6.12.09

old ornaments die hard

Yesterday my little family celebrated a newish tradition...Eggnog Day. This event involves very boozy eggnog, stringing lights on my mom's bougainvillea outside and putting up the Christmas tree. People look a bit funny when you mention eggnog here...it's just not very common. But, as I blogged last year, thanks to the internet and Cyril, we have (ok...I use the term we loosely..it's actually Steve and Meri who make it) perfected the art of making a damn fine nog.




My mom and I have perfected the art of drinking it with great enthusiasm and rapidity.


Eggnog can get you pissed really, really quickly. And getting pissed is essential if you're going to have to string up thousands of lights without losing your head. Mind you, it's probably not the lights so much as the plugs and adapters that would normally make you want to hiss and spit and clench your teeth. But the nog gives everything a nice pleasant glow and before you know it you're humming along to the Christmasy instrumentals on DSTV's music channel and all is good.




Opening up the ancient box of decorations is always pure nostalgia. Our really old ornaments, the ones my mom had when she was a kid, are falling apart now. I was always fascinated by them when I was little ...they were so otherworldly, so exotic.




Now some of them are bloody scary.
What the hell does Goblin Santa have in his hand? I think it's meant to be a little fir tree.
I vaguely remember it being green at some stage.



I still don't want to throw them away though. There are just too many memories in those relics.
This is the fairy we've had on the top of the tree since the year dot.


She's a little over the top, more Barbie than Bible......but hovering up there she's seen a lot. The shiny blue bike I always wanted -which got stolen the very next day . And the time when I, age 9 or thereabouts, drank all the kids' champagne (we were each given a little bit in a plastic cup)and found myself drunkenly strumming my new guitar under the coffee table.
I wouldn't change her for the world. 

And the decoration box. Ah yes.
On close inspection I found it once held radioactive materials.


Gee, thanks mom and dad..all those years of rooting around in the thing might have given little Stevie and I severe side effects. Like a mutant Xmas power- tinsel tentacles...or lightning speed gift wrapping abilities.


Anyway.
Let the season begin. We could all do with a bit of jolly. 




Vince Guaraldi- Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)


Next week...a wedding!!!

4 comments:

Val said...

Brilliant!!!! Both the photos and the words! Got a grin on now stretching from ear to ear! Well done.

stevemeri said...

You do this so well!

Charleen said...

What a lovely post. I feel like the little pink fairy, watching Christmas past and present - with big smile on my face. x

Litchi said...

lol Thanks guys.
Charleen, for a really BIG grin try this recipe.
http://256.com/gray/recipes/eggnog/