A Few of My Favorite Things
Ah, December. The month where calories do not count, stretchy pants are bought in a three-pack, and shopping local and supporting small businesses is the best gift to every entrepreneur. Extra liquor is in the pantry for all things boozy– hot apple cider with bourbon, coffee martinis, and homemade baileys. The house is decorated, wood has been brought in for the fireplace, and the mantel has stockings hung in anticipation of Santa dropping in a few nuggets of something good. A few seasonal treats have been made and sampled– just to make sure they are ok….. Mariah Carey has belted out “All I Want for Christmas” at least twice, and currently, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” is warbling out of the blue tooth.
In years gone by, getting to Christmas break was the goal, and two good weeks of a well-deserved rest, with the only teenager I wanted to be around was my daughter. Those days are long gone, and now every day is a holiday. Ah, the retirement life. “Living the dream,” I often quip. Still, December has not lost its charm- or magic. Albeit, the pace of my life is substantially slower now, and I am super excited to host Sunday brunches for the general public here at The Virginia May, travel back to the motherland for a week, have my daughter here, a girl’s day trip, baking, and in general enjoy the Christmas Season for all it is. I asked for a vacuum cleaner– a smart gift I felt given my current career. The Handyman met that with an emphatic “no,” followed by “what kind of guy does that.” A practical one I wanted to say. C’est la vie. No new vacuum for me.
Mostly, December is the month of reflection on the year that has passed and, of course, great anticipation for the year ahead of all the things I want to do next. I am a dreamer, and it has been nothing but fun this past year settling into my role of BnB owner. Born in December, I also turn another year older with all the tell-tale signs of middle age shocking me a little more each day. The “to-do” list seems to take substantially longer these days, and it just seems to be a permanent piece of paper that sits on my calendar now. Why do today what I can do next month…..at some point things get done. I often say “if this was my last day, is this what I would worry about,” and then settle in with a glass of wine and my book, or go for a bike ride, and decide on doing it tomorrow. It’s psychology at its finest.
With only 30 days till the New Year, here are a few of my favourite things of 2023:
● My vacuum is not a wet vac. Take note.
● A Texas summer garden is like the mythical unicorn. I live in hope to see it.
● Clip-in shoes for biking are just that. You are clipped in. Falling is spectacularly embarrassing.
● Green Bean casserole for Thanksgiving is a real thing. Any mockery of this is met with venom.
● Pecan is not pronounced “pee can” but “peh can.” Texans are very firm on this.
● Observing a neighbor on Randle Lane, it has been determined that it is possible to ride a garden tractor all day, every day for 365 days of the year.
● I have officially fallen in love with Chic-Fil-A, as all Texans have. This has become a problem anytime I drive on Bailey Boswell Rd.
● Texas summer heat is hawt…… but it is still remarkably better than any Canadian winter.
● Empty Nesting is super fun, and I now plan on spending my kid’s inheritance. With reckless abandon.
● Football and how it is played still eludes me, and why it is that the Cowboys can’t get to the Superbowl is beyond me. But Sunday is football in Texas. Always.
And so I close this year a little older, a little wiser, and a little more round. Thank you to those who have booked overnight stays at the BnB– I am eternally grateful for the support of the surrounding area, and all the folks I have met this past year. I look forward to continuing to serve our community in the new year.
A very Merry Christmas, everyone, and all the best for 2024.
Colleen McCullough
The Virginia May Bed and Breakfast at Eagle Mountain Lake
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