First Maine Christmas

I woke up this morning around 7:30, which really isn’t all that early. I usually get up at 10:30 though – because I fall asleep so late at night – or morning. Laura and I began cooking dinner past midnight because we ended up getting into a heated conversation about something. I’m not sure what it was. I just kept rolling around in bed. I couldn’t sleep.

I tried to see through the dark curtain material we recently hung over the curtain rods to keep as much heat in as possible. But as much as I tried, I couldn’t make out if it was a sunny day or a cloudy one. I know the forecast called for sun, but I wasn’t sure of the weatherman’s accuracy this Christmas day.

As I kind of stumbled down the stairs in an effort to get over to the pellet stove for refilling, I noticed a bright light coming through the downstairs window. Sunny. Indeed it was. And actually, what I was looking at was the sunrise. Our very first Christmas day in Maine and my very first sunrise – in Maine (too).

As you can see, the ice is still hanging on mightily to those tree branches. I don’t think it’s going anywhere any time soon either. Unless, of course, it warms up. Then, it’ll seem like it’s raining in the woods. I’ve experienced that before and it’s really something else. Having the sun blast down on you, only to feel the freezing cold droplets of water falling on your head from the branches above. Ice like this changes things so much.

After I did a little work on some old websites I hope to revive in 2014, I went back to bed. It was probably 8:00. I slept in to my normal 10:30 when I heard all sorts of commotion downstairs. Laura was laughing and making such a racket! I pulled myself from bed. I slept deeply this time. Whenever I wake up and end up falling back to sleep in the morning, it’s the good sleep. Not sure why either. But it always works out that way.

I later found that Laura had been taking video of the cats. That’s what the noise was coming from. They were modeling, I’m sure, and she was recording video and snapping pictures. I wasn’t aware of the extent of things until I looked on her camera later on. Yeah, she took a lot. I decided to steal a few of the better pictures of Finnegan and Voleman and call them their Christmas portraits. So serious!

As you can see, I had to twist the photos ever so slightly so their eyes were lined up horizontally. Makes for such drama. Fierce!

This afternoon, we went for our annual Christmas walk. This is the time we use to reflect upon our choices and wonder why we do the things we do. Our Christmases are probably the most low key Christmases possible. The most we do is call a few loves ones. And I think that’s enough for us. I don’t know. That’s the way it’s been for a while and that’s the way it’ll probably be for the rest of our lives. If we changed it now, I think we’d probably freak out a little. Going for our mid-afternoon walks in the cold has become somewhat of a tradition for us. Get all bundled up and head out into whatever mother nature has decided to throw at us. This year it’s the ice. The road was covered with it. And like I said above, so is everything else.

When we got back to the house, and after we ate a quick late lunch, I suggested that Laura and I exchange gifts. My mother had two glass jars shipped to arrive here yesterday. Since we never got a chance to buy each other anything, I handed her both of the jars and she handed one back to me. We had presents for unwrapping. We did and were surprised to find items of such quality. My mother has very good taste.

What you are looking at above are two “Le Parfait French Glass Canning Jars.” Quite heavy and well made. When I told my mother that we’d love some canning jars, I’m not sure I knew what was available out there. I had no idea she’d go for the imported from France ones. Really nice to look at and will look splendid on the counter top.

I’d like to say Merry Christmas again, but by the time you read this, it’ll be the day after. Ah, what the heck – Merry Christmas again!