My Favorite Day of the Whole Year!

My favorite day of the whole year Used to be Christmas Day...

Christmas Eve was lots of work and lots of being at church and oyster stew (blech!) and--because you were dressed up all day between church services and therefore not bundled up as usual--it was also the Coldest day of the year. Now I rather like my dad's Christmas Eve service and as a child I thought it was the best church service of the whole year. But as I've gotten older and taken on more and more responsibilities, it has unfortunately lost some of its magic. Last year, for instance, I sang solos at all four services. I also helped set up for all four services. I did the children's sermon at the early morning service and spent the rest of the day passing out candles and stars, ringing bells, singing with the choir, cleaning up after services and turning off the lights for the candle lighting in the evening. It was, to say the least, a very full day.

In contrast, imagine the wondrous indolence of Christmas Day. With nowhere to go and nothing that has to be done, Christmas Day is traditionally the one day that my family is allowed to stay in our pajamas, bask in the warmth of a fire, open stockings and presents, eat all manner of Christmas goodies and play with our new toys.

And there were always toys to play with! Even once Kurt and I outgrew our Star Wars action figures (or, I should say, Mom and Dad stopped buying them for us... One is Never too old for Star Wars action figures!) there were always computer gadgets and games. Videos, books, and electronic bumblepuppies of all sorts. Lots of fun things to share.

But not this year... With the coming of in-laws and babies our traditions have perforce changed and as a result Kurt and I did not even get to Mom and Dad's until Christmas afternoon. Then there was much to do to have Christmas dinner and catch up and open stockings and presents and to prepare for the trip to see the extended family the next day. And actually, there was very little in the way of toys to play with anyway. In my old age I asked for practical gifts like extra sheets for my massage table and warm socks and anatomy flashcards for school... and that is exactly what I got...

So it was that this year Today, December 30, 2007, became my favorite day of the year.

Dan and I woke up this morning to the wonderful realization that it was a day when we didn't have anyone to visit, no presents to buy, no parties to attend, nothing to wrap or open, no school to go to, no classes to teach. Just a blissfully grey and rainy day with nothing to do but play. And, bless his heart, Dan Did get a toy for Christmas that he has been sharing with me.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I now know what my two degrees in classical voice were for. As Mom always says, "Nothing you learn is ever wasted." Those six years of higher education were for the sole purpose of preparing me for my newly found vocation. I have spent the whole day sitting on the couch in my pajamas, playing Guitar Hero II and becoming a rock goddess.

It's a tough job. Fortunately I have all day. And now I really must get back to it. I want to master Mötley Crüe's immortal classic "Shout at the Devil" at medium difficulty before Dan pulls an intervention, pries the little plastic guitar from my frozen fingers and hides it somewhere.