It sometimes feels like a marathon . . .

We as human beings carry out some very strange rituals in the name of preserving tradition, even though these practices may leave us spent, tired and craving some alone time after they have passed for another year. How I love Christmas and the lead up to the days of family gatherings, friends, food and laughter as we catch up with one another in person from our various homes, nearby and provinces away! I revel in making our home a welcoming place by cleaning, re-arranging and decorating its rooms for the yuletide times so that Jules comes home from work each night in December wondering what else I have strewn with lights, boughs and baubles. She smilingly approves and tells me how nice it looks, and I know she is sincere, for it is not this part of the celebrations that either of us find taxing.


Where things get tricky is the part where we are invited out or we invite others in. Is it my age or am I just becoming less inclined to socialize? The cast of characters remains pretty stable - old friends, neighbours, siblings, cousins and children. Jules is not a big fan of crowds and noise. She loves these people but in small doses, and if there's something about Christmas that is troublesome to her, it would be large, loud gatherings with voices raised above music, hockey games, and calling from one room (or storey, for that matter) to another to round up the crew to get going. This is why either one of us gets a "by" if we need it on occasion. We have an agreement that she or I can be excused from play if we have simply had our fill. How I love the way this works! Now and then, we both send our regrets because we are double-booked, or just want to stay home, on our own in our comfortable nest that time.


We are such creatures of habit within our own domain, all of us. For the first time this year, our home was occupied not just by us, but for a couple of days and nights by our son, his partner and three awesome young people. The other 357 (give or take!) days of the year, we are free to walk around in our pjs and not lock the bathroom door. Now there are seven people wanting the shower . . . Add to it Christmas gifts for four more people, two adorable and well-behaved Golden Retrievers, meals, snacks and drinks at all hours, and there is disruption however brief. We not only survived, but had a wonderful time together!

Some miraculous transformation has come over me in the past few years around this time of holiday joy. Where I once would have stressed and fretted about every tiny detail, I am now much more sanguine and relaxed. Not very single dog hair needs to be removed from every surface. Dogs live here. There are three varieties of cookies, not eight. Adjust. The tree has blue and silver and hot pink shatterproof ornaments and a kitten sleeping in it. Yaaaaay!


I loved the hive of activity at our home from the 23rd to 25th with the arrival of our little family from The Passage. My heart was so full when after dinner on the night they came, all of us were tucked into our beds for the night, under this roof where my own parents made so many wonderful Christmas memories for us. Christmas Eve was so nice with friends and family at our open house for gentle snowfall and the brass band and carolers. We broke tradition and opened our presents after the guests had left, leaving stockings for morning and then brunch before they had to leave for home and other celebrations.

Blended families have some extra pressure to share time with the former spouses and other families and we're not alone in this, as that same scenario plays out in our siblings' homes as well. Somehow we manage all the roadtrips and dinners and get the precious hours together with those we love. Christmas dinner and gifts in Upper Granville, Boxing Day at brother Number One's, the following night at Susie P's, New Year's Day at TNTZ's. Hugs and kisses. Peals of laughter. Go, go, go.

Give me the noise, confusion and people time every year - full on. We are very blessed. Sometimes the holidays are like a marathon, but it is so worth it!