We had a modest Christmas this year, and I have to say a lovely one. We bought very few gifts, since 2006 was a financially challenging year that saw some unanticipated, very large expenses. Corby baked cookies, as is his custom, not as many different kinds as usual -- yet. Deirdre baked cookies too. We received cookies from Corby's brother Blake and his partner Mary, too. Our house has been a Cookie Monster paradise of late.
What little shopping I did I didn't do until Christmas Eve. I took a short list and a credit card. I didn't encounter a fruitless search for a parking space at the mall nor boring waits at the cash register. I had to drive to another shopping center a bit farther down the freeway in order to purchase fresh pasta noodles at the only place in Marin that sells fresh pasta, and then to a corporate pet store for small treats for our family felines, Fernando and Oona.
We didn't even manage to get a tree. I decorated a small desk with a red-and-green plaid tablecloth with some gold thread shot through it, upon which I put a deer antler, several red-and-green tapers, some votive candles, and the few presents. Deirdre has a Christmas stocking with her name knit into it that was made for her very first Christmas by our friend Dee.
We considered having a more traditional Christmas meal, but in the end I decided to make lasagna because Deirdre loves my lasagna. Corby is the cook in the family, so he got a little break, although he did make his delicious, labor-intensive salads for us. Us being my daughter Deirdre, Corby and me -- and aforementioned kitties.
After dinner we watched a DVD of Practical Magic, which, surprisingly, I'd never seen before and neither had Deirdre. Corby enjoyed it enough to watch it again. We like several of the actors a lot, especially Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. We just snuggled on the couch under an afghan my mother made years ago.
I can't recall ever having a mellower Christmas day.
That's much the way we spent our holiday. The husband's mother went to her other son in Victoria, and I live far enough away from my family that I'm not expected there for holidays (by far enough, I mean across the country *laughs*). So we spent a quiet long weekend walking the dogs when it wasn't raining and playing computer games and treated ourselves to a nice breakfast out on Christmas morning. I think I much prefer the mellower holidays.
ReplyDeleteMellow is the best. We opened presents on December 14th so that I could go to coven in Toronto without feeling like I was missing out on the whole 'kids open presents' thing. We got one major family gift, and that was it. December 22, I was with my coven, and December 25th, we ate Chinese food and watched movies. My tree this year was a little potted tree, which I decked out with lights. Simple, easy, and really stress-free.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Chinese Food on Christmas day? Perfect! :D