March 2011 Rudolph Day

[candysprinkles]

I read most of The 12 Days of Christmas by Betty Van Orden last night. It is a really good one about putting more meaning, family and tradition back into the holidays. I found it at the library. I checked out the sequel to it, also.

Has anybody read the whole series of Christmas books based on The Christmas Shoes? I have seen the movie, but not read it. They have all 4 titles at my library and I am planning to get them next time.

I bought Blizzard, The National Tree, and Feliz Navidad, A Wonderful Christmas today at Blockbuster. I haven't seen any of them yet. Plus, I checked out the 90s version of the February Rudy Movie. Guess, I have plenty to keep me busy for March and beyond.

 

[SparkleNana]

Candysprinkles....... GREAT scores today! Congratulations!

 

[SparkleNana]

Well here we are.... the intersection of "Real Life" with "Dreams of Rudy Day Magic".

Dreams of "Rudy Day Magic" are sort of like Dreams of Christmas Magic...... in miniature. Pictures of perfect scenes..... US..... looking wonderful..... FEELING wonderful..... enjoying "perfect" Christmas experiences. Or..... Christmas "preparation" experiences.

Instead.... it is Real Life! We are tired. Or... we don't have very much money. Or.....the room we want to have our "Christmas Preparation Time" in.... is a mess. Or.... Or...... Or..... "Real Life" is just NOT like our daydreams.

So..... will I be able to have a "Real Life" Mini Rudolph Day today?????

Well..... if I do.... it sure won't be perfect. I'm tired. The house is not at its best. There is NO extra money for any Christmas-prep activities today.

However... it IS cold and rainy and dark outside. Spring WILL be here soon.... and then everyone will want to be outside.... all the time!

So... AT 2:00.... I'll see what happens. I'll give "Christmas Magic" a chance!

 

[candysprinkles]

SparkleNana I hope you find your chance for some Christmas Magic today.

 

[SparkleNana]

Thank you, Candysprinkles! Well..... I filled a big bag with donations for the Thrift Shop. And... when I got there... everything was still HALF-OFF. And... I found a huge, expensive, thick, great quality terry cloth bathrobe... like you see in ads for spas! I already got dh one... which he loves. And this was in MY size.... $2 today. It is in the washing machine now. AND... it will hang on the second hook on the bathroom door.... right next to dh's robe.

So that was Christmassy... because it was a great gift.

Then... dd just emailed me and asked me to pick up the kids AND pick up dinner... and she will give me a check when I get there. And we can eat together. (Her dh is working late... and I will get plenty of favorite dinner for him for when HE gets home.)

SO... having dinner with people you love.... is sort of Christmassy. So.... thank you! ISome Christmas magic is here today!

 

[festivefun]

SN that sounds delightful to me. Family is Christmas

 

[candysprinkles]

Family is what Christmas is all about, SN!

I've been all about Christmas, most of this week. I watched the Christmas in Connecticut VHS tape from the library. I finished both of the 12 Days of Christmas books, too. Last night I even put on The Holiday while I was doing all sorts of miscellaneous tasks around the house. Before ds went to bed, we looked through a Thomas Kincade Christmas gift book that I got from the library. It is mostly a picture book, but has some short stories about Christmas traditions. We read one of the stories and we talked quite a bit about art, painting and Christmas while we looked through it.

I have a couple more books and magazines from the library. The magazines have to go back with the videos in a couple of days, so I will make time to look through them over the weekend.

 

[SparkleNana]

How absolutely delightful, candysprinkles! We (the MHH Family) are people who love Christmas all year! How delightful and wonderful to have a week with LOTS of Christmas pleasure! And... how fantastic that your son enjoys Christmas things WITH YOU! What an incredible thing... to be able to talk about art, painting and Christmas.. with your son... without all the pressures of the Actual Christmas-Celebration Marathon! Personally, I love Thomas Kincade! I think he beautifully captures many "yearnings of the human heart". His art speaks to millions and millions of people.... and fills us with joy!

Candysprinkles... you were so wise to enjoy some of the "Christmas riches" which your library has... just waiting to be enjoyed!

Hi festivefun! YES! We can be thinking and enjoying Christmas.... in our hearts.... while we are doing regular life things! Only our MHH Family gets to know HOW MUCH pleasure Christmas gives us... ALL YEAR!

It is ONLY March 11th! Everywhere I go.... I hear people talking about.... "what a LONG week this has been". Time seems to be moving VERY slowly for a lot of people... in March. And.... Daylight Savings Time manages to mess up our "internal time clocks".... even though it is only one measly hour of time difference!
Well.... today is March 11th.......

This weekend is fairly open for me. Dh is getting more and more involved in a business project. When he does this.... he looses all sense of time. He thinks he will go into his office to work "for a few minutes"..... and he will be in there for TEN HOURS... and still think it is aonly a few minutes. When this intense work happens.... I feel that dh is very far away from me.... even though he is in the same house. I can SEE him.... but I can't reach him.

So.... that means I will have some pretty free time this weekend. As long as there is fresh, delicious food for dh to eat.... when he emerges, starving, from a work-trance..... as long as that is taken care of.... dh is happy.

