marysgardens

Our annual holiday celebrations center around family and friends. Over the last several years, we have met up in smaller groups, but the tradition remains the same.

There was one year at the beginning of the Global Pandemic where only two of us, my husband and I, were available for the celebration. This was during the winter period where indoor socializing had largely stopped. However, we still celebrated.

We often begin the night before a celebration by taking a walk in the late evening. It is a slow stroll, enjoying the bright stars and the moon.  The weather is part of the celebration.  In the winter, we may walk in heavy snow.  In warmer weather, we might be walking under the stars, a cool breeze gently blowing.  We take evening walks during short days and long nights, sometimes in the rain.

In the morning of our declared celebration, we wake up to a great cup of coffee. We may just sit and watch the sunrise, often while looking out the window from our beds.  Children are handed hot cups of cocoa while they sit up in bed, propped on their pillows, enjoying the slow morning.  Inevitably, one of the kids spills a little chocolate on their sheets.  But rarely the whole cup.

One important aspect of celebrating is a special family breakfast.  In our case it is usually home-made waffles and strawberries, topped with maple syrup, with a side of coffee and some orange juice.  We sit at the table together and chat.  It is usually a slow, social morning.

Family members may begin preparing the big meal of the day, planned for later in the afternoon.  The rest of us dress appropriately for the weather of the day and head out the door for a four or five mile hike, or a run. If we are in the city, we might watch a local parade or go to a nearby park.

We return home for another cup of coffee or a glass of hot water with fresh lemon and enjoy a small lunch of bread and cheese, some fruit.  

Relax.  Breathe.

Enjoy.

Appreciate.

When the big dinner is almost ready, we open a bottle of wine and watch the sunset.

We sit at the table, sometimes we pause to say something appreciative about the day before we enjoy a big meal together.

After dinner, we take time out in the evening to tell old jokes and stories. It is not unusual if we have a larger group, to take time out for a jam session where we may play music on a variety of instruments, a sort of small family concert.

It is a “Festivus for the Restovus” of which there are many more to follow, and many ways to celebrate.

Photo taken by the author on the Springwater Corridor in Portland, Oregon.

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