Christmas Countdown: Day 14

Gold 

Tonight, we three friends of Orientar, bearing no gifts traversed afar from SE all the way to North Portland for a Sagittarius birthday party.

While we brought no mryyh and frankinsense (apparently perfumes, not spices), we did show up wearing plenty of gold (as requested by the party invite).

At first we thought we were lost, turning off Killingsworth street into a neighborhood with no bar in sight.

But then a twinkle of light caught the eye. O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright?

Sort of. Twinkly Christmas lights hung around a manger-like roofed outdoor patio on the west side of the street seemed to guide us to the aptly named bar: Lost & Found.

Inside we found a gathering of many friends (no farm animals), all golden and excited to celebrate the promise of a new year that each birthday brings.

This can’t be too far off from what the Magi experienced in 1 A.D., right?

Christmas Countdown: Day 13

Holiday Cards

Today I got my first holiday card in the mail! As a big fan of snail mail, I love that the holidays inspire friends and family to dig out pens and stamps from the back on their desk drawers.

I’ve taken the last couple years off from sending out anything out myself, so I feel even more grateful to find these little gifts of time in the mailbox. Between the card buying or designing, note signing, address writing, envelope licking, return address and stamp sticking, it becomes quite the laborious process. But, it is so worth the effort!

Whether I have participated in the events highlighted in my friends’ holiday letters, such as having my first “coffee date” with this baby a month ago, or not, these cards, letters and notes make me feel connected to the senders.

As I’m smiling and reading over each card, my heart is touched and I imagine the friend having the same smile on her face as she writes it. (Yes, I wrote her. Not that I don’t get the occasional holiday card from men, but let’s be honest, this act of connecting is usually on ladies’ to do lists.)

First time meeting little miss a few weeks ago.

I love seeing how everyone has grown in the last year and what’s new in their lives. These stories and photos ooze excitement, hope and positivity. When was the last time you got a card with a collage of photos featuring a car accident? Or a letter detailing the stressful process of a divorce?

Without intending to be, this tradition is an act of mindfulness and what Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi call positive psychology. In remembering and sharing our accomplishments, achievements and learnings from the previous year we seek “to make normal life more fulfilling,” a tenet of positive psychology.

I can’t wait to see what else comes in the mail! Maybe I’ll get back on the wagon and write my own this year too. While no baby announcements, I have plenty to report from 2013. What a year its been!

Christmas Countdown: Day 12

Stockings

With the temperature getting into the ‘teens lately, it was finally time to get my costume/out-of-season tupperware down from the back of the closet the other day. Sweaters, ski pants, flannel pjs: so long fall, hello winter!

I picked out a pair of holiday socks to wear today. As cheesy as it is, it’s pretty incredible how just that little bit of cheer on your toes can brighten your day.

This evening, I went to dinner at my sister’s house. I walked in the back door to see my three-year-old nephew playing with his train on the ground.

I pulled off my shoe to show him my socks. His eyes opened wider, he let go of the train and without a word stuck out his pointer finger to rub the sparkly green stripe of my candy cane colored socks.

After dinner and his bath, we went to the living room to watch Thomas and read books before bed. And, what was hung by the fire with care below the TV? Why their stockings (including one for the dog)!

Opening our stockings as a family together in my parents’ bed was always one of my favorite parts of Christmas. Stockings are a holiday tradition that I’ve never questioned and yet, know nothing about the purpose.

Sounds like stockings originated in Europe (no surprise) with three pieces of gold in three little stockings hung up to dry. Well, that would make the naughty gift of coal make a little more sense. I guess the little gifts we stuff in them now are just a different version of our natural resources!

While there was no fire in the fireplace, my nephew and I were cozy snuggled up to read Santa Comes to Portland, before going to bed in his red footed pajamas and mini Santa hat to dream about Christmas and stuffed stockings as I will now too.

Christmas Countdown: Day 11

Pie

Today, I met up with a friend at Random Order cafe. He goes there almost every week at the same time on the same day. It’s an open invitation to anyone who wants to hang out a la the Algonquin Round Table of artists, writers and such, talk about interesting things and eat pie. I had been meaning to go for awhile and today it finally worked out with my schedule (conveniently, I was working with him all day on a photo shoot).

While it’s been months since I’ve been to the cafe, I actually had their pie during Thanksgiving this year. After learning that Random Order has some of “America’s Best Pies,” my brother started ordering them for every holiday meal (including once when we had to import the pie to Seattle to join them for Christmas).

Little known secret: I am not the biggest fan of pie.

Cake, now that is a totally different story (my siblings love to talk about the time when I took a piece of every type of cake from a wedding buffet). Unfortunately, cake is not a popular holiday dessert this time of year.

Instead, pie headlines traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. Why?

Is it the buttery warm crust? Is it the gooey core? Perhaps its the simplicity of crust plus filling?

Maybe its popularity is the just the feeling of comfort, like a reassuring hug, and the post-consumption nap it inspires.

