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‘Twas the day after Christmas … (AKA: Boxing Day)
Ah Christmas! It’s over. *sniff sniff* My favorite part of the day was spending it with those I love.
I’ll share some of those moments with you.
My comment regarding the Walking Dead figure on Facebook was: “Me and 10 inches of Rick Grimes!” Which was met with the expected ‘That’s what she said” comment from my fun friend Penny. LOL! I have to admit, I was eyeballing that ginormous box of candy when I was in the store selling it – but I don’t shop for me when I’m Christmas shopping – SO glad it caught the eye of my mom.
Here’s my future rock star son doing all manner of future rock star things – including snoozing after a meal.
I have to say – I do believe he actually tuned the damn thing!! He has an ear for music and I’m SO glad I got him the guitar. He brought it with us to my moms and found chords that actually sounded like chords etc!
The animals … it was REALLY hard to get a good photo of Butters in the morning (at 5:30, when Nic came into my room with our stockings, it’s hard to get a good photo of anything). She was so wiggly and excited – all I got were blurry shots. I did however love these two photos of some of my moms pets – and the last one is the best photo I managed to get of ‘Christmas Butters’.
Now – there’s a story behind that cat in a box.
When my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her (in complete earnestness) ‘Paper towels, toilet paper and those laundry sprinkle things!’
You know how expensive those items can make a trip to the store!! There’s barely enough cash left for food when you have run out of the main staples of the household. So there was this big box for me – and ta-da! Sure enough. I got my wish.
The cat (Plucky) then did the typical ‘oh there’s a box and I’m a cat’ thing.
The second cat is one whom I call ‘FOO’. (His name is Curry.) I’m fond of him. So I started saying to my mom – “Where’s fond of one?” F.O.O. The birth of a new name.
The food.
Oh my goodness. It’s been so long since I’ve had red meat – and yesterday, when there was prime rib on the table, I could have wept with joy. AND Yorkshire Pudding! I was in heaven.
Now … that bottom right photo has a story too. It was the tiniest brussel sprout ever! I shared it on Facebook and my mom, who should know better considering my affinity for inanimate objects, proceeded to write ‘stuff’.
Yeah … I get my humor from her. And I passed it like a disease to my son. LOL!
Speaking of the both of them … here’s some people shots. Nic will always bust out the ‘majestic’ pose for giggles. That’s what he’s doing in the fireplace room.
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas if you celebrated it.
And NO! Boxing Day has nothing to do with boxing – and I’ll celebrate it after work.
Let me tell you a little about Boxing Day.
The day after Christmas, we used to have a ‘open house’ of sorts for all friends and family – pretty much anyone who wanted to come. Lots of food, drink and merriment. There was usually a gift in the tree for all who came.
Boxing day in the UK was the day the house servants received their boxes – after all, they were busy Christmas Day attending to the household they worked for right? Also the day you would acknowledge workers like your milkman, postman … a general ‘thank you’ and fun fun fun!
I’ve also heard it’s called Boxing Day because it’s the day all the Christmas boxes are put away. I think that was just a ploy on my moms behalf to get us to clean up.
Just think of it as the day those who were of service to you all year got THEIR Christmas boxes. 🙂
Golliwogs and Christmas Eve and Nannies and such
When I think of my Nannie – I think of green houses and the smell of tomato plants and wood – heated in the English sun. I think of checkered table cloths and mint sauce. I think of salad cream and endless hours on her bed listening to the stories behind every piece of her jewelry in her jewelry box.
She sent this to me a couple of years ago – can you believe it’s 79 years old? She got it on her 13th birthday … I’ll share with you the note and the necklace:
The reason I started thinking about my Nannie – (other than she often finds my mind) is that I was looking for soap.
I wanted to wash my hair – do old fashioned ringlets for tomorrow and put my Christmas Eve PJ’s on.
I’m running low on shampoo and conditioner – but even lower on soap. WHERE do the re-gift/half ass body wash gifts go when you need them? I searched under my sink and gave up. Nothing. I must have tossed or re-gifted.
