Christmas letter

I just wrote a variation of this email message to a few old friends. I thought it would do as a Christmas message to the blogosphere. You can see how my mind wanders in my dotage. I imagine that will only get worse, and even more self-indulgent as time goes on.  Sigh.

Dear {Friends},

Are you all making Christmas cookies? I'm having a hard time doing so, although my German and French ancestry will not let me ignore the responsibility. Actually, it turns out (DNA test) I'm as much Scotch Irish and English as I am German, with a smattering of Welsh and Norwegian (for crying out loud). The French is Lorraine, so it's more Frankish than French. 

Anyway, yesterday I made the dough for Linzer cookies. I'm so hoping when the time comes to roll them out and bake them, I can talk Tom into doing it instead. He was the cookie baker at {Bakery} in its glory days. He could make them much better than me, heh heh. Were you guys in {City} in the early 80's?  Tom was there, living in a rural commune, as early as 1969.  My first time there was 1971. We arrived for the long haul in 1975. So long ago.

Today we make cut out cookies and the kids arrive at 1:00 to decorate them. I suppose I will clean the house. I wonder if I actually will? I'm beyond lazy these days.  

According to their local paper, there are currently 2,589 active COVID cases in {County}, NY.  Wow!  

You are all in my thoughts. And if I could figure out who to pray to, you'd be in my prayers as well. But maybe heartfelt thoughts ARE prayers? I don't know that for sure, either.  

This is really such a hard time of the year. I never know whether to laugh or cry.  

Cheers,

Colette

P.S.  Here are pictures of some crazy Florida flowers in bloom right now.  Aren't they amazing?

Color and Light

Well, we put the tree up and I'm glad we did. The lights work the magic. Now I'm in the holiday mood. I guess it has always been that way with winter holidays nearest the solstice. Not to diminish the religious or cultural aspects of many of these holidays. Whatever floats your boat!  We humans seem to need light and hope during this darkest time of the year.  

I love white lights against a dark green tree. Even then color is everywhere. Cards, trees, ornaments, candles, and all sorts of family decorations only taken out and displayed at this time of the year. I take great joy in trees others put up with this peaceful and elegant lighting; however, I'm a sucker for color. A glutton, really. The more colors, the better. I also like shiny, glittery, encrusted ornaments.  

When I look at our tree I want to be jolted, as if I just had a shot of espresso. But that's just me.  

What is just you?  

What the heck?

Every year I think "I'm not going to bother putting up a Christmas tree, it's too much work."  Same with Christmas cards.  Every year, the same reluctance.  Every year I cave in and do the work.  

If we didn't have grandchildren who came over on Christmas day for brunch and presents, I think I'd be able to withstand the pressure to decorate.  The grandson has been asking if we put our tree up.  He seems a little anxious, like he can read my mind and he can see my reluctance.  

It isn't that I don't love the holiday or a decorated tree.  I do love every bit of it, except for the hard work of staging the holiday.