Things December-ish

Ugh, the first day of snow. I know I should feel happy, but I don’t. I want nothing to do with it, because I don’t do anything with it anymore. Gone are the days when the kids would flock to the living room window and be gleeful about the white stuff – looking forward to making snow angels and going sledding.

Now, the joy was on their side mostly. Because this first day of snow would also be the day I discovered that boots had mysteriously shrunk from the year before, or one of the boots in a set would have wandered off to slushy places unknown. There would be fights over mittens, and zippers would get immovably stuck.

And then after 10 minutes outside and one sad looking snowperson later, the kids would want to come in for marshmallows and hot chocolate – mostly the marshmallows.

And I would discover there were more items I needed on hand. Preparedness, I know, is the key to a successful winter season. That and having the kids old enough to go buy their own winter gear, topped off by a visit to Tim Horton’s.

On the topic of being prepared, there is a little light that should go off, or a horn that blows loudly, when Nov. 1 hits. Yes, I know it means it’s time to change the clocks, but it also should remind my hubby and me that it’s time to change the tires.

This year my hubby phoned our mechanic well into November, hoping to bring the car and van in over the next few days - to winterize the cars and get our snow tires put on. Our mechanic didn’t laugh out loud, though I’m sure he wanted to. But he respects that we are the best kind of customers to have – we can’t fix anything.

So, here it is Dec. 1, the snow is falling, and we still don’t have snow tires on.

Having said that, I am very prepared for all other things December-ish. My Christmas cards are all done – I get them printed in bulk and I have a labels file in my computer. My Christmas shopping is all done. This year close family and friends are all getting gas cards. And our decorations are all up – or as up as they need to be. It consists of a string of lights on our balcony which never gets taken down from year to year.

Why the remarkable efficiency? We are Christmas-ing in Arizona this year. Last year I threw out our artificial tree. It had had one cat too many climb up it and knock it over.

And now that our kids are all grown up and not coming home for Christmas this year, I told my husband, “I can’t do Christmas in Sudbury this year.” At first I’m sure he didn’t pay me no mind, but after a week in AZ in October, surrounded by Mexican food and drink, and saturated with sun from a cloudless sky, he was willing to dream of a white-sand Christmas.

OK, not all of our kids have moved away. Our fourth child, who is 22, is still with us. When I told my mother we were going away without Elaine, Mom was horrified. “We took you kids everywhere!” she exclaimed. I responded, “Mom, when I was 22 I had a baby and a husband, and I don’t recall you taking us everywhere.”

But Elaine will always be our baby, so we are taking her to Grannie Marj’s for Christmas, and we’ll have a pre-Christmas celebration there. And on our return, we’ll visit daughter Anna, son-in-law Neal, and baby Emma for New Years. (Other kids – Carolyn and Tom – are in South Korea.)

Will Emma flock to the living room window and be gleeful about the white stuff?

Probably! It’s such a rare occurrence in St. Catharines. Will her parents have her snow outfit ready? Absolutely! She’s the last of the grandkids on Neal’s side and the first grandchild on Anna’s side. She’ll have a complete new outfit for each snowy day.

Yes, all two of them!

Jan Carrie Steven is a volunteer with Cat Adoption Trust Sudbury (CATS) and the co-ordinator of Small Things: Cats, Books & Gifts. For more information, go to www.smallthings.ca.