Dear Reader:

I subscribe to Dancing with Monsters and monthly receive new thoughts, ideas, and suggestions from Kate Wolfe-Jenson, one of my favorite bloggers…on all kinds of topics…but particularly the sick “monsters” who appear regularly whenever one is fighting a chronic disease. They show up in the forms of depression, hopelessness, and denial.

Combating Multiple Sclerosis (herself)… she fights back these monsters of self-doubt for herself and her readers continuously… using humor, kindness, and compassion. She is adorable…a fellow blogger who lifts me up through her strength.

I happened to come across a blog she wrote around Thanksgiving…in preparation for all the craziness of Christmas (that we vow every year we won’t fall into that rabbit hole again.)

It involves three symbols: A Holiday Monster, Comfort, and Joy. She had drawn (she’s an artist) a cute Holiday Monster (which I will not copy for this blog.) But I am going to make my own personal Holiday Monster to share with you on the blog (sometime before Christmas.)

And now here’s my challenge to all of you…think of the “monsters” that come between you and the true meaning of Christmas… Then create or make it in any form to share with us…(Can actually just be a photo of something..an item… you already have around the house, or you could make a paper doll or collage, a clay sculpture (hint, hint)…the sky’s the limit.)

Then take a picture and send me….would love to have one whole blog dedicated to eradicating our personal Holiday Monsters. Come on  and join the fun! Let’s try Christmas Eve’s blog for the “revealing” of the Christmas monsters. *Make sure you add a short comment behind your selection.

Making time for fun…real fun…brings us to the next two symbols Kate mentions a lot in her blogs…not just at Christmas. Comfort and Joy. 

What do you think about this idea? Get out a sheet of paper…and make two columns….COMFORT and JOY. Then reflect and list under each title…the things at Christmas that bring you COMFORT. Then do it again for the things that bring you JOY.

By the time you finish your two lists…I hope you will be smiling at these stress-buster memories of past Christmases. Sherlock Holmes would now say…(using your deductive reasoning abilities)… you know (from elimination) who your Holiday Monsters are…anything you feel compelled to do that didn’t make your Comfort and Joy list.

  I decided to find two items that symbolize comfort and joy to me at Christmas. (Comfort…the rocking chair) Honey had this made for me at a baby shower she gave for Mandy… when she was expecting Eva Cate.

It has rocked my grandchildren (to date)… providing the most wonderful memories of comfort…and it is still warmed up to continue with the new and upcoming editions.

  Joy! I bought this whimsical piece of iron-wrought artwork from an old antique store in Summerville that was going out of business about ten years ago. She continues to bring me joy as more items are added to her.

There is a green planter in front… Doodle gave me the red bird of good luck to place on it. Just a few weeks ago…Honey gave me the hand-made clay plaque (she had read this statement/quote from a magazine article on Joan Lunden and her fight with breast cancer) which found its home around the neck of Faith (the name I gave the art piece when I bought her a decade ago.)

Yesterday I was able to find comfort and joy with grandchild #2 (Mr. Rutledge.) Mollie had her company Christmas party Friday night…and a special day out with some of her friends Saturday…a Christmas present shared together. So I received the best present of all…. Mr. Comfort and Joy. 

Rutledge is almost 18 months now….so follow me through this night and day to see what life is like at this remarkable age.

Friday night…lots of hugs and kisses….always a comfort and joy from our little elf! He kept pointing to my hand and shaking his head.

Rutledge woke up about 10:30 Friday night and we were still going at 12:30 ….but did that mean we had any less energy Saturday?…Everyone knows the answer to that….Here goes:

 One round of golf….

 Rutledge must have some “Boo” genes…we read books from the time I got there until I left…he still wanted to “read” his ‘Five Little Monkeys‘ book while swinging…

Rutledge took on Poogan with a ‘tug of “stick” war’….Poogan came, he saw…he conquered. 

  “Tuck…No!” Obviously Rutledge has witnessed the panic look when one or more parents get “stuck” in traffic or elsewhere. He kept trying his “key” and shaking his head in total disgust.

He was just finishing  cutting the grass when Daddy arrived to bring his son and “daughter” back inside for a little snack…and…

…‘dozens of tiger paws danced on his head.”

So until tomorrow…Please put the “Holiday Monster” idea under comfort or joy….it sure would be a joy for  me to have several  ideas on the Christmas Eve blog! Pretty Please….this is about sharing ideas…not artistic ability. (as you will see from mine)

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Libby Clarkson’s daughter, Betsy and her husband Collin, surprised their two daughters, Haily and Rebecca, to a trip on the Polar Express. Betsy worked on the fancy attire for the pj’s for the train ride. For those two girls…a memory has been planted that will last a lifetime….(sometimes at the sacrifice of parental comfort in exchange for children’s joy!)