In fact, for us it is Christmas… We are not highly religious but do observe
the holiday… Our dinner falls on Christmas Eve… The night before, but in fact
the beginning of the festivities…
Tonight we hosted a dinner… for our family… ourselves and
our children, Steph and Brian (Brian visiting from Florida… ) We had all three “extra”
daughters… young ladies who are friends of our children, and who spend time
here at our home… all have had keys to the house at some point… Two of the
extra daughters brought their mothers… the third has in the past… being an
extra daughter does not mean abandoning family… just joining an extra family… The
final guest long term friend, is a one time employee…and family...
We ate… we ate more… we had my families traditional
Christmas Eve repast… roast beef (aka roast beast… or a standing rib roast or a
prime rib… ) with Yorkshire pudding, and a salad… we had asparagus as well… Brussels sprout
have been severed some years… we considered them but asparagus won… asparagus with sauce hollandaise…
There was wine…
There was rice pudding… Danish rice pudding… a tradition from
Tina’s side that I have embraced… there is a hidden almond… I found the almond
and won the prize… Alternately we had a
chocolate cheese cake and an apple pie…
An abundance of food (or wine) was not an issue…
After dinner we played Cards Against Humanity… a rude and
crude card game… It was fun… I believe for all… but may have challenged the cultural
sensitivities of some… For we had a diverse
bunch here for dinner… Indonesian, Sikh, and “English”…
Now, nearly midnight… all others have left for home or gone
to bed…
There is a fire burning… an illegal fire… for it
is a no-burn night… I believe for our celebration the fire is sacred…
both for the warmth and place to gather on a cold eve… but also as the celebration
of the turn… the turn when the days go from shorter and shorter to longer… The solstice… the holiday celebrated before the
Roman occupation… before the Romans adopted the day as a day to celebrate the birth
of Christ…
I have walked the dog… about the neighborhood… some houses
with their seasonal lights still blazing… a challenge to the darkness of winter…
Good night… it is for me…
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