Have you done your holiday decorating yet?
We did it Sunday. The kids came over from the east bay and a friend came down from San Rafael. Before they arrived, I pulled all the boxes of decorations out and strung the lights on the tree. I lit the holiday candles so the house would smell Christmasy and unpacked the well-worn “I Believe in Santa Claus” pillow, the Nutcracker scene — and the nutcrackers, and put Sounds of the Seasons on the tv.
My friend arrived with a Christmas Cactus. The decorating itself never takes nearly as long as the preparation does. My daughter unpacks the ornaments with backstories: “Here’s Aunt Doris’ Crystal.” ‘Here’s the ornament we bought you from Gumps a few years ago.” “Look, here’s Ariel in the glass bubble.” “Here’s Alison’s drum set.”
Every year it’s the same stories, which makes it all the more precious. LIttle bits of our lives together, stretching back 36 years. Each year, when the tree is done, I wonder if I’ll still be around for next year.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share a virtual kitchen table with other readers of Daily Kos who aren’t throwing pies at one another. Drop by to talk about music, your weather, your garden, or what you cooked for supper…. Newcomers may notice that many who post in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table and hope to make some new friends as well.
