So This is Christmas

So this is Christmas morning – 12:02 a.m. when I’m starting to blog. Just took a banana bread out of the oven; I want to serve it at Christmas brunch today. I made one yesterday, but alas, Josh & Doug were around, so decided to make one late enough tonight that they would be asleep before it came out of the oven. Hard to keep food in the house with two hungry men around. The tree is silent, ready for morning, with the presents lying quietly, resting before the storm – the storm of paper that will occur in a few hours. This is Baby Aiden’s first Christmas and he will celebrate it here with us; how blessed we are. Baby Ivy’s first Christmas as well, and she will come with her siblings and parents in just a few short hours, along with our parents. An extreme house full again for a few short hours, and I love it.

The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of activity. Chest x-ray, physio, a funeral for Duane White’s father (Janet White #1 gave the eulogy), a party at C & W’s house next door, where we met their cool friends and I played the guitar and sang the oldies with W, Mary (she loves to sing) and Janet White #2. Met G, who is a beautiful friend of C’s and a gift-giver. Don’t you love the gift-givers? I need to be more of one. I’m learning much in this journey.

Today I drove for the first time since my surgery. Leave it to me to pick a snowy day to drive. I drove the van so I wouldn’t have to shift. Josh, Natalie, Aiden and I drove up to Bristol to see Jon & Alicia’s house and visit with them for a couple of hours, drove back down and went to the Christmas Eve service at our church. I didn’t have a chance to get back home to change into Christmas Eve clothes and ended up playing the beautiful grand piano in my jeans, wrinkled blouse and winter boots. Never did that before. Talk about laying down the ol’ pride. Having to do a lot of that these days. No one seemed to mind; at least they never told me if they did. They just loved on me. Felt good to play, but was rather tired from the day’s travel.

When we finally arrived home at 8:30, I was greeted with many packages and gifts at our door – thank you, all. You are so generous to us.

I ask for your continued prayers for this coming year, as I struggle with the fact I have to have chemo and radiation. I wish I didn’t have to. I wish I could turn around and go the other way. I cried a few times today. I wish Natalie & Josh and Aiden could live here with me, or at least in the city, but in one day we have to say good-bye. This makes me sad. I am thankful that they were able to be here. We have quite a daughter – she has sacrificed much to be here. I love her more than my life. God bless you, Nat. Thank you, Josh, for allowing her to come and stay with me so long. And Aiden – I love you immensely and intensely. You are my little man, a treasure that lights up my heart every time I look at you. Don’t forget Gram Deb, OK?

Pray that I have no fear – it raises its ugly head every day and I have to push it back into its box. I pray until I get peace. Pray that there be no cancer anywhere else in my body, as I complete the x-rays and scans ahead. My meeting with the oncologist is January 6/09. Pray that I am ready mentally and physically to walk in there, head held high without fear, just a sense of God with me, Emmanuel. Thank you, Emmanuel. You are here, Hallelujah. I pray that my ‘war’ will soon be over. This tune from John Lennon has been going around in my head the past few days, so I guess I’m supposed to post it (with guitar chords included in case you want to play it). Merry Christmas everyone, and to all a good night. Deb x0


So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young

/ D - / Em - / A7 - / D - / G - / Am - / D - / G - /

{Refrain}
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear

/ C - / Dm - / Am C / G A7 /

And so this is Christmas War is over
For weak and for strong If you want it
For rich and the poor ones War is over
The road is so long Now
And so happy Christmas War is over
For black and for white If you want it
For yellow and red ones War is over
Let's stop all the fight Now

{Refrain}

And so this is Christmas War is over
And what have we done If you want it
Another year over War is over
And a new one just begun Now
And so happy Christmas War is over
I hope you have fun If you want it
The near and the dear one War is over
The old and the young Now

{Refrain}

War is over if you want it
War is over now

ARTIST: John Lennon and Yoko Ono
TITLE: Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
Lyrics and Chords