Dance, dance under the Christmas tree

 

A tree in our neighborhood. For 11 months of the year, it is ugly. But in December?

You might think that this post is a bit early, but there is a reason: I want to celebrate Christ's birth, listen to music, decorate with every bulb and garland I can find, and remember every Christmas possible. Christmas cannot wait and neither can I.

Photo taken from our hotel balcony on December 4, 2016 in Chicago

Waiting for Christmas is and has always been the most intense, insane experience of anticipation of all the year.  

Standing in front of the tree and being mesmerized by the lights is the disco ball of the season.  Shaking the presents and guessing their contents is always be part of the game.  The small train around the base wears itself out by the Big Day, only too happy to be packed away for next year’s new batteries and another chance to whistle.

(That was some years ago, when I turned 60 years old.  Then my young granddaughters informed me then that I have to move away from the tree.  It was their time to do the dancing.)

Christmas starts as a spark of joy, and then fills me all up.  Christmas is here!  Christ came into the world as a human, to experience the human pain and suffering.  Christ was crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven.   Christ dwells within me daily, reminding me that I am part of His family.

James at 6 months, June 22, 2017

Benjamin's 5th birthday, June 26, 2017

I am waiting for Christmas, slightly removed from the tree’s perimeter to allow children of all ages to dance wildly.

The spark is there and starting to burst into the “Hallelujah Chorus”! 

From YouTube

Do you get that spark?  Are the memories of Christmas both looking back and being in the present?  Are you still dancing?  Do you have to push the kids and grand-kids out of the way?
 

All in double digits, we have arthritis, and our family is all over the world. The rest of the Kane clan will be on and about to see other family members. So we now regroup with remaining older Kanes and try to dance. 

So, while there are no small dancers here with us, we will dance up a storm for at least 15 minutes, give or take.

The Perils of December

 

Who needs a normal cake? 

December is an amazing month for so many reasons for my family, my birthday, our son's birthday, our anniversary, our daughter's anniversary, and our youngest daughter's birthday. It is a busy month with lots of memories. Here are some thoughts that are from someecards.

II

 

  

I sure would like the cake, personally, with whipped cream.    

The Before and After of Christmas

So much for Halloween candy.

Christmas always comes to an abrupt end, it seems. For 2 1/2 solid months, the stores have been draped with garlands, dripping bright ornaments, while Halloween candy is in shopping cart marked "50% off". Carols of all types have been playing in a loop, but for some reason they have been classier this year.

Celebrating and loving with our family is a wonderful year long fest. So, pick up all that wrapping paper, down the eggnog, and finish up all those little chores.

Here is before:

Walmart sells everything.

Here is after:

after the Christmas rush

Get'm while they're hot!

But, no one sees what is really left behind:

Dump site for carts from all stores
There were mountains of shopping carts tossed in the field.
After a month or so, these were all gone. 

Christmas is over, yes, but we will continue rejoicing for the entire year. 

After all, Christmas is only 11 months and a few days away.

Christmas returns to the Sock Drawer

Christmas in the Sock Drawer returned with much celebration.  The glimmer of hope felt after the Massacre of July ’12 now burst into full flame. 

Like most good things, the flame came unexpectedly.  One day the sock organizer had been torn from the drawer and the socks had been dumped back in the drawer to co-mingle and become reacquainted.  Then soon thereafter…

The Wool Argyle from a Seattle trip remembered it best, relating the story to every new addition to the Sock Drawer.  “The drawer opened slowly with the slant of light blinding us all.  Then from the light tumbled all manner of old friends, now reunited with their beloved mates…”

Apparently, all the lost socks had been put aside until some gentle old person had sorted through the mound, reconnecting long parted socks.  Only a few lonely socks had remained behind in the basket, hoping for their own return.

“There they were:  gold toes, Easter flowers, Halloween pumpkins, ragged crew tops, and compressions!  All had been tied together, joined once again.  Oh, the glory!  You socks fresh from Kohl’s and JCPenney’s will find what it means one of these days…”

Socks awaiting their fate

So it was on Christmas Eve that the new Christmas socks were surrounded by all the Sock Drawer inhabitants.  The glow-in-the-dark Halloween socks illuminated the dark space as the elderly surgical sock with the rubberized chevrons came forward and announced the blessing on all present.

The Argyle sighed.  “…unfortunately, surgical sock had returned alone to the drawer, despite being tied with her mate.  Apparently, there was talk of his indiscretions with the lone lacey trouser sock.  He never made it back to the drawer, poor sod…”

All was well.

For previous adventures in the sock drawer:
http://thecontemplativecat.blogspot.com/2012/11/return-to-drawer-of-sock.html
http://thecontemplativecat.blogspot.com/2012/08/massacre-in-sock-drawer.html
and
http://thecontemplativecat.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-in-sock-drawer.html