My Holiday Spirit

blown glass tree found while shopping with the sisters at the thrift store last year

I secretly like Christmas.

I pretend like I think it’s a stupid holiday, and in fact, I have a lot of criticism of the holiday but there are days when I kind of get this (I hate this word)”magical” feeling. There. I said it. I’m sure I’m going to be condemned now for using that stupid word. When I think of the word magical I think of My Little Pony, Dungeons and Dragons and New Age Spirituality. I don’t know how those three things are in common, but they all fit my description of magical.

I hated Christmas for a long time. Then there was a period of years where I didn’t complain about it and went through the motions.  Those were the years I spent it with my ex’s family. He had a kid and when you have a kid around you kind of act like Christmas is special because kids are taught that it’s special. Christmas was kind of nice at my ex’s family’s house. I always got a lot of presents from his family, although not-a-one from my ex.

Now we have a bunch of kids in my family. None of them are mine, but I would love for all us sisters to travel to one place for the holidays and have Christmas morning together with all the kids. The thought of everyone opening presents in their jammies seems really fun. I would even make the breakfast for that.

A few years ago I found this ceramic light up tree at a garage sale. The lady told me Someone’s Aunt made it and it’s signed “handmade by Shirley.” There are a lot of trees like mine sold at Estate Sales, so I think it was sold in some kind of kit sometime in the 70′s. I love my “Handmade by Shirley” tree. I know two people named Shirley and both those people are very special to me.

All my Christmas Decorations fit into one box: one little tree, one long string of white lights, one short string, 2 stockings, one tiny nativity scene, and various glass and wood objects that I’ve somehow inherited. I’ve had most of these decorations for years and I know exactly where or who from I recieved them.  Some years I just unpack the tree and some years I go all out and unpack the whole box.

bought in San antonio while visiting Mom

This year I unpacked entire box and I hung the string of lights in the window.  Where do you put stockings if you don’t have a chimney? Santa Claus will be coming through the door,  but mine is made out of metal and I don’t want to drill a permannent hole in my door just for the dude that comes once a year.

I’m still working on my attitude towards Thanksgiving. I am going to prepare a whole chicken and stuffing. Buying a turkey was way to big of commitment; one that’s been farm raised costs $75 and I’m not sure what “farm raised” means on a label. Aren’t all turkeys farm raised? When’s the last time you had a turkey raised in an apartment in The Bronx? Honestly, I think I’d rather have the turkey from The Bronx, or maybe Upper East Side Manhattan…at least I would know he lived well.

How’s your attitude toward the holidays?

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