Christmas is my time of year.  The one thing that I really thank my mother for is inspiring the magic of Christmas.  That and the incredibly horrible and painful childbirth that I’ve been told accompanied my “Hello World”.  I’ve been taking a look within these last few weeks as our family makes another change and tries to start a new tradition at Christmas.  In spite of several negative emotions which have accompanied Christmas like my dad’s heart attack on Christmas eve in 2000, I’m still filled with the magic of the season….which is why I think the discussion about celebrating family christmas the weekend after has been such a bone of contention with me.  Midnight on Christmas night, December 25th…it is over!  Done.  I usually take my tree down before midnight but after everyone leaves.  Never thought of starting the process while everyone is still there – that might make my point a little clearer.   I love the pre-christmas probably more than I like the actual Christmas day.  I love the big snowflake days, I love Christmas carols, I love Christmas decorations, I love shopping for Christmas presents and the happiness in little Johnny’s eyes when he opens that new red sled…We don’t have a little Johnny..but I thought that might make my point.  Christmas is like living a fairy tale.

……and I attended my 4th Trans-Siberian show last night with Brenda at the Sprint Center in Kansas City….although I’ve enjoyed a Trans-Siberean concert on my IPOD daily since the day before Thanksgiving…It is magical, it is loud, it is bright, it is beautiful…the voices can bring tears to your eyes one minute and have you want to be on your feet giving fist pumps and screaming the next minute.  The last 30 minutes of the concert works me up into such a frenzy, I feel like I’m high!  Its my new tradition at Christmas.  Mine.  I love sharing it with Brenda…Next year I may even go to two concerts.

Until next time…