This year’s current holiday season seems like an easy cruise this year. I enjoyed the calm before the storm, as it were, anticipating Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year as they approached without the responsibility of actively preparing for it just yet.
It took a bit for me to realize why this year felt different. It started with the realization that this year’s Halloween did not feature prep for a next-day colonoscopy (see For Halloween: My Own Personal Horror Show!). This year, while a quiet celebration at best, it beat the heck out of what I did last year!
But, Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas time is here, and I’m feeling very much at leisure, despite the on-going work of the homestead, working to install a new hot water heater, finishing a major writing project, and preparing for the Christmas newsletter (a.k.a. “the Christmas term paper”).
Something must be different this year. Besides the fact that yesterday’s Thanksgiving is the earliest it can be in the roving date’s cycle.
Aly painted this ornament, showing my favorite set piece. Last year’s excitement becomes this year’s pleasant memories (Photo: Mark A. Zeiger).
Of course! This year, I’m not leading an effort to open a community play on the day after Thanksgiving!
Readers may remember that last year at this time, I focused the bulk of my time and energy on bringing The Lion in Winter to the community stage. Despite starting our Christmas season early that year as a result, the play kept me so busy I hardly had time to appreciate the holidays.
Family dynamics can become a bit tense during the holidays… The Lion in Winter, Haines 2017 (middle: Gina Randles, right: Mark Zeiger, kneeling: Ryan Staska) (Photo: Symaron Naeco Marquardt)
This year, the play represents little more than happy memories. It’s quite literally a Ghost of Christmas Past, adding to this holiday season, but not effecting it directly. I’m cruising!
It’s far too early in the season to tell if I can keep this up. We generally manage to stay mostly stress free through the holidays, so I’m hopeful. Starting slowly and smoothly—cruising into the holidays—doesn’t hurt one bit!