Home for the Holidays

Thankfully, I am no longer homeless. 

It’s hard to imagine that a month ago I lived on a tiny island in the West Indies.  The Tradewinds were just retuning for the winter season and the sweltering days had begun to cool enough to be almost pleasant.  Then we moved.  Last week in Danvers, the temperature rose to a balmy 42°.  This is about half the temperature in Antigua, and it’s a huge improvement over the sub-freezing weather we have been enjoying since we arrived! 

Our new apartment is “adorable”.  That means small.  Our wish list includes a lot of organizers.  It felt like Christmas, as I opened boxes packed with treasures that have been stowed for nearly two years.  Each time I cut the tape and peeled back cardboard flaps, my heart leapt:  A jewelry box, a favorite blouse, the attachments for the vacuum cleaner…each a warranted a squeal of delight as they revealed themselves.

Today is Christmas, and remarkably, it is okay.  We miss our kids, and the tree was looking a little bit naked without all the family presents, but we are making do.  Last night, we assembled the new decorations, lit the candles and stashed anything visually unsuitable into a decorated box and hid it under the tree.  I awoke this morning (on the hide-a-bed in the living room) to a twinkling tree and warm pajamas – which Don had put in the dryer at 4am.  Now he is making French toast for breakfast.

And I feel so spoiled.

This isn’t the Christmas I wanted – filled with kids and commotion – but this is a truly blessèd Christmas.  I am curled up on my couch, listening to CD’s gleaned from the used book store, while the smells of a delicious breakfast drift in from the pass-through to the kitchen.  Once we have eaten, we will peruse the travel books that I gave Don, and map out exploratory trips to New Hampshire, Boston and Maine (There is a Cabelas store there!)  I am wearing the Swarovski crystals he found for me – with a bracelet Christina sent. I’ll spend the afternoon hemming his new jammies and writing on the computer while he watches football and roasts prime rib and new potatoes.  We miss you all, but we are safe, warm and content.

                         Merry Christmas!!

PS – A neighbor just stopped by to introduce herself and bring cookies!  What a lovely gesture!