2000: Visions of Sugarplums WEBSITES OF THE DAY
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SILENT NIGHT 26 December 2004 It looked like a scene out of some British horror movie. It was dark, the fog swirled thickly around us as we drove into the cemetery. In the distance we could just make out four shadows moving about, the fog swallowing up the sound of their voices. Beyond them, a white object rose up and fell, like a disembodied spirit, just barely perceptible in the dense fog. We were making our annual Christmas eve pilgrimage to Dave and Paul's grave and the four people in the distance were Ned, Marta and two of their friends (one of whom is our dog sitter). The white object in the distance was a balloon someone had brought to some other grave. We stood around, shivering in the cold, drinking the mulled apple cider that Ned and Marta had brought and once again we poured some Jim Beam over the grave. I commented that Paul and Dave seem to get less Jim Beam every year.
At 4 p.m., I went down to the Veterans Memorial Center to help out with the annual Community Meals. This is a meal for anybody in town who wants to attend, but it's really designed for homeless and low-income people and families. But many members of the community come as well (and leave a donation to help defray costs). It's quite a festive occasion, with musicians playing throughout the evening, food donated by the Davis Food Co-op, and desserts provided by volunteers (there were peanutbutter truffles to die for!). There were little bags of chocolate for everyone to take home when they left, and a local book store had brought lots of free books for all the kids who came to take home with them. My job was pretty mundane. I was the counter. I sat there for an hour and a half and pushed the clicker on a counter whenever anybody walked through the door. By the time I left, over 500 people had been there to eat, and my replacement would work for at least half an hour more.
Marta's family always has a burrito dinner on Christmas eve and everything was, of course, perfect. We were a smaller group this year, with no Jeri, and with my mother not being with us, but Marta's two nieces (age 2 and 4) always make it fun, and of course there were the PUPPIES!
The six Chow puppies are now 3 weeks old and just starting to toddle around, eyes half closed. To play with them, we had to wash our hands and take off our shoes and then sit on a sheet in the kitchen, which we all did. They were just too cute not to take advantage of the chance to get up close and personal. And of course, no Christmas Eve at the Wilsons would be complete without the annual kazoo chorus of every Christmas carol we could think of.
What I especially love at these gatherings is watching Ned play with the little kids, and trying to decide who is really the youngest--Ned or the kids!
But now it's time to get ready for the family to arrive for Christmas dinner and have our own celebration here. Mood |
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Created 12/23/04
I had spent the day cleaning up the house
in preparation for Christmas dinner. With all of Walt's mother's stuff out of the
living room, finally (thank you, Jeri!) I was able to get the room (somewhat) dusted and
(somewhat) decorated. There is still more to do before the group arrives.
When I
left, I came home to pick up Walt and we headed off to Marta's parents' home for dinner.
I had seen Ned earlier at the dinner (he was working next door in the theatre) and
it was going to be interesting to see what everyone thought of his new look. (I am
writing this on Christmas morning and I can hardly wait to hear what the grandmothers have
to say about this when they see him for the first time. I suggested that since it's green,
he should decorate it with tinsel or something.
