Christ is in my Christmas

I just spent the past three days prepping for and having a colonoscopy. What fun! (NOT!) Right now my 84 hemorrhoids are singing a chorus of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, but that's probably too much information.
My husband has been wondering all day how many bottoms the doctor looks at each morning; but I was wondering why anyone would go into that field. The doctor is a cutie-pie, though.
My mother had her one and only colonoscopy when she was about 85-years old. Her doctor's name was...
 -- wait for it --
Dr. Ram.
Yeppers, that was his name.
He told her everything was fine and she'd live to be 95.
He was almost right.


Anyway...

Yesterday, I asked my co-worker if she thought this has been the absolute longest holiday season -- ever?
It feels like we've been living Christmas for months on end.

I have some very personal reasons why it's such a long and not particularly jolly season for me, but for the rest of the nation -- perhaps it's because Thanksgiving was earlier this year, and perhaps it's because that 'earliness' gave way to greediness. I'm sure retailers were thrilled at the prospect of more people buying more things for more days...a jump start to the annual spending spree.

But doesn't it feel as though we (in the broadest sense of the word) have turned the 'season of giving' into the 'season of help-increase-retail-profits?'
Most stores have their shelves filled with Christmas gift ideas before Halloween has passed. Christmas decorations go up in October, completely ignoring the fact that Thanksgiving comes up first. I won't even go into the phenomenom called Black Friday, which I'm sure will eventually become a national holiday of its own.

Regardless of what religion you may follow, the holiday season - not just Christmas, but the entire holiday season - is (in my opinion) intended to be a time of good fellowship, meaningful family time, treasured moments and memory building.
But, instead, we have fallen prey to the retail disease, spending money we don't have to buy gifts for people we barely know, or to bend to pressure applied by every single advertisement seen on television (bring back the political ads).

All of this is coming from a person who has only purchased two gifts, so far. Not only am I not in the mood, but my list is much shorter this year - now that I don't have to do my mother's shopping for her - and I'm just being a little more "picky" about on whom I spend my hard-earned dollars. Believe me, I know how selfish that sounds, but I just can't help it. I'm not in the mood.

What I am in the mood for, though, is meaningful family-time and memory building. And I'm going to get those treasured moments.
This coming Sunday, in memory of my mother, my sisters and their families, my cousin and his whole family and my own family will gather for some merriment of our own. My brother is out of state, but he would be here if he could.
I can't wait.
There will be 17 adults and four small children - a nice crowd my house has been missing.
There will be food, fun, fellowship and - yes - a visit from Santa!
I'm making a roast, a ham and my mother's recipe for her to-die-for cranberry cocktail salad (see below); my younger sister is making baked ziti and two salads (one of which is a roasted citrus salad that just the thought of makes my mouth water); my daughter-in-law is making dessert; my older sister and her daughter are also bringing a dessert and more; and my cousin's family is in charge of cheese, crackers and other appetizers.
We will eat, drink and be merry, and my mother would love it! As I've mentioned in a prior post, although she was hard of hearing, she loved it when we all talked on top of each other, getting louder and more excited with each sentence. To her, it was pure joy.
We will remember Mom, we will play games, we will exchange gifts in our version of the "White Elephant Gift Exchange," we will visit with Santa and we will build memories that will last long into the next generation.
I'm looking forward to seeing my family all together. And I'm looking forward to doing what I do best -- prepare for a party.

Here's Julia's Cranberry Cocktail Salad recipe. I love it. It's both tangy and zesty, and I like to serve it as an appetizer in shot glasses.

1 cup fresh cranberries, finely ground or chopped
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1 small can of crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 orange, finely chopped with rind and juice
1/2 cup chopped celery
(I actually add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, but mom couldn't eat nuts)
half of a 3 oz. package of red gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water to dissolve gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
mandarin oranges for garnish

In a glass mixing bowl, add the half of a 3 oz. package of red gelatin to the 1/2 cup of boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved, then add the 1/2 cup of cold water. Stir and place in refrigerator while chopping up remaining ingredients.
Combine all chopped ingredients in another mixing bowl. Stir in sugar until slightly dissolved. Pour partially thickened gelatin into the bowl of chopped ingredients and blend thoroughly.
Remember, the gelatin is intended to give the chopped ingredients a coating. It's not intended to be a jello dessert, although I'm sure it would make a good one.
Once everything is mixed, I spoon mine into small shot glasses and serve as an appetizer. My mother left the whole mixture in a glass bowl and served it as a salad. Either way, garnish with mandarin orange slices and enjoy!

I served this at last week's Crafting Sistas' Holiday Sweets Exchange & Craft Night and it was a hit.
My mom's cranberry salad will be on the table this coming Sunday, but she'll be with us in many more ways, too.

And, when I wish you a "Happy Holiday," I'm not ignoring Christ in Christmas, I'm wishing you the best of the entire season, including a heart filled with God's love.

I love you all.