Christmas Re-viewed - By Sharon Flood Kasenberg

Christmas Re-viewed

I see this season
through new set of eyes
as each experience
fills you with surprise.
And thus for me, old
flavours have more zest -
and everything I see
is reassessed.
I see afresh the
places that I go,
and feel the icy
chill of winter snow.
I watch as new tastes
settle on your tongue,
and ears hear carols
you have never sung.
And gratitude is
washed o'er me anew
as I see Christmas
from your point of view.

by Sharon Flood Kasenberg, Dec. 10, 2017

At the end of November we had a guest come to stay - an international student from Brazil. The house was in the midst of yet another round of renovations, and we could've said it just wasn't the right time - but we didn't. And he doesn't care one bit that there's dust in the hallway upstairs or a curtain on our bathroom door. In fact, he loves our house, loves the town, and is a really, really good sport when we correct his English pronunciation and grammar.

We live in a big house - we have room for one more. (Ha - we have room for more than one more!)

I felt some anxiety about taking in a student. What if the student found the town boring, and hated the shows we watch on television? I'm not a great cook - what if the student hated the meals I prepared? I'd just have to hope that a few good desserts could atone for less than stellar meals....

I lucked out. Our student has a sweet tooth. He has enjoyed getting caught up on Star Wars before we take him to the upcoming movie. If you ever want to witness pure ecstasy, watch the expression on the face of a kid who's biting into his first (still warm and gooey) home-made chocolate chip cookie.

"This is amazing!" he said - and I knew he'd forgive the sloppy Joe's and the canned sauce I'd serve up with pasta.  Last night I made brownies, which were proclaimed the "new favourite".

Hosting this boy is a lot of fun. He marveled at the decorations I put up for Christmas, and asked if we were going to put up "a big tree" - I'd already erected several three foot trees in strategic locations and a four foot tree in the kitchen. Last Saturday night we hauled our old six-footer up from the basement and the four of us decorated it. The end result was proclaimed beautiful.

The next day we took him and his friend on a day trip to Goderich. It was beyond gratifying to see those two kids stare out at Lake Huron.

"This is the most beautiful place in Canada I've seen!", he told us.

It's interesting to re-evaluate all of the things you do and places you go - especially at Christmastime. Seriously - how many times have I gone to Goderich and never even bothered to look at the lake? And those treats that I deem too commonplace for Christmas? Not by his standards!

"I bake a lot at Christmas" I told him. "We have a little taste of what I baked, and then put the rest in the fridge to eat over the holidays."

"Do you bake chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes and brownies at Christmas?" he asked.

He looked a bit disheartened when I said I didn't, but perked up quickly when told he'd definitely enjoy those treats again before he returns to Brazil at the end of January. The cupcakes, by the way, were a cake mix. He had no idea what a cake mix was, and wondered how I baked such small cakes - so I showed him the box and explained that you add eggs, oil and water, stirred it up, and baked it in a special cupcake pan. Sheesh - how often have I baked a cake mix - apologetically, I might add - without stopping to consider that it's a convenience that relatively few people get to enjoy?

Shortbread cookies were apparently underwhelming, but Nanaimo bars got two thumbs up. Next week, he and I are going to make brigadeiros - a truffle-like treat they make in Brazil. It's nut free and gluten free, so my husband and daughter-in-law will definitely approve!

I've forewarned our guest that our house will get noisier and more crowded once my son, daughter-in-law and mother arrive for the festivities. He'll get to see us in our rowdy, holiday glory, and watch how our family's Christmas traditions play out. I know it sounds crazy, but that makes me feel more excited about Christmas than I've felt in a long time.

Make no mistake - as adults go, I get pretty excited about Christmas. I love the baking, the decorating and the Christmas carols (most of which our house guest has never heard) - but to catch a glimpse of a Canadian Christmas as seen through the eyes of a sixteen-year-old Brazilian is a rare opportunity that I'm relishing.

To someone who's never seen snow, never seen our Santa Claus, or worn winter boots, life in this part of the world, and at this time of year, is pretty different. I'm sure he thinks I'm loco for liking snow (heck - most Canadians think I am!) - but hey - there is something magical about fresh snow in December.

So here's my challenge for the holiday-harried and winter-weary North Americans reading this post:

Pretend - for just one day - that it's all new to you. Sniff the smell of fresh pine trees and wreaths on your way into the grocery store. Marvel over the invention of the chocolate chip - or a cake mix, or a cupcake pan. Look at those sparkling, snow-laden boughs like you've never seen them before. Listen to an honest-to-goodness Christmas carol carefully. (Warning - don't torture your ears by attempting this with Jingle Bells or the Little Drummer Boy!)

Are you still feeling jaded about Christmas? If so - you need to pretend harder.

Merry Christmas to all of you from the Rhyming Muse : )