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December 24, 2007
The Candles Lasted Just Long Enough
This is the first Christmas where I really feel different from the passing of two of my grandparents in the past year-ish. I suppose last Christmas was too close in proximity to my grandmother to have the kind of distance it takes to be aware that there is a distance.
While we were baking the traditional "Christmas biscuits" (very thick, frosted sugar cookies) my mom commented that we can usually count on my grandfather (who passed over the summer) to eat much of the sugary bounty. Seeing as how it was my grandmother who passed a little over a year ago who invented the mighty Christmas biscuit, I suggested that we pull a little Dia De Los Muertos action a month late. Instead of leaving out cookies for Santa (which we haven't done in many years since I outgrew that particular tradition) we set up a little plate with some Hanukkah candles and two Christmas biscuits.
We lit the candles before reading through a few David Sedaris Christmas favorites, including "Six To Eight Black Men" (an account of the bizarre Dutch version of the Christmas legend) and "Dinah the Christmas Whore." Being a big fan of synchronicity, it made my Christmas Eve to see the candles lasted just long enough for the stories. It's nice to know Geffie and Sir enjoyed our unconventional holiday literature selection, as they were both big fans of reading aloud. And, as my father pointed out in his lovely remarks at the funeral over the summer, Sir was especially great at doing the voices for different characters whilst reading aloud.
It's nice to still share the holiday with family, even if they aren't here in a scientifically explainable sense.
| By Spike | 11:18 PM
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Comments
Don't ever go to Chucky Cheese in Brooklyn! After a horrendous experience of out of control kids and slap happy parents, Michael who had accompanied Emma and me to a bday party Emma was invited to actually said that he really appreciated his family!!
Posted by: Ruthrocks at December 30, 2007 10:23 AM
Wow, and I always wondered why my parents staunchly refused the DZ Discovery Zone (Chuck E. Cheese without the rat) birthday party I semi-longed for as a child. Now I definitely see those places are dens of familial horror!
Posted by: Spike at December 30, 2007 10:49 AM