White Envelopes, Junk Drawers, and Sacred Grounds

Our first snow has come and gone here in the Midwest. Temps have reached single digits a couple of times. My Christmas tree has been up for weeks. I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping. And I'm in full-blown Hallmark Channel Christmas movie mode.

You might say I'm a bit of a Christmas fanatic.

But I'm also thinking about family and friends who are about to experience their first Christmas without someone they love. I've been there, so I won't offer any platitudes. Just know someone is thinking about you.

Now, let's get to this week's thoughts about slowing down and living deeper:

• If you are frustrated with the commercialism of Christmas, or feeling frazzled by the pace of the holiday, please take a few minutes to read The White Envelope this weekend.

• Looking to spend less in 2017? Check out this story about a woman who stopped spending for one year, except for essentials. 

• This article challenges the notion of junk drawers. I say that as someone who has two junk drawers that contain such necessary items as old batteries that couldn't possibly have any juice left in them, old rubber bands that will surely snap the second they are put to use, and any number of old gadgets from the 1990s.

• Every town should have an official troubadour, like this one, who provides a soundtrack for its citizens.

• I had a conversation with my mom the other day about what she enjoyed doing as a young girl. She told me she used to frequent the Crosstown Roller Staking Rink that was located near downtown Omaha. I'd never heard of it. It's long gone now, but I found a couple of interesting websites that offer pics and a few details about the place. Learning about one of my mom's sacred grounds made me feel a little closer to her.

• Just this week, I learned about the Japanese art of kintsugi (the practice of repairing broken objects with seams of gold). The repaired piece takes on added depth and character and is often savored, scars and all. What a beautiful thought. You can see examples here. And, apparently, an entire kintsugi lifestyle exists, which you can read about here.

• Did you hear what Tim McGraw and Faith Hill did this past week? They paid off $5,000 worth of layaway items for random people at a Walmart in Macclenny, Florida. The store alerted the customers, who also received a receipt and a card from the couple. How cool is that?

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Have a great weekend!