Capitol Hill Community Association Christmas Party

Michael keeping a straight face while his
mother is trying to make him smile.
Hard work!

Here we have Santa hat on a pokemon.

Rebecca and I were the guests of Miranda and Richard at the Capital Hill Community Association Christmas Party last night.

The community party had all of the hallmarks of church parties of my youth: fun, everywhere for everyone.

Michel and Alice were running up and down the halls, playing tag with their friends.

Betty was under the banquet table and I could feel her moving around under my feet as though were were a little dog.

There was lots of food on the banquet table, platters being moved to and from the table with regularity.

I had to laugh at Rebecca.

The platter of meat before us was removed just as she went to take some and that a second platter didn’t come back until long after we had gone to another part of the building to sit and eat.

Alice asked her dad if she could have some money to buy a Coke at the bar. He said no and she ran off skipping, as happy as if he had said yes. There was a band playing music in the other room and occasionally people were doing karaoke with a keyboard when the band took its break. Face painting was going on – Christmas symbols painted on foreheads and cheeks of small children. Someone had a stripped candy cane on their cheek. Betty’s nose has been dressed up to look like Rudolphs, his antlers weaving up through her eyebrows and onto her forehead. The craft table was a big hit – crafters coming out of there with bangles on their arms full of tinsel and tiny ornaments. As well, Alice had on a reindeer hat which she had both blued together and then plastered with sparkles.

... the legs of this ornament used to be on
coils just about as short as the arms of the ornament.
Well, that was "before".
No one can recoil slinky springs.

Miranda, Richard, Rebecca and I sat at a table with comfortable chairs and chatted for longer than would have ever been possible if we had been at home.

We laughed about our own favourite parts of the day – this time there was no pressure felt on any of us if we were picked last to give our best parts of the day. My favourite part of the day was about a Christmas ornament I have. Or would that be had.

A jolly bread-dough Christmas creature with legs on small slinkies that dangled, either from a tree or because the ornament is hooked to something on a wall.

Betty was only out of my sight for 30 seconds, but in that time, the ornament lost the spring in its legs – never to recover them, I think.

The best part of Miranda's day is that she had moved a couch from the upstairs to the downstairs, single-handedly, and she had survived.

Heave-ho and into Christmas.