4:15 p.m. - 2004-12-27
Christmas 2004, Sufjan Stevens
monday, december 27
happy, rambly, list-like Christmas:
on the way to iowa and back, we listened to the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas CD about 10 times in a row, and Ryan Adams Love is Hell about that many times, too. I know that doesn't sound Christmassy, but it is in a way.
I blubbered ("wept" is too serious) my way through the last half of the christmas eve service; afterwards two people from the pew behind us confessing to me that they do the same every year as well. Katie happy = Katie cry.
the million expressions on the nine month old face of my niece Hannah. I bought her a set of stackable blocks for christmas, and when she knocked the stack down we all clapped for her. she never cries. I hope my children are like that.
Lots of girly presents: pink sweater, white sweater, terry cloth robe, shiny earrings, cake pans, love story novel. . .
that I read (parts of) out loud to Mike on our way back to Illinois. I loved the book, but there were some cheesy parts that merited out-loud dramatization to accompany us down lonely I-88.
I love how everything shuts down on Christmas day. My hometown like a ghost town. When we stopped for gas at my favorite gas station off Iowa exit 306, overlooking the Mississippi from the west side, the convenience store wasn't even open, just the gas pumps.
I got up early yesterday, made a quiche, and listened to The Messiah. We had quiche and mimosas for brunch, then headed out to the far far west suburbs, passing sod farms and technology parks, to a tiny theatre to see The LIfe Aquatic. It was pretty but slow, the music wasn't as exciting as it usually is for a Wes Anderson film. I enjoyed it though. Afterwards we drove back east and the full moon was clear and dreamsicle orange, the sun was setting, driving through the towns it seemed as if everyone's Christmas tree was sparkling, front and center in picture windows. We saw three deer waiting to cross the road; at first they looked like statues.
it was a nice four days. i'm a lucky girl, i know.
but now it's over and I get sad because the Christmas magic is gone. I'm coddling myself today, took a long lunch, bought a hot chocolate, which I never normally do. I'm sort of wallowing but not really.
one last thing though, and then you'll not hear the word Christmas from my typing fingers for a while. . .
I'm so so happy. I came across the entire Sufjan Stevens Christmas catalogue online in easy-downloadable form here. Included is my favorite Christmas hymn ever, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. I'm really glad I found the rest of these songs.
