Posts Tagged ‘tess conrad’

Whew.

I’m just realizing the whole Christmas thing is over already. Thankfully. Sadly.

Okay, there’s still New Year’s to get through, and that’s a whole other kettle of fish, but the bulk of it is gone. Charlie and I both stayed home this year, no December travelling for the first time, and there were lists and lists of things we wanted to do, some of which we got to, some we didn’t. (I really really really will get myself over to the concerts in St. Louis Cathedral and/or the caroling next year. Really truly.)

It all culminated in an Orphan’s Christmas Eve feast- a dinner party for wonderful friends whose families are also miles away. Charlie took the theme to heart and went into full on Dickens mode, making a scrumpcious goose with fruit stuffing and suchlike (tho no figgy pudding, thankfully). I intended to take pics of the goose before it got gobbled, but I was nicely buzzed on wine and company, so there ya go.

After Christmas Day’s Annual Low Key Open House thrown by our wonderful neighbors and a day of recovery we went and saw some of the holiday stuff Downtown and crossed off a few more “we have to get to”s around town.

It was meant to end in a lovely dinner at Antoine’s Hermes bar, but that was packed. We scaled down to Arnaud’s bistro, Remoulade, but they were closing by the time we got there. So dinner, for those brave of us to accept the mission, was an honest-to-god Lucky Dog with the works.

Ug:

Note there are only boys in that picture. The ladies wisely took a pass.

So that’s that. Christmas 2009 in the bag, for better or worse. Lots of all the stuff you’re supposed to have, and little of the stuff everybody hates. And yet I find myself in a bit of a post-holiday slump. This was the first year in a long time I really participated and wasn’t just a bah-humbug, largely because the business is gone, I think. I used to have to shop constantly, so more holiday buying just made me nuts, and Christmas also started the roller coaster of Carnival season, so to say I was distracted is an understatement.

I guess this is the first real event that’s made me acutely aware of the business’ loss on a day-to-day, nuts and bolts level. Bittersweet, as always. I’m very happy to not be pouring over catalogs, scrying for clues as to what kind of season it’s going to be, laying in supplies, and making even more of a mess than I do usually. Mostly I’m very happy about it all.

Sometimes I just have to remind myself of that.

We, like so much of the south*, had all kinds of rain here the last week or so, and if it’s not coming down, it’s thinking about it.

Charlie spotted this one over the backyard last night, and although we often have hints of rainbows, this was about the strongest one we’ve ever had.

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* You can donate to help Atlanta and their flood victims here.

I should be doing a big wrapup and commentary about Katrina’s fourth anniversary. I should have spent the day going to remembrances and speeches.

Instead, I went for a walk, which was the sensible thing to do. Much of life in New Orleans is still spent with Katrina at its core- volunteerism, fighting against the bureaucracy and incompetence, and just generally doing our best. Next year, the 5th anniversary, I’m sure we’ll go do something big and powerful to remember.

Today was more quiet and meditative, spent walking with a friend in the bayous and swamps. It’s a wonderful time to do so- flowers are everywhere, banana spiders are spinning their massive webs, bees are buzzing and gators are sunning. Even though there trees brought down by Katrina still liter the grounds of the park, there’s new life- vines cover them, mosses and mushrooms grow and the crickets sing.

It was hard to imagine a better way to spend the day.

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