Between the anniversary and Bhutto's assassination, I'm just getting around to this. Because of the anniversary and the assassination, it is important that I get around to this.
* The Mystery Gift was a French butter bell from the Lovely Cats. Love these things and am thrilled to have one of my own.
* Ten years may or may not be enough time to be able to be happy after the death of a loved one. Ten years when combined with a big-picture happiness is definitely enough time.
* The most annoying Christmas song isn't "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." It is actually the one titled something like "Christmas Shoes." The one about the kid looking to buy shoes for his mother before she dies on Christmas Eve. Yes, yes, I know. It's supposed to be moving and touching and remind us all to live each day and celebrate Christmas. For me, it just annoys me. To no end.
* I have the most gorgeous collection of amber necklaces ever. So many reasons I love Lithus.
* In an earlier post, I mentioned that I top my tree with a cross. This raised questions for some people. Here's the story (it's a little long...) When my parents were first married, they couldn't afford a tree topper. So, Daddy went and got gold tin foil (it was readily available then) and made a cross from cardboard and gold tin foil. That thing topped the tree for YEARS. Over time, gold tin foil stopped being so readily available and the cross got more and more beat up. Skip forward several years...I'm a pre-teen and early teenager when my friend, Gail, becomes a surrogate mom to me (as most of you know, my relationship with Mama has been iffy most of my life so Gail REALLY filled in A LOT during the awful time of being a teenager.) She also worked at the Ground Round as a waitress. One night ~ it wasn't even during the holidays ~ we were eating at the Ground Round and Daddy realized his baked potato was wrapped in gold foil. He asked Gail to find out where they had gotten it so he could recover the cross. Instead, she brought him several sheets of it. Daddy never got around to recovering his cross. Skip forward another year or two. Gail dies of cancer on my 16th birthday. Needless to say, I don't handle it well but life goes on. Three years later, I'm 19 and throwing my first Christmas party. I can't afford many ornaments so I tell everyone the "price of admission" is a decoration for my tree. My parents make a token appearance (as they are aware parents/the chair of the Communications Department probably aren't *that* welcome at a college party) but bring a decoration with them. It is a cross tree-topper made from cardboard and covered with the gold foil Gail had given Daddy all those years ago. Now, I have both crosses and use them interchangeably or, sometimes, have two trees and use them both.
* Having your best friend's parents send you a holiday present is a present in and of itself.
* Beef Wellington tastes as good as I remember.
* The reason I celebrate Christmas is best explained by A Christmas Carol. We all know the story. But if you haven't really paid attention recently, revisit it. Either read the original story ~ paying very close attention to the end ~ or watch the George C. Scott version from the mid-80s. Really listen. You'll understand why ~ and how ~ this Pagan celebrates Christmas.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
Those are Pobble Christmas thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you egg nog.
15 comments:
Your story about the cross on your tree really moved me. I hang ONE piece of tinsel on my tree every year. It comes from a package of tinsel my My Ma'am Ma had given me the summber before I started fourth grade. She told me to keep it for my first tree.
Three moves and twelve years later I pulled that package out to put it on my first tree. Bear suggested that I only use one piece so I could have her with me every year. So I hung one piece. I called her afterwards and told her about it. She cried that I would have kept it that long.
This year I hung my fifteenth piece of tinsel. The kids have told me that when they get their trees that they each want one piece for the top of their trees as well.
Ma'am Ma died three years ago. I was at her side.
Love the tree topper story, it moved me also. I'm going to come over some day and see that necklace collection in person. You have to wear them all at once.
I hate that Christmas shoes song for the very reasons you mentioned... it was written specifically to make people weepy and that's emotional manipulation, period. It's schmaltzy, and I'll have none of it, thankyouverymuch.
Know what? It never once crossed my mind to wonder why you celebrate Christmas or hang a cross on your tree. It just didn't seem odd or out of place to me, which might be odd. My tree is decorated primarily with ornaments that either I made or that were given to us. We were married in December, so we didn't have ornaments for the tree. I made some, and we then threw a tree trimming party where the price of admission was an ornament. We did that for many years, although we stopped requesting ornaments. We just invited everyone over for a party and to trim the tree. 95% of the ornaments on our tree have special meaning to us. The whole reason I had to throw a party for our friends last night is that we didn't have time for the annual party before Christmas, and everyone was upset about it! I'll post more about that later.
