Holidays

  • Holidays,  Home & Family

    Irish DNA

    “We Irish prefer embroideries to plain cloth. To the Irish, memory is a canvas—stretched, primed, and ready for painting on. We love the “story” part of the word “history,” and we love it trimmed out with color and drama, ribbons and bows. Listen to our tunes, observe a Celtic scroll; we always decorate our essence.” ~Frank Delaney I’ve always been a storyteller. And every year on St. Patrick’s Day, I have an uncanny memory of the lyrics to Irish folk tunes. Strangers have walked up to me in shops and asked if I’m Irish. I knew I had “a little Irish” in me, but didn’t realize how much Irish until…

  • Christmas,  Holidays,  Personal growth,  Self-care

    When you need time out

    “I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” ~Audrey Hepburn The holidays are in full swing, giving us plenty of opportunities to gather with others. And that’s not a bad thing. Current research shows that maintaining an active social life is essential to our physical and mental wellbeing — right up there with exercising and eating healthy meals. Spending time with friends lifts my spirit and helps dispel my worries for a while. But as much as I enjoy good company, sometimes I get overwhelmed by other people’s energy. That’s…

  • Christmas,  Holiday traditions,  Holidays

    Treasure trees

    “Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.” ~Tom Baker When Doug and I became empty nesters, we started scaling back on holiday decorations. Simplifying the season, we banked the mantel with greens and twinkle lights, but didn’t put up a Christmas tree. We’d grown tired of hauling everything down from the attic. But things have changed now that we have a little grandson who’s old enough to appreciate the magic of Christmas. Last year, we bought a new tree and retrieved the ornaments we’ve collected over the years. My favorites include the paper and macaroni ornaments…

  • Christmas,  Health & wellbeing,  Holidays,  Inspirational quotes

    The gift of free time

    “There’s no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” ~Alexander Woollcott This morning, while waiting for my coffee to brew, I checked the wall calendar in my kitchen. The month of December includes several family birthdays and holiday plans, so most days are scribbled in ink with things to remember or do. The sight of a blank space today — no commitments, no appointments! — immediately gave me a little thrill. It’s not that I don’t look forward to activities with family and friends. But I have to admit that I covert the luxury of an occasional free day to collect my wits or spend any way I…

  • Christmas,  Community spirit,  Holidays,  Home & Family

    Redefining “family”

    “Family was a bigger word than I imagined, wide and without limitations, if you allowed it, defying easy definition. You had family that was supposed to be family and wasn’t, family that wasn’t family but was….It was possible to lack whole, honest love and connection from family in lead roles, yet to be filled to abundance by the unexpected supporting players.” ~Deb Colette, The Secret Life of Prince Charming The winter holidays traditionally shine a bright light on our family relationships. Sometimes that’s a beautiful thing, and sometimes it’s … complicated. (In yesterday’s post, I shared a column about coping with the loss of loved ones during the holidays.) Whether it’s…