Our Christmases have always been different from everybody else’s, of course.
In years past back in Maryland, Christmas always meant that we were on the road or in the air, sometimes flying between Baltimore, Tucson, and Des Moines, but more often braving the weather and the traffic on trips west to Iowa. Oh, we have had some epic road trips in the snow—changing plans en route, panic and crisis, adventure and salvation, charging across the prairie with the weather radio glued to my ear… In the years before the Internet, travel at this time of year was much more intuitive and much more challenging: which way did I think the blizzard was going to move? How long would the snow last? Did it “feel right” to head off in that direction? Would we even be able to find a motel? In some ways, life was more vital and real, dealing with less information. Now people have to go online to find a place to pee!
The main thing was, though, that we had to travel long, expensive distances in order to get together with family. Every time we went to Des Moines for Christmas, for example, it cost about $1,000. Friends and relatives who lived close to family would spend hundreds on fabulous presents for each other, but our budget was for getting there, although the car was usually packed with goodies. And for a number of those years, we brought along Lady the Wonder Dog—ever a dull moment back then! Once I rebuilt the carburetor on my old Saab V-4 while parked beside the Interstate in a 10 °F gale because water in the gas had frozen, and I had to clear the jet. (Carburetor? Jet??)
This was the scene here seven years ago!”
This year in Taos—thank you Jesus for the break of having warm and snowless weather for a change—our holiday is the simplest and calmest of all.
Instead of exchanging big gifts, we decided to reserve a table at a fancy restaurant for Christmas dinner. When my own plan to score a Christmas cactus for my wife fell through and I was getting ready to head downtown at the last minute, she told me not to bother, that she didn’t need a thing, but if I really did feel like vacuuming the house, how wonderful that would be. I did! As I write this now on Christmas morning, she’s at her studio playing Bach on her piano. When she comes home, we’ll go out to eat, and tomorrow we’ll go for a drive across the gorgeous vastness of el Norte. You don’t know what it’s like to cruise on empty roads through total splendor, or perhaps you do. It’s one of the greatest compensations imaginable for living on the frontier.
Most Americans don’t even know there is a “frontier” in this country, but there is, and we are there. You can’t buy peace and solitude like this, nor can you buy the gift of zero tension for the holidays. We’ve reached this point by paying attention to our selves, through intimate communication about what’s really valuable.
I hope you find a little peace yourselves in these post-solstice days. My very best to all of you, and a very happy New Year, too.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Merry Christmas Uncle John! I remember you always giving the coolest gifts! Lol! Take care.
And Merry Christmas to you too! I heard you visited Grandma. Thanks for that.
You know, I haven’t been giving presents lately. But you’re right, I DID used to give the coolest shit. I think the world needs me to do that again. You have inspired me!
sweetheats, you 2, wish you’d been with us on the rio today at orrilla verde. it was warm and magical, a new kind of taos christmas! blessings to you both in the coming year. and i still covet that skirt, kathy!
Katy G.! Where do you like to go there? We’ve gone up and down that road a bunch. As a matter of fact, we may check it out tomorrow, since it’s gonna be nice again.
So nice to have you dropping by. Ladies & gentlemen, Katy George, Taos/Paris.
Sounds like a great Christmas you had! Enjoy your drive today for me, too, would you? We’ll be on the road traveling – not too long – only about 3 hours, just enough to be tired when we arrive home. Back to the city – yuck. One of these days we’re going to end up in New Mexico, too. Hope hope hope……take some good pictures and post them quick – we need more!
Hi Sherry!
Still looking like a nice sunny day here, no snow. We’re not going across the vasties, though. Instead, following Katy George’s advice, we’re going to the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge near Pilar, NM. Might see some ducks or Canada geeze. But pictures there will be…
My favorite frontier, and I miss it every day. I have a feeling I will be back someday.
David!
It is amazing how awful it can be here, but once it gets under your skin… You could have an off-grid bail-out cabin in the Sangres and still do your thing in L.A. under the palm trees, too, I’ll bet.
Well, if you do show up, I’ll buy you dinner. Life is strange, isn’t it? But that would be a pleasure. Safe travels from one coast back to the other…