So glad that happiness abounds. May the new year bring you and abundance of peace, joy, love, prosperity and good health. And a trip to NJ.
It never once occurred to me to wonder why you celebrate Christmas or top your tree with a cross! I love the story though. What a fabulous memory and so very touching. You are blessed Pobble. Happy New Year friend.
Krystal ~ LOVE this story! Bear is a wise man.
GNGirl ~ You have a deal! And that's how I wore them on Christmas day ~ every time I opened a new one, I put it on. :)
Jaded ~ *sigh* I WILL make that party one of these years. I just...will.
Traci ~ You're right; I am truly blessed and am grateful for it every day of my life. :)
A really touching story. Snif.
May you have a great new years eve and wonderful year ahead.
Cas and C
I don't think it's pagans that need to justify their traditios but Christianity that should justify tree worship, the sanctification of an admitted wizard, co-opting midwinteretivals when Jesus wasn't even born in t winter... the list could go on. Just remember that Odin the Alfather used to ride his eight legged horse, Sleipner, through the night sky during solstice and give presents to good little Nordic children. Put up that cross, and may the Aesir bless you with strength and courage that you may feast forever in Valhalla!
I love the Cross Tree Topper, it is full of good memories.
this year we (the two college kids) decided our tree topper was lame and it was. We bought it 25 years ago when money was really tight.
This year we have an original tree topper..
A Bat Man Ornament. Bat Man is using his bat rope to climb to the top, penquin ornaments are surrounding a lower branch and a Pirate ornament in just below Bat Man and the Penquin. We got a lot of laughs. The rest of the tree is filled with new and old traditional ornamets.
This is the first year I really enjoyed Christmas since my mother passed 5 years ago. Her BD is also 12/25, but I know she wants life to go on and this year we had lots of fun in her honor.
It sounds like you've had an excellent holiday season. Congrats.
Have a great New Years as well Pobble.
Yeah! What everybody said!
Cheers Pobble!
Casdok ~ Thanks. May you and C have nothing but happiness in 2008!
GOML! ~ Merry meet. :) That bullet wasn't a defense, however. I have wondered (all on my own) why I still celebrate Christmas and not just Yule. Why Christmas is *still* an important holiday to me. While watching George C. this year, I realized why. And wanted to share.
Nancy ~ I know the feeling. The anniversary referenced in my post is my father's death. He died 10 years ago on the 26th. This was the first year I was *really* happy. Glad you are finding it again as well.
$$ ~ I have had a great season. Hope you have as well!
Tai ~ Thanks! And cheers to you as well!
I never once questioned why you'd have a cross on your tree, as I assumed there would be a beautiful meaning behind your actions -- and there is. Thanks for sharing such a moving memory.
Nor did I question the 'pagan celebrating Christmas' angle, because there are so many wonderful elements to this holiday that it would be difficult NOT to get involved and celebrate! It seems to me that the importance of love, feasting, family and friends know few cultural boundaries. Happy yule to y'all!
And happy 2008 to you, Pobble!
The silent lurker has returned :-) I too STRONGLY dislike the song "The Christmas Shoes"... it's so sappy that it's annoying as hell. Your story about the cross on your tree was beautiful - thank you for sharing with us. So glad I found your blog this past year - I hope 2008 brings you much joy and happiness! ~Melissa~
"Christmas Shoes" is emotionally manipulative and I HATE it with a passion. It's like when movie people feel the need to use music to underscore the DRAMA and EMOTION of a scene coz' ya know, we're all to stoopid to figure out what we're supposed to be feeling. WTF.
I raise all of your amber pieces and see you one Guitar Hero III with two limited edition guitars and a dual-guitar carrying case. Yeah, I know, if you were into video games, you'd be soooo jealous of me. :-)
Glad things are going well for you, my friend. Very glad, indeed.
Wolfgrrrl ~ Thanks for the trust and for enjoying the story.
Melissa ~ You are welcome any time!
Nemeria ~ ooooo! Guitar Hero III!!!! SCORE! I hadn't pictured you a Wii person, I'll be honest but Guitar Hero? I can SO see that!
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