This has been a surreal Christmas season for me, because we still aren’t back in our house.
Instead of my usual cheer and decorating, I’m spending a lot of time on endless “customer-not-service” phone trees and hoping my house will get de-smoked in time to put up a Christmas tree.
Oh, also trying to do Christmas shopping and remember whose gift is in which house.
Fa-la-la-freakin’-la. It’s hard to feel holly jolly, sometimes.
On the other hand, I am very aware of how fortunate we really are, and I’ve tried to remember that when it starts to feel too much. And I’ve tried to remember to be a part of giving this season, to remind myself just how lucky we’ve been.
On another note, one of my family’s Christmas traditions is for somebody in the family to always be sick on Christmas. It’s usually my mother, but we’ve all taken a turn at looking like death warmed over in the family photos, and at least three of us have spent Christmas Eve in the ER in years past.
I’m currently working my way through this year’s office bug, so I’m thinking I’ll be in the clear come actual Christmas, so my money is currently on Mom, with my middle sister being my secondary bet.
However, nothing will top the year that, and I swear this is true, we had a Christmas with the entire extended family during which, my beloved 12-year-old Doberman laid down in the sun for a nap on Christmas Eve and never woke up again (and we buried him that night, by flashlight), my sister’s live-in boyfriend dumped her via text on Christmas morning (he’d waited for her to go home so he didn’t have to do it face to face) and my cousin’s husband’s appendix burst during dinner on Christmas Day and he got to celebrate the ringing in of the new year from a hospital bed.
Merry Christmas indeed.
Here’s to a happy, healthy, normal holiday for all of us, no matter what that looks like to you.
Still time to help
The Kiwanis Club tells us that their Christmas toy program has been moving slowly compared to past years even though they feel there is probably a larger need, so the toy and food donations are important.
Santa Tim will arrive as usual by fire truck at the Windsor High School Gym at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21 for the annual giveaway. David Kahn from the Boosters will have hot dogs, popcorn and water for all the children.
If there are families in need this holiday season, please register with the Windsor Service Alliance food pantry or call Sherry Rubin at 707-291-6064 or e-mail sa******@ao*.com. with name, address, gender and age of children up to age 13.
Toy and non-perishable food items can still be donated at the fire stations, including Larkfield, Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Chung’s dental office, or by calling Sherry Rubin.
If you haven’t ever attended this event, it’s a huge deal for the families, so if you haven’t donated yet, please find a way to be a part of it. It is a really life changing experience.
Windsor holiday hours
Town offices will be closed the week of Monday, Dec. 23 to Thursday, Dec. 26 for a holiday closure. They will re-open on Monday, Dec. 30. For sewer and water emergencies or town service-related emergency situations, call 707-838-1000. The Windsor Police Department (707-838-1234) will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas, but will remain open during normal business hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. the rest of the week.
Heather Bailey is the editor of The Windsor Times.
