Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play
My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too
Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go
Christmas is here
Everywhere, oh
Christmas is here
If you care, oh
If there is love in your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time
I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
Where are you Christmas
Fill your heart with love
Monday, November 15, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010; 4:12pm
Christmas always brings about a sort of reminiscent pain in me that I can't explain. When I was a really young child, probably five or six, I loved Christmas with my family. My brothers and I never got that many gifts, but my mother made the best of what we did get by giving us homemade hot chocolate and candy canes. Then, after opening the one or two gifts she was able to give to us, we would pop in a Christmas movie and tuck in for the night/early morning on Christmas Eve before we'd go to my grandmother's on Christmas Day. I loved that. I adored being able to sit on my mommy's lap, warm in my footy-pajamas, while she sang with us and asked us if we wanted to listen to the radio to hear where Santa Claus was at. I knew at a really early age that Santa Claus wasn't real. Growing up with two older brothers, why wouldn't I? But, it was still nice to imagine that there was a man in the sky that cared enough about all the children in the world that he traveled the whole Earth in one night to deliver toys and candy to them.
I used to lay up underneath the Christmas tree when I was still small enough to do so and watch the twinkling lights until I fell asleep. We had these Christmas beads that we used to drape over the tree for garland. They smelled so bad, smelled like someone had dipped them into motor oil for some reason. My mom still has them packed away in all her Christmas decorations, but they're all tangled together and broken in a lot of places. Everytime I help her decorate her tree, though, I sniff them, because it reminds me of laying up under the tree and watching those lights, smelling that horrible smell, still happy as can be with my new jammies and hot chocolate. They remind me of a time before things got too hectic and bad that we couldn't be a normal family anymore.
I remember the last okay Christmas we had as an entire family, with my grandparents, mom, and brothers. We were living with my mom's boyfriend at the time, and because he had a son that was a few years younger than me who lived with his mother, we generally did the Christmas that wasn't at my grandparent's house on Christmas Eve completely. Sometimes, we'd even end up doing it the day before Christmas Eve because we kids would get so impatient; but that year, we did it on Christmas Eve like what was tradition. I got a bunch of new clothes, a karaoke machine, and some toys. A few CDs from the boyfriend's mother. It was a good haul that I walked away with. I was happy with material things around that time. I think I was about twelve or thirteen. On Christmas Day, we went to my grandparent's house. I can't remember what I got there. I only remember that I had an amazing time, because we'd just gotten a new puppy in September, and he'd come along. My brother and I took him outside to let him run in the snow. We left one of the walkie talkies my brother got for Christmas inside with my mom and took the other outside with us. We talked with her the entire time we chased the puppy around the dark yard. After we got done playing, we went back inside and my mom said it was time to go home. No, it was time for she and I to go home. Around that time, my brother lived with my grandmother and didn't come home with us anymore. So, she and I packed up all of our stuff, gifts, leftovers from dinner, and left in the car. We ended up having to turn around and go right back to my grandparent's house after we got home, because as was typical of my mom's boyfriend, he was drunk and passed out in the living room and had locked us out. My mom didn't have a key. So we spent Christmas night at my grandparent's house. I remember not being bothered by it at all, because I was able to spend the entire night with my whole family while we were all still getting along. Things got bad after that year, but I'll always remember that year, because I was happy.
Christmas used to be such a family holiday for us but since that year, it's turned into a big fest of who can get the better bargains and the most gifts for other people. The food isn't even that good anymore. I find myself wishing every year that something will be like it used to and I'll be happy, even for just five minutes, with my family.
Kody and his family don't celebrate Christmas, but not for religious reasons, just because they never really had the money to do so. I don't think badly or different or them because of it. Contrary, I think they were smart to never commercialize Christmas the way everyone else has. It just saddens me a bit, because part of the joy of the holiday season to me is sitting next to the Christmas tree with its lights twinkling and reading a book with a cup of hot chocolate. I've made Kody promise me that I can at least decorate for the holiday. I don't care about presents and whatnot. I'm just going to decorate and make my cookies. I'll still be spending Christmas with my mother like I always do.
Anyway, this is long winded enough. What are your thoughts on Christmas tradition? What do you and yours do?
