Christmas 2013 was an enjoyable time for me. I'd say it was a Goldilocks season. Not too busy, not too slow. Had enough time to finish things I needed to finish. And didn't sit around bored waiting for Christmas to arrive.
One thing I could have done without is the after Christmas let down. That hit me this morning when I realized my husband hadn't tried any of the (good) Christmas bread I made this year. Bill tried one of the (not so good) trial loafs I made about two weeks before Christmas and because some of the candied fruit was hard he would not eat more. He has very delicate teeth. This from a man who uses his teeth to hold pins, nails, and screws. A man who can bite string in half. And bites his nails when they need trimming.
On the other hand, my husband was extremely helpful around the house before Christmas. He put up our Christmas Tree while I baked bread. He helped with cooking and cleaning. Ran errands when I needed something fast. And he even shuttled bags of wet clothes to a Laundrymat when our dryer quit working. Would you believe my Sears Home Repair Tech is not available till the 9th of January?
But, getting back to his refusal to eat the Christmas bread I thought was the best I ever made. What does that say about him? He seems to have a problem giving me positive feedback about anything I do. I have never heard him brag about my accomplishments. He is the only man in my life who has bragging rights but he never shows me off..
Speaking of showing off your best attributes, Bill didn't see why I had a problem with the lousy photos his son Jeff took of me during the holiday season. I asked Jeff to delete the photos and of course he refused. I don't like it that Jeff seems to enjoy having lousy photos of me. Is the glint I saw in his eyes playful or hostile? I feel uneasy knowing he possesses a stack of photos that make me look old, unappealing, unlovely, and somewhat homely and unwell.
Those hideous photographs might be the reason for my after Christmas let down. I saw in those photos that my hair style is unflattering. I saw deep wrinkles in my face that makeup can't disguise. I saw my neck wattle from a side angle for the first time. Oh the horrors! OMG Richard Fish would adore me if I were a character on Ally McBeal. I saw how unflattering my ill-fitting clothes have become. I saw a woman who needs a great photographer using a camera with a lens filter.
