Please stop calling me!!

Ok...so I've been home for a few days now.. and this is unusual.. sitting in my sweatpants drinking copious amounts of coffee and green tea; stuffing my face full of shortbread or whatever else I can find (thank the lord for my sweatpants!).. and well I didn't realize how many times spam callers called my house!

Now... if you're like me and I think you might be...then you detest these phone calls.  You've added yourself to the 'do not call' lists, you let it ring (as to not register that you've picked up), you've answered and hung up quickly, or you've waited until you can get a word in edge wise and asked them politely (or not so much) to stop calling.

STILL the calls continue.. now.. I'm not a marketing guru or anything, but I do know this.  IF I want my carpets cleaned; I will call you..(even though my entire home is wood floors!!).  IF I want to find out how to get 0% interest on my credit card..guess what..I'll call my bank... IF I want to hear you're public service announcement on ways to get 'debt free' in 5 days (ya whatever)..then I will google it.  In fact, the more you call my house, the less likely I will  be to use you.. do you know why?  Because you are annoying!  And I don't want you in my house annoying me too!

I think cold calls just might be a thing of the past people. There are too many people like me in the world who are too busy to answer your phone calls.. who like to sit with my family to eat dinner without an interruption..and who go to bed at 9pm (because I'm up at 5am)..and don't appreciate your call at 10:30pm.  I don't even care where you are calling me from... if you are a true market researcher..than do your research!  I'm in a different time zone!

When you annoy me too much, I'm just going to be rude with you...sorry but I can't help it..and if you continue to call me I'm going to pass the phone to my three year old and let her converse with you.  Just saying... if anyone here is a marketer and is looking for marketing tips, take it from a consumer...and DON'T call !

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

So, 2010 & 2011 were rather crappy for me; yes they were.  Many things occurred that I would much rather forget.  I was passed up, kicked around, rejected and degraded..(oh woe is me..I know)..

The end of 2011 started looking up, or perhaps it is possible that I simply changed my attitude about it all.  Although I'm a huge believer in the old "Everything Happens For a Reason" bit, sometimes..during the hard times; it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I never wear this much make-up

I will say with certainty that my crappy start opened my eyes to many things; made me finally wake up and smell the coffee so to speak  I was not thankful for the things that happened when they happened, but I am today.  I think sometimes we all need to hit a low in order to truly understand the good; or see the path that we ought to take.

So Mr.Claus, even though I learnt a lot; I'm not asking for a crappy start to 2012... I mean don't even go there.  What I'd really like this year is as follows:

Courage; To do what it is I'm meant to do.  To take more risks; start living my life to it's fullest.

Confidence; To be my self.  To stop worrying about what others might thing of me; what others might think about my opinions...to know it's really ok to have a difference of opinion.

Patience; Life gets busy.  I'm juggling a full time job, working in two different cities, trying to support my love of writing, spend time with my husband, quality time with my kids, and to do this with minimal sleep.  To remember that everything gets done in good time.. it always does.

I could have written this..

Empathy; The older I get the less empathetic I become.  You've got a lot of work to do? Job Security!! You're Sick, You're Tired? Hey join the sick & tired club..I'm the president.. anyways..I think a shot of empathy might do me some good.

This is a shot of Empathy...not tequila.. honest

Health; Good health for myself and my family both mentally and physically.

Acceptance; Enough love in my heart to be more accepting of things; situations and people.  To be more trusting and less sceptical.  To accept that I'm where I am for a reason and run with that.

Santa, I know it may be hard to fabricate my requests in your workshop, but anything you could do would be much appreciated.

Always,

Heather      

xoxoxo

Christmas Cards

Despite the fact that I'm so young (ha ha) I'm still old fashion when it come to some things (most things really).  Take Christmas Cards; I really like them.  I like receiving them and giving them and displaying them around my house during the holidays.  I even keep these gems and re-use them the next year..(no I do not use white out and resend them), by ripping off the front covers and using them as Christmas tags.

A Christmas Card to me is much more personal when received in the mail (rather than via email).  Now, to my friends and family that send me e-cards, don't get me wrong; I still appreciate the thoughtfulness...but once I've read them, poof they are gone.  I don't get to see them on display or reminisce over them next Christmas whilst I'm ripping them in two.

I know, I know..it's greener to send e-cards..but at least I recycle!  I also know that stamps cost money, although they still are pretty cheap; so for me, it's just a preference.

I'm not just talking Christmas Cards here really; I seem to prefer hard copies of most things.  Kindles and Kobo readers are really not my style... I like the smell and feeling of heaviness in my hands when I read a book; and dog earring the pages so it looks good and used.  Letters! Remember those?  I love giving and receiving them too, although I'm just as guilty as the next for sending an email in place of.  I suppose I could print off your email, but then I'd miss out on your coffee stain in the left hand corner and the swirl of your handwriting.

I suppose it's a little hypocritical on my part, as I'm typing this blog..ON-LINE..(I mean there really is an upside to technology).  I'm just putting it out there; There still does exist in this crazy on-line world the old fashion (or old..depending on who's reading) people like me who like the smell of paper in my nose, the feeling of paper in my hands and the feeling of nostalgia I get when I pull out old cards, letters, and books to read over and over again...

So if you haven't sent me a Christmas Card..please do.. I'm waiting.. ;)

Is Santa Real?

Growing up my mother never let it slip once that Santa was not real.  Even as adults she would never accept a thank you for something that was "from" Santa; I admire that.

I was reading recently a blog post from by a woman who's son still believes in Santa Clause.  Like my step-son, her son has Aspergers.  This mother's dilemma was about how to tell her son gently that Santa was not real.  Her fear was that if he still admitted his belief in Santa that he would be ostracised and picked on at school and by his peers.  The sad truth is, most ten year old's these days do NOT believe in the great Santa Clause; so I can empathise with her dilemma.

