves, but I'm so proud of her accomplishments and her success in her first "real job" after graduate school.

New Year's Eve found John and me at the Convention Center in town, enjoying an evening of dinner, dancing, silent and live auction, "murder mystery" theatre, champagne toast and midnight breakfast! Whew!! The event was a fundraiser for the Runway Theatre, our community theatrical group. We've enjoyed our season tickets this year, and the productions have been very, very good.

Rachel taught me how to post pictures on my blog. I should have written the instructions down...I can't remember how to do it! As soon as I recall, I'll post some photos...

Happy New Year to all my readers...I'll post my thoughts, my goals, my ambitions for 2006 during my next post.

Love to all!