Christmas Past

It's the last day of Winter Break Christmas Vacation for me. I wish I had a lovely photograph of snow to put above my post, but we've had what my husband called "a Tennessee Christmas": lots of gray, rainy weather. It hasn't dampened my spirits.

This was such a lovely two weeks off. They began with my mother and I baking Christmas cookies together while listening to the radio playing glorious music like Handel's Messiah. And each day after that was more special than the one before, from Christmas Eve services with lit candles (I hope they never stop doing that in church, the whole sanctuary holding real flames atop real candles which always seem to burn your hand no matter what holder they're stuck into) to praying for my son's safety on New Year's Eve.

I was able to read so many books! I read Across the River and Into The Trees by Hemingway, Believing The Lie by Elizabeth George, Loving by Henry Green, The Buddha In The Attic by Julie Otsuka, The Bastard by Kim Novak, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, Shutter Island by Dennis LeHane, and now I'm finishing up a new book from Penguin UK called Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. Then I will be concentrating on The Savage Detectives for Richard's and Rise's group read.

There's not much you can give me in the way of presents beyond time to read and time with family. I spent every minute I could with my parents before they left for Florida; then last night my son and I went to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol before having dinner at Stir Crazy. My boy, my 21 year old man son, sitting across the table from me with a Bud Light. Weird, but wonderful, to see him growing up.

"What are you doing tomorrow, Mom?" he asked.

"Sitting and reading," I replied. "You know, on my 'island', alone with a book. My favorite thing to do."

And from then on, it was tease me about my 'island'. "Look at Miss Ten and Two", he said from the passenger seat as if his driving record is such that he can mock my safety. "She'll be reading on her island tomorrow."

Which is today. Which I will do because on Saturday? It will be time to take down the creche. The tree. The crispy garland over the mantle. My origami ornaments on the little tree on my bathroom counter. Christmas will be officially over.

But, what a Christmas it was.