Diving Into the Holidays

Every year I seem to get caught in a wave of holiday activities.  On the onset, it never appears like my calendar is that full, just a smattering of events here and there. But before I know it, the tide catches me and off I go, riding the swell towards Christmas.

This year for Thanksgiving, we did the unthinkable, we got in the car and drove north, racing a major winter storm to spend time with my sister (and Thelma to my Louise) Barb and her husband Pete in Chittenango, NY.  Our drive was uneventful but once we arrived, the skies opened up and we were treated to a beautiful layer of the white stuff that I remember so well from my time living up there.  Snow is a wonderful thing if you are in a place where the public works folk deal with it on a regular basis.

Throughout most our marriage we’ve lived far away from family so our Thanksgivings and Christmases have been shared with “loci familia”, close friends who gather to share the time away from blood kin.  Those have been times when we have shared our cherished memories of the holidays.  With Barb, we tended to have lively discourse on whose memory was correct calling into question whether my memories are even correct.  I could argue that since I am older, my memories are better.  On the other hand, she could argue that as the older sister, I am apt to have more clouded memories.  The debate continues!

Despite the historical disagreements, our time with Barb and Pete was wonderful.  The snow didn’t hamper our celebration and was a beautiful site to behold as I woke in the morning cozy under the covers, to see the snow covered branches outside my bedroom window and later to look out the kitchen window to scan the vastness of the snow covered fields behind their home.  Admittedly, I’ve lost some of my self assuredness driving on snowy roads, and I remembered the many trips I took on these roads in my youth in my Gold Duster and thought how brave I was to drive those dark, icy roads alone with no cell phone.  Ah, those were the days!

Once we returned home I was slapped in the face by the reality that Christmas was only three weeks off and I’d done little in preparation.  Compounding my situation was a nasty flu like virus I’d been fighting since early November which left me zapped in energy and feeling more like being a couch potato than elf.  As we know, elephants are best eaten one bite at a time and that’s how I tackled my holiday tasks.  I also had help from Dave who took it upon himself and decorated most of the house except the tree while I was at a meeting one evening.  In my younger years I would have had a fit, feeling he had usurped my roll as homemaker.  This year I was so pleased and thankful.  I also realized that maybe he enjoys Christmas nesting as much as I do.

Like all years, I say I will do less baking.  And, like all years, I seem to produce bountiful containers of cookies from my kitchen.  Instead of trying to do it all in one day, I do a little each day I have a few hours and I am enjoying it more than I have in years.  I will really have to begin seriously counting calories after the new year, but what the heck?

Last weekend Dave’s employer held its annual holiday party.  It is an event that I look forward to with both excitement and dread.  While I love getting together with his work-mates, it is also the one night of the year when I feel obligated to wear heals.  High healed shoes don’t work well with my everyday togs anymore, so finding the right pair to spend hours wearing as I mingle is of utmost importance.  On the occasions I’ve chosen poorly, I’ve paid the price not only with the painful preoccupation with my feet when I should have been actively engaged in conversation but also with swollen feet and terrific back pain the following day.  This year I chose wisely in both footwear and my outfit and learned that it is just as important to be comfortable in all wardrobe respects while partying.  It is no fun to be constantly on guard for things popping out over over course of an evening.  I hope my memory isn’t too clouded next year to remember this epiphany!

Aside from the most excellent camaraderie of Dave’s office folk, this year’s party offered a photo booth where subjects could choose funny hats, glasses, boas, etc to allow their alter-egos to emerge.  My first thought was that it was a silly thing to offer at a Christmas party.  Why would anyone want to have pictures taken with costumes over their party attire?  Then I spotted the Viking hats and braids.  The rest is history.

I don’t know how much more free time I’ll find between now and the New Year to sit, ponder and plunk the keys here in my office.  I hope that you find joy and merriment in the little things through the holidays.  The little bites of the elephant are the best!

Merry Christmas!

Monica