The Christmas Season Begins

Started off today quietly, with gingerbread-pear pancakes and a half of a very juicy grapefruit. The Brunch With the Beatles show was honoring George Harrison, who died around this time in 2001, but alas, I was only able to hear the first half-hour. I stepped into a gorgeous, sunny, 60 degree day and rode to work.

Work was steady when I came in, busy when I left. I guess everyone decided to come in later. I was in and out with no problems; my relief was on time. I bought candy canes for the tree after I finished.

Headed straight home. Thank goodness the wind that had plagued South Jersey for the past few days had diminished considerably, and both my rides were fine. I probably didn't even need my heavy black winter coat.

Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening beginning the major Christmas decorating. I set the old Nativity on the 80s video shelves I use for pre-recorded and children's videos. The Nativity has literally been in my family for years. Mom said her mother gave it to her when she first moved out. By the time I was living in Wildwood, she and Dad had bought a smaller, more colorful, less grand creche scene and gave the older, darker one to me. It's grimy and not that pretty...but it has wonderful detail, especially on Mary and Joseph, and I suspect it's not all that far removed from the real Nativity.

The garlands went up next. Mom gave me the garlands around the same time she gave me the older Nativity. She used to put garlands up over every window in the house in North Cape May, but began to tire of struggling with them around the turn of the 21st century. She gave several of the ones she no longer used to me, including a big, heavy one that had been used for years on the banister in the North Cape May house, and the one with the velvet book ornament hanging off the center that had been in my room since my early teen years.

I can understand why Mom no longer does every room. Putting up the garlands can be a literal pain in the rear sometimes...or pain in the thumbs. I tack most of them to the wooden walls, but they're so hard, and the garlands so thick, they often just pop out a few seconds later. I've actually started twist-tying the garland over the two windows behind the two IGA shelves with the children's books, computer items, and Care Bears and Sailor Moon dolls to the unused shade hangers. I only tack the center of that one to the wall.

Had the dinner of Baked Chicken Fingers, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, and Pan-Fried Sweet Potatoes I'd been too tired to make last night while watching two documentaries on holiday history, Christmas Past (on British Christmas history), and Christmas Unwrapped (on Christmas history in general and in the US).

Oh, and one of the reasons we were so busy today was the Eagles played a 1PM game against the Washington Redskins. Though they were losing when I had the radio on earlier, they apparently came back to win it in the fourth quarter for the second week in a row.