EASING INTO CHRISTMAS

 SOLITUDE AND CONTEMPLATION

The house is quiet as the calendar flips over to Wednesday.  I’ve finished my tardy watching my recorded football games - thank goodness for the fast forward feature! - and my sweet Susie has been quietly purring in the bedroom behind me for three hours, getting some completely unnecessary beauty sleep.

THE “NEWS” MAKES CHRISTMAS PLANNING COMPLICATED

This solitude gave me a chance to finish reading my Wall Street Journal from this past weekend - it’s the only remnant of print media we receive regularly these days, but we do subscribe online to several other publications.  The “Journal” is an excellent purveyor of news - I just wish there was more “good news” these days.  It’s difficult to get into the old holiday spirit when we read about violent discontent all over the world and the potential impact of the many draconian schemes announced by the President-elect and his team.  Oh, well…

CANCELLING OUR FAMILY GATHERING

Anyhow, I’ve been contemplating Christmas a lot for the past few days.  This year is a very new experience for us.  As some know, we cancelled our plans to host a family pre-Christmas gathering for the first time in 26 years.  It was always a terrific way to launch the holiday season - family members gathered for some good food and great fellowship, plus some gift-giving.  Our nieces and nephews were just kids when we began this tradition and now several have kids of their own.  Fun fact - in the early years they were relegated to the “kids table” in our den and now, a quarter century later, they refuse to relinquish it to the next generation of children!

DEALING WITH THE DISAPPOINTMENT

Susie and I had been contemplating canceling plans for our gathering beginning early last summer when we each had a double bout of Covid which caused us to cancel an anniversary trip, my birthday celebration and a family gathering.  The more we thought about it, and as the time grew near, we realized that, although we LOVED having the family at our little home, the process has become just too daunting for us geezers.  When we announced our plans to the usual attendees one of our nieces - a lovely, demure,, civilized young woman who just announced to us all that she is pregnant with her first child due early next summer -  provided us with a response that probably captured the feelings of many when she began her note of disappointment with “Well Shit!”  Yeah, we understand…   Well said!

FEWER OUTSIDE LIGHTS

Once we made the decision the whole “Christmas prep” thing became less urgent.  Since we will not be entertaining we decided to not erect our little 4 foot tree and Susie rifled through a dozen boxes of stuff and simply placed a few Christmas decorations around the house.  It’s mildly festive, but pretty spartan by previous standards.  And, since several of my doctors and my spouse remind me that ladders are no longer my friends, we chose to not string lights around the eaves this year.  We chose, instead, to dangle a few strings along the front porch rail.  It works - and is better than none at all.

PLAYING CATCH UP

Much of this malingering is due to nagging health issues on my side of the work detail.  It’s caused things to fall behind, but that’s now behind us.  Thanks to the Superwoman efforts of my sweet wife, the decoration  boxes are all stashed back in the garage, all the Christmas letters are mailed, gifts purchased and mailed to those we won’t be seeing and we’re now receiving Christmas greetings from friends and family.  It is, indeed, beginning to look a lot like Christmas! (No, that's not our tree - it's a piece of a magnificent tree decorated by our good friend, Sharon Van Sickle, several years ago)

A STUMBLING START TO THE SEASON FOR ME

Because of my little inconvenient health issues I’ve not gotten into the whole “Christmas events” thing quickly this year.  I missed our neighborhood “Cookie Exchange” - a wonderful pre-holiday event hosted by different neighbors each year.  We all gather to schmooze, eat some pretty darn good food - chili and other good grub - and exchange cookies - "bring some - take some".  That was scheduled for last Thursday and I had spent that day and the two previous days basically in bed.  The hosts this year - former mayor Joe Erickson and his wife, Alicia - insisted Susie bring me a small tub of wonderful chicken and bean soup they were serving to help me recover.  Yummy!  It seemed to work, because I felt a little better the next day, but not good enough to attend the launch of the City’s Snoopy House event that night.  I was really bummed because this is one of my favorite City events.  However, we did visit the site Saturday and watched jolly old Santa, once he stopped hugging my Susie on the way to his throne,  hold children on his lap for photos.  It was a fun, joy-filled event, although a day late.

A SPECIAL MEAL AT A VERY SPECIAL PLACE

Monday we spent 100 minutes driving through holiday traffic making what should have been a 45 minute drive to Glendale for a holiday dinner with my sister, Cheryll,  and her hubby, Victor, at the Tam O’Shanter restaurant.  Thank goodness for our Express Lane pass or we’d still be on the road!  Our time at The Tam was glorious - wonderful companionship, great food, beautiful decorations and carolers garbed in appropriate attire wandering from table to table singing classic holiday tunes.

FUN AND GAMES WITH OLD FRIENDS

Tuesday we hooked up with old friends - they both were in our wedding more than 57 years ago - for lunch at one of their favorite places in Tustin, then we decamped to their home in Orange for games, cookies and fellowship.  Another excellent pre-Christmas event.

THE CHRISTMAS BOAT PARADE

Tonight, assuming we’re up to it, we may venture out to watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade, which kicks off a 5-night run.  We’re told that, in addition to fireworks, there will be drone shows included each night this year.  Considering the drone news of late, that should be fun!

ANTICIPATING FAMILY GATHERINGS

Looking ahead, with fingers tightly crossed for at least satisfactory health, we will join part of Susie’s family at her brother, Rob's, home on Christmas Day, then join her brother, Lawrie, and his family at their home the next day, after his Omaha-son and family arrive Christmas night.  And then, as an exclamation point to the holiday, our niece Ashley has decided to pick up the slack left by our cancellation and will host a post-Christmas, all-comers family gathering and croquet tournament, complete with trophy, hall of fame, etc. on the 29th.  This will be wonderful because we will finally get to meet the two newest members of the clan, Sonny and Wyatt, both young men born this year.

MARKING ANOTHER MILESTONE

Then, to top things off for us, and since we missed celebrating our wedding anniversary in August, we will find a way to celebrate the 58th anniversary of our very first date on New Years Eve. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

With all that in mind, Susie and I want to wish each of you the happiest of holidays - however you celebrate.