Christmas Eve

I usually write some kind of post for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Looking back at the history of this blog, it seems like I have to go all the way back to 2017 before I find a year with nothing in that vein. But somehow this year seems like one of the least "Christmas-y" years in a while.

Normally at this point I am at Mother's house, in the extended banlieue of Big City, a couple of hours from where I live. But the weather has thrown up some ... challenges ... so that we decided collectively (on Tuesday) to wait for the weekend. I tried to joke, "If the Wise Men took several days to get to Bethlehem, we should be able to postpone our get-together by a few days as well." Meanwhile, Son 2 and Beryl explained to us all that they'll have to Christmas-in-place this year because of some unusual expenses (like buying a car). I sent an email to Son 1 and Wife suggesting that maybe I could drop by in a couple of days, and have gotten no reply.

So here I sit, at home in front of my computer, writing to you lot instead. 

• My apartment isn't decorated because I don't own a lot of Christmas decorations, and because there doesn't seem to be any point to decorate when it's just me. 
• I'm not listening to Christmas music, because I almost never listen to music anyway. (Although I did connect to a live-streamed Christmas concert by Golden Bough on Saturday.) 
• I've done vanishingly little Christmas shopping: something for Debbie, and for Son 2 + Beryl, since those had to be sent by mail (and therefore could be ordered online). 
• For Mother, Brother + SIL, Son 1 + Wife—in other words, for people I'm likely to see in person—I've done a little cooking. 

I'm really not in the Christmas spirit.