Rejoice! Even if there is mud on your face from digging in the yard. View image
Put on some Beethoven instead of more insufferable Christmas carols or Beyonce. Today is Beethoven's birthday, my absurd self-created holiday.
When I was a kid my Mother actually made fairly elaborate dinners to celebrate Luddy's special day. We would sit in the dining room and enjoy filet mignon and a gratin of potatoes.
I don't know which is more odd; the fact that I thought we needed to celebrate this as a family, or that my Mom would actually go to all that trouble. Sometimes any old excuse to have an indulgent meal was all that we needed.
This year we have attended two holiday parties, which were very different. Last night we squeezed into a massive party downtown in the Annex. I knew nobody. Mark knew the host... who was literally surrounded by hundreds of friends and family. Tables were overflowing with food. Lukewarm chardonnay filled endless plastic cups. And there was a blanket of good cheer over the dispositions of the guests. If Ludwig was here he would have sat down at the grand piano sitting next to the huge tree in the living room and played for us.