And so this is Christmas…

I write this on the day before Christmas eve.

Shopping done (finally), presents wrapped, house decorated and christmas cookies baked. Here we are rapidly approaching the end of yet another year. How is it time flies so quickly?

Around this time of year, I always ask myself, what have we accomplished, for better or for worse — both individually and as a family?

Have we done the things we wanted, did we fulfill those New Year’s resolutions from last year? Where have we traveled to and what have we learned? The world seems to have gone mad and the disasters seem to come fast and furious these days, both natural and man made.

I don’t mean to get too philosophical, this is really just meant to be a garden blog after all. Having said that, gardening does have a philosophical side to it. Often I solve the problems of the world while digging in the dirt. It is a sort of church for me, meditative and peaceful.

So how to deal with the craziness of life these days? Garden more?

Maybe if the whole world gardened more there would be peace? That elusive thing that may never actually happen, world peace. How do we celebrate these holidays in the midst of the madness?

I read somewhere that from the 1st of November to the 15th of January there are approximately twenty-nine holidays observed by seven of the world’s major religions.

Whatever the religion is, whether you celebrate Christmas or Chanukah, Kwanza or Eid al-Fitr, it is always great to celebrate such festivals and holidays that bring people together. I wish you all great times with family and friends.