The Spirit of Santa

Tis the season!

It’s that time of year when decorations abound, shopping begins, and family comes together to celebrate and be joyful. Yet, it seems to me, that the winter holiday season has become too commercialized and the true meaning of Christmas has been all but forgotten. We get too caught up in what to buy, how much to spend, where we need to be on this day or that. I think we need to back up and remember what it’s really about.

Like so many children, I grew up believing in Santa Claus. I never questioned how he does it all: visits so many children in one night, flies eight tiny reindeer and one sleigh carrying all those toys, fits down chimneys (even when a home doesn’t have one). I didn’t even recall questioning how Santa’s elves made toys labeled with Hasbro or Parker Brothers logos on the box. Nor how, as I got older, I realized his handwriting looked remarkably like my mother’s. It’s just the way it was.

Call it “Santa Magic.”

Now that I am a full-grown adult, I still believe in the Spirit of Santa. I know the man in the red suit at the mall is not the “real” Santa. He is one of his many helpers. There are more children than there used to be that believe in him, so he has had to expand operations since the days of St. Nicholas, I am sure. And the flying sleigh? Well, I’ve never seen it so I don’t really know if it exists or not. Maybe the movies do have it right: a computer that alters time so he can make it around the world in one night, magic that turns a home’s furnace into a chimney he can slide down, special flying powers.

In 1897, a famous letter to the editor of the New York “Sun” asks the question we all want to know: “is there a Santa Claus?” Francis Pharcellus Church crafted the most effective response to this question. His answer was one of having faith in the unseen, a faith that is embodied in the love, generosity, and devotion of the people around you. That faith keeps the childlike wonder of Santa Claus real.

So I guess that is what it’s about for me: love, generosity, and devotion. Family time. Fun.

But just to be clear, especially about the generosity part. It doesn’t mean spending an obscene amount of money to buy just the right present. It means giving freely, without expectations other than the hope that it brings joy to the receiver.

Of those three things, do you notice how there is no “receiving” in there? Christmastime should not be about getting the most loot under the tree. It should not be about what we get from parents and grandparents, or how much siblings get compared to ourselves. It should be about spending time with the members of your family, however family is defined for you.

So getting back to the “giving” part… Most people agree that a handmade gift is a gift from the heart. They are the most meaningful gifts people receive. How many childhood drawings did your parents keep on the refrigerator as you grew up? How many children have a favorite knitted blanket that they still bring to bed? Or a handmade wooden toy that gets passed down through generations?

This holiday season, consider crafting something for the people in your family. Make ornaments for your tree. Bake cookies to share. Knit a scarf. Stitch a stocking. Frame a photo of a memorable moment. Anything that is enjoyable for you and the person you are giving it to.

Maybe you’re not the crafty type. Then spend a little on something someone else crafted. It doesn’t have to be much. These crafters are giving their gift of craftiness to you to share with your family. Chances are their family has plenty of whatever they like to make around the house already!

And most importantly, have fun!

“Ho, Ho, Ho – Merry Christmas!”

Time wasters

We've all been there: so much to do, so little time. Yet, somehow, we still managed to read a book, play a video game, or do some other activity completely unrelated to the tasks on our to-do list.

Here's my To Do list for today:

1. Finish the cross-stitch present for my Dad (okay, not a one day item).
2. Create new items for my Etsy shop.
3. Clean the kitchen floor.
4. Fix my bicycle so I can actually ride it on this beautiful day.

Here's what I've accomplished today:

1. Read a chapter of "Lord of the Rings."
2. Check my Facebook page (and a few others).
3. Play Bejeweled Blitz to get a new high score.
4. Think about the cross-stitch.

Hmm. Not exactly what I had in mind. I can come up with all kinds of excuses: reading helps me wake up in the morning. I posted something on Facebook yesterday and wanted to see how many responses I got. I wanted to keep up with my other FB friends lives. And I wanted to improve my hand-eye coordination through gaming. (Okay, that might be a stretch.)

All of my To Do's are really quite attainable and productive things to do. So why do I delay? Because I am easily distracted. And those games just make the time fly by! I really must "buckle down" and get stuff done.

Here are my ideas for my Etsy shop:

1. Since the Halloween cookie cutters seemed to do well, I think I'll do something similar with Christmas and winter shapes.
2. New bookmarks with cats and dogs in holiday garb (wreaths, lights, etc.).
3. Fridge magnets!

So, what are some of your time-wasters? And what do you do to get past them and stay motivated?

Guess I better go clean the kitchen...

Coolest Cat Tree

How cool is this cat tree? My boys would be in heaven if this were in my living room! I saw this while surfing around on Etsy one day and thought, "What a cool idea!" Just goes to show what some creativity (and carpenter skills) will do for you. Maybe a little pricey for me right now, but there has to be someone out there who will buy this.

The couple that creates these (Pet Tree Houses) uses real cedar and oak wood and silk leaves for an "outdoor" feel. Of course the inspiration came from her own four-legged children.

Back from vacation

I'm back from a few days of much needed rest and relaxation. We hiked, played games, ate, did a few mind-boggling and eye-crossing puzzles, played some shuffleboard (no, you don't have to be retired to do this!) and of course I stitched. I didn't get as much finished as I would have liked (I never do). I seem to have delusions that I'm going to finish so much, forgetting all the other great things I like to do on vacation.

There are quite a few color combinations in this one. Lots of blending and half-stitches with different thread counts. I filled in a bit more of the Indian's feather cloak and the rock formations:

But there is still much more to come. For instance, the top half has a design made of half-stitches, as if it were made from the clouds in the night sky.

If only I had one more day...

Ready for vacation

I'm getting ready for vacation at one of my favorite places: Capon Springs, WV. It's a great mountain retreat with no phones, no computers, no TVs. Just good food, good friends, good times! And did I mention the great home cooked meals? Yummy! I sure hope that fireplace is stoked because it's a bit chilly outside!

I plan on spending lots of time stitchin' away - in between playing games and spending time with my family, of course. I've been working on a project for my Dad for Christmas. It's about 1/3 finished. Not sure if I'm going to make it this year, but I'm going to give it my all! Here's what it looks like today:


Let's see how much I really get finished in the next 4 days!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I hope I can keep up with this, it's all new to me. I just realized that there are so many cool, crafty things I find each day. So anything I can do to help promote the crafting and handmade world, I should do it. I might even include regular stuff about my life too.