Posted by
lobo1776 on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 1:12:59 AM
Been sitting on my front porch looking out at the world. It's 55 degrees out side, here in Kentucky. Christmas is about 2 weeks away and it feels like springtime. Maybe Al Gore was right about global warming. If he was , I'll take it. Sure beats some of the cold places I've been too in the world.
Got my firewood cut up. I have a 500 gallon propane tank but with the cost of propane over $2.00 a gallon, its kind of useless right now. But I dont whine and complain about oil barons gouching the little guy. If you cant beat them one way, the good Lord always provides an alternate route. If you just listen.
Money is kind of tight this year. A couple of years back, Mrs. Lobo got hurt at work. I wont lie that being down to one paycheck does hurt but with alittle southern ingenuity and the help of the Almighty we make it.
It did get bad enough tho we were tempted to cancel Christmas. There wasnt any money left over for presents this year. Our two boys were going to come down from Indiana to see us. I do recall the bitter shame and embarrassment of having to tell them not to come. Our oldest said he didnt care if there wasnt any presents. He was coming anyway and dragging his brother with. All he wanted for Christmas was his mother's home cooking. I must tell you at this time he got married over a year ago and his wife isnt too handy in the kitchen. She does have her good points however and one of them she's carrying right now: our future granddaughter, Olivia. So I guess she can be forgiven for not being able to make a good dinner of porcupine balls and ham with scalloped taters. At least she can be forgiven for right now.
Our boys have to come down to see us this week because the company they both work for will make them work thru the Christmas holidays. This caused me to think back to my childhood Christmases and how we have changed so much. Seems funny tho. I cant remember where I left my car keys or where I left my wife(dont laugh it has happened) but I can remember Christmas past.
I can remember when my father would be home from Christmas Eve until the Jan. 2 of the new year. There was never any moaning and groaning from his company about lost production and reduced profits. Thats just the way things were and they accepted it. Nobody worked on Sundays(except for the local gas station) and working second shift was unheard of. We didnt have cell phones, computers, or cable TV. Only had 4 TV channels and they showed all the great Christmas movies and specials over and over and over again. Come Christmas Eve we'd always go to church. Our Sunday School class would always put on a special pageant for the service. We'd go home and open one present each while we watched NORAD track Santa Claus. I always worried about that man. It was the time of the Cold War and I was always worried that maybe either our side or their side might mistake him for an ICBM or a bomber and fire a missile at him. Thank God it never happened. At least for one nite of the year we could truly say that there was "Peace on Earth". The next morning we'd all get up early and open presents. Mom would be making breakfast and would get slightly annoyed because we always kept calling her away from the stove to see what we got or have her open her presents. Then it was off to church. Somehow it always seemed on that day the choir sounded better and the music sounded grander. Then it was back home to change clothes then off to visit relatives. We'd all meet at Grandma's house to have Christmas dinner and share the day together.
I usually got the same presents every year. A toy or two and clothes. Lots of clothes, usually winter clothes. I lived in Chicago, Illinois where the winters were long and brutal. I stayed warm and cozy because someone cared. I didnt care what presents I got. I just enjoyed being with all my relatives who I loved.
You know sometimes when you give up on the world, something happens to make you change your mind. I truly believe my parent's generation was the last one that truly understood what Christmas was all about: the Christ child and family. My generation turned our backs on all that. We taught our children that love was measured by the size and the cost of the presents. We told the retailers of the world that we wanted the biggest, the best and the most expensive gifts to prove our love to each other. Maybe thats why they lost sight of the true meaning of the season. Because we have. At least thats what I thought until my two sons said they were coming to see us and dinner would be the best present we could give them. My oldest is dragging his best friend and my youngest is bringing his latest girl friend. There'll be a full house heated by the warmth of the fireplace and the warmth of family love. We'll have dinner, then spend the evening playing games, laughing and having a good time.
Sunday we will go to church. That's still mandatory at our house. I'll bow my knee and say a silent prayer of thanks to God for reminding me what Christmas is all about. I'll thank Him for the gift of two fine sons, a wonderful wife and a future granddaughter. I'll also thank Him for the gift of His own Son without whose birth man would never been given the gift of salvation.
Well its time to put away this electronic box. Lots of cooking and cleaning to do. There'll be time for more thoughts later but for right now I'll wish everyone a Merry Christmas......