Holiday Hangover

It seems like I just couldn't get in the Christmas spirit this year (despite the good intentions and the amount of liquor consumed). I usually pride myself on being a good (even great) gift giver, but I had to return 3 gifts this year before the holidays even started, and my in-laws actually purchased the gift I had intended for them about 3 weeks prior to Christmas. Can we make Amazon wish lists mandatory?

We went to a traditional protestant service this year and missed midnight mass. I realized that it has been a long time since I have heard a "Come To Jesus" sermon -- and I really missed the homily we otherwise would have heard. No wonder so many people don't want to go to church. It grates when it's supposed to soothe. We only sang 2 songs I knew (Christmas Carols) and then there was one I had never heard of before. Somehow I thought we would do more singing.

When we got home, our final gift exchange was thwarted by two cases of Strep Throat -- my aunt and my thre-year-old cousin -- and a long work day for my other cousin. Of the five who were coming to exchange gifts, only one, my grandmother, was able to make it. Disappointing, but how can you fault them for being sick? We are extremely grateful they did not come to spread their germs.

I did finish a couple of books over the past week -- I have become a voracious reader to try and avoid having to talk to people and spreading my cynicism over the holidays. When my now defunct book club read The sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I somehow missed it. So I finally read it last week. I liked it. It was fun and a good reminder that "kids" don't just have "kid" problems -- they are as real to them as mine are to me. I didn't love the book so much as to want to read the 2nd one, however.

I also read Trading Up by Candice Bushnell (author of Sex and the City). I expected to feel really connected to the main character -- as I absolutely fell in love with the women of Sex and the City. Not so with this book. I liked it, but the story seemed to be so New York that if you don't live there, or have never been there, something is lost on you. It had too many hard edges for me. If anyone wants to read it, you are welcome to keep my copy.

Here's to the New Year, and getting back to the normalcy of life.