Serenity

Come on. Admit it. You're looking at the theme of this issue of Mosaic Minds and asking yourself if we've completely lost our ever-loving minds.

I can assure you that we were insane well before we decided you needed a little Serenity during the holiday season.

Links

'Tis the season of giving, as all the retailers like to constantly remind us. While I hate the commercialization of winter holidays, I do love to take the opportunity to try to make the dark winter days a little brighter for children who don't have all the advantages I have. I hope you will consider the serenity that comes from giving a gift to a stranger. I am planning on plucking a couple of names off the Wish Tree at my local mall just as soon as I get a chance.

I encourage you to keep your money in your local community, but if you need a little Internet help, I would suggest the following sites:

My Two Front Teeth: Children have made specific requests for items. You foot the bill and the organization takes care of the rest.

Toys for Tots: Marines collect toys and cash to help children have a happy holiday.

The Salvation Army: They provide many services to all sorts of people.

Fifty Ways: a great collection of many different ways to help children world wide throughout the year.

Seriously, we all know that December is quite possibly the most stressful month of the year for the majority of women in the western world. We just wanted to remind you to take a little time out for yourself when the stress gets to be too much.

We've got an issue packed with great tips for lowering your stress level. Chris K. Hanlon shares her annual guide to better holidays, Ian Healy entertains us with his story of true male serenity, and Cheryl Wright gives us some advice on creating our own little niche where we can go, relax and wash away the cares of the world.

Ok, so that doesn't necessarily make December any easier. You could always take a page from my book; move so far away from your family members that you can't possibly visit them. Talk about stress free! Of course, not every one is as freewheeling as I am. I've even been called cold for deciding that the Swiss Colony catalogue is all I need to complete my Christmas shopping this year--seafood cheese logs for dad, peppermint petit fours for grandma, three types of gourmet popcorns for dear sister, and an assortment of chocolate nuts for mommy. It will make up for the painted lady liberty silver dollar, White Diamond cologne, gargantuan orange sweater, and sugar-free cookbook I received last year.