I have already prepared for the weekend. I went to the library "Book Donation... Book Sale Table".... and got FOUR juicy paperback books..... for $2 total. I bought a tasty bottle of wine (on sale). I even bought 1/6 of a strawberry-rhubarb pie. One of my local supermarkets KNOWS that we would never dare buy a whole pie (because we alone would eat it).... but we WILL buy a small slice. So... I have things to comfort me. IF there is entertaining TV this weekend.... I will work in the house. IF there is fairly warm, dry weather.... I will work outside. IF... no work happens.... I will have some reading time. It all looks good! PLEASE set up some small treats for yourself, too! We ABSOLUTELY are worth it!

Happy "Christmas in March" celebrating!

 

[candysprinkles]

It is SO easy with the 6yo! When I painted that pretty little family picture, I left out the 15yo. He got all bent out of shape when I took over his room, "Why are you watching a CHRISTMAS MOVIE?!! Christmas was over months ago." Then, he rolled his eyes and stomped out of the room. Yeah, it was a better story before I mentioned that, wasn't it??

 

[Ahorsesoul]

It is SO easy with the 6yo! When I painted that pretty little family picture, I left out the 15yo. He got all bent out of shape when I took over his room, "Why are you watching a CHRISTMAS MOVIE?!! Christmas was over months ago." Then, he rolled his eyes and stomped out of the room. Yeah, it was a better story before I mentioned that, wasn't it??

No, it's the perfect ending with the 15 yo rolling his eyes and stomping out. lol

 

[SparkleNana]

I agree.lol. It is actually the JOB of teenagers to roll their eyes and stomp out of the room and declare that whatever their parents are doing/saying/thinking... is "corny or stupid" (to quote one of my own kids as a teenager). That is one of the ways that teenagers "separate" from their lives as children.... and are able to become independent adults.

Today... it was warm enough to work outside. The yellow forsythia flowers are just beginning to open. They look wonderful!!!

The next time it is rainy and cold.... I must remember to celebrate a little March Rudolph Day!

 

[Minta]

I have been fighting a cold all weekend and didn't have the energy to do much so I had a mini Rudy day yesterday. Worked on my Christmas Notebook, flipped through a couple Christmas Magazines that I kept and watched a christmas movie on the laptop. Still in a christmassy mood this morning..... Guess that is a good way to start the work week

 

[catnipper]

Coordinate Birthdays with Christmas shopping

I like the idea of buying someone's birthday gift and Christmas gift at the same time--if it weren't for one thing. My husband's birthday is in November and mine is in December. No time really saved here.

However, here's our huge time-saving idea. We go shopping the week before Christmas and buy for each other. We try on clothes, for example, pick out something, head to checkout and end the day with a nice meal out or takeout. No wrapping, no returns, no headache or heartache.

 

[SparkleNana]

Catnipper.... I REALLY like your idea! All year long..... there are lots of ways to surprise our spouse with little gifts and special, unexpected treats! Frankly..... I LOVE getting exactly what I want for Christmas... and knowing that dh was also getting exactly what he wants. There are PLENTY of other people that I have to "surprise" and figure out what to buy!

ALTHOUGH... we only give gifts to the children in the extended family.... and ALL the adults love that.... THANK GOODNESS!

 

[SparkleNana]

There are a couple of other March Rudy Day threads going on..... I thought I'd add a note to this one too!


I had a cup of great hot choolate today. That was about the only "official" Rudy Day act.... Real life took up all my available time and energy!!!

Which is what is so great about RUDY DAY WEEKEND! Many more opportunities for having fun over the weekend.

Non-Rudy Day things are taking up Saturday morning and Sunday morning and Saturday night. That still leaves plenty of time. There would also be time tonight..... but I'm too tired. Tonight will be some TV watching..... and reading a good (but not Christmassy) novel.

 

[Christmaslvr]

Which is what is so great about RUDY DAY WEEKEND! Many more opportunities for having fun over the weekend.

Agreed!! I can't wait to get started!

 

[SparkleNana]

A whole lot is going on in our own lives, this month. AND.... a whole, WHOLE lot is going on in the world, this month! So..... what in the world am I doing thinking about a DECEMBER holiday..... in March!!!!!

What I am doing.... is..... actually "recharging my energy" and "reaffirming my values". The values I celebrate at Christmas.... are the values that I try to "live" every day: gratitude, happiness, love, spirituality, peace. "Christmas" kind of sums it all up. And.... things are so busy in December..... that I really enjoy thinking about Christmas during additional times of the year. It is fun, and relaxing, for me to do that.

 

[MinnieCo]

My friend were laughing at me on facebook, because I wished them all a Happy Rudy Day and told them only 9 more months till Christmas. They reminded me that just last week I was saying how excited I was to have the holidays over with and to have a break. Yes, that is very true. And I love having my house back to normal, but I love to embrace those days or hours we have on rudy day. Doesn't mean I have to put up a tree or bake cookies, just enjoying the "thought" of Christmas is enough sometimes.

 

[ChristmasPir8]

It's a busy weekend for me but I was able to listed to some Christmas music today and printed oua a picture of my decroations to go into my notebook. I have a Christmas mag I need to go through this wknd and decide on what I want to keep and put them in my notebook.

 

[MinnieCo]

never did get my notebook switched over to my new pretty 3 ring binder. So I'm going to go do that now.