Stayed home today, having lost my voice while the Diarist Cold worked its way through my throat and lungs. I'm at the "barking like a mad seal" stage but I can speak again in my normal register as long as I only talk for a few minutes at a time. Coughing hurts like a son of a gun, and I'm not too crazy about everything tasting like Sucrets, but at least sleeping 24 out of the last 48 hours seems to have staved off some of the worst of the bug.
What did I do besides sleep? I did seven loads of laundry, wrapped presents, and brooded about how few Christmas cards I got. I sent out 40. I have received 11, two of which are from our paper carriers and two of which are from John's relatives. I'm depressed. I just don't understand why people don't send Christmas cards any more. When I was growing up we had to dedicate an entire sideboard to them. They streamed in from friends and relatives all through December. I loved the pretty snow scenes, the cheerful Santas and elves, the awe-inspiring angels, the modern glittery ones, and the general thrill of seeing who had sent what.
Now, pffft. My friends are all slackers. I'm so bummed.
John commenced putting tinsel on the tree this evening. I laughed at his insistence on placing each individual strand on the branches just so. "You'll never get it done at that rate," I warned, but he ignored me. He had an artistic vision, and besides, that's the way his mother always did it. Sure enough, we have a tree that looks straggly with tinsel, not even half finished because he got bored with it. I don't recall my folks going in much for tinsel when I was growing up. We mostly went with lots of lights (never blinking ones) and round metallic ball ornaments. Not too much in the way of special ornaments, the sort I have now. I have several Santas, a red bird made of real feathers, gorgeous shoes from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, big tin angels, a gingerbread man, and so forth. Every time I go to a foreign country, or Wisconsin which is practically the same thing, I buy a Christmas ornament. I would love to collect old Christmas ornaments but I'm not actually the collecting sort which is to say it sounds neat but since it would cost money I'm not too interested. I don't need any more hobbies.
I'll have to finish the tinselling myself, and to heck with this artistic laying on of strands. I want the tree to look like we did it on purpose, not ran out of tinsel partway through. The house is very, very Christmas-y now. John keeps putting up lights, and making cookies, and fruitcakes arrive in the mail, and poinsettias as well, and the chili lights are strung about the mantel, and everything is all red and white and green and gold. I'm filled with the holiday spirit since all my shopping is done and I never ever go anywhere during December. I can afford to enjoy the season instead of stressing about travel or gifts. And I do. I love Christmas. I love the lights, and the carols, and the baked goods, and the presents, and I love the Charlie Brown Christmas special most of all, especially the end where they all break into Hark the herald angels sing singing loo loo loo instead the words at first. Their faces pointing up to the sky with lips extended is just so cute. It's a great story about the true spirit of Christmas.
So I didn't get very many cards this year. What the heck. I don't have a sideboard anyhow. Loo loo looooo....
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