Christmas Musings

Currently I have a perpetual physical reminder of Christmas even though the day seems long gone -- is it really only the 28th? Was it really only 3 days ago? Anyhow, I was putting presents under the tree on C'mas Eve when I did something to my back -- hence the perpetual reminder. Sigh.

Despite the back, Christmas was wonderful. Torrey wanted Chris to experience all our Christmas traditions -- not a thing was to be changed. Except for my back, everything went off without a hitch on C'mas Eve. We had dinner, as usual, at Beijing, our favorite Chinese restaurant with the usual menu -- won ton soup, potstickers, orange beef, crispy shrimp, sesame chicken, and moo shoo pork with lots of hot jasmine tea. We've been doing that since Tim was 16 months old and Johnny and Bea (the owners) gave him a placemat with a little car in it. We don't get gifts any more, but we do get a warm welcome from Bea who hasn't aged one iota in the 20 years we've been going there. Bob and I haven't aged either, of course. Just the kids.

Next was filling the stockings and putting presents under the tree at which point the pocket doors are closed and no one can go in the living room until we are all ready on C'mas morning. Since there was some down time until church, Tim amused us all by squeezing the skin of the clementines and setting a match to them, making them sparkle. He assured us that was how they made napalm, and that in Spain, it was a punishable offense to take the oranges off the trees that grew in public places as they belonged to the military.... Hmmmm.....

Next was a game of Clue -- I lost roundly. Got the room and weapon right, and was just POSITIVE it was Mrs. White, but I was wrong. It was Professor Plum.

The sanctuary was packed for the candlelight C'mas Eve service. We sat in the balcony so we could really appreciate the candles we each lit starting with the Christ candle as we were singing Silent Night. Home for tea and to check and make sure the Elf delivered the annual jammies.

She did.

My children believed in the Elves far longer than they believed in Santa. The elf managed to get wrapped jammies on everyone's bed before the C'mas Eve service so they would be waiting when we got home from church. It took them years to notice that I was always the last one out to the car.....

More later on Lazarus, the Christmas turkey.....