Drumming out Christmas

Since we moved, one shortcut into town takes me past our old house on Collinson, a fine opportunity to torture myself with nostalgia. It was the one home I truly loved; I was reasonably fond of our other homes, but this one had my heart. Our daughters were young in it, and I adored the size, shape, and location of it.

The people who live there now ring the portico with lights, much as we did, and seeing the familiar shape and glow from Quadra Street nearly did me in.

In Victoria, it's very common to take the tree down a day or so after New Year's Day, although we cling to the tradition of leaving it up for the Twelfth Day of Christmas, which is today.

I'm frantically cleaning and pulling a dinner together for the friends who come and help us ease through this rather depressing chore.

On our old street, in our old house, the tree was being dismantled on the second day of the new year. Oh well. It's their house, now.