Kids with Aspergers really don't understand sarcasm, and have a hard time discerning between truth and fiction. If my teenager didn't "spell it out" for my step-son, then he'd still probably believe too.  For instance, if I played it serious enough and told my step-son that as a child I cut my hand off (using a sharp knife that I shouldn't have been using) and that my mother glued it on; he might actually look for the seam in my wrist, or ask me what type of glue she used.  If I told him that I was over the moon that I received a nice compliment from someone, he might spend some time wondering how the heck I got up high enough to be over the moon... but I digress...

Anyways..so it got me to thinking..as it always does; why tell him Santa is not real at all?  Santa after all really is about a feeling in your heart, so why instead don't you let him just believe.  Why not just agree with him that "yes people are crazy to not believe", and explain to him that it's just a fact of life that a lot of people don't, and so maybe he should just keep that belief in his heart... or at least just keep it at home..with his family... (who of course all still believe)?  Even he will eventually find out about the Santa myth, but he'll find out in his own time.

It may be silly, but really it's a harmless thing to believe in; and it's a belief that brings a lot of joy and excitement... something to look forward to.

My two eldest children do not believe; but like my mom, I don't take credit for Santa's gifts, we don't admit to eating Santa's cookies, or drinking his eggnog, and I still use the "Santa is watching you" (Even when you're in the tub or using the bathroom..because I'm crazy like that)... and really what's the harm?

We tend to spend a lot of time teaching our children to be adults, and you know.. in some instances I think this is very important..but when it comes to Christmas.. I'll let them believe in Santa... (and if they don't I will make them)....  

Happy Christmas? Merry Holidays?

I'm confused, I'll admit.  Confused and perhaps a little annoyed; I'm admitting that too.  Why are we taking the Christmas out of Christmas?  We are supposed to celebrate the diversities of everyone...and well isn't Christmas one of those things that makes Christians diverse?  I don't get it.  I mean celebrating Kwanzaa makes people of African heritage diverse, Ramadan celebrated by the Muslims, Hanukkah celebrated by those that are Jewish.  In my opinion all of these celebrations are beautiful, and all of them are important to our culture, so why can't I say Merry Christmas?

I would expect that if I were Muslim,  that I would celebrate Ramadan.  That I would fast from dawn until sunset and that when the fast was over (Shawwl) I would have a huge celebration with my family and friends and 'break the fast'.

I would expect if I were African that I would celebrate Kwanzaa.  I would celebrate everything African.  I would wear a beautiful African kaftan, light candles, and eat traditional foods.

If I were Jewish, I would proudly light my Menorah, exchange a gift a night with my family, and indulge in the beauty of fried foods.

I'm not any of these things, I am Christian.  I decorate my Christmas tree, and I sing Christmas carols to my kids.  I hang up ridiculous looking socks and fill them with presents.

I would never ask someone to not celebrate their heritage.  I would never ask someone to not celebrate their religious beliefs; in fact I would love, love, love it if I celebrated all of these things.  I think these celebrations are beautiful, historical, and so very important.

Instead of asking us to not celebrate 'Christmas' in our schools and in our places of work, why instead can we not make a point of celebrating all holidays?  My children would sure learn a lot; in fact it would be a wonderful education!

I would agree that sometimes Christmas is over the top, and that during Kwanzaa (where I live anyways), unless you are African or a part of the African community, you may not know a thing about where to celebrate Kwanzaa, or what to do.. but shouldn't we all learn?  Should our children not be taught the diversity of religious freedoms in their schools?

Just food for thought... but I'm going to keep saying Merry Christmas... and hope I don't offend anyone.

The Air of December ~ Memories

I love Christmas, although growing up it wasn't really mine to love.  I say that with happiness and fond memories; no-one could have loved Christmas more than my brother Duncan.

I remember at three o'clock in the morning he would sneak into my room and tell me everything that Santa left under the tree (Mom didn't wrap those).  He would literally vibrate with excitement and anticipation.  That fleeting feeling of anger of having being woken up at such an early hour, quickly passed; you couldn't help but be swallowed up by his joy.

Duncan would prompt me out of my warm bed and we would painfully sit by our stockings for hours until our parents finally finished the milking, (our parents owned a dairy farm) and then as soon as they came in the door, the ripping would begin.  Mom always had Boney M. playing in the back ground, we'd empty our socks which ended with an apple and an orange; energy of course to finish the rest.

But you know... it wasn't the gifts.  It was that wonderful feeling, the one I'm having troubles describing right now on paper.  That feeling of love and togetherness, of happiness and fun.  I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it's a feeling I wish we could can, so we could experience it on a 'as-needed-basis'. 

My brother celebrated his last Christmas on December 25, 2003.  On that day his cancer did not exist.  He woke my son up early and carried him downstairs (I hang that picture on my tree every year).  Since his death it has become extremely important to me that my children feel the same crazy and reckless joy that I did growing up, the problem is my brother had a lot to do with it.  This means that for my children, I'm it.  I try my best, but I know that compared to Dunc I fall flat.

The best gift I can give my children is the gift and spirit of tradition.  Early Gift openings, Stockings, Boney M (of Course)... Egg bake for breakfast, and apple and an orange at the toe of their stockings..and a feeling of love an togetherness, family and joy.

I know my brother celebrates with us every year.  I know that when I kiss his picture every year before putting it on my tree (my own not so private tradition), that he feels it and that he's there... and that by having his picture on my tree he's helping me create the atmosphere I'm so wishing to capture.

I hope that someday my children will carry these traditions with them, and of course.. create a few of their own.