Day 281, December 22, 2020
Santa's Scotch Today's soundtrack: Joni Mitchell, A Day in the Garden, 1998 When I was young, we always set out cookies and a glass of scotch for Santa. Christmas Eve was spent at church, where after mass there was dinner, dancing, performances, and general revelry. We spent Christmas as a community with a Korean Santa Claus, and raffle prizes of big packages of seaweed or green tea. It was only late in the evening that my grandfather would slip out and call it a night before the rest of us. And by the time we returned home, Santa had already visited the house, left presents under the tree, and had eaten the cookies and drank the scotch. Look at these wonderful cookies a friend dropped off today! I don't think I ever realized that people spent Christmas any different than the way we did. Those church parties were a fixture of my childhood, often lasting into the early hours of the morning. It is funny to think my parents were more active socially than I am. They had a vibr