My street is only one block long and I don't know everyone on it. However, the neighborhood on a street around the corner has adopted me as a member of their community. Even though I hate the cold and it had snowed all day, I surprised myself and joined the Christmas caroling group. They had come to my house (because I have the piano and play, to do a bit of warm up and practice) before they went back out onto the street to carol. Flashing briefly with a moment of insanity I said, "Wait, let me get boots and my coat (I actually added gloves, a hat and a scarf) and I will join you." These lovely people waited for me and we went to the first house.
Each of us had a sheaf of papers with words of many of the most familiar carols. We went to the house of a woman in her nineties, gracious though we had caught her in her robe, who invited us in to make sure each of us had a hug. She expressed surprise at each new face that entered the house, said, "Christopher Columbus!" and told us we should have waited until tomorrow when she would have had her hair done. She had decorated her house with a huge, four foot wide creche, tall bouquets of Christmas flowers, and bulbs and ribbons galore. Clearly she enjoyed our visit and we enjoyed her appreciation.
Someone had a list of people who were going to be expecting us and we made sure to reach every one. Those indoors seemed to be pleased at being recipients of this personal and friendly attention. One shut-in woman held her dog to the window, another house had their little boy in his pajamas demanding to hear Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer which we happily sang for him, delighted at his joy! Another man was using the snow blower in his driveway but stopped long enough to listen to a rendition of Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! At another house, Limoncello was substituted for figgy pudding, an apparent inside joke. One woman laughed when she was invited to join us and said she would only come out to solo!
My younger friends were very solicitous of me since I had previously indicated I didn't think I should be out in the cold with my cough. Oddly, my cough was absent, I was warm, and was as happy as I might have been forty years ago doing the same thing! After we had visited eight or more houses we went back to the house of one family of carolers houses and had strawberry short cake, brownies, cream puffs with chocolate pudding and whipped cream and choices of cider, hot chocolate or egg nog. There were many more goodies to choose from, a fitting end to a revival evening of an almost extinct custom to which I was humbled and honored to have been invited. Some traditions are worth keeping alive!
Each of us had a sheaf of papers with words of many of the most familiar carols. We went to the house of a woman in her nineties, gracious though we had caught her in her robe, who invited us in to make sure each of us had a hug. She expressed surprise at each new face that entered the house, said, "Christopher Columbus!" and told us we should have waited until tomorrow when she would have had her hair done. She had decorated her house with a huge, four foot wide creche, tall bouquets of Christmas flowers, and bulbs and ribbons galore. Clearly she enjoyed our visit and we enjoyed her appreciation.
Someone had a list of people who were going to be expecting us and we made sure to reach every one. Those indoors seemed to be pleased at being recipients of this personal and friendly attention. One shut-in woman held her dog to the window, another house had their little boy in his pajamas demanding to hear Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer which we happily sang for him, delighted at his joy! Another man was using the snow blower in his driveway but stopped long enough to listen to a rendition of Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow! At another house, Limoncello was substituted for figgy pudding, an apparent inside joke. One woman laughed when she was invited to join us and said she would only come out to solo!
My younger friends were very solicitous of me since I had previously indicated I didn't think I should be out in the cold with my cough. Oddly, my cough was absent, I was warm, and was as happy as I might have been forty years ago doing the same thing! After we had visited eight or more houses we went back to the house of one family of carolers houses and had strawberry short cake, brownies, cream puffs with chocolate pudding and whipped cream and choices of cider, hot chocolate or egg nog. There were many more goodies to choose from, a fitting end to a revival evening of an almost extinct custom to which I was humbled and honored to have been invited. Some traditions are worth keeping alive!
3 comments:
Sounds super neat!! Your pictures of the snow were great. Have a wonderful holiday. Tell the kids I said hi.
I am not anonymous. It's the live one. Should I tell you it is 70 here today.
You can tell me it is 79 there if you want to see a grown woman cry!
Have a Merry Christmas ....I wish I only saw snow in someone's pictures!!!
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