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HO-HO-OUCH! PASS THE ADVIL

12/20/2021

7 Comments

 
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Christmas/holiday cards are long gone, the tree is bedecked and sparkling; the front yard glimmers with lights, and I’ve begun the holiday baking. I’m now sprawled on the couch, glass of sherry in hand, staring bleary-eyed out the window. An unexpected winter storm dashes raindrops against the glass. They enjoy a brief moment of stardom, taking center stage, absorbing and refracting colored lights from the Christmas tree.  I wish I had the where-with-all to grab my Cannon and capture their moment, but fatigue has morphed holiday ho-ho-ho into Grinchy grunts, growls, and grimaces. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love the holidays. I’m all about trimming the tree and decking the halls. I adore the childlike fun of Christmas décor. The themes of which fall somewhere between Disney’s Fantasy Land and an upscale children’s toy store. What’s not to like? My boxes of Christmas paraphernalia easily take up half the storage space in the garage, and I love every gaudy bit. I get positively Christmas-morning giddy every time I unpack my treasures and pull out my favorites, oohing and aahing over each piece. It’s like revisiting favorite old friends. You know the ones…no issues, no negativity…just all smiles and good memories. 

Visions of decorating perfection danced in my head like proverbial sugar plums as I unpacked our holiday linens and ever-growing snow-globe collection. But, a few hours in, after too much (I refuse to say excessive) bending and lifting, and too many trips up and down the step ladder, it became evident that my grandiose plans for Martha Stewart perfection definitely exceeded my physical ability to follow through. Aging joints, my friends, can flash “reality check” through the rosiest of rose-colored glasses. 

Standing on a ladder, stretching way up to the top of the tree to tweak that one ornament to its most picture-perfect angle, almost landed me in the arms of the treetop angel. I swear she frowned. I blame her porcelain glare for my loss of balance on the way back down.  And  getting down on howling knees to retrieve the ornament the cat batted off the tree…well, you get the gist of where my Christmas cheer was heading. At this point my teeth were firmly gritted behind my holiday smile. 

I hate to admit it, but I see myself morphing into my mother in her later years. For most of my life, Mum was a huge fan of all the trappings of Christmas. My mother started baking her famous fruit cakes in the late fall, and by Christmas Eve the cake was well-doused in booze and covered in marzipan and frosted, and the freezer was full of shortbread cookies and mince pies. The tree was dressed and tinseled, the house lit up from one end to the other, the decanters filled, and the candles—along with my Dad—were lit. Christmas was the highlight of the year in the Platel household.  My parents set the bar pretty high for what Christmas should be and set me up for trying to follow in their footsteps. 

I felt almost betrayed when my mother’s holiday enthusiasm dimmed as she aged. I needed Christmas to stay the same; I needed her to be the same. The long-established traditions of Christmas were my anchor in a changing world. But, at some indefinite point, my mother wordlessly passed the baton to me, so I wobbled into her holiday high heels and knocked myself out creating Christmas for everyone.  And, honestly, the pleasure has been all mine. 

Fast forward about thirty years and this Christmas Elf is mimicking Mum in her later years, and beginning to drag her bedazzled behind. Yup. Persistent aching joints and a lowered energy level might be tweaking my perspective, but I stubbornly refuse to do much more than take the festivities down a mere notch or two. I still love the holidays, as does my husband…adult kids (no grandkids), not so much…but for us, Christmas remains the comet’s tail at the end of the year. 

“In keeping with the situation,” to quote Scrooge's housekeeper, I’ve stocked up on Icy/Hot and Advil, dragged myself off the couch, squared my shoulders, and jumped deep into a pile gift wrapping paper and tape. Even better, looking for extra Christmas bags, I discovered a bottle of Southern Comfort tucked way in the back of the cupboard! Bring it on, Christmas.

So, on that note I wish you all a Merry Christmas and the happiest of whichever holiday you enjoy celebrating. Just pass the eggnog my way and don’t go easy on the rum.
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7 Comments
Shelley
12/21/2021 12:42:43 pm

And may your Christmas be merry, and covid-free. In fact, may this be the LAST covid-laced holiday, already!

(and be careful!)

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Rita Reynolds link
12/24/2021 05:26:56 pm

This time of year is celebrated a bit differently from everyone I know. But we know that this is a special location coming just ones a year. We all try to make friends, family, and neighbors happy with Christmas cards, treats and more. And I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

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Lynn Nicholas
12/26/2021 01:32:48 pm

My stepson joined us on Christmas but was masked because he was exposed recently to someone who tested positive. Thankfully his test came back negative last night. So hoping all of this is behind us next year !!!

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Nancy Morse
12/25/2021 02:07:48 pm

I’m there with you, Lynn! We didn’t put up our tree this year. We had Thanksgiving at our son’s who lives in another city, and our other son was with his family at his mother-in-law’s. Since they weren’t here to bring Christmas things down from the attic, we only put up the smaller stuff.
I’m thinking about getting a nice tabletop tree, but haven’t found one yet.

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Lynn
12/26/2021 01:31:19 pm

I'm not ready to give up on decorating as yet, but I know I have to simplify to match my waning energy level. Same issue...getting up on ladders to get heavy boxes down from the high shelves in the garage.

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Susan Vanatta
12/31/2021 12:11:22 pm

the last 3 years I say that this is the last year, especially when anticipated taking it down...HA!!! so to celebrate that thought, I did both houses this year. Silly me...I suspect I will continue to say that and then ignore it.

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Lynn
1/3/2022 05:19:26 pm

But...you ARE Martha Stewart plus !!! I strive to follow your lead, but it's just too bloody exhausting :) LOVE all that you do! Me...I'm too worn out from taking Christmas down to even think about next year.

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    Lynn Nicholas - AUTHOR oF Dancing Between The Beats

    My blog is a window into my world. My slice-of-life narratives are triggered by life's
    moments  that transform or reveal.
    Please check out my published short fiction. Most stories are character-driven, situational and, just like life, sometimes humorous. Click for Amazon author page 

    LOOK for Dancing Between the Beats on Amazon and Barnes&Noble.com 

    —Lynn Nicholas

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