Saturday, December 24, 2011

The Big God Damned Christmas Post

Well it's another white Christmas here in the mountains of Vermont. Tradition calls for me to write a post about Christmas celebrations on the hill, and I get to write whatever I want with no style whatsoever. It's my Christmas gift to me. Do you see how I just used the word Christmas three (four) times in one sentence? Any other day of the year that would be verboten. But not today!
All of my cousins come home for the week and we spend it together, spread out over three houses on 200 acres of land. We bake, cook, eat, and drink constantly. It never stops. It's complete mayhem at all times.
My cousin got married about two years ago, and she and her husband celebrate every Friday of every week by drinking Champagne. So, this past Friday, Christmas Eve Eve, we celebrated too. I love weekly alcohol rituals- Taco Tuesdays and Whiskey Wednesday are the best part of my life in Seattle. Champagne Friday? It sounds doable.  
After the toasts we moved on to a new killer Christmas combination: flan and Words with Friends on the floor. Our homage to Alec Baldwin.

Then of course, there are the lights. Sweet Jesus, growing up in the dark winters of this corner of the country, we needed the lights. People always say things like "Oh, yeah, enjoy your presents and whatever but remember the reason for the season!" I think they mean religion. Well, let me tell you, that's not what it's about in this family. The reason for Christmas was to keep everyone from staggering out into the woods alone and dying by their own volition during the extremely long, extremely dark, bitterly cold winters. It can get...grim. That's why we do Christmas as if the whole family had drunk from our own private steroid-laced water source. 

Of course, all of this hysteria gets exhausting and has to be tempered with quieter activities.

And walking three dogs outside in the 18 degree sunshine.

Peter KL came by the other night and I plied him with eggnog, rum, Margaritas, cheesecake and Jimmy Fallon ice cream. As ice fell and the roads glossed over, we spent the night telling outrageous stories of online dating and watching 30 rock.

My dad's favorite tradition is to take me to the Harpoon Brewery for beer samplers and chocolate stout. I'm not...I'm not losing weight on this trip.
Speaking of, it's Christmas Eve and the Chocolate stout is waiting. By the way, I didn't completely give up on my camera when I got the camera phone. But I did forget to bring the connector cable this year so, it's a Hipstamatic Christmas. Merry Christmas everybody!

3 comments:

Kelle said...

Oh, I just want to hug you. This Christmas post is perfect. "The reason for the season....the lights." Ha. Sister, you got it.
It ain't over yet. It's Wallbanger Monday. Keep 'em comin.
xo

Ken said...

Lina,
Merry Christmas! And hi to the family. I'm enjoying your blog!
--Ken

Adriana Iris said...

perfect post. chocolate stout yum.