Christmas Wisdom- Beauty as Necessity

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent of praiseworthy- think about such things."

 

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

 

Merry Christmas. How everything sparkles. 

 

 Every piece of china and crystal hand-washed and polished. The Christmas decorations rotated in for this brief season.  Usually every room here is decked as the living and dining room, but as with many American families, this is no ordinary year.

This year's holiday is as reverent as it is celebratory.  As much as it is wanted, this time with friends and family is needed.

Newsflash. It is important to note- the world didn't end when the news channels were turned off  in favor of holiday music.  A wise man, Dr. Dan Buffington, advised me during the first Operation Desert Storm; when the world gets scary, turn off the news. Compulsive obsesssion over what we can't control is not healthy.

Humans need beauty. 1800 lights on a single tree almost makes the decorations superfluous. Unless they are personal.  

The angel playing a violin symbolizes the heavenly gift of music. Even Mozart after he was deaf created patterns with music to stir souls hundreds of years after his pasing. If you've lost faith in miracles- think of how unlikely that is.

 

One of our son's once mentioned that we have the only tree he knew of "decorated in hunting and fishing." These ornaments are reminders of how important wildlife has been to our lives. Long after our last family trip together, these inanimate ornaments hold time still. They are reminders of how important our interaction with the natural world is to who we are today.

The caroler ornament. The year Bob Huff (now our Senator) played piano at my cookie swap, it was the party favor. That was also the year the postman delivered a lovely Christmas Card from some family named Huffington. First names- Arianna and Michael. Never heard of them.

 

 

Now these ladies, I not only know-we keep in touch. Every day. ( L-R) Me, Judy Duvall, Edda Gahm and Trisha Bowler. Sue Maxwell lives in Oregon, so she has a valid excuse for not making our Daily Drivel Dames annual luncheon at the Spaghetti Factory in Fullerton):- .

 

 

Beauty doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. The photo above is simply a halved out orange filled with vegetable oil, the center gizmo left intact and lit with the same little blow torch used to caramelize the sugar on top of creme brulee. Woudn't it make a lovely night light on a party night?

 

 

Stories and Pictures copyright protected by Lydia Plunk