Hearthside Singing

My aunt is the singer of the family; everyone else likes to join in but unbeknownst, she's the best. We don't really have a set group of traditions for the holiday, other than waking up at six o'clock am, opening presents at half past the hour. It takes a lot of coffee and quite a bit of food for us to finish. This year, only my grandparents are going to be here for Christmas Eve and the next day. Sadly, I won't be able to stay up late with my aunt and help her cook French onion soup until one in the morning, watching Rick Steves' "Christmas in Europe" on PBS (don't judge). She's going to her fiancé's family's home. So, no half out of tune carols this year. I'll have to make due with the playlist that's on repeat on a cassette deck my father's had since he was probably about twenty-five. I'm going to be twenty in February, that's a bit terrifying to think about. Not the age, just the time gone by.

It's nice being in Vermont despite the damp, freezing, ridiculously chilling weather. It wasn't this bad when I left Chicago. Different state, different climate, right? This year, definitely, feels more like a vacation than coming back into my past. Even though I've only officially lived in the mid-west for a little under a year and a half, but most days it feels like longer. Well, off to eat. I'm always off to eat. I wonder why I make food after I write these. Drive/travel safely. Hope it's snowing where you are, or sunny, if that's what you prefer.