« Carol of the Bells: Celtic Women
»

 “A very good morning to all of you. And a merry Christmas Eve! Rise, shine and spread joy!”

The longest night, for any kid, was not the solstice. Christmas Eve was truly the longest night. We used to think going to bed early would make the night pass faster, but my mother thought after dinner was a bit too early. She was right. It was never easy, despite the time, to fall asleep. I could hardly wait for Santa to come.

My parents always went to midnight mass. When they’d get home, it was time for Santa to come so they’d collect the toys from their hiding places and put them in plies around the tree. When I was really young, my grandparents, who also went to midnight mass, would come to my house so they could watch us see our presents. That meant waking us up long before morning. We’d sort of stumble downstairs. The toys were all around the tree. I didn’t know where to look first. My gifts were in the front, in the middle. I remember one Christmas when a giant doll sitting in front caught my eye. I sat and hugged her for a while. My grandparents would leave, and we’d have to go back to bed. It was misery leaving all those wonderful toys under the tree until morning.m

My favorite Christmas Eves were when my mother and I were the only ones awake. I’d pick a present for her to open and she’d do the same for me. They were special presents, the best presents, the ones we knew each of us would love. We’d have a drink and watch a Christmas movie, but one year we watched Christmas horror, a slasher movie, dark comedy, Jack Frost, about a serial killer embodied as a snowman. We watched the whole movie. I admit we did laugh. My trees and candles are lit. I’m going to put my outside lights on all day and night, a celebration. The weather is a bit dismal, shaky, a mixture of rain and snow. The low will be in the 30’s and the high in the low 40’s. I have to go out later. I need to pick up my Christmas dinner and a few groceries. Tonight I’ll build and decorate my gingerbread house then put it up really high. I’m making progress on my jigsaw puzzle. Right now I’m watching It’s a Wonderful Life which I watch every year. It and A Christmas Carol are traditions for me. I can’t even remember how many times I’ve seen them, but that doesn’t really matter. <!– /wp:paragraph – Happy Christmas Eve! Explore posts in the same categories: Musings

This entry was posted on December 24, 2024 at 11:47 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.

5 Comments on “ “A very good morning to all of you. And a merry Christmas Eve! Rise, shine and spread joy!””

  1. Beto Ochoa's avatar Beto Ochoa Says:

    December 24, 2024 at 1:11 pm

    Eternal Green

    A Christmas Eve
    Long past and gone
    The Yuletide Carol
    Of a heart gone wrong

    We voyeur here
    Old Scrooge and young
    The Spirits Three
    And the wisdom wrung

    As it unfolds
    The Carol play
    I shed a tear
    For the heart once gay

    Then as the nails
    Of life drive in
    And hang the heart
    We see all man’s sin

    Dear Mister Scrooge
    For you a prayer
    Your broken heart
    Be it mended here

    Though stranded be
    On rocky shoal
    God’s lifeboat sent
    Here to save us all

    So sing with Joy
    And raise the strain
    Light trees of love
    And redeem our pain

    That we like Scrooge
    May all walk free
    Accept God’s gift
    Of Eternal Green

  2. Bob's avatar Bob Says:

    December 24, 2024 at 8:11 pm

    Hi Kat,

    This morning we had thunderstorms and a high temperature of 63°. It was cloudy all day after the front passed us.

    My daughter and I watched our favorite Christmas movie, “The Christmas Story”. When I was a teenager in NYC, Jean Shepherd had a radio show on WOR every weeknight at eleven o’clock. He would tell stories, just like in the movie, for an hour about his adventures growing up in Northern Indiana. Every time I watch the movie, in which he narrated the story I’m transported back to my bedroom in my aunt and uncle’s house in Queens and it’s 1962 again.

    Tomorrow we will have to watch my daughter’s other favorite TV show, “Arthur’s Perfect Christmas”, from PBS. We used to go to the movies, but this house has a movie room over the garage. Between the different streaming services there’s always something fun to watch.

    To all the Coffee family, have a wonderful Holiday, and a merry Christmas to all who celebrate.

    • katry's avatar katry Says:

      December 24, 2024 at 8:50 pm

      Hi Bob,
      We had a few showers, and it has been in the mid-30’s all day. It felt warmer with no wind.

      I also love The Christmas Story, but this year I am watching several different Christmas Carols, and the movies which have been Christmas staples. Today I watched It’s a Wonderful life which I haven’t seen in a while. I find the end remarkable. I also watched White Christmas and Holiday Inn.

      I have never seen Arthur’s Perfect Christmas. I’ll have to hunt it down.

      Happy Chanukah!


Comments are closed.