Holiday Greetings!
Got my Arbolito up, favorite Holiday videos sitting by the TV, christmas lights hanging here and there, poinsetta plants centerpiecing my tables – Ah! It’s Christmastime!
I’m about to wrap presents, but I want to take a few minutes to send a warm hello and hug to all before the days get too crazy. Generally, this is my favorite time of year. “Every year brings it’s traces of dreams and embraces of Christmases past…”,( to quote myself from “Arbolito”), is a true phrase of what this season does to me. Each time I see my latest little tree, proudly chuckling at his attire, it always takes me back through memories of stand-out Christmases and/or Christmas trees throughout my life.
Here’s a good one: My mom LOVED the holiday season, and, as expected, loved big flamboyant Christmas trees. One year she got us one so big, it’s girth reached to about the middle of the living room. And it’s height, well, the top had to be bent over so the star, ( or angel – cant quite remember this detail,) was sideways crunched up against the ceiling. Given, we were not the Rockafellers and our living room was of modest proportions. Still, she didn’t care, and there we were, with the biggest christmas tree in San Antonio, making our living room look as if a forest had decided to leave the pages of a fairy tale and park it’s twinkly self nonchalantly in our midst. So there it sat, being the unavoidable focal point and center of attention of any and every guest who entered our house. Our dad grumbled,and we rolled our eyes, but, everyone made jolly comments, as everyone squeezed past the mammoth tree toward the dining room, where noses led the way. All this time, you could hear mom’s larger than life voice and pots and pans loudly clanging.from her steamy kitchen. She, oblivious to the traffic jam in the living room, had us serving up those amazing tamales she was so famous for onto her prized silver trays, along with a quite punchy egg nog into her also prized crystal punch bowl and cups. Christmas was always her time to shine!
Yeah, I’ve got lots of sweet crazy holiday memories from way back and from more current years with my own kids that put a smile on my face through this complex and beautiful time of year. I hope you all have fun memories to look back on with friends and family to laugh and share with, and many more to be created in the years to come.
May the biggest part of our joy spread love from our hearts to every corner of our planet where it is so needed.
Paz y Amor, always!
http://radiocoffeeandbeer.com/On December 7th, join Tish And Her Big Band for a cool Sunday afternoon at Gruene Hall. Marvin Dykhuis, Chip Dolan, Glenn Kawamoto and Wes Starr will accompany Tish for this Holiday show. There will be plenty of Christmas CDs available and we will have free gift wrapping! Hope to see you out there!