Let it begin

Just a few more final touches and I'll be completely ready for Christmas. Normally by now I'm in full Christmas fever but this year I'm not quite as revved up. I'm not disliking the holidays this year but my normal over-the-top enthusiasm hasn't made its appearance.

We host Christmas celebrations at our home each year because B can't get into the apartments of others. Normally Christmas Eve morning finds me frantically scrubbing the toilet and stashing out of place stuff wherever I can find place to stash it but this year, due to us having just moved in, I'm more organized. Everything's clean and with the exception of sending the wine and champagne glasses through the dishwasher's rinse cycle and ironing a tablecloth, I'm ready for the holiday to begin. Oh, and I have to run to the store first thing in the morning. My MIL's oven seems to be crapping out and she's ruined three cakes today on the strength of it. Coffee and cake time is de rigueur on Christmas Eve and I don't have time to bake a cake tomorrow so it looks like it'll be Coppenrath und Wiese to the rescue.

B's aunt and uncle join us for one day of the celebrations and this year it's Christmas Eve. I tend to dread her constant loud talking and his incessent nose blowing but I've resigned myself to grit my teeth through any little irritations, just as long as their dog keeps her ass off my new sofa. Contrary to the delusions of B's aunt their dog isn't our "cousin" and doesn't get to romp all over my furniture. It's only four or five hours and I can manage to not roll my eyes during that time. They're really not such horrible people. It's as though they have some sort of deal worked out with God that if they're normal for ten minutes they then get to spend two minutes being completely annoying.

It's after they leave that I'm looking forward to. I want to put on my jammies, get on the sofa next to B, watch Christmas movies and eat popcorn and cookies until I'm half nauseated and then at midnight I want to stand on my balcony. Every church bell in the city will ring at midnight and since I'm now surrounded by churches - many more than in my old neighborhood - it should sound really wonderful.

And that's my very favorite part of Christmas. The gathering of family and exchanging gifts and eating cream cake and being warm and comfortable at home is wonderful but then when I hear the bells of Christmas it touches my heart.

May the peace and joy of the season be with you and your family.