(Christmas) Adam and Eve

It was overcast and gray when I woke up this morning, and Christmas cold - 25 degrees according to my weather app. I was on the couch in my sister's living room, where I'd gone to escape my husband's snoring. It was cozy there. There was a light on over the stove and the outside Christmas lights twinkled from the front window. I piled on some blankets and propped myself up on some pillows and read my book until I fell back to sleep. My sister's dog, who loves me, had followed me downstairs, and he slept on the floor next to my couch. 

When I sat up, the dog popped his head up and lazily wagged his tail. He knew that I was going to take him out for a walk but he wasn't in a hurry and neither was I. I let him outside, made some coffee, plugged in the Christmas tree, and wrapped myself back up in a blanket. It was 7 am on December 23 - Christmas Adam. 

*****

We usually visit my family after Christmas, but schedules were booked, and December 22 and 23 were the only available options. So we drove up yesterday afternoon, arriving in mid-afternoon after a surprisingly trouble free drive. Temperatures were in the mid-50s when we left our house in Maryland and we dressed accordingly, and were rudely surprised when we got out of the car in my sister’s driveway, where it was 35 degrees at 3 PM. Fortunately for me, I had a winter jacket in the back of my car so I was quite comfortable in the still cold December afternoon as I took my sister’s dog for a walk. We walked around the silent streets, and then a school bus rolled in and discharged its passengers, a joyful, screaming gaggle of elementary schoolers arriving home for Christmas vacation. Later, we had dinner at a favorite restaurant, and then sat around an outdoor fire, wrapped in parkas and blankets. 

*****

It’s Christmas Eve now, the day after Christmas Adam, because Adam came before Eve. We spent the morning and early afternoon yesterday at my sister’s house, exchanging gifts and eating brunch and cookies. After one last dog walk, we drove back home, arriving just at twilight, the perfect time of day in December. Tomorrow is Christmas and winter is just beginning but the days will get a little longer each day now. It’s peaceful here. I hope it will soon be peaceful everywhere.