Oh the weather outside is frightful....

but the fire is so delightful.

But, please....do NOT let it snow, let is snow, let it snow.

We are knee deep in a blizzard and I am not enjoying it. One bit.

We had company all afternoon and towards the end of it, I kept anxiously glancing out the window wondering if they would be able to get out of our driveway. The snow is falling fiercely. The wind is howling and whirling, making it almost impossible to see and I don't really want to see those power lines swaying anyway....

But, the company just left and since they only have a few miles to get home, they will be okay.

We have Christmas guests too. Liv's Father is here and Nirand, his assistant. They are tucked away in twin beds up in our attic. Socks has been bedding down with them each night, to Liv's surprise. How feckless. Nirand took a wonderful photo of Tinton, Liv's Father sleeping peacefully in his bed, his arms wrapped around Socks, who was deep under the covers with him, only his head showing.

Our friends from Chicago, Vince and Thuan are also here and sleeping in our downstairs guest room.

Everyone is staying until January 3rd, so we are hunkered down for the storm and staying put.

Bing's famous chili is simmering. She also made pumpkin bars and buttermilk biscuits. We will open presents tonight after dinner.

Liv got nearly everything on her wish list. At age ten, she no longer believes in Santa. Actually, she stopped believing in first grade, to our (and her) relief. She was always a nervous wreck about him anyway. None of this starry eyed excitement for her. Nope. She was terrified but tried to hide it. She figured that it was the only way she would get presents, I think. But, the thought of some large man in a red suit, tromping on our roof with a bunch of reindeer scared the hell out of her. Nine times out of ten, she ended up in bed with me on Christmas Eve and had to be assured that he was gone before she would venture down the steps. We always made the obligatory cookies and set them out for Santa and she always looked faintly nauseated when I would read his thank you note to her.

Santa basically freaked her out. She was the same with the Easter Bunny. She saw nothing happy about an oversized rodent trampling around our back yard, hiding eggs. She found it worrisome. And the tooth fairy? Forget that shit. Her first tooth came out in kindergarten and her teacher gleefully gave her the tiny tooth in a small box and told her that if she left it out on her dresser, the tooth fairy would come take it and leave her a gift. When I picked Liv up at school that day, she got into the car with a wobbling chin and terrified eyes.

"Why does a little old lady collect children's teeth?" she wanted to know.

It was an interesting question. I chose to tell her then and there that it was just a little story that was told to children and that most thought it was charming.

She was relieved.

So, finding out that there was no Santa was like a calming restorative for her.

Whew! No more midnight intruders sliding down our chimney and eating our cookies.

Liv's wish list this year was wonderfully easy:

1) A bat house.
2) A few computer games.
3) A book about saving the rain forests.
4) New ice skates and a sled.
5) A lizard.

She got all except the lizard. And Vince and Thuan are giving her a slew of board games and a new black fleece dress coat from Biscotti. Her father got her a new skate board, some books about rocks, a lovely charm bracelet and rosin for her violin.

Nirand is giving her a children's cookbook.

Pretty good haul. I like the idea of eating our chili and then gathering to open gifts, maybe having a cup of spiked eggnog. And yes. Singing.

Yes, we are one of those nauseating families that serenade the tree. We even learned the song in my previous post and accompanied by Tinton on guitar, Bing on piano and Liv on sleigh bells, we will sing it and harmonize. Then each of us picks a Christmas tune and we sing that. It is dopey and sentimental and I always start out feeling silly and then end up all choked up because it is a tradition that Liv will always remember, along with her bringing the wise men closer and closer to the navity each day before Christmas. Liv almost always picks Jingle Bells. I like to listen to Nirand sing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Bing likes O Night Divine.

Everyone has a decent singing voice except me, so okay, sometimes I just mouth the words. It is my Christmas gift to everyone.

Sven, our neighbor, is home for Christmas and he and his mother walked over this morning to bring us an apple pie and presents. They gave me some gorgeous soft green notecards. Liv got a new softball mitt. Bing got a jazz cd and even Socks got a chew toy.

We are so lucky. We really are.

Tomorrow is iffy. We usually go to my sister's home for brunch but it is doubtful that we will be able to get out of the house, so maybe we will just stay home and be lollygaggers.

A fine way to spend the holiday. I like the idea of hanging out in my sweats.

And yes....a traditional turkey dinner is planned.

So, Merry Christmas to all and I want to hear from you. Tell me your family traditions. Your wish list and if Santa was good to you.

And hey...let's have a free for all...

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TUNE?

Mine is probably...Tiny King. Although after all our practice, I am very very fond of this one:



Merry Christmas, y'all. Stay warm and send good thoughts that we keep our electricity.....