U is for Understanding

This time of year made the call for my U...for Understanding. It seems like so many of our troubles stem from not understanding--the other guy, the other society, the other point of view etc. We all [in our culture, at least] talk about peace, joy, goodwill and understanding towards all, but it is so much easier done than said! Understanding does not mean agreement, nor even approval. It means just...understanding that the other person might have a different viewpoint, which is as valid to him as mine is to me. The other culture might have a different background, so a different way of interpreting events etc than mine. We can understand that we have differences.

That said, understanding that others have different viewpoints does not make all views equally valid. I can understand that the colorblind man sees the stop sign as grey, but it remains red. Verities do not change because of differences in understanding. I know certain things are true, but if you understand it differently, I do not have to look down on you, nor do I have to accept your understanding as true as mine. I simply have no right to ridicule you or persecute you for your lack of understanding as I do. That is true tolerance. To know what is right, to understand the differences others may have, to accept the people with the incorrect opinions as valid and justified in their opinions without accepting something that is intrincically abhorant as equal in value. The person is equal in value to me or to anyone else, but understanding is rarely equal because we have such divergent backgrounds that while some of us show great understanding, others might not be to our level as yet.

All this rambling can be taken in a religious sense, but not neccessarily so. It could be about politics or even about dog breeding! I think we [people] just need to show more understanding towards others in general.

T is for...

Time to spend as I like--reading, watching TV, visiting friends, sleeping, and a whole host of other things.

Toys to purchase--Christmas presents for family and friends. [Remember, we don't all define toys the same!]

Television to relax by, or to bake by or quilt by or a myriad of other things that occupy hands but leave the mind to wander.

Travel near and far. Not that I'm doing a lot just now, but a girl can dream, can't she?

Tools. I've told my family that I want a drill bit set for Christmas. I'm tired of having to take a trip to the hardware store every time I need a different drill bit!

Want to hear a joke? While set up was madly going on for the Nativity, one man sent his young son over for a hammer from my toolbox. "Be careful not to mess up Brother B's tools," he said.
Ha ha ha. Get it?! Brother B's the first to admit he breaks out in hives at the very idea of entering the hardware store, whereas, it is one of my favorite stopping places in town.

Town. I like mine. I hope we can work it out to stay awhile.

Talk. I like to talk with family and friends, and am grateful for the internet as well as
Telephones which make the communication lines easy to keep open.

Ta- Ta. And I'm going to get this alphabet finished off in a more timely manner now.

S is for Snow

S has to be for Snow. It is 5 Dec and we are getting our first snow of the year. It started during the night, so we awoke to a lovely scene. It is continuing, though expected to stop this afternoon. Because it is the first of the year...it came with accidents, school delays and school cancellations. We have planned to put up our Christmas lights this afternoon, but we may not get it all done in one day--I don't know because part of the drill entails walking out on the roof, and I'm not so sure that I want Richard out there in the snow. We'll see. With the Snow, I feel like Christmas really is coming! Just last night I was putting up jars of tomatoes from our garden--the last ones, picked green, but turned red finally. I still have six or seven pumpkins to put up, so I'll be canning yet awhile. Still Snow makes me feel Christmas-y. OK, I know the Saviour was born in the Spring [hence lambs...] but it certainly puts me into the mood! Now I'm ready to write my Christmas letter, finish my Christmas cards, start baking, decorate the house...of course I have to clean it first after the months of neglect! Keep Snowing!

R is for Rest, Reading and Relaxation.

Yep, R is for Rest, Reading and Relaxation. Post-Pageant I'm due a little R & R & R, I think. My feet hurt so much that I wore slippers to choir practice Sun afternoon. [I couldn't figure out which shoes would hurt the least--and it was time to go!] I don't plan to get out of bed on Mon 'til at least 2:00. If then. With the laundry all caught up by my thoughtful husband, and dinner being provided by a close friend, I am milking Mon for all it is worth!

Then...back to the Nativity--although we had a 3 hr "Strike" to change our building back into a church for Sunday, the coat closet is jammed with over 200 costumes needing sorting, laundering and storing for the year. It will be parceled out to many women at church, we just have to keep track of the costumes. I am currently devising a master index. I will also have a picture in each file showing the complete costume. Other files will be sets, and what materials were used and where those materials are stored. A shot of each "booth" in the marketplace will aid in set-up next year, as well as arranging for replacement of some of the rickety thrown together shelves from last year. A publicity file will show what all was done this year... and we carefully stored the missionary display which was made for this as well. Finally, I will update the cast files.

Then back to R & R & R. I am looking forward to getting our Christmas lights up--we're running late this year--not just my fault, Richard was working when we usually do it anyway...now for some good weather to do it in! It will be fun. [Relaxation] I will get busy on other Christmas activities [Relaxation] but I will be able to stay home mostly, and not have to be on my dead feet so much [Rest]. I will even be able to sleep in, and/or take naps as desired [more Rest!]. Once I am rested enough, I will even be able to read something longer than a post on a blog site--ooh, maybe a book! Wow! We haven't even had Book Club since Oct [and that was a sharing of old favorites] because most of us were too drained to read anything more than a couple pages long!

So, now you all know my priorities...burn myself out, then Relax, Rest and Read. Whoever it is in the family who has us for Christmas [don't be upset, Sariah, I know who we have...] Books...I'd like some new LDS fiction and even nonfiction. Books I'll never probably buy myself, but would enjoy very much. LDS because other stuff I can easily get from the library. My new Year's resolution will be to do more R & R & R. I need some right now!