The Best Gift of All

Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to everyone.

Christmas has passed for another year, and I was thinking about all the gifts both given and received over the years.  All the toys and clothes and books.  All of the electronic things from cassette players to camera to computers and tvs.  Dolls and legos and trucks and "things for the house".  The silly stuff you don't need, and the things you hold near and dear.  All the boxes and paper and bows.  There are many wonderful gifts from throughout the years, but I think I have finally realized the best gift of all.

I have decided that the best Christmas gift that I ever gift is just spending time with friends and relatives.  I look back through my life and the things I remember probably more than the shopping and the gifts are the times spent with the relatives.  Going to my aunt's or grandparents house when I was a kid.  Having people over to the Misses and my place after we got married.  I think I have finally realized that the getting together with people is much better than stuff.

I wish that I would have learned this sooner, because as we get older, we lose people.  Parents, aunt and uncles, friends move on or pass away.  It is always sad when those we love are no longer with us, and it always seems rougher around the holidays.  You know, once they're gone, they are gone. 

So I try to spend as much time as I can with he family as I can.  The kids are home from school so that is nice (who knows how much longer that will happen!), and grammas in from Florida (a great sacrifice for her during this time of the year).  We don't really do too much, but just being together is nice.

Looking back I should have spent more time with the people and been less concerned with the stuff.  In the hurry up right now get it done world we live in, I find that I would prefer just to spend my time with my family and friends.  You just never know when the chance will come up again.

I'm Back....

I am back.  Reenergized, revitalized, rejuvenated.  So what's on my mind today.......

Recently I've been reading about these walls and blackboards popping up letting people kind of list or write what they would like to do before they die.  Since I guess I'm heading into the fourth quarter of life here (if I'm not there already!), I decided to think about what I'd like to do before the end comes....

As I think I've stated before, I do like to travel.  And I really have no desire to leave the country, although the Misses may have something to say about that.  The family and I have been all over the country, but there are still a few places I'd like to see.  I would like to see New York City.  Think it would be interesting.  I'd like to see the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  I like museums and historic stuff, so I'd like to spend weeks at the Smithsonian in DC.  Think it would be very interesting.  I'd like to see a glacier before its too late.  I have really enjoyed the southwest US and would like to go back sometime.  And it would be real nice to get back to the northwest one more time.

I'd like to get to retirement so I can do absolutely nothing if I feel like it.  Read a book, walk in the woods, go for a swim, whatever.  Sometimes I just like to sit and watch the world go by.  Wouldn't mind just having some time to just sit.  Everything goes right were looking at six years, two months, three weeks and two days.....not that I'm counting or anything.....

Finally, I'd like to be around long enough to see the kids get graduated from college and kind of get settled into their lives, whatever that may be.  Don't know exactly what the future will hold for them, but I would like to at least see them settled in and started down the roads of their lives.

So that's about it.  Don't really need anymore stuff.  And if I'm not able to do any of this stuff, well I've been awful lucky and blessed as it is.  Can't wait to find out what the future holds.......