Sunday, November 13, 2005

Home for the Holidays

This weekend was beautiful. A warm fall weekend in the City. Should I be concerned that leaves on the trees are still green and Thanksgiving is one week away?

Mid-November through January is always a difficult time for me. A fellow blogger has a great post about the "anniversary syndrome" that people experience (whether they realize it or not). Some of the toughest experiences in my life happened during this time of the year. There is also something about the season that brings the reality of family dynamics into stark relief.

That's why God invented drugs and alchohol. He just forgot about the addiction part.

For the last seventeen years, I've spent Christmas down south at the well appointed homes of my in-laws in Annapolis and North Carolina. My in-laws are upper class WASPS and would never dream of fighting with each other on the holidays....or any other day. That's what repression is for. And martinis.

My family is more Eugene O'Neil meets Frederico Fellini. A lot of spiraling. A lot of mismatched people trapped in one room. A lot of spaghetti. A lot of noise. A lot of AA.

You get the picture.

This year I'll be staying up here so that Ben can perform in the Christmas Pageant at St. Luke's.
I'm already planning my holiday defense strategy in advance by focusing on the things I love:

1. A huge Christmas Tree
2. Having friends over every weekend in December for coffee and holiday food (I'm kinda good at that)
3. Participating in every cultural event that interests us. Especially traditional holiday music -which I adore (Handel's Messiah and Christmas music from around the world)
4. Seeing the Christmas Pageant and attending services the next morning at St. Luke in the Fields
5. Opening up gifts with Brian and Ben
6. Limited and carefully orchestrated visits with relatives (disclaimer: being Irish/Italian catholics means there are dozens of us. And some relations are actually quite sweet...and some are actually quite crazy)

By the way. Here is the link to the St. Luke's Christmas Fair that I'm co-chairing. Proof that I'm not hallucinating!

St. Luke's Christmas Fair

Cheers!

8 comments:

Zoƫ Gleitsman said...

Ellen! That Christmas Fair flier is gorgeous! And the event looks really lovely. And I'm so glad you're doing what you want this Christmas!

(Don't you think public school kids from the trashy East Village should get in for free? heeheehee)

Milliner's Dream, a woman of many "hats"... said...

Where's the BIG "Co-ordinated by ELLEN!!!" on the site?! heh? Hmmm...they screwed up methinks.

Hh :)

Kranki said...

THAT sounds like a plan.

ellesu said...

OH my....I bet the city is beautiful! I'm setting a goal to see NYC each season in all its glory. ....Well, maybe not winter cause I'd have to buy 'special' clothes (we don't do winter down my way). ;)

And as far as the drugs and alchohol, yes, ma'am. Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said that beer was proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy?

....I think you can add the vast southern middle class to those who'd NEVER dream of causing a public rucus. But, honey, what's said behind hands covering mouths would make your toes curl!

Kudos on the Christmas fair! It looks lovely. And....your Christmas plans sound like memory makers. Enjoy!

Dr. Deb said...

I have an annual anniversary effect on the Summer. It is so hard sometimes to move through it for me, but time passes and I always do. I like choice of focusing on things you love at this stressful time. Perfect interventions!

~Deb

Dr. Deb said...

I have an annual anniversary effect on the Summer. It is so hard sometimes to move through it for me, but time passes and I always do. I like choice of focusing on things you love at this stressful time. Perfect interventions!

~Deb

Floridora said...

It is the 20th and I hope your Christmas Fair went like gangbusters. Now just three days until Thanksgiving. Hang in there!

east village idiot said...

zoewriter - Isn't the flyer cool? You can thank artist Richard Pasquarelli for that! I wish every kid from the East Village could come in for free - it would certainly make for a hippy dippier crowd!

hannah - thanks for being nice and giving me all that recognition! As you know - it takes a zillion people to make a Christmas Fair work!!

Kranki - it does sound like a plan. however I just heard a phone message from my mom in law. I have a feeling the plan may be revisited.

ellesu - you've got to come to NYC in the winter. No life is complete without it! And thank you for that Ben Franklin adage - I remember reading it in his biography and howling! Honey - you don't have to tell me about how Southerners make their opinions known - that's something I've learned the hardway!!

Dr. Serani - Oh my gosh! Have I finally figured out how to do an intervention on myself? I didn't even know that was humanly possible!!

Floridora - it's great to see your post! thank you for your kind words.
You just reminded me that I've GOT to get a turkey! I can't believe I didn't order one this year!!