I did find ‘our’ soap.
I mispronounced it one year as ‘Mongolia’ and it’s been a running joke ever since.
This is how my Nannie smells. Cross between Magnolias and Imperial Soap.
Anyway – she sent me a lot of it.
I was never going to use it. I’m VERY sentimental – and smell is my biggest memory jogger. I would sniff it from time to time – but tonight – I needed soap, so I used one.
I thought I’d treat myself to a little spa after my shower – I used a sample of something I definitely couldn’t afford otherwise.
My boss orders expensive grooming items from a shop she receives samples from in return for, which I’m sure, is an insane amount of money that she spends. (To her credit, she’s rocking her 60’s and has better skin than me!)
Anyway, I dipped into this:
And chose this:
And looked like this:
I washed it off and removed the towel, and don’t I look 1 year younger? LOL!
ok, so I hadn’t even brushed my hair yet. But I bare all for you.
When I had the face mask on at first, it was SUPER dark – which brought me back to my Nannie. I was thinking of black face.
The last gift she sent me was this:
Which, I’m sure, is really going to offend some people.
Listen.
In my day (now I sound REALLY old) I had a ‘Golliwog’ and LOVED it. It was treated no different than any of my other toys. I treasured it.
Golliwogs appeared in my books that I poured over – so much so, that one of them – (I can’t find it! I looked – know it’s here somewhere) had a story in it that I had etched into my skin:
It was about a kind fairy, with a crippled wing. Because she was so kind to all creatures, she was given the gift of a new wing. (The heart? My first tattoo – in the very early 90’s since I was told I was heartless – I could point to my ankle and say ‘nope!’)
I had the tattoo artist work from the original art.
Fairy Stargold I believe?
The point is – I didn’t know black from white. I didn’t know Golliwogs were offensive. They were black dolls to me – and adored.
Yet now I keep my black doll behind my bathroom door on top of my filing cabinet so as not to offend anyone.
Crazy.
So it’s Christmas Eve and I’m inundated with warm memories of everything that was precious and feeling wrong for holding some of them precious.
I’m not even going to google ‘Golliwog’ because it will taint the innocent memories I have. I was a kid – and color was not a factor.
Merry Christmas message from Debauchery Soup
I have Nic for a short time tonight – so of course, I picked the moment I washed my face and was in my PJ’s to say:
“Will you do a Christmas video with me for my site??”
I know Christmas blog will be many, many shots of food and ‘artistic’ tree and discarded gift wrap (LOL!)
What you don’t know, is while Nic isn’t big on reading my posts himself, often I have him read them aloud so I can see how they come across. He is UBER talented at voice over – and so far (because we know plans and ambitions change during the teen and early twenty years) wants to pursue that avenue.
He imitates so many voices – and I’m going to try to include the video he made for college – his narration grabbed the attention of everyone I forced to watch it, and every one authentically said “He needs to do voice work.”
ANYWAY! 2 more sleeps! And I wanted to say to those who celebrate Christmas “Merry Christmas!
And I wanted to do it in person.
Because I appreciate every one of you that reads my humble little odd blog!
Here’s my video:
I donned the fedora, because Nic said he was slappin’ his Santa hat on.
I was not going to be lacking in the haberdashery department. He didn’t (obviously) end up wearing it.
Still rockin’ the fedora though – even in my PJs and no make up. LOL!
Here’s his Zombie movie he and his girlfriend made for college.
LOVE it! You’re going to love the music, and hopefully confirm that my boy is a natural when it comes to narration. 🙂 If it won’t let you see the video on iphone or ipad – please go to a PC and check this out.
yeah, I have a cameo, and my favorite part is the bloopers, so be sure to watch it to the end!!
(and yeah, I slapped North Korea into my tags – why not? I’ve watied two plus years to be pressed! LOL! Freedom of expression …. sorta fits. 😉 (IMO – I don’t think they were behind the Sony thing – and I don’t think we were behind their outage the other day … c’mon, their power goes out all the time. One of my favorite comments I read on the topic was “South Korea musta changed their WIFI password”. Ha!)
