House Blend

As I sit here and write, Christmas of 2007 has wrapped up. The last of the MANY celebrations are over; the last of the packages are unwrapped; the last bits of scotch tape with a scrap of wrapping paper attached are removed from the bottom of my sock; and Sirius has finally tired of playing with ribbon and tissue paper.

At this point in the holiday game I typically find myself feeling rather quiet. I get a bit reflective. Some call it moody. Others call it depression. This year is different. I don't feel particularly quiet. I don't feel reflective and/or moody. I'm certainly not depressed. I just feel "calm." No more rushing around. No more festivities. No more small talk with distant relatives or in-laws. Calm. I'm liking this.

While it always seems harsh to me when I hear people say, "I'm so glad the holidays are over!" I think I can somewhat understand how they feel. Not that I'm opposed to any aspect of the holiday mind you.. it's just that I'm enjoying this calm feeling. No entertaining left to do. No more dinner parties to prepare for. No more scheduled visits. Calm.

It was a wonderful holiday. It stretched out a bit more than I think I would like (we actually had something going on every night since last Tuesday), but it was wonderful to be able to share with so many friends and family. Sharing the joy is a great deal of the enjoyment for me. But now, after night after night of entertaining and being entertained I can see that what I need is this time of calm.

I have my January issue of Martha Stewart Living close by. Tonight, I will make a cup of tea, I will curl up in my favorite chair with a cat or two by my side and I will catch up on a few of the articles I didn't read the first time around. I will pause from time to time and think about some changes I want to make after the decorations come down. I will begin to think about my resolutions for the coming year. But most of all I will enjoy the calm peaceful feeling.

It was a wonderful Christmas.