Holiday Ramblings

This is a prime example of why people with ADD should not be allowed to just ramble in front of a video camera without any kind of script involved. I wanted to make a little video to say happy holidays to everyone and talk about my own personal traditions. I end up rambling a little, so maybe I'll do better writing out what I was trying to say.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been stressing out trying to get all of my shopping done, presents made, work caught up so I can take a few days off plus baking up a storm so I'll have stuff to bring to xmas dinner at my sister's house. I've put up some decorations, but I have a bunch of boxes still unopened. All of this is making me feel rather Grinchy.

Some of my favorite memories have absolutely nothing to do with gifts or fancy decorations or any of the things that have been stressing me out. I've been trying to make the perfect gifts: two quilts, a felt toy and a bunch of other crafty ideas that have now fallen by the wayside. I can pat myself on the back for going handmade and not falling prey to the commercial crass of the season, but really? It's the same ol' consumerism, just less exploitative and with wonkier stitching.

I remember having lots of fun baking shortbread cookies with my mom - pressing each cookie cutter firmly into the chilled dough, rolled flat and smooth, then carefully sliding a metal spatula under the outlined shape and nudging off the excess. I thought the bowl of shortbread mix looked like snow on the road after they'd been grated and salted. Of course, it tasted much better and I usually filled up on raw cookie dough long before they were out of the oven and ready for decorating.

In all of the years we baked cookies, I don't remember my mom ever being stressed or feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff she had to do to prepare for xmas. I know she got stressed on the day itself; she still hates making xmas dinner and prefers to leave that responsibility to other family members. But in those days leading up to xmas? We just baked cookies. Or went sledding. Or built snowmen.

Sometimes I think it would be lovely to have a xmas with no presents whatsoever, just the gift of each other's presence. Each family member could show up with a recipe and a bag of groceries. OK, and maybe a bottle of rum.

Instead of opening presents, we could bake cookies. Then go sledding. Or build snowmen.