December, Previous and Current | Fragrance Posse

Oh, Christmas Rat, Oh Christmas Rat…

Hey mates! Anita’s nonetheless in beatdown/restoration mode from her pinched nerve, and keyboard typing is a no-no proper now, so she requested me to take right now. So right here we’re! Let’s speak about any particular stuff you’ve finished or are doing this time of 12 months, both holiday-related or simply as a result of.

In D.C., I believe the youngsters and I went to our native “pageant of lights” factor on the close by botanical backyard each December till COVID hit. It’s park-and-walk somewhat than drive-through, a type of issues with big gentle shows in varied shapes. When the ladies have been youthful they cherished it; after they have been older and possibly “too cool” for it, the twins have been small, and so the ladies nonetheless wished to return … and we simply stored going, even with the youngest nicely into their teenagers. There’s one thing about that sort of occasion that means that you can really feel like a child once more, and in 20 years I by no means received uninterested in it. I hope it’s again this 12 months, although I’m not there any longer.

So my deal with to myself right here in addition to my church-bazaar cookies has been all the vacation musical occasions. Clearly there have been a ton of these within the D.C. space however there was all the time the trouble issue – did I wish to drive all that manner, and take care of parking? Right here, okay it’s not the Kennedy Middle, however there are infinite choral and instrumental teams and numerous the performances are in native church buildings or on the museums downtown, and on the cheaper finish they vary from free to, say, $25. (There are dearer performances, one among which I’m going to on Christmas Eve, however in any other case $25 is my candy spot.)

I went to listen to Christmas carols finished with handbells and a few impromptu singing on the Presbyterian church on Friday evening; we sang “In The Bleak Midwinter” which is likely one of the loveliest carols ever written, in my view. Saturday I went with a good friend to a live performance at Cristo Rey catholic church which is previous and really plain inside and I believe it’s beautiful along with having wonderful acoustics. Tomorrow evening I’m going to a Christmas live performance at St. Francis Cathedral downtown. I’m carrying my N95, we’re having a surge of flu/RSV/COVID right here, and most people have been masked as nicely although it wasn’t required.

I’ve finished a minimal quantity of vacation adorning together with Christmas Rat proven up high (thanks Anita!) which she gave me years in the past after that Thanksgiving when the rats got here up from the basement at evening and walked on all my pies within the kitchen, what a horror present, though humorous now. Additionally right here’s my Christmas cactus blooming like mad, that’s the opposite picture, isn’t it fairly?!? I rescued it from the trash years in the past, I’m a plant-rescuer.

Do you do something particular this time of 12 months? Any particular recollections?