Gift wrapping – Patricia's Place

“Things turn out best for people who
make the best of the way things turned out.”
John Wooden

There is no such thing as a perfect life. Everything doesn’t happen the way we want and we don’t get everything we want. Yet, we can have a good life and a happy one in spite of the little things that aren’t to our liking and bother us. Even the big ugly stuff that can stop us in our tracks and make us miserable can’t keep us down if we don’t let it.

Sometimes we just have to suck it up, put our big kid panties on, thumb our noses, and carry on with life the best we can. Other than the fact that one day we all die, there are no guarantees in life. So we might as well do what we can, make peace with what we can’t and get on with living.

All that being said…
I don’t think life is easy. Life is often painful and challenging. Those are just some of the wrappings to be torn away. So tear away where and when you must. Just be careful not to damage the beautiful gift of life you have been given.

Today is Tuesday, December 21, 201

10 things I remember about my Ma and Christmas

Every year the Wish Candle would be brought out the week before Christmas. It was an ordinary big red candle with a bow stuck on it and there was a small notebook beside it. Everyone that came in the house, until New Years Eve, would light the candle, make a wish, blow the candle out, and sign the book. And I mean everyone including the milkman, the mailman, and anyone else who might wander in.
She always made her gift list after she went shopping not before. I don’t know why she didn’t make a list before shopping like most people, but I do know she made a list after so she wouldn’t forget to give the gift or give it to the wrong person.
If she gave a pin or anything sharp as a gift it always had a silver coin with it to dull the edge so it wouldn’t cut into the heart of the relationship.
If she gave a purse or wallet there was always a penny in it so the recipient would never have an empty purse or wallet.
Her gift wrapping skills were legendary. The gift with the wrinkled paper, often not quite enough paper to cover the box, the most tape, and bad bow, was the gift from her.
She also liked to get boxes from expensive stores (I have no idea how she did this because she didn’t shop in them) and wrap things from Penney’s and Kmart in them.
She always forgot to remove price tags–which sort of messed with the expensive box thing she had going.
Bayberry candles were lit at six o’clock Christmas Eve and if they burned out by midnight there would be good fortune in the coming year.
We watched the televised Mass from Rome with the Pope at midnight Christmas eve.
We had the traditional Christmas stockings, but they had to be our own socks no big commercial phony stockings! The usual presents were found, candy, fruit, a toy, and because we were not that good all year, an onion in the toe.