Until next time-
Jade;
I used to lay up underneath the Christmas tree when I was still small enough to do so and watch the twinkling lights until I fell asleep. We had these Christmas beads that we used to drape over the tree for garland. They smelled so bad, smelled like someone had dipped them into motor oil for some reason. My mom still has them packed away in all her Christmas decorations, but they're all tangled together and broken in a lot of places. Everytime I help her decorate her tree, though, I sniff them, because it reminds me of laying up under the tree and watching those lights, smelling that horrible smell, still happy as can be with my new jammies and hot chocolate. They remind me of a time before things got too hectic and bad that we couldn't be a normal family anymore.
I remember the last okay Christmas we had as an entire family, with my grandparents, mom, and brothers. We were living with my mom's boyfriend at the time, and because he had a son that was a few years younger than me who lived with his mother, we generally did the Christmas that wasn't at my grandparent's house on Christmas Eve completely. Sometimes, we'd even end up doing it the day before Christmas Eve because we kids would get so impatient; but that year, we did it on Christmas Eve like what was tradition. I got a bunch of new clothes, a karaoke machine, and some toys. A few CDs from the boyfriend's mother. It was a good haul that I walked away with. I was happy with material things around that time. I think I was about twelve or thirteen. On Christmas Day, we went to my grandparent's house. I can't remember what I got there. I only remember that I had an amazing time, because we'd just gotten a new puppy in September, and he'd come along. My brother and I took him outside to let him run in the snow. We left one of the walkie talkies my brother got for Christmas inside with my mom and took the other outside with us. We talked with her the entire time we chased the puppy around the dark yard. After we got done playing, we went back inside and my mom said it was time to go home. No, it was time for she and I to go home. Around that time, my brother lived with my grandmother and didn't come home with us anymore. So, she and I packed up all of our stuff, gifts, leftovers from dinner, and left in the car. We ended up having to turn around and go right back to my grandparent's house after we got home, because as was typical of my mom's boyfriend, he was drunk and passed out in the living room and had locked us out. My mom didn't have a key. So we spent Christmas night at my grandparent's house. I remember not being bothered by it at all, because I was able to spend the entire night with my whole family while we were all still getting along. Things got bad after that year, but I'll always remember that year, because I was happy.
Christmas used to be such a family holiday for us but since that year, it's turned into a big fest of who can get the better bargains and the most gifts for other people. The food isn't even that good anymore. I find myself wishing every year that something will be like it used to and I'll be happy, even for just five minutes, with my family.
Kody and his family don't celebrate Christmas, but not for religious reasons, just because they never really had the money to do so. I don't think badly or different or them because of it. Contrary, I think they were smart to never commercialize Christmas the way everyone else has. It just saddens me a bit, because part of the joy of the holiday season to me is sitting next to the Christmas tree with its lights twinkling and reading a book with a cup of hot chocolate. I've made Kody promise me that I can at least decorate for the holiday. I don't care about presents and whatnot. I'm just going to decorate and make my cookies. I'll still be spending Christmas with my mother like I always do.
Anyway, this is long winded enough. What are your thoughts on Christmas tradition? What do you and yours do?
Until next time-
Jade;
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010; 10:46am + PICTURES
Hello kids =)
Kody and I got two hamsters yesterday to join Willow, Thistle, and Peyton! =) They're two girls, named Cloudy and Stormy! Here are some pictures.
Hope you like them! =)
Kody and I got two hamsters yesterday to join Willow, Thistle, and Peyton! =) They're two girls, named Cloudy and Stormy! Here are some pictures.
Stormy =)
Cloudy!
Stormy having a nap.
Peyton watching the girls like a hawk.
Hope you like them! =)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010; 1:59pm: The Season of Giving; My Challenge for You
Halloween is over and it is now the season of giving. While you and your family are sitting down to wonderful dinners of turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and corn, there are children all over the world that will not be able to experience those things because they lack the funds, supplies, and/or ability to do so. There are children and families, even here in the United States, that cannot have the Thanksgivings and Christmases that we celebrate every year.