Christmas Countdown: Day 10

Holiday Parties

Office holiday parties are notorious for awkward moments, tacky decorations and poor decisions. I escaped that trap this year and instead went to an anti-office holiday party tonight. What is that?

250 or so professionals from various professional organizations (AMA, IABC, pdxMindshare, PAF, PRSA, Social Media Club and SEMpdx),  gathering at a bar to hang out and (ironically) not talk about work.

Nobody was dressed like Santa and there were minimal decorations. There was great food and a generous spirit of open tabs.

My favorite parts were:

1. Watching my PRSA colleagues mingle with search engine marketers, internal communicators, developers, digital strategists, copywriters and more in the true way a holiday party should break down barriers and bring people together,
2. Hearing people have so much fun talking about their hobbies, interests and holiday plans when challenged to not talk about work (This should happen at every professional networking function. After all, networking is about making friends and finding common ground, not capturing leads.),
3. Getting to participate in planning an event co-organized by leaders across the city that was not only fun, but used an unlikely community to raise around $700 for a colleague who is fighting brain cancer. Talk about holiday spirit!

Christmas Countdown: Day 9

Mr. and Mrs. Claus 

Things must be going very well up on the North Pole this year for the Claus’ to be taking a vacation so close to the big day! This weekend, I saw both Mr. and Mrs. Claus here in Portland.

The mysterious Mrs. Claus with no first name was shopping in the produce section of Fred Meyer’s. A few hours later I saw Santa driving a Ford Fusion down Hwy 99.

The Claus’ are one of my favorite parts of the holidays. Not for the stockings and packages and wish list letters and cookies, but for getting millions of people immersed in their imaginations.

Since the Dec. 23, 1823 publication of “The Night Before Christmas” we have carried the story forth and let our imaginations run wild.

There was a day when I was six years old or so that I questioned this story. A friend and I pulled down the collapsible stairs up to the attic and climbed up there to look for some more dress-up clothing (my mom stored her off-season collection and a few vintage pieces from the 70’s up there, surely not intended for playing).

In one of the boxes, I found a video tape of a kid’s band I had seen live recently. It was past my birthday, so this must have been a Christmas present! Thrilled I put it back where I found it and forgot about it until I saw a VHS-sized gift with a tag for me on Christmas morning.

Weirdly, it was wrapped in the same paper as my other gifts from Santa. That year, my older brother got a Dictionary from Santa and the handwriting of the inscription looked a lot like my dad’s. Hmmm. This raised my six-year-old eyebrows.

Clearly, with the rapid population growth since the 1970’s Santa has been getting so busy with orders, he had to outsource some of the hard to find or last-minute gifts to parents. At least he’s providing the wrapping supplies in exchange for their efforts.

This year, perhaps everyone asked for artisanal crafts from Portland (since our city has become so hip), so the Claus’ needed a buying trip?

I mean, if the elves made Klein bags or Scout notebooks for stocking stuffers instead of giving the real thing, it would go against the very essence of authenticity that’s at the core of the artisanal community. Talk about sacrilegious!

Christmas Countdown: Day 8

Gifts

The irony is not lost on me that yesterday I concluded my post lamenting the gift-centric aspect of the holidays and then today I got my second “Christmas” present. I use quotes because these friends may or may not think of their gifts as Christmas presents as opposed to “just because” presents, which many of my friends prefer to give.

Whatever they call them, I enjoy getting gifts. I enjoy new, fun things, like the book on “forgotten-yet-delightful words, phrases…and literary flourishes from eras past” that I got last week and the Logo board game* “about all the brands you love” I received today. I also enjoy words and branding (as these friends know)!

And, I especially enjoy the loving kindness expressed by someone’s random thoughtfulness. The fact that someone was thinking about me is gift enough, but then to delight me with something special, just so I’ll be happier? That is what giving is all about.

And, that is why people say giving is my “love language (upon further research I believe quality time is my primary love language, but that’s a different blog post). According to Gary Chapman, a love language is a preferred way to express and experience love.

At this time of year, it seems giving becomes the required love language. For many this might be felt more as a guilt language, dripping with a sense of obligation. Not just to buy stuff, but to go to several stores to buy stuff and then wrap the stuff and ship the stuff. Not to mention any fill-in support needed from the North Pole.

What if we could get back to the essence of gift giving during the holidays (and not just on specific days)?

Regardless if one believes the origins have to do with Jesus or St. Nicholas, giving to delight and share abundance is a worthy act. In fact, any act of generosity at this time of year could be honored as a holiday gift, such as the beautifully encouraging and helpful comments I received from my writing classmates today.

Perhaps then the holidays would be less of a burden and more of a gentle reminder to express and experience love, actually.

*I do not know why GoDaddy.com is included as one of the “world’s most popular brands” in the board game. Considering Taco Bell has at least two cards, there seems to be some serious product placement endorsements going on in this game (given it is made by Spin Master). I can not wait to play this.

