Swing la bacaise...

I went shopping for Christmas decorations yesterday. I feel the need to renew and start some new traditions. The Chicklet and I snagged the last tree we liked (as it was the floor model I even got a discount - now THAT'S Christmas, babies!) grabbed a lovely star for the top (picked out by The Chicklet - she really likes sparkly things) and headed out for home. We had planned to set it up in the basement in my father's house next to the wood burning stove that I can't fire up on account of the chimney has to be checked and will probably need a liner, but it's the perfect and traditional doorway for Santa, so... But it was too tall! So today, PLAN B. The new tree is in the living room (but not in the same spot as it was when I was a kidlet - new traditions...) and we'll put the old tree next to the wood burning stove (The Chicklet has been advised that this does not mean Santa will double up on presents though). I promised I would wait for her to come back from her weekend with her Dad to trim the tree so today was shopping and outdoor decorations day. Saturday morning she and I attended the kids Christmas party my company has every year. We have connections to the North Pole and Santa himself makes an appearance. My daughter and her friend from school were, as has been tradition for 3 years running (this one's a keeper), Santa's elves and gave Santa the Christmas presents his other elves had laid out under the tree for him to hand off to the very excited kids in attendance. I got to hold a baby, smell her head. You know, there's nothing like the smell of a new baby's head. Some people say new car.. but no. It's that little pudge at the nape of a baby's neck that holds the secrets to the universe. I even sat on Santa's lap and thanked him... but I didn't ask for anything. Because I don't need anything. I have a cool way to make a difference in someone's life (yes.. Free Rice ... you KNOW what I'm talking about and did you know as of December 8th, 7,354,236,430 grains of rice have been donated). Sure, it would be nice if I could win the lottery, pay off the debt a greedy self-centered arse saddled my father with, take care of the college funds for my bestest friends kids and actually deliver some food to the starving... but my Chicklet is healthy, Dad's healthy, I'm healthy and after all I've been through in the last year, that's all I ask for. All this Christmas stuff is hard I must say. I have so many memories of Christmas that are wrapped up in my mother's arms. She loved Christmas. If I didn't have The Chicklet I probably wouldn't celebrate, but I learned from my mother that missing a loved one (as she had lost a mother, a father , a brother...) doesn't mean you should stop living life. I pulled out a CD The Chicklet and I fell in love with last year that brings with it memories of Mom (La Volée d'Castors is their name and they bring old fashioned Quebec folklore back). As frail as she was, she held on through Christmas and New Year's... and when we played this for her I saw her tap her foot as she had during what we French Canadians cherish at Christmas time: Le Réveillon. A MASSIVE gathering of family and friends, food, singing, dancing, music and kids tunneling into the fur coats that had been laid out with care by our aunts on the bed in the spare bedroom. Our family got smaller, the kids grew up and we haven't had such a gathering in many, many winters... I hope some time in the not too distant future, we'll have new Christmas Eve parties, singing, dancing, laughing with something soft and fuzzy for kids to curl up in on the spare bedroom bed. All in all.. yup Roger, it WAS a good weekend... Love you all more than my luggage! Hugs, smooches and gropes!