Last night it rained, but the morning is clear and bright. It is in the 40’s. Tonight will be a bit more wintry, down to the 30’s. By Saturday, that will be the daytime temperature. It’s a perfect time to snuggle under a blanket on the couch. I’m thinking a cup of cocoa in hand with Marshmallow Fluff floating on the top would hit the spot.

When I was a kid, the mailman came twice a day during the Christmas season. Our mailbox was filled with cards each time. We’d take turns opening the cards then hang them on the string strung across the living room wall behind the couch. My mother had a card box filled with index cards with names at the top. She’d keep track of sent and received cards. If a couple of years went by with no card, my mother would stop sending a Christmas card to the miscreant. Their index card was banished to the back of the box.

I’d lie on the floor in front of the tree and go through the Sears catalog time and time again. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and I wanted to keep my list for Santa up to date. No clothes ever made the list, no self-serving kid ever wanted clothes at Christmas.

We watched Santa Claus on TV in the afternoons. He was on a station from New Hampshire. He’d chat, show toys the elves had made and sometimes read a book. He’d countdown the days until Christmas Eve, his big day. I remember on that day he’d get the reindeer ready and remind us we needed to be asleep before his arrival.

Christmas lights brighten every room in my downstairs, even the bathroom. I go around every night turning them on. The tree is always first. I light it then stand awhile just looking at the tree. It always delights me. The table lights, the fireplace lights and three Santas are next. I leave the lamps unlit. The room is magical. The room is lit with Christmas.

My house smells like Christmas. The aroma of pine fills the air. Cinnamon, cloves, cranberries and orange rinds simmer on the stove. It smells almost good enough to eat.

This entry was posted on December 19, 2024 at 11:34 am and is filed under Musings. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. Both comments and pings are currently closed.