December 25, 1964
Merry Christmas
What a Christmas!! Marty gave me a box of stationery and a pen and the Os gave me a box of lovely dusting powder. I got
“A Hard Day’s Night” - from Bob
A red skirt and blazer set - Mom
An alarm clock - Mom
A slip - Mom
A transistor radio - Dad
Dusting powder - Aunt Carol
The powder from Aunt Carol I gave to Marty. She likes it. It’s been a swell Christmas! Oh! I almost forgot! I got $10 from Uncle Paul and Aunt Grace. We went to Gs house and had a good time.
December 25, 2022
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
(I realized I have not been using nearly enough exclamation marks.)
Oh, Mom. I know she loved me. But every gift I received from her once I reached puberty carried with it a hint about how I could be improved. The red skirt and plaid blazer said “try to dress up more”, and the alarm clock message is obvious. When I hit my forties, she started with the anti-aging lotions and potions. The outfit I got in 1964 was actually a great choice, and unlike the rest of the clothing she gave me. Generally, she selected pastels and fairly feminine styling (definitely not me). Brightly colored, tailored separates? Yes, please.
As much as we try to hang on to holiday traditions, they seem to always change, sometimes in tiny ways, and sometimes in dramatic shifts. The last three years, tradition have gone off the window. We moved in 2020, and by that December we were deep in the COVID times, Zooming with people who lived just a few miles away. Last year, we had our first family gathering in our new home, on a balmy day nice enough for a round of bocce. “A new tradition”, I declared.
This year, the entire country is frozen (no bocce this year) and the “kids” are distributed to other families in other states. Jim gets to hang out with one branch of the family while he drives them to the airport, but there’s no room for me in the car. So here I sit, eating my fourth (or fifth?) snickerdoodle, and waiting for words to come.
Here are some words that came after a day of Zooms in 2020.
Merry Christmas
So now we know
It wasn’t the gifts
Or the eggnog
Or the fruitcake
It was love
It wasn’t Handel
Or Luke or Dickens
It was hope
It wasn’t the snow
Or the sleigh bells.
It was us
Together one way or another.
And speaking of fruitcake, here’s another I wrote a while ago.
Unrequited love, fruitcake edition.
Here I am.
Studded with candied bits,
Heavy with rum and honey,
Fragrant and rich.
Made for you.
Love me.
Your stickiness disgusts me.
Too sweet, too moist,
Clinging to my teeth.
You make me shudder.
Begone!
Here I am.
I’ll win you over yet.
Just a bite;
Love me.
Come to the party;
You’ll find a lover there.
I’ll watch, savoring a snickerdoodle.
I was made for you.
If you will not have me,
Leave me for the birds.
Farewell.