Merry Christmas 2012 and Happy New Year 2013
Details. This Christmas we have been thinking about all the little details that make holidays personal. After spending 34 Christmases together, John and I still negotiate details that seem as if they are part of our DNA. When the details interlace, they give Christmas the wonderment of our childhoods. It all begins with discussions about when to string the outside lights. In climates where snow is likely before Thanksgiving, the sensible choice means getting the lights up early, on a day when the sunshine replaces the need for gloves. On the other hand, decorating early compresses the Thanksgiving experience, losing the space for savoring its place in our memories. Who knew? You can string the lights but wait to turn them on December first. That way, both of us are satisfied.
And, what happens when Christmas comes in the middle of summer as it does in the summer hemisphere? Is there a point to having lights when the sun doesn’t set until 11 pm and darkness may not descend until 1 in the morning?
Wine and Christmas cookies, we don’t forget these details. There are wine and cookie combos that are particularly pleasing especially when the cookies are home baked and decorated and the wine cellared in anticipation of the holiday. We had a wonderful time in New Zealand last year. We baked cookies for all the New Zealanders who visited Heather, Leo, and Oscar’s home. Heather, Oscar, and the daughter of Heather’s midwifery partner made the dough, rolled it out, cut the stars and snowmen, and decorated each one after cooling them on the counters. The doors and windows were open, letting the soft ocean air waft through the house. Every now and then, one of the cats leapt up onto a window ledge, startling us. But we all frosted on, until every last cookie bore a special emblem of Christmas.
Stockings, so important, may be the most vital part of gift-giving. For some, size of the stocking trumps its aesthetic value. Finding a place to hang them, having enough for all the guests, and then, searching for specific and personal items. Some fitting stocking stuffers remain at the store, the gifter finding more humor in the gift perhaps than the receiver. This restraint is masterful.
Trimming the tree is fraught with its own set of negotiations. Begin with the lighting considerations. The size and color of the bulbs can take days to negotiate, depending on the Christmas gathering. While some family members prefer tasteful, tiny, white lights that play a secondary role to ornaments collected over years, others like large, plump colored light strings that overshadow the carefully displayed ornaments. Once the lights are up, the ornaments themselves become the focal point of conversation. Perhaps a theme determines which ornaments to use. Alternatively, rules around color, size, or placement can dictate the tree trimming. Often, these details are theoretical and then, lost in practice. On purpose or through distraction? In response, the negotiations take another turn. Time for some eggnog!
Preparations are in order; food is to be gathered. South meets north; the Midwest blends with the coasts. The coasts clash; the Pacific Northwest asserts its independence from Californian cuisine. Think we have become homogenized? Check out the food groups on Christmas Eve. We’ve had tamales delivered, made by hand by a student’s abuela, as well as kielbasa, lutefisk, glögg, vanille kranser, mandelsmørboller, gougères, and bûche de noël, to name a few. Whatever is served, it has to taste familiar enough to explore a new texture or flavor. Wine selections are similarly complex with their own issues over provenance. However, that would be another letter.
One final negotiation can take weeks to discuss, only to be reversed at the last moment. Some families open gifts on Christmas Eve while others open Christmas morning. Some like to open a few gifts (and the reasons are many) on Christmas Eve with the major action on Christmas morning. For others, Christmas Eve is all about the gifting and receiving. Others spend the time with family and friends caroling and reading age-old Christmas tales. We’ve loved a new experience in New Zealand where neighbors and friends gather for an outside party around a huge bonfire, caroling until well past midnight. The best part of course, is the time that we spend together with friends and family.
This year marked the rapid transformation of Oscar and Mora from children into teenagers. While they are still themselves, their humor has become more incisive and ironic. They keep us on our toes. Evi keeps us in stitches year round. Each year she amazes us with her willingness to take on new challenges. Heather, Jason, and Matt are all doing well in very different ways. It has been amazing to see them all meet the vicissitudes of adulthood with grace and thoughtfulness.
