Saturday, December 1, 2007

I actually DO like Christmas


Lest I give the wrong impression, I actually do like the Christmas season. I'm not a full-time curmudgeon. Here are my favorites:

1. Christmas cookies
2. Our downtown - all historic, festive, and snowy
3. The smell of a real pine tree, especially that smell when you're on your stomach, underneath the tree, pouring in that first pitcher of boiling hot water. Ahhhhh - heaven!
4. Taking out time-worn ornaments and remembering the little stories that go with each of them. Our tree is rather eclectic, with strange things that pass for ornaments but have great meaning to us.
5. O Holy Night sung by the fabulous Phyllis W. at the church of my childhood. Sadly that is just a great memory now.
6. Sitting around the kitchen table with loved ones, much coffee, and many aforementioned cookies
7. Late at night on Christmas Eve . . "the world in solemn stillness waits"
8. The gifts my husband receives from subcontractors.
9. Our Christmas Day tradition of a big beautiful breakfast at the colorful table we'd set the night before. Then dining on appetizers and those darling little bottles of Coke only available at the Holidays.
10. Traveling to NY to see my husband's family. Nothing beats the Holidays with Italian New Yorkers!! Especially New Year's Eve Day lunch at Dominick's in Little Italy of the Bronx - Arthur Avenue. The area fire department drives their truck up and down the street all day while various firemen jump off at regular intervals to buy pannetone, biscotti, espresso, fennel, sfoggiatelle, cannoli, and other Christmas treats.

2 comments:

Kireliols said...

Can I come to your in-law's celebration instead of mine?

Melinda June said...

All OUTSTANDING things to love about Christmas!!!!

At our church, Jeanne K was the Oh Holy Nighter, and she totally sucked. If only I'd know that just up the street there was a party going on!