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It's always tough at this time of year for me. My family is scattered and family Christmases just don't happen anymore for us.
Fortunately, I have a "Family of choice" here at Top Shelf. I've lost some of them over the years too though. Kim, Pickle, Prue, Neri, Holly, and so many others. It seems like almost every day a new name appears in the In Memorium list and one more of us is gone, sometimes with no explanation, rhyme or reason. I miss them all, every one of them. They graced our lives with their personalities, their stories, their support and love and will never be forgotten as long as we are here to remember them.
We have others who are still with us, others who mean so much to all of us. Angels with keyboards who accept us, care about us, love us for who we are. Erin, who has given us all a safe place and a firm loving hand, the helpers ...volunteers who help Erin keep the lights on, Piper, who is our I.T. sorceress, all the talented, wonderful authors who grace us with their gifts, their stories, with their shoulders to cry on, their ears open to hear our hurts and heartbreaks. Strangers who became friends...Persephone, Scotty, Gwen, Beverly, Jill, Grover and Paula, Ariel and Delton, Joyce, and SO many others.
I have no idea where I'd be if not for all of YOU, who liked my writings, who counseled me when I was down, kicked my butt when I was down on myself, gave me the chance to be who I truly am and exercise a talent I never knew I had and the opportunity to help some others who needed what had been so freely given to me by you.
So what Christmas is to me now, is feeling all of you in my heart and celebrating US and who and what we truly are. At times a herd of unruly cats, but always sisters and brothers against a society who can't understand us.
From my heart, to all of you I wish a joyous holiday season and a fruitful new year full of love and good fortune. I don't know how many years I have left on this Earth, but I hope I'll never disappoint any of you, though I probably will...I'll try hard not to.
Thank you...ALL of you for the knowledge that I am not alone, and for all the wonderful tales you've allowed me to read. At one time or another, you all have given me a reason to keep on keeping on.
ALL MY LOVE TO ALL OF YOU!!!!
Comments
Merry Christmas Cathy!
Merry Christmas, Cathy!
Delton and I feel so special to be counted among your friends. Though you, I am part of a family of choice who never forsook me even when my immediate family turned their backs on me. Even though I don't always call as often as I should, you mean so much to me.
"I have been and ever shall be your friend"
Jo Dora Webster
You might say...
that BCTS is the virtual Home that Love Built?
Merry Christmas, dear friend!
Love, Andrea Lena
A wonderful thought Andrea.
Since my home That Love Built was virtual, So Top Shelf IS along the same line of thought. It IS a place where we can all feel safe and cared for, even loved.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. You typify the heart of what Top Shelf and my Home are all about.
Cathy
As a T-woman, I do have a Y chromosome... it's just in cursive, pink script.
No one is truly gone
Cathy, I've realized no one can truly know what that other person is feeling. Well, except in unusual circumstances like a soul mate. You were and are blessed to know all of those who you visited with, intermingle with, and yes, carried still only in your heart until meeting them again. Where did time, life, and so many family and friends go? Wasn't time supposed to last forever? Actually it does but not in the way we thought when we were so young.
I pray you find the answers and peace in your heart and soul, Cathy. It doesn't mean we aren't allowed to cry just because we're supposed to be strong. We are allowed to ask why so many things didn't work out or life go as we planned so long ago. Chin up girl and keep on keeping on until it's time. And when I'm standing in front of Him, my head will be up, my back straight as I say, "I made a lot of mistakes, I admit I questioned your judgment, I've sinned, Father, judge me as you must but I tried, forgive me."
Those who have gone before us aren't losses. They are our blessings.
Hugs Cathy
Barb
Life is meant to be lived not worn until it's worn out.
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
So beautifully written
Happy holidays and may the coming year bring you happiness. Thank you for including all of us in your group and sharing your writings.
Merry Christmas!!
Holidays are bittersweet.
Yesterday, we met with our grandchildren and watched them open our presents to them. It was strange meeting outside around a firepit, but better than nothing.
Their little faces haven't learned how to mask their feelings. Each box brought a strong reaction. The Nerf gun wasn't warmly received by the parents who have somehow forgotten the best presents have a little edge to them. The art supplies caused little wheels to spin. The lego set for Central Perk -- that led to them watching an episode of Friends. (Who are those people laughing?) The Elsa nightie that bewildered an eight-year-old girl who sleeps in an over-sized Twin's Tee.
Our lives are like that gift opening ceremony. So many surprises. Some good. Some great. Some are like pajamas from grandma - disappointing but we learn to accept and move on.
I hope you all get the Nerf gun you've been dreaming about -- or the Elsa nightie!
During the gift opening, my daughter-in-law told us about getting her covid innoculation. She's a RN. She said the only side effect she noticed is that people can't stop talking . . . about their shot.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
The lego set for Central Perk
What ever happened to Legos, just plain Legos. You know the big round box of plastic bricks. The ones that only built something if the build's mind could picture it. The ones that were only plastic bricks until the child's imagination was let loose to create. And then the ideas and buildings were unlimited.
No, now Legos are a puzzle to solve.
