2020 Life Logs, Day 340: Ushering in the Holiday Season
Date: Sunday, December 6, 2020
Weather: Sunny and Cold: High 39, Low 28 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA
Today the Goldstones and I ushered in the holiday season. This weekend would normally be the official Falmouth By the Sea weekend when Santa arrives in the harbor, the lights on the Green are officially lit, and the annual Falmouth Christmas Parade marches down Main Street. This year none of those things could happen because of Covid but scaled down versions of those things were video-taped and shown on community television today at noon.
Heather was volunteering this morning at the Christmas tree sale to raise money for the school PTO and other non-profits. When I arrived to get my tree, I saw an elf working in the lot. On closer examination, I saw that the elf was my daughter. The elf helped me pick out a tree and then Jed and boys arrived to get their tree. Sam and Jonah had to go to do a service project, so Ollie stayed with Heather. When I went back to pick him up, he had convinced Heather to buy a second tree. He wanted a tree for the basement, but it ended up in the all purpose room. Ollie put the tree in my car and we headed to my house where he helped me get my tree up. At noon we had an impromptu gathering of the whole crew at my house where we watched the parade and had lunch. Then tonight we had dinner at Heather and Jed’s and I got see the their two trees up and decorated. Justin, Jo, Ziggy, and Coco put their tree up last weekend. Mine is up but not yet decorated. Once it is, I’ll post photos of all.
Jed’s birthday is on Tuesday and at dinner tonight he received an early birthday present from Heather and the boys—a big gnome that they hope will be the first installment in a collection of gnomes in future years. Jed and his gnome were at end of the table and a stuffed Santa that I bought for Heather and Justin in 1985 sat at the other end. Hard to believe that Santa has survived 35 years, but then a Santa is forever.
