Merry Christmas

Yes, I'm up posting on Christmas Day. That's the luxury of no small children in my life these days - a quiet cup of coffee, wrap some last gifts - the kids and I will probably open our gifts after we return from lunch with the grandparental units. I'm enjoying the leisurely, unpressured pace of the day - it feels more "right" this way, like the focus is where it should be - family and spending a little quiet time together to celebrate.

Christmas Eve Mass was wild - we have a very large new church building and a big, active, young parish, but even for us this was a mob scene. I don't remember this huge a crowd a year ago, but then we were sitting then so I didn't have the same viewpoint one gets while standing. I got there more than half an hour early and it was standing room only. And this was one of three Masses for Christmas Eve and another, what, 5? are on Christmas Day. I tried to calculate how many people were in attendance at that single Mass but my math skills were inadequate - certainly way over a thousand in the pews, not counting the people wedged into the chapel and the well over a hundred standees like me. The church looked so beautiful, decorated with swags of garland, but the most beautiful sight was the mob of people in it - it made up for standing on that marble floor, which was quite purgatorial after a bit. My feet ached all the way up my legs by the dismissal, but I didn't care, it was lovely to be in such a huge, energetic, happy crowd. I finally feel "Christmas-y."

Knitting news - finished the headband for Girlchild last night while watching the 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TNT. She doesn't like it on - neither do I. Back to the ribbed hat drawing board. I wish we'd decided to scrap this concept before I oh-so-beautifully sewed the seam and wove in the ends, but I do have enough of that Kureyon to make the hat - this was a less than one skein disaster - so I can procrastinate ripping this unless I run out of yarn. And I may just keep it, because I don't care what my ear covering looks like when I'm walking the dog in the dark - I can always wear it myself. She, OTOH, has to wear it in public, and I agree with her, it's just not flattering on her.