Ack! It is December!

   I spend the whole year saying it is almost December, but it is always a shock when it comes. 
I am trying to relax and enjoy the season.  I tried it last year and never wrapped packages - my "new" daughters did it for me.  They are so sweet.  I have had gifts ready - but still no wrapping.  I can get down on the floor now [up is harder] so maybe this year ... :}Mom and Deb would stay up Christmas Eve and wrap until dawn.  I always had to go to bed.  I anxiously awaited the day I could stay up and wrap too.  Generational poor planning!  I thought that was how it was done.  Can't seem to overcome that ingrained habit.
   My mom would always come unglued during the Holidays.  We always had 30 people for Thanksgiving.  Mom would cook and cook and everything was perfect.  When Richard was overseas in the Marines Mom would send out for some military boys with no where to go and have them join our Thanksgiving.
   After Thanksgiving she would start freaking out for Christmas.  Her dad was a bush pilot in Alaska and didn't come home until Christmas.  Mom would get so excited she would be sick.  That has transfered down to Deb and I.  Christmas was always a time of frantic excess.  Food, gifts, fun, and family.  Steve has tried for 30+ years to get me to scale back and to relax and to enjoy in moderation.  Deep breath.  Relax.  Mom was truly a special person.  She was such a giver of herself. I loved her laugh.  She would laugh and laugh until her laughter made her tummy ache.  The harder she tried not to laugh the more she would sputter and hiss and that would get everyone else going until we were all roaring.  I never knew we had hard times.  Mama took care of everything.  Deb is 6 years older than I am, so she went to work to help keep us afloat.  I had no idea, but I got to keep my horse. 
  Family is a gift we treat ourselves to all year.  Many loves to all my family tree.