Afterward
What goes up comes down. Umm.. we decorate for Christmas. Decorated. No one came to visit. The whole thing was just for us. Kids? We acted like big kids. We played Christmas music. We danced around. We had big smiles. We opened and put up (most) of our decorations. Ha ha. We are exuberant. We have bins and bins….
This year the new stuff was “carolers” that Colleen had admired but we had not bought because $$. We found a bargain. Always! You wait long enough… We don’t have that long, but…
And a few more Santas. Santa? Yeah, we started collecting Santas. Yes, we are overrun. And besides, who’s it for?
Us! I am unashamed to admit that I like Christmas and the cheer surrounding it. It makes me smile. Coleen smiles. When she smiles all is right with the world. Good enough for me!
And, don’t forget the gnomes, please.
Making up for lost decades
We met when we were eight years old. We then orbited in proximity for five years. I knew Colleen (back then), though we remained not much more than acquaintances. We lost track of one another for nearly five decades. And now? We’re trying to make up for a lot of time. Does accumulating stuff help? … a lot of stuff? I would not know. We just go with it. One Santa, two Santa… one leads to another and another. You would think we were an old married couple. Well, old yes; together, not nearly as long as we will be from now on. If I had one wish….
Santacon 10 years on
Santacon. Carol reminded me. I was there ten years ago in 2011. Do you believe it? The affair is an opportunity for a flash mob to gather at a designated spot. No warning. No permits. Party, and drink alcohol. It’s a photo op. I was able to get there one time only. The subway to South Street was packed with Santas and their “helpers” headed to party hearty downtown. Neat?! There was no unruly action going on while I observed. It was a good time had by all.
Now, we have our own little Santacon going. Colleen got a few… then went back… and scooped up… all the available Santas for sale. Ha! Santacon Delaware style! Ray, the cat, is a bewildered participant. We have a Santa themed tree this year. Colleen is brilliant. Great idea! I do believe… I do believe.
We need a little Christmas
The annual Winterthur Christmas decorations never fail to cheer us. Impressive?! You bet! The tall ~ 25 foot tree is decorated with dried flowers from the grounds that are picked and preserved all year long. Amazing. Simply amazing. I garden. I am not up to the task of doing as this dedicated staff performs year long. The culmination is a tree stunning and unique. We count ourselves very fortunate to see it once more. We have tried to share this with members of the family. The true experience is being there “in person” to appreciate the tree’s majestic scale. Thank you!
White pine
We debated whether to get an artificial tree. One-time cost, done. And each year we get a tree from… We have been away the past few Christmases so it is not always necessary to decide since we have spent the holiday in front of someone else’s decorations. Seniority has its privilege. Ha ha. Colleen saw an ad for a tree farm and was fixated on a white pine. Fresh cut! Fraser fir was my most recent go to tree. It is very amenable to decorating. But, one follows the whims of the beloved wife (in order to keep peace, and to stay alive). First tree she saw, of course, and it was a tall one. As you can see it is way tall above her head! I was not sticker shocked. ??? dunno, it wasn’t worse than the big box stores price. That sucker was so tall I needed a small child to get the angel to the top. Ha ha, we didn’t have one and I couldn’t borrow one so it went up crooked.
In the short years/seasons we have shared – about 5 – we have accumulated an eclectic mix of things. Colleen has collected Santas. They drape the mantle and otherwise are dispersed throughout the house. We had fun with a glue gun and made our own weaving themed wreath – courtesy of a library program. And, furthermore, i used the glue gun inspiration to decorate a mini tree from the craft store. Whatever! In a few short years we have made and feel at home. That would be about as good as it can get. Happy!
Ok! This post is running long on words and pictures – one last thought. Who gets the Xmas ornaments when you split? My ex-wife, by default, has hung on to all of the ornaments I had. She’s slowly giving up a few to my daughter. Colleen brought her ornaments – those the kids did not destroy or run away with. And! We collected a few. Ha ha. It’s more like we cleaned out the antique store collection – of Santas. It took a few trips. She – my dear wife – was feeling guilty – about the expense? or indulging her wish? I won’t deny that I enjoyed letting her run wild and we are the happier for it all.
Gingerbread Houses
Professional? Yeah. It’s not hard to tell the difference. But when kids make ‘em it’s a unique experience with loud squeals and a whole lot of sugar icing all over the place. You can do a “kit.” It goes together fast and looks great. But it’s not the same as individual personal construction. Icing dries slowly and I don’t have patience.
So I used a foam board construction underneath and built the thing one two three. (That would be – construct a foam board house underneath all the ginger bread walls.) Licorice sticks hide a multitude of sin. Of course, I am not responsible for the decoration. There is a time when too many cooks… There is only one rule: no blanks space should be devoid of confection.
Dinner Out
I attended a welcome dinner. Two physicians joined our department. I live modestly in hospital housing. This was an opportunity to see how the other half lives. It’s a separation of sexes. No females were in attendance. Someone brought their son. Otherwise it was a banquet of males. Lamb is roasted on a skewer. Standard fare. The sides included lots of rice, salad, and fruit, followed by dessert. Afterward our host played traditional music accompanied by his son. From the outside, the walls are high and drab. Inside, the accommodations are quite the opposite. Elaborate and ornate, it reflected a long life of collecting the trappings of wealth and success. Me? I’m living in two suitcases, ready to go if it’s imperative. The bulk of it will be my dive gear. I’m of the opinion that you can’t take it with you…but…. you can sure store it somewhere else. To be fair, I’ve got a lot of junk sitting around somewhere else… Please don’t laugh too hard.
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