It’s the Eve of Christmas Eve; and, judging from various emails and personal contacts, my friends and family are involved in an eclectic assortment of preparations, not all of them geared to the holiday.
My next door neighbor, Clara, is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the death of her husband. I popped in today to say “Hi,” and she was planning to go to the cemetery to visit his grave. She seems accepting of the fact he died so close to Christmas, but it’s taken her a while to come to that point of view.
My Aunt Alice in Denver is setting the table and getting ready for the onslaught of children and grandchildren that descend Christmas Day. She enjoys putting together table settings. For Christmas it’s white plates, red napkins, and goblets on a lacy, cream colored tablecloth. Along with candles and silver napkin rings. Earl’s daughter, Adaire, is up to the same thing.
My son Keith and his partner, Chris, are in New York City and happy that both the retail holiday season and the MTA strike that crippled the city’s public transportation systems are over. Even if the wrangling over returns and contracts isn’t.
I am sure there are people I’ve never met who are grabbing their last-minute gifts, searching for stocking stuffers, and grocery-shopping with coupon fever. I am also sure some of the rich and famous have already left the building, never to return until the holiday is history. But I doubt Bill O’Reilly is one of them.
As for me, I’ve spent the day playing piano poorly, making a spicy new vegetarian chili, and reading O’Reilly’s continuing comments about Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays. I went to mail some letters and passed a church marquis that read: “Happy Holidays? Maybe you mean Happy Holy Days.” I liked it.
So I’m not sure I’ll find time to blog on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, as I’m having my other son, Kevin, and his significant other for five days. I’m also doing dinner on Christmas Eve and then attending dinner Christmas Day at Adaire’s. It will be filled with fun and gifts and laughter. What better reason to take a time-out and wait to write until Monday or Tuesday? Like the rich and famous, I’m leaving the building.
In the meantime, as Tiny Tim once said, “God bless us everyone.”
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