The traditions and histories follow us wherever we go, from Virginia to Colorado, to Arizona, and now, here in Kansas. The details are constrained less and less by tradition while we focus ever more intently on how we chose to spend our time together. We are grateful for all those moments that we’ve had with each of you and look forward to many more.
Our best for a joyous New Year to each of you, John and Elizabeth
And, what happens when Christmas comes in the middle of summer as it does in the summer hemisphere? Is there a point to having lights when the sun doesn’t set until 11 pm and darkness may not descend until 1 in the morning?
Wine and Christmas cookies, we don’t forget these details. There are wine and cookie combos that are particularly pleasing especially when the cookies are home baked and decorated and the wine cellared in anticipation of the holiday. We had a wonderful time in New Zealand last year. We baked cookies for all the New Zealanders who visited Heather, Leo, and Oscar’s home. Heather, Oscar, and the daughter of Heather’s midwifery partner made the dough, rolled it out, cut the stars and snowmen, and decorated each one after cooling them on the counters. The doors and windows were open, letting the soft ocean air waft through the house. Every now and then, one of the cats leapt up onto a window ledge, startling us. But we all frosted on, until every last cookie bore a special emblem of Christmas.
Stockings, so important, may be the most vital part of gift-giving. For some, size of the stocking trumps its aesthetic value. Finding a place to hang them, having enough for all the guests, and then, searching for specific and personal items. Some fitting stocking stuffers remain at the store, the gifter finding more humor in the gift perhaps than the receiver. This restraint is masterful.
Trimming the tree is fraught with its own set of negotiations. Begin with the lighting considerations. The size and color of the bulbs can take days to negotiate, depending on the Christmas gathering. While some family members prefer tasteful, tiny, white lights that play a secondary role to ornaments collected over years, others like large, plump colored light strings that overshadow the carefully displayed ornaments. Once the lights are up, the ornaments themselves become the focal point of conversation. Perhaps a theme determines which ornaments to use. Alternatively, rules around color, size, or placement can dictate the tree trimming. Often, these details are theoretical and then, lost in practice. On purpose or through distraction? In response, the negotiations take another turn. Time for some eggnog!
Preparations are in order; food is to be gathered. South meets north; the Midwest blends with the coasts. The coasts clash; the Pacific Northwest asserts its independence from Californian cuisine. Think we have become homogenized? Check out the food groups on Christmas Eve. We’ve had tamales delivered, made by hand by a student’s abuela, as well as kielbasa, lutefisk, glögg, vanille kranser, mandelsmørboller, gougères, and bûche de noël, to name a few. Whatever is served, it has to taste familiar enough to explore a new texture or flavor. Wine selections are similarly complex with their own issues over provenance. However, that would be another letter.
One final negotiation can take weeks to discuss, only to be reversed at the last moment. Some families open gifts on Christmas Eve while others open Christmas morning. Some like to open a few gifts (and the reasons are many) on Christmas Eve with the major action on Christmas morning. For others, Christmas Eve is all about the gifting and receiving. Others spend the time with family and friends caroling and reading age-old Christmas tales. We’ve loved a new experience in New Zealand where neighbors and friends gather for an outside party around a huge bonfire, caroling until well past midnight. The best part of course, is the time that we spend together with friends and family.
This year marked the rapid transformation of Oscar and Mora from children into teenagers. While they are still themselves, their humor has become more incisive and ironic. They keep us on our toes. Evi keeps us in stitches year round. Each year she amazes us with her willingness to take on new challenges. Heather, Jason, and Matt are all doing well in very different ways. It has been amazing to see them all meet the vicissitudes of adulthood with grace and thoughtfulness.
The traditions and histories follow us wherever we go, from Virginia to Colorado, to Arizona, and now, here in Kansas. The details are constrained less and less by tradition while we focus ever more intently on how we chose to spend our time together. We are grateful for all those moments that we’ve had with each of you and look forward to many more.
Our best for a joyous New Year to each of you, John and Elizabeth
Comments
Post a Comment