A new tradition

Christmas for most people is a week away. Many houses will have living room floors covered with colored paper and bows purchased to be torn off packages and tossed in the trash. In addition there are trees that will also be disposed of. What a strange and wasteful tradition that is. I am opting for dispensing of it all in favor of a less dramatic get together say on Friday December 23.

School is out and everything will be closing down toward the end of the week. Most people, including my own family will be focusing on their big day, falling on Sunday this year. I wouldn't want to interfere with their plans as they have earned the right to do as they wish. I thought and thought of how I could have a quiet celebration of my own without interfering with plans that I am not part of.

My thinking produced the following: I gave them all Christmas cards yesterday with an invitation to come to my house on December 23 for an informal pre-Christmas dinner. I have one gift for everyone. I also will be serving a healthy meal of vegetarian chili with mini fusilli, a simple fruit salad, cornmeal muffins and for dessert a chocolate cake to celebrate the 51st birthday of my oldest son, currently working in Kuwait.

That should about do it for my plans. If it works out I just might continue it as a new tradition. Instead of Christmas I am going to call it Family Appreciation Day.