If you celebrate, Merry Christmas to you and yours! Today I woke up with the lick of a large tongue, thanks to our very excited dog, Canyon. Santa brought her, among other things, a stuffed cat so as she wandered down the hall for her usual 6am sip of water, she was stumped by the piles of goodies under the tree..and that strange cat staring at her! It's a very different Christmas for me this year. No parents, siblings, in-laws of any kind around our tree..just me, Joe and Canyon. I guess that's part of growing up, right? Starting new traditions? I'm not sad..well, maybe just a little…because I love being in the moment, here, safe, warm…and I know we will have other holidays and many more opportunities to celebrate with family. I was actually thinking back to the last time my entire family (well, most of it) gathered in the warm Southern California sun to celebrate my dads birthday. At one point I looked around the room and every single person in the house was on a phone texting, updating statuses, or downloading the latest app. We were all there, together…but we weren't. I didn't find flaw in the behavior at all, I simply chuckled to myself about how different all of our lives have become thanks to technology. What did we do ten years ago? I'm guilty as charged, however, because I love modern technology, I adore Facebook (what a great way to stay in touch without talking on the darn phone!!), but I often find myself missing the good old letter-writing days. This holiday season, however, has found me texting away…in a good way, though! Before Halloween I started a text chain with my aunt Betsy in Michigan, my aunt Rita in Carmel, cousin Lindsey in Sacramento and my mother in Palm Springs. We shared photos of our Halloween decor, bragged about our Thanksgiving tables and swapped recipes for those Christmas treats Grandma used to make..that we all missed so much. It has been a fun way to spend time with family even when we are miles (and time zones) away. After attempting to snap a photo of recipes my aunts and mom sent via text throughout the season, I got to thinking, wouldn't it be fun to have a real recipe box again, the kind my mom and grandmother used for years? So here's my tip..and challenge for you to share next year. When you send a holiday card to friends and family, include your favorite recipe, adding a little tidbit about it.."this was moms favorite," "grandma used to make this on rainy days," "when I'm feeling down, this cheers me right up!" Whoever receives it will feel the warmth and love that make the holidays so special. Now stop reading blogs on the computer, put your phones down, and go BE with whoever is with you today!
