Love is all you need

Blogger kept eating this post, sorry it took so long. May the New Year bring you love, joy and contentment in your life!

Christmas Day was a dreary grey with rain drips, more than fog, less than rain, dropping on everyone. It was a lovely day to sleep in, wake to coffee and a loving mate, have a nice hot breakfast and play with our presents.

All the visiting was done, the mate was too sick to go anywhere anyway. We had no commitments and no regrets. The kids were all scheduled for "next year" visits except for his eldest who was stopping in later that day just to pick up a movie and book we had borrowed. Stress level was zero and keeping the mate warm and resting was the order of the day.

We did our things with the computers, got email, ect., then later we watched our Christmas Movies. I installed my new screensaver, the 3D aquarium and played some ZELDA!!!! It was a lovely, restful day. I did things on Indian time and enjoyed being home with the mate.

I browned and roasted a chuck roast in coffee, worchester and spices, adding whole red potatoes later and the mate added a salad to the menu. I smashed the potatoes and made gravy for the mate, added cheese to mine and we enjoyed a lovely dinner.

The cards I found for the cash gifts had a place on the front to stick a little picture so I went back and found photos of the grands 3 or 4 years back and stuck on them, and for the kids, too. They got as much fun out of seeing how little they were as they did out of the money.

All in all a lovely Christmas. Wishing the same happened for all of you.

Oh, and I got earring to match my birthday ring, the screen saver, a hat gloves and scarf from mates Eldest, a Shreck2 tree ornament from the Mom, some cash from a relative, cookies from the sis, fruit from the Florida sis, a card from the loser sis and have more christmas to do with people further away yet.

The mate got new moccasins, two new movies, Pay per view wrestling from his eldest and a dinner for the 8th of Jan, a fishing cat tree ornament, some money from a relative, a call from his dad, a card from his little brother and stocking treats for both of us were left by santa.

So what was my favorite gift this Christmas, what meant the most to me about the holiday season? I'll tell you.

It was the smile and hug from step Grama when I showed up to visit for awhile and the smile from step Grampa when I handed him his double chocolate truffles.

It was the cheer rendered to me in love by the neices and nephews as I walked in the door to make cookies with them and the laughter and playtime we all shared.

The look on the mate's face when he saw he had perfectly matched my ring with the earrings he gave me and the hug and kiss he gave me to go with them. The joy in our loving that night.

Listening to the 2nd grand boy say, "Boy I was LITTLE back then!" when he saw the photo I had printed out and stuck on his card.


It was watching the grand girl hug her new baby doll I got for her and the the Eldest son showing her how to hold it. The hug I got from the DIL and the smiles from her and the boy as they watched the one year old girl eat cake.

The laughs at the the boy girl gifts as we opened them. No one got a can opener this year. The best gift wat the one someone made.

The loving pride on Mom's face as she watched 4 generations playing with the toy castle in her living room.

And the laugh she blessed us with as the nephew, saying the spirit of step Dad made him buy her a new appliance to replace the perfectly good one she already had and gifting her with an electric tea kettle. She has a perfectly good little kettle she uses on an electric stove, but step dad would have liked the "techier" plug in one and got it for her. It sets on the shelf next to the juicer and the popcorn popper with his other gifts to her.

The loving thoughtfulness of the nephew and NIL for thinking of her and remembering their step Grampa whom we lost 3 years ago on Christmas warmed my heart. The warmth of hearing the other NIL say my hair looked pretty up.

Probably the most fun for me was actually being able to get around without crutches or a walker this year, even if I couldn't talk. I appreciated not needing 6 people to clear the way for me.

I even got some gifts from my blogging pals. Someone forgave and accepted something very difficult for him to deal with and made his own Christmas one of smiles and joy for his family. And a note saying thanks for the smiles this year from another. Thank you all for those happy thoughts.

The very best present didn't come in a box, or a bag, wasn't wrapped. I was just sitting there and it fell in my lap. I was writing on my machine one night and realized that I was still happy and content with the mate and our life and that I had NO worries. The house was solid, the bills up to day, the cars are running, the kids and grands and folks are all ok, and the pets are pretty good for their years.

Yes, there were things I would change if I could, like the limited cash flow we are dealing with and maybe even hitting the lottery so we could have that place on 100 acres with a pond or creek and time and health to hunt it, roam and fish it. Then give each of the kids and grands ten acres when we pass on.

But then I thanked the Cosmic all and God that I was wise enough to notice and smart enough to know how rare a gift I had been given, the love and respect of my family and friends, quiet happiness, health, contentment and no worries. And it has lasted for several days now.

It brings tears to my eyes when I think of all the people who will never have even a moment like this in their lives. I am even sadder when I contemplate how many may never notice when they have a time like this because they are always so in need of something to complain about that they miss it.

For me this holiday is about sharing the love that was given freely to us all with those we love and those in need of some loving kindness. It was the love expressed to my and from me to others - the hugs, the smiles, the laughter and the tears over those we miss still that will be remembered, not the gifts.

If you love someone, say so today and count your blessings. Merry Christmas.