On the Eve of Christmas Eve

 I’ve presents wrapped but not enough.

The money’s tight; the times are tough.

The spread beneath the tree looks thin

It won’t be long til disappointment sets in.

The holiday stress has taken its toll

There are some things I can’t control.

I’ve had to change my point of view.

I’ve done the best that I can do.

Tradition, though, will not be lost.

I’ve been resourceful, defrayed some cost.

Like every year, we’ll have our ham,

The cinnamon buns and rolls with jam.

 

We’ll open presents while we feast

I’ll cross my fingers and hope at least

That it’s enough that we’re together

Despite the year we’ve had to weather.

I count my blessings. My gifts are many,

For there are those who don’t have any.

And though my kids have less this year,

We never lack for love ‘round here.

 

You can follow me on Twitter @ceceliahalbert 

At Last… My Love Has Come Along.

 

My lonely days are over, and life is like a song.

If a year could be compared to a roller coaster, 2012 would have lines a mile long because the extreme nature of the highs and lows would mark its place in roller coaster record books from now until the end of time.

The best thing about a good roller coaster is the relief of the smooth coast to the finish. There’s always the chance that the car won’t stop and the operator won’t let you off and you might have to endure the whole ride again, but as you glide to the end, your hopes are high. Your heart slows its pace and you look forward to setting foot back on steady ground.

The car does stop and the door does open.  You reach for the hand held out to you and then you step out and cling to him because he is your life.

And at last, my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life is like a song.

Sing it, Etta. I know what song I want to dance to at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

Wine, Whine, Wine

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It occurred to me recently that I haven’t gone a day without a glass of wine for quite some time. I enjoy wine - dry reds in particular.

Wine is a luxury, yet even in my divorce-imposed frugality I figure out ways to keep a bottle in the house. I don’t buy expensive wines and I would rather do without a lot of other things… like heat, for instance - than to forego my evening glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. I'm thankful that the love of my life shares my fondness for the fermented grape. Our evening ritual of pouring each other a glass is a nightly reminder of how important we are to each other.

Last night my beautiful and talented thirteen-year-old daughter dissolved into a heap on the living room floor, wailing over a boy. My eleven year old son (who happens to have Asperger’s or whatever they’re calling it today) whined that she was ‘having emotions.’  He put on headphones and played Minecraft on his computer while my daughter and I worked through the rise and fall of her adolescent yet very real romance. I made her a chocolate milkshake.

And I had a glass of wine.

Visit me on Twitter (@CeceliaHalbert) or Facebook (Up the Hill by Cecelia Halbert) 

or here:www.ceceliahalbert.com