What Puts You in Holiday Spirit?

I used to absolutely LOVE Christmastime. I remember being in college frantically studying for all of my finals so I could just be home and celebrate Christmas with the family. My family has many Christmas traditions.

My family celebrates a "Baking Day" where everyone comes together to cook their specialty recipes. It's probably one of my favorite days out of the entire year. I have a major sweet tooth. We all carry containers and trade our leftovers. So you may only make cookies, but you go home with cookies, fudge, rice krispies, etc.

 My aunt Denise makes peanut butter fudge every year. I'm salivating right now just thinking about it.  She alway sent me some in the mail when I was in Japan too. My aunt Linda, always brings over sugar cookies for the kids in the family to make. And by kid, I mean, the kids and me. I love decorating sugar cookies. Baking day is a terrible idea in theory because I FEEL that everything needs to be tasted prior to bake and after baking. Why waste the brownie mix that can't be 100% scraped out of the bowl. There are kids around the world who would love to lick that spoon. I make that job my boss. I go home with a stomach ache. I make oatmeal raisin cookies from scratch that the family swoons about. I really don't see what the big deal is about them. I've never loved them as much as everyone else. I rarely even eat them. My brother used to pay me (well, in a meal a taco bell) to make a batch for him. My mom makes ginger bread cookies (which  I could destroy in one sitting if I wanted to). All in all, its a really lovely day.

So it got me thinking. What is Christmas really? I know that everyone celebrates for different reasons but the reasons that stick out in my mind are family traditions or memories that I look back on and appreciate. Half of the traditions and memories totally beat opening up Christmas presents. I guess Christmas is more of a feeling. Like the feeling of knowing that when you go to your Aunt's house for Christmas there will be pimento cheese sandwiches, soup and homemade chili. All these little holiday things beat the big things for me.

My first apartment in Cullowhee, NC, whom I shared with Katie Blumsack, was nothing but mismatched furniture and a fridge stocked with cheap beer  and nothing else. This was the very apartment that I purchased my very first Christmas tree. I saved up $15 that was suppose to go on gas and cheap mexican food and spent it on a 3 foot white Christmas tree with white lights instead. Caroline and I set it up on Halloween night with pink and white ornaments. Honestly it looked like my tree exploded in pepto bismol, but it was exactly what I wanted at the time. I was so thrilled with seeing it in the window everyday when I arrived home. That tree stayed up until well after Valentine's day. I was so proud. You couldn't pay me to put that tree in my apt now. It was absolutely hideous. It's funny how your tastes change over the years. Rose and white were pumping through my veins at the time. (Only Phi Mus will get this reference).

Back in the day, I jammed out to those ridiculous stations that played Christmas music 24/7. I've always loved the classics. But they threw some in that I hated too.

Here's a list:
1.) "The Drummer Boy" (and you'll be singing that for the rest of the day)
2.) Wonderful Christmastime" C'mon Paul is this really necessary?
3.) "Little Saint Nick" The Beach Boys
4.)"All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth" (my two front teeth...my two front teeth"
5.) Oh and "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer"

And the song to take it all is Ricky Martin, "Ay Ay Ay Its Christmas" It will literally make you want to shoot your eyes out. If you've never heard it, you're gonna kill me, but here it is. Have a listen.

Last year when I was away from home I had all my friends and families send me pictures of Christmas trees through Facebook. I was absolutely flooded with pictures. It was hard being in the holiday spirit so far from home.

But there was one picture that I cherished last year and I've always cherished it in person. This tree resides in Gates County, NC. It's never been anywhere else, but before I get ahead of myself with trees.... first, christmas ornaments.Which ones are your favorite? With Christmas traditions as my topic, I'm sure many families have traditions and ornaments passed down through the years. Maybe this question is hard for some, but for me this is easy.

My favorite ornament is a white dove. Well, it was once white...now it is more of a dirty beige. It is missing the string that hangs it to the tree. The felt is worn off in places, the black eye is gone, and the words, "Danielle 1988' have long faded. It was probably purchased at a dollar store ages ago, but the story doesn't stop here.

At my Grandma's house every Christmas, the Truman Greene family sets up a beautiful big christmas tree with sparkling white lights, silver ornaments and a tree filled with white doves. Most of the ornaments are older than myself. You see, each bird represents a family member, and if the Truman Greene family has anything, it's lots of white doves. I'm happy to say we've had some new additions to our family christmas tree this year. Through marriages or births, whenever you join the "Truman Greene Family" you are granted a white dove to sit upon the Truman Greene Christmas tree, with your name and birth year inscribed. This isn't something to take lightly by the way. A bird atop this tree is truly a welcome! I cannot wait for Zachary to get his dove. I can't wait to watch him get excited about searching for his name on the tree. I've always loved finding my bird on the tree. I used to move it closer to Jonathan or Daddy's name when I was younger. Shhh, don't tell Grandma, I messed with the ornaments when I was a kid!

Before I came to Japan in August of 2011, I asked my grandma for my white dove. I wanted a part of the family beside me and what better way than to have my dove. Grandmama was skeptical at first about the bird fleeing the Truman Greene family tree, as I'm sure she was skeptical about me being halfway across the world. I told my grandma, that the bird would see the world and would one day fly back home. More importantly, taking my dove with me would be a way to take my family with me and always be home. You see, family isn't a holiday thing; it's a year round thing. Soon, she began to feel more comfortable about releasing the bird from the tree.

So the bird has now returned home. I took very good care of it while it was away. Everytime I opened my zach on deployment...there it was. It now sits on a shelf in my apartment in VA beach. I would not dare enter Grandmama's house this Christmas without it, for this bird is ready to fly home and land on that tree.

