Snippets from the holidays
The days of Christmas cards seem to be a thing of the past. With the exception of one card from Bailey (a chocolate lab), all of my greetings have come through the web.
Were your holiday greetings similar?
I wrote a friend in Opio (France) – We are freezing here. Minus 5 Celsius at night. I hope your Christmas reveillon went well and in front of a blazing fire. My son and girlfriend are shoveling out in Atlantic City to get to the sales! My daughter, already a refugee from the cold, European winter, has headed to work in the warmer climes of South Beach. Sophie-the-Cat is still in Gainesville.
Michel wrote back – Here, it’s warmer and we don’t have the Florida summer heat. We are enjoying sweetbreads and fois gras (both politically incorrect). Do not worry about our health—we don’t plan to extend our vices to the point of eating salad.
Editor's note: It is not hot in the South of France at this time of year!
Katia in Paris had a very meaningful wish, which sounds so much better in French.
Cher Père Noël, cette année je veux juste te demander quelques faveurs: offre l'espoir à ceux qui l'ont perdu, l'amour à ceux qui ne l'ont pas encore trouvé, la joie à ceux qui ont du chagrin et surtout le bonheur et la santé à tous ceux que j'aime !!!! Si tu penses comme moi, mets le sur ton mur.
Here is a translation. Katia asks for hope for those who have lost it, love for those who have not yet found it, and joy for all who have grief, and especially happiness and good health for all those I love.
Other things that have changed since I have returned to Gainesville. In past years, most of my holiday outings have centered around dance, so conversation has been limited to those breaks between dances.
--Where did you find those shoes?
--Buenos Aires. Of course!
- Oh, the Comme il faut. Four-inch stilettos. I’m not sure my feet. . . .
--Have you danced with him yet?
--Denver was great. So many friendly dancers. . . . You should try the Labor Day event.
Sometimes I don’t even know the names of participants, yet I have been going to these milongas for several years. We are so focused on the dance and always watching for the invitation, or the cabaceo.
At the parties, however, conversation touched on when Santa became “standardized” in an all red suit, shoes, freelance work, pets, philosophy and astrology. Holidays have provided a meaningful opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new ones.
The decorations and lights give us that sense of BLING BLING in a period of recession. A palm tree. A flamingo with a snow cap. An alligator with glowing eyes. By night, Christmas trees seem to stretch to infinity. Inside, some are loaded with ornaments, each with a story. The poodle ornament that replaces the star atop one tree is in honor of the family dog. The friends who held parties should invite us all back to help take down the decorations. Maybe this could become a Twelfth Night tradition.
Back home, the carved wooden elf and the red and blue Santa are always on my sister’s tree. The cats watch the glass balls. Several have crashed to the floor. The gold string and foil are all that remains of chocolate ornaments. Normally, cats don’t like chocolate. . . . Did Fay the Greyhound taste these?
The Christmas Eve dinner—excitement over seeing family and friends. Dinner was a mixture of traditional and vegan. The champagne, vegetables and coconut cream pie—all to die for. We had friends from the other side of town and former neighbors who had come down from Virginia, along with my daughter and her friend, temporary residents of Miami.
Tomorrow night, we will usher in the New Year. Michel once told me not to wish anyone a Happy New Year until the new year has actually begun. So I will wait to wish you all the best!
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