First snow
I spit on the notion of Christmas beginning directly after Halloween, or directly after Thanksgiving. The Overlords of American Commerce can beset me with carols and tinsel and leering snowmen and corpulent Santas; I shall resist. I shall not turn my thoughts towards Christmas until the proper month has arrived, except to think about knitting presents. I also want to see some snow before I really begin to feel that the holidays are around the corner. And so it felt auspicious when I staggered out into the grey morning with the little dog on the first day of December and a few lonesome flakes were swirling down. The apple tree was full of chickadees, and their little calls to each other seemed tender and solicitous: the snow is coming, are you warm? Are there bugs on your branch? I filled the bird feeder with sunflower seeds for them. Later came purple finches and juncos and jays and sparrows, but I knew I’d have to carve chickadees for this year’s linoleum block. Later, I strung lights on the front porch amongst my Japanese fish kites, and then I brewed up a gallon of spiced cider and spiked it with many glugs of Jim Beam for a little birthday shindig we had for Mr. G. (He’s 30 now. Shhhh. He’s also ironing my white collared shirt for a Shibui modeling gig right this moment. Yes, I have the finest husband in the land.)
Seriously, try the hot toddies. They’re so delicious they could be habit forming. Just the thing for rain or snow or whatever part of the nation-wide storm system you’re experiencing right now. And definitely the thing to get into the holiday spirit.
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 6:43 am
where oh where is the christmas tree? It also snowed here too yesterday, but it does not not really feel like christmas until there is a smell of pine in the house….
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Other people’s snow is always so lovely to read about. Pass me a cup of that toddy so I can toast the Mr.’s B’day in style.
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
I agree! why are we in such a rush for the next holiday? Are we really trying to fill some horrible lack in our own life by filling it up with the next overly-commericalized holdiay?!
Congrats on Mr. Garter’s 30th birthday! And looking forward to the chickadee linoleum block!
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
We’ve had snow for the past few days in Boston. The roads and sidewalks are slick with ice and crunchy snow and there is that sharp smell of more snow in the air. It’s a wonderful time of the year to be in New England.
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I’d call it a decent Oregon storm weather, that’s what it is. Perhaps one day when it stops raining, the roof gets fixed and I will have a nice dry carpet in my bedroom again I’ll dream of snow.
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
It was so lovely, wasn’t it? My own Mr. and I couldn’t stay out of the weather and spent most of the weekend driving around aimlessly, wondering at the transformation of our fusty little town into this Glittering White Paradise. And when trees came down on Sunday and our power went out, we fired up the fireplace and played with the dogs in the snow. It was grand…except for the flooding.
Is it flooding in Portland too? If so, best of luck to you and keep the yarn-stash on a high shelf!
Posted: December 4th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
my new favorite hot toddie is hot chocolate mixed with licor 43. it’s a hard liquor made from vanilla beans. DELICIOUS!!
http://www.licor43usa.com/
Posted: December 5th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Oh! It all sounds so cozy! I, too, was inspired by the (very early) snowfall in NYC! Ahoy, Christmas!