Christmas Wonders

Christmas is such an interesting time of year. My family always does a nice job of focusing of the true symbols and purpose of the season, in action and in word-- and especially in song-- as we worship the Savior Jesus Christ. This Christmas the whole family was home-- and I mean the WHOLE family-- for an overlapping interval of 20 hours before someone had to visit another branch of the family, and that was so fantastic. It was my favorite part of this entire season. 

Anticipating and experiencing Christmas in a more secular way is an interesting phenomena to me. When you are a kid, it is the most magical time EVER, and it is hard to be disappointed except for the fact that you didn't ever get the Barbie Jeep (but you secretly knew that there was no way Santa could fit that down the fireplace anyway, so asking for it was just throwing a random wish out there). Then you get to that awkward stage where you still want to play with toys but are too cool for them; the tweens. This is where no matter the gifts, you still feel unsettled and feel awkward about having had expectations for Christmas. You aren't even sure what you wanted in the first place, so it's even harder to feel satisfaction about getting things. I feel like I was spared too much agony during this stage because getting new clothes was always a huge novelty, and so new clothes at Christmas= instant good gift. And new socks too. Hopefully that helped Santa out a bit. 

So, sorry to be giving a dissertation in didactic snippets-- I really am getting somewhere. As a kid, Christmas is magical, and you love what you get. As a tween, you are kind of disappointed with the whole thing, but are glad you got some things. As a teenager, everything is just confusing, but for me at least, this is where I started to really feel a lot of excitement about getting other people gifts. I just feel a bit sorry that my recipients were getting my part-time job budget shopping results ;0). 

I venture that it is now, in my young adult life, that Christmas is most magical to me. I love it. I LOVE IT. I suppose I still have expectations (I would like to get new shampoo in my stocking like we do every year, and again, new clothes = instant good gift), but I could get shampoo and a new sweater and feel pretty excellent about that. Throw in a chapstick and bam. Santa's set.  For the rest of the wrapping paper-strewn morning, I really enjoy seeing what other people get, and I love giving them a gift. Now, much like my teenage self, this year they are the recipients of a teacher's salary budget, but I hope they can at least use what I enjoyed choosing and giving, small though it was. 

All of those things said, I now have to show a most excellent treat that was next to my stocking. Imagine my surprise! Already put to use in the basement room where I sleep at home, is: fanfare--

THE VELVETEEN SNUGGIE

Then, coming in the mail, was this. I had put this on my Christmas list as the proverbial Barbie Jeep. By Ivan Aivazovsky, Between the Waves is a painting that has really struck me and I have been looking at it time and time over these last few months thinking that I would like to get a print of it. It came in the mail yesterday, and it is the first print of a painting I own that looks like it could have just been painted. The quality of the print is excellent. Thank you, Mom and Dad!

We saw this movie as a family, and I really loved the depth of the character's performances. It's a very personal musical version. Way to go, Russell Crowe.

I think the plan is to see this tonight. I cannae hardly wait.

My favorite gift to watch being opened this year was this one, to Melinda. Katy Cummings, the artist, painted this as part of her project to fund a year's tuition and send a girl to school (she met her goal, by the way! See the previous blog post). Giving this to Melinda has sentimental sister value, but I love it especially because this painting is so vibrant. You can see some of that through the picture online, but up close the fluidity of the colors and the deep gold makes this painting a rich portrait and a champion of a symbol for education and equality. Way to go, goose! and thanks to Katy for her incredible art.