Simplifying Yule

this image was the album cover of our online advent calendar album 2010

Tonight, I still feel a bit of pain on my left shoulder and the length of my arm caused by the strain of  pushing the Littlest in her jogger as I power walked/jogged the 10 kms distance from yesterday.  It has been a long while since she last used the jogger because she usually prefers to use her bike trainer, and I simply bring the jogger along in case she gets tired during our walks, and would like to take a short nap on our way back.

Curiously when one is exhausted, nursing a bit of pain, all the fun things you have planned and carefully thought  and laid out, no longer feel planned, carefully thought and laid out but all seems to be threatheningly looming over one.

I am trying not to feel over-whelmed from the upcoming events, appointments this month, and the thought that although on the calendar we still have enough time to prepare for the Yuletide season, there is always never enough time to prepare of this ideal picture of Yuletide we all seem to have even though we all should know better!

Each and every year, I feel that around this time, I have to revisit in my consciousness an informal pact I made with myself a decade ago, that I will not let myself be swayed by what seems to be the hectic attached to the Yuletide season but make sure that I focus on what is most important: it is a season for the family.  A time of quiet contemplation.

Simplifying Yule.  I think this year will be a good time to write a series of blogs on how I try each and every year to achieve this with the help of my family.

Are you interested to read along?  How do you prepare for the Yuletide season?  How do you simplify, and at the same time celebrate this feast?