Christmas was good as it always is, except for no snow which I have grown accustomed to associating with Christmas for so many years. All kids were here - Scarlett and Des too. We missed Carol Ann but we had a stocking for her. We had a great Christmas Eve party and the biggest attendance, probably related to the sending of the first ever invite - type set and letter pressed - and maybe the good weather. We had lots of food and lots to drink...so much so that at one point when I was feeling a little more "through the door" than I wanted, I did dishes to prove that I wasn't drunk because drunks cannot do dishes. Having successfully navigating all the dirty glasses, I was convinced I was pretty sober and very clever indeed. A few cups of coffee later and I was really okay.
I like our Christmas Eve party because it is a good way to share what we have with friends and family and to be what we are. There are no expectations other than to come and be happy and eat good food. Bruce does a great job of making everything from scratch and we don't go to Costco (not that there's anything wrong with that). I think the peeps who have been coming ever since it started really enjoy themselves and look forward to it every year. This year people came up to about 8 PM. I love them all and am grateful for their uniqueness and friendship. I enjoy this more than sending Christmas cards which seems to be becoming extinct.
Usually the kids and I go to church and Bruce puts out the Christmas jammies that have become a tradition with us and many other people I have found out. Even though the "kids" are not kids, I still do this because it is fun. I can imagine me at 90, buying pj's for my 70 year old kids - flannel nightgowns and striped pjs for the boys. We did not go to church this year but it was okay cause we were all together. Each year that everyone is here I am always so grateful for one more year of having everyone together. I realize that someday maybe we won't get to all be in the same place. We opened one Christmas present each after everyone left - like we do every year.
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| All of us in Christmas Pj's on Christmas morning...or at least most of us |
In the AM Bruce and I of course, were the first ones up. This is not the way it was when the kids were little and they would come and say "Santa Clause came". Can we get up now?. I remember as a kid waking my parents up at 4 AM after they just probably got to bed. In those days, people went from house to house to have a Christmas drink...when my dad gave up drinking, this tradition ended unfortunately. I do have memories of my dad falling into our fake fireplace and breaking it and bending my sister's new sled. I guess alcohol played a part in many Christmas' but I don't have any bad memories.
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| Christmas 1963 before me, my sister or my brother opened presents. We always had a tree that my dad and brother picked out. |
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| Jack and the tree before everyone woke up |
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| Christmas 1993 before presents were open - Kseniya Dan and Billy |
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Des and his Christmas Pj's
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Bruce made scrambled eggs and bacon. We sat around in our PJs until everyone went for a walk except me and Desmond. I reluctantly put on my clothes and went running - about 5 miles...I am not an afternoon runner so it wasn't my best effort. I was happy to not see any thrown out Christmas trees yet.
Later that night, we ate fondue - between the 6 of us we probably ate 2 pounds of cheese and two loaves of bread.
This Christmas Bruce and I became Mac users (I love it) after being IBM based all of our lives. Our kids gave us a brand new computer for Christmas. Another change for us - one of many good things that have happened this year - and hopefully next as well. I am so grateful for friends, family, dogs, and life in general. Even when it is not Christmas.
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