Christmas Here and There

I haven't done a very good job of writing every day.  I want that discipline of finding the time of day that works and doing it.  Being consistent.  Thinking in a writerly way - hard to do when I know I am so distracted much of the time.  But here it is Sunday evening and I have some minutes by myself.  The activities of the day were all around Christmas.  Here are the pictures that tell the story ...  The Christmas pageant at church - the shepherds with their sun glasses on because of the dazzling angels.  It was lovely but I realize that I don't have a lot of nostalgia about Christmas pageants in America because I don't have any memories of

 them as a child.  Now if I was in sitting in the moroom out in front of the church, in the cold evening in Bisrampur with Sashi and Poona dressed as Mary and an angel I would be back home.  The strange event on Friday night of being at film club and everyone going around the circle to say what their favorite Christmas movie was made me realize, once again, I am not from here.  I hadn't seen most of the movies they mentioned - some I knew the titles to but I've never seen any of them all the way through.  Maybe bits of It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas but not the entire movie. 

 Here is Casey with her gingerbread house at Kathy & Bob's gingerbread Christmas window.  It is a wonderful fairy tale vision they create every year and go down to the south side of Chicago to a community center and build houses with children there.  Great tradition!  They are wonderful, generous hosts and it's always a treat to go and see the outcome of their efforts each year.

Some one built the coliseum with the Bears and the Penguins in mortal combat - the Bears winning.

 And the view of the whole window.  It was fun to go and see them all. 

Lunch time was with Mark and Lori on Devon Street for chat papri and masala dosa.  Both of them had thalis and they did a good job of eating it all.  One month from today we leave.  I bought Wet Ones and Pepto Bismal and gave Lori her share to pack.  The suitcase is out and soon I will start filling it.  Virgil has sent kneelers for Christ Church and they are sitting next to the suitcase.

The transition of going from Christmas to India is going to be quite a muddle.  We are making all the preparations we can ahead.  Today we talked about maybe reading the same book so we can have some common basis for the literary festival.  I like the Elizabeth Gilbert, The Signature of All Things.  Hoping maybe that's the one Lori will read too.  But I am interested in Chetan Bhagat just because he seems to be so well know and popular.  I am not liking the "Three Mistakes" one that I'm reading now.  Way too much about cricket.

Enough for today.  Trying to stay calm and focused.  Always praying for clarity.