More holiday fun
I’m like a kid – I’ll play with the boxes and ribbons instead of the present – as proven here.
A basket of goodies came and I was all over those ribbons like a cat. Okay, a naughty cat, but when it comes to someone holding a camera – I have to be a ham (or, a chocolate pasty stripper?!)
My son called later in the day.
Nic: The UPS man is here
(I hear Butters barking like crazy in the background)
Nic: Says ‘perishable’ – I’m openin’ it.
Me: Who’s it addressed to?
Nic: Amanda
Me: Then you’re not openin’ it
Nic: Oooo …. working on the corners
Me: Nic don’t!
He didn’t.
I play a game called Big Fish – been playing it for years. When you’re a hermit, you still need entertainment – and it’s a free social casino type game. Fun fun!
Anyway, I got an email a few days back saying they’d like to send me a gift.
Moi?! Ok!
Responded to email – it was legit.
Came home and opened the box – ok, Nic ended up openin’ it – and inside:
Thoughtful!
Here’s what was inside:
It was only later Nic and I had the same realization –
“Aren’t those candy apples in the news??”
We decided they meant the hard caramel/toffee kind and chocolate covered were fine.
Nic also made dinner tonight. I’m swamped with holiday miracles!
Ok – maybe the aftermath was not such a miracle – but I decided to choose my battles – be VERY grateful for the meal (it was delicious) and do the dishes for him. 😉
Afterall, ’tis the season of giving. Giving the chef a break. 🙂
Last Christmas?
Last Christmas?
I’ve spoken of this before – the inevitable severing of all that has been constant and comfortable and traditional.
My boy is in love. My boy will be turning 20 in a few months.
My boy is movin’ on from me.
We spent the first holiday apart this year on Thanksgiving.
I try to remember how it felt when I was 19 and in love. It was amazing – and I was full of hope and so sure they were my ‘forever’ partner.
All I thought about was the person I was ‘in love with’ when I was in my early twenties.
And that’s nature folks.
We split away from our family and venture off to experience life on our own and ‘go forth and multiply’.
I think it has to be a little easier to come to terms with this when you have a partner that remains?
I don’t know that to be true, because I am not in that situation.
I can tell you what it feels like for me.
As a single parent – having spent the last 19 years with one person. A person once so tiny and dependent – a person who grew before my eyes and in my heart.
I’m going to say it: It hurts that I’m not the love of his life anymore.
And I know that’s silly, and I know that’s selfish – but it’s how I feel.
He’s been bringing gifts home for a couple of months now, for his girlfriend. Planning and carefully choosing what he knows she’ll love.
I love that he’s so thoughtful.
But I feel like so suddenly, I was pushed aside.
And it’s normal!
And it’s natural!
And it’s necessary!
AND IT SUCKS!!
The best I can hope for going forward is to be included in some way in his life.
I’m never going to be #1 again. That’s just a fact.
When he’s hurting, physically or emotionally, he’ll be turning to his love for comfort.
When he has exciting news to share, I won’t be the first to hear it.
I try to put a positive spin on things … like, maybe I had something to do with how much love he has to offer someone.
Maybe I showed him how to treat someone he cares for?
But in all truthfulness – the main feeling I’m having is that I miss him. Because even when we’re together at home, we’re not.
His thoughts are elsewhere.
Even when we’re spending time together we’re not, because he’s responding to the ‘BING!’ of an instant message.
In so many ways he’s already gone. Even if we do still share the same roof some of the time.
And I know I must accept this.
And I know this is how life needs to be.
And knowing all of this doesn’t make the fact that this could very well be the last Christmas I spend with my ‘boy’ any easier.
He’s my favorite person in the whole wide world – and always will be.
Merry Christmas to my bird – I know you have to spread your wings – and I know you’ll find a way to soar!
Just don’t forget I’ll always have a little spot in the nest for you. x
Debauchery Soup 