december

Hello, readers.

December arrives today with the departure of EG’s mum. We escorted her to Euston, said our farewells, and watched her buy a paper (The Telegraph) and a bottle of water for the train.

Somewhere in my past, those two things, the paper and the train, collected a shimmer of romance about them. Possibly from old movies. The slow trundle across country, a shared car, an open paper. Coffee. A nap against the window, the winter chill kissing your cheek against the glass.

Eg’s mum visited with us over the weekend. We ate much leftover thanksgiving food: apple pie, sweet potato casserole, macaroni and cheese, brussel sprouts, etc. We took her along Regent street and took a gander at strings of fairy lights and the advertising, strung across the road, for a Night at the Museum performed live on the streets. We visited her old employer, St. James church and her techno-magic shop, the Apple Store. We also absorbed a 70mm print of 2001 of which, she said, “It goes on a bit, doesn’t it?” and watched a spot of television including, Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She enjoyed Breakfast, as did I, and as EG did less. EG believed the tale of a woman running away from a burdensome past was done better in Cabaret. Having not seen it (ducks a stone from LED), I can’t say.

At the British Library, there’s an exhibit on exploring the Artic, in search of the Northwest Passage. One of the displays discusses the relocation of Santa Clause. Previously residing in Lapland, Finland, Mr. Claus moved to the North Pole in 1862, at the behest, and pen stroke, of one Mr. Thomas Nast. Nast drew several images of Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly during the civil war in the U.S. as a kind of melancholy, magic man, surrounded by elves, a combination of the Saint Nicholas celebrated in German tradition, and, well, elves. It was meant to boost morale. Santa Claus in support of the Union. A manic pixie dream guy, possessed of whimsy and pain, and a cat named Cat. It’s possible I’m confusing Santa Claus with Holly Golightly. It’s interesting how we crave magic so much that we never tire of inventing new magicians.

Happy December, readers.

ttfn.