We had a stellar Christmas this year for many reasons, the biggest being a wet snow that began Christmas afternoon. We were snug in the house munching on sugar cookies and watching it fall. It was a heavy, wet snow that clung to everything, even the perches on the bird feeders. Periodically an avalanche of the white stuff plunged from the eaves, startling the football watchers in the living room.
Our second most excellent reason for our wonderful Christmas was that my family celebrated together for the first time in ten years. Or was it eleven? As I reviewed the day's events before dropping off to sleep, I realized that I was extremely lucky to have parents who could move past their grievances and the bitterness of divorce to come together (happily, I must add) again as a family. That was the greatest gift to me this year.
I'm experiencing a rare moment of quiet as I write this. Little Bear is taking a much needed nap after our romp in the snow. Everyone has been fed, and we're all settling in to enjoy a winter's evening. The birds seem to be the only ones in a hurry, and I think every single feeder is crowded with feathery bodies.
When I first decided to host Christmas, I had a grand picture of the day. As time passed, I whittled down my grandiose vision to something more humanly attainable, and then as the clock ticked away these past few weeks, I narrowed it even more. But there were startling blank spots in my planning that I didn't discover until I was stumbling through them in a moment of panic thinking, "why hadn't this occurred to me before?" Like forgetting the sausage for the breakfast casserole, a crucial ingredient. And that was just the beginning. My harrowing tale of killing the yeast in the cinnamon rolls and the pie dough dissolving into putty is a post for another day. My only defense was that a large part of my brain was devoted to tracking and rangling the bear. (It's hard to concentrate on the task at hand when you're peeling your offspring off the chandelier.)
Thankfully my family is blessed with an excellent sense of humor and they never hesitate to lend a hand in corraling a bear.
How wonderful to have such a family Christmas this year. Rebecca and I joke about forgetting crucial things as a way of coping with our busyness - like, if I don't remember it, it doesn't exist. Hoping to hear your food tragedies in more detail - you always make it so hilarious.
Posted by: Margo | 12/30/2010 at 08:52 PM
I'm so glad you had a lovely Christmas. It's true your attention can only be divided so many ways before the details get lost: lists and reminder alarms are my best friend. Thank goodness for Google Calendar, right? ;)
I wish you and your family a very happy New Year
Posted by: Heather Solos | 12/28/2010 at 07:38 AM