Just sitting in Comma Coffee listening to some live old time banjo music from one of our local old guys band. Interesting but after awhile, all the songs sound the same - just a little too much washboard at times - I guess it beats cowbells. I think being out of the house today has helped get me into the mood to blog today because during this time of year, and being around the kitchen all day, I just want to bake, which I have been doing a lot of. I've been able to give a lot of it away to friends which makes me feel a little more involved in the Christmas season. I was very busy doing a picture book for my siblings with all the really old photos we had of our parents and grandparents. It was a real chore to get them all scanned and put into an arrangment for printing. I still have to do some kind of key so that everyone knows who is who. My mom had sorted the pictures and given each of us kids our share but none of us knew who had what so, earlier this year I asked my brothers and sisters to send me what they had and I'd put something together. I didn't realize how little we had after they had all arrived by post but, nonetheless, the collection made for a nice book we can all share and past down to our children. I'm sure many families end up with incomplete photo collections as siblings move away from each other and photos end up getting lost or misplaced, not to mention those family members who really could care less about their heritage. I've been wondering lately just what my cousins may or may not have in the way of photos. Another task for me to do one of these days.
The Holidays have seemed rather subdued this year. This season is the first for Bob and I as official empty nesters. I must admit that the house stays much cleaner but I do miss having the available conversation when others are in the house. I've enjoyed listening to my Christmas music everyday and am sure that someone would end up saying something about it if they were subjected to it all day long. I love it. Music makes life rich and poetic and isn't that what it's all about - making life poetic? I believe so. It's certainly not about working yourself to death to make enough money to buy all the stuff that ends up cluttering thought, clouding emotion and getting in the way of real love. It's a trap that I've periodically been snared by. Reflecting on all the things I felt I couldn't live without or the impulse buying I've done for the instant rush is puzzling at best. I'm not sure whether it's a symptom of the times we live in or of the generations past who existed on so little and wanted us to have so much more than they did. Why has consumption become such a conspicuous measure of success for many Americans? Sometimes I'm envious of the lives I can imagine my ancestors living where hard work producing the things they did enjoy gave such a wholesome quality to life and was the true measure of comfort. The things they did have were so special to them. Nowadays, we have so much that we can't place much sentimental value on anything. We don't even anticipate passing down family heirlooms because all the stuff we have can be easily replaced or bought from the next year's clearance table. I didn't even put the fake Christmas tree up this year. I ended up decorating a live evergreen houseplant with only those tree decorations that were made for me by friends, my mom, or by me. An evergreen garland holds the overflow that didn't fit on the houseplant. I must say, my house looks decorated and festive but not contrived. I feel very comfortable this year and look forward to sharing food and wine with friends and, of course, cooking for my guys the feast that is anticipated by all of them. That's really what I enjoy the most. The cherry on top would be to have the company of a dog as loving and good as Buzz was - someday perhaps, after Bob and I have decided not to do so much traveling.
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