Holiday Season

Happy Holidays to everyone in the world!

Ah, the holidays. It has to be my favorite time of the year. Thanksgiving was spent with my family, in sunny San Diego. It was slightly chilly (about 60*F or about 16*C), but we were warmed by the lit stove and warm dinner.

Leftovers lasted about a week.

Now. Christmas approaches. In my family, Christmas eve is spent with my mom’s side of the family. We don’t really have a formal dinner, which is fine with me. It’s easier to mingle when you aren’t confined to a chair. It is followed by a buffet-style arrangement of holiday-themed treats, some from a family recipe book, some from recipes in food magazines, but never store-bought.

My mom, sister, and I spend a whole day baking goods. Sugar cookies cut out into themed shapes, chocolate and peanut butter fudges, snowball cookies (fluffy cookies made from cake batter and rolled in powdered sugar), and so on.

For dinner, it’s snack-foods. Meat and cheese tray, artichoke dip in a sourdough bread bowl, barbecue sauced mini wienies, veggie tray, and my grandpa and grandma’s Clam dip (it sounds weird if you’ve never had it, but even my anti-seafood dad thinks its delicious).

The adults chat over different wines, or my grandpa whips up a special drink, and everyone sits in the living room as the kids pass out the gifts.

Christmas day is spent with my Dad’s side of the family (my parent’s are not divorced, we just celebrate different ways with either side of the family). We usually meet in the Rec Hall and my grandma’s mobile park. The adults mingle as the kids play billiards, badminton, or cards. Everyone gathers at the spacious tables and eats ham, breakfast foods, and cookies. Then we all gather by the tree and exchange gifts.

Even though everyone has visited/is visiting this season, I do get a feeling of homesickness knowing that I can’t just drop by anymore. That, and aside from the decorations and crazed sales, it never really feels like winter in San Diego. It really hits me how warm it is here when I watch Christmas movies and it always shows snow.

But I guess a lot of people out there would like it to be warm and sunny all year round. To each, their own, I suppose.

Remember to soak in all of the family time you can get this holiday season!