Last Saturday, October 30, I volunteered with the Indiana organization American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) to raise funds for Toys for Tots. Fifteen volunteers stood on the busiest intersection in our city and took donations from passing cars. In just three hours, we raised $1400. All of the proceeds will go straight to the United Ministries to give Christmas to children whose parents cannot.
My challenge for all of you this season of giving is a simple one. At one point or another we all have $5 we can spare. I want all of you to find a charity that you love and give that spare $5 to that charity. You can give it to any charitable organization you choose, a local one, a worldwide funding network, even a church offering in which all proceeds will go to a charity they choose.
I have five hundred friends on Facebook alone. If all five hundred of those people give just $5 to their favorite charity, we will have raised $2500 to charities all over the world.
If you're having trouble choosing a charity to give to, visit here: http://listofcharities.net/
"List of Charities" will help you make an informed decision about which charities are the best to give to this holiday season. Many charities have webpages that give several options on how to give, which include addresses to mail money orders to and PayPal accounts that can be paid into online. However, if you don't want to send out a money order and you don't have a credit/debit card to pay online, you can look around your city for plenty of places that are asking for donations.
Be weary, however. Make sure that the organization you are choosing to give to is a legitimate charity. There are loads of scams out there.
The charitable organization that I am choosing to give to this year is, as always, Music for Relief.
Music For Relief is a grassroots effort comprised of musicians, music industry professionals and fans who believe that together we can create positive change. Established in 2005 to provide aid for those affected by the tsunami tragedy in South Asia, the idea for Music For Relief originated amongst the members of the band Linkin Park who wanted to do something to help the victims. The idea was that if they made a donation, and then asked their musician peers and their fans to make a donation as well, a huge impact could be made in assisting relief efforts. With this in mind, they started reaching out to others in the music community to get involved and became the founders of Music For Relief.
As proof: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd260/PPSignHead/DonationReceipt.png
I wish you all a happy holiday season, hoping that you, your family, and your friends have the health and happiness they deserve. I also hope that you can all help other families around the world achieve these wonderful things as well.
Happy Holidays;
Jade
Last Saturday, October 30, I volunteered with the Indiana organization American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) to raise funds for Toys for Tots. Fifteen volunteers stood on the busiest intersection in our city and took donations from passing cars. In just three hours, we raised $1400. All of the proceeds will go straight to the United Ministries to give Christmas to children whose parents cannot.
My challenge for all of you this season of giving is a simple one. At one point or another we all have $5 we can spare. I want all of you to find a charity that you love and give that spare $5 to that charity. You can give it to any charitable organization you choose, a local one, a worldwide funding network, even a church offering in which all proceeds will go to a charity they choose.
I have five hundred friends on Facebook alone. If all five hundred of those people give just $5 to their favorite charity, we will have raised $2500 to charities all over the world.
If you're having trouble choosing a charity to give to, visit here: http://listofcharities.net/
"List of Charities" will help you make an informed decision about which charities are the best to give to this holiday season. Many charities have webpages that give several options on how to give, which include addresses to mail money orders to and PayPal accounts that can be paid into online. However, if you don't want to send out a money order and you don't have a credit/debit card to pay online, you can look around your city for plenty of places that are asking for donations.
Be weary, however. Make sure that the organization you are choosing to give to is a legitimate charity. There are loads of scams out there.
The charitable organization that I am choosing to give to this year is, as always, Music for Relief.
Music For Relief is a grassroots effort comprised of musicians, music industry professionals and fans who believe that together we can create positive change. Established in 2005 to provide aid for those affected by the tsunami tragedy in South Asia, the idea for Music For Relief originated amongst the members of the band Linkin Park who wanted to do something to help the victims. The idea was that if they made a donation, and then asked their musician peers and their fans to make a donation as well, a huge impact could be made in assisting relief efforts. With this in mind, they started reaching out to others in the music community to get involved and became the founders of Music For Relief.
As proof: http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd260/PPSignHead/DonationReceipt.png
I wish you all a happy holiday season, hoping that you, your family, and your friends have the health and happiness they deserve. I also hope that you can all help other families around the world achieve these wonderful things as well.
Happy Holidays;
Jade
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)