HOLIDAYS
Taking Them Over

Christmas is the time to play exotic forms of Dutch Blitz late into the night. It’s when we listening to David Sedaris criticize the poor performances ubiquitous in elementary school pageants and have the excuse to buy truffle oil and try it out on any sort of bread and pasta we have. We can also buy really expensive pâté.

The day after Christmas is when we can stop listening to Christmas music and realize it is a relief, or that the new music we just received is really good! (Although coming home to a snarling Bob Dylan still wouldn't be bad.) We can also go to our favorite restaurant and eat the finest things found and made for the mouths of humans. This time around at Spring Hill, we had the best of December’s mussels from Totten Inlet (!), hen-of- the-woods over cheddar grits, potato croutons in a fennel puree, quinoa with subtle peppers and the most decadent burger known to me. According to Jenn “if it’s subtle it has to be good.” Except for the beef-fat fries, she says those are bold and flavorful and “I’m going to be mad if we don’t take them home. I don’t care if they’re going to be soggy, I’m gonna eat them.” Strong words for a vegetarian.

Christmas is the day when you realize who your good friends are and why family is important. You realize that you like it when your presents are a “big hit” and that you managed to give someone whose life is really full a little bit of extra joy. And it doesn’t stop, next week after all the hustling and rustling is over we can go to a cabin on the coast and listen to our good music, watch the waves and read Kafka for hours. Life is good when you make your own traditions.

Photo by J. Brownell