At this time, back home in California, it is warm. Here, though, in Talent, there’s frost sparkling on the grass at one o’clock in the afternoon. i love the cold. i love sweaters and boots and scarves and knitted caps. And cocoa- made from scratch (not the package so much, but i will if it’s Land’o'Lakes chocolate hazelnut!) and topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. The girls lurve that.
R. is a chai guy.
i love it.
i am looking forward to a cold Christmas, a possibly snowy Christmas. Even though i’ve enjoyed barbeques for Christmas or going swimming, it will be nice to live the cards.
i never want to take distinct seasons for granted. i hope that i won’t. i will miss my mom and sisters very much. Don’t i always say that? But i will- Christmas service at the Vineyard, dinner and cousins and my ava’s zucchini bread at her house.
Still, i am happy to be here. We have our own little traditions. R.&i will drink spiked egg nog and wrap gifts. i’ll pick on his crooked cutting, he’ll say i’m using too much tape and we’ll watch super-old holiday cartoons on DVD. Good times. At least we don’t have to put anything together this year!
The girls and i will be attempting to make tamales this year and i finally found an authentic recipe for Salvadoran quesadilla- which is not like the Mexican version, but is instead a sweet cheesy cake decorated with sesame seeds. A friend’s mother made it for me once (rest in His arms, Carmen) and was so proud when we sighed with pleasure from its yummy goodness. Good luck to us!
What are some of your favorite aspects of this time of year? What do you celebrate- Chanukkah? Kwanzaa? Winter Solstice? Do you know of other celebrations that occur during the winter that not many others are aware of? Let’s share the joy.
*song title by Kate Bush
(copyright 2007) c. A. Hughes
12.01.07
& my birthday is coming up. 
i’ll be 35. 
C ~ I like reading about your holiday traditions. Mine have/are changing through the years and you’ve gotten me thinking, remembering, and looking back through snapshot after snapshot (mental ones) of holidays past. I will most likely blog about it all here soon.
Meanwhile, I wish I could taste the Salvadoran dish that you and your girls will cook up. junemoon
i look forward to reading about your celebrations.
Tamales huh? whoa. tamales = work
Happy B day, soon.
For the last three years we have attended a tree trimming / B-Day party at an uncles house in Massachussetts. About 10 kids (all under 6) are there and they get to decorate the bottom half (as high as they can reach) of the christmas tree.
Later the adults do the top, then we have lunch and eat b-day cake since there are 3 birthdays that we celebrate at the same time. Then we just blab. I had never done that growing up…so it’s strange to think of what my kids will remember about christmas, and how it was different than my christmas’ while I was a kid.
peace,
P
That sounds like good times. Thank you for sharing that. i’m sure your children will have happy memories of their childhood holidays. i think it’s cool that everyone decorates the tree together. i don’t participate due to my OCD tendency to rearrange R. & the kids’ ornaments. So, i just put the hooks on or bake something.
My birthday is usually, well not sucky exactly, but not special- except that i was born. Many people forget it because it is so close to Christmas, or everyone’s working or too tired to party (although i’m not much of a partier anymore). This year, my husband has to work, my kids will be at school all day. We’ll prolly just have cake. R. will give me a book which i will love. i feel sad ‘cus i’m older.
M’yeah.
i feel glad that you are older… the alternative sucks.
your celebrations, though, sound very warm. could i, i would drop by. and were i near, i’d gladly take you out for coffee on your birthday. and by coffee, i of course mean guinness.
Of course.
Sometimes, i think i am a brat.
i know you do.
i recommend “drama of the gifted child”.
it might ’splain a few things…
Happy birthday mi amiga! When is it? Haha, I have your address now, so I can send you a card. Also, I definitely want the Salvadoran quesa dilla recipe. I love trying new things.
For me, Christmas is about friends, a little shopping, lots of gag gifts and laughs. Watching all the Christmas movies I can find/rent/buy (I have quite the collection). I also used to love to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve but I can never stay up late enough for it anymore. One of my most recent traditions is that I try to write at least one Christmas story a year. It’s a challenge and fun. If it is good enough, I send it to friends and family.
Chica
What a good idea, Chica! i should try that. Reneé, Caitlyn & i usually write poems for each holiday. And i sure enjoy Christmas movies. Some of my favorites are Scrooged, Elf, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Christmas Story. Randy and i love to watch the really old cartoons.
When i was a girl, i loved going to Midnight Mass- even though i almost always fell asleep on one soft bosom or another!
My birthday is the 20th. That’s why i am Christine instead of Sylvia.
So, if you send your story out, i’d love to be included on the mailing list.