Merry Christmas 2010

Dear Friends and Family,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! John and I are making our final preparations for the 25th. Our lists are getting crossed off, the tree is up, the Christmas music is on, and we are on our way to the store for final provisions. This year, neither India, our new poodle, nor Oban, our ancient silver back collie, have bothered a single ornament, eaten a candle, or otherwise left their marks on the decorations. But we did hang the one eyed Santa, the lamb with the missing leg, and the bell with the teeth marks just as we hung the slightly scratched red apples, the tarnished gold balls, and the white collie. Our ornaments go back so far that some of them were tattooed by Mr. Jack Hot Dog and Cleo, as well as Ginger, Tomba, and Killy. We decorate the tree with them all as memories of our Christmases past with Heather, Matt, and Jason and later, Leo, Mary, Oscar, Mora, Evi, and Andrea.

Sitting at home today looking at the oranges waiting to be harvested on our orange tree, John and I began to talk about all the ways that we have celebrated Christmas over the years. The best holiday seasons have been the ones where we took the time to enjoy being together even when doing the most inconsequential things. This year after all the busyness of the year, it feels so good to slow down and notice the sun passing overhead, the orange berries on the pyracantha, and the hummingbirds in the bougainvillea.

Reading is such a pleasure – we are both returning to the contentment of good reads. A cozy fire and our favorite chairs to curl into can keep us going for hours. Lauren Hillenbrand’s book on WWII survivors was fascinating next, Mark Twain’s autobiography. A few seed catalogs complete the scene so that I can dream of next summer’s garden.

It’s been 10 years since we celebrated New Year’s 2000 and found certain young people reading The Joy of Sex (and you know who you are) while the adults upstairs celebrated the season with champagne. That volume was sold at our Colorado garage sale in ’06. We keep trying to clear out the detritus of our lives and more keeps accumulating. We’ll make another valiant effort in 2011 to shrink our household and expand time with our friends and family. Perhaps what we need is fewer closets to conceal all the stuff that we have.

We hope that this finds you in good health, at peace in your lives, and with hopes and dreams for the future.
Much love,
John and Elizabeth