Happy Boxing Day

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Christmas was lovely this year because the emphasis was on faith, family and friends, in that order - NOT food, gifts and consumerism.  I'm not talking about becoming a Scrooge and doing away with giving presents, but I am talking about putting the emphasis where it belongs - with relationships, first with God and then with your family and friends.

My friend Cecilia called me from Los Angeles around 9:30 p.m to wish me a Merry Christmas and send her love and best wishes to the choir.  We miss her beautiful soprano voice and cheerfulness for sure every week but she's moved on to a new job in the midwest.  She didn't forget her friends back east though, and it was so nice to let everyone know we had a friend on the West Coast rooting for us as we sang the new translation of the Gloria for the first time.

Midnight Mass was wonderful but for me a struggle with my body clock.  I am a morning person and my body does not adjust to staying up late.  I couldn't even stay up late as a teenager. I am still feeling "hung over" from sleep deprivation today and battling a migraine, which is what happens to me when I go off my sleep schedule, but it was worth it to start Christmas was carols, songs and hugs from my church family. 

Then it was home to my family nest - with Christmas morning under the tree snuggling with both cats and Shadow as we unwrapped a few presents from friends who brought hostess gifts to last weekend's Christmas dinner.  My little godson sent Christmas presents for the pets, and Pierre and Raz enjoyed their new catnip toy, a weird green plastic ball with fringe on it, and a new brush for Raz.  Shadow got jerky treats and she loved them so much she sat next to the shelf where we placed them out of her reach and worshipped the bag from afar.  We spent the day watching endless reruns of "A Christmas Story" to the point where we started reciting lines - "You'll shoot your eye out!" - and I worked on my counted cross stitch and ran out of thread.  I worked out too, and walked on the treadmill for half an hour grooving to the oldies on the CD player

So now today is Boxing Day, which doesn't mean we all punch each other in the nose.  Back in the olden days when people had servants it was the day to give servants their boxes or presents.  Since I am the servant here as well as the mistress of the house, I think I will treat myself to some time to myself later.  I am planning the vegetable garden, perusing the seed catalogs, and I'll probably go out and pull up more of the spent marigolds later to get some fresh air. I can't believe how the spring flowering perennials are all blooming - I've got daffodils emerging, Dutch iris already up, and even yarrow - yes, yarrow - blooming away.  Thank God no snow but honestly,  my poor plants are confused and think it is Easter instead of Christmas.

Happy Boxing Day and hope your Christmas was merry!