So close to CHRISTmas...

This is one of my favorite days of the year... December 23rd.

Christmas Eve goes so very quickly with last minute gift wrapping, getting the children-now teens and older, off to bed before us (!) and suddenly it's Christmas with all it's gift unwrapping, excitement, and FOODS, and then in America, it's "over". As I grew up in England, we had Boxing Day on December 26th, and I liked that.

If my childish memory serves me right, it was a day to play with our new toys plus that was the day my daddy took us girls to the 'Fox and Hound' Pub in our little village of Shenstone; and we would watch all the men mount their horses, and gather their fox-hounds/Beagles, and with blaring coronets they would dash off to get their fox. Not sure if they ever did.

I'm thankful I never saw that part as I am one of the biggest animal lovers on the planet. But I remember the excitement. The joy of being with my family and doing something together. I remember the smell of dad's cigar smoke; the excited chatter at the pub; the warmth of wearing hats and mittens - pretty sure mum knitted those; and the cold, crisp air that filled my lungs.

As you are last minute preparing for Christmas, please remember those who might not have warmth, a home, a job, comforts we take for granted, and the joy that Christ can bring. We often need to be 'Christ' in the lives of those around us.

Remember them in your thoughts, and your prayers, and with your knitting and crocheting. It might be a bit late to make them something this year, but it's never too late to make something warm like a hat or two, and take them to your local shelters. Or hand them out to the one on the street corner who needs warmth; maybe with a gift certificate to a fast food place. You can still do that today, tomorrow... in fact, you can do that next week or next month.

We can also put out some food for the little birds, and a blanket for a stray cat who may wander into your yard.

Let us remember what matters most amidst the hussle and bussle... LOVE and family. Hold those little and big ones close, and tell them how much you love and appreciate them.

Bev
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/christmas