the day after...

Ah, the post christmas hubub...cleaning up wrapping paper and bows.  Trying to find a spot for new items, donate the old, sort through and put away.  The looming of the upcoming new year always puts me in the cleanout frame of mind.  Once the frenzy of the holidays is over it's almost a relief.  Although, we didn't have a crazy holiday, ours was sort of laid back.  We did the things we wanted to do, visiting places we knew we wouldn't see again and tried to make it a real christmas, not a commercialized one.  Let me tell you...despite the having gifts for five kids  under the tree on christmas morning, it was quite quiet.   No whirring electronic toys were to be found.  Wooden trucks, lacing beads, dollhouses filled my front room.  Creative toys that children use their imagination to play with.  The only exception was Nick's new TV, which quickly disappeared into his room anyway! 

So last night I sorted books, pulling out old one's to donate, refilling the shelves with the newer books for the kids.  New crayons and markers, play-doh refilled the craft cabinet.  Fun things to spend long lazy winter afternoons creating masterpieces at the dining room table.  11 days of no school.  I have to do something with all of them!!

Christmas Eve and day for me was spent at work with just a few hours on Christmas morning to spend with my family opening presents and chatting.  Then off to sleepy land for me.  Work really brought my Christmas spirit to a halt.  Too much violence on what was supposed to be a beautiful holiday made me realize how much I don't want to be here anymore.  Here where it's almost ordinary to see some violence everyday.  Now I am sure that it is everywhere, but my hope is to be in a place where it only happens once in a blue moon.  Not every single day.  A place where people are kinder and speak nicer.  Where it's not ok, to shoot someone or stab them, or assault them.  Maybe it's just because our view of it is so concentrated there.  It's like watching the news.  Only it's really there in front of you.  Not just pouring through the tv screeen in your living room.  You get to experience firsthand the crying, the belligerance, the smell of blood and alcohol.  The anger.   I guess once a long time ago, people respected the medical field, it's practitioners and we were kind of shielded from harm.  No more.  Some days I think these people are just animals.  What are they doing?  For what reason?  It's baffling somedays.  But there's always the one person who really needs your help, who is either dying or injured through no fault of their own.  I'll always help all of them, the one's whose own  anger got them there and those who just came along for the ride, I just won't understand the former. 

here's to a better new year and a lovely week HOME with my family...
sue