A Quiet Holiday

Holiday lights at Winners Circle Park!

This year continues on in its strangeness, all of us trying to reinterpret a holiday season that cannot be so many of the things that every other holiday season has been - parties, gatherings, families flying across the country to put their arms around one another, live shows and music, the merriness of the hustle and bustle in city streets and shops. (These days, hustle and bustle seems not at all merry and almost threatening - too many people, too much risk.) 

This fall, we've continued to spend recreational time outside - walks at Mayes Lake and Flowood Park, endless loops in the neighborhood, evenings around the fire pit in the back yard. Being outside has continued to be a source of peace and rest during an unwieldy age. 

I've also been working to learn more about the outdoors. I ordered some resources to help me better identify trees, plants and wildlife that I encounter. I'm slowly getting better at recognizing what I see!

 

A calm, cloudy sea on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for Thanksgiving.

For Thanksgiving, we rented a beach cottage on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, ordered most of our feast pre-cooked from a local Rouse's (Better than you would think! We just heated the turkey up!), and treated my sister-in-law to a hassle-free dinner. (She works retail, and it's always a stressful time of year for her. It felt good to let her put her feet up for a while!) This celebration was so different from my usual tradition, but it had its own unique charms, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. We spent a few days down there, cooking big breakfasts and just being lazy. 

While we were in town, the weather was warm but cloudy. I took walk after walk along the beach, observing the laughing gulls, herons, and little terns that shared the sand and the water with me. There's still a significant amount of debris (and some visible damage) piled along the coast from this year's punishing hurricane season, but it's a beautiful, sleepy place to be if you want some time with your thoughts. I even ducked into a few of the downtown shops in sweet little Bay St. Louis on Black Friday. They weren't crowded at all, and I found darling purchases at the Shops of Century Hall (cocktail picks! tons of cute home decor! original art!) and Bay Books. 

Bright, pretty Canton! It's magical at Christmas!

Back at home, we hung up the holly for Christmas and still enjoyed a lot of our usual traditions - strolling through the lights at Winners Circle Park (cocoa from Cups warm in our hands), our annual sugar cookie bake-off and decorating bonanza, and a wonderful night out in Canton to see the outdoor holiday displays. I binged romantic holiday TV movies and drank hot cups of tea by the fireplace. 

Due to some health issues with my father (and the pandemic and general changes with my extended family), our Christmas also looked a lot different this year. We hosted a night of holiday activities and heavy appetizers at my house on Christmas Eve with my dad, my older sister, and her family. We FaceTimed with my younger sister in Oregon, who didn't travel south to celebrate due to the pandemic. My husband was able to project their video onto our large TV in the den, and it was the next best thing to having them with us! Innovation for the win!

Our holiday photo booth props were a big hit!

The younger boys decorated a gingerbread house, I had TONS of goofy holiday props for a photo booth, and we played carols on the piano. We opened presents and ended the night with our traditional Christmas crackers. (We love getting the ones with the whistles and sheet music in them. My older sister always serves as our conductor!) 

On Christmas morning, we were lazy with breakfast and opening our presents. Then that night, my husband's parents came by for dinner. We had appetizers, a small rib roast, a few sides, and cheesecake for dessert. We FaceTimed his younger brother in on the television and played Pun Intended (one of my Christmas presents) to many groans and rimshot sound effects. 

It was all very different, and very much smaller, but still lovely, still meaningful. 

In recent days, some of our medical personnel and vulnerable populations have begun receiving the vaccination. For me, it has been a sign of hope - hope that next year's holiday will see me back together with all of the people I love most in the world. 

Courage, dear hearts. We're almost there. 

Our holiday group photo! The gang was all here, albeit in different ways!