You know what Christmas means to me? Cold weather. Snow, if you’re really lucky. Sledding. Getting three Chapsticks in your stocking and being thrilled because your lips really were about to fall off.
Christmas won’t be Christmas if I’m stuck in Los Angeles.
But I am stuck in Los Angeles. My injured husband can’t travel. As he’s not a holiday person, he’s thrilled to have a relaxing holiday at home.
The weather is clear and sunny. The palm trees are swaying. My orange tree is filled with fruit.
Blech.
Memory lane is more enticing than oranges today. So below is a recap of all the fabulous Christmases I spent in cold — and sometimes even snowy — places, having proper Christmases. May they fill you with holiday cheer!
First, a post about Andy’s first Christmas in New Hampshire.
For all the kids of divorce, I’ve got the story of how my mother — and J.R.R. Tolkien — brought magic back to a broken family.
Are you a last-minute shopper? Enjoy A Walgreens Christmas. (Brilliant Blonde Lawyer Sister swears up and down that it was actually a CVS Christmas, but you get the idea.)
And here’s one about clueless WASPS and Christmas stockings.
Finally, I hope all those traveling enjoy fewer storms and better weather than we did last year.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Autumn and Andy! Even if this year you don’t get snow 😛
Merry Christmas, Autumn and Andy. I hope you’ll make some good (or at least interesting) California memories this year.
I know the feeling! I’m in Martinique this holiday season and I couldn’t understand why I suddenly felt joy while looking for peas in the frozen isle of Carrefour. It dawned on me that the cold brought back the missing ingredient of a cheerful Christmas. Here, if I want to enjoy the smell of a fireplace, I have to stop by the street vendors who BBQ spiced chicken. And use my imagination. But I got to admire a procession of about 30 motorcycles with young ladies dressed in Santa, tight red shorts, fitted red tops, little hats, and cute red boots, all trimmed with white fur. This outfit looks quite nice on suntanned bodies.
And at least I get to eat very fresh seafood on Christmas Eve :).
Merry Christmas!
LOL, the frozen food aisle for the win!
And seafood, too.
Merry Christmas from balmy Johannesburg, where baking Christmas brownies this afternoon was an uncomfortably sweaty affair.
I hate baking in the summer! You guys should stick to a holiday bring and braai, I think.
Merry Christmas Autumn!!! I know it gets lonely without cold weather and snow in LA, wish I could send you some from Utah!
Also, it’s great to walk down memory lane with these stories!
Thanks, Mary! It’s too bad we couldn’t even make it as far as Utah, but we made some good memories here. Now, whether anyone else can remember them after Andy’s homemade eggnog is another question entirely.
Am very excited about December 31st and January 1st since I don’t celebrate cnristmas
Sound like you have big plans! Please feel free to share and make me envious, because I’ve got nothing.
Presents, family and watching my little boy try to open gifts 🙂 and delicious Russian food as well.
I remember the J.R.R. Tolkien blog post 🙂 Very sweet. Hope you survived your warm and sunny Christmas! xxoo