Winter Wishes

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!

We enjoyed a quiet, peaceful day listening to beautiful music on radio and television all day long. Because our children and grandchildren are all on the West coast, we don't have them with us at Christmas. The weather here in Vermont, New Hampshire and Mass. in the winter time is often snowy, icy, etc., so we prefer not to travel but visit family at other times.

We don't give a lot of gifts at Christmas.
Husband makes his special maple sugar candy and we send that out to family. We might send a puzzle
or a few small gifts to grandchildren still living at home or to our younger grandchildren.

Mostly, we think of Christmas as a time of sending
good wishes to family and friends and remembering those not as fortunate as we are...not a time for going into debt buying items we don't need and can't afford. Our families spoil us with their homemade candies, jams and other treats
and we have asked that they don't send us other gifts as we are at that stage of life where we are downsizing and don't
need more "stuff"!) : )

I usually ask my husband what he would like
for Christmas dinner and make the favourite dinner he chooses! (He looks forward to holidays
because we eat rather plainly and simply for most of the
year...and I try to spoil him on the holidays!!!!) LOL

This year we had one of his all-time favourite meals...pot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions cooked all day in the crockpot. Mapled sweet potatoes, mashed. Tiny peas with butter and for dessert, a freshly made apple pie with french vanilla ice cream!!! Yummy! And we do love the leftovers!!

Husband often buys me an ornament made by one of our Vermont artists for Christmas and perhaps another small gift or flowering plant. I get him a new book and some other small item I know he can use. These simple gifts are all we need.

We are fortunate to have each other, virtually no conflict, reasonably good health and very little stress. One of my sister-in-law's framed stitchery pieces says..."To love and be loved is the greatest gift on earth"...and we find that to be a wonderful truth.

I hope you will be blessed with good health and happiness in the year to come...as you know, we make much of our own happiness by choosing to live a life of balance and harmony, tied together with reason and compassion for others.
Enjoy!