New Year's Eve Day 2010

What? Over so soon?
How arbitrary; who decided this?
Denny used to say at the start of each month: "Click!" and at New Year's he'd say, "BONG!"
Our whole large family jumped off the couch at midnight as his parents had before us.




The Roman god Janus 
looked forward
and back.


Our first sober New Year's Eve, '85-'86,
Denny and I got stopped by police driving home from a
macrobiotic cookout. We had a missing headlight, twenty-five years ago,
but the officer let us go due to clean air in car; a miracle!

(I also remember youth '60-'61: a flurry of evening gowns and

Arpege, festivities in mansions and clubs. Back in my 

parents' living room our happy tipsy few lit candles in the

wall sconce which were just for show but my mother 

didn't even get mad. Another miracle, 50 years old.)

Denny's last New Year's, I rolled off the couch the best I could, then ran upstairs to say,

"Den! Den! You lived until 2005!" A miracle of medicine, six years ago.

OK, that's looking back; now what's ahead? This year I plan to party with 

seven-year-old grandson. Hooray, put together the model train set, and I will feed him his favorite frozen mac and cheese. I'm sure that together we will watch endless Scooby-Doos. We'll try to stay up late and make some noise. If I'm awake at midnight I will sit on the couch and touch the floor.

If not, this blog will have to do. That's what the future holds.

THE HOLIDAY IS HERE

That ever was thrall, now is he free;

That ever was small, great is she;

Now shall God deem both thee and me

Unto his bliss if we do well.

Noel!

--Anonymous, Out of Your Sleep Arise and Wake

Christmas Eve Day, or Wrapping It Up

1. 
   

1. Today, I cleaned out the last presents from under my desk and wrapped them.
   

   1. The rush and crush of Advent is giving way 

1. to celebration of the Christ Child;  I sense his nearness.  Peace starts to descend as my son begins the enormous job of preparing tomorrow's feast.
   
   
   

   1. 1. 1. 1. 
               

               
               

   
   
   
   

   1. 1. 1. 1. 
               

               This afternoon, McGregor and I joined the informal parade of dressed-up neighbors walking to our parish church to welcome the Nativity. We sang the great carols in concert with all the generations: In the row before us, an ancient woman is supported by two (perhaps) granddaughters, and a family at the other end holds a tiny infant daughter in a pink 

   
   
   
   

   
   

   1. 1. 1. 1. 
               

               frilly dress. Lots of green sequins and red velvet are all around, with bows. The restlessness of a hundred small children passes back and forth over the congregation like a great wind.
               

               
               
               

Now, we turn to family traditions.  At six o'clock we walk across the street for my son-in-law's homemade dim sum. We'll enjoy what we’ve prepared, the fellowship of holiday that we have woven for and with them. I will ask for one present to be opened on Christmas Eve; everyone will say no. My son and I will come home and run to separate corners to fill stockings and then what---whatever we want! 

"The Littlest Angel"

We're so much better off than we were a year ago, in health, employment, and finances.  I am in a position for a while to take advantage of these good times to lay foundation of security and hope for the families I watch over, my own. Thank you, Jesus.

This is trying to resemble a half Christmas tree like the one we bought that year

OK,
that's it,
it's done, no more.
I'm done with wrapping
and tree-trimming with drama
driving it home in the trunk and
frantically searching for a tiny baby
of the white china creche lost in the
bottom of an ornament box. Why is
this endless mailing packages and cards?
(You better be organized about the addresses
not to mention you had to buy the cards and write
the annual letter and stand in line to buy more holiday
stamps and later find the ones you already had.) No, it's
over with the buying the wrong thing and ordering 2-day
shipping to get it right and why is there always something
more to be done? Tomorrow: Shop for the feast and then
have it and go to church and O Lord, I can't
Wait until You come and I can
finally
be
Done.