Oh Look--Bonus Holiday Content!

Cameron & Beth

Aiden, Devin & Staci, Linden
 and a photobomb by John Shane

John Shane,Jordan & Elise, Lane

 

Snow for Christmas!

Who Me?

Oh no, there goes Tokyo,
GO GO Godzilla!

Comfort & Joy

 

One of my favorite things to do “in Dark December” is to sit in the quiet with only the Christmas lights on, my hands wrapped around the warmth of my favorite cup. Granted, “only the Christmas lights” is enough illumination to comfortably perform surgery if one was so inclined, but at least the lumens are festive in nature. 

The Holidays are a season overflowing with memory... Christmases of Childhood Past—both my childhood and the fleeting childhoods of my boys...memories of favorite gifts, of love and laughter.

Oh Christmas Tree 2021

Millie is such a Good Girl

 

 

 

This year, Christmas Present is a season of anticipation...Grandchildren—4, so far— bring the magic and wonder back to Christmas--along with the challenge of overcoming curiosity, mixed with gravity. Which is a nice way of saying I really need to tie my tree to the wall. Sume Christmas tree tradition is one that includes excess lighting—15 stands of lights and counting-- and fishing line reinforcement. In the interest of full disclosure, I will admit that any Christmas Tree experience I’ve had that ended in disaster always had more to do with my tree succumbing to the laws of gravity more than it had to do with childish curiosity— or a happily wagging tail, in the case of the grand dog.

As I write this, it is snowing lightly, a soft dusting of white that adds to the ambience and makes me think that a cup hot chocolate—with a cap of whipped cream and sprinkles—sounds like a fine idea right about now. A longstanding father/son tradition in the Sume Family is a quick zzzsst of whipped cream, from can directly to mouth. I know my sons are continuing this tradition, so our family ornament this year is a cup of coco...

My wish for you this season is that you find comfort in your memories, and joy in the anticipation of memories yet to come. Merry Christmas!

Christmas Traditions, a New Generation

 Christmas is a time of traditions, some old, some new, and this year-some come 'round again. When my children were little, my mom started buying wooden Brio train sets for her three grandsons. Every year, for Christmas and birthdays, she would purchase more track, or bridges, or battery powered engines. All during the year the boys would head to Grandma and Grandpa's, drag out the blue Rubbermaid tub, and set up lavish railroads; tracks and tunnels sprawling across the living room floor. Grandchildren and grandparents shared the adventure. It was hard to know who enjoyed it more.

But time flies. Eventually, the boys packed the tracks up in the blue Rubbermaid tub for what turned out to be the last time and moved on to other interests: sports and motorcycles, video games and girls. But Grandma held onto the tub, knowing that-- if you're patient, and lucky--sometimes things come around again.

John Shane contemplates the best box car line-up.

My mom is gone now, my children grown-becoming fathers themselves---that girl thing having worked itself out admirably. When my grandchildren visit Nana Sugar's, we dust off the old blue Rubbermaid tub and sort out the pieces. Dads and uncles turn into little boys again, and we all---young and not so young--turn the pieces of the track, this way, and that way, figuring out the best path around the room.

Oh no, there goes Toyko...here comes Lane!

My Amazon cart is full of presents for Christmases Yet to Come: suspension bridges, curves and elevation blocks, straight tracks and small couplers; an old tradition, come 'round again. 

Please excuse the anti scratch tape on the furniture
We have some Very Bad Catz

The completed track with bonus siding

A Lifetime Supply of Christmas

 Q: What has 17 actors, five settings, three writers and one plot?

A: 642 Hallmark Christmas movies.

I have a dirty little secret—one that, even as I admit to, I will vehemently over-excuse/deny. “Hi, I’m Sue, and I watch Hallmark Christmas Movies.” 

Not that I really watch them, of course, I just have them on in the background. Truly. Because some of them are so stupid that I find myself yelling at the TV: “Your son is a FULL GROWN MAN—back off, dude! He’ll figure it out!”

Like all good addicts in denial, I have a good friend (Hi Eileen!) who shares my tolerance—enabling is such a judgey word-- for such drivel.  One afternoon she unexpectedly found herself at home and we exchanged the following texts:

“I am watching Christmas shows! Novel idea!

Huh! What are they about?

“This one is about Christmas! And a gorgeous house! And potential love! And good hair!”

Do they drink a lot of hot chocolate? Do they have any festive treats? Community Holiday Events? Does anyone own a Christmas tree farm? Have amnesia? Time travel into Christmas Past? Discover a lost treasure/card/package/photo?

“Yes, yes, yes, no, no, no but there is an old friend from high school. He's very friendly, cute, helpful, musical --helps with the community school program.”

Of course he does! Old high school boyfriends are kryptonite. Or cat nip--can't remember the difference.

“Me thinks a little of both.”

Lol--such a heady cocktail!

"I'm hooked."

It's the addiction that dare not speak its name.

“Except us…This little girl is soo cute! This is a new (to me) movie. It's okay.

Which one? The kitten one?

"No the fireman one."

Oohh—they need to make a fireman AND kitten one! And the kittens should be Magic Kittens!

And so it goes. But if you want to watch something that is light and light hearted, celebratory and almost nobody ever dies… and if they have died in the past-- every one remembers them but only ever cries happy tears. Hallmark movies are silly and sappy and SAFE.

As addictions go, they are pretty benign. Embarrassing, but benign.