Let It Snow

Happy Holidays, folks.

The first real snow of the season started this morning. Big, fat flakes drifting softly to the ground. Having just finished the Christmas decorating this weekend, it kind of completes the feel of the season.

The temperature outside is just above freezing, which is nice because the snow won't stick to the roads or sidewalks. I have yet to pick someone to do the snow removal for me, so that's fortunate.

I was originally going to have Thanksgiving by myself. I've been feeling an urge to begin my own traditions in this new house (which is not so new anymore). In the end, I went to the Solberg gathering in Dakota, Minn. It's a very Midwest meal, with everyone bringing crockpots filled with food. So there's no gathering about the table or carving the turkey. Everyone serves themselves, buffet style, eating off disposable plates with disposable cutlery: hot dish as Thanksgiving.

New tree…with remote!

Steve and Pam came over the Sunday after Thanksgiving and helped me drag all the Christmas stuff up from the basement. I did have one large element already upstairs: the new tree. Last year, while Emily and I were taking down the old tree, two full strands of lights (it was a pre-lit tree) shorted and every bulb on them blew out. Time for a new tree.

Back in July, I was watching the Republican National Convention. I found that I could only take about 30 minutes at a time, then I would switch over to QVC, which was having Christmas in July, a monthlong sale of Holiday stuff. There was a tree for sale with pre-lit RGB LEDs (each bulb can be any color by mixing the RGB primaries). What drew me to it was the "warm white" setting, which mimics the traditional incandescent mini-bulbs' hue.

So I had ordered my tree back in July and it's been sitting in its box in the corner of the dining room ever since. We opened it, and it was a cinch to assemble: a simple stand, and each of the three sections lights up automatically when you place them together: one wire to the wall and done. For once in my life, putting up the Christmas tree was without trauma of any kind.

Looks even nicer at night with a fire.

Since then, I've been puttering, hanging ornaments, and binge-watching "The Simpsons" on TV. Then, this weekend, Emily and Jim dropped by on Saturday to help out with finishing up the tree and getting the holiday tchotchkes out and arranged. I've been going about the house since then, jujjing and fluffing out all the artificial greenery. Today, the empty boxes are heading back to the basement and all should once again be presentable.

Things to do this week: get a new pair of winter boots. Get more winter shirts (Hawaiian shirts just don't make it, even when you layer). Get gift containers for the chocolate-covered popcorn I'm going to give the kids this Christmas. (I'm not sure where that will be, but I'm planning on doing the big Solberg Christmas.)

You may have noticed that I've made no reference to the recent presidential election, its outcome and my feelings and prognostications thereof. That's because I'm still processing the entire thing. One thing I will say, it's nice to have a brother who's a political scientist, since he provides a saner view of the happenings of the last month. I will probably be more vociferous about this new kind of politics.

Until then, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.