Can you believe it’s only a month until Christmas? It doesn’t feel as if we are moving any closer to the winter solstice, since in my part of the world, (Okanagan Valley, in southern British Columbia) we are experiencing a lovely, sunny November. Usually it’s rainy, sometimes snowy, and definitely cold this time of year. The days are getting shorter though and our nights extremely chilly, still I’m not complaining. I have heaps of leaves to shred and compost directly into my garden, which is going to create light and fluffy soil next spring.

I’ve been thinking of Christmas though. When you are the mom to eight children who’ve all enjoyed a few Christmas treats and surprises in the past, you have to start planning early. I’m absolutely thrilled to say that seven of our eight kids will be home for the holidays. Sadly, our son Mitchell won’t be able to come home but I’m happy he’s making friends in Australia, where he has been living since last March. I know wherever he is, joy will find him and wherever I am, a piece of him is always with me.

Anyway, with almost everyone coming home and only a month to go, I’ve been thinking about how I want to celebrate the season. I know we want to continue to move away from a consumer driven holiday, since we have been going down that path for several years now, but this year, I still don’t know how that will look. With my desire for a zero waste holiday, more vegetarian fare, and emphasis on spending time, instead of money, my intention is to unplug the Christmas machine.

To inspire me, I’ve been reading a book by that very title, “Unplug the Christmas Machine, (A complete guide to putting love and joy back into the season)” by Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli.

While talking to people and doing workshops over the years, on how to create a more meaningful holiday, these two authors have written a book filled with thoughtful and practical advice on how to have a joy filled Christmas.

One of their workshop attendees shared this thought, “When spirituality leaves the holiday in favour of materialism, it leaves a very large hole.”

Spirituality means different things to different people, but in my case I was thinking about the magic of the season, versus the stuff and that resonated with me.

I particularly liked their Christmas Pledge. It read like this:

(Believing in the true Spirit of Christmas, I commit myself to:)

I’ve thought about each of the above statements and ways I could incorporate them into my holiday celebrations. For instance, this year we ordered seven poinsettia plants to give to our children’s teachers. All the funds raised will go to a less fortunate school’s parent advisory group in our area. That makes me really happy as it’s giving to those less fortunate. Also, I like the idea of giving a living plant to our children’s teachers as they help our children to bloom and grow and it’s in keeping with my concerns for the environment.

Then, like an affirmation that I was on the right path, this morning, while pulling apart my little girls bedding to be aired in the sunshine, I found my daughter’s holiday wish list hidden under her pillow.

It said, “Kathryn’s Christmas Wish list”

1. Whole family to come home
2. Flannel Sheets
3. Headbands
4. Arts and Craft (canvas, paints, etc.)
5. Slippers (bigger size)
6. 2020 calendar (animal, cats, yoga cats)
7. new p.j.s (Christmas ones)
8. Chocolates
9. A Christmas surprise
10. A big huge empty box to play in

The first and last items on her list made me realize that what my daughter wants more than anything is to just be with her family and have open space to create the holiday of her dreams. Easy!~ I can make that happen, literally and figuratively.

It was her letter that inspired this blog post today. If we truly look inside our hearts, what do we REALLY want for the holidays?

I think we may get confused when we look outside our homes at what other people are choosing to do, and worse, when we venture into any retail outlet. (Why do we do that again???)

While I was doing some recent web surfing for ideas on how to decorate our house for the holidays in an organic and environmentally conscious manner I came across dozens, and I mean DOZENS, of You tube videos of Vloggers inviting you to come into their homes to watch them clean, decorate and then finally tour their home for the holidays. As a voyageur I couldn’t resist. I clicked on several of these links and was taken into another world.

Another world filled with twinkling lights, glitter, and the latest in Christmas decor. I was thinking, does this say, “have yourself a merry little Christmas?” For many it obviously does but I want something different. While I continued to read the book, “Unplug the Christmas Machine,” I realized that this was something I needed to figure out for myself. Each of us is a creator and when we turn inward, we find what is most meaningful to us. And that brings me to the last point on the Christmas Pledge, “To rededicate myself to my spiritual growth.”

Personally for me, it’s not about being in a church any longer, although our church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service is a sweet reminder of Christmas’s past, when I used to sing in the children’s choir after my Dad died and I needed faith so desperately. Or those Christmases when David and I were new parents, often with a December newborn in our arms. We were so grateful for our family. I wanted my children more than anything to hear the story of God’s love and let it fill them with peace and joy. Now, for me at least, I find my way back to my spirit, back to God, when I’m out in nature. I want more of that this holiday season. What would it look like for you?

Today at my lunch time school gig, I read a story to the kindergarten class I supervise for an hour each day. I read them a story called, “Pig the Elf,” by Aaron Blabey. It’s a hilarious story of two dogs, one humble and sweet, the other greedy and rude. It illustrates beautifully how being grateful and gentle is an easier path, and yet, it’s fun to watch Pig, the Pug take a different approach to Christmas. It reminded me that no matter the path we take as people, and as parents, lessons abound and to just relax and enjoy the journey. Hopefully, an angel saves us. Check out the YouTube video below to hear the story. I hope it makes you laugh as much as my kindergarteners did at lunch today.