As a kid I remember hours spent creating with Lincoln Logs, Legos and a Legos competition brick building set who's name escapes me. And then the was the interesting Erector Set, where bridges, cranes and even cars were built. Gone are the days when a child's toy could inspire imagination.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
I Agree
We have Lego sets from thirty years ago in our attic, put together by our sons. However, they spent many more hours playing with the unstructured sets.
The other day I saw a monopoly set that does the math for you. What a blown learning experience.
We try to give gifts that inspire imagination.
Your comment sounds like an idea for a book -- and a movie or two.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Erector Set,
Are you by chance referring to the Old Meccano sets, I haven't seen them in a lot of years, I know there is a type of them around but they are kits that come with plans, were the old sets were just a nuts , bolts and assembly pieces and the plans were the childs imagination
They Were Similar Products...
Wikipedia says that Meccano originated in 1898 in the U.K. and Erector in the U.S. in 1913. Meccano bought Erector in 2000, with the U;S. product becoming "Erector by Meccano."
Eric
Merry Christmas Catherine
I completely agree with you. I hope that the holidays treat you well and that next year will be a good one for you and all of our family here at BCTS. 2020 has been pretty bad for a lot of us, but at least we all have one another. I don't have much contact with my family, and those that I do talk to are across the continent, but I have Martin and I'm glad to have a family and friends here too. I've had a rough few years but it's the people here that have help me to get through it and keep going, who keep me from doing drastic or stupid things, and who read my scribblings and gave me the courage to publish and made me feel like I could actually be an author. Erin hasn't just built a website here, she's built a family and I love my BCTS family so much. I'd name names, but there are just far too many for me to adequately credit all of you, both those still with us and those who have passed on.
Amethyst
Don't take me too seriously. I'm just kitten around. :3
Merry Christmas!!!
...and sorry about the whole flying off the handle about
your Money Guy blog. I just spook easily sometimes.
~hugs, Veronica
And remember...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifLqzLEB3E0
I hope that you are at peace.
Blessings to you.
Gwen
What does Christmas mean to me
When you ask that question of me, it stirs my spirit. I brings to mind all that is, because of that day. As a Christian, Christmas is more than just a holiday, more than a family gathering, more than an excuse to give gifts. But it is all of those, only much, much more.
It's a time to reflect on my relationship with God. I time to remember that something over 2000 years ago something happened, a God thing happened, that changed the whole world forever. That something gives me reason to hope in the midst of despair. I reason know joy, even at a time of loss. A reason to give, out of my lack. A reason that gives me peace of mind in the midst of chaos, a peace that surpasses all understanding.
Christmas is a day to remember that "God so loved the world that he gave..." With each gift that I buy and give I remember that gift. Each time I greet a family I remember that my family is now defined by far more than blood lines. My family is comprised of those whom God has seen fit to bring into my life that I can share myself with them. To give of myself as He gave to mankind.
Merry Christmas and God bless you all.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all. I'm so thankful that I found a place so welcoming and supportive. I'm so happy I stumbled across this place.
XOXO
Limbo's Mistress (Samantha)
"All that we see or seem, Is but a dream within a dream." Edgar Allen Poe
Christmas is strange this year.
Mind you everything feels strange this year and the usual apathy I feel for religious holidays has probably increased by the same factor as the strangeness. However, I wish everyone a peaceful and joyful Christmas in whatever way they celebrate it or not. I shall be cooking myself a roast chicken dinner and reading the book I requested from my daughter, on the anatomy and ecology of the diptera or flies. Those who are surprised by this have never read Bike and its apparently 'egregious grammar' according to one reviewer.
I shall also remember my absent friends and relatives both from this site and the real world. The true wealth in life is the friendships we make not the money worshipped by so many.
Angharad
Christmas
I remember that I was always alone even as a kid at Christmas , I don't make friends easily, and all my family are dead but that's the way life is. This Christmas here in the UK we are again in lockdown so effectively Christmas is banned , all because the so called Experts that advise the Government have once again gone into panic mode. They claim it's due to another virus mutation but we all know that is garbage as the virus has mutated several times this year already and it doesn't matter what you die off as they lump all the figures together as covid deaths, funny how no one has died from flu this year when we usually have a high number of flu deaths amongst the elderly.
OH well all I can do is hope you have as enjoyable Christmas as you can this year.
Sausage eggs and chips as usual year
Check Your Facts
We have misinformed people in the US saying much the same things. Many of them are elected morons. But the facts show that the excess deaths in 2020 compared to 2018 and 2019 are roughly equal to the number of covid deaths.
It might be comforting to you to thumb your nose at science but stay away from me and the people I love. Including those in the UK.
Just this week a state legislator in Minnesota died from covid he contested at a Republican caucus where they willingly violated social distancing and masking. Yet our president is holding Christmas parties in the Whitehouse.
I've left my house three times in the last month. I've given away hundreds of masks to people I work with.
Believe what you want . . . But repeat only what you KNOW to be true.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
As it happens I do have a
As it happens I do have a good working knowledge in the medical field and am stating facts, try looking up how many died from from the various diseases that are common , like Flu etc and you will find that the death figures are all being put under the umbrella of Covid 19 and the UK have admitted it , also the vast majority that have died had underlying health problems.Just because you catch the virus doesn't necessarily mean you die from it. I know of a few cases were according to the Death Certificate covid 19 was the reason, and the person really died from an underlying problem such as heart attack