Lynn Raye Harris

Hubby and I don’t have children, so we aren’t tied to a certain set of holiday traditions. Ours have morphed over the years, that’s for sure. But one thing we seem to always need to do is watch Christmas Vacation. I’m not sure how that one evolved, but it’s become necessary each holiday season.

So, last night, we popped it into the DVD player and watched it on the big screen. Yes, it’s certainly unrealistic in its over-the-top depictions of Christmas craziness. And it’s dated with the 80s era clothes and hair (especially on Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s character). But I think the movie says something about the holiday experience that’s universal.

Don’t we all have these huge expectations, like Clark Griswold, that never quite get fulfilled? I know what my friend Mark would say about that, but he’s a priest. (I still think it’s possible to be somehow disappointed with the hype and expectations of the holiday as a regular churchgoer, but that’s a different topic.) It’s possible to build the seasonal expectations up so much that nothing quite fulfills the vision you may have had for it.

But back to the movie. Hubby and I have even incorporated some of the lines into our lexicon. Driving to Florida, for example, we get behind a slow poke and Hubby says, “I’m gonna get around this egg timer.” Then there’s the famous, “Eat my road grit, liver lips!”

We even say to each other sometimes, jokingly of course, “Don’t piss me off, Art.” And who can see a squirrel without yelling, “Squirrrrreeeellllll!”?

So that’s one of our traditions, quite by accident. We watch other movies too, and of course we tend to quote lines from A Christmas Story as well. We don’t always get around to that one every year, but this year we will. I want to watch it on Hubby’s movie theater screen.

We don’t always have a tree (for various reasons), but we do this year. No traditions when it comes to decorating. My mom used to fix hot chocolate and we’d decorate with Christmas music on. Hubby and I listened to an audiobook (his choice) and drank wine (no, the decorations aren’t crooked). I don’t bake for the holidays, and we don’t usually have any parties at our home.

Nope, watching Chevy Chase go overboard seems to be the most enduring tradition we have.

What are some of your traditions? Doesn’t have to be television or movies. Do you bake? Sing certain songs or do something special each year? Have a big party?

I got line edits of my book!! I kept calling them copy edits, but realized we don’t get copy edits from London — we get line edits. These are a print out of the entire book with all the lines numbered. It’s your last chance to make corrections to the text. Some people see copy edits, which is the marked up manuscript. I got confused because I was expecting that.

But no, these are line edits. Contractually, I have two weeks to read them and communicate any changes to my editor. And there is one major, humongous, gigantic, freak-out worthy change that needs to be made: they spelled my name wrong.

For some reason, people see my name and gloss over the Y in Raye. They leave it out. They have also been known to give me an E on the end of Lynn. But there’s no E, only a missing Y. *sigh* Perhaps I should have considered more carefully about taking a pen name. I did not because I’d had publicity already, and I wanted to build on it. Maybe it would have been easier anyway.

Too late now. I have already emailed my editor a panicked note telling her about this major, major mistake. I’m not a fan of my name in the first place, but I am not a Rae. No way, no how.

Aside from that, the line edits look pretty neat. I’m diving in today and seeing what’s been done. I did peek a little and everything looks normal on the first few pages. Except one of my scene endings has been changed. I’ll be thinking about that, I assure you. It’s going to be weird reading this book and seeing those little changes here and there. It feels oddly like someone broke into your house and rearranged your furniture. You might like the arrangement, or you might be absolutely horrified. Guess I’ll find out as I read.

As for the holiday, it was great and Florida was much warmer than Alabama is at the moment. Still, I am SO happy to be home. It was a long drive (10 hours each way), but we listened to audiobooks. We finished up Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential and started Eragon — which, surprisingly, is extremely engaging.

How was your holiday? Did you finish your Christmas shopping and/or decorating yet? I thought Hubby and I would decorate yesterday since we were home — but no, he didn’t want to do it. With line edits to do, and a deadline getting closer, I’m a bit worried about getting it done.

In just a few days, it’ll be time for turkey and stuffing and all the good things about a holiday dedicated to eating! I’m looking forward to it. This year, I’m not cooking (much as I enjoy cooking). We’re going to the in-laws. For years now, I’ve made a particular stuffing that everyone always asks for. My MIL did not ask me to make it, and my hubby is kind of beside himself at the prospect of not having it I think. (There’s always Christmas, honey.)

I’m pretty sure, now that I think about it, that this is only the second Thanksgiving we will have ever spent with the in-laws. So many years of military moves and living in vastly different places meant we never got together before. We had a couple of unofficial Thanksgivings, where we celebrated a week or two early because we happened to be together. Last year, they came here. This year, we’re going to their place, though it’s about a 9 hour drive. Since I’ve never actually spent the holiday with them in their home, I don’t really know what their traditions are.

We always had the Macy’s parade on, but I’m pretty sure they don’t do this because Hubby frowns every year when I want to listen to it while I cook. Maybe they watch football — which will, I must admit, not thrill me. But I’ll have books and my laptop, so I’ll find something to do if the MIL doesn’t need help in the kitchen.

What are your traditions? Do you like being the one who cooks? (I do — see the Food Snob post about Velveeta and you’ll know I like being in control of the ingredients.) Or do you prefer to let someone else do the cooking? Ever gone to a restaurant instead? (We did once; it was okay, but I like the smells in my house and the leftovers.)

I know it’s too early, but walking into stores and seeing all the Christmas decorations has me thinking about decorating. I’m going away for Thanksgiving, so must think of these things now. Plus, it’s the first time hubby and I will have a tree in years. There were reasons we never put one up — a terminally ill cat, a new kitten, spending every Christmas with my parents, going away over the holidays, etc — but this year there is NO excuse. My parents live 17 miles away, and I’m sure we’ll get together, but this year I’m decorating.

I’ve already hauled the hubby to the store and pointed out decorations. He didn’t frown or grumble too much. I want to put lights on the house too (make that I want him to put lights on the house), but I’m not sure we’ll get to that part. But oh yes, my tree is going up, cats be darned. And I have a mantle for the first time in years, so that’s getting decorated too.

Once we return from our Thanksgiving trip, the fun begins. I plan to buy some things in the next couple of weeks so I don’t have to worry about it. But come December 1, decorations are going up. And the Christmas music will be playing too. It’s odd to walk into stores and hear it now, but after Thanksgiving, I’m going to enjoy tuning my radio to the local station that plays Christmas music 24/7.

Do you like to decorate for the holidays? When do you start your Christmas decorating? What’s your favorite holiday tradition at your home? Does it annoy you to see all the stuff in the stores now? Would you prefer they wait until after Thanksgiving? Real tree or faux?