Tag Archives: Christmas

I said I wouldn’t blog on Christmas.

Posted on by
48

But here I am. I think there was something about driving down Park and slowing when I approached Holy Rosary because the extra Christmas Eve traffic and their street parking required it. The gleaming golden doors caught my eye the way they always do when I’m in Memphis. A family made their way through the doors to celebrate the Eucharist this late afternoon on the eve of Christmas.

The mother of the family was dressed in a black wool knee-length frock, its quietness underlying the festive air I had just experienced at Whole Foods, where Shiner was on special. It’s all so East Memphis, in a way that I cannot pinpoint and describe without getting nostalgic about my hometown. At some point, I gave up my proclivity to scorn this place. And the thing is, so did B, which is more miraculous than you could know. We both grew up here and bonded in college over the disdain we felt for the nicety-cloaked Jim Crow mentality and our desire to just get away.

But here we are. We walked up and down Tall Trees this afternoon with C. B recollected his stories of the inhabitants of the homes we passed and we mused over how much the houses cost. And we weren’t joking.

At some point I wanted to move back here. This place is somehow mine, as much as I trash talk it. Enough time has elapsed since I lived here that I see it with fresh eyes – the eyes of a parent who just wants one place. One place.

Today has been draped with sentimentality. It’s overcast and cool and I’m tired from sleeping in beds that aren’t my own. The baby has met people who I adore and I finally feel like I’m able to check off things on her life to-do list. So maybe that’s why I’m wanting this place. Maybe it’s because it’s Christmas and my desire to wrap myself in that East Memphis religion is hitting me right in my heart.

I don’t know. But I do know that it all stems back to the Waiting. I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but that’s OK. I’ll let you know when I find it.

Merry Christmas to you and yours. May you all find what you’re looking for this holiday.

A Friendly Reminder

Posted on by
42

christmas-badge

Ashley and I have been receiving so many fantastic Festivus gifts to dole out amongst you all that we are fighting the urge just to keep them all to ourselves. Really! They’re great! Huge props to everyone who has already sent in their gifts.

Layout 1But we want to make sure EVERYONE gets a present. This is an issue near and dear to me, as I was the one kid in sixth grade whose Secret Santa forgot to bring her present the day of the party. Yeah, the teacher felt pity on me and so I got a handful of Starlight Mints and a couple old red pens she wasn’t using anymore.

And although candy is nothing to sniff at around the holidays, c’mon, we can do better. Please don’t make Ashley and me have to be the ones bearing sad to your giftee come Festivus Party Day. We both have babies so we’d probably just distribute old burp clothes with Prada written in Sharpie on them, and call them scarves.

We need gifts by tomorrow: Monday, December 10th. If you need some extra time, email us at pressedivus@yahoo.com and let us know. We can work with you if you need a little help. We’re benevolent and gracious like that.

Thanks and happy Sunday!

You Are Cordially Invited!

Posted on by
144

It’s time to break out your holiday finery and put a lampshade on your head! The holiday season has arrived!

My co-hostess with the mostest, Ashley. She’s rocking the hors d’oevres.

I’ll be going to one or two Christmas affairs hosted by my friends and family this year, but nothing says “holiday stress” like hosting your own party. Which is exactly what I am going to be doing right here on my blog, along with Ashley from Ashey Etc! It will be a bit like Festivus, since as bloggers we are surely “the rest” of humanity. We’ll gather ’round the Festivus pole after our holiday feast and air our grievances for not getting Freshly Pressed or for getting Freshly Pressed for sub-par material.

Festivus for the ‘Pressed of Us! Be there or be square! No, no, don’t bring a thing; we’ll provide the fruitcake, the booze, and the mistletoe. All you need to bring is your lil’ old self.

And one other thing: a Secret Santa present. Instead of bringing a gift for every one of your blogging pals, all you’ll need to bring is one spectacularly awesome gift for one spectacularly awesome blogger! Here’s how it’ll work:

Yeah, I’ll be in the kitchen the whole time running the show. I’m used to it.

1. You will email Ashley and me at pressedivus@yahoo.com to “RSVP” by November 30. Be sure to include the URL to your site. We will let you know who you’ll be selecting a gift for. You’ll troll their blog, pick out a great gift for them, and email a picture of it back to us along with a brief explanation (think Tweet-length) of why you chose it. Remember, you’re not actually buying a real gift for anyone, so there’s no “spending” cap!

2. We’ll post the gifts in a pre-party post on December 14. You will see what gift was selected for you. Then the guessing of Secret Santas will begin!

3. On the day of the party – December 21 – we will reveal who all the Secret Santas were. And we’ll drink eggnog. Scratch that, I will drink eggnog. You can eat the fruitcake. There’s enough nastiness to go around.

This is a flier party of sorts; if you know about it, then you’re invited. Invite your blogging friends to play because the more, the merrier. Grab the badge and spread the word! We want to see you there!