Christmas black and white ..........and blue......

In the days of black and white tv, I celebrated many Christmas' on Linkwood Drive in Houston,

 beneath an aluminum christmas tree, festooned with every breakable ornament

that Foley's had available for sale!

I heard sleigh bells and set out cookies and milk for a late night visitor.

I slept in a candlestick mahogony frame bed that was elegant and fit for a queen.

It was a magical time of life for me.

I was the only niece of a wonderful aunt and uncle  and life was simple for me.

My brothers and I spent lots of time with Aunt Mary and Uncle George

Those days set the shape of Christmas in my mind and every year since  I have  searched

 for that magical feeling of the "black and white" days.

This year  was the same. But today I stumbled onto a blog post http://willows95988.typepad.com/tongue_cheek/2009/12/christmas-blue.html

that touched me. She expressed well the blue feeling that I get from time to time.

Life changes and the older I get the more I realize that those moments- the magical ones- are precious and should be held gently and visited from time to time and then carefully tucked away for the future.

We all have them- and they're different for all of us but we have them.

So visit them a little while - and mourn , cry or just remember.....

but then it's back to reality and the business of today.

This strange season of life is stretching me in ways I don't understand.

My children are grown up and busy with beautiful families of their own.

They are strong and well prepared for the challenges they face-

and I find myself a bit in awe of just how well they run their lives.

And now-what to do with myself????????

Oh I stay busy but I'm really unsure of exactly where I'm going.

At least right now I am anyway.

Sooooooo......

back to the black and white days-

I think I'll just look out this window a few more minutes and then

well then, I'll do the next thing and the next and the next.