This time of the year

December is a busy month at our house. My daughter has a birthday, and my dad's was on the 20th. I was going to post yesterday about what would have been his 92nd birthday, but we got busy doing things we've done in the past on that day. It happened by accident - we found ourselves driving around looking at the houses lit with a zillion lights and full of Christmas décor, remembering how we did it on his birthday in the recent past. We talked about his dog, Leroy, who passed away suddenly this year, and how the Beagle, and Rebel, the Golden Retriever, were vying for his affection in the next realm. It was a good time. Then we drove by his old house and were so pleased to see it decked out with lights and looking very festive. My dad disliked decorating for Christmas, and we would have to hang decorations in spite of him.

I found a picture of our house from 1958-1961, on Okinawa. My mother had a Japanese artist build and paint a huge plywood  Santa (with Japanese eyes) on a sleigh, complete with reindeer, to anchor on top of the roof. A typhoon swept through one Christmas and threw the whole kit and caboodle down the street. I remember my dad chasing it in the lashing rain as it went end over tea kettle. As I remember, that was the year the scrawny Christmas tree wasn't up to mother's standards, so my dad had to drill holes and glue in branches from another tree, then wire them to other branches so they'd hold the ornaments. Looking back, I can see why my dad wasn't overly fond of decorating for the holidays, LOL.

Christmas is so fast this year, I don't have a handle on it. I've resolved to be less stressed and realize it'll happen with or without my fussing about it. After all, the important thing is that we're all together and feeling very grateful to be so. And no one has to chase a plywood Santa down the street in the pouring rain.