Day 102: WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!

On this very, very monumental day, Atlanta and I experienced a White Christmas. Last recorded WC in Atlanta? 1882.

This may never happen again in my lifetime.

The snow was deliciously magical in that it lifted me out of a Grinchy why-on-earth-do-we-do-this-every-year kind of mood. It's often hard for me to see past some of the strange Christmas traditions: like placing babies on the laps of strange men at malls who wear red jumpsuits, and illuminating trees that we put into our houses and forcing ourselves to think of gifts for people for which we would otherwise never buy anything.

The snow reignited a tiny light in me--that something as simple as snow can create a sense of warmth inside a home and that nature can decorate our world in white purity when it is so inclined. This tiny light combined with a table full of people who care about each other and a few gifts that bring a genuine smile, I felt a bit of hope that we're not completely lost in a materialistic, complacent and otherwise derelict world.

On the contrary, I felt content.

Merry Christmas to all.

Day 99: Getting Carded and Other Rites of Passage

Ha haa, I took the dates off of my posts so you don't see how late they are :) New Year's ressie? Get back in the habit of writing daily.

Okay, for Day 99, and this may be a cop-out, I received Christmas cards in the mail, addressed to me, from my married friends. I am now on Christmas card mailing lists, and it goes up there with the other holiday rites of passage that this blog tends to cover, like taking a dish to Thanksgiving, and getting my own Christmas tree, as well as splitting the holiday between two families.

The holidays bring out a certain distinction from childhood to adulthood, and I'm moving ever more rapidly into the adult category. I know this is all okay and good, but I'd like this to slow down a little. Most days I still feel 18, and like I'm playing grown up. I still think, "YEAH, I bought my OWN Christmas presents this year...BOOYAH family--I didn't have to use your money."

One day, I'll grow up in my brain to my age now.

Day 88: Oh, Christmas Tree!

My mother is the poster child of practical. From her choice of car (the fuel-efficient Toyota Camry) to her career selection (Medical Technology, a well-paying, intellectually stimulating job available in most every town in America), to her logical and objective outlook on life, she practices practical. And thank goodness for people like her! Being the dreamiest of the dreamers, I appreciate her grounded approach.

One of the things that she is particularly practical about is a fake Christmas tree. It is a one-time investment that keeps it's form through the years, you don't have to clean up pine needles from it, and you don't have to worry about what to do with it after the holiday season. In all actuality, it's the best option if you're thinking logically about your Christmas festivities. Only the most practical for my mother.

I can't blame her for the way she thinks about life, but as I said, I'm the dreamiest of dreamers--and completely impractical.

So, in starting to decorate my apartment for the holidays, I had to shun my mother's voice from my head, when Mark and I selected a REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

It's a truly wonderful treat for me to have my first real Christmas tree. The apartment smells like piney goodness and is totally and completely festive. The branches are full and there is depth inside and out for hiding ornaments and goodies. And something about it feels genuine and grown-up in a way I can't describe.  I liked it so much I gave it a hug:

Now it makes me wonder, why on earth is Christmas symbolized by cutting down these poor trees and planting them in our living rooms for a month?

 Is that the voice of my mother?