GREETINGS

               HOW ARE YOU?                                                                                                                HOOWDY-DO?  

        HOW YA DOIN'? 

                                                HEY! WHAT'S UP?  

HOW'S IT GOIN'?                                                                                                                       HOW YA BEEN?  

There are a lot of ways to greet someone.  And the expected reply is something akin to FINE. GOOD. OKAY.  It's just a greeting, after all.  Not really meant to elicit a detailed account of how you really feel.

Some years ago we went to church with a man who, everytime I greeted him with something like, "How are you doing today, Chuck?", his invariable answer was "INCREDIBLE!"

One day I said to him, "Get out of town, Chuck!  You can't be INCREDIBLE every time!"  Then he told me this secret of being able to say that EVERY single time.   It was that he might be either incredibly good, or incredibly bad, or incredibly happy...or incredibly sad.  Nobody needed to know.  They just needed to know "INCREDIBLE", and that usually set the tone for their day, too.

Years later when I worked for United Airlines and was the greeter for the flight, I used that little secret. If someone said they were terrific or super or outstanding--or any number of superlatives--I would then say, "Wow! Then we're twins because I am incredible!"  That usually brought a chuckle, not only to the person I was talking to, but also to the people right behind that person.  On some occasions I actually shared the story of Chuck always being incredible.  It was a good anecdote and gave people pause about the aspects of a positive greeting.

My uncle's consistant answer to that "How are you question?" was always something like "fair to middling" or "60/40" in spite of living with chronic pain.  No one ever knew how bad some of those days really were. Even in the hospital where he battled cancer to the very end, it was always the same.

I recently read about another man who had suffered in great pain during a lingering illness that finally took his life, too.  Instead of reciting all the misery he was in, he continued with the same reply he had always used throughout his life in answer to the question of how he was doing.  "Many things are going well."

These have been good lessons for me who is a complainer and a murmurer. I've often said I can do ANY hard job if I can complain every step of the way.  But no one wants to hear that.  It's off-putting.  So I have determined that I can do better.  I have MUCH to be thankful for.  And MANY blessings.  However, in spite of some setbacks and some challenges at this particular time which are truthfully really pesky, I am determined to begin 2021 with a new and more positive attitude which reflects the goodness of God and the many, many tender mercies that come to me on a daily basis.

"How are you doing today, Georgia?"  

"Many things are going well!"

PEACE AND SERENITY IN ALL TIMES

 I love Nativity sets!  In fact I love them so much, I collect them.  And now, after years and years, I have upwards of 500 of them in various sizes from teeny tiny to 15-18 inches.  And that number includes the Nativity ornaments on the Christmas tree, too.   I continually marvel at the countless ways this miracle is depicted through some artist's or creator's eyes.  Any Nativity set, whether manufactured in bulk or hand made, testifies of Jesus Christ. 

I love Nativity sets so much, in fact, I keep a few on display all year long.  Just glancing at them as I move around the house gives me a sense of peace and calm* as I contemplate that "one wonderful night" so long ago when Jesus Christ was born.  They are wonderful reminders of the humble beginnings of our Savior and Redeemer who ministered with love and goodness--ALWAYS!  Perhaps you feel the same peace and calm when you see a Nativity displayed, whatever the setting.

    --The top photo is part of the entire Nativity Festival I staged in our home in 2017.

    --The bottom photo is a set that is depicted in a rather non traditional way.  I displayed it all year      long a few years ago.

*This post is in response to #LightTheWorld for December 3rd

A DEMONSTRATION OF CHRIST-LIKE LOVE

Maude Huggins in the late 40's.  

This picture is how I think of my mother.  

She always looked like this, just older as the years went by.

#Light the World 2020 for December 3rd was to think of someone who demonstrated Christ-like love and post it on social media to share my comments with others. 

 I chose my mother Maude Marie Crane Huggins. 

Even though my mother has now been deceased for over 35 years, her legacy still influences me on a daily basis. Not only was she an exemplary model of kindness and charity, my mother never spoke negatively about anyone else. In fact if any negative comment was made about someone, my mother never took the bait to gossip or say anything that would add to that. Instead she would always find something good to say about that person, which could be very irritating if I felt wronged by something that had been said or done to me. This was especially true when I wanted to complain about my husband. 

My mother also loved babies and little children in the true way that Christ succored the little ones. She often said how unthinkable it was to hurt or injure these innocent little people whom the Lord loved so much. Kids knew that and gravitated to her warmth and love--and not just family members either.

There is no way to tally the number of meals or desserts she took to those who were ill or had suffered the loss of a loved one. Anyone who came to our home was always offered something to eat and a place to sleep. Many a time I was invited to give up my bed to make sure a "guest" would be more comfortable. 

My mother's Christ-like charity was practically legend with those who knew her, and I was always proud of the way she ministered as Jesus did "lifting the hands that hang down and strengthening the feeble knees".

I'll never be anything close to the person my mother was, but thinking of the way she treated other people always makes me want to be a better person.

BUT I HAVE LEARNED THAT THE MORE YOU ACT THE PART, THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO BECOMING THAT PERSON.

A CELEBRATION WORTHY OF DIAMONDS

Three quarters of a century!  That's a long time no matter what angle you look at it.  And I've been telling everyone (as this milestone birthday of mine has approached) that I'll be "celebrating in diamonds".  That is until COVID 19 restrictions forced us to cancel the Nichols Family Thanksgiving and the ensuing celebration for my 75th birthday.  I had so much fun on my 70th birthday, which was planned as a surprise, I initiated this celebration at the beginning of the year myself.  I reminded the family I was planning to retire on my 20th United Airlines anniversary in August.  So, make plans, reservations, book tickets, ask for time off, whatever was needed for us to celebrate BIG during the Thanksgiving holiday.  

Well, maybe next year....

Then the good old internet beckoned and look what I found when I Googled "75 years".  There is an awful lot of other stuff, including celebrities who are the same age as I am.  Some I knew about.  Some I didn't. Doesn't matter.  It's all about ME today!  

I was feted with birthday greetings--and gifts-- from family, friends, and even some people that I hadn't anticipated wishing me well "and many more!"  Plus PIZZA for supper!  Life doesn't get much better than this...

HERE ARE SOME "75" INTERNET ENTRIES....

• The 75th birthday is called a semisesquicentennial because it is half of 150 which is a sesquicentennial.  Also this....
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• What is 75th birthday called?
• 75 years of life is a milestone birthday, often referred to as the platinum celebration. This is a birthday that family and friends celebrate with love, as well as traditional gifts.
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• What is the best gift for a 75 year old woman?
• Good gift for a 75 year old woman…. Gold Painted Lord Ganesh Wall Hanging.  Alluring and enticing, this art piece is a perfect way to lift the style quotient of your home interiors. With this divine gold painted lord Ganesha wall hanging you will feel blessed.
• Indeed!  I would feel more blessed if I looked at the last family portrait, though it is missing some recent additions.

It's evening now, and I am reminded once again that a birthday is just another day of the year!  And though it was far quieter than I had anticipated, it was still a good day!  My hair even looked decent, the true gauge of a good day in my book.

Before I know it, I will be looking at 76 smack on.  And then I will be celebrating....

Platinum Plus!