December always feels like an explosion to me....so much to do, gatherings and parties to attend, meals to plan and cook, house to clean and decorate, presents to think of, buy and wrap....everything crammed into what seems like a shorter and more intense period each year. Then its over, with empty boxes and scraps of wrapping paper littering the scene. I'm relieved to have it over, although there are always precious experiences involved which make the effort worthwhile. Now is the time to think about how things went and what I might do differently next time.
Christmas dinner this year was not my best, although I worked hard to have everything done ahead of time. For some reason, I misjudged the timing on the food, and the amount of it, so some things were cold and some barely done by the time we ate, and almost everything disappeared on the first round. That makes me nervous, I like to have a little left over to show that everyone got as much as they wanted. I have made the same dishes many times before, so I'm a little perplexed about what went wrong, although the fact that it all was eaten tells me not to fret too much.
I am happy with the table though. Before we moved I routinely used green and gold for my Christmas table because I had a green undercloth big enough for the extended table and enough yellow banded plates for ten people. It has been seven years since I could use them so I decided to return to those objects and that color scheme for this year's table. Two new elements helped keep it fresh and interesting. This fall at a second hand shop I found a lace runner that I thought was really beautiful even though the center panel has small tears and stains. Also, while I was out earlier in the month I saw some of those fancy, twining wire and bead decorations people often use on Christmas trees. I had sworn I wouldn't buy any more of that sort of stuff, but I really really liked these (I'm a sucker for berry-like dealy bobber shapes) so I indulged. The chartreuse beads echoed a chartreuse edge pattern on the plates (also a thrift shop find from years ago) and led me to try the chartreuse napkins as well. Little yellowish poinsettias were inexpensive and just the right color. With pine boughs and a gold candlestick it looked both Christmas-y and unexpected. Score!
Although accumulated stuff can just be such a burden, it is also true that even a small new purchase can be revitalizing for your table, your house or your wardrobe. Yay dealy-bobbers!