Are you ready

For Christmas? 

A farmer in his trusty tractor bringing home the Christmas tree

Nutcrackers guarding the door

 I am, mostly.  I still have a few things I want to tat (of course!) but I'm not going to stress if they don't get done.  I've got some of the cards sent and hopefully I'll finish them tomorrow.   That's what I was doing today instead of posting here.  In fact, I forgot to take pictures of what I have been working on so I'm sharing a couple of pictures of some of the Christmas lights we saw a couple of weeks ago.

As I don't have any tatting to share today I'll share the poem I wrote instead.

A Christmas Poem

Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house

I decked the halls for the season (with help from my spouse.)

Ornaments were hung on the tree with great care

Even out on the lawn decorations were there

With gift-giving in mind and a list in my hand

We headed to town the crowds to withstand

To buy just the right present, for each person we knew

Just the right gift - I hadn't a clue!

As we walked down the street, as we shopped in the mall

There were toys of all sizes, for kids large and small.

Through every speaker there was many a shout

"Be the first to have this!" "You can't live without!"

For every age, and for every type

Were gadgets and widgets and a whole lot of hype

To convince you to spend every bit your dough

In this place and that place and hard to say "No!'

After suffering the crowds as we traversed the aisles

(Of which there many, each one seeming like miles!)

We turned to each other with strain on our faces

And agreed with a glance to get out of these places!

We returned home from the stores with sighs of relief.

But relief was short-lived, reprieve very brief.

No gifts did we have and time was now short.

What gifts could be given as a last resort?

We glanced at our tree, at the star there on top,

That symbol of the season made us just stop.

It glittered there brightly, shining down from above

Reminding us of the gift that had been given with love.

One night long ago, in a faraway place

A boy-child was born, one filled with God's grace.

He was born to save us, a gift to us all

A gift we should share, and it's not found in a mall.

We realized that it wasn't how much that was spent

Or how new or how snazzy or what the content.

To celebrate this birth we give gifts to each other

A small token of the gift once given by Another.

So, in this season of gift-giving and fun

Remember that God gave us His Son

To save us from sin and make all things right.

Blessed Christmas to all and to all a good night.

                                                          Wanda Salmans 2012