t'was the week before Christmas

I wrote a poem this morning, based on the the older version, as an invitation to friends to an Open House. It was fun to use a rhyme, deeply embedded in my head, to frame a new poem and invitation for fun.

I had fun yesterday with six 5th graders from Pueblo Gardens Elementary School as we shared lunch at the Arizona Inn. They were very well-behaved and enjoyed learning how to eat and be served a leisure "grand-style" lunch that only the Inn delivers to each guest. We had to rush through the luscious green grounds, dappled with flowers and sunlight, but they laughed and giggled and stayed on the brick paths as instructed by the "stay off the grass" signage. They oohed and aahed over the chess set in the Inn's library, the Xmas tree and the pink adobe "gingerbread" house. I had to coach the two boys not to flash hand signs when pictures were taken--so the pull of popular culture is right at the heels of their childhood. Symbolically, one of the girls lost her baby tooth while biting into the cruchy roll and she was as surprised as I was because, she said, "I have another one that was loose, but not this one." So she wrapped it in tissue and put it in her pocket to show her mom. All was fun for me and well worth the cost of the meals.

That lightheartedness was challenged by a matinee viewing of "The Black Swan". If ballet is your forte, I strongly recommend it because you will need that passion to get through the emotional roller coaster the story presents. Natalie Portman, in the lead, is fearless in her acting and dance performance: I stand amazed at how anyone has the bravery to show what she does to millions of strangers in the audience. In a sense, the same amazement will now go with me as I watch local ballet or dance performances. As a child, I performed "on toe" and I loved the attention of the stage and the permission it gave me to take on another role: Peppermint Princess (Nutcracker) or Autumn (Cinderella). But I gave it up when I sensed I wouldn't go the Chicago Ballet and the team spirit of cheerleading offered another performance outlet, with much less practice and bodily strain.

After the movie, I came home to a broken clothes dryer and my hubby failed in finding an appliance store open after 3 p.m. So we had wet clothes to take to the laundromat and strolled Bookman's while the clothes almost dried. It was a bit odd to be back at a laundromat after years of absence. Our first "live together" and married years we spent Thursday nights doing the full cycle of washing, drying and folding clothes. I don't recall resenting the time or experience but moving on up to the middle class with access to our own appliances was, we assumed back then, a natural part of the American Dream.

Now, I am not sure what constitutes that Dream. For the ballet dancer, it's achieving Swan Queen status. For a fifth-grader from Pueblo Gardens, it might be a luncheon served at the Arizona Inn. For me this week before Christmas, my Dream includes the following, in no particular order:

*home-made red tamales, green olive embedded in the meat
*successful production of soft, light divinity
*order of cookies, fresh from the oven
*warm blankets on a cool night
*work that is meaningful and sometimes fun, often billable
*continued good health
*viewings of "The Grinch" (done); "It's a Wonderful Life" (done); "Miracle on 34th Street" (done)
*Christmas Carols (the kind found in hymnals)
*a few pop holiday songs (including Dave Mathews, Linda Ronstadt, Luther Vanderhoss)
*frequent smiles, laughter, a light and open heart.

So what makes this week a Dream for you? I have listed 10 items...can you extend your list? I hope you can, and I hope you have a dreamy week before Christmas.