Christmas Countdown: Day 7

Holiday Brews

This weekend Portland has its annual Holiday Ale Fest. It brings together some of the best breweries in the region under a big tent around the giant Christmas tree in Pioneer Courthouse Square. I love seeing what concoctions of seasonal flavors (cinnamon, cranberry, frankinsense, myrrh) that the brewers come up with even if they taste terrible. My favorite part is the “indoor” round-up of port-a-potties and its line of squirming drinkers. Now, that’s good people watching.

This year, I need to be more cost effective, so instead of going to the official Fest, I’m taking the DIY approach. So far I’ve tasted holiday brews from pFriem, Basecamp, Migration, Deschutes and today: Nikolaus amber ale by Pints Brewery, which was poured into Santa’s boot and came paired with gingerbread on top!

A dressed-up beer? This was a shoe-in winner as my favorite brew so far (followed by pFriem’s Christmas ale). Not only did it look good, but tasted delicious—ABUs in the 30’s and about 5% alcohol—not too hoppy and an appropriately subtle nod to ginger.

The visit to the brewery was prompted by my friend’s DIY advent calendar where each day has a holiday activity in the countdown to the big day (as they say, great minds think alike! Here are some other cool ideas.). She’s made an adorable “tree” on the wall made up of 25 ornament-like circles with the day’s activity on the back. It’s especially clever since its portable while they travel during December!

When they invited me to join them at Powell’s and Pints, I got really excited as I thought there was a books and beer festival I didn’t know about with two of my favorite things!

Alas, today’s adventure was to go to both of those places separately as a combination of the two does not exist yet. If anybody from Powell’s ever reads this, you’re welcome to steal this idea. And, you can even combine it with my other idea for an overnight slumber party at the store, which would be the best thing ever!

Photo courtesy of Olivia Raymer

I brought these ideas up this afternoon, including the inevitable question: where would you want to camp out? We decided I would sleep in the Fiction section and my friends would sleep in travel (her) and design (him). Clearly, we’d have to bring walkie talkies.

At Powell’s, I picked up a gift for my dad (in the philosophy section, of course) and crossed one of the few purchases off my shopping list. I’ve been having so much fun enjoying holiday cheer(s), I’d almost forgotten what our culture has turned this holiday into: presents.

Perhaps next year I will completely opt out of the commerce part and just have presence with good friends and fun experiences, like Advent activities.

P.S. I just learned today that traditionally you’re not allowed to decorate until after Advent (or not at all if you’re a Puritan), so I’m not feeling as bad about not getting the Christmas boxes out of storage yet.

Christmas Countdown: Day 6

Snow

At first I just thought it was really windy outside. In the dim pre-sunrise light the cracks of the parking lot were outlined in white matching the crackling veins of ice covering my car’s windshield. The wind blew waves of frost across the rooftops. Winter was here.

I continued to write, pen across paper, when my flickering candle caught my attention and I looked up to see a big, fat snowflake float across my second story window. Unlike the instant delight of the children’s rosy faces pressed up against the window as seen in the movies, it took my mind a moment to catch up: wait a second, it’s snowing. In Portland. In December.

Now this isn’t miraculous like it would be if it snowed in San Antonio today (which would also be terribly concerning a la Global Warming), but unusual. I recall it only snowing here in December a couple of times in the last 30 years, including once on Christmas day.

Photo courtesy of Olivia Raymer

Within minutes a few flakes turned into thousands descending diagonally from the sky as if God was shredding all his old bank statements. I sat watching through the giant picture window, mesmerized by the swirling snowflakes falling over the sleeping world. Some big, bold flakes seemed to navigate right past my window, showing off like fish do at the aquarium.

Hours later I was all bundled up in my puffy coat and ready to embark into the white world (eventually we’d get a whole 1/2 inch of accumulation in the hills). Stepping outside I remembered how much I love the smell of brisk, snowy winter mornings: it’s the smell of a second chance.

There is no other time of year when the world can offer such a promise. In today’s winter landscape, all the cracks were filling in and evened out with a snowy veneer. It was a new day indeed. An unusual day. Perhaps, a day of new beginings.

Christmas Countdown: Day 5

Hot Cocoa and Peppermint 

I had my first hot chocolate of the winter season today, inspired by (and later accesorized with) the peppermint-flavored artisan marshmellows I found waiting for me on my desk today. One of Santa’s elves must have dropped off the bag of treats hand-crafted with only the best, locally sourced mallow and peppery-mint.

At first, when I showed up at the small independent roastery cafe and only saw coffee and tea on the menu I was scared. Was Portland too hip to make hot chocolate anymore?

The barista assured me she could make one specially for me. I got a quarter discount for bringing my own reusable cup, which she graciously filled even though it was a Starbucks cup. Plus, she was quite impressed I had also BYOM (Bring Your Own Marshmellows).

The thick froth, the liquid chocolate, the peppermint taste like the marrow of a candy cane, all melted in my mouth in a mix of sweetness that can only be appreciated on a cloudless 28 degree day in early December.

While the tea I’d had earlier today warmed my hands and my belly, it was just another cup of tea. This cup—brimming with hot cocoa and peppermint marshmellow—was a cup of special.