Very Different This Year

Here we are in the second week of Advent and this year the Christmas Season will be different in many ways. It will be the first Christmas without Richard's mom and the second Christmas without my mum. Even though neither of them was able to come to Christmas dinner for the last couple of years, we set aside time to see them on Christmas Day. Usually we have planned Christmas well in advance but this year it will be very casual. We're having one friend over and perhaps David and perhaps Bill depending on when he is going out to the coast. It will be very quiet.

The lead up to Christmas has always been a time of great anticipation, probably because I've always been exhausted at this point in the year and have felt that if I could just hang on until the holidays, I could rejuvenate. I watch myself calmly living the days this year and I'm very grateful that I feel none of the desperation that usually accompanies the season. I'm not exhausted from teaching. I get enough sleep and my days are filled with interesting things to do.

I have one more coat of wax to put on the last of the Christmas commissions so I'm well ahead of the game there instead of putting finishing touches on boxes on Christmas Eve. I have no gifts bought for Richard yet but I have a couple of ideas. Christmas will be small this year since we have only 3 people besides each other with whom we exchange gifts.

The singing schedule is busy as it is every year and that is what makes the season fun. This year in our house, Christmas will be a quiet time to look back and enjoy all the gifts we have throughout the year. Mum used to say that she didn't like Christmas because all of her usual activities came to a halt. Perhaps I will feel that way one day but this year I'm grateful that so many of the days have been like Christmas Day, pleasant cozy and quiet. I know it's nearing Christmas because the Christmas cactus that refused to bloom for so many years has many blooms on it.

The bunny that frequents our yard has turned white even though there is very little snow. He (she?) nibbles at the bits of grass that are still green and sometimes snuggles up to the woodpile where it's more sheltered. I saw the cat from across the street in our yard today and wondered if it would scare the bunny off but the bunny remained in the yard for much of the afternoon. I always like to look out my window and see him there.

Another way I know Christmas is coming is that it's dark out at 5 pm, although this year I can go out in the sun every day if I want to and I don't have to drive to work in the dark and come home in the dark. So many changes. most of them good.