Today will be spent making lasagne (our traditional Christmas Eve dinner), watching Scrooged and A Christmas Story, and later this evening my mother, stepfather, sister, Partner Unit and I will play Trivia Pursuit, Hearts and Scattegories, which means that someone will lose an eye or an appendage since we are so competitive.

We will crack open the wine about 4:00 pm, and be lit up like a Christmas tree by about 10, and then in the morning we will wake up, make coffee and the traditional Christmas Breakfast (bits of bacon and sausage chopped up and mixed in scrambled eggs with cheese, and cinnamon rolls. Only my eggs will be sans the dead animal by-products). Then we open presents, eat until we're ill, and go for the other limbs of our loved ones as we continue playing games.

Finally, I am back to understanding our rituals. The way that Christmas has been in our family as long as I can remember. And although I maybe don't feel a big tug on my heart when I fly into U.S. airspace, I do feel a big tug when I know the ritual that is Christmas.

And so with that, I am off to the grocery store. And I just wanted to say, to all my non-Christmas celebrating readers: take the day off and kick back and relax.

And to all of you: Merry Christmas.

-H.

Posted by: Everydaystranger at 02:37 PM | Comments (15) | Add Comment
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1 Merry Christmas to you! Have a great Holiday!

Posted by: amber at December 24, 2003 02:42 PM (iJZeQ)

2 Helen, Have a very Merry Christmas! Also, FYI... A Christmas Story was filmed in Cleveland. Oh I know... way back when but, it's something to be proud of. I hope Luuk watches it and waits in anitcipation for our fun filled time together in Ohio. Be safe.

Posted by: Tiffani at December 24, 2003 02:58 PM (0i1dP)

3 Merry Christmas to you, too, Amber and Tiffani. And Tiffani, did you know that Fritz from that movie became a porn king in his later years? Weird, but apparently true...

Posted by: Helen at December 24, 2003 03:00 PM (FpuBY)

4 Merry Christmas girl!!!! I wish you so many good things at the end of this year and the beginning of the next I will be opening a bottle of good Christmas beer tonight...Delerium Noel or Anchor Christmas...not sure which...or maybe both!

Posted by: Rob at December 24, 2003 03:01 PM (pL1ga)

5 Merry Christmas to you as well!

Posted by: Ash at December 24, 2003 03:07 PM (D0X9D)

6 im stuck working on this freaking day.. bah.. im off on my lunch break to buy wine etc for christmas to spend with the new pylorns g/f (tm)

Posted by: pylorns at December 24, 2003 03:29 PM (AhTDr)

7 To H and everybody else here - Merry Christmas! If you've been good Santa will reward you. If you've been bad just remember what the T-shirt says "1 Day of coal, 364 days of fun - I'll take my chances!" Ho Ho Ho PC

Posted by: Paul USA at December 24, 2003 04:54 PM (bWfDG)

8 Merry Christmas, Helen! Hope it's a great one.

Posted by: pam at December 24, 2003 05:50 PM (VTBBF)

9 Merry Christmas Helen! And may all your dreams and wishes come true!

Posted by: Les at December 24, 2003 06:49 PM (HztMe)

10 I'm getting a black cat, friday the thirteenth kind of feeling here Are you sure you are not in my family? We are having lasagne tonight. Even the breakfast is almost exactly the same. I am always filled with good nostalgic feelings for christmas. It's great. Have a very Merry Christmas, and I hope you win the games and keep all of your limbs in tact.

Posted by: Guinness at December 24, 2003 07:00 PM (5jKa8)

11 "A Christmas Story". Wierd, but did you realize that this movie is 20 years old? I've been watching the same movie every year for 20 years. Sometimes more than once in a year. Wow, I feel like a piece of nostalgia now. Merry Christmas, Helen dear!

Posted by: Jim at December 24, 2003 07:38 PM (IOwam)

12 Merry Christmas to H and everyone else.....(PS Helen: I'll keep the cellphone handy just in case I need to make a quick run to Dallas...)

Posted by: Mitzi at December 24, 2003 10:41 PM (dyxKE)

13 Merry Xmas sweetie and I hope that all your dreams come true for the new year

Posted by: butterflies at December 24, 2003 10:57 PM (karT6)

14 And a Very Merry Christmas to you Helen.

Posted by: Brass at December 25, 2003 12:37 AM (SrRJG)

15 Merry Christmas, Helen!

Posted by: Susie at December 25, 2003 02:36 AM (0+cMc)

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