Deck the halls with boughs of sobbing

So I bought a tree today.

Go me.

I got it at Woolworths, and it's 90 inches high and cost 4 quid. I carried it the 1.6 miles to my house in a huge shopping bag. I set it up on my nightstand in front of my bedroom window, so the neighbors will see that I have the Spirit of Christmas. I've put a cream-colored fleece throw from IKEA under it, and I have a box of 100 clear lights (4 quid, because they like to shaft you on lights over here) to put on. I also bought some of that pretty silver star twisty stuff at IKEA, and maybe I'll make some paper snowflakes for decoration.

I think it will be quite presentable.

Only I sort of want to crawl into bed and start bawling and maybe never come out until Christmas is over and done with.

I wish I could blame this on hormones like Savvymom could, but my good friend Yasmin actually regulates those for me, so no go there. What it comes down to is that even though I am a big grown-up independent woman of 26, this will be my first Christmas without my family. I know that there's a first time for everyone, but I didn't realize it would hit me so hard. I had really good reasons when I decided that Christmas wasn't a good time to fly home, but now I'm having a hard time remembering what they were.

So here are the things I'll miss:

1. Having a real Christmas tree--the kind that smells. (Of course, if it's an Alaskan Christmas tree then it was already frozen and dead before it entered the house, so by the day of Christmas you're pretty much wading through pine needles.)
2. My parents' dog Gabby. Because dogs are great, see? They got her when I was in college, but she remembers me every year and sleeps in my bed.
3. Fires in the fireplace.
4. The Alabama Christmas album. I have no idea why it is part of our Christmas tradition since we don't actually like Alabama or country music, but it just is.
5. Watching all the classic Christmas movies like It's A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
6. The Christmas Luau. This became a tradition after my parents started going to Hawaii. Mom makes Kahlua pork and Maui onion chicken and roasts fresh pineapple and we crank up the thermostat and put on leis and shell necklaces and lava lavas and listen to Hawaiian music while there are 4 feet of snow outside.
7. Watching Pride and Prejudice (or Horatio Hornblower if we're feeling swashbuckly) while munching off a 2-lb wheel of brie from Costco.
8. Christmas Eve Dinner: prime rib, horseradish sauce, Alaska king crab, stuffed mushrooms, rolls, Schwepps Raspberry Ginger Ale, cheeseball, the good china which I am inheriting . . .
9. Reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever as a family. Almost wetting pants. Waiting to see when Savvymom would wet hers.
10. Reading the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve.
11. Christmas day gumbo.
12. My parents, my brothers and sisters, and my niece and soon-t0-join-us nephew.

So, um, it seems like maybe a lot of my family traditions revolve around food. Huh. I really shouldn't be throwing myself a pity party here, though. I am a lucky, lucky girl. Here are some things about Christmas that will be great:

1. I have a tree.
2. I have been invited over for Christmas dinner by WR's family, who are very nice and welcoming. I also have the wonderful WR to spend Christmas with.
3. My mommy is sending me a stocking full of goodies.
4. My dad sent me a card with English pounds in it so that I can get something nice for Christmas. Am not going to think about how much I lost during the exchange from dollars to pounds.
5. I have Jif peanut butter.
6. I know where to get canned pumpkin so that I can make pumpkin pie.
7. I have Skype, so I can wake up early Christmas morning (my time) and talk to my family on Christmas Eve (their time). Maybe they'll even let me listen in on the reading.
8. I'm in England! That has to count for something. I mean, if you're going to be away from your family it's better to do it in England than in Kansas or some place like unto it.

So there you go. I have an embarassment of riches and now I'm going to go put lights on the tree.

Posted in: England