I’ve always promised you that my blogs won’t overwhelm your inbox and that I’ll not post unless I have something of interest to write about. Thus, it’s been a while since you last heard from me. I’m happy to report that my life for these past three months has puttered along in a peaceful manner. With more than enough global drama, I don’t need any of my own.
Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram will know I recently spent a pleasant six weeks in Portugal. After five days touristing around in Sinta I took the bus to Albufeira in the Algarve where I stayed in a small apartment and did nothing much. My friend Melanie joined me for a week, I took a couple of day-long bus tours, I ate a massive amount of seafood – tuna, swordfish, seabream, seabass, prawns … all fresh and delicious, I wandered increasingly quiet streets – tourist season was wrapping up, I explored every inch of the beautiful beach, and I read fifteen books. Yup you read that right – but I’ll repeat – I read fifteen books.
Someone asked if I brought that many books with me. No. I only brought two, Melanie brought four more – or was if five? The rest of my reading pleasure was provided by a tiny street library near the beach. There were Portuguese, German, French and English books and judging from the daily turnover, the library is well used. Thank you Albufeira for this fabulous tourist attraction.
What does any of that to do with tradition? Nothing yet – but I’m considering adding relaxing holidays to the list of activities I enjoy. So, reading in the sun on a beach in November may become a new tradition for me. Stay posted.
Christmas is a time for traditions. Filled with nostalgic feelings, many of us do the same things sometimes for no other reason than it’s a family or cultural tradition. Stringing lights outside, putting up trees and decorating inside, cooking and eating turkey dinners, making special bakery treats, shopping for gifts, going to Christmas concerts and parties, playing Christmas carols, listening to Dylan Thomas reading his “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” – recorded in 1952, or hearing reruns of Stewart McLean’s “Dave Cooks the Turkey” – I laugh until I cry every time. The lists of our Yule Tide traditions are long and varied. Traditions that bring joy to the short days and long nights of this time of year in the northern hemisphere.
Most of these traditions do bring me great joy. I have three indoor Christmas trees for instance, and one of them, at twelve feet tall, takes up an enormous amount of space in my not so large dining room. Dodging the tree while finding a seat at the table is part of the fun factor.
But, turkey dinner cooking – not so much fun. I cherish the memories of dinners past – turkey dinner on the peak of Mount Washington one year before we all slept in a snow cave, comes to mind. But I don’t like turkey that much and am not a fan of dealing with the carcass for turkey soup. What to do? Last year I suggested a fondu Christmas dinner. My family embraced this idea so this year we will do the same thing. Hallelujah, a new tradition is born.
Another tradition of Christmases past involved Mike and I buying the boys Lego sets every year. I’ve recently learned about the devious tactics they resorted to in order to discover where we’d hidden the Lego. They just couldn’t wait to open the gifts and be surprised. Well, this year I have achieved an improved level of devious hiding so they will be surprised.
“What?” You may be wondering, “Aren’t your boys a bit old for Lego?”
“No, they are not. I am seventy, but there is no age limit to Lego.”
Indeed, these days there are Lego sets designed just for us adults. Awesome. Last week the boys – men – searched and found the two enormous bins of Lego that haven’t been touched in over twenty years. It had been stored in less-than-optimal conditions – I won’t mention rats in case anyone is squeamish. I’ll just say that the Lego needed considerable sterilizing and cleaning. Two days of cleaning as it happened. But that task complete, there are now sorted bins of Lego awaiting the start of a new Christmas tradition. Playing with Lego, just like those Christmases not such a long time ago.
Merry Christmas friends. However you celebrate, or don’t celebrate, may this be a season of renewal and hope for you all.
What fun it is to create new traditions and mix with the old. I like the idea of hanging out in the warmth and just reading but I never seem to get around to do so. As always I love reading your blog as I hear your voice through out! To a very Happy, Healthy and Hopeful 2025 to you and your family.