The December List
Sunday, December 1st, 2024
A red brick hearth decorated in garland and roaring wood fire
The fireplace channel in my city apartment
Twinkling lights
Wool socks
The smell of pine
Kissing under the mistletoe
A cup of hot tea
A cup of hot chocolate
A cup of hot toddy
The way each snowflake is perfectly unique
Cheeks that blush in the cold
Velvet, of dresses, of bows
Holiday parties
The nostalgic romance of the first snow
Tartan
Cashmere-the season of texture
Paper-wrapped packages under the tree
Toasting a flute of chilled champagne in celebration
The first hug of reunion
Eyelashes dotted with powdery snow
Letters to Santa
Re-watching the same movies with all the same magic
Cookies warm out of the oven
Remembering you are never too old to play in the snow
Cinnamon
Cloves
The little red berries in holly
Watching the smile of a gift being opened
Snowflakes cut from white paper
Unboxing the Christmas decorations at the start of the season
Turtlenecks and scarves that keep the chill out
Gratitude
The smell of gingerbread
The same lovingly worn stocking you used as a child
Warm meals
Your favourite Christmas ornament
Taking a walk in the blue light of evening and looking in all of the windows lit with the warm yellow light of home
Returning home to your own warm yellow light
Snow days
Skating, skiing, tobogganing, braving this beast we call winter
The jingling of bells
Flannel pyjamas
Mittens over cold, red fingers
(Blowing hot air on them when mittens aren’t enough)
The equal joy of hosting and being hosted
Singing Christmas carols
Family recipes
Losing track of all sense of time during the week between Christmas and New Years
Peppermint in striped candy cane form
The buzz of a shopping mall filled with excited shoppers
Shaking up a snow globe
Sturdy wool coats
White Christmas with Bing Crosby and his blue eyes
Leaving out carrots for the reindeer
The dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
Waking up to a dusting of snow
Christmas trees decorating every lobby
Wreaths hung on every door
The calming steadfastness of tradition
A rush of cold wafting in with a guest’s arrival
Diamond snow
Mulling wine on the stove
Curling up with a book and a blanket
The luxury of a warm home
Runny noses
Stockinged feet
Garlands of green
Placing the star at the top of the tree
Stepping out of the commotion of gathering to enjoy the hush of a blanket of snow
The first kiss of a brand new year
