A Festive Salad and a little encouragement if it's not a festive time
Since I am not on my regular posting schedule, today may seem a little discombulated as I have two completely different topics to share. You know if it's on my mind then you'll likely be reading about it.
You know I'm a big fan of enjoying a Big Ol' Salad - just about every day. It's a wonderful way to make sure you are getting wonderful greens, antioxidants, macro and micronutrients into your body. There are so many ways to make your Big Ol' Salad your very own. If you need a little inspiration check out my Pinterest Board.I love this Pear Pomegranate Salad this time of year. It is full of beautiful color, some crunch (which I love!) and just makes a perfect side for your dinner table, buffet, neighborhood potluck, or just your own festive lunch. And you know if it's coming from me it's going to be simple and uncomplicated. I'd love to know if you try it! 
http://marladeen.com/2014/12/22/a-yummy-salad-perfect-for-the-season/Now I'm really switching gears here. In a perfect world this would be an entirely new post, but my world is far from perfect. Which takes me back to when my boys were little and I had these visions of perfect Norman Rockwell moments. I could just see my three little boys all dressed in their Christmas outfits sitting perfectly still during the Christmas Eve service, then being so well-behaved during Christmas dinner and acting perfectly appropriately to all of their relatives during the visiting, traveling, gift swapping and celebrating. Of course, the reality was far from anything I ever imagined and no where close to those Norman Rockwell pictures. There was always someone punching someone, someone crying, someone ruining their clothes, you get the picture. During those times I would think I had the only rough and tumble boys or it was my poor mothering skills that just couldn't get it together to match those enormous expectations. These days I'm happy to be a little wiser and nothing makes me smile more than seeing little boy with mussed hair, skinned knees and a rumpled outfit. I have a huge love for him and his sweet, tired Mama.This time of year can bring about those unrealistic, enormous expectations. And for some people this is not the most wonderful time of the year. I have had some of those Christmas seasons that simply were not so wonderful. Holidays following the loss of a family member can be hard and I know how painful it is to have that empty chair at the table. The loss can seem so much bigger and heavier this time of year. However, it may not be a loss that makes this time of year more difficult. Perhaps it's an illness, a diagnosis, a rift with a family member or a change within what is your normal world that makes your holiday look different from the past or different from what you had envisioned or expected.I get it. With that in mind, two things spoke to me this week. Someone said to me, it's just one Christmas. So true. Sometimes we make things much bigger than they need to be. I remember dreading Christmas the year following my brother's death. But we did it. We celebrated. We loved on each other and we made it through. It definitely wasn't the best Christmas ever, but it was Christmas. So if you have a hard Christmas ahead, keep in mind it's just one Christmas.Following up on that is another point that grabbed me this week. Christmas is not a date on a calendar. Christmas is a way of living that celebrates the presence of God in simple, ordinary happenings of daily life. Isn't that what it truly is all about anyway? This is such a simple reminder of who we are, why we believe and how we should be living our lives each and every day.So, this year I am holding on to this season because it truly is beautiful and magical whether it will be as I had envisioned it or not.And before you think this is a real debbie downer of a post, here's a little Christmas cheer that always makes me smile . . .
Merry Merry!
