Christmas Traditions

When I was a kid, I'd wake up in the middle of the night at Christmas, sneak downstairs, and open all my presents. At first I was very careful to peel the tape from the wrapping paper, so I could reconstruct the scene. Eventually, when I got too old to spank, I just ripped them open.

I still do that. It's the only Christmas tradition that survived my childhood. More have been acquired, however. An old friend gave me a copy of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Chistmas in Wales, and I like to re-read it every year. The most accessible tradition for the many folks who read my blog - all three of you - is a story that NPR broadcasts at Christmas. Short and sweet. I recommend it. I can't seem to provide a link, seeing as Machines Are All Against Me, so Google John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story. (So there, stupid computer.)

Soon is Relative, and Ambiguous

So. Lately I've been busy working, preparing for work, recovering from work, you know the story. Plus various mechanical, electronic, and karmic malfunctions, eating time and causing frustration. For example, Friday evening I had dinner with my mother. After months of silence, she suddenly started phoning me and asking me when I was going to come to dinner. When I ran out of excuses, I agreed to show up. Conversation was a poorly edited movie, directed perhaps by Woody Allen. Whatever I asked her, she answered whatever question was in her head at the time. I've learned to go along with whatever seems real to her, even if it means that " You must be dreaming" if I remember giving her a computer. She thinks she's good at covering her senility,and it scares her when she gets confused, so we go with the flow to avoid tantrums. She used to be like Livia on the Sopranos, but she was quite mellow Friday.

As I sat there thinking at least I'll get points for accepting her dinner invitation, she asked " What made you decide to call me after all this time? " Conversation was sparse after I reminded her that she called me. Oh well.

On a positive note, I've discovered a website that lets you cancel the mail catalogs you don't want to receive anymore. I read about it on Mason-Dixon Knitting.
www.catalogchoice.org