Grinchiness – an over-50 complaint?

The simplest Christmas of all

I can only speculate. I haven’t worked out why yet.

Time was when all those Christmas-y traditions were top of my list, and I’d be hoping for fat snowflakes poised momentarily – and rather romantically – on the end of my nose as they melted away. The gifts, the wrapping, the ribbons, the feasting, the decorating… oh, what fun I had with it all.

The past few years, the tawdriness of it all seems to overwhelm. My dearly beloved suggested we get modern, and ‘download’ Christmas instead, this year. After all, he does have a shiny new iPhone. Even so, I don’t think the Download Your Favourite Holiday Traditions App has hit the market yet.

Then there was the guilt to deal with. In a last minute fit of anxiety, a pre-Christmas cocktail party was organized hurriedly. We had a fabulous time, lots of fabulous hors d’oeuvres, and our closest friends gathered with us. Goodness, we even played charades! That, and a rather splendid brunch with son number one and his partner, then Christmas was quite frankly over and done with.

I don’t feel like a grinch, I am not anti-Christmas in any way. Quite honestly, I just couldn’t be bothered. I didn’t want to either give or receive gifts this year: instead the family sponsored the purchase of goats in poor villages, and ensured that two impoverished high school age students in Africa were able to complete their last year of education. Helping out those with much, much less that we have here in Toronto – that felt much more like the spirit of Christmas, to me at least.

So I speculate. My hormones are acting up? That’s a great excuse for almost anything, even though it is the most likely cause.. My sons have grown and flown the nest, and there are no grandchildren to entertain – perhaps that’s why. If it’s because I’m growing older and thus more curmudgeonly, then that would be a terrible thing, and I’ll be right into therapy come new year.

What was your experience?

Christmas décor stunners, in minutes

Fireplace décor needs to be luxuriously full and thick to create an impression

It’s not too late to create the most stunning Christmas arrangements ever. You can make them in minutes. Tempo Toronto has a couple of designs here to inspire you.

There are so many stores in and around Toronto that sell both fresh evergreens – and there is still plenty of fresh greenery available – as well as some amazingly realistic artificial plant life. You can use all fresh, all artificial, or a clever combination of both.

We’ve seen great greenery at Canadian Tire, Longo’s, Loblaws – in fact most supermarkets, hardware stores and garden centres, as well as the little independent stores: The Danforth is littered with them, for example. For fake greenery, HomeSense is hard to beat for both prices and selection.

Start your arrangement by setting the scene: Christmas Carols or your favourite Christmas music playing in the background and a glass of wine or eggnog at your side will have you humming merrily while you work. The work is really simple.

Start your arrangement by stacking a collection of large fir comes at the back of the mantle or shelf to provide vertical dimension. Roughly center these to guide you, and then start to lay the branches on the mantle with the bulkiest tallest part in the middle. We’re trying to create a three-dimensional design here, higher in the centre and tapering down towards each side – a basic flattened triangle shape. Remember, though, to leave space to have some items trailing down over the front edge of the fireplace (with safety in mind). Neat, crisp edges don’t really work with these kinds of arrangements.

Now start adding the interesting bits. Buy an artificial poinsettia plant in a colour to compliment your room. Snip off the flowers using wire cutters, leaving 3 to 4 inches of the stem. You’ll need some stem length to tuck into the greenery so they stay in place. Remember to use smaller flowers towards the outside edges, keeping the biggest blooms for the centre.

You can add an assortment of seasonal extras to create interest and atmosphere. A casual look might be adding cinnamon sticks, bright green apples or pomegranates and copper cookie cutters, (most grocery stores sell these in their baking section).

A formal fireplace mantle look might use coloured glass balls complimenting your room colours, artificial red berries or white snowberries and a variety of floral picks. Whatever you buy, just keep tucking everything into the arrangement, until it looks full and thick.

Most of all, have fun creating!

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