shadow19's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Christmas Eve 2006 The day does not feel like Sunday or Christmas Eve. It feels like no particular day at all, and sitting in church this morning, for the 10:30 am service, it felt like no particular time. With the lights down low, and the candles lit, if you had told me that it was 8 pm, instead of 11 am, I would have believed you. But maybe that’s how Christmas Eve and Christmas should be…timeless. We’re so tied to schedules running up to these days, that it feels nice to float a bit. To get lost in the carols, excited children, hugs, and traditional food without worrying about the precise time…or even if it’s morning or night. At 1 pm we head to Fred’s parents for bagels, strata, and fruit, then dive into a whirlwind session of gift opening where the kids run amuck and no one knows what anyone else gave or received. It’s a literal blur, where I annually fear that gift cards and money are being thrown away with the discarded wrapping paper. It is over in a flash and then the kids tear into their toys, DVD players, and video games. They are sweaty, and we’re sort of glazed over. Weeks in the planning, over with a snap of the fingers. We take a short break mid-afternoon and head out with the dogs for a walk. The cool air is the best gift of all. We meet an elderly couple, also out for a walk, and Boo barks at them. They call the dogs “miniature reindeer,” and I tell them that Boo is saying, “Merry Christmas.” They tell us that they are flying to Virginia on Thursday to see their daughter, and are looking forward to the 65ºF temperature (though it is much warmer than normal around here…probably 45ºF or so). After the breather, it’s back to his parents’ house for dinner…fried fish, macaroni & cheese, and pierogi. There is the usual smoky fish smell as Uncle Ed struggles to keep the frying fish under control on electric burners. The house is so hazy and thick that we have to slide open the door to the patio to clear the air. Another annual tradition! We dress accordingly. To wear wool, or other fabrics not easily laundered, would be folly. And now we are home…enjoying another lull before we head to my sister’s for the exchanging of grab-bag gifts. Fred’s fiddling with his new video camera, as I begin this journal. Twenty-four hours of “A Christmas Story” has just begun, and so we’ll watch a chunk of that before heading out. We can’t resist, even though we can recite the bulk of it by heart. No…we can recite ALL of it by heart. I’d like to head out a little early to look at Christmas lights. The streets in a nearby neighborhood are solidly lined with candle-lit luminaries. Nearly everyone participates, and it really is a wonderfully calming sight. Tonight is perfect…no wind, no rain. No snow either, but we’re loving the lack of sloppiness, so we’re dealing. The snow will be here soon enough. Tonight, we’ll just enjoy the lights. 8:59 p.m. - 2006-12-24 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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