Christopher Derek Wirt: The wise old Sage...

I wasn't going to actually post my thoughts today. Sometimes just writing them down takes a load of my mind. I first wanted to share with you how my day started off. Nothing super exciting, but just go with it. I awoke to kisses from my hubby as he left for work, which was promptly followed by snuggles from my Tyler in my big bed. Shortly after the snuggling began, I heard my Christopher talking in his crib. "I guess it's really time to get up now," I thought to myself, a little sad that I couldn't stay in bed and snuggle all day. Anthony had already left for school (once again, like a diligent lad should).

I proceeded to do my normal routine of a bottle for Chris, breakfast for Ty and I, and reading the news on MSN. I was feeling a little down, I guess, mainly because of the fact that the news is almost always bad. The Provo Tabernacle burned down, and so did a historical building and a restaurant here, in downtown Astoria. This politician did that, and that official did this. A tornado destroyed a little town in Oregon. A friend of mine was robbed recently, while her children slept. And you know the crime rate in general goes up around the Holidays. One of the windows in our house started leaking like a sieve. It just goes on and on. I guess, I was having a little pity party for one, that coincided with my Facebook post from yesterday, which was, "Rachel wishes she lived in Norman Rockwell's world." (For those of you not privileged to know this illustrating master, he is probably most well known from his Saturday Evening Post covers depicting everyday American life.) By this, I meant a world filled with ice cream shops, and boy scouts. A world where families eat dinner together, and there are puppies aplenty. A world where there are never too many fishing poles, or snow covered houses.

It was all starting to get to me, when Tyler said, "Mom, can I have some milk...in a dirty glass?" Now, before all of you conclusion jumpers decide that this is a regular option at our house, please recall a movie called "Cop and 1/2" (Burt Reynolds ring any bells?). We recently watched it, and although it isn't very plausible, there is a scene when the little boy is in a biker bar and asks the bartender for a milk. He then looks around at all the bikers, and enthusiastically adds "in a dirty glass." I couldn't help but smile and say, "You may have some milk in a clean glass." He seemed okay with that response and went about his business.

A little later, I was doing a load of Tyler's laundry, and proceeded to dump his laundry basket out into the washer. What an amateur move. I threw a hard hat, flashlight, EMT action figure, hot wheels car, and a hot dog whistle into the depths below. With lightning speed, I scooped them out. It wasn't until load switching that I had learned that one toy hadn't been so lucky. I ended up washing a toy hack saw (how did i miss that?), which came out squeaky clean.

This little laundry episode made me laugh to myself and think, "your world isn't that far off from Norman Rockwell's world." Now, that's not to say that doing laundry or drinking milk daily has anything to do with an ideal world. But I am saying that Norman Rockwell painted the REAL world, as he saw it. Everything that I love about Norman Rockwell paintings is everything I love about my life and visa versa. I have come to the eye-opening realization that the reality is one in the same with the fantasy. We may have high-tech gadgetry and speedy transportation, but what really matters is still just the same. Women may where pants today, but we are still mothers and wives. Many of our most cherished pasttimes have also remained timeless traditions. So much has changed since these illustrations were painstakingly painted, yet nothing has changed. I guess I was really just wanting to say how silly I felt after all these down thoughts about the world and the Season. I think I all too often forget how lucky I really am. We all can take a little advice from President Uchtdorf, (only some of you will know who that is, but trust me and take his advice), and slow down this season. Read with your rowdy kids, have some chaotic meals with your family, even if it's just your spouse. We only have today, and I, for one, need to refocus and make it count!!!! Enjoy these paintings from one of my top 3 illustrators! Big Christmas Love from us!

PS These paintings are all Norman Rockwell's work, I take no credit for these works. I can only dream to be as talented as this great American illustrator.