Martini Musings

  We Are Survivors! My friends, we have survived 2020. Yes, we survived the holidays and all of the months prior. We are so ready to say goodbye to 2020 and hello to 2021. Christmas was different. There were gifts, there was good food and drink, and there were smiles and laughs. And…there were a few tears. The tears weren’t the dreadful, gut wrenching, terribly sad tears, but there were tears. These tears came later in the evening, after the small celebration had ended. It was about the missing pieces of our Christmas. I know, you all had “missing” pieces too. But…we survived! Some are just glad it’s over. Some are thinking about Christmas in July. Some are still celebrating in their small groups. The bottom line is we have survived this crazy COVID Christmas. Time to move on, right? It’s is a lot easier said than done, at least for me. When the clock hits midnight tomorrow night, (if I’m awake), it will start a new year. A year that will continue to be different,like it ...

Here’s to a Merry Christmas…          whatever that may look like!   Christmas 2020! I don’t think we will forget this year! It will be known as the Christmas that was different….for sure. But I hope for you, there will some kind of shining light. Maybe your shining light will be a family Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. Maybe your shining light will be a socially distanced visit, in shifts, from family. Maybe that shining light will be a special phone call made or received. Maybe your shining light will be getting that gift that you have wished for. Or maybe, your shining light will be just a smaller group around your table. Whatever your shining light is, let it shine brightly! We all need it! One thing I know, Christmas will still come and I will still love this time of year. After a roller coaster of emotions and conversations, I was able to figure out a time and place to get to see Katie, Anthony and Gabriel. On Monday, I drove to Northern Kentu...

  It’s beginning to look a lot like…   I bet you can finish that sentence, can’t you? But honestly, I’m wondering just how much it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for so many? This year will be different, that’s for sure. It won’t be the chaos of wild gift tossing and unwrapping. There won’t be loud games around the table or Christmas carol competitions (like who can sing the loudest!). There will be smaller, more subdued households all around. For me, I’ll miss the photos that normally happen…the reminders of the fun that was had. We’ll be taking pictures and sharing with family who are not with us, but it won’t be the same. We have planned food, but not a formal meal. We will have our Christmas cocktails, but skipping the “famous” eggnog this year. We will Zoom throughout the day, but again, it won’t be the same. I’m determined to find joy where I can and that might take a little extra effort, but I will find joy! I’ll enjoy watching family open gifts,...

  ‘Tis the Season…   I’m sure we had them when we were younger, but Advent calendars were not a memory from my childhood. I remember a countdown made with construction paper rings, I remember a countdown on the refrigerator, and I remember my own personal countdown to Christmas as I was always so excited. When Katie was little, we had a few different Advent calendars. Most of them had candy treats inside or little finger puppets or crafts, or some silly thing that helped us countdown until Christmas. Last week, after many years without an Advent calendar, Katie sent me one in the mail. It was by far the best Advent calendar ever. It was a calendar like none I had ever seen. Yes, my friends, it was a “drink of the day” calendar for the month of December!!! As luck would have it, today’s blog falls on Martini Day and I couldn’t be happier! Well, I could be happier if I was sipping a slightly dirty martini, in a swanky bar with my swanky friends, but I’ll take what I ...

  You Can’t Make This S#%* Up! Sometimes, when things happen to me, in or around my life, I think to myself, “You Can’t Make This Shit Up!” It’s usually accompanied by a laugh and a head shake, and to be quite honest, it happens often. I have already decided that this will be the title of my book some day! I used to say that it was me…afterall, I never heard others speak of these bizarre situations, but more frequently than not, I know I’m not alone! Sunday, as I was typing on the computer, my parents, who were within my sight and my hearing, were discussing a donation to charity. They planned on donating to my workplace. Here’s how the conversation went:   Dad: Who do I make the check out to? Lisa: CCC or Community Catholic Center Dad: CGT? Lisa: No, CCC Dad: CTZ? Lisa: No, CCC Dad: (now with hand gestures) CPT? Lisa: (moving from the table to a close up, face-to-face) CCC! You know, like Community Catholic Center (large print indicating a loud ...