Ho, Ho and Ha!
The holidays draw near. I thought we might just fly under the radar this year. We’re kind of a bah-humbug family at this point, all of us a bit obsessed with our own passions—me with art, Dear A with his writing, the 
son with his building business, the daughter with teaching and writing. Obsessed to the point of finding it hard to break away. And we’re all caught up in living—people over and over at people, dinners, openings, office parties. For each of us our work is so entwined with our lives, so happily so that we sometimes forget that we’re part of the great microcosm and cannot be separate from it, thank God. And so the holidays are snatching us up. Things have been arranged for us. A dinner on Sunday with cousins, two trips, a friend’s birthday party this weekend. And names pulled from a bowl this very morning so that a few gifts will be bought and passed out to one whose name we pulled on the day. We’ll buy a turkey and I’ll cook because I’m the best cook of the bunch of us and I like to do it. Dear A will buy the wine and perhaps a little cognac. It will be Christmas after all and then New Year’s. Both the daughter and son have made other plans for Christmas eve. We have a party but may or may not have the strength for it. If not we’ll resort to our standby Christmas eve and sneak off for sushi. One year it snowed and we walked the mile to the Japanese restaurant along the busy street around the corner from us that was silent in its snowy wonder. There were only the two of us in the restaurant that night and they waited on us like royalty. We drank saki, tipped generously and staggered home. Christmas Eve is now Sushi Night. And today on Debra’s blog I was reminded of English fruit cake and mince pies and Christmas pudding. Of the lot I will insist on finding tomorrow a Christmas pudding from England, the kind we always had as children in Toronto where I grew up, English Canadians that we were and that Dear A had in England where he grew up. The whole thing is not so much trouble really when you leave it all to the last minute.
Dear A, who is ever so polite, groaned audibly at dinner when I mentioned that we really must get a gift for the cousins who we see so rarely. ‘But what?’ he said. He claims no one has ever liked a single gift that he’s bought. The truth is that he’s not a shopper, not in the least, but he’s quite fine to shop with when he agrees to go out. After a glass of the red we decided to choose something from the shop at the art center where everything is handmade. I’m thinking of a small royal blue platter with a dragonfly painted on it—simple and quite fine.
And so, we lurch into the season. There’s no point in resisting. Why do we even think of doing so? Party poopers! The holidays are after all a collision of all that’s good and wildly off about us all. We might as well celebrate.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
The holidays are after all a collision of all that’s good and wildly off about us all.
Yes. I like this. May your holidays be good and happy and wild and unpredictable.
December 14th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
We will be happy to have a day at home. #1 daughter will be home from NYC next Sunday, which is also #2’s birthday.
Grandma’s fruitcakes and mince pies will have been made. We will, I think, be quietly together. This sounds so good to me…
December 14th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
MM, May your holidays be all of the above as well and may we all enter the new year in good spirits ready for new adventures!
Debra, Sounds absolutely great! Enjoy, dear friend!
December 15th, 2008 at 5:02 am
Although I’ve had my humbug years this year I have little grandchildren and have decided to just get into it
Even with all the commercialism there is sweetness and fun and that’s what I’m aiming for…
Have fun! Sounds like you really do have some nice traditions in place!
December 15th, 2008 at 5:13 am
Thanks, Mary! And lucky you with little grandchildren! ‘Tis the season for children, for sure. Have a fabulous time!
December 16th, 2008 at 7:05 am
mdf, As you know, England is challenged in many ways. Little things like dentistry and plumbing, central heating etc. These can easily be overlooked for the two areas where they triumph over all. One is the institution of ‘Sunday Lunch’ and the other is Christmas, which is like the World Cup of Sunday Lunches. Turkeys, hung by their feet in the butcher’s window (really!), hams, geese…all have been ordered. Already lots of singing and generally getting into the mood. Carol services, Nativity Plays, copious amoumts of mulled wine and mince pies. Pantomines. Wonderful too that the whole country closes down for 10 days (well, Penzance does anyway) so there’s no excuse for thinking you can have any life other than Christmas. It’s a done deal.
Have a wonderful time and enjoy the holidays!
Chin chin and Merry Christmas. xxxxxxxxxx
December 23rd, 2008 at 7:32 pm
mdf, Just back from London where we were in fact given a Sunday lunch by our cousins. Truly sumptuous! Do wish I could have had one with you. One day.
May try to introduce the idea here though Americans are a bit busy for indulgent Sundays!! Meanwhile, merry, merry and new year too! xo
December 28th, 2008 at 1:48 am
mdf,You’re quite right. I can’t see Sunday lunch going down well in the USA. Far too much cooking…and then there’s the calories!! But I’m a big believer in Sunday being a day of rest and reflection. And as it’s Sunday here at the country retreat, I’ll be having a late breakfast with the ‘Times’ then a walk along the lanes and hedgerows. A bit of drawing perhaps, nothing serious, just a bit of fun and some puttering around putting things in order. We Virgos love that. OH! and at some point, a beauty bath… to put my Christmas creams, bubbles and potions to good use. I’m not sure but I think there’s still a bottle of champers in the fridge………mmmm maybe not. Better save for the new year. Certainly, we’ll be uncorking something as the day unfolds.
Wishing you all a wonderful new year. Peace and love…
Kxxxxxx
December 30th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Thanks, mdf, and happy new year to you too! Country life sounds fab!!