Last night, we watched “Elf” with my 6-year-old nephew and my 3-year-old niece. They had never seen it before. My niece chattered and played and ran around the house for most of the evening, but her brother watched the movie, laughing uproariously at the pratfalls and punches. After every slapstick moment, he would ask “Wait--was that the funniest part?” and we would tell him “Oh no--it just keeps getting funnier.” And it does. “It’s a Wonderful Life” remains my favorite-ever Christmas movie, but “Elf” is a close number two. Will Ferrell should have been nominated for an Oscar for “Elf,” and he should have won.
*****
OK, it’s almost 9 o’clock now. Bing, Rosemary, Danny, and Vera-Ellen just sang “Snow” on the train, and I need to get off the couch, get dressed, and get started. I have a holiday to make.
****
It's Christmas now, 6:30 PM, and I'm sitting in the family room again surrounded by family, presents, and far too much food. So much work and preparation for a single day that is over in a veritable minute. It's worth it, but it’s a mess up in here right now. Writing about it is easier than cleaning it up.
It’s a little later now, and we've just finished phase 1 of the cleanup operation. All of the wrapping paper is in the fireplace, and the food is mostly cleaned up and stored. Most of the dishes are clean. The floors are still dirty and every surface in the house is piled with stuff - - clean dishes and boxes and tins of cookies and treats and presents and half-empty bottles of wine. During phase 2, I'll clean the floors and figure out what to do with all of the holiday debris and detritus but for now, I'll rest again for a few minutes. If I keep looking at my screen, then I can't see the clutter.
*****
My husband and son are playing NBA 2K20 while my 6-year-old nephew watches, peppering them with questions. "Who's winning? Who's number 36? How do you shoot? Who's winning now?" My older son is half watching them, too, looking up from his book every few minutes to talk trash to his father. My sister-in-law is also reading, and my 3-year-old niece is playing with her new Elsa and Anna dolls. She wanders around the room every so often to see if she can wheedle any more cookies or chocolate out of any of us. Poor child is out of luck. Sanctions have been imposed, and we are all observing the terms of the embargo. But there's plenty of treats left, and tomorrow is another day. Christmas is almost over, but Christmas vacation is just getting started.
*****
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| Marsden Hartley's Berlin Abstraction at the National Gallery's American Art 1900 - 1950 exhibit. I've always liked this painting. |
It’s December 26 now. The British are on to something. They know that December 26 is a holiday all its own. I love December 26. I love walking around DC visiting museums and drinking a soda or a coffee from a street vendor, taking pictures of the Capitol and the various Christmas trees that vie for the title of national Christmas tree and smiling at the other happy families enjoying holiday outings with their teenage children. We're in the car on our way home, where we'll watch a movie, or maybe a basketball game. Maybe we'll make popcorn. Maybe I'll take a nap. There are leftovers in the refrigerator for anyone who needs to eat. Other than leftovers, the kitchen is closed today. In a week, I'll be back at work and back to my normal industrious habits. For this week, I don't even have a to-do list. And that means that I don't have anything to do. Even the floors are clean now.
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