Who knew that a christmas ornament could evoke so many feelings? Who knew that a cd could send a vibe to carry me home to the Truman Greene family, an ocean away. The simple strum of a mandolin or pluck of a bass guitar…and there I am. HOME.

When I was in Japan away from home on Christmas day I could care less that it was Christmas. Friends were working. My family was sleeping. I didn't care at all that it was Christmas. Mostly I just wanted it to pass. I settled for sushi or Ramen and anxiously awaited my 15 days of leave....or when I could come home.

So this year for Christmas, I am blessed to be home. I am sad that I cannot celebrate it with Zach this year. But I know that when he arrives in January we can have Christmas all over again. Because I don't care about the presents, or the terrible music played on the radio and I can watch Elf whenever I want. Christmas is but a day to appreciate the ones you love (and the ones who drive you crazy). December 25th is the official day but it can be celebrated as often as possible. Because, when isn't the right time to tell someone you care and appreciate them? And Christmas doesn't truly happen until you're with the ones you love.

Feels Good to Be Back

My family is all about music. We've got musical talent threaded into our veins. My dad plays an assortment of instruments. My Grandma sings and plays guitar. My granddad turns 90 this year, and he is still a pickin' his old mandolin. My uncles all sing and/or play drums, steel guitar, guitar, etc. My aunt sings. My brother plays drums. I however, don't do any of those things. Ok, well sometimes I sell the cd's or run the sound board. But musically speaking...I jam out in the shower... Or the car... but only when no one is with me. But when I say jam out....I mean air guitar, head shaking,...we should probably be concerned about my driving abilities. My show would definitely sell out if I allowed it. Good thing I'm not going pro. Celebrity status is rough.

My family and I were talking the other, while tailgating at an ECU game. There was beer, there was bojangles, PURPLE, GOLD....okay I'm probably losing you with the college football references. (Whatever, it's my blog) Anyways, my parents did a good job of instilling my brother and I, to absolutely love music. It didn't stop at one music genre. either.  Sure, I had Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle and Buck, but the Beatles were there too. As a child I ruined Yellow Submarine for myself. Never again will I play it. It forever be skipped. How on earth my dad survived "We all live in a yellow submarine...yellow submarine... yellow submarine" sung over and over again, by a 5 year old, I might add, is beyond me.

I had motown, and beach music. I lived "Under the Boardwalk." I heard shag music. I heard bluegrass, and I heard bluegrass some more. It stayed with me. I guess what I'm getting at is, I totally get music. I understand it. The feelings evoked are truer than any tv show. Sometimes it even beats conversations with people. I cannot fathom getting up in the morning and turning on the news. SO much depression, sadness, boring politics...ughh. I'd rather hear anything other than the news. I can read about all that stuff. Zachary and I have discussed this. Coffee goes much better in the morning, with the positive vibes that music emits. The news would just put a damper on not only my day, but, my coffee, as well.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is, God missed the memo  to give me any thread of musical talent. Sure, I love and appreciate it, but I can't play a lick of anything.  He gave me writing abilities instead. Totally fine by me. I used to be better about writing. Since joining the navy, I haven't been loyal to this blog, but I hope to continue to grow as a writer, even if I never make it a career.

I would say I am kind of crafty as well. The kind of, comes in when I decide to conquer a task a bit too challenging. Have you seen those pinterest fails? Yeah that's me sometimes. I hate to admit it but its true. I lack the patience that is necessary of a true artist. Paint drying...."Oh my god. I just want to finish it today!!!" "Maybe I can just, maybe its dry here....nope still wet... shit!!! I totally messed it up now."

People get into the holiday spirit in different ways but my idea of spreading Christmas cheer is making handmade gifts. Give me a cup of coffee, and Ed Sheeran and I'll fill the entire night up. This is a picture of me above. Instead thogh, it's Sam Smith. Shhh...don't tell Ed.

 Since returning from Japan, I turned into a grinch. Honestly, I mean, what can you expect, I've missed Christmas 3 years in a row and the first Christmas back, my fiancé is in Japan still. Forgive me for not being so jolly as I should. But I don't care much about celebrating Christmas without him. I put a tiny tree up (thanks mom) and I have some red accents in the apartment. I go through phases of painting canvases, wooden boxes, ornaments, etc. My hobby currently is wood burning.

I was working on this absolutely beautiful wood burned sign for a family member, and when I was finally finished I realized that I wrote a cursive 'S' instead of a cursive 'I' in the sentence. And I thought, (2 glasses of wine down) "Oh I can fix this. I'll just make the I look fancy." So, I attempted to put a swirl in the cursive S but it just ended up looking like half a fish. "Well it IS a bible verse, perhaps I can just, oh crap...it really looks like a fish now." I called Caroline (a true artist) with what I should do. "It's okay Danielle, from far away...you can barely even tell. Or maybe you can turn it into an eyeball" I appreciated her input, but, far away or close up...it still just looked like an I with a christian fish through the middle of it, which makes absolutely no sense at all. But then again, neither did turning it into an eyeball. Back to Michaels I went.

Question: how do you go into Michaels with one thing on your list and come out with three bagfuls? Do you do that or is it just me? That dollar row gets me every time!!! "Oh, stationary... do they have a D? Yes!!!! My initial, for a dollar...why not!?! And these cool candle votives are RED. Now that is so Christmasy. I MUST buy them. Oh this is a nice antique looking key. I could buy this for the tree that it will CERTAINLY NOT FIT ON....but it is only a dollar....." I think Michaels brainwashes you while you are standing in line.

I have absolutely no idea what to title this because it was suppose to be about music and here I am writing whimsically on Michaels and trying to be crafty. Sorry. I lost my creative side while I was stationed in Japan. And if this is my creative side...ramblings on the most random subjects that make no sense, I'll take it because I never feel more myself than during the constant clickings of the keyboard.