1:04 AM - 26.12.04
Day Tripping
"Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings,
all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'."
Bing Crosby
Amen.
When I returned home yesterday, I was a bit cranky. Trying to filter the sights and experiences of the morning downtown to find that inner balance to enter into the true Spirit of the season, rather than the tarted up "for sale" version. Stopped at the grocery store to pick up stocking stuffers for my still at home sons. Small grace notes - things for personal care, basically. I was content with that until I walked in the door and found - chaos. My youngest had promised that certain cleaning duties would be completed by the time I arrived home. Not. Reality and spiritual imperatives don't always occupy that same space in our lives without extra adjustments of expectations, I guess. The looming Christmas Eve visit with his Dad's side of the equation meant that there wasn't much time left to get his tasks done, either. Blew off a bit of steam, because this is an on-going theme with him. First the lack of recognition that a promise - even a small one - matters, sometimes much more than he realizes. Second the disregard for the need to keep our living space clean and orderly. It isn't about control - what I think he sees - but about basic health care. With the number of cats we have, it is an imperative as well. I don't think he understands what it feels like to walk in the door to find all the work one has done the day before undone and, even moreso, the disorder amplified. Yes, the baking the night before was important, but not at the expense of the other. Anyway he did what I asked and then motored off with his brothers - sons three, four and five - for feast number one. I continued cleaning, mostly laundry, and then just washing the floors. I was still fussing when my young men returned, but at least I felt I could wake up to a pleasant Christmas morning.
I had been feeling the effects of the flu off and on most of Christmas Eve. I had hoped the clean house and a good sleep would clear it up for good. Not. Woke up with a migraine and tummy ache - that cookie dough I guess, self induced. The telephone was ringing as I emerged from my bedroom. My sister calling to say that my Dad had come down with the flu so, since the family gathering was to be at his home, what did I think would be the best choice for dealing with it. Dad had said to just go ahead and use his basement if we wished. My own feeling, fostered in part by how I felt, was that we should reschedule the whole party for later when he felt better. The whole idea of a family gathering is that everyone should be able to be there - one of my nephews was ill too. Our children are all old enough to cope with that reality and, other than my gang, everyone else had one other family dinner - in-laws - to go to anyway. No big deal. My sister agreed, but in the end we were over-ruled by the rest of the sibs. They intended to show up at Dad's regardless, so we had better come too. Quite honestly I just wanted to crawl back into bed. I'd made my two dishes - honey garlic noodles with pork and a vegetable medley of carrots, mushrooms, green onions and celery herbed with rosemary and savory - and offered to send them with my guys. My sister was ok with that, but my sons weren't. I was in my jammies when they arrived to pick us up and it was apparent they intended to wait until I changed and joined them. Fine.
The drive over was pleasant. Warm-for-us weather meant clear roads and scenery that was more reminiscent of the end of harvest season than winter. You know that hay-coloured, slipping-into-hibernation look that mother earth wears at that time. By the time we left my Dad's though, less than three hours later, we had the "white Christmas" theme instead. Soft, fluffy, white snowflakes drifting lazily down to the ground, coating everything in sight with that pristine, luminescent winter mantle; the cold frosting the windows and the light filtering through the clouds. Beautiful and still it was.
The family gathering was a bit subdued, but comfortable. Everyone just enjoying each others' company. My Dad was obviously in the grip of that first wave of the flu, but he wandered in and out of the party as he wished. There was the gift taking/game and the buffet of traditional goodies seasoned with laughter and an easy comraderie. I had been collecting some books on female mystics for the sister who had called, one book for my sister's sister-in-law to be delivered at the in-laws later on, and one requested by my Dad dealing with archetypes - so I brought those along as extra offerings of the day as well. Guess it worked out the way it was supposed to in the end. We left my Dad's fridge filled with "comfort food" and headed back home for the day, only to be greeted by ecstatic cats upon our arrival home. They had been anticipating a long day of no worship and maid service from their humans, I think. We had feasted them with tuna on Christmas Eve and their reward for being tolerant of out human family duties was some toothsome turkey tonight. At present sons and cats are all sleeping pecefully and I think I'll join them now.
Good Night, Dear Diary, Happy Christmas Everyone.
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