IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

It's the most wonderful time of the year.......or is it? I have enjoyed the lifestyle I now lead in almost aspect.  I've gotten to travel and see things that I've always wanted to see.  I don't have the responsibility of a sticks and bricks house.  I've been able to pretty much lead the same lifestyle as I did when Mr. W and I both worked.  But, when it gets to be this time of the year, I wish I had a house.

I miss being "put" and being able to put out Christmas decorations at Thanksgiving and keep them out til after Christmas.  I miss putting the kids' presents under the tree.  I miss having a tree. I miss the kids coming over and having hot chocolate and watching White Christmas.  I miss driving up to my house at night and seeing it all lit up with lights.  I miss the kids coming to my house on Christmas to open gifts and have Christmas dinner.  I miss having room to bake Christmas goodies all day on one day and then taking boxes of goodies to neighbors that I know.  And, Daughter and family moved to South Carolina and won't be home this year.

Last year was my first Christmas without a house. We were "put" last year because I was still doing a few shows with my business so we had made reservations early to finish out November and December in H-town.  I bought a grapevine tree and made 2 wreaths for the 5W (one for inside, one for outside).  I bought 2 stockings that I hung.  It was really a novelty last year and even then it didn't really "feel" right.  This year, we did not make reservations soon enough and because of all the construction/building going on in H-town, there are no vacancies in any of the RV parks for a month's stay.  I am staying 1 week in one place, 2 weeks in another place, and 1 week at another.  With all that moving around, I can't put up my grapevine tree and other things in the 5W because you have to be able to pack things away to move. 

So, I have felt myself feeling pretty melancholy.  I hadn't said anything to Mr. W about this until 2 days ago.  I hadn't said anything because I figured he would tell me how silly I was being and all the reasons that I "shouldn't" feel this way.  Surprisingly, he told me that he really missed having a house during this time too.  We talked about why we felt this way.   We both realize that when long time traditions change, we imagine things to be as we replay them in our minds.  Many times, they are different than we remember.  We also don't know where we want to put down roots. 

We are also in the process of planning a trip this coming spring and neither of us want a house to maintain and worry about while we are gone.  We like having our house with us with our own stuff, sleeping in our own bed, showering in my own shower, relaxing in our own recliners and cooking instead of eating out every meal.  We can also be gone as long as we like because we aren't paying the costs of owning a home and paying hotel costs and food costs.  RV living is pretty economical.

I am not sure what the answer is.  Maybe time is the answer.  Maybe it's not.  I guess I'm just not ready for that part of my life to change.  I had a lot of people tell me last year that I could make new traditions and make them special.  Yeah, maybe so.  But right now, I'm missing the old traditions.  Maybe I need to ask Santa for a new attitude for Christmas!