Holiday Buzz

Inspirational song: Winter Wonderland (v. Perry Como)

The man had an errand to run at the mall tonight. It wasn't necessarily holiday-related, but we did wander around a little to shop, and to make fun of some of the things that we saw. It has been almost two years since the man went into one of these giant temples of consumerism. I think we were both curious how he would react, after spending so long abroad, in a region with a very different economic mindset. If he had exceptionally strong feelings of disgust or confusion at the shallow, materialistic society he has re-entered, he kept them to himself. He did, however, seem to be unmoved by all the shiny, sparkly things for sale in the brightly-lit displays. He has said for years that he is not the target demographic for most consumer goods. That is so true. He doesn't care about brand names or fashion, about slick packaging or bling. He abhors the concept of "disposable" anything. And he rarely considers the latest version of anything to be superior to generations that came before it (especially when that applies to cars). But any time we remind him that just because he doesn't have any interest in the wares on sale doesn't mean no one does, he good naturedly quotes the Once-ler. "The birth of an industry, you poor, stupid guy! You telling me what the public will buy?"

I seem to be maintaining my holiday mood, for the most part. It's still hard to keep a good buzz with all the warm sunny days in a row, but at night I get to see the lights in my own yard, and I have been finding foods that taste right for the season (like those great cookies from yesterday). I know the report from space is that Florida leads the nation in over-the-top light displays that can be seen from orbit, but that doesn't translate here. I really would have thought in a place like this, more people would decorate the front of their houses. After three holiday seasons of living here, I am firmly convinced, Coloradans get way more into yards full of fairy lights than folks in the Low Country. Should we assume it's because of the snow and cold weather?

I begged to be allowed to take control of all of the food for the holiday with my parents, and was granted conditional permission -- they'll let me do all the cooking as long as I don't try to feed them anything weird. Now I need to come up with a menu, so we have time to shop. What sounds good, on a grain-free holiday table? Maybe I need to wade through some of the Paleo websites, for inspiration. This is the first time they've given me this much free rein at the holidays. I want to wow them. This has the potential to be wonderful.