Happy Baxter Day!
My sister and I observe Dec. 25th - in fact, pretty much all holidays - in the spirit of Baxter Day.
For those who haven't seen Arthur's Perfect Christmas, Buster Baxter's divorced mother is so obsessed with doing Christmas right for her son that it's freaking them both out. He finally convinces her that they can just take it easy on the 25th, enjoy each other's company and not worry about fulfilling arbitrary holiday expectations.
That's pretty much my sister's and my M.O. for holidays in general and especially Christmas Day. We've had our fill of obligatory Family Togetherness that has too often devolved into a scene from a Tennessee Williams play.
Now we happily welcome the twin goddesses of Idleness and Gluttony (deadly sins my ass) and spend the day eating, drinking, dozing, reading, listening to quiet carols, and writing our thank-you notes - just the two of us and sometimes her son. The only thing that differentiates Christmas from other holiday gatherings is that we exchange a few gifts (in the goofy-sock category).
My oldest sister in contrast spends Christmas hosting a buffet party for the whole neighborhood - and once did so when she had ONE working bathroom. I'm pretty glad I missed that one.
So whether you gather with family and stay busy from Midnight Mass to Boxing Day parties, or spend the 25th on your own happily eating takeout and watching The Hobbit for the 3rd time, may you have a happy and peaceful day. Stay warm and dry, and healthy.
For those who haven't seen Arthur's Perfect Christmas, Buster Baxter's divorced mother is so obsessed with doing Christmas right for her son that it's freaking them both out. He finally convinces her that they can just take it easy on the 25th, enjoy each other's company and not worry about fulfilling arbitrary holiday expectations.
That's pretty much my sister's and my M.O. for holidays in general and especially Christmas Day. We've had our fill of obligatory Family Togetherness that has too often devolved into a scene from a Tennessee Williams play.
Now we happily welcome the twin goddesses of Idleness and Gluttony (deadly sins my ass) and spend the day eating, drinking, dozing, reading, listening to quiet carols, and writing our thank-you notes - just the two of us and sometimes her son. The only thing that differentiates Christmas from other holiday gatherings is that we exchange a few gifts (in the goofy-sock category).
My oldest sister in contrast spends Christmas hosting a buffet party for the whole neighborhood - and once did so when she had ONE working bathroom. I'm pretty glad I missed that one.
So whether you gather with family and stay busy from Midnight Mass to Boxing Day parties, or spend the 25th on your own happily eating takeout and watching The Hobbit for the 3rd time, may you have a happy and peaceful day. Stay warm and dry, and healthy.