Well, at the very least I hope this blog post gets you thinking about how you want to spend your holidays and the memories you want to create for your family. In the next few weeks, I want to share our journey with you. As our days grow shorter and darkness descends, I want the upcoming season to be filled with light. To be filled with love. For me and for you.

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you find some time to come back soon and we can chat about ways to stay well this winter..

Until we meet again, may you be well, peaceful and happy.

Blessings from Hope…..and……….

P.S. ………..

Another birthday celebration to declare,

it’s my sister C’s birthday I want to share.

Peace and joy, love and delight,

C, if you are reading this,

You make the world bright!

Ok, I never said I was a poet, ha!….but I wanted to reach out and say……

Shine On! Happy Birthday from me to you! Love D.L. a.k.a. Hope

With a steaming mug of pumpkin spice tea next to me, I’m joining you once again. Two seasons have passed since my last blog post. I had material a plenty but felt I needed time to just be in the moment. Instead of capturing and posting life, or writing down my thoughts in words, I wanted to just be.

As a family we were also busy. Our spring flew by, while I worked at my gardening gig and as I finished up the school year working as a lunch time student supervisor. Our twin daughters, Kathryn and Victoria, turned eight in May. Our youngest son William turned the grand ole age of ten at the end of June.

Blue skies and warm days met us all through our summer. Thankfully we didn’t experience the choking smoke from forest fires, since rain scattered through our warm months like a welcome blessing. Our garden flourished; our cherries were luscious, and as summer came to an end, Italian prune plums abundantly filled buckets.

We accomplished many projects as well. David built a rail styled fence along our garden and then created a lattice privacy wall at the end of our swimming hole. He painted the pool house and the play house and then built a set of steps up the middle of our rock wall.

While he was building, I painted. Steps, fences, and benches. When I wasn’t covered in paint, I was deep in the garden harvesting and canning or freezing food.

William went to camp, the little girls had a mid summer’s eve party, Grace worked at the water slides and our oldest son came home from University and worked as a landscaper once again.

Mid summer, we had a lovely respite when we took the family to Vancouver Island for a weeks get away. We picked up our oldest daughter in Victoria and headed up Island where we set up a base camp at Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and perfect for a camping holiday. The days were warm enough to swim in the ocean and during the evenings we happily gorged on s’mores around the camp fire.

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We were able to visit all of our favourite haunts too; Qualicum Beach, Coombs, (Goats on the Roof Country Market) Englishman Falls, Cathedral Grove Forest and we had an amazing, warm sunny day at Long Beach and Tofino, on the west side of the island.

All spring and early summer I’d been feeling off balanced. As if I was walking on a long, narrow board and at any time I would fall and crash. I pushed myself along but the fear of falling stayed with me all through spring and summer. That trip to the island helped to restore my soul but I still felt off centre and sad. I couldn’t explain why because I was so grateful for so much in my life…but a dark feeling persisted.

Then the kids went back to school and our fall routine slipped into place. Feelings of melancholy weighed me down. Then I started to hear about the climate action marches around the world, inspired by Greta Thunberg, a sixteen year old Swedish teenager.

With every march, and every speech I heard her give I realized that a heavy stone, holding down the hope I had for our children’s future and the health of our earth was being lifted. (I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was feeling unbalanced from all the negative voices in the world, fighting “against” climate action) Also, I felt like we, as a family were not moving fast enough to help the earth. Yes earlier in the year we had cancelled our garbage pick up but we were stalled on our path towards a zero waste lifestyle. We weren’t where I wanted to be.

But as my heart opened and balance returned, I realized that I was being too hard on myself and I wouldn’t be able to take any action if I didn’t have hope. This blog is all about hope. This blog is about inspiring others to live a more sustainable life, connecting with others while helping our planet. If I didn’t have hope, I had nothing to write about. Greta gave me back hope.

And here I am today, drinking tea and writing, while my youngest make gingerbread cookies.

And while I’m still not where I want to be in all areas, when I look back at where we used to be ten years ago, I know that progress is more important than perfection.

Fall has nourished me with the reminder that each season has it’s own gifts. As the days grow shorter, my energy is restored. My heart is open. I’m excited again about the ways we can make a difference in our own home. And I see I’m not alone. At our children’s school there is now a compost bin in each classroom. There are fewer buses and more children riding their bikes to school. There is less paper coming home in backpacks. Our community is coming together. Greta has us talking about ways we can make progress towards helping our environment and that’s inspiring.

Well, my tea cup is almost empty, so our visit is coming to a close but I know I will visit with you again soon…..if this is a place that you find nourishing too, please come back for a visit. I wanted to share with you a few things that we are doing again this year to have a less consumer driven holiday. I love Christmas and the joy the season brings but I want to teach my children that it’s not about what’s wrapped in a present. It’s not about decorating our house to the nines. It’s not about looking perfect or attending every party and event. It’s about the gift of love we give each other. Also, Christmas is about finding hope again.

With hope we find a place of balance.

I hope this blog can be a place of balance to nourish your soul too.

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

P.S. Sending a birthday wish off to a dear one in my life. Happy Birthday Danielle. May you know how much you are loved! May a balanced life always be yours! (I wrote this blog post on Nov 23….but it’s shown as being posted on Nov 24th…the joy of blogging)